That Was The Year That Was !!

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2010: A YEAR IN THE LIFE

By Sportinglife.com staff

FOOTBALL - BARCA'S LASTING IMPRESSION

It truly was the beautiful game on the night of November 29 as Barcelona proved that they are football's great entertainers with their 5-0 victory over Real Madrid.

'El Clasico' by name alone gives any clash between Barca and Real a lot to live up to and it was Pep Guardiola's men who produced not just a classic display - but one which will go down in history.

Xavi and Pedro put the hosts 2-0 up at the Nou Camp within 17 minutes and from then on the writing was on the wall for Jose Mourinho's Madrid.

The Portuguese has enjoyed a stellar year of his own with success over Barca on the way to Champions League glory with Inter Milan but, even with his masses of tactical acumen, he couldn't find a way to stop Barca's galaxy of stars on this occasion.

David Villa's double and a late strike from substitute Jeffren Suarez completed the rout but there is more to the story than just the score and scorers.

Lionel Messi surprisingly ended the game without a goal but the Argentine wizard was at his magical best with a performance of incredulous swagger that proved why he is the premier footballer on this planet, even with Cristiano Ronaldo rightly having his backers.

The only impression on the game from Ronaldo was his petulant push on Guardiola - and even the scuffle that followed couldn't knock Barca's focus off gaining a mesmerising foot ahead in the Primera Division title race.

Guardiola's entertainers are rightly favourites to win the domestic title in Spain and the Champions League this season and, even in a World Cup year, it is the 5-0 demolition over their bitterest rivals that takes the award for the year's top football moment.

Victor Valdes, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Pedro and Villa all featured in Spain's triumphant World Cup squad and started for Barcelona as they humiliated Real.

Not a bad way to make an impression in 2010.

Nick Hext

RACING - LIVING UP TO THE HYPE

For much of 2010 Tony McCoy's John Smith's Grand National win on Don't Push It was a clear choice - and not only the race itself. To be in the Media Centre and part of the standing ovation as he came in for the press conference was very, very special.

But then came Zenyatta.

Her win in the previous Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita had been remarkable, but, as Bachman and Turner warned us, we ain't seen nothing yet.

The back-stretch of Churchill Downs in the first week of November was a very privileged place to be and it was impossible not to get caught up in the furore that surrounded John Shirreffs' star.

Her every turn was followed by a pack of photographers, a pick of the grass outside her barn became a national event. Oprah Winfrey, Sportsweek, they all wanted part of the story.

As she took to the track to work on Thursday morning she was accompanied by a posse of 40 well-wishers. Two minutes later Workforce, Arc and Derby hero Workforce, took the same route and not a single head was turned.

On the morning of the Classic the hotel foyer was swamped with PR people handing out Zenyatta placards while caps and t-shirts bearing her name had sold out long before most racegoers had battled their way into the souvenir shop.

I've never known such a sense of anticipation before a horse race.

There was no personal financial involvement but still, as Mike Smith took his partner to the outside of the field at the top of the stretch, I began to roar her home. Fleetingly it seemed as though she was going to somehow get there, she didn't and the blame game began.

But for the build-up - and the fact the race somehow lived up to its billing - the Breeders' Cup Classic was my highlight of 2010.

Dave Ord

CRICKET - THE PERFECT EXORCISM

Adelaide.

For four years mere mention of the word was enough to cause any England cricket fan to start sobbing quietly and rocking gently to and fro while mumbling "make the bad men stop".

No longer. Rarely in sporting history can demons have been exorcised as thoroughly as they were by England's cricketers at the Adelaide Oval in a Test match every bit as one-sided as anything from the 2006/7 series horribilis.

It didn't start well, Ricky Ponting winning the toss and choosing to bat first on what looked another flat Adelaide pitch. But that was the high point for Australia. Within three overs Simon Katich, Ponting - for a golden duck - and Michael Clarke had been dispatched and England never looked back.

The Aussies were eventually bundled out for just 245. Surely not enough, but England had an early scare when captain Andrew Strauss was bowled with just three runs on the board. But Alastair Cook, fresh from a double-century in Brisbane, and Jonathan Trott weathered the storm and cashed in on some profligate Australian fielding to put England on top before Kevin Pietersen thrillingly recaptured his very best form to blast his side well clear of their hosts' inadequate total.

Pietersen racked up his first Test century in 20 months and was in no mood to stop there, going on to register a career-best 227 before England finally declared on a giant 620 for five - a lead of 375.

Australia started better second time around, Shane Watson and Katich adding 84 before the latter edged Graeme Swann to keeper Matt Prior. Ponting avoided a pair but was superbly caught by Paul Collingwood off Swann again for just nine and Watson fell to Steve Finn.

Mike Hussey and Michael Clarke launched a dogged fightback, adding 104 for the fourth wicket before a crucial, unexpected moment on the fourth evening. Pietersen, bowling his part-time off-spin, induced a false shot from the seemingly immovable Clarke, who fended off inside edge and pad to be caught at short-leg. England celebrated wildly and, with the new ball available, needed only 90 minutes on the final morning to take the six remaining Australian wickets. Swann took the last of them to complete a five-wicket haul.

The margin of victory was an innings and 71 runs. Correction, an innings and a half and 71 runs. Adelaide was no longer a dirty word.

Dave Tickner

RUGBY UNION - A TRY FOR HOPE

After losing their opening autumn international against New Zealand by 10 points, England welcomed Australia to Twickenham with plenty of pundits fearing the worst.

While Martin Johnson's men had looked pretty scratchy for long periods against the All Blacks, the Wallabies had backed up their stunning Bledisloe Cup success two weeks previously with a pretty comfortable victory over Wales at the Millennium Stadium in which their high-quality backline had particularly impressed.

Everything was going smoothly as England built a 19-6 lead but then Australia began to press. And press. And press.

As they recycled time and time again on the England line surely they would score the try that would blow the game wide open? Not quite.

First some heroic defending forced the turnover. Then with the chance to kick for touch - something no-one inside Twickenham would have criticised him for - Ben Youngs impudently threw a dummy to leave Quade Cooper grabbing at thin air before flicking the ball on to Courtney Lawes.

The giant lock drew Adam Ashley-Cooper in off the wing - one of two tacklers - and passed it on to Chris Ashton, who still had fully 80 yards ahead of him. But without a second's thought, unlike on his debut against France, on went the afterburners and as Drew Mitchell edged out to meet him, Ashton arced inside beautifully, leaving Mitchell in a heap and raising his arm in celebration fully 20 yards before leaping over the line.

For aesthetic quality the try will take some beating, but it meant more than just five points.

Though they would go on to lose to world champions South Africa in their final autumn international, the try - and victory it set up - was the turning of a corner as a vibrant England side marked themselves out as potential World Cup winners in 2011.

Reece Killworth

RUGBY LEAGUE - THE RETURN OF THE WARRIORS

The last time Wigan won the Grand Final, Cher was top of the charts and France had just won the football World Cup at their own tournament that summer.

It was 1998 and their success came as no surprise, a 10-4 victory over Leeds sealing their ninth league title win in a row.

What a decade of success that was, the likes of Martin Offiah, Andy Farrell, Shaun Edwards and Jason Robinson helping the club dominate English rugby league.

The dawn of Super League, the professional era and all that came with it - including the introduction of the salary cap - saw that dominance end as rivals St Helens and two teams from Yorkshire shared the following decade's silverware between them.

Since Wigan's 1998 Grand Final win St Helens have won it four times, as have Leeds, while Bradford Bulls succeeded on three occasions.

But nothing for Wigan. The great team of the 90s lost in the Grand Final to St Helens in 2000 and to Bradford in 2001 and 2003, but they were well beaten every time and the glory days seemed a long way off.

At the start of the 2010 season it was seven years since Wigan had even contested a Grand Final and they were priced up at 12/1 by the bookies to end a dozen years of hurt.

Led by a new coach, Michael Maguire, Wigan started the season like a rocket, winning nine of their first 10 games to storm to the top of the league.

A regular-season title followed but it was the Grand Final trophy they craved and their quest for success in the play-offs got off to the worst possible start when losing 27-26 to Leeds in a thriller.

However, wins over Hull KR, Leeds and an easy 22-10 victory over fierce rivals St Helens in the Grand Final at Old Trafford ensured the long wait to be crowned champions of England was over.

Perhaps New Zealand's amazing try to clinch the Four Nations final against Australia was the moment of rugby league's year.

But Sean O'Loughlin lifting the Grand Final trophy to end all those years of hurt for Wigan was much more memorable for me.

Ben Linfoot

FORMULA ONE - DOWN TO THE WIRE

A year of records, of drama and of team orders; Formula One provided excitement aplenty.

Most of all though, this was one of the closest seasons of all time, going right down to the wire.

Many fans of the sport will look back on this campaign and smile the sort of satisfied grin that you associate with a rather overweight child who has just devoured an entire plate of mince pies. In between tears of elation, it was this smile that epitomised Sebastian Vettel's season as he became the youngest ever F1 world champion.

Touted as the next Michael Schumacher since his childhood karting days, the golden boy joined the exclusive ranks of the finest ever drivers.

Although every race was packed full of incidents, it was the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi that was the real highlight. Theoretically any one of four drivers could still win the drivers' title going in to the concluding weekend at the Yas Marina circuit.

Fernando Alonso started the finale at the top of the table just ahead of Mark Webber and Vettel. Lewis Hamilton required something of a miracle to secure the crown; needing to win the race and the other protagonists to finish out of the points.

Qualifying was a nervy affair but saw Vettel show great maturity to take his 10th pole position of the campaign. It was to prove crucial as the race unfolded withVettel driving superbly to take the win.

Alonso and Webber both dropped behind Vitaly Petrov in the early pit-stop rounds and they failed to get past the Renault man for the rest of the race, finishing behind him in seventh and eighth.

The two drivers who had come in to the race first and second in the championship table watched helplessly as Vettel stormed to victory. The young German accrued enough points to overtake them in the table and take the title.

It was a thrilling climax to an equally enthralling year.

Jon Ivan-Duke


GOLF - THE RISE AND RISE OF ITALIAN GOLF

In eras gone by, a discussion about the golfing globe would not have included Italy.

To be honest, the country would have rarely entered any discussion focused purely on Europe.

But 2010 saw the emergence of two world-class players from the country with a third potentially the best of the bunch.

Step forward Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, followed hot on the heels by teenage sensation Matteo Manassero.

Francesco is the younger of the brothers from Turin and has been established on the European Tour for a number of years.

But his career took a tremendous leap forward this season as hardly a week went by when he was not in contention before claiming a second Tour victory in the prestigious WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.

Clearly inspired, his brother's rise to prominence has been quite astonishing.

Some 18 months ago, Edoardo languished somewhere in the 500s in the world rankings.

But a tremendous season on the Challenge Tour in 2009 followed by a win in Japan and at the World Cup - with his brother - was the springboard for two wins on the European Tour, the latter coming in dramatic fashion at Gleneagles.

That ensured a wildcard pick from Colin Montgomerie for the Ryder Cup as he and Francesco would make history by becoming the first brothers to represent continental Europe in the clash with the USA.

But perhaps even more exciting is the emergence of Manassero, who made history of his own in the Castello Masters as the youngest player ever to win a European Tour event at just 17 years and 188 days.

The way he handled himself as he strolled to a four-shot success was the performance of a player with perhaps even more promise than a Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy or a Sergio Garcia.

He later followed that display with a second behind Ian Poulter in Hong Kong and the golfing world is truly at his feet.

2010 has been remarkable in so many ways for Edoardo, Francesco and Matteo - a trio who are a true credit to both their profession and their country.

David John


TENNIS - MONTE CARLO, NOT BUST, FOR RAFA

As 2010 closes it's hard to believe that back in April Rafael Nadal arrived in Monte Carlo having not won a title in 11 months.

A return to his beloved clay was a seminal moment - if he couldn't win here, where he'd won in each of the five previous years, where could he? His fans needn't have worried.

The Spaniard cruised into the final where he came up against fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, the world number 12, and duly lost just one game.

Nadal appeared intent on making a point that day and it really was a remarkable display, one which laid the foundations for three Grand Slam titles later in the year.

But if there was one moment in particular that showed Nadal was back, it came in the penultimate game.

One of the rallies of the season saw Nadal's exemplaryretrieval skills brought to the fore as both men covered virtually every part of the court.

The eventual champion would actually end up losing the rally - Verdasco celebrating winning it by falling to his knees and raising his arms to the heavens in celebration - but anyone who saw it knew the old Rafa had returned.

Andy Schooler

BOXING - PACQUIAO'S QUICK REPAIR JOB

Boxing had been dealt a huge body blow by the time Audley Harrison's challenge for David Haye's WBA heavyweight was mercifully waved off in Manchester back in November.

Haye blew his British rival away in the third round, but by then the damage had already been done.

With millions watching around the world and thousands of fans paying their hard-earned money to be at ringside, the fight was a massive flop, devoid of action in the first two rounds and Harrison throwing just one jab for which he reportedly earned in excess of £1million.

It left a bitter taste in the mouth - but just hours later across the Atlantic Manny Pacquiao single-handedly repaired the damage to the sport's tarnished reputation.

The Filipino phenomenon was simply brilliant as he dismantled Antonio Margarito to continue his astonishing rise through boxing's weight divisions by claiming the WBC light-middleweight belt.

It was a masterclass as 'Pacman' claimed his eighth world title with the most one-sided points victory you are ever likely to see.

After the timid cat-and-mouse chase around the ring that had been Haye and Harrison, this was a full-blooded tear-up that left Margarito with a shattered eye socket.

Two men showcasing their skills but, most importantly, giving it their all is what boxing is all about and these two warriors demonstrated everything that gives the sport its worldwide appeal.

After the farce that had taken place in Manchester, this was just the shot in the arm boxing required. It's timing and execution was perfect.

Simon Crawford

SNOOKER - A COMEBACK TO SAVOUR

Emotions were running high when Graeme Dott walked out into a sold-out Crucible in Sheffield to contest the World Championship final with Neil Robertson.

Even though he lost the match 18-13 to the Australian, the fact he was back playing at the top level was a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the 33-year-old Scot who had considered quitting the sport just months earlier.

Dott had won the world crown in 2006 but his career spectacularly nosedived following the death of father-in-law and former manager Alex Lambie after a battle with cancer. Wife Elaine also suffered a miscarriage and had a cancer scare.

Amid the turmoil in his private life, Dott was diagnosed with depression and his snooker career suffered badly.

By drifting to 48th in the provisional world rankings in late 2008, he was moving close to disappearing into oblivion as he was forced to qualify for ranking events.

Retirement became a consideration, until Dott realised he had nothing to fall back on.

"I don't know any other way I'd earn any money so I basically had to play," he said. "But my wife at one point was all for me giving up because I was so bad.

"I was going to a tournament and as soon as somebody won a first frame I was giving up. I had no interest in playing snooker."

But as his condition gradually improved, his focus on the game returned and his remarkable run to the Sheffield final saw him defeat Peter Ebdon, Stephen Maguire, Mark Allen and Mark Selby toprove he was close to being back to his best.

Now back up to number 10 in the world rankings, Dott can once again look forward to establishing himself as one of the major forces in the game.

It's a heart-warming story and if Dott goes one better in 2011 and wins the world title, there will have been few more popular champions.

Simon Crawford

NFL - SAINTS WIN THE SUPER BOWL

Five years after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to much of New Orleans, the city's football team reached the pinnacle of the sport by lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the first time in the franchise's 43-year history.

While the early days of the clear-up operation began, it was the city's football team that people - some who had lost everything - rallied around.

Quarterback Drew Brees and head coach Sean Payton realised they were part of something much bigger as the city began to find a way to return to some sort of normality during a lengthy healing process.

The Saints gradually improved under the guidance and skill of Payton and Brees with the culmination a genuine feeling of optimism at the beginning of the 2009/10 season that a veteran group of players could go all the way.

A 13-0 start thanks to a high-octane offense and opportunistic defense did little to persuade otherwise and even a three-game losing skid to round off the regular season could not halt the momentum.

They may not have made many friends with their brutal treatment of Brett Favre in the Conference Championship but once they reached the Super Bowl, Brees accurately believed they had the whole country behind them.

Sixty minutes away from their destiny, Peyton Manning and the Colts could not halt the Saints and Tracy Porter's spectacular 74-yard interception return in the fourth quarter sparked the Who Dat Nation into the Mardi Gras of all time as they sealed a 31-17 success.

While every Super Bowl victory provides a feeling of euphoria for players, coaches and fans alike, the achievement of the 2010 Saints was something extra special.

David John


OTHER SPORTS - OH CANADA!

Canada headed into the Vancouver Winter Olympics having never won a gold medal at either of their previous home Games in 1976 and 1998.

But by the time of their men's ice hockey team's face-off against great rivals USA on the final day of action, the spirited hosts had banished that unfortunate hoodoo in emphatic fashion and ensured top spot in the medal table with a late flurry of golds.

Now it was down to the nation's stars of the hockey rink to claim the one that most Canadians coveted far more than any other. Given the choice, they would surely have traded any of the other 13 golds for this final triumph. Some may have even swapped the lot.

A victory would not only clinch a historic double following Canada's 2-0 win over the United States in the women's final three days earlier, but it would also see them break the record for the most number of golds at a single winter Games.

Was this just too much to ask? Could the players cope with all the pressure and hype to fulfil the sporting dreams of a nation?

What followed proved to be arguably the most dramatic ice hockey finals of all time.

Canada needed to strike first to settle the nerves and Jonathan Toews duly obliged midway through a tight opening period before Corey Perry doubled their advantage seven minutes into the second.

The hosts were starting to believe in a goldendestiny but just five minutes later the underdogs struck back through Ryan Kesler.

Tension gripped both nations as the clock slowly ticked down throughout a nail-biting third and final period with the Americans pressing so hard for a precious equaliser.

And with just 24 seconds remaining, millions of Canadian hearts sank to new depths when Zach Parise fired past goalkeeper Roberto Luongo to send the game into sudden-death overtime.

Few could bear to watch but seven minutes and 40 seconds into overtime the agony turned to ecstasy when Sidney Crosby - the country's most famous player since Wayne Gretzky - fired home the winner to cement his status as Canada's new favourite son and earn his team sporting immortality on ice.

Chris Hammer


GREYHOUNDS - THE RACE OF A LIFETIME

At the 'new' Wimbledon Stadium, it was great to see that some of the old traditions remained as Bandicoot Tipoki gave Charlie Lister his fifth Derby success.

Ray White's dog had always attracted plaudits from the experts but as he had become regarded as something of an underachiever, the bookmakers were happy to chalk up 25-1 about his chances in the ante-post market for the sport's premier event.

Logic has dictated that the Derby is not won in the early rounds but Tipoki's first-round run rewrote that particular maxim as it was one of sheer brilliance. The outcome: a seven-and-a-half length rout and a new track record to boot.

All talk ahead of the final had centred on the Dolores Ruth-trained Toomaline Jack. The Irish raider, who had previously been campaigned as a hurdling prospect, appeared a strong favourite on the back of a flawless qualification series and was sent to the traps at a shade of odds-on, with Bandicoot Tipoki a 7-2 chance.

When the lids rose, the Hungarian-trained Lyreen Mover cracked out with his trademark sparkle with the favourite waiting on his shoulder. The pair seemed set to have the race to themselves but they were to collide briefly on the third turn and at this point, Tipoki got his chance.

Despite being a full three lengths off the pace, a sizeable gap appeared as Lyreen Mover began to buckle inside the home straight and the red-jacketed Oran Classic tried to pass the leaders to their outside. As a dog that had shown much of his best work from a rails berth in the past, Tipoki was not to surrender his pitch and he determinedly produced his head on the line in a finish that befitted the occasion.

White was to describe the performance as "a race of a lifetime" and it would be a harsh man that would disagree.

Ian Brindle

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