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ROAD TO LONDON 2012: Women’s Olympic Football Tournament's medal fires Colombian dream; Brazil's Marta: I’m dreaming of Olympic gold

April 2012

Women’s football in Colombia is currently enjoying the finest period of its relatively short history, with the past five years witnessing Las Cafeteras breaking their FIFA competition duck to become regulars on the global scene. They have firmly established themselves as a force in South America, though regional superpowers Brazil do still lead the way, and Colombia’s next major challenge is to compete at their first ever Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, held in London from 25 July to 9 August this year.
“Taking part in the Olympic Tournament for the first time brings with it an enormous amount of responsibility for those of us on the coaching staff, as well as for the players and the management,” Colombia boss Ricardo Rozo told.
“We’re doing everything in our power to prepare well enough to send out a side that does us justice. We’re still not feeling the nerves that come before such an important tournament, instead we’re simply focusing on being able to compete on equal footing.”

At the very least, we want to make it through to the knockout stages. That’d be very good for us.

Ricardo Rozo, coach of Colombia's women's national team

Though Colombia’s debut at a FIFA women’s showpiece came back in 2008, with his predecessor Pedro Rodriguez taking charge of Las Cafeteras at that year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Rozo has had a highly positive impact since his appointment in 2010. “It’s true that, since we came in, we’ve finished fourth at a U-20 World Cup, appeared at a senior World Cup and have just qualified for the next U-17 World Cup,” said the 50-year-old strategist.
“But it’s all part of a process that started years ago with that team that was crowned South American champions [in 2008]. It’s a positive thing to be going to the Olympics, because it gives more continuity to our project.”
Competition for placesAs he continues to prepare his side for their London 2012 adventure, said desire for continuity is also set to be reflected in Rozo’s squad selection. “The core of the squad will be pretty similar to the one that went to the senior World Cup last year, although you have to bear in mind we can only take 18 players instead of 21. I reckon there’ll be three or four changes, but no more than that.”
Intriguingly, Rozo has not been able to work with his charges since late October 2011, when he guided Colombia to fourth spot at the Panamerican Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. “The idea was to give the girls the time and space they needed to continue their development with their clubs, which are involved in domestic action, or at their universities – given we’ve got players studying and playing in the United States. They’ll all start arriving in the first week of May and we’ll start our training camp after that. Our planning’s all in place, we’re just missing the players!”
In the respected coach’s view, one of the key elements of this pre-tournament planning and preparatory period will involve friendly action against top teams from outside South America. “There’s only one really strong team here, which is Brazil, which is why it’ll be important to test ourselves against opponents from North America, such as USA or Canada, and Europe,” explained Rozo.
“Both those regions have very physical players, who play in very strong leagues. That’s why we’ve been trying to organise international friendlies that’ll help us hit form in time for the competition.”
Staying focusedAnother crucial aspect of readying his players for the rigours of an elite tournament will be their level of mental preparation, with distractions aplenty sure to arise once the squad touches down on British soil. “That’s only natural as it’s going to be an incredible experience for the players, who’ll be rubbing shoulders with athletes from across the world,” said Rozo.
“They just have to understand that they need to stay focused and concentrate on what we’re there to do, because they’re representing their country,” he continued. “Our experiences at the Panamerican Games will help, although of course this is going to have a whole extra dimension. We’ll work hard to make sure nothing affects the group bond and dynamic.”
Not the kind of coach to leave anything to chance, Bogota-born Rozo has already set his side’s objectives for the Olympic showpiece. “We’re aiming for a medal, but we still don’t know what the competition has in store for us, since we don’t even know who’s in our group yet. At the very least, we want to make it through to the knockout stages. That’d be very good for us.
“Everything we’ve achieved up to now has come about because we’ve dreamed of doing it,” continued Rozo, as the conversation drew to a close. “We know we’ve not gone to any competition to make up the numbers and we won’t be making an exception this time. Winning a medal would be another important landmark for women’s football in Colombia. Besides, there’s no law against dreaming yet, is there?”

Marta: I’m dreaming of Olympic gold

2012

Brazil forward Marta is without question one of the biggest names in the women’s game today. With her beloved Seleção, she earned a runners-up medal at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2007 and has been voted FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year no fewer than five times. Such is the regard in which she is held in her homeland that the Brazilian magazine Epoca named her as one of the country’s most influential personalities in 2009.
After a bittersweet 2011, the 25-year-old is now focusing on her overriding objective for the coming year: the Women's Olympic Football Tournament London 2012, a competition she has won silver at in the two previous editions. With that elusive gold foremost in her mind and a customary smile on her lips, Marta made time recently for an exclusive interview with FIFA.com.
FIFA.com: Marta, on balance, how was 2011 for you in footballing terms?
Marta: It was quite positive, especially from an individual standpoint, although in terms of the national team, we obviously came up short of our main objective, which was to win the Women’s World Cup in Germany. That said, I believe we learned some important lessons at that championship. So yes, the year could have been better, but you can’t get always get what you want, and we just have to keep on working.
What do think prevented Brazil from going further at Germany 2011?We started well enough by topping our group and the team looked pretty strong. Then unfortunately we lost our quarter-final to USA, a team we’ve had a keen rivalry with for some years now. Our games are usually very hard-fought and decided by some small detail, and that’s what happened again in Germany. We switched off for half a minute at the very end of extra time, allowing them to equalise, and then we lost on penalties. It was a disappointment as I think we had enough quality and a good enough game to reach the final.

I already have two silver medals, so now is the time to make amends for those lost finals.

Marta on her quest to win a gold medal at the London Olympics

Do you feel Lady Luck turned her back on Brazil?I believe you do need an element of good fortune in every sense, but you also need to be prepared. When two teams of a high calibre face off, there is always a lot of tension, so small details tend to decide the outcome. That’s the main lesson we learned.
Next on the horizon for Brazil is the Women's Olympic Football Tournament. How are you looking forward to that?[Winning the Olympics] has been a dream of mine for a long time. I already have two silver medals, so now is the time to make amends for those lost finals, and that will require hard work and dedication. If we can make it to the final, then hopefully we’ll have learned from our past mistakes and avoid a repeat of what happened in the two previous editions.
You also have Jorge Barcellos back in charge of the team this year, a coach under whom the team did very well before.Jorge was with us in 2007 and 2008, and we’re familiar and comfortable with the way he works. He gives you opportunities to express opinions and takes them into account, and we feel at ease with him. I think that’s going to help the squad because the foundations are already there. Furthermore, I like his plans, as they include a lot of training camps, which will be key to getting the best possible performances from us at the tournament.
Looking back over your career to date, what would you say is your fondest memory?The final of the 2007 Pan American Games at the Maracana, because of the atmosphere, the manner in which the home fans enjoyed it and the significance of the triumph. From that moment on we became stronger and began to really believe in ourselves. It was thanks to this that we reached the World Cup Final in 2007.
Brazilian supporters can be as demanding as they are passionate. Do you feel there’s more pressure on the women’s team these days?Yes. With the exception of what happened at the 2011 World Cup, people have got used to seeing us make almost every final in recent years. Obviously that leads to raised expectations. Moreover, a few years ago women’s football was still not widely accepted, in part because people didn’t really know us. Today that has changed a lot. People follow our results and know all the players, and as a consequence demand more of us.
Though just shy of your 26th birthday, you’re already one of most experienced players in the team. Has your role changed as a result?
My role is the same as that of the other player’s. While I’ve been with the team a long time now, I’m not as experienced as, say, Formiga, who is one of the players whose example I try to follow. That said, I try to chat with the younger girls to fire them up and take some of the pressure off them. I’ll also discuss past performances with them, identifying things we were lacking or things we need to do in the future.
Lastly, what does the future hold for you at club level? I’m still not sure. I’ve had offers from Sweden and Russia, but I’ll take my time to weigh up the options before deciding what suits me best.

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ROAD TO THE 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS: Draw shows the pathway to Men's soccer gold

26 April 2012

The final countdown to the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Football Tournaments London 2012 began at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday as the draw for the group phases of both competitions was held.

Three months and a day before the action gets under way, the venue for both finals provided a suitably imposing setting for the event, which determined the path the teams must take if they are to claim gold.

Former England centre-forward Gary Lineker hosted the ceremony, held in the Bobby Moore Room, while legendary Brazilian goal machine Ronaldo and pop singer Melanie C stepped up on stage to help pull the names out of the hats.

Also lending their assistance as the fate of the qualifying nations was revealed were ex-Wales international Robbie Savage, former Scotland forward Kevin Gallacher and England’s national women’s team striker Kelly Smith.

In the women’s competition, reigning world champions Japan will take on Canada in their opening game, while defending Olympic champions USA were pitched against France to start the tournament. The hosts will face Senegal and New Zealand in the men’s and women’s opening games respectively.

Following the draw Men's Great Britain coach Stuart Pearce said: "Uruguay will be tough but I wouldn't dismiss anyone. The addition of three overage players can contribute to a really strong side. It will be tough, tournament football always is. Everyone in the squad will have star quality but I'll pick the squad on merit."

His Women's counterpart Hope Powell was similarly focused on a South American match-up. "Brazil will be a great game at Wembley, they are always there or thereabouts in major tournaments. Now it is down to our preparations. We have every chance of progressing but we can't take it lightly. We played New Zealand in the World Cup last year and it was a very tough encounter. Cameroon are an unknown quantity."

Powell was also optimistic about the wider reaching impact of the tournament. "This gives us a great opportunity to showcase out sport, we open the Olympics and hopefully we can encourage more females to get into the sport."

The groups

Men’s Olympic Football Tournament
Group A: Great Britain, Senegal, UAE, Uruguay
Group B: Mexico, Korea Republic, Gabon, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Egypt, Belarus, New Zealand
Group D: Spain, Japan, Honduras, Morocco

Women’s Olympic Football Tournament
Group E: Great Britain, New Zealand, Cameroon, Brazil
Group F: Japan, Canada, Sweden, South Africa
Group G: USA, France, Colombia, Korea DPR

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LA LIGA SPAIN 2012: Juventus confirma interés del Real Madrid por contar con mediocampista chileno Arturo Vidal

El equipo de José Mourinho quiere contratar al volante chileno de la "Vecchia Signora", pero recibieron un "no" rotundo por parte de los dirigentes italianos.

27/04/2012

A través de Fernando Felicevich habría sido el contacto que hizo Real Madrid para contar con los servicios de Arturo Vidal para la próxima temporada.
Así lo informa la prensa italiana, asegurando que el agente del jugador chileno hizo llegar el interés de los "Merengue" hasta los dirigentes de la Juventus.
Sin embargo, en el club más ganador del fútbol italiano no pretenden dejar partir al ex jugador del Bayer Leverkusen. Así lo dejó claro el director deportivo de la "Vecchia Signora", Giuseppe Marotta, confirmando de paso el interés de los españoles.
"Se lo dejé claro a Felicevich, e indirectamente al Real Madrid, que Arturo Vidal no está a la venta", comenzó diciendo.
"Vidal es intrasferible, y lo cierto es que no tiene nada que ver con el costo de su pase. El es uno de los pilares de la Juventus", agregó al diario Tuttosport.
"Celia Punk" fue comprado por la "Juve" en casi 14 millones de dólares, pero su pase habría subido a cerca de 27 luego de la gran temporada que está teniendo, según informan en italia.

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CANADA'S MOST FAMOUS FEMALE SINGER-SONGWRITERS

Female Singer/Songwriter spotlight (series): The next wave

(Photo by: www.musicroom.com) Great singer songwriters - Female Edition.

It's hard not to notice the many successful female singer/songwriters arising from Canada year after year. They've provided us with numerous songs, great music, and inspiration for music fans. But where do they come from? They don't usually become superstars overnight. Most of the time, they had to work hard at the craft, do a ton of gigs, get the record deal, cut the album...and so on. In reality, it takes awhile before an indie artist puts it altogether and can become a "famous" or "music stars".
So with that in mind, I'm beginning a "female singer/songerwriter spotlight" series, whereby I will write about many different female indie artists who will be showcased. In the same fashion, they will range from unsigned to some more well known singers, however, the primary focus is on the indie artists who are just starting to get noticed (who are on the rise).
As a writer, that's one of the most exciting parts of indie music. To possibly write about musicians years (or months) before they "hit it big!" To know that you were listening to them...when it meant something to them. Like when they performed a show to only 10 people in the bar, and you were one of those 10. Writing about indie music artists when they actually needed press/publicity.
Anyway, I spent a lot of time narrowing down my list and I came up with 60 names. Now this series is obviously going to be a long term project with no specific completion date in mind. This project gives some structure and focus for the writing, much like the 2010 CMW series is doing already. And of course, there are still other things to finish.
Here's a few singer/songwriters that I will be writing about in the near future. These are Canadian indie artists that I've seen live or am familiar with their music. At the current time, I will be writing on: Laurell, Vaness Alegassi, Ember Swift, Jillian Freeman, Hayley Stark, and Darrelle London.
Taking it one step at a time, one story at a time, and eventually it will be done! And of course, along the way you might be learning and listeing to some of Canada's future stars in music!
~Jason Chu
Cat Power sipping her coffee as she plays her guitar

Cat Power sipping her coffee as she plays her guitar

(Photo by: www.buzzsugar.com) Singer/songwriter Cat Power taking a coffee break, than back to the song.
SOME OF CANADA'S ESTEEMED FEMALE SINGER/SONGWRITERS

For more info:

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CYBERCLASSROOMTV GLOBAL PROJECT: Science Without Borders, Canadian universities reach to Brazil for brainpower

APRIL 27, 2012
That the inaugural mission of Canadian education leaders to Brazil is being called “long overdue” should come as no surprise. With a population of nearly 200 million, Brazil is a growing economic powerhouse – currently the world’s seven-largest economy and rising fast. And since becoming Prime Minister, Stephen Harper has emphasized relationship-building with South America, travelling to Brazil just last fall to deepen ties with business and government.
A delegation of 30-plus Canadian university presidents arriving in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday follow in Mr. Harper’s footsteps. It is the largest effort to date by Canada’s post-secondary sector to expand research ties with Brazil and attract some of the tens of thousands of Brazilian students who will study outside their country in the coming years. And it was spurred by the Brazilian government’s announcement last fall of Science Without Borders, a $2-billion program to send 100,000 top university students abroad, all tuition and expenses paid.
As of 2010, a total of 650 Brazilian post-secondary students were studying in Canada; that same year, U.S. universities and colleges reportedly attracted about 9,000. But the Science Without Borders partnership being finalized by the Canadian delegation this week is expected to draw an additional 12,000 students to Canada over the next four years. Driving home the mission’s importance is the presence of Governor General David Johnston, who is joining the group at Mr. Harper’s request to stress Canada’s eagerness for deeper relations.
The Science Without Borders students – who will stay in Canada up to a year before returning home to finish their degrees – are a welcome contribution to universities’ bottom lines, and to the economy as a whole; in 2008, when Canada had many fewer study-abroad students, the economic benefit of hosting them was pegged at $6.5-billion. On a less measurable level, these students are seen as critical to diversifying campuses and forging long-term links to Brazil and its industries.
“Think of those people becoming senior leaders in business, in government, in science,” said University of British Columbia president Stephen Toope, who also chairs the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, which is co-ordinating the trip. “If they’ve had a strong Canadian experience, they will tend to look to Canada for partnerships.”
That matters because innovation increasingly comes from talent that is more mobile between interconnected economies, says University of Western Ontario professor Ted Hewitt, an authority on Brazil and a visiting scholar at The Wilson Centre in Washington: “Ideas can just as easily come from Nairobi as from New York or from Silicon Valley. In that context, you must link.”
That said, Canadian schools have been perceived as lagging in the race for global brainpower. While Canada attracts thousands of students a year from China and India, other countries such as France and Germany managed to send similar delegations to Brazil years sooner. Canadian universities only recently ramped up collective efforts to raise their international profile, and it took a program as lucrative as Science Without Borders to drive the current stampede to Brazil.
“I fail to be polite and diplomatic here: This is late,” said Britta Baron, provost at the University of Alberta, which was one of four schools that formed a more modest consortium two years ago to make inroads in South America.
This week’s mission, which includes a forum on university-industry linkages, dovetails with the Canadian government’s broader goal to build bridges between education and business; substantial amounts of money earmarked for research in the recent federal budget was directed to university-industry collaborations. The delegates’ week-long itinerary includes a roundtable of university presidents, visits to Brazilian campuses, and audiences with government ministers. But they know building a fruitful relationship takes more than a series of meetings.
“It’s one thing to sign a lovely agreement that articulates all these objectives,” said Mr. Johnston, who spent a combined 25 years as a university president. “It’s another thing to do the hard work of being sure that the marriage actually works.”
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
INTERVIEWSThe vast ambition of Brazil’s Science Without Borders initiative – $2-billion worth of government funding, plus contributions from the private sector, to send 100,000 students away on full scholarships by the end of 2015 – has grabbed global attention. The Globe and Mail spoke to two Brazilian students studying in Canada, and one who will arrive soon, about why they chose to head north.
Pedro Hirata, 21Undergraduate in biological science, University of Sao Paolo
Arrived at the University of Western Ontario in March through Science Without Borders
Why Canada?
Mr. Hirata researches ways to slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease, and leapt at the chance to study in a Western lab run by professor and fellow Brazilian Marco Prado, with whom Mr. Hirata had published a paper the year previous while studying in Sao Paolo. “It was the perfect choice.”
Will you stay connected to Canada?
“Canada is a great place to do research in neurobiology, and if I had to choose [to live and work somewhere outside Brazil] it would definitely be here. I can totally imagine coming back.”
Renata Tostes, 24Undergraduate in animal sciences, State University of Maringa
Arrived at the University of Alberta this month through Science Without Borders
Why Canada?
When Ms. Tostes won her scholarship, her Brazilian supervisor made introductions to professors whose work was closely related to hers in the U.S., Australia, and at the University of Alberta. She says that he wanted to come to Canada in large part because of the opportunities to do an internship here. “[After studying in Canada], I will be able to picture a new future for myself. I’ll have this experience of dealing with a different reality from what we have [in Brazil].”
Will you stay connected to Canada?
“Definitely. I’m loving it. After a year here, I think I will be able to picture a new future for myself.”
Mathias Barreto, 22Undergraduate in chemical engineering, Federal University of Viçosa
Will arrive at Concordia University in June through Science Without Borders
Why Canada?
Mr. Barreto had already studied abroad in the U.S. when he applied to Science Without Borders, but a placement at Concordia to work on polymers that control the delivery of drugs in the bloodstream caught his attention. It was also an opportunity to improve his French, he says. “I always dreamed of going to Canada because, when I was a kid, every single Sunday we used to watch a program that talked about tourism in Canada.”
Will you stay connected to Canada?
“I hope so.”

--

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2012: Gol de Ronaldo - Real Madrid y Bayern definen al segundo finalista de la Champions

LIGA DE CAMPEONES

El equipo de José Mourinho debe remontar el 2-1 sufrido en la ida ante el equipo alemán, que quiere jugar la definición como dueño de casa.

6' GOOOOL DE REAL MADRID, CRISTIANO RONALDO.

5' ¡Penal para el Madrid! Di María metió una pelota al área y ésta rebotó en la mano de Alaba.

3' Excelente cambio de frente de Xabi Alonso, Di María desborda, envía el centro atrás y Khedira remata, pero atrapa Neuer.

1' Comenzó el partido.

15.43 Los jugadores del Bayern desfilan realizando el tradicional saludo a los del Real Madrid.

15.41 Los equipos aparecen en la cancha del Bernabéu.

15.39 Los equipos se preparan para salir a la cancha.

15.33 El doctor de Real Madrid Luis Serratosa dijo, según destaca As, que "afortunadamente, Mourinho nos ha dicho a algunos que va a seguir la próxima temporada. Será el entrenador del Real Madrid durante mucho tiempo".

15.29 Mourinho declaró en la previa que enfrentar al Bayern Munich es una final anticipada.

15.27 En el caso de los alemanes, son siete los que están al borde de la suspensión: Lahm, Badstuber, Luiz Gustavo, Boateng, Alaba, Kroos y Müller.

15.26 En el plantel merengue Ramos, Xabi, Higuaín y Coentrao arriesgan quedar suspendidos para la final si reciben amarilla.

15.21 La alineación de Bayern Munich será con Neuer; Lahm, Badstuber, Boateng y Alaba; Luiz Gustavo y Schweinsteiger; Robben, Kroos y Ribery; Gomez.

15.19 Real Madrid jugará con Casillas; Arbeloa, Ramos, Pepe y Marcelo; Khedira y Xabi Alonso; DI María, Özil y Cristiano Ronaldo; Benzema.

15.17 Las formaciones están confirmadas. Mourinho sacó a Coentrao, titular ante el Barcelona, y puso a Marcelo en defensa.

15.00 El conjunto bávaro ganó en la ida por 2-1 y ahora deberá mantener esa ventaja en el Santiago Bernabéu.

14.55 Buenas tardes. Comenzamos aquí la transmisión del partido que jugarán Real Madrid y Bayern Munich por la semifinal de la Liga de Campeones.

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2012: Barça se queda sin Champions y Guardiola prepara el adiós

Empató 2-2 con Chelsea. Messi erró un penal ante un rival que jugó 53’ con 10 hombres.

Antes del inicio del partido ante Chelsea había un sentimiento extraño en el ambiente del Camp Nou. Como si la fuerte convicción de derribar a los ingleses chocara con un sabor a despedida. Finalmente, Barcelona defraudó todos los pronósticos y, con un empate 2-2 en la Ciudad Condal, se quedó a la vera del camino para llegar a su quinta corona.

En seis días se escribió el desastre del cuadro “culé”, quizás la mejor generación de la historia de jugadores catalanes. Había caído la semana pasada ante los mismos “Blues”, el sábado se despidió de La Liga en la derrota como local ante el Madrid, y ayer fue la última paletada de un equipo que no pudo levantarse, pese a la gran cantidad de recursos con los que cuenta.

Un mezquino 2-2 en casa selló el destino. Pese a que tuvo todo para ganar el partido. Comenzó en ventaja con el gol de Sergio Busquets y la expulsión de John Terry, luego de un rodillazo a Alexis Sánchez en la zona lumbar, dejó aún más abiertas las opciones. Sobre todo tras la segunda cifra, la de Iniesta, a los 43’, que duró muy poco como celebración, ya que un par de minutos más tarde, Ramires puso el descuento que llevaba a los isleños a su segunda final de la historia.

Con el segundo tiempo en marcha, el asedio catalán se hizo desesperado. El penal sobre Fábregas encendió aún más los deseos locales, pero la ejecución de Lionel Messi dio directamente en el horizontal. Un error que pudo desmoralizar a cualquiera, menos al cuadro de “Pep”, que siguió con su insistente e impreciso ataque sobre el arco de Petr Cech, que tuvo como su punto cúlmine un tanto anulado al chileno Sánchez, uno de los destacados del cuadro “culé”, por clara posición de adelanto del brasileño Dani Alves.

Los estertores blaugranas se fueron diluyendo en el final del partido y el tanto de Fernando Torres para el 2-2, justo en el final, fue la clara imagen de un equipo perdido, que adoleció de la fuerza suficiente para enfrentar el último tramo de la temporada europea.

El final de un ciclo

La cita estaba ya establecida. Pasara o no Barcelona a la final de la Champions, la directiva había agendado una reunión con Guardiola. Quizás la última. A las puertas del mes de mayo, la directiva de Sandro Rosell quería conocer de una vez por todas la respuesta del técnico.

Pero la decisión se fraguaba desde meses antes. “Pep” ya había dicho que “no”, pero el plantel esperaba que la decisión se revirtiera. Por eso, el técnico le pidió tiempo a Rosell para abrigar las esperanzas de todo el barcelonismo.

Lo cierto es que el discurso del oriundo de Santpedor era el mismo: el cansancio de cinco temporadas íntegras e ininterrumpidas en la dirección técnica (una de ellas con el cuadro B), la falta de tiempo para atender a su familia y la posibilidad de tomarse al menos un año sabático para hacer charlas motivacionales a través del planeta.

Asimismo, en el seno de la dirección “culé” sabían de las millonarias ofertas de Inter de Milán o Chelsea, que se elevan sobre los 20 millones de dólares anuales; aunque también conocían que esas no eran las razones que mueven al ex volante.

“El Barcelona seguirá jugando la Champions el próximo año... Ya veremos en los próximos días si sigo en el club”, fue la escueta respuesta de Guardiola, una vez concluido el pleito de ayer.

Para los mandamases de Barcelona, la prioridad número uno es la continuidad del entrenador. Claro que ahora tienen la dura misión de hacer que la respuesta sea positiva. Se ve lejano.

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BUSINESS AND IT TECHNOLOGIES: Wattpad, a new publishing paradigm, Canada’s e-book moguls versus literary London

It’s first thing in the morning on the opening day of the London Book Fair, but the steps of the Earls Court Conference Centre could be the entrance to a Macau casino. The place is crowded with smokers, almost all of them Asian, cheerily puffing away and trading gossip under a cloud of nicotine fumes. It’s no surprise: China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of tobacco (and basically everything else), also happens to be the “market focus” of this year’s fair, with 180 publishers and a couple dozen writers having made the trip from the Far East to west London.

That focus on China has provided the fair’s biggest controversy this year – there’s the notable exclusion of well-known dissident writers such as Gao Xingjian, China’s only Nobel laureate in literature; and a morally questionable collaboration between fair organizers and the Chinese government agency that regulates and censors print media. English PEN held a recent conference on the subject and many anti-censorship activists are calling foul. But as publishing markets go, China is the future and everyone here knows it.

It seems oddly fitting, then, that the businessman being touted as the future of Western publishing also happens to be of Chinese descent, even if he is a Canadian entrepreneur through and through. Toronto-based Allen Lau is the co-founder of Wattpad, a site that bills itself as “YouTube for e-books” and is doing its best to live up to the boast.

Growing numbers of digital publishers have in recent years established themselves in the traditional e-book pay model – Byliner, Kindle Singles and boutique house The Atavist come to mind. But Wattpad is the fastest-growing repository of user-uploaded electronic texts: In other words, it’s completely free, both for writers and readers.

Because of this, Wattpad is growing at an astonishing rate. Since 2009, it has doubled its users every six months. It currently boasts eight million monthly visitors and three million newly uploaded stories. Late last year, the site received a $3.5-million (U.S.) cash injection from New York-based venture-capital firm Union Square Ventures, which has made similar early bets on Etsy and Twitter.

On the fair’s opening day, Lau teamed up with another Canadian digital-publishing pioneer, Bob Young, owner of the online self-publishing company Lulu.com (and owner of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats), to convince the publishing world that Canada holds the key to the future of books.

Lau and Young also constituted the “upstart” team in the fair’s second annual Oxford-style great debate. On the old-guard side were Fionnuala Duggan, from the textbook publisher CourseSmart; and Evan Schnittman, an executive at publisher Bloomsbury.

An animated crowd of more than 200 came out, drawn by the following proposition: “In the fight for survival, outsiders and start-ups are taking on today’s heavyweight publishers and will ultimately deliver a knock-out punch.”

In the predebate vote, 88 spectators voted in favour of the upstarts, with 82 undecided and the remainder against. That showing prompted Young, the first debater to take the podium, to thank the audience and joke, “You can all go home now.”

But, in fact, the fight was far from over.

Young began his argument by evoking the most famous slogan of another Canadian innovator, Marshall McLuhan. “Every time humanity develops a new medium, everything changes,” he said, occasionally pausing to tweak his bright orange ball cap. “It takes a new generation of humans to understand it.”

In Young’s view, the war between digital upstarts and traditional publishers has already been won. Just last week, he pointed out, Encyclopedia Britannica announced that it was no longer producing a print edition. As for readers, and Amazon and Google are outdoing venerable publishing houses everywhere. “Now it’s a matter of the next generation taking over,” he said.

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HOT CELEBRITIES: Lindsay Lohan will play Liz Taylor in biopic

Lindsay Lohan will portray Elizabeth Taylor in a Lifetime film about her love affair with actor Richard Burton.

Lifetime on Monday made official a casting decision rumoured for months. The network says Lohan will star in Liz & Dick, with production set to begin in early June.

There was no mention of who will play Burton or when the film will air.

Taylor and Burton met as co-stars of the 1963 epic Cleopatra. They fell in love as the world looked on, left their respective spouses and got married. Then they divorced, only to remarry and divorce again.

In recent years the 25-year-old Lohan has gained her own measure of notoriety. Liz & Dick represents a step in her attempted career comeback

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