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The Edmonton skip
Topic Started: May 8 2013, 08:48 AM (10 Views)
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NYON, Switzerland -- Barcelona and Real Madrid were kept apart in the Champions League quarterfinals and semifinals draw Friday, though the defending champion must first beat AC Milan before the Spanish giants can hope to meet in a potentially stellar final. Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping . Barcelona will travel for the first leg against seven-time winner Milan, in a quarterfinals clash that reunites the two European powers after they met in the group stage. Madrid, the nine-time winner, got the most favourable draw -- playing away first against the competitions surprise team APOEL of Cyprus. Chelsea will play away to Benfica first in their quarterfinal. Marseille was drawn at home first against Bayern Munich, which hosts the final on May 19. Quarterfinals first-leg matches are played on March 27-28, and return matches are on April 3-4. In the subsequent semifinals draw, Marseille or Bayern will host APOEL or Madrid in the first leg. Benfica or Chelsea will play at home first against Milan or Barcelona. Semifinals first legs are played on April 17-18 and return matches on April 24-25. Barcelona had the best of Milan in the group stage, drawing 2-2 at home before winning 3-2 in a high-class encounter at San Siro. "It is a psychological advantage," said Barcelona director Amador Bernabeu, anticipating another meeting with Milans former Barca forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. "But to play Ibra is another thing. We respect him all the time." Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said his players would face "the strongest team in the world." "But we can do well, because weve improved since the last time we faced them, when we played a good defensive match in Barcelona and another just as good match in the return leg, even if we lost at home," Allegri said. Madrid arguably had most to be happy about -- avoiding the drama of facing either Barcelona or a reunion for Real coach Jose Mourinho with his former team Chelsea. "We are glad to avoid them, its true, but it doesnt mean we are in the semifinals," Madrid director Emilio Butragueno said. "APOEL is the big surprise. They have all our respect." APOEL, which started in the second qualifying round last July, is the first Cypriot team to advance so far in the worlds most prestigious club competition. "Its a dream, an experience for us,"APOEL chairman Phivos Erotokritou said. "To have Real playing in Cyprus is going to be a feast for the people. Were happy that the first game is at home in Nicosia because you imagine if the first game was away with a result we couldnt bear." Still, APOEL has shown resilience by progressing to the last-eight while scoring just seven goals in its past eight games. Bayern scored as many last Tuesday alone, beating Basel 7-0 to overcome a single-goal defeat in Switzerland. The four-time European champion now faces 1993 winner Marseille. "They got past Inter Milan, we have to be cautious. We have to try to get a good result already in Marseille," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said. "If you look at other pairings, like Milan against Barcelona, then we have to be pleased with the draw." Chelsea and its former Benfica players David Luiz and Ramires will travel to play the first leg in Lisbon, after its comeback victory in extra time against Napoli on Wednesday. "We came into it looking for an away game in the first leg, which we got," Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said. "Were really just delighted to be here." Chelseas run is seen as a last chance to lift the trophy for the core group of Mourinho-era players, who lost the 2008 final in a penalty shootout against Manchester United. "Everyone knows Chelseas potential," Benfica sports director and former player Rui Costa said, adding: "Were ready for anything." Cheap Jerseys . The locked-out Boston Bruins forward has spent the past month in Switzerland, where hes found a home with EHC Biel during the NHLs work stoppage. China Jerseys . -- Former Detroit Red Wing Kevin Miller denies he owes a $1. http://www.wholesalenfljerseyschinashop.us/ . What a debut. No. 5 Oregon scored a touchdown on all seven possessions with Mariota at the helm in the first half Saturday on the way to a 57-34 rout of Arkansas State that wasnt as close as the final score. Wholesale Jerseys China . Izturis, an NL All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2004, is batting .235 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 57 games this season. He is making $875,000. Wholesale Jerseys From China . The Yankees and Suzuki finalized a $13 million, two-year contract in December that kept the 10-time All-Star in the Bronx after he was obtained in a trade with Seattle last July.OSTERSUND, Sweden -- Canadas Brendan Bottcher won the world mens junior curling championship title in blowout fashion Sunday, needing only eight ends to complete a 10-4 rout of Sweden in the final. The Edmonton skip, who teamed with Evan Asmussen and twins Landon and Bryce Bucholz, sealed the victory with a five-point seventh end. "It feels just amazing to be world champion," Bottcher said. "Weve been curling all our lives to have a chance at something like this, and its amazing to have gotten here and amazing to win it." The Canadians opened with a single point in the first end and added pairs in the third and fifth ends. Swedish skip Rasmus Wrana kept things close, scoring a single in the sixth end to cut the lead to 5-3. But Bottcher broke the game open in the seventh. Sweden was in position to steal with a rock buried behind Canadian cover, but Bottcher followed with a tapout to score five and put things out of reach. "My team set up the seventh end great," Bottcher said. "(Wrana) didnt have a whole lot and he was just a hair heavy on his last one and leftt me a shot, and I was fortunate enough to make it. Wholesale Jerseys. " Both teams threw most of the eighth-end rocks through the house so that they could play out the obligatory number of ends. Wrana drew for one with the last rock and the teams shook hands. "I think we were outplaying them just a little bit," Bottcher said. "We were ahead on the scoreboard and then in the seventh end we got it done, so that was good." Parker Konschuh served as the fifth player on the Canadian team, which was coached by Bernie Panich. It was Canadas first world junior mens title since 2007. Bottcher gave credit to his teammates for the achievement. "This team has been amazing and theyve made my job easy," he said. "This means that a lot of work weve put in this year and in years past has paid off for us." Scotland defeated Norway 7-3 for the bronze medal. In womens play, Scotland successfully defended its title with a 6-5 win over the Czech Republic while Russia beat Sweden 7-4 for the bronze. Jocelyn Peterman of Red Deer, Alta., finished in sixth place. ' ' '
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