This movie is the third blockbuster sequel in a month, After the disappointments of Spiderman 3 and Pirates of the Carribean “3” for many fans of their previous episodes, there was not many high expectations of Fantastic Four “2”.
Flame on! However watching the show turned out to be a relatively exhilarating experience, with numerous action packed scenes.
With the silver surfer being the main instigator for the demise of earth itself, most of the show centered on the slick looking character. Thankfully so, as the chase between him and the human torch (Chris Evans) set the pace for a highly charged show.
The powers of the fantastic four were again put on show, with an interesting twist this time. The human torch after coming into direct contact with the surfer, was able to switch powers with the rest and this provided loads of opportunities on how they use their powers.
The saving scene at the London eye and perhaps more evidently the final showdown with Dr Doom presented this new element perfectly. (Not to forget the near naked scene of Jessica Alba after switching powers with his brother)
Fours a Joy
One of the more interesting aspects of the first Fantastic Four movie was to see how the four characters interacted with other. This was rightfully portrayed again and even developed further in this show.
It was especially comical to see the way Johnny (Chris) cracks jokes on The Thing’s (Michael Chiklis) awkward appearance and actions, but still remaining buddies in the end.
The voluptuous Jessica Alba looked more at ease than in the first show, which can be seen in her longer screen time than the other characters with the silver surfer. Ioan Gruffudd, an established actor had no problems too acting as the leader of the pack.
Worthy sequel? Fantastic Four : Rise of the Silver Surfer was definitely more action packed less talk (Spiderman 3), which was really what many viewers of this category would want to see. The jokes were also more hilarious and blended well with the flow of the movie (Pirates “3”).
The only complaint could be the show was so enjoyable that when it ended, it felt too quick. And they should have given Galactus more respect by showing at least his face then to just show a cloud of smoke…
Story: Acting: Entertainment:
Interesting fact: Silver surfer was actually not all CGI animated, He was acted by Doug Jones, the same actor who portrayed the pale man inPan's Labyrinth
It was down to the wire in deciding who will be La Liga champions this season. Due to a superior head to head record with Barcelona, Real Madrid knew they have the upper hand as they just have to concentrating on winning their home game against Real Mallorca, regardless of Barcelona’s result against Gimnastic.
Stars in the stands as well
But in soccer, things can turn around full circle in a flash and there was loads of potential for drama in this climatic weekend.
Real Madrid Vs Real Mallorca Real Madrid players obviously felt nervous in the opening exchanges, as they were pressurized by the home fans, all expecting nothing less than a win so that they can open their champagnes and have a taste of success after 90 mins.
Even the likes of Tom Cruise and his wife, Katie Holmes, were seen in the stands beside Victoria Beckham, preparing to celebrate. Rafael Nadal looked more anxious, probably cause he knew nothing can be taken for granted in soccer.
Indeed Real Mallorca was clearly out to spoil the party. After just one minute on the clock, Juan Arango nearly silenced the whole stadium when he clipped the post with a low shot. Real Madrid did not wake up from that incident and they paid the price when Mallorca's Fernando Varela coolly put the ball past Iker Casilla in the 17th minute after being set free from a perfect through pass by Arango.
More drama was to come when the league’s leading scorer Ruud van Nistelrooy had to come off in the 32nd minute after pulling a hamstring as he was running towards the goal. Nothing was going right for Real Madrid fans, suddenly their hands on the champagne cork shifted to their lips for some nail biting action.
Over at Nou Estadi…
Barcelona Vs Gimnastic Barcelona on the other hand, were rampant against Gimnastic, going 3 nil up as the half time whistle blew. Their Captain, Carlos Puyol lead by example by sliding the ball home from a well timed pass by Lionel Messi. Messi himself scored soon afterwards and then Ronaldinho coming back from suspension, scored a beautifully curled free kick that gave the keeper no chance. Advantage Barcelona.
Back to the Bernabeu…
Guti was brought on by Fabio Capello to try and instill more creativity to the front line and get the minimum two goals they needed to win the title. But few chances were created after the substitution and in fact, Real Mallorca looked more likely to score instead.
Then came the changing moment of the match, or more appropriately, season as Reyes came on for David Beckham in the 66th minute. Beckham had experienced another recurrence of his injury suffered in the last few games. He remained standing in the bench as he looked to his teammates to deliver his first and last title in Madrid colors before leaving to play in USA.
Ironically it was the man who replaced him whom gave hope to his wish. Just one minute after the substitution, Reyes reacted quickly to a Robinho cross to guide the ball past Mallorca’s keeper and prompted the home crowd to spur the players on and get the next crucial goal.
12 minutes later, the whole stadium erupted when Diarra headed the ball towards goal. The keeper managed to get a hand to the ball but it bounced off a defender’s back who was guarding the post into the net. It was the sort of luck champions needed. Reyes completed his heroic turnaround when he curled a ball first time with unerring accuracy into the corner of the net in the 83rd minute.
Casillas was in tears by that time and he ran the whole pitch to celebrate the goal with his teammates. Tom Cruise kissed his wife on the cheek and Nadal finally managed a smile. They knew it was over. The final whistle blew and the players and staff who had already been waiting in the benches long before that, ran onto the pitch to celebrate Real Madrid’s 30th Spanish league title.
Meanwhile, Barcelona had added two goals scored by Messi and Gianluca Zambrotta with a consolation goal scored by Gimnastic’s Tobias Grahn in the 83rd minute. The impressive scoreline of 5-1 in the end did not matter at all. Barcelona only have themselves to blame for their inconsistency. Real Madrid should be praised for their spirited and determined performances in the second half of the season.
Van Nistelrooy celebrates a well deserved title
Other important results
Villarreal managed to clinch a UEFA Cup spot, eliminating any hopes for Sevilla of winning the league title with a 1-0 win. Villarreal and Sevilla finished fifth and third respectively. Sevilla still has a double cup success to play for, with a match against Getafe in the Copa Del Rey final.
Real Zaragoza pipped Atletic Madrid to the last UEFA Cup spot with a 1-1 draw at Recreativo Huelva. This means Madrid will missed out on qualifying for the seventh straight season despite beating Osasuna 2-1.
Athletic Bilbao avoided its first relegation from Spain's top soccer league with a 2-0 win over Levante. Real Betis also ensured of its La Liga status with a 2-0 win at Racing Santander.
Things were more grim for Real Sociedad as they were relegated to the second division for the first time in 40 years despite getting a credible 3-3 draw at Valencia, while Celta Vigo was also relegated even though they won 2-1 against Getafe.
Four weddings were held for not just one, but four England football stars in a span of just two days. There was never any doubt that expenses will not be spared by these insanely rich people.
John Terry of Chelsea and his wife, Toni Poole held theirs just yesterday at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
The other three weddings will be held today. Manchester United’s Gary Neville will tie the knot with Emma Hadfield at Manchester Cathedral. Gary hopes close friend David Beckham will be able to rush to be his best man, with a potential title winning match at stake with Real Madrid this weekend.
Gary’s Man United teammate, Michael Carrick will also marry his high school sweetheart, Lisa Roughead in a church at Wymondham, Leicestershire.
And last but not least, Liverpool’s captain Steven Gerrard ends the quadruple of marriages as he marries Alex Curran who has already bear two children of his, Lilly-Ella, three, and Lexie, one. The wedding will be held at Cliveden, Berkshire.
The man with a major headache will be Wayne Rooney, who has been invited to all four weddings! Will he able to carry on his form for Manchester United and score all four goals?
It was down to the last two matches to decide who will be the Spanish La Liga Champions for the 2006/07 season. Just three months ago, Barcelona were showing so much promise fighting on three fronts, the UEFA Champions League, Spanish Cup and leading the Spanish primera division.
Will these scenes appear after the final match on June 17th?
But the Catalan side were defeated by Liverpool, and humiliated by Getafe 4-0 in the cup final and now have the Spanish title out of their hands... Will it be a trophyless season for Frank Rijkaard's side in a league which does not accept failure as a result?
Barcelona 2 – 2 Espanyol
Lionel Messi was quoted as saying they only had themselves to blame, but he also showed his determination to make things right in order not to have a fruitless campaign. Indeed he had a ‘hand’ in the final result against their city rivals Espanyol.
Espanyol were looking the more threatening side in the opening exchanges, with Tamudo looking particularly dangerous, forcing a fine save by Victor Valdes from an acute angle. There was no surprise then when Tamudo drove espanyol into the lead from a perfectly weighted pass by Ivan De La Pena in the 30th minute. (This equaled Espanyol's all-time scoring record of 111 goals set by Rafael Maranon.)
However, the controversial moment of the match arrived when Lionel Messi leapt and used his hand cheekily to “head” the ball in just before half time. Espanyol players protested furiously in unison but the referee allowed the goal to count. It was an ironic incident as the goal was reminiscent of the infamous “hand of god” goal scored by Diego Maradona against England in the 1986 world cup.
Recently, his goal against Getafe in a cup match when he dribbled past six players starting from the half way line and then scored also brought up memories of Maradona’s famous goal scored in the same match.
In the 57th minute, Messi scored a more legitimate goal, slotting the ball home after a swift move. But Barcelona was denied a precious victory when Tamudo popped up again to score an equalizer in the dying moments.
Real Zaragoza 2 – 2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid knew they just have to win their last two matches and they would be La Liga Champions, regardless of other results elsewhere. But it was not an easy match playing away against Real Zaragoza in a rain drenched playing field.
Madrid started shaky, with Zaragoza’s skillful Argentinean Andres D'Alessandro looking dangerous all night. Iker Casillas had to stay sharp to block Alessandro’s shot at his near post, but he could not prevent Alberto Diego Milito from scoring in the 32nd minute with a penalty kick. Ivan Helguera had commited the foul on former Valencia ace, Pablo Aimar in the box.
Van Nistelrooy nearly equalized just before the break with a powerful header but former Madrid keeper Cesar managed to react in lighting speed to prevent the ball from going in.
However the prolific striker was not to be denied in the 57th minute, scoring his 24th league goal of the season with another header from a Sergio Ramos cross.
But just like in Barca’s case, Alberto Diego Milito who gave his side the lead, scored his second with a cool finish in the 64th minute after stepping past Roberto Carlo’s challenge. Again, like the match at the Nou Camp, there was a second goal for the other goal scorer Van Nistelrooy who finished off a rebound in the last minute, after the in form Cesar had parried out Higuain’s shot.
Real Mallorca 0 – 0 Sevilla
Meanwhile, underdogs Sevilla still have an outside chance of winning the title after they were held 0-0 at Real Mallorca in a heated match in which they had a man sent off. Sevilla have to win their last match and hope both Barcelona and Real Madrid lose theirs.
So after this week’s round of matches, its still in Real Madrid’s hands. They only have to beat Real Mallorca in front of their home fans to clinch a record 30th league title. They are odds on to do precisely that, but football can always bring lots of surprises. Stay tune next week to find out what exactly happens!
It was the last chance for teams to either consolidate their positions at the top or to catch up before the qualifiers resume in three months time.
Tired legs after a long season may lead to surprises in results, which many managers would want to avoid, especially for one particular England manager...
McClaren awaiting his fate...
Group A
Armenia 1 – 0 Poland Poland suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at lowly Armenia, where Hamlet Mkhitaryan scored with a 70th minute freekick.
Finland 2-0 Belgium Finland kept up their slim hopes of qualifying with a convincing 2-0 win at home against Belgium. The goals were scored by former Charlton Athletic striker Jonatan Johansson in the 27th minute and Aleksei Eremenko sealed the game in the 71st minute.
However, the game was more noted for an incredibly peculiar incident when an owl landed on the pitch and refused to move, stalling the match for a couple of minutes!
Poland still leads Group A with 19 points after their defeat, five points ahead of both Portugal and Serbia, but they still have two games in hand each. Finland has 14 points too but they have played one more game.
Group B
Faroe Islands 0 – 2 Scotland Scotland kept up the pressure on group leaders France and second placed Italy with a comfortable 2-0 at tiny Faroe Islands. Scotland was expected to win against a side with a goal difference of -23 at the start of the game.
But memories of two previous draw games in 1999 and 2002 (especially in 2002 when they had to comeback from two goals down) meant nothing can be taken for granted by the Scotland players.
Fortunately, a superb curling freekick by Shaun Maloney in the 31st minute and a Garry O'Connor finish from Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher’s cross in the 35th minute ensured the points.
Lithuania 0 – 2 Italy 23 year old Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella repaid Italy coach Roberto Donadoni faith in giving him his first start by scoring both goals against a Lithuania side which had given the Italian media plenty to write about when they drew 1-1 at Italy.
The young striker first scored with a fierce left foot shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 31st minute and then rounded up a personally memorable night with a fantastic dipping strike just before halftime.
France 1 – 0 Georgia France ensured they remained on top of Group B ahead of their crunch match against Italy 3 months later with a comfortable 1 nil victory at home against Georgia.
In an entirely one-sided game, exciting young star Samir Nasri kept up his previously promising performance in a friendly against Ukraine by scoring the only goal in the 33rd minute.
France remained top with 18 points, two ahead of second placed Italy, with Scotland just a little further behind with 15 points.
Group C
Norway 4 – 0 Hungary Norway scored another crushing 4-0 win at home, this time against Hungary with big Aston Villa striker John Carew as the main instigator. First he shrugged off the opposing goalkeeper and supplied Daniel Braaten the ball to finish in the 57th minute.
Then he proceeded to scored a brace in the 60th and 78th minute to cap off a fantastic personal performance. Earlier on Steffen Iversen had given Norway the lead with a header in the 21st minute.
Bosnia-Herzegovina 1 – 0 Malta Bosnia scored their third successive win with a nervous 1 nil win against Malta in a game overshadowed by Bosnia’s coach Fuad Muzurovic’s sudden trip to hospital after suffering from a heart condition.
Muzurovic’s condition was announced stable and Zlatan Muslimovic gave his coach a further boost, scoring the only goal in the 6th minute.
Greece 2 – 1 Moldova Greece extended their lead in Group C in dramatic finish against Moldova when they had to score in the 3rd minute of stoppage time through Nikos Liberopoulos, cueing rapturous scenes of celebration after the referee blew his whistle.
Earlier on, Moldova’s Viorel Frunza’s strike in the 80th minute had cancelled out the greek’s lead gained from Angelos Charisteas’s strike in the 30th minute.
Greece maintained their lead with 18 points, 5 points clear of Bosnia, Turkey and Norway. Turkey still have a game in hand though.
Group D
Germany 2 – 1 Slovakia A tired looking german side just managed to scrape past Slovakia at home in an uninspiring match that was settled in the first half.
Two own goals by each side - Slovakia’s Jan Durica in the 10th minute and Germany’s Christoph Metzelder in the 20th minute cancelled each other out before Thomas Hitzlsperger popped out with the winner with a header in the 43rd minute.
Germany remained top with 19 points, 5 points clear of nearest rivals Czech Republic.
Group E
Andorra 0 – 2 Israel Horrendous playing conditions helped Israel to score their first goal in their 2 nil away win against Andorra. Andorra goalkeeper Koldo came out to grab the ball but failed as it did not bulge after being caught in a puddle.
Israel’s Roberto Colautti then seized the chance by crossing the ball for Toto Tamuz to score with a header in the 37th minute. Colautti scored himself with another header in the 53rd minute.
Croatia 0 – 0 Russia In this clash of the top teams in group E, Russia played out a cautious game against a Croatian side who have never lost a single European Championship or World Cup qualifying match at home before.
Croatia had the lion share of possession but were unable to crave out lots of clear cut chances against a Russian side set out to defend. Though they did come close near the hour mark when Eduardo da Silva had his shot cleared off the line and Josip Simunic headed against the crossbar.
Estonia 0 – 3 England The English papers were prepared to feast on McClaren’s head if England got anything less than a victory against the lowly Estonians. But a wonderful solo effort by the gifted Chelsea player Joe Cole, who controlled the ball at his chest, then turn and volleyed in one swift movement gave Mart Poom no chance at all in the 37th minute.
David Beckham then stepped up once again by serving two precise arrowing crosses, first for the Lankly Peter Crouch to score a looping header in the 54th minute and then for Michael Owen, to sneak a shot in at the far post in the 62nd minute.
This showed how much McClaren and his team have missed his ability to swerve crosses in with unerring accuracy. And the fans too, when Beckham was given a standing ovation by them when he came off in the 68th minute.
Croatia are top, having the same points with Israel with 17 points each but the latter playing a game more. Russia are third with 15 points with England catching up with only a point behind.
Group F
Sweden 5 – 0 Iceland Sweden swept aside any thoughts on last Saturday’s fiasco against Denmark by demolishing Iceland 5 nil at home. Anders Svensson (42nd minute), Olof Melberg (45th minute), Markus Rosenberg (50th minute) were among the scorers.
Marcus Allback contributed two goals, first scoring the lead in the 11th minute but his second in the 51st minute was a controversial one.Iceland players thought the referee had given a penalty to Sweden, but he instead allowed play to go on, which Allback gleefully accepted, scoring unmarked past Arason.
Latvia 0 – 2 Denmark Denmark, too kept their minds off Saturday’s ugly scenes as winger Dennis Rommedahl scored both goals in the 15th and 17th minute to keep their fading hopes of qualifying alive. UEFA’s decision on Saturday’s results may decide their fate once and for all.
Liechtenstein 0 – 2 Spain Spain remained in the hunt for top two finish in Group F, with on form Valencia striker David Villa scoring both goals in a 2 nil away against Liechtenstein.
Villa first scored in the 8th minute after rounding the keeper and then added a second soon after in the 14th minute with a spectacular overhead kick. He could have completed his hat-trick in the last minute of normal time with penalty kick, but contrived to strike his shot against the post.
Spain are now equal on 15 points with Sweden, but that may change after UEFA’s ruling on the match between Sweden and Denmark last Saturday, abandoned after a Denmark supporter stormed onto the pitch and unsuccessfully tried to punch the referee. Denmark are only fourth but they still have two games in hand.
Group G
Bulgaria 2 – 1 Belarus. Bulgaria kept up the pressure on leaders Romania with a tight 2-1 win over Belarus in home soil. Belarus had taken a shock early lead through Roman Vasiluk’s penalty in the 5th minute after a woeful blunder by Bulgarian keeper Dimitar Ivankov.
But Martin Petrov soon equalized for Bulgaria five minutes later with a well strucked freekick. Chavdar Yankov completed the comeback in the 40th minute.
Romania 2 – 0 Slovenia Romania ensured they remained top for at least three months with a convincing 2 nil win against Slovenia at home.
Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu gave the home side a half time lead with a 40th minute header and Cosmin Contra then connected perfectly with a cross to volley home in the 70th minute.
The home side could have scored more goals but were kept out by the outstanding Slovenian goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
Romania are top with 17 points, followed by Bulgaria with 2 points less and the Netherlands with 14 points who did not play on Wednesday.
Feeling down? Or just Looking for something to cheer you up? Movies starring Funny-face Ben Stiller never ceases to make the audience laugh and Night at the Museum certainly carries on the trend.
Together with the evergreen Robin Williams and Ben’s favorite partner in chief, Owen Wilson, you know it will be a cranky and wild ride.
Feeling right at home
Ben’s character, Larry Daley is a divorced father who finds a job at the Museum of Natural History as a night guard. He is glad to find a stable job, and furthermore this is a good chance to impress his son by giving him a tour around the museum. However, things do not seem to be all peaceful when the sun sets down…
Ben as usual, is able to act naturally in scenes requiring him to be a careless and reckless guy, which makes the movie flow with laughter, just by looking at his actions.
Ben Stiller vs Dexter the monkey
Owen Wilson, his all time buddy, lends a hand acting as a miniature cowboy, similarly spurting nonsense all the while and committing his usual reckless acts. The witty Robin Williams on the other hand, brings a sense of adventure into the movie, acting as Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, riding a horse at that.
The supporting cast is the main highlight however, with all sorts of artifacts and living things appearing, including a gigantic wooly mammoth, a gum loving Easter Island head and a mischievous yet lovable Capuchin monkey.
Dum Dum wants Gum Gum
My ultimate favorite though is the crude and loud speaking Attila the Hun, who just wants to tear a person’s limbs apart. Oh did I forget to mention a ferocious T-Rex running around the hallway? The mayhem that ensues kept me glued to the screen as Ben struggles to keep control of the museum with his unconventional ways before the museum opens in the morning.
The computer graphics generated characters mixed well with the real life animals and humans to make the movie a great adventure to watch and the slapstick humor will certainly keep a whole family entertained throughout the show.
The Euro 2008 qualifying matches resumed after most of Europe’s footballing club season came to an end since the last few weeks. Significant matches were played out as teams fought for crucial points to get into the top two places with just over a year to go.
Ryan Giggs's last match as a Wales Player
Group A
Belgium 1 - 2 Portugal Portugal scored first with a Nani strike just before half time but Marouane Felliani equalized for Belgium in the 54th minute. However, Helder Postiga scored in the 63rd minute to give Portugal a crucial win.
Azerbaijan 1-3 Poland
Branimir Subashic gave Azerbaijan a shock lead in just 5 minutes over the Group A leader before quick strikes from Euzebiusz Smolarek and Jacek Krzynowek in the 63rd and 66th minute reversed the lead in Poland’s favourite. Krzynowek settled the game in the final minute with his second goal.
Finland 0-2 Serbia
Serbia’s Bosko Jankovic scored from a freekick by Inter milan’s Dejan Stankovic in only the 3rd minute, but that was the only real action in the first half. Finland pushed men forward in the second half but were dealt a sucker punch when Milan Jovanovic scored a crucial second goal to seal the game.
The results meant Serbia leapfrogged Finland into third place behind leaders Poland and second placed Portugal.
Group B
Faroe Islands 1-2 Italy Filippo Inzaghi brought over his club form to help score two goals over minnows Faroe Islands. His Ac Milan teammate, Andrea Pirlo provided an accurate long ball into the box for him to score in the 13th minute. He then headed in his second goal in the 48th minute from a cross by Aimo Diana. The home side provided some nervous moments for Italy’s fans when Rogvi Jacobsen scored in the 77th minute, but the scoreline remained 1-2 in Italy’s favour.
France 2-0 Ukraine
With france knowing that they have to win all of their home games to qualify in this tightly contested group, they came out all guns blazing once the referee blew his whistle. Fresh face 19-year-old Samir Nasri together with Ribery and Anelka provide lots of pace which troubled the Ukraine defence all night long.
Ribery provided the highly anticipated goal for France after rounding the keeper from a Makelele pass in the 57th minute. Anelka then striked a superb volley past Shovkovsk in the 71st minutei to give France a comfortable 2-0 victory.
France lead the group with 15 points with Italy only 2 points behind. Ukraine and Scotland remained with 12 points each.
Group C
Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-2 Turkey
In an action packed fast half, Bosnia’s Zlatan Muslimovic and Edin Dzeko scored in the 27th and 45th minute to cancel out Hakan Sukur’s and Sabri Sarioglu’s 13th and 39th minute strikes respectively. Adnan Custovic winning his first cap for Bosnia, rounded off a thrilling match when he scored in the last minute of normal time to send the home crowd roaring in ecstasy.
Norway 4-0 Malta
In a comfortable win for Norway, Kristofer Haestad scored in the 31st minute with a diving header to give his team the lead. But Norway fans had to wait until the 73rd minute when Thorstein Helstad scored after just coming on as a substitute. Steffen Iversen in the 79th minute and John Arne Riise in the 90th made the result beyond doubt.
Greece 2-0 Hungary Greece earned their win in the first half with goals from Theofanis Gekas in the 16th minute and Giorgos Seitaridis in the 29th minute with a forceful run a powerful finish.
The results meant Greece leapfrogged Turkey into first place, with Bosnia and Norway tied with 10 points each.
Group D
Wales 0-0 Czech Republic In his final game playing for Wales, Ryan Giggs was determined to leave the international scene with a bang. But this was a tough task considering his team was up against a highly organized and creative team. Indeed the twin strike force of Baros and Koller with Rosicky supporting just behind, gave Wales defenders a tough time throughout the match.
Jason Koumas, Craig Bellamy and Giggs tried create their own triangle and they did create some chances but the crucial goal didn’t materialize. Koumas hit the bar with a curling freekick in the 50th minute but the highlighting moment of the match came when Giggs set off in a trademark weaving long run, going past four defenders as if they were not there and then unleashing a fierce strike which Petr Cech managed to parry off.
Giggs was given a standing ovation in the final minute when he was substituted as the crowd knew he will be sorely missed…very.
Germany 6-0 San Marino
A highly efficient German side crushed San Marino with 6 goals without any reply. However this did not looked like a high scoring match in the first half when they could only manage one goal through Kevin Kuranyi’s looping header in the last minute of the half.
But the floodgates opened when Marcell Jansen scored from a rebound in the 52nd minute. Torsten Frings followed with a 56th minute penalty, while Mario Gomez added a quick brace in the 63rd and 65th minute. Clemens Fritz completed the blitz in the 67th minute.
Germany and Czech Republic remained top and second respectively as Ireland did not play.
Group E
Russia 4-0 Andorra
Sevilla striker Alexander Kerzhakov started the scoring with a lob over Andorra’s keeper Koldo Alvarez in the 8th minute. He then completed his hat-trick with his second in the 16th minute and third in the 49th minute. Dmitri Sychev completed the rout in the 71st minute, giving the Andorra team a dismal record of 6 defeats In 6 qualifying games.
Macedonia 1-2 Israel
Israel scored a crucial away win to stay in the running for qualification in Group E. Their striker Barach Itzhaki headed in the first goal in the 11th minute, but Aco Stojkov equalized with a volley just 2 minutes later. Israel was not to be denied though as Roberto Colautti scored in the 44th minute and they held on till the final whistle.
Estonia 0-1 Croatia
Croatia put out a professional display to win 1 nil at Estonia, ensuring they stay on top of Group E. Da Silva Eduardo scored the only goal in the 32nd minute with a neat finish after turning sharply.
Croatia, Israel, Russia and England all maintained their placing from first to fourth respectively.
Group F
Denmark 3-3 Sweden (To be reviewed) A pulsating yet controversial match was played at Copenhagen as a spectator rushed onto the pitch and tried to punch the referee unsuccessfully, after Denmark’s Christian Poulsen was sent off for punching Markus Rosenberg in the stomach in the 89th minute.
Earlier on, Denmark had completed a sensational comeback from 3 goals down with strikes from Daniel Agger , Tomasson and substitute Leon Andreasen in the 34th, 62nd and 77th minute respectively.
Sweden had opened the scoring with Elmander slipping the ball under the keeper in the seventh minute after Gravgaard had failed to clear a cross convincingly. Hansson doubled Sweden’s lead with a powerful free kick, before Elmander scored again with a cheeky back –eel, connecting with Christian Wilhemsson's low cross.
The result is now under review after earlier reports had suggested Denmark’s goals will be forfeited for the pitch invasion incident. UEFA has promised to announce the final result before Wednesday’s qualifying matches.
Latvia 0-2 Spain
Spain kept up their revival, scoring their 3rd qualifying win in a row with a 2-0 win away at Latvia. The goals were not fantastic as a spectacle, with Arturs Zakresevskis fumbling an own goal into the net just before halftime. Barcelona midfielder Xavi then scored a deflected goal which gave Aleksandrs Kolinko no chance at all in the 60th minute to put the result beyond doubt.
Surprise package Northern Ireland remained top, while Spain is still in the hunting at 3rd place. Sweden and Denmark will have to wait for UEFA’s ruling before next Wednesday to determine the points from Saturday’s match.
Group G
Belarus 0-2 Bulgaria
Tottenham Hotspurs striker Dimitar Berbatov showed why he is so highly sought after by the big clubs in Europe by scoring both goals for Bulgaria with a clinical display. His first goal was a superb solo effort as he weaved past three defenders before shooting past Yuri Zhevnov’s reach into the far corner in the 28th minute. He added his second just after the break with a simple finish after being left all alone in the box.
Romania 2-1 Slovenia
Romania took advantage of The Netherland’s off day to leapfrog past day with a 2-1 win at home over Slovenia. Tamas scored from a corner in the 52nd minute, and Nicolita added the second in the 69th minute following a defensive lapse by Slovenia players. Dare Vrsic scored in injury time for Slovenia but there was not enough time left to get an equalizer.
Bulgaria and Belarus stay in third and fourth place respectively as Slovenia failed to capitalize on Belarus’ loss.
It was only a friendly but Steve McClaren’s already sinking position as manager will certainly be threatened if England loses to Brazil in the first England international match at the new wembley stadium.
Can Beckham repay McClaren's new faith in him?
With that in mind, the England players put out a spirited display, particularly by Steven Gerrard as they tried to stifle the more creative and talented Brazilians.
Spirited Display Still, Brazil managed to create more chances. Gilberto Silva had a goal wrongly ruled offside, while Ronaldinho flashed a freekick just over off Robinson’s post.
In between, David Beckham, recalled by McClaren in a total turnaround decision, stepped up in his trademark style as he tried to curl in a freekick, but it just shaved the right post, to the relief of the Brazilian players.
Brazil skipper Gilberto Silva headed the ball into the England net only to see his goal ruled out - even though it appeared it was Vagner Love rather than the Arsenal midfielder who had strayed offside.
Ronaldinho then tried to poke a Kaka pass instinctively past Robinson but he denied the Brazilian a goal with a superb reflex save, especially when replays showed it took a deflection off an England player.
Stewart downing, a half time England substitute hit a fierce shot straight at Helton, which he had to turn over at full stretch. Few other real chances can be talked about, as most were long range shots by Ronaldinho and Kaka which did not trouble Robinson at all.
However, in the 68th minute, against the run of play, Beckham send in a trademark dipping freekick from the right, arriving right at the top of John Terry’s head, leaving him little to do, except head the ball into the goal.
Second half substitute, Afonso with his first touch, nearly sneaked in an equalizer for brazil after a fumble by Manchester United’s Wes Brown .He came even closer when he headed over just a few yards away from goal when perhaps he should had scored.
As the minutes ticked by, It looked as if England was going to claim a famous first win at the new wembley stadium, mainly credited to their revived golden boy, Beckham. But Gilberto Silva lofted the ball into the penalty area and Werder Bremen’s Diego sneaked in curiously unmarked by any England players, to glance a header past Robinson in the dying seconds.
It was a bitter-sweet moment for England, but at least they can have something to take from this spirited display by their players, especially David Beckham.
Another blockbuster sequel following the release of spiderman 3 just a few weeks ago, Pirates 3 similarly had a lot to live up to, following the successes of its previous two shows.
Guys..I think we should take a break..
The focus will once again be on Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the witty Jack Sparrow who after being devoured by the giant kraken in the last show, will be saved by his swashbuckling compatriots, not because they missed him, of course…
Alas the show proved to be a major disappointment…Sure, the charming Depp is still around with his manly locks and quirky acts. Even then, the director Gore Verbinski seemed to exploit on this character just too much, with too much screen time used to just try and get a laugh out of him. As if one wasn’t enough, most of the scenes showed two, even a whole ship of Jack Sparrows! Was this really necessary? Suddenly, Jack’s usually pleasing tone starts to become irritating…
The amount of screen time used for jack was also probably the reason why no new INTERESTING characters were introduced this time round. Chow Yun Fatt, you said? All he brought to the show was probably some “Asian” presence, enhanced by the wordings “Welcome to Singapore” spoken by chow, shown everytime in the trailer, perhaps a marketing gimmick to attract more asian audiences to the show.
Like Chow, the other pirates kings, were also introduced to try and spice up the action. Well they sure did that… Creating a racket at a pirates meeting, giving up some poor old artifacts of their own, showing Asians can paint their whole face vividly white or speak in a high pitched voice and then?
Just showed up smiling and cheering near the end of the show, after leaving jack’s ship to fight davy jones and the East India company’s entire armada of ships alone… And there I was anticipating they would exhibit their own unique type of ships or even crewmembers with special skills or features to use in this climatic battle.. How wrong I was, what a woeful sight they proved to be…
Wait, there is one more “major” character i have missed out. How could anyone forget the great and highly feared sea goddess, Calypso turning in her true form…A giant human figure last seen from B grades movies like “Attack of the 50 foot Woman”.. Worst was to come for the audience when she evaporates into millions of small little harmless crabs that dive peacefully into the deep blue sea. Awwww…
Something got to be right
However ,the show was not ENTIRELY a flop, thanks to the return of Captain Barbosa and most importantly, his pet monkey, with the name of Jack but certainly more hilarious than Depp this time round. Barbosa’s acting made him look like a true pirate from head to toe, which made the show more “piratey” and you relate more to his character. Jack the monkey created more laughter from the audience than all the other characters in the entire show! That really summed up the show.
The final battle between Davy Jones’ ship, The Flying Dutchman and Jack’s Black Pearl in a swirling maelstrom also provided much needed entertainment.
But…the inclusion of the scene in between, where Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) proposes to Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) was both a turnoff and unusual. Keira’s reaction of “I don’t think this is a good time” should have been heeded by the director. Orlando’s stone-less facial acting (as usual) does little to improve the scene.
One final frustrating weird moment arrives when the East India Company’s leading ship lead by the cold blooded Lord Beckett meets Jack’s Black Pearl and his companions with obviously more cannons and weaponry… Watch the show and you would feel as flabbergasted as I am..
What a dissssapointmenttt..
Final words I do appreciate this is a Walt Disney film, whose main aim is always to amuse people. But the previous shows presented to us interesting new characters (Skeletons at night, Davy Jones) and they looked fresh and provided much needed entertainment and laughter (Jungle scene in Pirates 2).
The fact that some of the scenes in Pirates 3 were shot simultaneously during Pirates 2 showed through the lack of new ideas. The estimated budget of U$300 million certainly could have been used to create new CGI creatures like the kraken, instead of trying to think so hard to make us laugh with multiple versions of Jack Sparrow…
The powers of the fantastic four were again put on show, with an interesting twist this time. The human torch after coming into direct contact with the surfer, was able to switch powers with the rest and this provided loads of opportunities on how they use their powers.
One of the more interesting aspects of the first Fantastic Four movie was to see how the four characters interacted with other. This was rightfully portrayed again and even developed further in this show.
