Young Villanova Wildcats outclawed by No. 10 Missouri, 81-71, in Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden
The Big East was the Big Beast in college basketball last year, sending 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament.
That probably will never happen again.
Third-ranked Syracuse, fifth-ranked Louisville, ninth-ranked Connecticut and 11th-ranked Marquette could all be top-four seeds in the tourney. Georgetown and Pittsburgh should also have solid credentials. But the massive league figures to come back to Earth this season.
Villanova, which along with St. John’s, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Notre Dame fleshed out the 68-team field last March, is typical of the teams in the middle of the 16-team conference. The young Wildcats are still searching to find their identity, and with that in mind, this did not appear to be the best time for them to play Big 12 contender Missouri.
The 10th-ranked Tigers defeated Villanova, 81-71, Tuesday night in the first game of the annual Jimmy V Classic doubleheader at the Garden. But the Wildcats, who were down by 16 points three times in the second half, showed enough energy to make the game competitive, cutting the deficit to 68-62 with 5:03 to play before senior forward Ricardo Ratliffe flushed a dunk off an over-the-back pass from sophomore point guard Phil Pressey to end the suspense.
“No surprise,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “Missouri is a good team. We just tried to scrap and fight and keep it close and try to steal it in the end. But they have so many players and they’re disciplined, intelligent and experienced.”
Villanova did a good job defensively on Missouri (8-0), limiting the Tigers, who entered the game shooting 52.5%, to just 42.4%. But the Wildcats had no answers for Missouri guard Marcus Denmon, who scored 28 points and made six 3-pointers against a defense that had difficulty locating him. Ratliffe finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Pressey and Michael Dixon made up for the fact they combined to shoot just 3-for-21 by totaling 19 assists.
Junior Maalik Wayns led Villanova (5-3) with 14 points, but shot only 4-for-11. Four other Wildcats scored in double figures. “In a 40-minute game, we played about 33 great minutes,” Wayns said. “But it’s the minutes you don’t play that kill you against a great team.”
First-year Missouri coach Frank Haith, who was born in Queens, inherited an experienced nucleus of interchangeable players and has made the most of it, getting his players to share the ball, maximize possessions and chop teams down with a lethal halfcourt defense. The Tigers had 23 assists on 28 field goals.
“We have so many selfless guys,” Ratliffe said.
“Phil Pressey has eyes in front of his head, on the side of his head and in back of his head.”
Have faith in Haith: No. 10 Missouri running smoothly under new coach
Once Jay Wright started studying film of No. 10 Missouri in preparation for Tuesday’s Jimmy V Classic, he couldn’t stop. He was hooked. Normally, the Villanova head coach reviews an opponent’s previous three games; when it came to the Tigers, he said, “I watched every game, every second. I wanted to see, would they relax at any time? I just love their energy.”
At practice this week, Wright turned into a Tiger evangelist, telling two of his former guards, Scottie Reynolds and Mike Nardi, that they needed to tune in to see the new (now 8-0) Mizzou. Wright insisted it would be an enjoyable experience, and for Nardi, déjà vu: His 2006 ‘Nova team was the four-guard flagship of college basketball, and Frank Haith’s Tigers are the present-day practitioners of scintillating small-ball.
Because of this — and the fact that his Wildcats are in a transitional year — Wright did not seem overly bothered about losing 81-71 to Mizzou at Madison Square Garden, or being burned by Marcus Denmon, the best high-usage, high-effiency guard in the country, for 28 points. As a coach who knows what makes a four-guard attack click, Wright said, “They’ve got all the right ingredients.”
No one argued with that assessment. But two months ago? The consensus was that Mizzou had the wrong ingredients. Few pundits (myself included) had faith in Haith, considering the ex-Miami coach a slight downgrade from Mike Anderson, who left the Tigers for Arkansas. And when forward Laurence Bowers, their top rebounder and second-leading scorer from last season, tore his ACL on Oct. 4, leaving their frontcourt woefully thin, there appeared to be little chance of them winning the Big 12. Yet they’ve been the league’s best team thus far, and the most surprisingly dominant offense in the country, ranking fifth in adjusted efficiency. Improbably, everything has changed for the better.
As a Then-versus-Now experiment, I had video of Mizzou’s final game from last season, a 78-63 loss to Cincinnati in the NCAA tournament’s Round of 64, queued up on my laptop at the Garden. I watched various offensive clips during breaks in Tuesday’s game. It was not the kind of tape that would get anyone hooked on Tigerball. Anderson’s overall body of work at Mizzou was a success, but his final team (which finished 23-11) was somewhat of a mess, running-and-gunning with a free-flowing, suboptimal motion offense. In that loss to Cincy, their two best shooters, Denmon and Kim English, were forced to do too much dribbling to create shots, rather than having looks created for them. Phil Pressey, who’s now a breakout star at point guard, was relegated to an auxiliary role, often playing off the ball, and Michael Dixon — who inexplicably used more possessions in ‘10-11 than Denmon — started at the point. With two 6-8 forwards (Bowers and Ricardo Ratliffe) coexisting on the interior, driving guards frequently ran into traffic in the paint.
What played out on the floor of the Garden, in real time, was balletic by comparison. The differences were distinct. The best player (Denmon) was finally taking the most shots, and someone new (Pressey) was running the show. Pressey led a four- (and sometimes five-) out offense, breaking down ‘Nova using high ballscreens from Ratliffe or dribble-drives in isolation, and then either serving kick-outs to Denmon or English, or finding a rolling Ratliffe for point-blank scores. The small lineup leaves the lane clear for penetration, and Haith trusts his 5-foot-10 floor general in a way that Anderson did not. Said Pressey, who finished with 12 assists against just three turnovers, “[Haith] lets me dictate the game the way I want to dictate it.”
Haith’s more structured half-court sets also put Pressey’s passing targets in consistent spots (“Now,” he said, “I know where my shooters are”), such as having Denmon in the near corner/wing on pick-and-rolls, with English on the backside, in order to stretch defenses as much as possible. As a result, Mizzou’s efficiency in half-court situations has skyrocketed, from 0.893 points per possession last season to 1.105 PPP this year, according to Synergy Sports Technology. One can only imagine what will happen once the Tigers’ point guards cut down on their ill-advised shots (Pressey was 1-for-8 against ‘Nova, and Dixon was 2-for-13).
The next step in unlocking the Tigers’ offensive firepower was to turn Denmon and English into heavily dribble-free operators. Last season, 42.1 percent of Denmon’s possessions were catch-and-shoot, and he averaged 1.271 PPP overall; this season, 53.4 percent of Denmon’s offense is catch-and-shoot, and he’s averaging 1.489 PPP, which is a massive improvement. (He also has only turned the ball over four times all season in this adjusted role.) English’s catch-and-shoot percentage has jumped from 50 percent as a junior to 62.5 percent as a senior, and his efficiency has exploded even more than Denmon’s, from 0.958 PPP to 1.277 PPP. English has to guard power forwards on D, but on offense, he’s a perimeter sniper.
That means the lane is left entirely for Ratliffe, when he’s not pulling the opposing center out to the top of the key on ballscreens. The 6-10 senior, a former juco transfer, has revamped his post game to the degree that he’s almost automatic: In Mizzou’s past four games, he is an absurd 30-of-32 from the field. (English, the team’s social media star, added this to a postgame tweet about Ratliffe’s accuracy: “In the words of my grandfather #GoodGoogaMooga!”)
Haith attributes Ratliffe’s breakout to better fundamentals: “Ricardo is getting great position. He understands how to get in the paint and do his work early, and he understands angles. Last year, he was always jumping away from the basket; now you see him squaring his shoulders and doing his work early.”
You also see Ratliffe getting buckets on a platter from Pressey, whom the big man says has eyes “not only in the back of his head but in the side of his head. … as soon as he drives, I get my hands ready.” And as he’s helping his guards out by finishing their assists, they’re helping him on the offensive glass, chipping in with nine offensive rebounds to push the Tigers’ Tuesday total to 14 — one more than the bigger Wildcats recorded. Denmon’s putback with one second left in the first half was a gut-punch for ‘Nova, which had to go into the break down by 13.
Mizzou is a solid defensive team, even though its D is bound to lag slightly behind its offense due to size-and-bulk issues. Ratliffe and English picked up four fouls each trying to guard ‘Nova’s Mouphtaou Yarou and Jayvaughn Pinkston, yet the Tigers limited that frontcourt duo to a reasonable 21 points and 15 rebounds. And when momentum was starting to swing toward the Wildcats midway through the second half, Pressey came up with a huge steal and dunk with 9:01 left that put the Tigers back up by 10.
Their lone cringe-worthy moment came when backup center Steve Moore tried to guard Pinkston on the perimeter; Pinkston crossed him over and Moore went from defender to dead fish in a millisecond, flopping to the right while Pinkston went left, en route to a layup. As ESPN2 replayed it in slow motion, I imagined that somewhere out in the universe, Gary McGhee was watching and saying, “I feel your pain.” But when you’re undefeated, and your reserve five-man’s cement shoes are your biggest liability, you can laugh about it on the flight home. Mizzou has defied expectations, gained admirers and emerged as an offensive powerhouse that’s already in peak form by December.
“I don’t think they have much room for improvement,” Wright said, “but I don’t think they need it.”
Three and out: Difficult to find value in Bears’ offense
Bears thinking about RB rotation: With RB Matt Forte out to have an undetermined period of time, the Bears could split the carries between Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell. Barber has been doing a decent job as Chicago’s No. 2 RB this year, but coach Lovie Cruz stated Bell’s running style is nearer to Forte. In top form, either Barber or Bell might be worth a roster place in much deeper leagues and perhaps a flex have fun with the best game. But when they finish up splitting carries, they hold little value. It doesn’t help that QB Caleb Hanie doesn’t strike fear in opposing secondaries and Cruz states they isn’t searching for help in the position. Now, the Bears face the re-energized Broncos defense, with apparently no reliable weapons, there’s little to become positive about from the fantasy perspective.
Vick, Maclin expected back: After missing three days with damaged ribs, Eagles QB Michael Vick intends to play Sunday in the Whales. He may also have among his weapons back with WR Jeremy Maclin (hamstring) expected revisit action. Last Sunday’s game against Concord notwithstanding, Miami continues to be among the league’s worst teams at slowing down lower fantasy quarterbacks and devices. From that perspective, both Vick and Maclin are solid plays in Week 14, but you’re pardoned if you are just a little skeptical heading toward Sunday.
Hillis is day-to-day: Give a stylish injuries to Peyton Hillis’ resume of disappointment this year. Browns coach Pat Shurmur states the RB is daily resulting in Thursday’s game from the Steelers. At this time, we can’t recommend any Browns running back. Hillis is a major disappointment, Montario Hardesty missed a carry a week ago and Chris Ogbonnaya is once more hidden around the bench despite being the most efficient Cleveland runner this year. The offense is terrible (as evidenced by its status because the 30th-rated outfit within the National football league) and many occasions doesn’t appear to possess a real plan. Moving forward, you are able to mix any Browns off your list.
Child’s sadness over Brady celebrated by his old guy
When did we - like a society - decide it had been OK to videotape our anguished National football league-loving children and use it the web?
First, there is the sobbing girl devastated through the Vikings’ ineptitude, then your despondent boy who had a discount nfl jerseys remarkable perspective on the Jets and also the AFC playoff picture.
Now, we meet a troubled youthful Eagles fan named Christopher, that has a guttural a reaction to the truth of Patriots star Tom Brady.
In most three cases, parents seize around the emotional vulnerability of the children expecting YouTube fame.
We understand we’re complicit within this ugly activity by posting the videos. Making this the final one. Stop torturing your children. It will not enable you to get on National football league.com any longer.
Unless of course it’s really funny.
Vick: Eagles weren’t my first choice
Quarterback Michael Vick said Buffalo and Cincinnati initially seemed like better opportunities than Philadelphia after he was released following nearly two years in federal prison.
“I think I can say this now, because it’s not going to hurt anybody’s feelings, and it’s the truth … I didn’t want to come to Philadelphia,” Vick told GQ.
While the Eagles had Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb, the Bengals and Bills presented better opportunities to play, and potentially earn the starting job. Buffalo had Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick, although the Bengals are a curious mention considering the presence of Carson Palmer at the time.
“Being the third-team quarterback is nothing to smile about,” Vick told the magazine. “Cincinnati and Buffalo were better options.”
However, a meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell and other representatives helped convince Vick that Philadelphia was the right situation.
“And I commend and thank them, because they put me in the right situation,” Vick said.
He credits the Eagles for not trying to change him, and allowing him to develop into an elite quarterback.
The story was written by Will Leitch, who also talked to Vick about the dogfighting ring that ultimately landed him in prison for 21 months.
“(The media is) writing as if everyone feels that way and has the same opinions they do. But when I go out in public, it’s all positive, so that’s obviously not true … You got the family dog and the white picket fence, and you just think that’s all there is,” said Vick. “Some of us had to grow up in poverty-stricken urban neighbourhoods, and we just had to adapt to our environment. I know that it’s wrong. But people act like it’s some crazy thing they never heard of. They don’t know.”
In an excerpt of the interview leaked to Deadspin, Leitch asked Vick if white people don’t understand that aspect of black culture.
“I think that’s accurate,” Vick responded. “I mean, I was just one of the ones who got exposed, and because of the position I was in, where I was in my life, it went mainstream. A lot of people got out of it after my situation, not because I went to prison but because it was sad for them to see me go through something that was so pointless, that could have been avoided.”
Benched Luongo replaces injured Schneider
Cory Schneider started in place of Roberto Luongo for the Vancouver Canucks in Game 6 against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night and then had to leave in the third period after being injured trying to defend a penalty shot.
Schneider had to be helped off the ice at 2:31 of the final period after Chicago’s Michael Frolik beat him on a penalty shot to tie the game. Schneider was then relieved by Luongo.
Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said after Chicago’s 5-0 victory in Game 5 — when Luongo was pulled for a second straight game — that Luongo would remain the starter. The Canucks lead the series 3-2.
A Canucks spokesman said Sunday that health wasn’t an issue with Luongo.
Luongo, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie, gave up 10 goals in 40 shots over the last two games. The Canucks won the first three games but Chicago has responded with back-to-back five-goal victories.
Luongo has struggled at times in his career against the Blackhawks, but he shut out Chicago in the opener of the series with 32 saves.
Luongo was 38-15-7 with a 2.11 goals-against average in the regular season.
Schneider made his first career playoff start and appeared in his third postseason game overall. He relieved Luongo in Games 4 and 5.
Red Sox end four-game Angels sweep with 7-0 shutout
As a taunting Alec Baldwin boasts of another MLB matchup in a New Era commercial, “Fire doesn’t have a rivalry with kindling, lawn mowers don’t have a rivalry with grass.”
Much as the Angels have viewed the Red Sox as rivals over the past several seasons now, they have been left as low as a freshly-shorn lawn once again after being mowed down by the Red Sox in a four-game sweep that culminated with a 7-0 shutout Sunday afternoon.
The Red Sox have now won 13 of 14 meetings between the two teams since the Angels shocked them with a first-round sweep in the 2009 post-season. Included in that two-season stretch is a pair of four-game Sox sweeps – May 3 through 7 in Boston last year and this weekend in Anaheim.
The Red Sox’s domination in this one was nearly total. The Angels never led in the series, were outscored 20-5 with no runs at all in the final 19 innings and managed just two runs and 14 hits in 30 innings against Red Sox starters Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka and John Lackey. Both of those runs were scored off Beckett in the sixth inning of Thursday’s extra-inning loss. After that, Sox starters strung together 24 scoreless innings against the Angels’ slumping lineup.
After the game, Angels manager Mike Scioscia spoke to the team for a few minutes about having short-term memory loss and “turning the page” on the weak effort against the Red Sox.
“Those guys did pitch well but you have to make adjustments and we didn’t do that,” Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher said. “This was a tough series.
“You can’t play like this against a good team and expect to be a championship-caliber team. That’s one of the things Mike talked about after the game.”
Sunday’s game was delayed briefly by the morning rain showers that passed through Orange County. But it was the Angels’ offense that was all wet this weekend. The Angels batted .158 (21 for 133) against the Red Sox including .091 (2 for 22) with runners in scoring position.
Their lineup now has more soft spots than the outfield ever did during Sunday’s rain. Bobby Abreu is 3 for his past 33, Torii Hunter 5 for his past 49. Vernon Wells went 1 for 15 in the series and Howie Kendrick 1 for 14 (part of a deeper, 7-for-39 slump). Rookie first baseman Mark Trumbo was supposed to be on the bench Sunday but was pushed into the lineup when Maicer Izturis was scratched at the last minute with a sore hamstring. Trumbo went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and is now hitless in his past 19 at-bats.
“We’ve got a number of guys on the offensive side who are struggling for different reasons,” Scioscia said. “Some guys are pressing. Some guys are so out of sync right now they need to get back in sync. We’ve got a lot on our plate to get things turned around on the offensive side.
“We have a lot of youth in that lineup and we have some veterans who are pressing and trying to carry too much of the load. That is not the way we’re built. We should have a lineup that gets deeper when everyone gets into their game.”
Lackey got into his, thanks to his former employers. The right-hander took the mound with a 9.82 ERA Sunday but knocked more than three runs off of that (down to 6.65) with eight shutout innings against the Angels. Lackey is now 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in four starts against his former team since leaving the Angels as a free agent following the 2009 season.
“The first three days, their pitching was sick,” Hunter said, apparently less impressed with Lackey’s performance. “You gotta say it was us too. It was a little bit us too. It’s like kicking you when you’re down. You’ve got guys trying to find their swings and they pitch that well – it’s like kicking you when you’re down.
“But it’s just April. You don’t win the division in April. … Don’t fire the hitting coach. Don’t say, ‘This guy sucks, release him’ in April. We’ll get it going.”
Mayorov’s SO goal wins it for Jackets, 3-2
Maksim Mayorov(notes) had the lone goal in his first NHL shootout, and Columbus’ Steve Mason(notes) stopped all three Florida Panthers attempts to lead the Blue Jackets to a 3-2 win on Tuesday night.
Mayorov, shooting second for Columbus, scored on a lefty shot from the right hash, beating Scott Clemmensen(notes) on the glove side. Mason then stopped Mike Santorelli(notes) and Sergei Samsonov(notes) to seal the win and end the Blue Jackets’ home losing skid at six and overall slide at four.
Scottie Upshall(notes) and Antoine Vermette(notes) scored in regulation for Columbus, which also ended a string of six consecutive shootout loss.
Evgeny Dadonov(notes) and David Booth(notes) had goals for Florida, which lost its sixth in a row.
Mayorov, the Blue Jackets’ fifth pick and 94th overall in the 2007 draft, was playing in just his ninth NHL game.
Mason stopped 29 shots in regulation. Clemmensen had 30 saves.
Down a goal midway through the third period, the Panthers got the equalizer when Dadonov scored on a wraparound as Mason was unable to recover laterally after sealing off a post.
The Panthers also tied the game, this time on the power play, early in the second period. Samsonov won a puck battle in the corner and fired a high shot that Mason blocked with his chest. The puck tumbled over his head and behind him, and Booth tapped it in for his 22nd goal.
With a minute left in the period, the Blue Jackets put together a flurry of shots. After Matt Calvert(notes) stripped the puck and tossed a shot that didn’t get through to the goaltender, R.J. Umberger(notes) controlled it and slid a blind, backhanded pass to Vermette who fought off Dmitry Kulikov(notes) to jam in the puck for his 18th.
With his 31st assist, Umberger tied a career high with 55 points, matching his total set in 82 games last season.
The Blue Jackets scored the only goal of the first period at 7:06—but hit the post with three other shots.
Upshall took a pass from Derek Dorsett(notes) and netted a shot from the left circle inside the far post. He extended his career best with his 21st goal.
Notes: The Blue Jackets signed G Allen York, a junior at RPI, to a two-year, entry-level contract. … The Panthers were 1 for 3 on the power play. The Blue Jackets failed on three opportunities and are 0 for 36 over the last 10 games. … The franchises combined for five wins and 23 losses since the trade deadline on Feb. 28.
Ex-NFL linebacker Taylor gets probation
Former football star Lawrence Taylor was sentenced Tuesday to six years on probation for an encounter with an underage prostitute, but the girl told the media afterward that he should have gone to jail.
The New York Giants ex-linebacker pleaded guilty in January to sexual misconduct and having sex with an underage prostitute.
The girl, now 17, appeared in court with well-known attorney Gloria Allred and said afterward that Taylor took “something precious” from her and should be behind bars. The girl has been identified in court and by Allred only by her initials, C.F.
The teen denied she is a prostitute and said another man forced her to go to Taylor’s hotel room in May 2010. She believes Taylor could tell that she had been beaten.
“I believe Mr. Taylor could see my face and how young I was,” she said.
She added, “I did what he told me to do because I was afraid what would happen if I didn’t.”
The other man has been identified in a separate federal prosecution in Manhattan as Rasheed Davis, who is accused of acting as the girl’s pimp and who allegedly assaulted her and brought her to Taylor’s hotel room. Prosecutors have credited Taylor with helping them in that case.
Victim denied
Allred said the girl had wanted to read a victim-impact statement in court. The judge, however, said victims are entitled to speak only at felony sentencings. Taylor had pleaded guilty to misdemeanours.
Taylor was arrested May 6 at a Holiday Inn in Montebello, N.Y., after the girl’s uncle contacted New York City police. The ex-athlete was charged with third-degree rape because she was underage.
When he pleaded guilty to the lesser charges, Taylor admitting having intercourse with the girl, who turned out to be a Bronx runaway. He said she told him she was 19, but he added that he now knows the girl was 16 and legally incapable of consent. He said he paid her US$300.
Taylor led the New York Giants to Super Bowl titles in 1987 and 1991. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.
In 2009, he competed in ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.” He had also been a spokesman for the weight-loss company NutriSystem, but he was dropped after his arrest.
April 12 hearing
Taylor also will have to abide by the conditions of a sex offender, but the judge postponed until April 12 a hearing to determine what level of sex offender will be assigned to him.
All sex offenders have to report their addresses annually and report changes within 10 days.
In Level 1 and 2, offenders have to get their picture taken every three years; in Level 3, it’s every year. A Level 3 offender also has to report the name and address of his employer and advise of any change.
John Caher, spokesman for the state Criminal Justice Services Division, said Level 1 offenders aren’t posted on a public website, but anyone who calls the division can find out if a person is a sex offender.
Taylor’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, persuaded state Supreme Court Justice William Kelly to modify some of the probation restrictions generally imposed on sex offenders. For example, the judge said Taylor would be allowed to bring his young son to school or to a park.
In addition, Taylor will be permitted to serve his probation in Broward County, Fla., where he lives.
Kelly offered Taylor a chance to speak in court before the sentencing but Taylor declined, saying, “I’m fine, judge.”
Allred would not say whether her client plans to sue Taylor.
She said Taylor “should be in the hall of shame, not the Hall of Fame.”
Cambiasso praises Inter Milan’s ‘heart’
Inter Milan midfielder Esteban Cambiasso hailed his side’s fighting spirit after they fought back from two goals down on aggregate to beat Bayern Munich 3-2 and qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals.
The reigning European champions were 2-1 down at the Allianz Arena and staring a last-16 exit in the face, but goals from Wesley Sneijder and Goran Pandev handed the Nearazzurri a dramatic victory, in a match that Bayern failed to put to bed.
The result ensured Inter became the first team in 15 years to progress having lost a knockout stage first-leg at home, and Cambiasso felt that his team-mates “heart” was responsible for the victory.
“We feel great satisfaction, as we approached this game with the belief we could do it,” Cambiasso said. “At the start everything seemed to be going well with Samuel Eto’o getting the opener, then there was weakness in defence, but we got this tie back on track with heart.”
The “weakness” included a howler from goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who fumbled to allow Mario Gomez to level the scores at 1-1, but Cambiasso insisted the mistake gave Leonardo’s side more desire to fight back, in order to spare their team-mate’s blushes.
“Julio Cesar was disappointed at half-time, as he thought that he had ruined the whole game, but that just fired us up to go out there and win,” Cambiasso said. “We believed right to the end and we did it.
“I’m happy for Pandev, as it’s a great personal satisfaction for him and everyone in the team. Now we go forward in the Champions League, we have a good squad and are waiting for Diego Milito to recover. With this heart, Inter can achieve amazing things.”
