http://www.russiatoday.com/About_Us/Blogs/SportScene RT : SportScene en RT /About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-10-27.html http://www.russiatoday.com/About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-10-27.html Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:53:00 +0300 “The ultimate American sport” was how the NFL was sold to me by a friend when I first arrived in Atlanta for University just over 8 years ago. When I asked “Why?” I realised from the glee on his face that he had some form of witty retort ready: “Because it involves the taking of other people’s land by force.”Over the past 8 years, I think I have probably used that same line on every occasion that I’ve been sitting with Americans and the NFL has come up in discussion. /About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-10-14.html http://www.russiatoday.com/About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-10-14.html Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:08:06 +0300 It’s around this time of year when I treat myself and buy a new football management game. This means I’m sure to spend the majority of my free time over the coming months hunched over my Mac on an Irn Bru-fueled mission to take Sunderland into the Champions League. As I try to avoid the disapproving gaze of my flatmate (he’s American, therefore he just doesn’t understand), I end up justifying my hours of playing with the deluded belief that success on the game will put me on par with Hiddink, Mourinho, and Wenger. /About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-10-9.html http://www.russiatoday.com/About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-10-9.html Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:09:00 +0300 It’s here, the big one. Russia against Germany in Moscow gets underway on Saturday with the World Cup hopes and dreams of the two nations hanging in the balance. Mathematics has never been a strong point of mine, but even I can do the sums on this one. Germany come to the Luzhniki stadium with a one-point lead, knowing that a win would secure their spot in South Africa. Russia’s fate is in their own hands: beat Germany and all that stands in the way of a World Cup berth is a match in Baku against Azerbaijan which, without wanting to tempt fate, should be a formality. /About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-8-31.html http://www.russiatoday.com/About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-8-31.html Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:31:00 +0300 Back in Moscow after two weeks in England. I’m back, however, at the time of writing my luggage is still somewhere else thanks to a certain Dutch airline that will remain nameless. Anyway I did make it home in time to see Rubin Kazan cement their place at the top of the table thanks to an indomitable performance against second placed Spartak Moscow.Read more3-0 is how it ended at Luzhniki stadium. A typical workman-like performance from Gurban Berdiyew’s men, as they waited for their chances and struck with a ferocity that suggests they will be lifting the league title for a second successive year. /About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-8-19.html http://www.russiatoday.com/About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-8-19.html Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:36:28 +0300 SportScene is on holiday for the next two weeks back in sunny Sunderland in the northeast of England. It’s a strategically taken holiday as well; being off work for the next two weeks allows me to take in three Sunderland football matches and, of course, the cricket.Read moreIt may cause my girlfriend to look at me with a mixture of bemusement and pity; it may cause a lot of people in Russia to smile and nod when I start talking about it. It may even have caused the father of the bride to provide guests with a score update before delivering his speech at my friends Zoë and David’s wedding. /About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-7-27.html http://www.russiatoday.com/About_Us/Blogs/SportScene/2009-7-27.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:43:00 +0300 The Russian Premier League reached its half way stage over the weekend, and what better time to have a look at how things are progressing this term.Attendance first to see who we’ve got here:“Rubin”“Here Sir”“Spartak”“Here”“FC Moscow”“Here”“FC Moscow, get your hands out of your pockets boy”.Read moreAnyway, at the halfway stage the reigning champions, Rubin, sit atop the pile with 28 points. The Kazan club, in fine fettle in front of goal, slotting home a very healthy 27 goals in their 15 matches.