Uruguay managed a draw with Costa Rica Wednesday, November 18 and took the two-leg playoff 2-1 on aggregate enabling them to clinch the last of the 32 nation team slots for the 19th FIFA World Cup next year in South Africa.

Uruguay, host of the very first FIFA World Cup in 1930, had previously won the tournaments twice, during its hosting stint in 1930 and again in 1950. Costa Rica was trying to reach the finals for the third time.

Uruguay took the lead during the 69th minute courtesy of Sebastian Abreu but Costa Rica equalized four minutes later when Walter Centeno shot home from close to the penalty spot.

Nerves continued to rattle as the game was stopped for a few minutes near the end of the game after an argument between an Uruguayan camera crew positioned near the Costa Rican bench.

Only 7 nations had won the world cup, England (of the United Kingdom), France, Uruguay, Argentina, West Germany (now just Germany), Italy and record holder Brazil (5 times).

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Uruguay Clinches Last World Cup Slot

Records are made to be broken.

Brandon Jennings averaged five points a game in Italy last year, but on Saturday the Milwaukee Bucks rookie set an NBA record as the youngest player to break the 50-point threshold, scoring 55 points against the Golden State Warriors.

The 20-year-old point guard notched 29 points in the third quarter, then 16 in the fourth to become only the third Bucks player to score more than 50.

Jennings was three points away from Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA rookie record for points in a game.

WATCH:

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Jennings becomes youngest NBA player to score 50 points (Video)

The Black Stars from Ghana will face their counterparts from Mali at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi this afternoon in the final qualifying of the 2010 Nations Cup and World Cup.

Ghana has already secured its spots in both finals, having topped the group of Mali, Sudan and Benin. It has also become the first African nation after host South Africa to qualify for football’s grandest event next summer.

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien is mourning over the death of his brother but the 26-year-old Ghanaian international is still poised to represent his country for today’s fixture.

Meanwhile over 300 policemen and secutity personnel have been deployed to the Baba Yara to maintain peace and order.

UPDATE: Anthony Annan and Matthew Amoah scored a goal each as the Black Stars twice rallied from a goal down to draw 2-2 with Mali.

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Ghana vs. Mali (World Cup Qualifying)

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao won against Miguel Cotto to win his record breaking seventh title in seven different weight divisions. The fight was stopped 55 seconds into the 12th round by referee Kenny Bayless. The Filipino grabbed the WBO welterweight champion belt.

“I didn’t know from where the punches were coming,” Cotto said.

Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico fought until the end. His face was already a river of red and his corner tried to throw in the towel during the 11th round. Cotto’s family left at the ninth round as they can’t watch the beating anymore. They accompanied the boxer to a local hospital after the fight.

Born Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, the 30-year-old boxer previously held the world titles for WBC lightweight, WBC super featherweight, IBF super bantamweight, WBC flyweight and Ring Magazine featherweight. He currently holds the IBO light welterweight championship. His career record now stands at 50-3-2 with 38 KOs.

The number would probably stay at seven as Manny declared in an interview after the fight, “This is the last weight division for me.”

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Pacquiao Wins Record 7th Division Title

Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao will take on Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto for his WBO title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas tonight, in another highly-anticipated bout in the welterweight division.

Pacquiao weighed in at 144 pounds, his heaviest ever, while Miguel Cotto came in at 145 pounds for their scheduled 12-round fight.

The entire Philippines and the rest of the boxing world will be hoping Pacman knocks the Puerto Rican out to keep the Filipino on course for next year’s clash against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Despite the Puerto Rican being the champion, Manny is a strong favorite to beat his opponent. He is bidding for a world title at a fifth different weight and was backed by enthusiastic supporters ahead of the eagerly-anticipated bout.

Qualms about Cotto’s ability to beat Pacquiao stem from a devastating defeat, the only one of his pro career, to Antonio Margarito last year.

A victory for Pacman will bolster his claim to immortality. But win or lose, the 30-year-old has already secured his spot in boxing history. Pacquiao is a household name that everyone knows and he is widely considered to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

The first three rounds will be crucial for both fighters and Freddie Roach said their plan is to hit Cotto with some big shots from the opening bell.

There are so many ways this fight could go, but one thing’s for sure: it’s going to be a great fight.

UPDATE: Manny Pacquiao is the new WBO Welterweight Champion after dominating the bout against Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao won via TKO in the 12th round.

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FIREPOWER: Pacquiao vs. Cotto

UFC 105 Live Stream: Couture vs. Vera – UFC 105 is Live today! UFC Hall of Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture returns to the octagon to face striker Brandon “The Truth” Vera in a light heavyweight division for the first time in over three years at M.E.N. Arena in Manchester England.

Couture begins his quest to get his sixth world title with a victory over dynamic striker Brandon Vera in the main event of UFC 105.

In the co-feature, British superstar Michael “The Count” Bisping is back in England and is hoping to impress the British fans when he faces off against fellow middleweight contender Denis Kang.

UFC 105 Schedule:

4:30 pm GMT Arena doors open to ticket holders
5:20 pm GMT First Bout (subject to change)
8:pm GMT/ET/PT ESPN (UK) and SPIKE

UFC 105 TV Schedule – How to Watch UFC 105 LIVE:

You can watch UFC Events, LIVE in most parts of the world on UFC.COM. It will be Live Worldwide at 7pm PT/10pm ET

You can see the UFC 105 Fight Cards here.

UPDATE: UFC 105 Results

Winner vs Loser – Method  - Round Time
1 Andre Winner vs Roli Delgado KO (Punches) 1 3:22
2 Alexander Gustafsson vs  Jared Hamman KO (Punches) 1 0:41
3 Dennis Siver vs Paul Kelly TKO (Spinning Back Kick and Punches) 2 2:53
4 Nick Osipczak vs Matt Riddle TKO (Punches) 3 3:53
5 Terry Etim vs Shannon Gugerty Submission (Guillotine Choke) 2 1:24
6 John Hathaway vs Paul Taylor Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00
7 Ross Pearson vs Aaron Riley TKO (Doctor Stoppage) 2 4:38
8 Matt Brown vs James Wilks TKO (Punches) 3 2:27
9 Michael Bisping vs Denis Kang TKO (Punches) 2 4:24
10 Dan Hardy vs Mike Swick Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00
11 Randy Couture vs Brandon Vera Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00

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UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera

Football enthusiasts will surely want to watch the 2010 World Cup qualifying match between Portugal and Bosnia and Herzegovina happening live at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.

The Seleccao were so close to missing out on qualification for World Cup 2010 but ultimately made it into the play-offs at the expense of Sweden.

Portugal will be without its most precious asset— Cristiano Ronaldo—who will miss out due to injury. However, it has enough talented wingers, such as Simao and Nani, to cope with Ronaldo’s absence.

Bosnia And Herzegovina, on the other hand, has one of Europe’s best young players, led by strikers Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic.

Prediction: It’s Portugal, and CR9 must be in South Africa!

UPDATE: The Seleccao dominated against Bosnia, but ended up just taking a one goal lead in their World Cup play-off first leg encounter. Porto defender Bruno Alves scored the all important winner for Portugal in the 32nd minute.

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Portugal vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (World Cup Playoffs)

Italy and the Netherlands (Holland) go into the encounter at the Adriatico Stadium in Pescara on the back of first-place finishes in their World Cup qualifying groups.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has stated that a victory in this friendly match would serve as a perfect launch pad for his team’s preparation campaign ahead of South Africa next summer.

This game could even prove to be a good omen for the Azzurri, as they destroyed the Dutchmen in a friendly just before World Cup 2006.

After facing the Netherlands, Italy hosts Sweden four days later in Cesena, then will have one more friendly in March against a team to be determined, most probably from Africa.

The match kicks-off at 20:45 CET.

UPDATE: The Italians were held to a 0-0 draw by the Oranje in Saturday’s international friendly.

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Italy vs. Netherlands (International Friendly)

Spain takes on Argentina this evening in a friendly match as part of the Spanish Football Federation’s centenary celebrations.

This will be one of the last international games staged at the Vicente Calderon because Atletico Madrid will be moving to a renovated stadium, Estadio La Peineta, in 2012, and the stadium would be torn down afterwards.

La Furia Roja are enjoying a great run of form as of late, winning nine of their last ten matches (lost in the Confederation Cup against the U.S.) and finishing their World Cup qualifying campaign with a perfect record (scored 28 goals and conceded only 5 in their campaign).

Albicelestes, on the other hand, are currently not experiencing the same supremacy. They were in danger of failing to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1970 during an inconsistent run of performances in the CONMEBOL qualifying.

But despite the World Cup qualification process being complete for both countries, we’re pretty sure Argentina and Spain will not be entering this match with friendly intentions.

Lionel Messi will look to outshine Xavi, Gonzalo Higuain will try to get the better of Iker Casillas, while Cesc Fabregas and Javier Mascherano will bring their EPL rivalry to a new level.

Spain vs. Argentina, which is the better team?

UPDATE: Xabi Alonso scored two goals—including an 86th-minute penalty—to give Spain a 2-1 win over the South Americans.

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Spain vs. Argentina (International Friendly)

Egypt will face Algeria in Cairo tonight in a crucial World Cup Qualifier.

This match will determine who gets to go to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, with Egypt needing to win by a three goal margin to eliminate their opponents.

These two north African neighbors are not on the best terms when it comes to this event because 2 decades ago, a vicious riot between the two teams occurred when The Pharaohs won 1-0 against Algeria.

As a result, FIFA has asked Egypt for written guarantees confirming additional security measures to protect the Algerians ahead of tonight’s clash.

The match kicks-off at 18:30 CET.

UPDATE: Egypt and Algeria will have to face each other again in a crucial playoff match in Sudan next week after Emad Moteab scored an amazing goal in the fifth minute of injury time to give the Pharaohs a 2-0 victory. Watch the game highlights below:

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Egypt vs. Algeria (World Cup Qualifying)

The national football teams of England and Brazil are in Doha, Qatar this evening for their international friendly encounter as a preparation for next year’s World Cup in South Africa.

The two nations share a mutual fondness for the sport, and have often collided. But why Qatar? Because they’re bidding to host the 2022 World Cup (they plan to install some kind of air conditioning in their stadiums if they win).

Wayne Rooney will captain the Three Lions for the first time against the South Americans if John Terry becomes unavailable because of an ankle problem.

If the Chelsea defender is ruled out, it would be another dilemma for England manager Fabio Capello, who is already preparing without Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Heskey, Carlton Cole and David James, all out injured.

David Beckham was prevented from linking up with his international team-mates due to commitments with his American club Los Angeles Galaxy in the Major League Soccer play-offs.

The 34-year-old midfielder remains firmly in Capello’s plans ahead of World Cup 2010 after securing another loan stint at AC Milan from January.

Robinho will miss tonight’s game as he continues his resurgence from an ankle problem. Manchester City boss Mark Hughes allowed the striker to join his countrymen on the basis he would not play for them during the international break.

This is going to be an exciting competition. Football’s mother country versus the mother of all World Cup winners!

The match kicks-off at 17:00 GMT.

Prediction: With the absence of England’s top-flight players, I’m going to back Brazil for the victory here.

UPDATE A 47th minute goal by Nilmar gave five-time world champions Brazil a 1-0 win against an understrength England. Watch the game highlights below:

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England vs. Brazil (International Friendly)

Russia takes on Slovenia tonight in the first leg of its World Cup playoffs.

The Sbornaya come into this match on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Germany, their first competitive loss in the motherland since France beat them in October 1999.

Slovenia possesses few star names in its squad but has at times impressed since losing all three games in its World Cup debut in 2002.

The Russians won seven of their 10 qualifying matches but finished behind the Germans in Group 4. However, they are 37 places above Slovenia in the current FIFA rankings and are favorites to progress.

The match kicks-off at 17:00 CET.

UPDATE: The Russians clinched a 2-1 home victory against Slovenia in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying play-off clash.

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Russia vs. Slovenia Live (World Cup Playoffs)

The Houston Dynamo and the Los Angeles Galaxy will battle it out tonight (11 pm ET) at the Home Depot Center in a one-game match, with the winners going on to Major League Soccer’s Championship Cup Final next week.

This will be a very interesting match because the Galaxy and Dynamo have been the top two teams in the Western Conference all season and boast of records that are almost equal.

Los Angeles has a strong and well balanced squad featuring big names like Landon Donovan and David Beckham, while Houston features the trio of Brian Ching, Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark, teammates on the U.S. national team.

Ching, who was sent off after an argument with the former England captain in last month’s draw, has said that he is looking forward to a repeat of their dispute.

“We had a feisty match-up and I’m expecting the same. We’ve to limit Becks’ time on the ball. It’ll be a battle,” The Sun quoted Ching, as saying.

Regardless of the result, this will be the last MLS match played at the Home Depot Center this year and these two teams are certainly going out with a bang.

UPDATE: Beckham helped his Galaxy side move a step closer the MLS title with a 2-0 victory over Houston. Watch the game highlights below:

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MLS: LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo (Western Conference Final)

Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rico’s pride Miguel Cotto both weighed in Friday afternoon for their WBO welterweight bout at the MGM Grand hotel and casino in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Pacquiao tipped the scales at 144 pounds while Cotto came in at 145. Freddie Roach, Manny’s trainer, put up his hands as if he were to say he was happy with Cotto’s weight, but then got into a verbal sparring with Cotto’s trainer, Joe Santiago, after Santiago approached him and said something.

Although the Puerto Rican has won a world title every year since 2004 and will be competing in his natural division, Pacman is widely viewed as the favorite.

VIDEO: Pacquiao vs. Cotto Weigh-In

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Pacquiao-Cotto Weigh In Results (Video)

6-foot-7 Ames Iowa High student Harrison Barnes chose to attend the University of North Carolina. The No. 1 ranked player of ESPNU 100 has also considered UCLA, Duke, Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa State. This most sought after high school basketball star is being compared to Grant Hill and Shane Battier – players who can practically do everything.

Barnes averaged 19.8 points, 8.8 rebound, 43% in three-points shots, shoots 60% from the field and led his Alma mater on a 26-0 record and a state Class-4A title. He was also named Iowa’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

“He’s the most complete offensive player in the country,” Scouts Inc.’s national recruiting director Paul Biancardi, said.

He will be joined by Reggie Bullock of Kinston, NC (ranked 13 and number 2 shooting guard) and Kendall Marshall of Arlington, Va. (ranked 19 and number 4 point guard) to the already formidable UNC team. Tar Heels is now considered as the early leader next year for the national title.

Probably most stunned by the decision is Duke University, because Blue Devils Coach Mike Krzyzewski has been pursuing Barnes longer than Tar Heels.

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Top-Rated Basketball Recruit Harrison Barnes Chooses North Carolina