CONTENT BIOGRAPHY

  • Abdurrahman Wahid
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Adam Clayton
  • Adriyanti Firdasari
  • Albert Einstein
  • Alfred Hitchcock
  • Amelia Earhart(The first female pilot)
  • Andrew Jackson
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  • Antonio Abetti
  • Antonio Contelife
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  • Barack Obama
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  • JUSTIN BIEBER
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  • Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
  • Kim Hyun Joong
  • Kim Jong II
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  • Pele (Edson Arantes Do Nascimento)
  • PITBULL
  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sc. H.C. Mult. Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie
  • Prof. Nigel Hitchin(mathematician)
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    Monday, November 10, 2014

    Marc Marquez Life's Journey

    He debuted in the 125cc World Championship in 2008, Repsol KTM 125cc KTM 125 FRR riding a rented; the team-mate Esteve Rabat. Gets a third place in the UK and the season ends on the 13th place with 63 points. This season, he is forced to miss the GP of Qatar, Spain, Malaysia and Valencia for injuries.

    In the year 2009 goes to the Red Bull KTM Moto Sport; the teammate Cameron Beaubier. Gets a third place in Spain and two pole positions (France and Malaysia) and the season ends on the 8th place with 94 points.


    Marquez on Derbi RSA 125 of the Red Bull Ajo Motorsport in 2010
    In 2010, changes in the Derbi RSA 125 with the Red Bull Ajo Motorsport. Gets his first victory (Italy, Great Britain, Holland, Catalonia, Germany, San Marino, Japan, Malaysia, Australia and Portugal), two third places (Qatar and France) and twelve pole positions (Qatar, Spain, UK, Netherlands, Catalonia, Germany, Indianapolis, Aragon, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, and the Valencian) region and won the title with 310 points. [1]

    Moto2 [Edit | Edit wikitext]
    In 2011, changes in the Moto2 who signed the Team Repsol Suter MMXI with a CatalunyaCaixa. After collecting zero points in the first three races (the result of a lot of crashes with two outlets and a twenty-first place) gets his first win in the intermediate class in the French Grand Prix, the Le Mans track. Then get a second place in Catalonia. It also gets a pole position in the UK. Vince Holland and Italy, and in the latter also won the Grand Prix pole position. In the Grand Prix of Germany won his third race in a row (fourth win of the season), starting from pole position. In the Czech Republic in second after starting from pole position. In Indianapolis GP fifth victory of the season for the fifth time gets starting from pole position. In Misano gets sixth win of the season.

    In the Grand Prix of Aragon gets seventh victory in Moto2 for the sixth time, starting from pole position.

    In the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Iceland is punished (book in qualifying with an extra minute to the time and referred him to the fact the last place on the grid) as a result of a violent collision against the Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot during the victory lap of free practice round now completed. However, he closes the third place.

    In Japan comes second after starting from pole position. This season, he is forced to miss Grand Prix of Malaysia and Valencia because of pain and blurred vision as a result of a fall in family practice in Malaysia. Finish the season in 2nd place with 251 points.

    In the 2012 season in Moto2, always riding a Suter remains CatalunyaCaixa Repsol team, won the first race of the season in Qatar after the start in the second position from the network. Spain comes second and first in Portugal, started in two Grand Prix from pole position. In France and in Catalonia gets the pole position. In Catalonia and the UK in third place. In the Netherlands and Germany won after starting from pole position. Wins in Indianapolis and the Czech Republic. He also won the Grand Prix of San Marino after starting from pole position. In Aragon comes second. Vince in Japan. It comes in second place in Australia with a focus on world champion for the second time. [2] He also has to start from the last position for a punishment for its summer season finale in Moto2 won in Valencia.

    MotoGP [Edit | wikitext Edit]
    tThe 12 July 2012, he joined the official MotoGP for the 2013 season for the Repsol Honda Team will ride in pairs with another Spaniard Dani Pedrosa.


    Marquez in 2013, ahead of Valentino Rossi
    In the first race in MotoGP, 7 April 2013 achieved a third place in the Grand Prix of Qatar. In the second round, the Grand Prix of the Americas, from off pole position and was, at 20 years 2 months 3 days the latest before all in the premier class, erasing the previous Freddie Spencer (20 years old, 5 months and 3 days), which was held for 31 years, [3] and in the same race suggests another record, the youngest rider to win a MotoGP race. In Spain, May 5, 2013 the second operand is a pass in the last corner, what (and discussed) Contact to the detriment of Jorge Lorenzo. In France, the rain comes after a stunning comeback from eighth-thirds. After a retreat at the Grand Prix of Italy, third in Catalonia and the second in Holland, before winning in Germany was, after starting from pole position, as well as in the United States, the first rider in history to debut the race win Laguna Seca. Also in Indianapolis wins after starting from pole position. On 25 August 2013 his fourth consecutive race in the MotoGP (fifth overall) he won in Brno. On the cross Silverstone after starting from pole position for the fifth time the finish line in second place and use the mathematical certainty of the title Rookie of the '2013th [4] Also this weekend sees Marquez in during the morning session practice on Sunday (warm-up) of a disputed incident involved: despite the yellow flags waving, when braking into turn "Gigler" falls in danger of overwhelming the Commissioners and the rider Cal Crutchlow crashed shortly before; 2 points on license for not adequately punished slow. In Misano comes second after the start again for the second time in a row from the first box of the grid. Aragon, Spain, won after starting from pole position. In Malaysia, the second coming after the start in front of everyone. Follow the route of Phillip Iceland in Australia, where the driver obliged rpm set to make a pit stop due to excessive tire wear, an error in decoding the instruction from the leadership race by the Honda team meant Márquez, who at the Box too late fell when the opportunity fades instead of the bike. Márquez black flag is seen waving from the marshals, and give up the race, without a change in the rating points than the last race after starting from second on the grid. In Japan comes second. In Valencia won their ninth pole of the season. In the last race, the Grand Prix of Valencia 2013 third place and won the championship in his debut in the MotoGP companies only Kenny Roberts succeeded in 1978, also to place as the youngest winner in the Champions League, a record previously owned by Freddie Spencer [5].

    In 2014, in Qatar in the Grand Prix of the Americas in Argentina, he won after starting from pole position. In Jerez wins his fourth consecutive pole position from the beginning of the season (fifth if we the last in 2013) and then win the race. He also wins in France and Italy after starting from pole position for the seventh time in a row (record). In Catalunya GP win starting from the third position, after a close race previously with Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa then. He also won in the Netherlands. In Germany he won after starting from pole position to get to the summer break to score. [6] In the Indianapolis GP gets its tenth consecutive victory of the season, [7], achieving an unparalleled 17 years, ie since Mick Doohan won consecutively from the fourth to the Grand Prix in 1997, thirteenth in the next race, the Grand Prix the Czech Republic, who started from pole position, finished fourth in the target, then breaks his chain of consecutive victories. In the UK he won after starting from pole position. In San Marino, to finish the race in fifteenth place, due to falling ninth round in search of Smith. In Aragon, after starting from pole position and finished the race in thirteenth place with a drop due to the fact that the Spaniards on slicks ran in the pouring rain, and already changed most of the other riders had bikes. With the second place in Japan mathematically champion is to protect three races. Gets the pole position in Australia. In Malaysia, after starting from pole position. In the Grand Prix of Valencia with the thirteenth season victory setting a new record. Finish the season with 362 points.

    Monday, February 18, 2013

    Jason Mraz

    Jason Thomas Mraz (pron.: /məˈræz/;[1] born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz first came to prominence on the San Diego coffee house scene in 2000.[2] At one of these coffee houses, Mraz met percussionist Toca Rivera and released Live at Java Joe's. He released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, Mr. A-Z, in 2005, that Mraz achieved major commercial success. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and sold over 100,000 copies in the US. In 2008, Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of many international charts.

    Mraz's international breakthrough came with the release of the single "I'm Yours" from the album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The single peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Mraz his first top ten single. The song was on the Hot 100 for 76 weeks, beating the previous record of 69 weeks held by LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live". The song was a commercial success in the US, receiving a 5x platinum certification from the RIAA for sales of over five million.[3] The song was successful internationally, topping the charts in New Zealand and Norway and peaking in the top ten of multiple international charts.
    Jason Mraz was born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia.[4] He is of Czech descent through his grandfather, who moved to the United States from Austria-Hungary in 1915.[5] His surname is Czech for "frost"[5] (Czech: mráz). His parents, Tom (Tomáš) Mraz and June, divorced when he was four years old, but he asserts that he had an idyllic childhood, saying, "My hometown of Mechanicsville was very American. There were white picket fences, a church on every street corner, low crime and virtually no drug use. It was a good place to grow up."[6] He went to Lee-Davis High School.[7]
    [edit] Music career
    [edit] Live at Java Joe's (2001)

    In 2001, Mraz released a live acoustic album, Live at Java Joe's, a coffee-house type place in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego where Jewel also made her debut. Here, Mraz performed with percussionist Noel "Toca" Rivera and bassist Ian Sheridan and felt at home singing and scatting through jazzy-pop songs. He would deliver rapidfire lyrics full of verbal mischief, and he would riff off the crowd like a stand-up comic.[8] The album featured Mraz's free-lancing vocal style and songs he later re-released, including "1000 Things", "You and I Both", and "Halfway Home."

    The album was made available to download on iTunes on March 11, 2008, under the title Jason Mraz: Live & Acoustic 2001.
    [edit] Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002–2003)

    In 2002, Mraz signed a recording contract with Elektra Records. He recorded his first album with the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer producer John Alagía, and Virginia-based roots rock band the Agents Of Good Root.[9] Mraz then released his first major-label debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come. The album was a relative commercial success, peaking at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number two on the Top Heatseekers Chart. The lead single from the album, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" was co-written by music production team The Matrix and it was Mraz's first top 20 single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 15.

    Mraz's friend and former roommate Billy "Bushwalla" Galewood collaborated on the album, co-writing "Curbside Prophet" and the album's third single, and "I'll Do Anything".
    [edit] Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom (2004)

    In 2004, while touring, Mraz released a live album and accompanying DVD,[10] Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom, a special two-disc set including an audio CD of his concert from Milwaukee's Eagles Ballroom,[11] plus a video DVD of the concert plus tons of backstage footage. Mraz performed with his touring band including drummer Adam King, percussionist Noel "Toca" Rivera and bassist Ian Sheridan and keyboardist Eric Hinojosa along with a guest appearance from Blues Traveler lead John Popper. The Eagles Ballroom (part of The Rave complex) has a capacity of only about 3,200[12] making it possible for Mraz to have significant interaction with the audience, bridging his earlier coffeeshop performances to his later much larger venue concerts.
    [edit] Touring and Mr. A–Z (2003–2008)
    Jason Mraz at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 2008

    Mraz opened for Tracy Chapman in March 2003 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In July 2005, Mraz opened for Alanis Morissette during her Jagged Little Pill Acoustic Tour. On July 26, 2005, he released his second major-label album, Mr. A–Z, for Atlantic Records. It entered the Billboard 200 album chart at number 5.[13] In December, the album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while its producer, the prolific Steve Lillywhite, received a nomination for Producer of the Year.[14] In 2006 "Life is Wonderful" the first track of the album was featured in the Hilton Journeys Hotel commercial"

    Mraz began his long-running tour in support of Mr. A–Z at the San Diego Music Awards on September 12. The tour featured several opening acts, including Bushwalla and Tristan Prettyman, with whom he had co-written the duet "Shy That Way" in 2002.[15] Mraz and Prettyman dated, ending their relationship in 2006. They also co-wrote the song "All I Want For Christmas is Us".[citation needed] In November 2005, Mraz opened for the Rolling Stones on five dates during their 2005–2006 world tour. Also in 2005, Mraz was one of many singers featured in the fall advertisement campaign for The Gap entitled "Favorites". The music-themed campaign also featured other singers including Tristan Prettyman, Michelle Branch, Joss Stone, Keith Urban, Alanis Morissette, Brandon Boyd, and Michelle Williams.[16] In December 2005, Mraz released the first part of his ongoing podcast.
    Jason Mraz performs at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut on May 17, 2006.

    In March 2006, Mraz also performed for the first time at a sold-out performance in Singapore with Noel "Toca" Rivera as part of the annual Mosaic Music Festival.[citation needed] In May 2006, Mraz toured mostly small venues and music festivals in the U.S., along with a few shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The tour included a May 6, 2006 acoustic show with P.O.D., Better Than Ezra, Live, and The Presidents of the United States of America. Mraz was featured as a headlining guest of St. Louis's annual Fair St. Louis and performed a free concert at the base of the Arch on July 1, 2006. During this time, Mraz was also the opening act at several dates for Rob Thomas' Something to Be Tour.

    In December 2006, Selections for Friends, the live, online-only album recorded during the Songs for Friends Tour, was released. Selections for Friends features Jason's favorite songs from the Schubas Tavern and Villa Montalvo shows he played in July 2006. Jason Mraz began 2007 by debuting his new single "The Beauty in Ugly", an earlier track penned by Mraz entitled "Plain Jane" that he rewrote for the ABC television program Ugly Betty. The song was featured as a part of ABC's "Be Ugly in '07" campaign.[17] He has since released a song in Spanish entitled "La Nueva Belleza (The New Beauty)".[18]

    In 2007, American Idol contestant Chris Richardson performed "Geek in the Pink", which subsequently garnered the song mass recognition and increased downloads at the American iTunes Store. "Geek in the Pink" peaked at No. 22 on the U.S. iTunes Store on March 10, 2007, but it was ineligible for the site's Hot 100.[citation needed] The tape-recording of bootlegs during Mraz's shows is explicitly supported by him and his management.[19] In 2007, he also provided background vocals on Mandy Moore's song "Slummin' in Paradise", of her studio album Wild Hope.
    [edit] We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008–2009)

    Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. on May 13, 2008, following the April 2008 "Music, Magic, Make Peace" Tour with Bushwalla, The Makepeace Brothers, and magician Justin Willman. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, giving Mraz his highest charting album to date. Following the success of its lead single, "I'm Yours", the album broke into the top ten of many international music charts and charted in the top three in Australia and the US.[20]

    The first single, "I'm Yours", reached No. 1 on AAA radio charts in the US. The single was a B-side to Mr A-Z, and was made famous by recordings from his live shows. In September 2008, the song became Mraz's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #6. As of October 14, 2008, the album has been certified Gold by the RIAA, selling in excess of 500,000 copies in the US. The song was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of multiple European charts and topping the charts in New Zealand for six weeks.[21] In 2008, Mraz launched his single "I'm Yours" at the music industry-only event titled Sunset Sessions. Exactly one year later, Jason was nominated for a Grammy on the single.

    Mraz and his song "I'm Yours" were nominated for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 51st Grammy Awards. The album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 2009. On January 31, 2009, Mraz was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing "I'm Yours" and "Lucky", the latter with Colbie Caillat. "Lucky" peaked on the Hot 100 at 48.

    With "Make It Mine" and "Lucky", Mraz won two awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, respectively, at the 2010 52nd Grammy Awards.

    On June 20, 2009, Mraz was awarded the Hal David Starlight award from the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.[22]
    [edit] Love Is a Four Letter Word (2009–present)

    In early 2009, a song titled "Try Try Try" was leaked onto the Internet. The song was later released in 2010 by Michael Squire. New songs have been performed in his recent concerts, some of which have been uploaded onto YouTube. Earlier this year, Jason Mraz spent time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil working with Milton Nascimento. Mraz also recently met and worked with Willie Nelson, whose 'style' is fondly referenced in one of Mraz's early hits "Curbside Prophet."

    In November 2009, Mraz posted on his MySpace page plans for a new album to be recorded starting in December, stating "In 2 weeks time I will enter the studio and begin recording the next album. Only a handful of songs are written and slated but the momentum of love is with me. Every day new verses get added on. The songs are coming together piece by piece. The process is unlike any of the other records before this. It's like I'm being gifted the album without having to do the work. I'm creating that in 6 months the project will be complete and then we'll hit the road again with new sounds and new musicians."[23]

    In 2010 Mraz spent time in London, England, where he worked on songs for his new album with producer Martin Terefe and wrote with British singer-songwriter Dido.[24]

    Mraz contributed vocals for The Grooveline Horns' eponymous EP on the track "Fun", a cover of the Con Funk Shun song, released March 2, 2010.[25]

    In August 2010, Mraz had a Q&A interview with Spin magazine. In the interview, he stated the current possible titles for his fourth album are Peace Canoe or The Love Album.[26]

    On September 13, 2010, Mraz was featured on the single "Love, Love, Love" by Hope.[27]

    On September 28, 2010, Mraz announced the upcoming release of the new "Life Is Good" EP consisting of recordings from his concerts from Maine to the Life is Good Festival in Canton, Massachusetts which will include live recordings of "Coyotes" and multiple new songs, "San Disco Reggaefornia", "Up", "What Mama Say", and "The Freedom Song". The EP was released on October 5, 2010.[28] On the same tour, Mraz also showcased other new songs, such as "Thinking About You", "Love Looks Like" and "In Your Hands".

    From December 26, 2010, the official website was updated with a series of images, the first seemingly a sequence of blocks separated by points to indicate a date, and the second image containing a rectangle, circle, triangle and a square, which appear to spell out the word "love." This image was also trademarked. Popular belief was that the "love" image was the beginning of a marketing campaign for a new record.

    Appearing on VH1 Top 20 Countdown on March 5, 2011, Jason Mraz noted that he had 12 songs ready to go for the album but then decided they weren't good enough. In July 2011, his team's Twitter feed (@theRKOP) confirmed that his album will be released in early 2012.[29]

    JasonMraz.com relaunched in July 2011 with a new design and a message informing fans that a special announcement was imminent. A few days later, it was announced that Mraz would embark on a mini-global tour in September to November 2011, with occasional full band shows, but mostly as an acoustic duo with long time performing partner and friend, Noel "Toca" Rivera. The special shows marked the ten-year anniversary of the independently released Live at Java Joe's album. Mraz played in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Berlin and Prague, and was due to make a festival appearance in Hossegor, France before the festival was cancelled.

    On September 19, 2011, Jason Mraz announced via his Facebook page the release of a new single titled "The World as I See It", which is intended to be the theme of the "In Search of Incredible" campaign, accompanied by the song being embedded via YouTube.[30] On September 20, 2011, the single was released on the iTunes music store.[31]

    During the fall/winter tour, many songs old and new were showcased. Towards the end of the tour, Mraz announced that 'I Never Knew You' would not be featuring on the new album, suggesting that the final tracklist has been decided on and that the album is on course for release around February 2012.

    On December 8, 2011, Mraz told Jeff Benjamin of Billboard that the "album is finished" except for one track he was attempting to re-work as an acoustic version. He described the album as, "It's not a departure in the sound of the genre in any way, it's just different tones, different textures. Musically, I think people are going to like it. It's personal. It's melodic. And it's mellow. There's a couple of up-tempo tunes, but mostly the rhythm of the heartbeat kind of takes precedence on this record. Medium-tempo tunes; which I love. It feels more like the pace of life. At least, based on my life and what I've been doing."[32]

    On January 20, 2012, during a performance streamed live from the Bing Bar at the Sundance Film Festival, Mraz told the audience that the album's title is Love Is a Four Letter Word. Mraz released a new single from the album, called "I Won't Give Up", and the single has peaked at No. 1 on iTunes.[when?]

    During January 2012, the Dutch online retailer bol.com accidentally released a tracklisting for the forthcoming album, which has been dismissed as being incorrect. On February 28, 2012, Jason released an EP entitled Live Is A Four Letter World. The EP was recorded live in San Diego and contains four tracks (one of which had already been released).[33]

    The new album was set to be released on May 8, 2012,[34] however on February 14 it was stated that the new album is set to be released in stores and at all digital retailers on April 17, 2012.[35]
    [edit] Personal life

    Mraz was engaged to singer/songwriter and long-time close friend Tristan Prettyman.[36] On June 7, 2011, Mraz said in an interview with the Daily Beast that he and Prettyman were no longer engaged.[37]

    Mraz lives a health-conscious lifestyle and enjoys eating mostly raw vegan foods.[38] He owns an avocado farm in Bonsall in Northern San Diego County. Mraz is an active supporter of several charities including VH1's Save The Music Foundation, MusiCares, Free the Children, Life Rolls On, the School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community[39] (SPARC) and the Human Rights Campaign.[40] He has been named the 2010 SIMA Humanitarian of the Year. He also received the Clean Water Award in 2010 from the Surfrider Foundation.[41] The same year, he also teamed up with The Nature Conservancy[42] and created a PSA using his song I'm Yours to raise awareness about the non-profit organization's efforts to protect the earth.[43] Jason performed at Farm Aid 2011 on August 13 in Kansas City. He has also advocated LGBT rights.[44]

    In 2011, Mraz appeared in the Visit California promotional film[45] aimed at boosting tourism from the UK.
    [edit] Discography

    Monday, April 9, 2012

    Andrea Dovizioso Life's Journey

    Andrea Dovizioso (born March 23, 1986 in Forlimpopoli, Italy) is a professional motorcycle road racer. He won the 125cc World Championship in 2004.

    Career

    125cc

    In 2001 Dovizioso won the 125cc European Championship and also competed in his first World Championship race at Mugello, in which he retired. In 2002 he competed in the 125cc World Championship with Team Scot Honda, finishing 16th in the final standings. His best results were two 9th places in Le Mans and Donington. He continued with the team in 2003, finishing 5th in the final standings and achieving four podium finishes. The 2004 season saw him pick up five victories and six other podium finishes on his way to winning the championship with 293 points.

    250cc

    In 2005 Dovizioso moved to the 250cc class, continuing with Team Scot Honda. The season included five podium finishes and 3rd place in the overall standings. He also won the Rookie of the Year award. In 2006 he stayed with the team, who were now renamed as Humangest Racing. He won two races in Barcelona and Estoril and finished on the podium 11 times. He fought for the championship until the final race of the season, but had to settle for 2nd place behind Jorge MotoGP


    2008
    On 15 September 2007, Dovizioso announced that he would be making the move up to the MotoGP class with his existing team in 2008.[1] On his premier class debut, Dovizioso achieved a highly credible fourth place, at the season opener in Qatar, passing Valentino Rossi on the last lap. Throughout the season Dovi was one of the most consistent Honda riders, placing 4th and 5th several times, and achieving a 3rd place podium finish at the Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang. Dovizioso finished 5th in the final standings.
    2009
    For the 2009 season, Dovizioso became an official Repsol Honda rider replacing Nicky Hayden and partnering Spain's Dani Pedrosa. In July 2009, Dovizioso won his first race in MotoGP at the British Grand Prix in wet conditions at Donington Park. Despite otherwise consistent points finishes, Dovizioso ended up with less points than in his début season in the class, ending up sixth in the final standings.
    2010
    Dovizioso had a strong start to his second season with the Repsol Honda team picking up a podium in the season-opening race in Qatar. Three more podiums followed early in the year before his results tailed off mid season. Despite this, Dovizioso consistently racked up points and claimed his first pole position in MotoGP at the Japanese Grand Prix at Twin Ring Motegi. He went on to finish second in the race after challenging for the race win, equalling his result from the British Grand Prix; Dovizioso again finished second in the following race in Malaysia. Dovizioso retired in Australia, and concluded the season with third in Portugal and fifth in Valencia to finish fifth in the final championship standings.
    2011
    Dovizioso remained with Repsol Honda for a third consecutive season in 2011, riding in a three-bike team alongside Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. Dovizioso started the season well, with a fourth place in Qatar after a race-long battle with Marco Simoncelli. At Jerez, Dovizioso experienced severe tyre wear and had to make a tyre change on his way to 12th place in the damp conditions. He took fourth place in Portugal, with a late-race pass on Valentino Rossi, before Le Mans saw Dovizioso's best performance of the season to that point. Having circulated in sixth for a portion of the race, he was helped by the collision between Pedrosa and Simoncelli, which saw Pedrosa crash out and Simoncelli given a ride-through penalty. He then passed Jorge Lorenzo and Rossi en route to a second place finish. Fourth place followed in Catalunya, before another second place in Great Britain, having started fifth and led the first few laps before being overtaken by team-mate Stoner. Dovizioso extended his podium run to four races after third in the Netherlands and second at his home race at Mugello.
    He finished second for the fourth time in 2011, in the Czech Republic; holding off pressure from Simoncelli Two fifth places followed, before Dovizioso's only retirement of the season in Aragon, after crashing out. Dovizioso finished fifth in Japan, despite a ride-through penalty for jumping the start. Dovizioso finished third in Australia and Valencia, while the Malaysian race was cancelled after the death of Simoncelli in the first attempt to run the race.
    He ended the season third behind Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner, but decided to move to the Tech 3 Yamaha team for the 2012 season, alongside Cal Crutchlow on a one year deal. Dovizioso moved to the team after rejecting the offer of a satellite Honda bike, after Repsol Honda reverted to two bikes – for Stoner and Pedrosa – for the 2012 season.


    Monday, April 2, 2012

    Karim Benzema Life's Journey

    Karim Benzema.jpgKarim Benzema (Arabic: كريم بنزيمة‎; born 20 December 1987) is a French international footballer of Algerian descent who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability. He is described as an "immensely-talented striker" who is "strong and powerful" and "a potent finisher from inside the box".
    Benzema was born in the city of Lyon beginning his football career with local club Bron Terraillon. In 1996, he joined the biggest club in the city Olympique Lyonnais and, subsequently, came through the club's youth academy. Benzema made his professional debut in the 2004–05 season and appeared sporadically in his first three seasons as Lyon won three titles in that span. In the 2007–08 season, Benzema became a starter and had a breakthrough year scoring over 30 goals as Lyon won its seventh straight league title. For his performances, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Player of the Year and named to the organization's Team of the Year. Benzema was also the league's top scorer and given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo. After another season at Lyon, in July 2009, Benzema signed a six-year contract with Spanish outfit Real Madrid. After struggling to establish himself in his debut season with the club, in the 2010–11 season, Benzema reached prominence scoring 26 goals en-route to helping Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey. In December 2011, he was named the French Player of the Year for his performances during the calendar year.
    Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards. Prior to playing for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. Benzema made his senior international debut in March 2007 in a friendly match against Austria. On his debut, he scored his first international goal in a 1–0 win. Benzema has represented France at one major international tournament; UEFA Euro 2008. He made two appearances in the competition against Romania and Italy in the group stage.

    Personal life

    Benzema was born in Lyon, to parents of Algerian descent. Benzema grew up with nine siblings and his father Hafid in the nearby town of Bron. His grandfather, Da Lakehal Benzema, lived in the village of Tighzert, located in the northern town of Beni Djellil in Algeria before migrating to Lyon, where he eventually settled in the 1950s.
    On 18 April 2010, it was first reported by French television service M6 that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients in a prostitute ring that was being operated inside of a Paris nightclub with some of the women possibly being underage. The report also stated that two of the players were already questioned as witnesses by judge André Dando and a group of magistrates. The report described the two players as being one who “is a major player in a big foreign club” and that the other “plays in the championship of France Ligue 1". Later that day, the players were discovered to be Franck Ribéry and Sidney Govou. The other two players were later discovered to be Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa. Benzema was alleged to have had a sexual rendezvous with a prostitute when she was 16 years of age, an act Benzema has denied through his lawyer. On 29 April, the country's Secretary of State for Sports Rama Yade, after refusing to publicly comment on the case in its infancy, declared that any player placed under investigation should not represent the France national team. The following day, a judicial source confirmed that Benzema would not be questioned, if at all, before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. On 20 July, Benzema was questioned by Paris police and, following questioning, was indicted by judge Dando on the charge of "solicitation of a minor prostitute".

    Club career

    LyonEarly career

    Benzema is a graduate of the Lyon academy. Before joining Lyon, he trained at local Rhône-Alpes club Bron Terraillon SC in the commune Bron, a suburb of Lyon. His performances with Bron's youth team caught the attention of Lyon scouts and he joined the academy in 1996 at the age of 9. Benzema quickly ascended up the ranks scoring 38 goals in one season with Lyon's under-16 team and scoring 12 goals in 14 matches with the under-18 team before earning a call up to the senior squad by manager Paul Le Guen.
    He made his league debut for Lyon on 15 January 2005 during the 2004–05 season in a match against FC Metz, coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute. Lyon won the match 2–0 with Benzema providing the assist on the second goal scored by Bryan Bergougnoux. Five days later, he signed his first professional contract, agreeing to a three-year deal. Over the next two seasons, his play was limited making a total of 34 appearances and scoring six goals, including his first ever against AC Ajaccio in a 3–1 win, as well as his first UEFA Champions League goal against Norwegian club Rosenborg BK in a 2–1 victory.

    Breakthrough season

    For the 2007–08 season, with the likes of Florent Malouda, John Carew, and Sylvain Wiltord all departing from the club, Benzema, despite being 19 at the time, switched to the number 10 shirt and was inserted into the lead striker role. After forming a special relationship with new manager Alain Perrin, he responded with 31 goals in 51 games. He topped the league with 20 goals, scored four goals in the UEFA Champions League, one in the Coupe de la Ligue, and totaled six goals in six Coupe de France matches, helping Lyon win their first ever double. Some of his more dazzling performances that season included a hat-trick against Metz on 15 September, an equalizing goal in the 90th minute from a free kick against Derby du Rhône rivals Saint-Étienne, and a goal against RC Lens that was nominated for goal of the season by fans.
    In the Champions League, Benzema scored an important double against Rangers at Ibrox Stadium on the last match day of the group stage. The 3–0 victory assured Lyon progression to the knockout rounds. In the knockout rounds, Lyon faced Manchester United and Benzema continued to score, this time it was from outside the penalty box in the first leg match which ended in a 1–1 draw and United eventually won the tie 1–2 on aggregate. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and players praised Benzema for his performance. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas later accused Ferguson of tapping-up Benzema.
    "It's a compliment to be compared to Zinedine Zidane, but we are different players."
    Karim Benzema, after being compared to Zinedine Zidane.
    On 13 March 2008, Benzema extended his contract with Lyon until 2013 with a one year extension option. After signing his new contract, Benzema became one of the highest paid footballers in France. For his efforts that season, he was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, selected to the Team of the Year, and awarded the Trophée du Meilleur Buteur for being the league's top scorer. He was also shortlisted by the French magazine France Football for the 2008 Ballon d'Or award, won by Cristiano Ronaldo.

    2008–09 season

    Benzema got off to a good start for the 2008–09 season scoring twice in Lyon's opening league match against Toulouse. The following three weeks, he scored goals against Rhône-Alpes rivals Grenoble and Saint-Étienne and scored a goal against OGC Nice, converting a penalty in the dying seconds. Lyon won all three matches. As a result of his early goals, Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas quelled the many transfer rumors surrounding Benzema by placing a €100 million price tag on the striker. He was also nominated alongside Franck Ribéry to be featured on the French cover of the video game FIFA 09.


    He scored his seventh goal of the league on 29 October, scoring in the 2–0 win over Sochaux. Benzema scored again the following weekend in a 2–0 win over Le Mans. He was among the top scorers in the UEFA Champions League group stage, scoring five goals, a double against Steaua Bucureşti, two goals in two matches against Fiorentina, and a goal against the eventual group winners Bayern Munich on the final match day.
    Following the winter break, Benzema endured a rough patch going scoreless the first three games before recording his 11th goal of the season against Nice in a 3–1 victory. Two weeks later, he scored his 12th goal against Nancy in a 2–0 victory. The next nine matches, both Benzema and Lyon's form dwindled losing four matches, drawing three, and winning only two with Benzema scoring only two goals in that stretch, both of them against Le Mans in a 3–1 victory. The bad form resulted in Lyon losing their grip on first place position and eventually falling out of the title race, thus ending their streak of seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles. Benzema was a part of four of those title runs.
    Despite losing the title, Benzema got back on track scoring his 15th and 16th goals of the season on 17 May in a 3–1 away victory over rivals Marseille, the first goal being a penalty. He scored his 17th goal the following weekend against Caen in a 3–1 victory moving him into third place among Ligue 1 top scorers.

    Real Madrid

    2009–10 season

    On 1 July 2009, it was announced that Lyon had reached an agreement with Spanish club Real Madrid for the transfer of Benzema. The transfer fee was priced at €35 million with the fee rising to as much as €41 million based on incentives. On 9 July, Benzema successfully passed his medical and signed his contract, a six-year deal, later that afternoon. He was presented officially as a Real Madrid player later that night at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, similarly to the previous signings of Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo. Benzema made his Real Madrid debut on 20 July in the club's opening pre-season friendly against Irish club Shamrock Rovers in Dublin, appearing as a halftime substitute. He scored the lone goal in the club's 1–0 win, scoring in the 87th minute. On 24 August, Benzema netted two goals in Real Madrid's 4–0 victory over Norwegian club Rosenborg in an annual friendly tournament organized for the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy. The goals brought his total tally in the preseason with Real Madrid to five, making him the joint top scorer alongside fellow striker Raúl.
    He made his La Liga debut on 29 August against Deportivo La Coruña. Benzema scored his first official goal for Madrid on 20 September 2009 at home against newly promoted side Xerez in a 5–0 victory. Six days later, he scored his first brace for the club in a 3–0 home victory over Tenerife. On 3 November, Benzema made his first European goal for Madrid in a 1–1 draw against Milan at the San Siro. He scored his second brace on 30 January 2010 for the club against Deportivo.

    2010–11 season


    The new season started slowly for Benzema, he was mainly used as a substitute early on the season, but due to a serious injury to Gonzalo Higuaín and the team's lack of senior strikers, Benzema was given more starts by José Mourinho. On 4 December, Benzema netted a hat-trick in a 4–0 victory against Auxerre, the first goal being Real Madrid's 300th goal in the Champions League era. His second hat-trick came on 22 December 2010 in a 8–0 thrashing in a Copa del Rey match against Levante.
    On 22 February 2011, Benzema opened the scoring in the 1–1 draw against his former club Lyon at Stade de Gerland. The France striker scored just after 40 seconds coming on as a substitute on the 62nd minute in which he dodged three players and placed the ball between the legs of Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The goal was the 100th goal of his professional senior career, and also the first goal for Real Madrid at Stade de Gerland in 6 years. Nevertheless he did not celebrate the goal out of respect for his former club. He then continued his fine form by scoring twice in the 7–0 win against Malaga, he added another brace (two goals) against Racing Santander in a 1–3 away win on 6 March 2011. Six days later, he scored another two against Hércules helping Madrid to a 2–0 victory, making it his third consecutive brace for his club. He also scored the opener in the 1–2 away win at Vicente Calderón Stadium in the Madrid derby match against Atlético Madrid on 19 March 2011, which took his tally to 10 goals in his last 8 games. After missing several weeks through injury, he returned to score a goal on 23 April in a 3–6 win against Valencia. In Real Madrid's last game of 2010–11 season against Almería, he scored two goals in an 8–1 home win which summarize his season with 26 goals in 31 starts and 17 substitute appearances.

    2011–12 season

    Benzema was impressive in the preseason matches, scoring 8 goals in 7 games. He opened his tally in the new league season with a brace against Getafe on September 10. He then scored against Dutch club Ajax in Real Madrid's 3–0 Champions League win. On 10 December 2011, Benzema scored the fastest ever El Clásico goal, just 22 seconds into the game but eventually the opposing team, FC Barcelona, scored 3 goals (Alexis, Xavi and Cesc), ending with Real Madrid losing the game, with Karim's goal as the only one for the team.
    On March 24,2012, Benzema surpassed Zinedine Zidane as the top French scorer in La Liga history with 2 goals against Real Socidead.

    International career


    In 2004, he was a part of the under-17 squad that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, the nation's first ever. In the tournament, which was played on home soil, Benzema scored one goal against Northern Ireland in the group stage. Benzema later played with the under-18 team at the 2005 edition of the UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup. He played in all four matches scoring a tournament-leading five goals helping France win the tournament. During the 2005–06 season, he played with the under-19 team making eight appearances scoring four goals before earning a call up to the under-21 squad who were attempting to qualify for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. Benzema made only five appearances with the team scoring no goals. His final appearances with the squad was in their shocking two-legged loss to Israel in the qualifying playoffs to determine the participants in the UEFA under-21 tournament.
    Before representing France, Benzema was eligible for Algeria and was called up to the squad by the Fédération Algérienne de Football in December 2006, but turned them down stating, "Algeria is my parents’ country and it is in my heart, but football-wise I will only play for the French national team." On 28 March 2007, Benzema won his first cap for France against Austria, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win for France. His next two goals came in one game against the Faroe Islands, who France subsequently beat 6–0.
    He was selected to represent France at Euro 2008. France's Euro 2008 campaign opened with a 0–0 draw against Romania and after a frustrating performance, he was substituted in the second half and played no part in their following game, a 1–4 defeat to the Netherlands. In the last group game, France lost 2–0 to Italy and Benzema featured in the starting lineup. He has now adopted the number 10 for France. He scored his first goal since adopting the jersey from the penalty spot against Turkey on 5 June 2009 in a friendly where they won 1–0. Benzema was left out of France's preliminary 30-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup announced by manager Raymond Domenech on 11 May 2010. Domenech cited his poor season with Real Madrid, rather than his alleged involvement in a sex scandal.
    Following the World Cup, Benzema returned to the national team under new manager Laurent Blanc. After going almost a year without representing France, he made his return to the team in its 2–1 defeat to Norway. Alongside Yoann Gourcuff, Benzema led the team in scoring in qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012 netting three. He scored his three goals in wins over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg, and Albania. On 17 November 2010, Benzema scored the opening goal in France's 2–1 win over England at Wembley Stadium. In the team's next match against Brazil in February 2011, he scored the only goal for France in a 1–0 win.

    Sunday, April 1, 2012

    Steven Gerrard Life's Lourney

    The big 4-0.jpgSteven George Gerrard MBE (play /ˈɛrɑrd/; born 30 May 1980) is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 90 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger. Gerrard is best known for his tremendous long-range striking ability and has scored in numerous cup finals, including the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2006 FA Cup Final.
    Gerrard, who has spent his entire career at Anfield, made his début in 1998 and cemented his place in the first team in the 2000–01 season, succeeding Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool team captain in 2003. His honours include two FA Cup wins, three League Cup wins, a UEFA Cup win, and a UEFA Champions League win in 2005. In 2005, Gerrard came third in the voting for Ballon d'Or, given to the top player in Europe.
    Gerrard made his international debut in 2000 and has represented England at Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, as well as the 2006 World Cup, where he was the team's top goalscorer with two goals. Gerrard is the current vice-captain of the England national football team. However, he captained his country at the 2010 World Cup in the absence of regular captain Rio Ferdinand who missed the tournament through injury.
    Gerrard is widely regarded as one of the greatest English footballers ever. Gerrard came second only to Kenny Dalglish in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop, a Liverpool F.C. fan poll. Zinedine Zidane said in 2009 that he considered Gerrard one of the best footballers in the world. In 2010, The Guardian named Gerrard to their World XI team, which compiled the greatest footballers of all-time onto one squad.

    Early years

    Born in Whiston, Merseyside, Gerrard started out playing for hometown team Whiston Juniors, where he was noticed by Liverpool scouts. He joined the Reds' youth academy at the age of nine. Gerrard then had trials with various clubs at fourteen, but his success wasn't immediate—Gerrard never made it into the England Schoolboys team. Gerrard's trials included Manchester United, which he claimed in his 2006 autobiography was "to pressure Liverpool into giving me a YTS contract." He signed his first professional contract with Liverpool on 5 November 1997.

    Liverpool beginnings (1998-2003)

    Gerrard made his Liverpool first-team debut on 29 November 1998 in a match against Blackburn Rovers as a last minute substitute for Vegard Heggem. He made thirteen appearances in his debut season, filling in the midfield position for injured captain Jamie Redknapp and playing on the right wing, but he scarcely contributed in the short on-pitch time he received, due to nervousness affecting his play. Gerrard recalled in a November 2008 interview with The Guardian, "I was out of position and out of my depth." The Liverpool hierarchy nonetheless remained convinced that he would improve. Gerrard saw himself as a defensive player primarily, looking to make key tackles rather than push the team forward.
    Gerrard partnered Redknapp in central midfield for the 1999–00 season. After starting the derby match against Everton on the bench, he replaced Robbie Fowler in the second half but received his first career red card for a late foul on Everton's Kevin Campbell. Later that season, Gerrard scored his first senior goal in a 4–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday. However, he began to suffer from nagging back problems, which sports consultant Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt later diagnosed as a result of accelerated growth, coupled with excessive playing, during his teenage years. He was then beset by groin injuries that required four separate operations.

    In 2000–01, he made fifty starts in all competitions and scored ten goals as Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup, and the 2001 UEFA Cup.

    Team struggles and uncertainty (2003-2004)

    Gerrard replaced Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool captain in October 2003, as manager Gérard Houllier said that he recognised Gerrard had demonstrated leadership qualities early on, but needed to mature. He chose to extend his contract at the club, signing a new four-year deal
    Houllier quit after a trophyless 2003–04 campaign, and Gerrard was linked with a move to Chelsea during the offseason. He admitted he was not "happy with the progress Liverpool has made," and that "for the first time in my career I've thought about the possibility of moving on." In the end, Gerrard turned down a £20 million offer from Chelsea to stay with Liverpool and new coach Rafael Benítez.

    Breakthrough and trophy campaigns (2004-2007)

    Liverpool were wracked with injury early in the 2004–05 season, and a foot injury suffered in a September league match against Manchester United shelved Gerrard until late November. He returned to score in the last five minutes of a Champions League group stage match against Olympiacos to secure Liverpool's advancement to the knockout round. He claimed that this was his most important, if not his best, goal for Liverpool to date. However, Gerrard netted an own goal during the 2005 League Cup final on 27 February, which proved decisive in Liverpool's 3–2 loss to Chelsea.
    During a six-minute stretch in the second half of the 2005 Champions League final against A.C. Milan, Liverpool came back from a three-goal deficit to tie the match at 3–3 after extra time, with Gerrard scoring one of the goals. Liverpool's third goal was gained as a penalty from a foul awarded to Liverpool when Gennaro Gattuso fouled Gerrard in Milan's penalty box. Gerrard did not participate in the penalty shootout, which Liverpool won 3–2 as they claimed their first Champions League trophy in twenty years, though he was named the Man of the Match, and later received the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award.
    In regards to his contract issues with Liverpool, Gerrard told the press after the final, "How can I leave after a night like this?" But negotiations soon stalled and on 5 July 2005, after Liverpool turned down another lucrative offer from Chelsea, Gerrard rejected a club-record £100,000-a-week offer. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry conceded the club had lost Gerrard, saying, "Now we have to move on. We have done our best, but he has made it clear he wants to go and I think it looks pretty final." The next day, Gerrard signed a new four-year deal as Parry blamed the earlier breakdown of talks on miscommunication between the two sides.

    Gerrard scored 23 goals in 53 appearances in 2005–06, and in April became the first Liverpool player since John Barnes in 1988 to be voted the PFA Player of the Year. He scored twice in the 2006 FA Cup final against West Ham United, including an equalizer that sent the match into extra time, and Liverpool won their second consecutive major trophy on penalties. The goals made him the only player to have scored in the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League finals. Gerrard netted a penalty as Liverpool eliminated league rival Chelsea in the 2006–07 Champions League semi-finals to return to their second final in three seasons, which they lost 2–1 to Milan
    Gerrard suffered a hairline toe fracture in an August 2007 Champions League qualifier against Toulouse F.C., but returned four days later to play the entirety of a 1–1 league draw against Chelsea. On 28 October 2007, Gerrard played his 400th game for Liverpool in a league match against Arsenal, in which he scored. He scored in all but one of Liverpool's domestic and European matches during the month of November, and after scoring the only goal in a Champions League away tie against Olympique de Marseille on 11 December, he became the first Liverpool player since John Aldridge in 1989 to score in seven consecutive games in all competitions.

    Continued success and stardom (2007-)

    Gerrard made his 300th Premier League appearance on 13 April 2008 in a match against Blackburn Rovers, scoring the opening goal, and finished the season with twenty-one goals in all competitions, surpassing his total from the 2006–07 season. Gerrard was selected for the PFA Team of the Year and he was also one of the nominees or the PFA Player of the Year, alongside teammate Fernando Torres.
    Gerrard needed to undergo groin surgery at the beginning of the 2008–09 season, but the problem was not serious and he quickly returned to training. He scored what appeared to be his hundredth career Liverpool goal against Stoke City on 20 September, but it was disallowed after Dirk Kuyt was ruled offside. He achieved the milestone eleven days later in a 3–1 Champions League group stage win over PSV.
    He made his 100th appearance in European club competition for Liverpool on 10 March 2009 against Real Madrid and scored twice in a 4–0 win Four days after the impressive victory over Real, Gerrard would score at Old Trafford for the first time from the penalty spot, putting Liverpool ahead on their way to a 4–1 victory over Manchester United. Following these results, three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane hailed the Liverpool skipper, saying "Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of Messi and Ronaldo but yes, I think he might be." On 22 March 2009, Gerrard scored his first ever hat-trick in the Premier League, against Aston Villa, in a 5–0 victory. On 13 May 2009, Gerrard was named as the 2009 Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, becoming the first Liverpool player to win the award in nineteen years. Gerrard had pipped Manchester United duo Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney in the poll voted for by journalists, beating Ryan Giggs by just 10 votes. Upon receiving the award, he was quoted as saying "I'm delighted but I'm a little bit surprised," he commented. "When you look at the quality of the players there are in this league, it's a great privilege to win this kind of award." He ended the 2009–10 season with a total of 12 goals and 9 assists from 46 matches.
    Following the 2009–10 season, Rafael Benitez departed Liverpool after six years and was succeeded as manager by Roy Hodgson, who quickly assured fans that Gerrard would not be sold.[2] To further eliminate any speculation surrounding his future at the club, Gerrard made a statement emphasising his excitement at the coming season with Liverpool and praising the signing of Joe Cole. Gerrard soon played his first pre-season match of the 2010–11 season against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 1 August 2010 alongside new signing Joe Cole.

    Gerrard scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season from the penalty spot in a Europa League qualifier against Macedonian side FK Rabotnicki on the 5th August 2010.
    His next two goals came on 19 September at Old Trafford in a 3–2 loss against Manchester United; he scored from a penalty kick in the 64th minute and a free-kick 6 minutes later to level the game at 2–2. He followed this up with the equaliser in a 2–2 home draw with Sunderland. 11 days later Gerrard came off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick in a 3–1 win over Napoli in the Europa League.
    Gerrard missed the start of English Premier League season 2011-2012 due to groin injury which had kept him away for much of the 2010-2011 season as well.  Gerrard made his first start for Liverpool squad in the October match at Anfield against fierce rivals Manchester United. Gerrard scored the club's only goal in the match, from a free kick, which ended in a 1-1 draw. On October 29, Gerrard underwent a treatment to clear an infection in his right ankle, which was placed in a protective plaster cast. He was forced to miss Liverpool's league match against West Bromwich that day and was ruled out for at least the following week's match against Swansea the following week and England's friendly matches against Sweden and Spain the week after. After a prolonged ankle injury recuperation, Gerrard returned to first team action in the match against Blackburn Rovers, coming off the bench. On 30th December, Gerrard came off the bench against Newcastle United and scored a fine goal. Gerrard helped Liverpool reach their first cup final at Wembley Stadium in 18 years as Liverpool prevailed 3-2 on aggregate over Manchester City. Gerrard fired home a penalty during both legs to secure a trip to the Carling Cup Final against Cardiff in February 2012, which Liverpool won on penalties.
    On his 400th league appearance for Liverpool, Gerrard scored a hat-trick to give Liverpool a 3-0 victory over rivals Everton in the Merseyside Derby on 13 March 2012.

    International career

    Gerrard made his international debut against Ukraine on 31 May 2000. That summer, he was called up for Euro 2000, making only one appearance as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Germany before England were eliminated in the group stage. Gerrard scored his first international goal in the famous 5–1 victory over Germany in a 2002 World Cup qualifier in September 2001, and while England qualified, Gerrard was forced to pull out of the squad due to his ongoing groin problems after pulling up in Liverpool's final match of the season against Ipswich.
    He was a regular starter in Euro 2004, scoring once – against Switzerland – before England were eliminated by Portugal in the quarter-finals on penalties. He participated in his first World Cup in 2006 and two goals, both in the group stage, against Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden, although his spot kick was one of three saved by goalkeeper Ricardo as England again bowed out to Portugal in the quarter-finals on penalties. He was England's top scorer in the tournament.
    Gerrard was made vice-captain of the England team by coach Steve McClaren, and while he filled in for John Terry as captain, England suffered back-to-back losses to Russia and Croatia that ended their Euro 2008 qualifying hopes. After new coach Fabio Capello took over the team in early 2008, Gerrard was given a trial run as captain but Capello settled on Terry for the role. Gerrard was subsequently replaced as England vice-captain by Rio Ferdinand.
    Gerrard helped England qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, scoring two goals in England's 5–1 win over Croatia.
    John Terry was replaced by Rio Ferdinand as captain in 2010, following revelations about the former's private life, and Gerrard subsequently became vice-captain again. When the England team left for the 2010 World Cup, Gerrard was the most experienced player in the squad with 80 caps. During preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, however, Rio Ferdinand was injured, meaning that Gerrard was appointed by Capello as captain for the tournament. After the tournament Gerrard, part of a group of England players dubbed the "Golden Generation", confirmed that he would continue to be available for selection, despite suggestions from Capello that he would seek to re-build the team.
    In August 2010, Gerrard scored twice in a friendly match against Hungary and helped England to a 2–1 win. Due to Ferdinand's continued absence through injury, Gerrard retained the captaincy for the opening match of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign against Bulgaria, which England won 4–0.


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