Gervinho

Gervais Yao Kouassi (born 27 May 1987 in Anyama), better known as Gervinho, is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a forward for Roma and the Ivory Coast national team. Gervinho began his career at ASEC Abidjan and Toumodi F.C., before moving to Belgium in 2004 to play for the now-defunct Beveren. Between 2007 and 2011, he played in the French Ligue 1, initially at Le Mans and then at Lille. He was sold to Arsenal in 2011, and moved to Roma in 2013. He has made 61 appearances for the Ivorian national team, scoring 19 goals.

Club career
Arsenal

2011–12

On 12 July 2011 Gervinho completed a transfer from Lille to Arsenal for a fee believed to be around £10.8 million. Gervinho was given the number 27 shirt, which was last worn by Ivory Coast teammate Emmanuel Eboué who was already on the verge of leaving the club. He made his debut in a pre-season friendly match against 1. FC Köln, in which he scored a brace within the first 15 minutes. He was sent off on his Premier League debut against Newcastle United for slapping Joey Barton. The game finished 0–0.This resulted in a standard three-match ban for violent conduct. Alan Pardew (manager of Newcastle United) accused Gervinho of diving when Cheick Tioté challenged him inside the box. He scored his first league goal in a 4–3 loss to Blackburn Rovers. On 23 October 2011 Gervinho followed this up by contributing to all three goals in Arsenal's 3–1 win over Stoke City, scoring the first and assisting both of Robin van Persie's goals. He then scored his third goal for Arsenal on 3 December 2011, in a 4–0 win at Wigan Athletic, scoring the third goal of the match in a comfortable victory. He scored his fourth goal of his time at Arsenal on 27 December 2011 in the 1–1 draw against Wolves. Gervinho then departed for the Africa Cup of Nations after a 2–1 defeat to Fulham. Gervinho made his return on 18 February 2012 in the FA Cup match against Sunderland which ended in a 2–0 defeat that knocked Arsenal out of the 2011–12 FA Cup.

2012–13

Gervinho played in three of the first four league games of the season and scored a double in the 6–1 home victory overSouthampton on 15 September. Gervinho scored his first Champions League goal of the new season in a 2–1 victory over Ligue 1 champions HSC Montpellier on 18 September.

On 16 March, Gervinho sealed a 2–0 win at Swansea City by scoring his first goal for Arsenal since September. On 30 March, Gervinho scored a goal and assisted two others as Arsenal beat Reading 4–1 and was named as man of the match.

Roma

2013–14

On 8 August 2013, Arsenal sold Gervinho to Italian club A.S. Roma for 8 million euros. He made his first appearance for Roma as a substitute against Livorno on 25 August. It took until 25 September for Gervinho to score his first official goal for Roma, finishing from close range after an assist from Francesco Totti, which sealed a 2-0 defeat of Sampdoria. In the following Serie A match, he helped Roma record six straight victories to begin the season by netting two goals in their comfortable 5-0 defeat of Bologna. In the quarter-final round of the Coppa Italia on 21 January 2014, Gervinho netted the game's only goal with an acrobatic finish from a Kevin Strootman pass to advance past Juventus and into the semi-finals. In the first leg of their semi-final tie with Napoli on 5 February, Gervinho netted twice, including a late game-winning goal to send Roma into the second leg with a 3–2 advantage.

2014–15

On 30 August 2014, Gervinho scored in the Roma's 2nd goal in a 2-0 win over Fiorentina to start the 2014-15 season. Gervinho scored his first goals in European competition for Roma on 17 September 2014, netting twice in the 5-1 Champions League Group Stage victory over CSKA Moscow.

International career
Gervinho captained Ivory Coast at U21 level.

He was named in the Ivorian senior squad for the first time for the friendlies against Angola and Qatar in November 2007, and was picked for the Ivorian squad for their 2008 African Cup of Nations campaign in Ghana where he was given the number 10 shirt. He made his competitive debut for the Ivorian club during the 2008 Nations Cup where he made two substitute appearances. He represented his country at the 2008 Olympic tournament where he was captain. After Ivory Coast lost to Argentina in the first match, Gervinho scored one goal and set up two others in a 3–2 victory over Serbia.

2010 Africa Cup of Nations
On 15 January 2010, Gervinho scored his third international goal in the African Nations Cup group stage game against Ghana. He made a total of three appearances in the tournament, scoring once.

2010 FIFA World Cup
Gervinho made only three appearances, all as a substitute, in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup but still scored twice. On 15 June 2010, he played his first match in a World Cup. He played 82 minutes in Ivory Coast's opening match in Group G againstPortugal, which ended 0–0. In total he made three appearances in the World Cup.
2012 Africa Cup of Nations

Gervinho missed a sudden-death penalty in the shoot-out at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Final, after which Stopila Sunzu scored to win the tournament forZambia.

2014 FIFA World Cup

Gervinho was included in Ivory Coast's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In their first group match against Japan, he scored the team's winning goal from Serge Aurier's cross in a 2–1 win. In the next match, he scored the only goal for Les Éléphants as they were defeated 2–1 by Colombia in Brasília.

2015 Africa Cup of Nations


In the Ivory Coast's opening match at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, Gervinho was sent off for striking Guinea's Naby Keita during a 1–1 draw at the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo. He was given a two-match ban for the incident. Gervinho returned for the Ivory Coast's quarter-final against Algeria, scoring the last goal of a 3–1 win, and also netted in a semi-final victory of the same score against the DR Congo.

Style of play
Gervinho is generally deployed as a forward, more often on the wing, and takes a more attacking role than a typical midfielder. He possesses good ball control and dribbling which, coupled with short, fast bursts of pace, lead him to be considered a very direct player. Playing from the left allows him to cut in onto his favoured right foot to shoot. In a 4–4–2 formation, Gervinho can take on a more central role, but for both club and country is often utilized on either wing in a 4–3–3 formation.

Rudi Garcia, who managed Gervinho at Lille and Roma, has described him as a player who needs confidence and who makes opportunities for his teammates.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Eduardo Vargas

Eduardo Jesús Vargas Rojas born 20 November 1989 is a Chilean footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers, on loan from Napoli, and the Chilean national team as a forward or winger.

club career
Vargas started playing in amateurs teams in Renca, Santiago, but he didn't participate in other youth team, because he lived very far away from any club of greater Santiago. In 2006, he continued playing in an amateur third division team, where he participated in a tournament played in Puerto Montt. He was the top scorer of his team.

Later, Osvaldo Hurtado contacted Vargas with Jorge Aravena (In this moment coach of Cobreloa), where he was submitted to several evaluations. Finally he was incorporated to Cobreloa squad in 2006.

He participated in Cobreloa B, third Division team, scoring with the team, against Universidad Arturo Prat on 7 August 2006, after he scored another goal against San Marcos de Arica on 28 August 2006.

Universidad de Chile
In January 2010, Club Universidad de Chile signed the winger from Cobreloa for around $700,000. His high calibre performances in the Chilean Championship and the 2011 Copa Sudamericana reportedly piqued the interest of several prominent European clubs, including Internazionale and Chelsea.

In November 2011, he was chosen as a candidate for South American Footballer of the Year,eventually placing as runner-up to Neymar, and in December he was named as Chilean Footballer of the Year for 2011.

In December 2011, Vargas scored in both legs of the 2011 Copa Sudamericana Final. His goal in the first leg gave Universidad a 1–0 lead against their Ecuadorian opposition LDU Quito. In the second leg, he scored the third and 87th minutes of a 3–0 victory in Santiago, helping "La U" achieve its first international title. He ended the competition as its top goalscorer with 11 goals and was elected the best player of the tournament.

As well as securing the Sudamericana title, Vargas's goals helped Universidad to win a double of the Apertura and Clausura league championships during the 2011 season. Altogether, he scored 25 goals and provided 11 assists in 44 matches.

Napoli
Italian Serie A club Napoli purchased the player's services for around $17.9 million (£11.5 million). On 23 December 2011, S.S.C. Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis, announced that Vargas would arrive at the club. "I would like to inform you officially that we purchased Vargas, a few minutes ago I received a call from Dr. De Nicola, who visited the footballer and gave his ok under medical and athletic profile. We signed the contract and we also won the competition by strong Club who wanted the player. This is the testimony that our observatory is always open and we are continuously looking for young talents in the world that can make the case of Napoli and for the growth of our team".[7] Vargas arrived at Napoli on 6 January 2012 and signed on 9 January. He made his debut in a 2–1 Coppa Italiadefeat of Cesena at the Stadio San Paolo on 12 January.

On 20 May 2012, was a non-playing substitute as Napoli defeated Juventus in the 2012 Coppa Italia Final at the Stadio Olimpico.

On 20 September 2012, in the first match of Napoli's UEFA Europa League campaign, Vargas scored three goals in a 4–0 victory against AIK Fotboll. This was the first time that a Chilean player scored a hat-trick in a continental competition in Europe.

Grêmio
On 17 January 2013, Vargas agreed to go on loan to Brazilian side Grêmio. He made his first appearance six days later in a Copa Libertadores match against LDU Quito. He scored his first goal on February 21 against Fluminense in the Copa Libertadores. On March 31, he scored his first goal in the Campeonato Gaúcho, converting a penalty at the Arena do Grêmio in a 1–1 draw with Passo Fundo.

Valencia
On 23 January 2014, Vargas joined La Liga club Valencia on loan for the rest of the 2013-14 season. Vargas played his first official match for Los Che in a 3–2 away win at Camp Nou against champions FC Barcelona on 1 February 2014. He scored his first La Liga goal against Real Betis, in a 5–0 home win.

Vargas recorded two goals and three assists in eight appearances as Valencia reached the semi-finals of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League.

Queens Park Rangers


On 21 August 2014, Vargas joined Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the 2014–2015 Premier League season. He made his debut for the club on 14 September against Manchester United, replacing Charlie Austin for the last 31 minutes at Old Trafford. On 19 October, against Liverpool at Loftus Road, Vargas replaced Bobby Zamora in the 78th minute of the match. He scored an equaliser in the 87th minute, receiving a cross from Austin, he acrobatically finished off a move he had started himself, but then Philippe Coutinho scored what looked to be the winner for Liverpool in the 90th minute. Although, less than a minute later, Vargas yet again equalised, heading in at the near post from a corner, making it 2-2. However, against the run of play, Liverpool grabbed a late winner in added time, as Raheem Sterling's cross inadvertedly deflected off of an unlucky Steven Caulker.

International career
In 2008, Vargas participated in the Toulon Tournament, Milk Cup, where he was chosen as the tournament's best winger. He also took part in the Kupa Talents Cup, where he was awarded as the best player of the tournament.

Vargas was a regular in the U-20 National Team during the squad's friendly games prior to the 2009 South American Youth Championship. However, he did not make it to the tournament due to an injury.

He made his full international debut for Chile in 2009, and scored his first goal in a 3–2 friendly defeat to Spain on 2 September 2011.

On 12 October 2011, Vargas scored his first competitive international goal in a 4–2 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying win against Peru at the Estadio Monumental. He ended the campaign as Chile's top goalscorer with five goals.

In September 2013, he broke the Chilean national team's record for goals in consecutive matches – previously held jointly byMarcelo Salas and Carlos Caszély – by scoring twice in a 2–2 friendly draw with Spain. During 2013, he scored in six consecutive matches and nine times overall for La Roja.[4]

On 1 June 2014, Vargas was named in Chile's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. In Chile's second group match against defending champions Spain at the Estádio do Maracanã, Vargas scored the team's opening goal as they eliminated Spain and secured qualification to the knockout stage.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Stephen Curry

Wardell Stephen "Steph" Curry II (born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) tall and weighing 190 lb (86 kg), Curry plays the point guard position. A two-time NBA All-Star, He is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry.

Curry played college basketball for Davidson. There, he was twice named Southern Conference Player of the Year and set the all-time scoring record for both Davidson and the Southern Conference. During his sophomore year, Curry also set the single-season NCAA record for three-pointers made.

Curry was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. During the 2012–13 season, he set the NBA record for three-pointers made in a regular season with 272. The next season, Curry and teammate Klay Thompson set an NBA record for combined threes in a season with 484 as the pair were given the nickname the "Splash Brothers".

Professional career

2011–12 season

In May 2011, Curry had surgery on his right ankle to repair torn ligaments he got from multiple sprains during the 2010-11 season. Curry was ready to play by the start of the lockout-shortened season with his new head coach Mark Jackson but he sprained his surgically repaired right ankle during an exhibition game at Sacramento just days before the season started. He still started the season opener vs. the Clippers, but only had 4 points on 2-12 shooting. The next game vs. theChicago Bulls, Curry had 21 points and 10 assists to lead the Warriors to a 99-91 victory, but rolled his right ankle and missed the next game. He came back for 3 games and sprained his right ankle yet again on January 4. He returned January 20 for the next 16 games before he strained a tendon in his right foot in a game vs. the Phoenix Suns on February 22. On March 5, Curry returned vs. the Washington Wizards for 4 games before he had season ending arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle. The injury plagued season ended with Curry seeing action in only 26 of 66 games with averages of 14.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals.

2012–13 season
On October 31, 2012, Curry agreed to a four-year, $44 million rookie scale contract extension with the Warriors. He went on to average 22.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game on the season.

On February 27, 2013, Curry scored a career-high 54 points in a 109-105 loss to the New York Knicks. He shot 18 for 28 from the field, and 11 of 13 from three-point range. His 11 three-pointers is a single-game franchise-record and trails only the 12 made threes by Kobe Bryant and Donyell Marshall for most threes made in a single game in NBA history. On the final day of the regular season, Curry broke the NBA record for three-pointers made in a single regular season. Curry finished the season with 272 made three pointers; 3 more than previous record holder Ray Allen.

Golden State finished 47–35, earning the sixth seed in the 2013 NBA Playoffs and a matchup with the three seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round. This was the first playoff series for Curry and many of his teammates but Golden State beat Denver in six games to advance to the semifinals to face the San Antonio Spurs. Curry had a playoff career-high 44 points in Game 1 of the series but the Warriors ended up blowing a 16-point lead late in the fourth quarter which resulted in a double-overtime loss. Golden State would go on to lose to the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs in six games.

2013–14 season

On December 7, 2013, in a 108-82 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Curry broke Jason Richardson's franchise record for most three-point field goals made in a career with 701, doing so in fewer attempts.

Curry made his first All-Star appearance after he was voted by the fans as a starter for the Western Conference. He finished the season averaging 24.0 points and 8.5 assists; both career bests.

The Golden State Warriors finished with a 51-31 record and was the 6th seed in the Western Conference once again. They would face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round. On April 27, 2014, in Game 4 of the series, Curry scored 33 points, including a playoff career-high seven three-pointers, as the Warriors beat the Clippers 118-97. Curry and the Warriors would go on to lose to the Clippers in seven games in the midst of the Donald Sterling controversy. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time.

2014–15 season

On January 7, 2015, in a 117-102 win over the Indiana Pacers, Curry made his 1,000th career three-point field goal. He became the fastest player in NBA history to make 1,000 career three-pointers. It was Curry's 369th game; 88 fewer games than previous record-holder Dennis Scott (457) took to reach the milestone. On February 4, he scored a season-high 51 points on 16-of-26 shooting in a 128-114 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Curry was the overall leading vote-getter for the 2015 NBA All-Star Game, edging last year's top vote-getter, LeBron James.

On February 14, 2015, Curry defeated teammate Klay Thompson and six others to win his first three-point contest during the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend. Curry also wore sneakers that had Deah Shaddy Barakat's name on them (one of the victims of the 2015 Chapel Hill shooting). According to his sister Suzanne, Deah Barakat was known for his "love for basketball and anything Steph Curry." Deah's number for his intramural basketball team at North Carolina State University was Curry's #30 and he posed for a photo that was similar to one that Curry did for GQ. Curry said that Barakat's family "did a great job of reaching out to me and making me aware of the details of his life and personality. It was really kind of a cool deal to be able to use the platform yesterday to honor Deah and his family. I’m going to send them the shoes I wore yesterday. And hopefully they know that I’ve been thinking about them.”

International career
Curry is a two-time gold medalist as a member of the United States men's national basketball team in both 2010 and 2014. He is also a silver medalist with the Under-19 USA team in 2007.

Player profile

Curry is considered one of the best overall players in the NBA. He is a good scorer and passer, averaging 20 points and seven assists per game respectively for his career. He has a quick release on his jump shot, and is a great three-point shooter, averaging 44% on threes for his career.

Personal life
Curry is a devout Christian and gives a tribute to Jesus Christ after every made three-pointer. Curry wears the same number (#30) his dad wore while he was in the NBA. Curry's younger brother, Seth, is also a professional basketball player while his younger sister, Sydel, plays volleyball at Elon University. On July 30, 2011, Curry married Ayesha Alexander in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple gave birth to daughter, Riley, on July 19, 2012.


source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Μέσι ο Βασιλιάς των χατ-τρικ!

Με τα τρία γκολ απέναντι στη Ράγιο Βαγιεκάνο, ο Λιονέλ Μέσι είναι ο ποδοσφαιριστής με τα περισσότερα χατ-τρικ στην Ισπανία, αφήνοντας πίσω του τον Τέλμο Θάρα. Πρώτος και στη Liga, ξεπέρασε τον Κριστιάνο.

Ο Λιονέλ Μέσι δεν σταματά να καταρρίπτει το ένα ρεκόρ μετά το άλλο και μετά τα τρία γκολ που πέτυχε στην αναμέτρηση της Μπαρτσελόνα με τη Ράγιο Βαγιεκάνο, έφτασε τα 32 χατ-τρικ αφήνοντας πίσω του τον Τέλμο Θάρα.

Από τα 32 χατ-τρικ, τα 24 είναι για το πρωτάθλημα, το 2 για το Copa del Rey, πέντε για το Champions League και ένα για το ισπανικό Σουπερκάπ.

Ο Τέλμο Θάρα είχε 31 χατ-τρικ, ο Αλφρέδο ντι Στέφανο 28 και ο Κριστιάνο Ρονάλντο, το αντίπαλον δέος του Λιονέλ Μέσι, έχει 27 αναμετρήσεις στις οποίες έχει σημειώσει τρία τέρματα.

Μάλιστα πέρα από το σύνολο των διοργανώσεων, ο Λιονέλ Μέσι είναι και πρώτος σκόρερ χατ-τρικ στη Liga, καθώς με τα 24 του της κατηγορίας άφησε πίσω του τον Κριστιάνο Ρονάλντο που έχει 23, ενώ Τέλμο Θάρα και Αλφρέδο Ντι Στέφανο την εποχή που αγωνίστηκαν, είχαν φτάσει στα 22.

Μάλιστα ο Pulga το χατ-τρικ του Pulga ήταν και το πιο γρήγορό του, ξεπερνώντας εκείνο που είχε κάνει απέναντι στην Εσπανιόλ στις 5 Σεπτεμβρίου του 2012 (15 λεπτά) και τη Μαγιόρκα στις 29 Οκτωβρίου του 2011 (17 λεπτά).

Είναι έξι συνεχείς σεζόν που ο Λιονέλ Μέσι έχει σημειώσει πάνω από 40 τέρματα, το κάνει δηλαδή από τη σεζόν 2009/2010. Είναι ο πρώτος ποδοσφαιριστής στην ιστορία που το καταφέρνει.

Επίσης ο Λιονέλ Μέσι έχει εκτελέσει τόσα πέναλτι με την Μπαρτσελόνα, όσα και ο Κριστιάνο με τη Ρεάλ Μαδρίτης. Στο σύνολό τους, 60. Ο Κριστιάνο έχει ευστοχήσει στα 55 εξ' αυτών, ο Λιονέλ Μέσι στα 47 εξ' αυτών.

source: http://www.sport24.gr/

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook Jr. (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Westbrook played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by theSeattle SuperSonics who then relocated to Oklahoma City six days later. The point guard is a four-time NBA All-Star, and he was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2015. He is also a three-timeAll-NBA Second Team member. Westbrook has also represented the United States on their national teamtwice, winning gold medals in the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics.

NBA career

Oklahoma City Thunder
2012–13 season
Westbrook was once again selected for the NBA All-Star Game. He finished the 2012–13 season averaging 23.2 points, 7.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Westbrook helped lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs and the #1 seed in the Western Conference. They would go on to face the 8th seedHouston Rockets in the first round.

On April 25, 2013, in the second game of the series, Westbrook injured his right knee when Rockets guard Patrick Beverley collided with him in an attempt to steal the ball. Although Westbrook was clearly bothered by the injury, he would continue playing and finished the game with 29 points. It was then revealed the next day that he had suffered a slight tear in his right meniscus. He had surgery on April 27, 2013, and was declared out for the rest of the playoffs. Without Westbrook, the Thunder defeated the Rockets in 6 games but fell to the Memphis Grizzlies in 5 games in the next round. Westbrook was named to the All-NBA Second Teamfor the third consecutive year.

2013–14 season
Prior to the start of the 2013–14 season, Westbrook had a second surgery on his right knee, which set back his return to basketball. Despite reports that he would miss the first two weeks of the regular season, Westbrook would miss only the first two games. On December 25, 2013, Westbrook recorded 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists as Oklahoma City beat the New York Knicks 123-94. This was just the eighth triple-double on Christmas Day in NBA history. The win was also the largest margin of victory in a Christmas Day game in NBA history.

On the day after his Christmas-day game, it was announced that Westbrook would undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and would be out until after the All-Star break. During this time, The Thunder were able to remain competitive despite his absence due mainly to Kevin Durant's stellar play. Westbrook returned to the lineup on February 20, 2014. He played the rest of the season on limited minutes and sat out the second night of back-to-backs.

On March 4, 2014, Westbrook recorded his second triple-double of the season. He recorded 13 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, in just 20 minutes in a 125–92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. This was the second fastest recorded triple-double in NBA history.

Westbrook and the Thunder finished with a 59-23 record earning the #2 seed in the Western Conference. They advanced to the Western Conference Finals where they faced the San Antonio Spurs. On May 27, 2014, in a game 4 victory, Westbrook recorded 40 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals. In doing so, he joined Michael Jordan as the only other player to post those numbers in a playoff game. The Thunder lost the series to the eventual NBA-champion Spurs in six games. Westbrook averaged 26.7 points, 8.1 assists, and 7.3 rebounds in the postseason, and became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1964 to average at least 26 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds in the playoffs.

2014–15 season

After scoring 38 points in the 89-106 season-opening loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Westbrook suffered a small fracture of the second metacarpal in his right hand the following game against the Los Angeles Clippers and subsequently missed 14 games with the injury. He joined Kevin Durant on the sidelines after Durant fractured his right foot during preseason and was ruled out for 6–8 weeks. With the pair both inactive for the start of the season, the Thunder dropped to a 4-12 record prior to Westbrook's return on November 28 against the New York Knicks. In Westbrook's first game back, he led the Thunder to a win over the Knicks with a 32-point, 7-rebound, and 8-assist performance. Durant returned the following game to face the New Orleans Pelicans in Westbrook and Durant's first game played together on the season. They went on to lead the Thunder on a seven-game winning streak to bring the Thunder back into playoff contention. On December 23, against the Portland Trail Blazers, Westbrook scored a season-high 40 points, along with 10 rebounds and 6 assists, in the 111-115 overtime loss. On January 16, 2015, Westbrook recorded his ninth career triple-double with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and a career-high 17 assists in the 127-115 win over the Golden State Warriors, becoming just the fifth person in NBA history to record a stat line of 15-15-15 in a game.

After tying a career-high 45 points on February 4, 2015 in a 102–91 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Westbrook broke that mark to score a new career-high of 48 points two days later, this time in a 113–116 loss to the Pelicans. After being injured the previous year, Westbrook returned to the All-Star game in 2015. He tallied 41 points, and was named the All-Star MVP. He scored 27 points in 11 minutes in the first half, setting an All-Star record for points in a half. He finished one point shy of the All-Star game record set by Wilt Chamberlain (42) in 1962.

On February 22, Westbrook recorded 21 points and tied a career-high 17 assists in the 119-94 win over the Denver Nuggets. Two days later, he recorded 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the 105-92 win over the Indiana Pacers. In doing so he claimed his third triple-double of the season and 11th of his career despite resting for the entire fourth quarter. On February 26, Westbrook scored 39 points in his 12th career triple-double (14 rebounds and 11 assists) but missed what would have been the game-tying layup with 5.7 seconds left in overtime as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Thunder 117-113 to snap the Thunder's seven-game winning streak. The following game against Portland on February 27, Westbrook recorded 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists to become the first player to string together three triple-doubles since LeBron James in 2009. Westbrook finished the month of February averaging 31.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game, and became just the second player in NBA history to average 30 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists per game for a calendar month with at least 10 games played, joining Oscar Robertson, who accomplished the feat multiple times.

On March 4, Westbrook set career highs with 49 points and 16 rebounds, and added 10 assists for his fourth consecutive triple-double, helping the Thunder defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 123-118 in overtime. He subsequently became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1989 to have four consecutive triple-doubles, and the first since Jordan that year to have back-to-back triple-doubles with at least 40 points. It was also the most points by any player with a triple-double since Larry Bird also scored 49 in 1992. His streak came to an end the following night against the Chicago Bulls as he recorded 43 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in a 105-108 loss.

International career

In 2010, he was on the FIBA World Championship team in Istanbul, Turkey where Team USA won gold for the first time since 1994. Westbrook later played for the 2012 Summer Olympic team in London, where he also won a gold medal.

Player profile

Westbrook is a 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) point guard who has established himself as one of the most athletic players in NBA history. He attacks the basket relentlessly with an incredible ability to finish at the rim. With his opponents' knowledge of Westbrook's will to attack the rim, he will frequently pull up for the medium range jump shot. Westbrook creates good scoring opportunities for his teammates resulting in him averaging 7.0 assists per game for his career. He is also one of the best rebounding guards in the league, averaging 5.1 rebounds for his career. Add to that, his willingness to defend the opposing team's best guard, Westbrook is widely recognized as one of the best all-around guards in the NBA. A weakness cited in Westbrook's game is his three-point shooting. He has averages 30.1% on three-point field goal attempts for his career.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Didier Drogba

Tébily Didier Yves Drogba born 11 March 1978, known as Didier Drogba, is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays for English club Chelsea as a striker, and is the all-time top scorer and former captain of theIvory Coast national team. He is best known for his career at Chelsea, for whom he has scored more goals than any other foreign player and is currently the club's fourth highest goal scorer of all time. In October 2012, he was voted by Chelsea supporters as the club's greatest ever player. He has also been named African Footballer of the Year twice, winning the accolade in 2006 and 2009.

After playing in youth teams, Drogba made his professional debut aged 18 for Ligue 2 club Le Mans, and signed his first professional contract aged 21. After finishing the 2002–03 season with 17 goals in 34 appearances for Ligue 1 side Guingamp, he moved to Olympique de Marseille, where he finished as the third highest scorer in the 2003–04 season with 19 goals and helped the club reach the 2004 UEFA Cup Final.

In the summer of 2004, Drogba moved to Chelsea for a club record £24 million fee, making him the most expensive Ivorian player in history. In his debut season he helped the club win their first league title in 50 years, and a year later he won anotherPremier League title. In March 2012, he became the first African player to score 100 Premier League goals, and also became the only player in history to score in four separate FA Cup finals the same year, when he scored in Chelsea's win over Liverpool in the 2012 final. He also played in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, in which he scored an 88th-minute equaliser and the winning penalty in the deciding shoot-out against Bayern Munich. After spending 6 months with Shanghai Shenhua in China and one and a half seasons with Turkish giants Galatasaray, Drogba returned to Chelsea in July 2014.

An Ivory Coast international between 2002 and 2014, Drogba captained the national team from 2006 until his retirement and is the nation's all-time top goalscorer with 65 goals from 104 appearances. He led the Ivory Coast to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, their first appearance in the tournament, and also scored their first goal. He later captained the Ivory Coast at the 2010 and2014 FIFA World Cups. He was part of the Ivory Coast teams that reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006 and 2012, but were beaten on penalties on both occasions. On 8 August 2014, he announced his retirement from international football.

club career

chelsea

2011–12
While playing against Norwich City on 27 August 2011, Drogba suffered a concussion in a collision with Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy. After missing two games, Drogba made his return to the Chelsea squad on 24 September against Swansea City. Drogba went on scoring his first goal of the season in a 4–1 win. Drogba received a red card on 23 October against Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea ended up losing 1–0. On 29 November, Drogba rejected a new deal with Chelsea and is set to sign for the highest bidder. On 31 December 2011, Drogba scored his 150th goal for Chelsea against Aston Villa, putting him level with Peter Osgood and Roy Bentley in terms of the club's top scorers of all time. Even though, Chelsea was leading with the penalty scored by Drobga, the game ended in a 3–1 loss for Chelsea.

Drogba scored his 99th Premier League goal for Chelsea on 25 February 2012, in a 3–0 win over Bolton Wanderers. It was also his 151st goal for Chelsea, moving him up to 4th among the club's all-time goalscorers, ahead of Roy Bentley and Peter Osgood. Drogba scored his100th Premier League goal for Chelsea on 10 March 2012, in a 1–0 win over Stoke City. He is the first African player to reach that landmark.

Drogba scored his seventh goal at Wembley against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on 15 April, hammering the ball past former teammateCarlo Cudicini as Chelsea ran out 5–1 winners and secured a place in the FA Cup Final against Liverpool. Three days later, he scored a vital goal as Chelsea beat Barcelona 1–0 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Semi-final clash. Drogba became the first player to score in four different FA Cup Finals, as he netted the winner in Chelsea's 2–1 triumph over Liverpool on 5 May.

In the Champions League final on 19 May 2012, Drogba scored the equaliser from Juan Mata's corner in the 88th minute, taking Chelsea into extra time and then penalties. He also scored the winning penalty in the 4–3 penalty-shootout that led Chelsea to the victory over Bayern Munich. Sir Alex Ferguson remarked: "As far as I was concerned, he (Drogba) won the Champions League for Chelsea." Drogba's headed effort marked his ninth goal in nine cup final appearances for Chelsea, Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola spoke after the match about Drogba's ability in big games: "In all their very important matches he has put a stamp on it." In November 2012 Drogba was named Chelsea's greatest ever player in a poll of 20,000 fans conducted by Chelsea Magazine.

Shanghai Shenhua


On 22 May 2012, Chelsea released a note on their official website announcing that Drogba "will be leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of June" 2012. On 19 June 2012, Drogba declared he would be joining Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, linking up with his former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka. It was reported that he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal where he will earn £200,000 a week. On 22 July, Drogba made his debut for Shanghai Shenhua in a 1–1 away draw against Guangzhou R&F, coming on as a substitute for Brazilian defender Moisés in the second half. He assisted Cao Yunding's equaliser in the 67th minute. On 4 August, he scored his first two goals in a 5–1 win against Hangzhou Greentown. He scored two more goals on 25 August, both set up by Anelka, as Shenhua drew 3–3 with Shandong Luneng.

Galatasaray

On 28 January 2013, Drogba agreed to a one-and-a-half-year deal with Süper Lig teamGalatasaray. He would earn a sign-on fee of €4 million plus basic wage of €4 million per season (thus €2 million in 2012–13 Süper Lig) and €15,000 per match. However, on 30 January 2013, Shenhua released a press release that Drogba would unilaterally breach his contract if he were to join Galatasaray.

Drogba argued that he had not been paid his wages by the club and asked FIFA, the sport's governing body, to invalidate his contract. In February 2013, FIFA granted a temporary license for him to play for Galatasaray pending the outcome of the contract dispute.

On 15 February, Drogba scored his debut goal for Galatasaray just five minutes after coming off the bench against Akhisar Belediyesporin a match that ended 2–1. On 6 April, Drogba scored twice in a match against Mersin İdmanyurdu that ended 3–1. On 9 April, Drogba scored his first goal for Galatasaray in the Champions League, against Real Madrid. On 20 April, Drogba scored twice in a match against Elazigspor that ended 3–1.

He won his first title with Galatasaray on 5 May, with a 4–2 win over Sivasspor. In Gala's derby match against rivals Fenerbahçe on 12 May, Drogba and his Ivorian team-mate Emmanuel Eboue were subjects of racist chants from Fenerbahçe fans in Gala's 2–1 loss, but no fine or bans were handed down to any supporters of Fenerbahçe or the club. On 11 August 2013, he scored the only goal in the 2013 Turkish Super Cup against Fenerbahce. He scored two second half goals in a 2–1 away win against rivals Beşiktaş on 22 September.

Return to Chelsea
On 25 July 2014, Chelsea announced on their official website that Drogba completed his return to the club on a free transfer, and signed a one-year contract. Speaking on his move back to the club, Drogba said: "It was an easy decision. I couldn't turn down the opportunity to work with José [Mourinho] again. Everyone knows the special relationship I have with this club and it has always felt like home to me." Mourinho also commented on the transfer, saying: "He's coming because he's one of the best strikers in Europe. I know his personality very well and I know if he comes back he's not protected by history or what he's done for this club previously. He is coming with the mentality to make more history." On 28 July 2014, Chelsea announced that Drogba would wear the number 15 shirt which he wore when he first signed for the club in 2004. Mohamed Salah, who wore the number during the 2013–14 season, took over the number 17 shirt vacated by Eden Hazard. On 15 August, however, it was announced that Drogba had been given back the number 11 shirt he previously wore at the club, with its previous occupant Oscar taking over the number 8 jersey vacated by Frank Lampard.

Drogba made his Premier League return for Chelsea in a 3–1 win away to Burnley, replacing winger Eden Hazard in the 84th minute atTurf Moor on 18 August 2014. On 17 September he made the first start of his second spell, in a 1–1 home draw against Schalke 04 in Chelsea's first game of the Champions League group stage. He scored his first goal in his second spell at Stamford Bridge on 21 October, converting a penalty-kick in a 6–0 win over Maribor in the Champions League. Five days later, with Chelsea's attack limited by injuries to Diego Costa and Loïc Rémy, Drogba started against Manchester United at Old Trafford, making his 350th appearance for the club. Early in the second-half, he headed in the first Premier League goal of his second spell although Robin van Persie equalised in added time. He scored his 50th goal in European football against Schalke 04.

International career

In the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, the Ivory Coast were drawn in a group with Sudan, Angola and Burkina Faso. Drogba scored the first goal for his team in the tournament against Sudan and his only goal in the group stage. In the quarter-finals, Drogba scored twice in the 3–0 win over Equatorial Guinea. He did not score in the semi-final in which the Ivory Coast beat Mali 1–0. In the final against Zambia, Drogba missed a penalty kick in the last 15 minutes of the game, which ended by their loss for the second time by penalty shootout.

In June 2014, Drogba was named in the Ivory Coast's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He won his 100th international cap in a pre-tournament friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina, scoring a penalty kick in his side's 2–1 loss on 2 June. In the Ivory Coast's opening match, he appeared as a second half substitute with the team trailing 1–0 to Japan. Within five minutes of Drogba's arrival, Les Éléphants scored twice to win the match 2–1.

On 8 August 2014, Drogba announced his retirement from international football with a record of 65 goals in 104 appearances.

Style of play

Given his relatively late breakthrough into professional football, Drogba has often been described as a late bloomer, having signed his first professional contract with Le Mans at the age of 21. He is noted for his physical strength, ability in the air, and his ability to retain possession of the ball. Raichard Beech of the Daily Mirror says that his "powerful and intrusive approach made him the lone striker(José) Mourinho grew to admire, and made it nearly impossible for opposing teams to isolate him and freeze him out of the game."

Aside from his goalscoring ability, Drogba is also capable of providing assists to his team-mates. Between the 2009–10 and 2011–12 seasons, he managed 24 assists in the Premier League, with an average pass success rate of 61.4 percent, owing to his vision and creativity on the ball. He provided 71 assists to team-mates over the course of his entire career at Chelsea until May 2012, showing that he is also a team player.

In set pieces, Drogba has also been known for his free kick ability, known to strike the ball with power and pace. Dr Ken Bray of University of Bath has described him as a specialist especially from central positions, and says that he "really just passes the ball very hard". He adds, "He hits it [the ball] very straight and appears to hit the ball with a very powerful side-foot action, almost like the technique used in a side-foot pass. Drogba's style is about beating the goalkeeper with speed and depth."

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Thibaut Courtois

Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois born 11 May 1992 is a Belgian professional footballerwho plays for English club Chelsea and the Belgium national team as a goalkeeper.

Despite his young age, Courtois is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and he won the 2012–13 and 2013–14 Ricardo Zamora Trophies while on loan at Atlético Madrid.

Courtois made his senior international debut in 2011. He has earned over 25 caps and played for Belgium at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Club career
Chelsea
In July 2011 Courtois joined Premier League club Chelsea for an undisclosed fee, signing a five-year deal.

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Loan to Atlético Madrid

Within weeks of joining Chelsea, Courtois was sent on a season-long loan to Atlético Madrid. Courtois was given the number 13 shirt by Atlético, which had previously been worn by David de Gea prior to his transfer to Manchester United in June 2011. He then joined Atlético Madrid.

2011–12 season

Courtois made his début for Atlético in a UEFA Europa League match against Vitória de Guimarães, followed by his La Liga début, a 0–0 draw with Osasuna. Courtois became first choice keeper over Sergio Asenjo, keeping four clean sheets in his first six La Liga games. On 26 November 2011, Courtois received his first red card of his professional career after fouling Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, as Atlético lost the Madrid derby 4–1. Atlético reached the 2012 UEFA Europa League Final, and Courtois kept a clean sheet as the club won 3–0 over fellow Spanish side Athletic Bilbao.

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2012–13 season

Courtois' loan to Atlético was extended to cover the 2012–13 season. His first game of the loan extension was against parent club Chelsea in the2012 UEFA Super Cup final in Monaco, which ended in a 4–1 victory for Atlético Madrid. Later in the season Courtois set a new Atlético Madrid record of 820 minutes without conceding a goal at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, ended by being beaten in a 1–0 loss to Real Sociedad. Atlético reached the 2013 Copa del Rey Final, and Courtois was named man of the match in a 2–1 victory against city rivals Real, the first time that Atlético had beaten Real in 14 years.

2013–14 season

For the 2013–14 season, Courtois' loan to Atlético was extended by a further 12 months.

When Atlético were drawn to play Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final, it was reported that a clause in Courtois' contract required Atlético to pay Chelsea €3 million per match if they selected him against his parent club, and that Atlético could not afford such a sum. UEFA made it clear that considerations of sporting integrity made such a clause "null, void and unenforceable", and confirmed that Atlético were free to select Courtois without making any such payment.

By conceding the fewest goals in a substantial amount of matches during the 2013–14 season, Courtois made an important contribution to Atletico's 2013–14 La Liga title, their first since 1996. Thus, he was nominated as the best goalkeeper in the league, alongside Willy Caballero of Málaga CF and Keylor Navas of Levante UD.

2014–15 season

In June 2014, Chelsea manager José Mourinho confirmed that Courtois would return to Chelsea for the upcoming season. He was assigned the number 13 kit number, last worn by Victor Moses. On 18 August, Mourinho announced that Courtois would start the Premier League opener against Burnley in place of Petr Čech. Although he conceded the first goal to Scott Arfield at Turf Moor, Chelsea won 3–1. Courtois kept his first Premier League clean sheet in his second game, making several crucial saves in a 2–0 home win over Leicester City.

On 11 September 2014, Courtois signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea, keeping him at the club until 2019. Upon signing Courtois said: "It’s really nice to have signed this new contract for five years."

Courtois suffered a head injury in the first half of Chelsea's 2–0 home win over Arsenal on 5 October due to a collision with Alexis Sánchez; he was substituted and then taken to hospital. He was then treated for a minor cut to his ear and released from hospital that night.

He won his first trophy with Chelsea on 1 March 2015, as they defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 in the League Cup Final, but Čech played that match and Courtois remained on the substitutes' bench.

International career

Courtois was first called up to the Belgium squad in October 2011 and made his début the following month in a friendly 0–0 againstFrance, making him the youngest goalkeeper to ever play for the Belgian national team.

Courtois played every minute during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, as Belgium qualified for its first major tournament since the 2002 FIFA World Cup.Throughout these qualifiers, he kept six clean sheets in ten matches.

On 13 May 2014, Courtois was named in the squad to go to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. At the tournament, he played all five games of the Belgian team, starting with a 2–1 win against Algeria in Belo Horizonte. Courtois then managed to keep consecutive clean sheets in 1–0 wins against Russia and South Korea. In the round of 16 against the United States he also kept a clean sheet during the regular playing time, but conceded one goal in the extra time and later also the decisive Argentinian goal by Gonzalo Higuaín in the quarter-final.

Personal life
Thibaut's sister Valérie is a volleyball player, who plays as a libero, represents Budowlani Łódź volleyball team and Belgium on the international stage. His parents also were volleyball players, and Thibaut played volleyball in his childhood but decided to focus on football when he was 12.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/