His death was announced by his brother Orrin, who said he had been treated for mesothelioma, a form of cancer. Olsen was also a longtime color commentator for NBC’s pro football and Rose Bowl telecasts, working with Dick Enberg, and he acted on television, most prominently as the very large and bearded Jonathan Garvey in NBC’s “Little House on the Prairie” and in his own series, “Father Murphy.”

In the early 1950s, the Rams boasted a high-powered offense, led by quarterbacks Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield and receivers Tom Fears and Crazy Legs Hirsch. The Rams of the mid-1960s were renowned for defensive linemen who earned a collective nickname a decade before the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Steel Curtain.

The Rams had only one winning season from 1963 to 1966, the span in which all four “Fearsome” players were teammates, but those linemen were celebrated for their strength, flair, know-how and agility.

Olsen, 6 feet 5 inches and 270 pounds or so, played left tackle, jamming up the middle, stopping draw plays and screen passes and often pressuring the quarterback. Deacon Jones, another future Hall of Famer, extremely quick and adept at the head slap, lined up at left end. Jones joined with Lamar Lundy, the right end, in rolling up the sacks while Roosevelt Grier, the former Giants star, was a formidable presence at right tackle.

“Merlin had superhuman strength,” Jones told The Los Angeles Times in 1985. “If I was beating my man inside, he’d hold him up and free me to make the tackle. If he had to make an adjustment to sacrifice his life and limb, he would make it. A lot of the plays I made were because he or the others would make the sacrifice.”

Olsen felt that the Fearsome Foursome could have excelled in any era.

“What made the Foursome unique, I think, is that we could have fit in extremely comfortably in the modern game,” he told The Orange County Register in 1997. He estimated that the line’s average weight was 275 pounds and said that “there was not a weight lifter in the group.”

“Imagine how big we’d be today,” he added.

“We could all run,” Olsen said. “The other thing we had going for us was a rare chemistry. There was also a very special kind of unselfishness.”

Joining the Rams in 1962 from Utah State University, where he won the Outland Trophy as college football’s best interior lineman, Olsen spent his entire 15-year career with Los Angeles.

Olsen was voted to the Pro Bowl every year except for his final season, he was an all-N.F.L. selection six times, and he was chosen by the Maxwell Club of Philadelphia as the N.F.L.’s most valuable player in 1974. He was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. He was named, along with Jones, to the 75th anniversary all-N.F.L. team in 1994 in a vote by the news media and league personnel.

Olsen may have exuded a fearsome presence in his own right, but he was hardly a brute. He was named one of the nation’s top scholar athletes by the National Football Foundation in his senior year at Utah State and he received a master’s degree in economics while playing for the Rams.

Merlin Jay Olsen, a native of Logan, Utah, was born on Sept. 15, 1940. He was so awkward while pursuing sports in the ninth grade that a coach discouraged him from athletic aspirations.

“I was either stubborn or foolish, but I was unwilling to give up on my dreams,” The South Bend Tribune quoted him as telling a College Football Hall of Fame luncheon in 2007.

Olsen played a major role in reviving the football program at Utah State, leading the Aggies to appearances in the Sun Bowl and Gotham Bowl. He was one of the Rams’ two first-round draft picks in 1962, going third over all after they drafted quarterback Roman Gabriel.

Olsen was the N.F.L.’s rookie of the year on a team that won only one game. The Rams began a turnaround in 1966, when George Allen became the head coach, but Olsen never reached the Super Bowl.

In February 1977, shortly after retiring, Olsen signed a contract with NBC. In addition to working alongside Enberg in the broadcast booth and appearing with Michael Landon in “Little House on the Prairie,” he was featured in NBC’s “Father Murphy,” “Fathers and Sons” and “Aaron’s Way.” He was also a familiar spokesman for FTD florists in television commercials.

Utah State brought an ailing Olsen back to the campus for a halftime ceremony of a basketball game in December 2009, when it announced it would dedicate the football field at its Romney Stadium as Merlin Olsen Field in 2010. The St. Louis Rams — the Los Angeles Rams’ successor franchise — honored Olsen at a home game that month although he was unable to attend because of his illness.

Olsen was one of three brothers who played in the N.F.L. Phil Olsen was a teammate, playing defensive tackle for the Rams from 1971 to 1974 and later playing for the Denver Broncos. Orrin Olsen played center for the Kansas City Chiefs.

In addition to Phil and Orrin, he is survived by his wife, Susan; their children Nathan, Jill and Kelly; his brother Clark; his sisters Colleen, Lorraine, Gwen, Winona and Ramona; and several grandchildren.

Olsen overpowered many an offensive lineman, but he had something of mild-mannered outlook.

“I’m sure that I take out many of my personal aggressions on the field, but I don’t play football for that reason,” he remarked in the N.F.L.’s “The First 50 Years: The Story of the National Football League.”

“My roughness and aggressiveness at certain times are prompted by my desire to be a better football player. I don’t enjoy contact.”

Rodriguez would not indicate if he pressed his lawyers to lock in a date, but he said they have been working on it for “maybe a few days. I don’t know.”

Kathleen Mehltretter, acting U.S. attorney for western New York, said it is not unusual for investigators to go to those they want to interview but declined to comment on the investigation. Maureen Dempsey, an FBI spokeswoman in Buffalo, would not comment on Rodriguez’s statements, citing the investigation.

Rodriguez lawyer James Sharp did not respond to several messages left by The Associated Press.

On March 1, Rodriguez said he was aware federal agents wanted to talk to him about his relationship with Dr. Anthony Galea. The doctor told the AP on Monday that he helped the three-time MVP recover from a hip injury last year but prescribed only anti-inflammatories, not HGH.

Rodriguez said he is not frustrated by the wait or questions from the media because the investigation is “not about me.”

Other baseball players, including Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran(notes) of the Mets, have been contacted by federal investigators regarding Galea. Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street(notes) has said federal investigators might want to talk to him about the case. Reyes and Beltran have said they did not receive HGH from Galea.

Rodriguez has appeared more at ease this year than last spring, when he acknowledged using steroids from 2001-03. Dressed in workout gear Wednesday, he said his surgically repaired hip from a year ago was much better.

“It just feels good to be back at work and have the freedom and flexibility to have a regular camp,” he said. “There’s no question I want to ramp things up a little bit and obviously work diligently more than anything down here, not overdo things.”

At some point this season, he will see his surgeon, Marc Philippon, and have X-rays, perhaps during the All-Star break or on a western road trip.

During his rehabilitation, Rodriguez met Galea, who has close ties to chiropractor Mark Lindsay. Lindsay helped Philippon monitor A-Rod’s recovery.

Galea, who recently resigned as team doctor for the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts, became the focus of authorities’ attention last September when his assistant, Mary Anne Catalano, was stopped at the U.S. border in Buffalo.

Galea was arrested in Canada last October on four charges relating to an unapproved substance used in healing therapy called Actovegin. He is known for using a technique, called platelet-rich plasma therapy, designed to speed recovery. He has used that to treat several high-profile athletes.

U.S. federal court documents say “20 vials and 76 ampoules of unknown misbranded drugs including Nutropin (Human Growth Hormone—HGH) and foreign homeopathic drugs” were found in a car Catalano was driving.

But Galea said Catalano could have had only a tiny, half-empty bottle—or one ampoule of HGH—because she was bringing the drug across the border for his use.

The 51-year-old Galea says he’s taken HGH, which is banned by the major sports, for a decade because it can improve the quality of life for people over 40.

Even if he’s cleared in the investigation, Rodriguez could be in violation of his record $275 million, 10-year contract because the Yankees have the right to approve doctors not on its medical staff.

If Rodriguez was treated without club consent, any attempt to determine whether he violated his contract or baseball’s collective bargaining agreement likely would hinge on whether treatment was elective or necessary.

General manager Brian Cashman said the Yankees’ “no comment still stands” while the federal investigation is proceeding.

Associated Press Writers Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, N.Y., and Rob Gillies in Toronto, contributed to this report.

The Ravens struck a two-year, $8 million agreement with Mason on Wednesday, retaining the most consistent wide receiver in team history. He will earn $3.5 million the first year.

This much-anticipated deal returns Joe Flacco’s favorite target and sends yet another message that the Ravens wanted to improve their passing game.

The Ravens have made three moves this offseason, and all three have involved the wide receiver position. The result: This could be the deepest wide receiver group in team history.

Last month, they signed Donte’ Stallworth (one year, $900,000), hoping he can become the deep threat. Last week, they traded for Anquan Boldin (four years, $28 million), hoping he can become the No. 1 receiver.

The difference with Mason is the Ravens don’t have to hope. Since joining the Ravens in 2005, he is the team’s all-time leader in receiving yards (4,975) and ranks second in receptions (410) and receiving touchdowns (22).

“We know exactly what we’re getting with Derrick, and that’s production,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “Every Ravens fan knows what Derrick brings to this team. It’s reliability, toughness, leadership, the fight to win and the want of the ball in the clutch times. He has a two-year history with Joe that says, ‘We know how to produce together.’ They are on the same page.”

There was really never a question of whether the Ravens and Mason were on the same page this offseason.

Mason, 36, made it known that he wouldn’t play this season unless he received a two-year contract. The Ravens then publicly said they would want Mason for two more seasons.

But the re-signing took longer than expected, and Mason no longer was the priority when the team traded for Boldin. Still, there was little doubt that Mason would return because he didn’t draw much interest in free agency. The Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots reportedly considered him, but Mason didn’t make any visits.

Now, Mason is back for nearly the same salary as before. His previous contract with the Ravens was $20 million over five years.

“I’m getting myself ready to play football and help the Ravens win,” Mason said. “But the first thing I am going to do is take my family on vacation. I’ll see everybody back in Baltimore soon.”

When he comes back to town, it’ll be interesting to see where Mason fits into the offense. He was the Ravens’ No. 1 wide receiver for the past five seasons, but that title appears to have been given to Boldin.

Mason and Boldin also play similar styles. They are known as two of the most hard-nosed receivers in the NFL who can make the tough catch underneath but don’t stretch defenses deep. Still, Mason makes most of his catches to the outside (near the sideline), while Boldin has more of a reputation for going over the middle.

However the Ravens sort it out, they have definitely boosted themselves at wide receiver.

Last season, their top four were Mason, Mark Clayton, Kelley Washington and Demetrius Williams. Now, it’s Boldin, Mason, Stallworth and Clayton. Williams likely won’t make this year’s team, and Washington isn’t needed anymore.

Plus, the Ravens could improve their group of wide receivers even more next month in the draft.

“This is outstanding, just great news for the Ravens,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Our coaches are happy. Derrick’s teammates are happy, and you know Joe is smiling.”

Even though Mason hasn’t played for another team since 2004, this isn’t the first time he has returned to the Ravens. Last summer, he retired for 20 days during the summer before coming back.

But the Ravens have always been able to count on Mason. With a group of receivers who have been sidelined with injuries in the past (Boldin, Stallworth and Clayton have missed a total of 20 games the past four seasons), Mason has been one of the most durable at this position, playing in 122 straight games.

During his 13-year NFL career, Mason has 863 catches, 11,089 receiving yards and 59 receiving touchdowns. He is one of 17 players to record 850 catches in a career and ranks 14th on the NFL’s all-time receptions list.

“We would have lost something special if Derrick had gone to another team,” Harbaugh said. “We have gotten better in the last couple of days.”

Changing the pattern

That was then …

… This is now

Note: Statistics are for 2009, except for Stallworth, whose numbers are for 2008.

In February 2009, students from grades 4, 5 and 6 submitted a letter to vancouver2010.com/edu, the Canadian school portal for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, about how they included Sumi, the Games mascot, into their day-to-day classroom learnings. The winning entry from Isaac Brock School was randomly selected in a draw that included hundreds of submissions from schools across Canada.

On March 9, Sumi, along with members from the Vancouver Organizing Committee team, visited Isaac Brock School to present students with a Paralympic Torch for their winning letter.

The Bon Voyage Sumi program is one of many Paralympic Winter Games education and awareness initiatives led by the Organizing Committee. Others include: Paralympic School Days, a day of Paralympic-themed fun, learning and physical activity; a Paralympic School Week, held across Canada; and Ticket to Inspiration, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for British Columbia’s (BC’s) children and youth to experience the atmosphere, excitement and magic of the Paralympic Winter Games. To learn more about these initiatives, visit www.vancouver2010.com.

VANOC encourages schools across Canada to continue showing their enthusiastic support for the Games, which will include approximately 600 athletes from 44 countries who will compete in five sports (alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling) in 64 medal events.

Looking ahead to the first race, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg said “The build-up to a new Formula One season is always an exciting time, particularly when you have a new team to settle into and a brand new car to get used to.” The team he’s talking about is the new Mercedes team, which bought out last year’s championship-winning Brawn outfit. And the return of the Silver Arrows after an absence of 55 years has perhaps been eclipsed only by the shock return of 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher to the grid.

It is a thought echoed across the grid. World Champion Jenson Button, settling in at McLaren, is looking forward to a successful defense of his hard-won title. Recently Button has commented that defending the title for a new team is a greater challenge than ever for him. Meanwhile his teammate, Lewis Hamilton is eagerly awaiting a chance to reclaim his crown with the MP4-25, expected to be highly competitive right from day 1.

New Season, New Track Layout
Breaking from tradition, Bahrain has replaced Australia as the first race of the Formula 1 season. Besides the change of schedule, race organizers have also modified the track for the 2010 Grand Prix.

This year, the drivers will be racing on a new circuit layout, which includes a new ‘Endurance Circuit’ loop. Increasing the length of the track to 6.299 km, the organizers have added a new sequence of corners after the old turn four. Forming a ‘loop’ within the old circuit, it is a sequence of five sharp corners followed by a kink and ending in a challenging hairpin turn as drivers rejoin the old track. This new layout has been used only for Bahrain 24 Hours endurance races before.

Bahrain is already much loved (and equally hated by some) for its vast runoff areas and the addition of the new section could increase the number of overtaking opportunities on the track.

All of the previous six races at this track have been entertaining – plenty of overtaking and good old fashioned racing. This year should be no exception. A longer circuit means the cars will run a reduced number of laps (49). While the average speed is estimated to be 205 kmph, the cars will be running on full throttle for over 65% of each lap. Fresh into the new season, the race will be a good challenge for the durability of the engines.

Situated in the middle of the desert as it is, there have always been concerns of sand on the track, a problem solved by the end of Friday practice as drivers adjust to the circuit and dust off the sand. Come race, there’s a racing line, but given the dust off the racing line, it makes it quite tricky for the drivers to attempt audacious overtaking moves. Overall, the track is not too hard on the tyres. But with cars running more than 50% of the time on full throttle, the brakes do come in for some serious use. Given the that the teams will be starting with 100kg of race fuel more than in the past, the brakes are bound to come in for some serious punishment. Brake management along with controlling the wear of the tyres might just be the key to success in the early races, if not winning the championship.

Past form and winners
In the six races so far, there have been four separate winners of the Bahrain Gran Prix. While Michael Schumacher won the inaugural event in 2004, both Alonso (2005, 2006) and Massa (2007 and 2008) have won the event twice; Jenson Button won the race last year. Michael Schumacher still holds the race and qualifying lap records for the circuit.

With both Alonso and Massa now driving for Ferrari, identifying Sunday’s winner should, in theory, be an easy task.

But this is a new season and history does not count for much. The cars are new and so are the teammates. There are also a number of new teams on the grid. Plenty of chances for drivers to trip over a stray back marker or a new engine not lasting the full distance.

The cars this season are just too close together. Whoever gets ahead on the first lap on Sunday will have to work very hard to hang on to that spot till the chequered flag.
Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has expressed the pre-race sentiment the best, “I can’t remember the start of a Formula 1 season where there’s been so much interest, excitement and anticipation. The closeness of the winter tests, our double-champion line-up, the return of a Formula 1 legend and the presence of four world champions on the grid mean that 2010 is already shaping up to be a classic season.”

Premier League giants and last year’s beaten finalists Manchester United welcomed AC Milan to Old Trafford amidst widespread belief that Sir Alex’s men would finally get past the Italians in Europe’s premier club competition. Milan had United’s number in Europe; beating the English champions on all 4 previous occasions before this tie. United though, were in a confident mood considering that they put an end to the hoodoo of Milan by winning 3-2 on an impressive night at the San Siro a fortnight ago.

Wayne Rooney had been the centre of attraction from both camps prior to the match in all the media briefings. While United were glad to welcome the red hot striker back from a knee injury, Milan were singing paeans in the England striker’s praise after his superlative performance at the Italians’ den. Leonardo, the Milan coach was, however, quite confident in the pre-match bytes and believed his side had the necessary firepower to turn the tie in their favour.

David Beckham who was making a return to his club of yore was also talked about a lot in the media circles. The England international however could only make the bench as Leonardo thought better of including him in the starting line up. Sir Alex on his part reiterated his club’s philosophy in the build up that his wards would continue with their attacking instincts. The wily old Scot also sounded confident that his side would get its share of goal scoring chances especially when Milan had to score a minimum of two goals to even think of turning the tie.

United were glad to have the imposing central defence pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic along with the omnipresent Patrice Evra and veteran Gary Neville donning their roles at the left and right back positions respectively. It was a big night for even a player of the stature and experience of Neville as he was expected to keep the revitalised Ronaldinho at bay for the full 90 minutes. Darren Fletcher, Paul Scholes and Ji Sung Park were the midfield generals for Sir Alex while Nani and Valencia took up a role on the flanks. Wayne Rooney was the lone striker up front for the home side. Dimitar Berbatov was again relegated to the substitutes bench by Sir Alex who prefered playing with only Rooney up front in this mammoth contest.

Milan on the other hand had Mathieu Flamini in Beckham’s place on the right side of the midfield. Clarence Seedorf and Inzaghi joined the returning United hero on the bench. Ronaldinho led the lines with Borriello and Huntelaar as Milan pieced together an attacking 4-3-3 formation in a bid to wrest the initiative from Manchester United. Christain Abbiati replaced Dida between the goal posts for the Rossoneri. The two big misses for Milan were the absence of star striker Alexandre Pato and veteran center-back Alessandro Nesta.

The formations were on the expected lines. It was widely expected that United’s 5-man midfield in the absence of Michael Carrick (due to suspension) would be able to choke Milan’s aging stars. Like at the San Siro, Sir Alex was banking on Rooney, Nani and Valencia to deliver the knockout punch for United with their patent fast and furious attacking forays into the Milan half.

United were into their stride early as Wayne Rooney went agonisingly close in the 3rd minute as he shot narrowly wide of Abbiati’s goal. It was United’s pace up front that lead to the chance for the England striker. It was a sight to behold when even Gary Neville attempted a shot from the edge of the box in the 6th minute, as Milan’s front three refused to track back, giving the defender plenty of time and space. The right back’s effort was inches over the bat though Abbiati had it covered. AC Milan almost had the opening goal in the 7th minute when Ronaldinho headed a free kick agonisingly wide of Van der Sar’s goal post, with the United keeper well beaten. Huntelaar came close too but his control let him down in the box. Nani was up next as his shot was parried away for a United corner. Of the resulting corner, Vidic headed over when he could have done better. Thus, the first 10 minutes saw frenzied attacking play from both sides as they traded punches with each other.

The match deservingly got its first goal when the irrepressible Wayne Rooney headed a delirious United into the lead and into the ascendancy in the 13th minute when he got on the end of a delightful ball from Gary Neville and glanced it past a diving Abbiati. It was an inch perfect cross from the veteran right back and Rooney did the rest with aplomb, getting in front of his marker and scoring his 29th goal of the season. Interestingly, the last 7 of Rooney’s goals have all come from his head. Milan tried to pin the home side down but were stifled by the energetic United midfield. Pirlo caused a stutter or two in the United camp when his dipping and swerving shot was saved by Van der Sar after a fumble. But the lack of pace in the Italians play was hurting Milan as United were able to hit the Italians on the counter time and again. Ji-Sung Park was entrusted with the job of keeping Pirlo on a tight leash and shadowed the Italian all around the park. The game seemed to drift as both sides seemed to settle down and the urgency was missing. Ronaldinho too was kept in check by some tight United marking and the smiling Brazilian seemed to fade away as the half progressed. Darren Fletcher almost got out of the stupor exuded by his fellow players when his shot from 20 yards in the 44th minute elicited a dive from Abbiati but the ball flew wide of the Italian’s goal. That was the last piece of action as the half came to an end.

The second half started with Clarence Seedorf taking the field for the Italians in place of Bonera. It was a bold move from Leonardo as he sacrificed a central defender for Seedorf. But for all of Milan’s bravado, Manchester United killed the game off when Nani and Rooney combined in lethal fashion in the 46th minute to give United a 2 goal lead on the night and 5-2 lead overall. Rooney was again on the score sheet but it was all down to the Portugese winger’s brilliance and pace that fed Rooney a delightful ball on the counter. The England international, to his credit calmly netted his 30th of the season. Milan missed a chance to get one on the score sheet in the 54th minute when Huntelaar failed to keep a header down from barely 6 yards. The drop in Milan players’ shoulders was apparent and it was even more so when Ji-Sung Park scored the 3rd goal for United in the 58th minute. Paul Scholes played in Park with a well disguised through-ball and the diminutive South Korean international calmly slotted the ball home. It was further agony for the Rossoneri whose night was turning more painful by the minute.

David Beckham made his much documented return in the 63rd minute and replaced Abate as Leonardo hoped for a miracle from the Old Trafford former star. Sir Alex Ferguson also decided to rest Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville with the match all but decided. Dimitar Berbatov and Rafael da Silva took their places in place of the duo. Flamini forced Van der Sar into a save in the 69th minute and the Dutchman was up to the challenge. David Beckham almost pinched a consolation goal for the Rossoneri when his volley from the edge of the box was punched away for a Milan corner. It was a perfect strike from the former United player and at the same time, a fine exhibition of his great technique on the ball. Darron Gibson (on for Paul Scholes) then missed a golden chance to add further icing on the cake for the home side when he was teed up by Valencia but he blazed his effort over the bar.

Darren Fletcher finally added the gloss in the 88th minute for Manchester United when he headed in a delightful cross from Rafael to give United a 4 goal cushion on the night. It was a humiliating score for the second placed side in the Serie A but such was United’s performance, that not even AC Milan’s most ardent fans would have disputed the score line.

The game finally came to an end when the referee decided to spare the Italians further agony by not adding any time. The Old Trafford faithful had been treated to a spectacle of epic proportions. Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Porto was great but tonight, United just blanked a top Italian side in a manner that would certainly send ripples across Europe.

Teams:
Manchester United: Van der Sar, Neville (Rafael), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Scholes (Gibson), Fletcher, Ji-Sung Park, Valencia, Rooney (Berbatov)
AC Milan: Abbiati, Silva, Bonera (Seedorf), Jankulovski, Abate (Beckham), Pirlo, Ambrosini, Flamini, Ronaldinho, Borriello (Inzaghi), Huntelaar

Final Score:
Manchester United 4-0 AC Milan

In the other big match of the day, the Galacticos from Real Madrid were sensationally knocked out from the Champions League by French outfit Lyon. The final score line of 1-1 on the night sealed Lyon’s passage into the quarter-finals of the Champions League, after their 1-0 win in the home leg a fortnight ago.

With this year’s final to be played at the Santiago Bernebeu, there were high hopes in the Spanish capital that Real Madrid would be there to contest it. And with the big money signings in the summer – Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso et al – the hopes seemed justified for the Madrid faithful. Manuel Pellegrini however failed to break Madrid’s recent Champions League knock out stage hoodoo as the Madrid side crashed out at the last-16 stage for the sixth successive season. The loss effectively seals Pellegrini’s time at Madrid if the views of the Madrid faithful and the Spanish Pundits are anything to go by.

The match on the other hand was a fine spectacle of football as both sides played an open attacking game. Madrid had themselves to blame for their debacle as they wasted a glut of chances in the first half when they were really dominating Lyon. Cristiano Ronaldo gave Real the perfect start when he slotted in the opening goal in the 6th minute. The goal sparked a lengthy period of domination from the home side but their profligacy in front of the goal made sure that the match remained on tenter hooks.

Gonzalo Higuain came up with the miss of the match in the first half when he neatly rounded Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris but inexplicably stroked the ball onto the near post when the goal was too big to be missed. The second half saw a more determined Lyon side turn up and slowly but surely started making their mark on the game. The equalizer finally came in the 75th minute as Miralem Pjanic’s half volley flew into Iker Casillas’ net and Madrid found themselves requiring 2 goals in the last 15 minutes to salvage their season.
A frantic Madrid went all out for the win but it was to no avail. At the other end of the pitch Lisandro Lopez and Cesar Delgado missed gilt edged chances to bury the tie, but failed to keep their cool when through on goal with only Casillas to beat.

It all came to an end with the final whistle as a morbid hush descended upon the Santiago Bernabeu. Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Manchester United for Real in the summer in the hunt for immortality looked a forlorn figure on the pitch. Lyon on the other hand look set to finally fulfil that promise of going further in the competition and will hope for a favourable draw in the last eight.

Final Score:
Real Madrid 1-1 Lyon

File photograph Copyright: Barry Zee

This article is the exclusive copyright of TheSportsCampus.com and permission to reproduce the same has not been granted

Wigan 1 – 0 Liverpool
The Latics won just their 2nd game against the so called “Big Four” on Monday. A goal from Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega in the 35th minute sealed three extremely vital points for Roberto Martinez’s team. Fernando Torres’ four missed chances summed up the night for Liverpool, who were hapless and completely out of sorts. Charles N’Zogbia almost doubled Wigan’s lead in the last quarter of an hour of the game but the Reds had Lady Luck smiling on them.

A Dirk Kuyt mistake led to the game’s only goal. The Dutchman surrendered possession in his own half rather easily to Emmerson Boyce, whose cross to Rodallega was volleyed past Pepe Reina. The Colombian’s 8th goal of the season led to Wigan’s first league win in 8 games. The 24-year old frontman seems to be adding to his reputation with every passing game. The Reds frailties were laid bare by a hard working and deserving Wigan Athletic side.

Solid performances from Charles N’Zogbia, James McCarthy and goalscorer Rodallega stood out for the home side. The trio ran circles around a supposedly ‘Champions League Quality’ defence. Wigan owner Dave Whelan rounded of things by saying that Liverpool were in a mess and the supporters deserved much better. He also added that the two American owners George Gillet and Tom Hicks were out of touch with the traditions of Anfield. Liverpool are definitely not at the best possible place both on and off the field at the moment.

After this historic victory Wigan lie in 15th place, 4 points above the relegation zone. The Latics grabbed some vital breathing space and if they do succeed in avoiding the drop, they will look back at this game as a key moment in their chequered season. Liverpool persist at 6th place in the Premiership, but have played more games than all their rivals in the race for 4th. They run the risk of losing pace with Tottenham and Manchester City, and while they are 3 points ahead of Aston Villa, 3 games do separate them as well. Rafa and his men need to get their act together in order to end this horrific season on a high.

Portsmouth 1 – 2 Birmingham
Birmingham hammered another nail in the Pompey coffin with a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park. The result is perfect revenge for the defeat imposed on them by Pompey in the FA Cup over the weekend, with Cameron Jerome’s first half brace secured all three points. Kanu pulled one back in injury time but it was too little too late for Avram Grant and his oft unpaid stars. Pompey have all but cemented a place in the Championship next year, and look quite deflated at the moment. Alex McLeish’s men are meanwhile sitting pretty in 8th place. The Blues have been the surprise package of the season and despite many calling it all a fluke, Birmingham continue to enchant.

Sunderland 4 – 0 Bolton
A hat-trick from Darren Bent moved Sunderland 4 places up to 13th in the League. A goal early on from Fraizer Campbell in the game set things up perfectly for Steve Bruce’s Sunderland, who then went about making up for their poor form by putting four goals past Bolton Wanderers. The two teams are separated from each other by just a solitary point now. One would think that despite their terrible seasons both Bolton and Sunderland have the quality to succeed in their bid to survive. Owen Coyle’s Bolton are one of the most unpredictable teams in the League but on their day the Trotters can more than match any team in the top half of the table and one would certainly put good money on the Premiership survival of both teams.

Burnley 1 – 1 Stoke City
In a crucial match for Burnley’s survival aspirations, the Clarets staged a useful second half comeback to get a share of the points at home to Stoke City. That being said, Owen Coyle’s men really need to do more at home to ensure that they avoid the drop, and will certainly see Wednesday night’s contest against Stoke as two points dropped. Burnley went behind in the 23rd minute as Sanli Tuncay took advantage of a Mamady Sidibe flick-on from a Rory Delay long-throw. Burnley equalized seven minutes into the second half through David Nugent, who is running into some useful form. Both sides had ample opportunities to walk away with all three points, but some poor quality in front of goal at critical moments let them down. Burnley stay in the bottom three, but move ahead of Hull on goal difference. Also on 24 points are Wolves, incidentally Burnley’s next opponents!

Midweek did provide one of the shocks of the season with minnows Wigan triumphing over Liverpool. The battle for fourth may have seen one of its contenders being damaged beyond repair. From the relegation point of view, Wigan and Sunderland were definitely the big winners, and with so little to choose between the sides at the bottom, out of the blue performances like these could decide demotion or sustenance.

File Photograph Copyright: Ryu Voelkel

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Juventus

The Italian Giants are in dire straits at the moment, lying 5th in the league and 15 points adrift of league leaders Inter. They last faced Fiorentina in the Seria A in Florence on Saturday and ran out 2-1 winners, goals from Diego and Fabio Grosso securing the points for Juventus. They previously lost to Palermo (4th) at home which added to their woes. Alberto Zaccheroni has led Juventus in 8 games since taking over at the end of January and the 27 time Serie A champs have won 4, drawn 3 and lost 1 of those games.

Juventus ran out 2-1 winners on aggregate against Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam in the last round. The game in Holland was aced by the Italians while the home leg was dull 0-0 stalemate. Brazilian striker Amauri scored both the goals in the first leg. The Old Lady finished 3rd in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League and consequentially ended up in the UEFA Europa League. Juventus under then coach Ciro Ferrara were incapable of defeating French Champions Bordeaux and German Giants Bayern Munich over the course of the group stages and hence, bowed out of Europe’s premier club competition.

The goals have been scarce this season for Juventus. The likes of Del Piero, Amauri, Iaquinta and Trezeguet have failed to score on a regular basis which has led to their team’s downfall. The defence is just better than 7 other teams in the Italian League and Juventus shouldn’t look beyond themselves for reasons of failure.

Fulham

Fulham haven’t lost a game since the beginning of February. The Cottagers sit pretty at 10th in the League away from the dog eat dog world of the relegation battle or the tussle for Europe, thus allowing them to keep a 100% focus on their Cup competitions. In their last domestic match, they faced Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup at home. The London derby ended with both teams failing to break the deadlock, despite both keepers having plenty to do. They are the only two teams playing a replay for a spot in the semis.

This is Fulham’s second ever European Campaign and not surprisingly, their most successful yet. The club have won 7, lost 2 and drawn three of their 12 games in Europe this season. They faced stiff opposition from Italian side Roma in the group stages and lost to them 2-1 in Italy. In the last round, Fulham sent defending champions Shakhtar Donetsk packing with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Fulham have fostered a good solid team under Roy Hodgson over a period of time. The side is generally the same in most games and is rarely altered or rotated if there are no injury worries or suspensions. The likes of Bobby Zamora, Damien Duff, Mark Schwarzer and Aaron Hughes have stood out this term and Fulham will be hoping these experienced individuals can lead them to glory in May. The absence of former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, who is the heart and soul of Fulham’s adventurous play, will be sorely missed after the veteran picked up a silly red card in the dying moments of the match against Shakhtar.

Team News
Juventus: Giorgio Chiellini (thigh injury), Paolo De Ceglie (injured), Gianluigi Buffon(thigh injury)

Fulham: Dikgacoi (Ankle sprain), Andrew Johnson (knee injury), Clint Dempsey (Shin injury), Paintsill (shin injury), Danny Murphy (suspended)

Players to Watch

Diego: The Brazilian playmaker is one of Europe’s most exciting prospects and he almost single-handedly prevents this team fading away. His array of skills, goal scoring and creating abilities can be a handful for the best defences in Europe.

Damien Duff: The Irish winger has the experience of playing in Europe with Chelsea and Newcastle United, which will be vital against a team of Juve’s repute. Duff has been in good form this season and has been a regular in the starting line-up. His dashing runs down the flanks will cause problems.

Probable Line-ups:

Juventus: Manninger, Zebina, Legrottaglie, Grosso, Grygera, Melo, Sissoko, Diego, Candreva, Amauri, Trezeguet.
Fulham: Schwarzer, Shorey, Hughes, Hangeland, Baird, Davies, Duff, Greening, Gera, Etuhu, Zamora

Prediction: Juventus to win 2-1 at Turin

File Photograph Copyright: Barry Zee

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Cesare Prandelli began the match with a 4-4-2, playing Motenegro prodigy Stevan Jovetic upfront with Alberto Gilardino. Riccardo Montolivo and Juan Vargas played on the flanks while Marco Marchionni and Cristiano Zanetti manned the middle of the park. The back four consisted of Per Kroldrup, Lorenzo Di Silvestri, Cesare Natali and Felipe. Sebastien Frey guarded the goal for the Florence club.

Bayern Munich began with Mario Gomez on his own up top. Louis Van Gaal played a classic Dutch 4-3-3 with Philipp Lahm, Daniel Van Buyten, Holger Badstuber and David Alaba at the back. Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery wee deployed on the flanks. Mark Van Bommel played the role of a holding midfielder while Bastien Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller played in a more attacking role.

The first half wasn’t quite as entertaining as the second but it did set-up the roller coaster ride quite perfectly. The home side Fiorentina were the better side in the opening exchanges. They converted their dominance into success in the 28th minute through Peruvian Juan Vargas. Marchionni’s low strike was pushed into the path of Vargas by Munich Keeper Hans Jorg Butt, and Vargas’ brilliant strike from an acute angle flew into the net. At 1-0 Fiorentina were going through on the away goals rule.

The Bavarians turned it on after the goal, the creativity of all their forwards coming into play. Arjen Robben came close after his thunderbolt was deflected over the bar by French Keeper Sebastien Frey. The first half saw a lot of decent football from both sides, especially the German Giants Bayern Munich who worked tooth and nail after conceding the first goal. Their perserverance almost paid off when Miroslav Klose’s (on for the injured Gomez) header went over the bar.

The second half had a mouth-watering blend of flair and magic from the attack minded players and lapses and mistakes from the defenders. Fiorentina began the half with a much better tempo. Alberto Gilardino came close with a shot early on. Fiorentina doubled their lead in the 54th minute through 20-year old Stevan Jovetic. A cross from Vargas was skillfully placed for Jovetic by Alberto Gilardino, who scored his 3rd goal in 4 matches. Munich turned it on after receiving this second nail in the coffin. Arjen Robben’s 57th minute freekick was almost met by Miroslav Klose. Fiorentina led the tie 3-2 on aggregate at this time.

Then came Bayern’s reply in the 60th minute via Captain Mark Van Bommel. Franck Ribery squared it for the Dutchman from the right, whose low and controlled strike from just inside the box levelled the tie at 3-3 with the scoreline being 2-1 on the night. It would head to extra time if the scoreline persisted.

Stevan Jovetic scored his second and gave Fiorentina the lead in the 64th minute. The youngster dribbled past a defender and his pass to Gilardino deflected off another and metamorphosed into a lob to the Italian. Gilardino headed straight back into the path of Jovetic, in a very skillful and lucky one-two, who over-powered Badstuber to put Fiorentina back in front.. The scoreline at this time was 4-3 on aggregate in favour of the Italians.

However, just 72 seconds later, the tide turned once again with Bayern Munich making it 3-2 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate. Arjen Robben cut in to the middle from the left and struck a venomous blow which curled into the top right corner. The strike was the last goal on the night and the most vital one as Munich went ahead on the away goals rule.

Another twist in the tale seemed quite probable but no such thing happened. Gilardino did have a goal disallowed for offside, after the Italian finished from just outside the 6 yard box. All in all the match provided great entertainment and had more twists and twirls than Sidney Sheldon books.

Bayern Munich made it through to the quarters with the most perfect goal from Arjen Robben. The Bavarians have changed their fortunes around an are doing really well for themselves. They are top of their domestic league and are now in the final 8 of Europe’s premier club competition. On the other hand it’s heartbreak for Fiorentina who had just the Champions League to fight for after a very poor domestic season in Italy. The club has a very good squad with quality players and with their current standing in the league and their participation in the Champions League unlikely, one hopes that they are able to keep a hold of their stars.

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Arsenal entertained FC Porto at London’s Emirates Stadium in a bid to enter the quarter-finals stage of the Champions League. Arsene Wenger’s men, who were trailing 2-1 to the Portugese side from the first leg encounter, had a tough task especially with the absence of superstars Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and William Gallas, all missing due to injuries.

Porto on the other hand were quite gung-ho in all their pre-match talks with manager Jesualdo Ferreira leading the charge and claiming that his side was going to the Emirates in search of a win and not to hold on to their narrow one goal advantage. Ferreira had the necessary ammunition too to back his claims as in his starting eleven; he had players that could easily make a difference in the opposition’s end with devastating effect; with Hulk, Varela and Falcao leading the charge.

‘The Professor’ Arsene Wenger picked Sol Campbell (who scored in Porto in the away leg) ahead of Mikael Silvestre to partner the omnipresent Thomas Vermaelen. Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna completed the back four for the Gunners. In the absence of Fabregas, Samir Nasri was entrusted with the responsibility of running the show from the midfield engine room. Rosicky and Arshavin were also there to provide the creative spark while Bendtner (after an eminently forgettable day over the weekend against Premier League strugglers Burnley) was the target man. Abou Diaby and Alexandre Song were there in the holding midfield roles to screen the back four. Surprisingly, Theo Walcott couldn’t find a place for himself despite an eye catching performance in the weekend game against Burnley. The winger was relegated to the bench along with the likes of Silvestre, Eboue and Eduardo.

As for Porto, Ferreira stuck to his guns and named a line up that was well capable of keeping the Arsenal defence honest throughout the course of the match. In Hulk, Varela and Falcao, Porto had players who relished the big stage and possessed the requisite temperament to make a mark on the same. There was also the presence of the impressive Cristian Rodriguez on the visitors’ bench and thus ensured that Porto entered the match without any inhibitions or nervousness.

Arsenal definitely had the edge because of the crucial away goal (courtesy Sol Campbell). On paper too, it looked easy for the Londoners as even a 1-0 win would be sufficient for them to take the match and book their place in the Quarter-finals. The Premier League big guns had history on their side as well, as the last time these two sides met in London was in September 2008 when Arsenal ran out comfortable victors by an impressive margin of 4-0.

As expected Arsenal started brightly and settled into their crisp passing game right from the get go. They had a couple of decent set piece opportunities in the first 5 minutes and then had a Samir Nasri shot blocked by a last ditch tackle by a Porto defender in the box. It was all Arsenal in the opening exchanges and they missed going ahead when Arshavin’s header in the 7th minute was saved by Helton at his near post. The Gunners finally got the breakthrough when Bendtner scored in the 10th minute as Porto failed to clear the ball in their box and the young Dane showed good heart to slide in and poke the ball into an empty net.

Porto were under the cosh even after the goal as Arsenal inflicted wave after wave of attacks. At the other end of the pitch the visitors tried their best to mount some offence of their own, but a couple of good blocks by Thomas Vermaelen made sure that Arsenal held to their advantage.

Arsenal then added a second in the 25th minute when Arshavin ran through 3 Porto defenders and rolled the ball into Bendtner’s path who calmly slotted it home from 6 yards. Porto had themselves to blame for their debacle as they failed to clear their lines and then failed again to stop a marauding run from Arshavin despite having the numbers in the box. Bendtner on his part had a reversal of fortunes after a horror weekend against Burnley where he missed chances at will. Here, he had two chances in the opening 25 minutes and had finished both.

The goal had a visible impact on the men from Portugal as there was a noticeable drop in the shoulders. Andrey Arshavin saved Porto further blushes in the 33rd minute when he missed an open goal from 6 yards and blazed his shot over the bar after Nasri had neatly set up the chance with a cut back. At the other end, Hulk failed to get Porto on the score sheet when he found himself in a good position but chose to take on the shot when he had better options in the box.

Bendtner tried to get a first half hat trick but his effort from distance was tipped for an Arsenal corner. Abou Diaby then almost gave Arsenal the 3rd goal of the match from the resulting corner in the 43rd minute but Helton came out with a top drawer save to deny the hosts an unassailable lead. Nasri too came close in the dying embers of the first half when his shot was tipped around the post by a clearly overworked Helton. That signalled the end of the first half and Arsenal were clearly on top of the men from Portugal.

For all of Jesualdo Ferreira’s bold talk, his team had been carved open at will by Arsene Wenger’s men. Half time came at just the right moment for Porto as Arsenal were pushing hard for that 3rd goal that would have all but secured them a place in the quarter-finals. Alexandre Song had a half to remember as he was all over the park – getting the tackles in and running the hard yards when needed in the attacking half. Andrey Arshavin though was at his mercurial best, mixing sublime skills with some shoddy play.

Porto made a change at half time introducting Cristian Rodriguez in place of defensive midfielder Nuno Coelho. The next goal was all important for the tie as an Arsenal goal would have all but clinched it for the Gunners while a goal from Porto would have at the very least ensured the visitors level footing with Arsenal.

Alexandre Song came close in the 53rd minute when he worked some space for himself but shot straight at Helton. It was Falcao then who gave the home side a scare when his venomous shot greased the palms of Almunia. Arshavin came next as his volley was somehow saved by Helton.

The tie was finally settled by a gem of a goal from the French magician Samir Nasri in the 63rd minute. He jinked past an array of Porto defenders in the box before smashing the ball past a hapless Helton. The match was put to bed moments later when Arsenal scripted a mesmerising counter attack from a Porto corner and ended 4-0 up on the night. Andrei Arshavin led the charge and substitute Emmanuel Eboue put in the finishing touch after rounding Helton in the 66th minute.

It was a scintillating move by Wenger’s men which effectively sealed the tie with nearly 25 minutes to go. Porto on the other hand were now merely playing for the sake of completing the 90 minutes on field. Arshavin was terrorising the Porto defence with his mazy runs and in one such run in the 73rd minute, set up Sagna to have a shot at goal from 10 yards but the right back blazed his effort over.

With the tie put over for all academic purposes, Wenger replaced Nasri and Arshavin with an eye for future fixtures of relatively more importance. Arsenal still were a threat as Walcott and Song came close to adding more agony for the visitors. The icing on the cake was complete when Bendtner slotted home a penalty in the 90th minute and in the process completed his first hat trick in Arsenal colours. Eboue played his part as he won the penalty after Fucile had tripped him in the box.

It was a 5 star performance from the Gunners who ran riot at the Emirates. Incidentally, this was only Arsenal’s second win in Europe after going down in the first leg. It was a clear statement of intent from the Londoners as they laid down a marker for the other teams in the competition.

Teams:

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Campbell, Vermaelen, Clichy, Nasri (Denilson), Song, Arshavin (Walcott), Rosicky (Eboue), Diaby, Bendtner
Porto: Helton, Alves, Rolando, Pereira, Fucile, Coelho (Rodriguez), Meireles, Micael (Guarin), Hulk, Falcao, Varela (Gonzalez)

Final Score: Arsenal 5-0 Porto

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