6 september 2011

Wederom een nieuwe Scoops om te herbeluisteren op onze Mixcloud!

Duizenden erasmusstudenten komen weer aan in onze stad en lopen verloren rond met een kaartje van Leuven in de handen. Iets dat hen alsvast kan helpen is de Welcome Desk van het International Office en LOKO. Klaartje Proesmans van het Int. Office vertelt er ons veel meer over.
Redders vindt je niet alleen aan zwembaden en op stranden, ook op wedstrijden! Carmen en Sophie zijn twee reddende zwemsters en vertellen jullie alles over wat dat inhoudt en hoe het allemaal ging op het WK lifesaving!
We hadden het ook over het 'model'station van Leuven, verkeersproblemen, lifestyle en bizarre dieren. Dit alles doorspekt met muziek van onder andere The Tallest Man on Earth en Guilty Simpson!

Jamaica, Feng Shui en akoestische blues

Oloha!
Het is 7 september en dat betekent dat het nieuwe Spoentikseizoen weer aangebroken is. Wegens een technische storing werd onze uitzending niet opgenomen, maar wij vatten de belangrijkste zaakjes graag nog eens voor u samen:

Weerpraatje
Haal die BBQ set en de  bikini's al maar boven want zaterdag kunnen we nog even genieten van de zomer. Het wordt tropisch warm met termperatuurtjes tot 28 graden! Het mooie weer is jammer genoeg van korte duur want hierna wordt het weer wisselvallig en een stuk kouder.

 
Zut Alors

Feng shui (Fung Sjweej) experte Annermie Struyvers richtte voor ons de ideale studentenkamer in. Wil je slagen voor al je examens? Zorg dan dat je met je rug tegen een stevige wand zit en dat je vanaf je plaats de deur kan zien. Een poster van een imposante berg achter je hangen, bevordert je concentratievermogen. Vrijgezel? No problem! Met Feng Shui sla je binnen de  kortste keren de ware jacob aan de haak. Benodigdheden: een compas. Zoek de Zuid-Westelijke hoek van je slaapkamer en versier deze met enkele liefdessymbolen. Succes verzekerd!  Voor meer informatie over deze Chinese Filosofie kan je hier terecht.

Vive la Musique
De Amerikaanse muzikant Don Henry Smith sloot de uitzending af met het akoestisch bluesnummertje "Trouble in my mind".

 

5 september 2011

Onze eerste uitzending van het nieuwe academiejaar liep bijna over van interessants.
Beginnen deden we met een interview met Raoul Maris van het communicatiebureau Boondoggle over hun samenwerking met Jobat om iedereen te informeren over correcte lonen.
We blikten ook een keer vooruit op het nieuws van dit academiejaar en daar horen natuurlijk de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen ook bij. In dat kader interviewden we Luc Bellens van N-VA Leuven over hun start'schot' voor de campagne. Nieuw jaar, nieuwe rubriek ook; over media, en voorlopig nog naamloos.
Ook cultuur mocht niet ontbreken in deze uitzending, daarom belden we met Petja Gekiere van KUNSTWERK[t] over hun project 'de Wisselkamer' die dit najaar in Leuven zal georganiseerd worden. Tot slot ook weetjes over het taalgebruik van Tyler, The Creator, de nieuwe ikea-catalogus, Museum M en vooral veel goede muziek!

Mediarubriek-links:
http://www.fuckthiswebsite.com
Gemene Poes
Hello, My name is Amy Walker
Zulu Radio

Shocking England saved by Ashley Young

LONDON, Wembley – Ashley Young proved to be the difference between England and Wales with his third goal for the Three Lions. England’s first victory at Wembley in over more than one year came in an entirely unconvincing fashion. Nonetheless Capello’s team are now on the verge of qualifying for the EURO2012 finals.

Englandcan breathe a sigh of relief after a poor performance against the stubborn Welsh. The home side struggled against the tight-marking visitors and a worrying lack of creativity didn’t help to break down the Welsh defense. In the 76th minute England were let off the hook when Robert Earnshaw, who had replaced Morrison earlier on, missed an absolute sitter. Darcy Blake’s nod back fell to Earnshaw with the goalkeeper nowhere near and the goal gaping, but somehow he managed to spoon it over from just a few yards out.

Fabio Capello had promised to give the England fans an encouraging performance, but right from the start England it became apparent that England were in for a though night as Rooney and co struggled to impose their will against a Welsh side that sat back deep and constantly had 8 or 9 players behind the ball. The midfield trio, led by Frank Lampard, failed to dictate the play and, despite trying to open up the game via the wings, England found it hard to create a clear-cut chance and never really threatened Hennessey. England simply did not seem to entertain the thought of two-touch football. It would be a reoccurring pattern throughout the 90 minutes.

After 8 minutes John Terry opened hostilities heading an Ashley Young cross just wide. On the right side Stuart Downing proved to be lively, but he delivered only half-decent crosses. The same Downing tried a scissors kick just before the half-hour mark, but it was not a night for great antics and his attempt flew skywards.

A static England were slowly getting frustrated and nervy, but Ashley Young’s third senior England goal provided relief: Downing danced his way past Welsh right-back Ledley before cutting back to Young who slammed it in at the near post from 10 yards. It was the breakthrough that England needed against a Welsh side, who had until Young’s goal rarely been in trouble.

Walesproduced very little in the final third of the field with Gary Speed surprisingly opting to play his star player Gareth Bale on the right, fitting him against the experienced Ashley Cole rather than the suspect Chris Smalling. Could Wales muster anything in the offensive compartment in the second half?

If the first half was bleak from England’s point of view, the second half turned nearly into a nightmare. The longer the game went on, the worse it got. Not that Wales besieged Joe Hart at any stage. On the contrary, the Dragons hardly got out of their own half and when in possession seemed at a loss to do something with it.

Yet in a game of few chances, Wales were bound to get a decent sight of goal once. A glorious opportunity fell to Robert Earnshaw just inside the last 15 minutes of the game. The Cardiff City player received the ball unmarked inside the box with Joe Hart at his mercy, but he blasted it over to the disbelief of the Wales coaching staff on the sideline and to huge cheers of the Wembley crowd.

The Welsh fans did not lose their sense of humor for it and sang: ‘Fourth in the World, you are having a laugh.’ It poignantly summed up England’s night. England produced one good move during the entire 90 minutes and it was enough to ensure the three points, but apart from the fortuitous victory – Wales deserved a draw – there were precious, little positives to take from the game. England returned to their bad, old habits and the only possible comfort is that both Downing and Young managed to not be dragged down to the level of the players alongside them.

After a desperate evening at Wembley, England have moved closer to EURO2012. With one point needed away to Montenegro to book England’s ticket for next year’s finals, a big improvement will be required from the Three Lions. So once more, it’s back to the drawing board for Fabio Capello.

The ogre Capello rings changes to tackle Bale

LONDON – Grumpy, old Capello led out England yesterday for a closed training session at Wembley, as England take on Wales today, eyeing to close in on qualification for EURO2012 in Poland and Ukraine. He intends to change his winning formation in a bid to stop the threat posed by the explosive Gareth Bale.

An encounter between England and Wales often conjures up images of mythical creatures, which once led an observer to suggest that an abject Welsh performance explained why dragons became extinct.

But on a more serious note, Fabio Capello was not in a very upbeat or talkative mood ahead of what may well be his last competitive match at Wembley. The England manager exploded in anger during the training session when his instructions about not throwing-in the ball down the line were not properly followed by his players.

Capello explained: ‘The game against Bulgaria was good, but yesterday I showed the highlights of the mistakes we made against them and my players made the same mistakes today.’ John Terry confirmed that Capello’s eye for detail is very impressive. He is determined to refine and develop his players to bestow them with the ability to play in different circumstances at the highest level – to tackle the daunting task of playing against the cream of Europe next year in Poland and Ukraine.

Capello’s rage with his players portrays him as a tyrant and a dictator. It is an image that has accompanied the Italian throughout his England tenure. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa last summer, the England players were holed up at basecamp, but the rigid regime of Capello backfired when Germany tore England apart in a humbling second-round defeat. A galvanized Germany with Mesut Ozil simply brushed aside a woeful England side, prompting wide-spread calls for Capello to be sacked.

Yet Capello says the situation has changed now. According to him the players are now more relaxed around him: ‘I haven’t changed my style but the players understand me better now.’ Introducing a fictional monster, Capello, seeing the funny side of things, dismissed his reputation of being stiff and inflexible: ‘I am not an ogre.’

The relationship between Capello and his players thus seems to be at an all-time high and therefore the England team knows exactly what the coach expects tonight at Wembley. England will look to get rid of their poor, post-World Cup home record, which has seen them draw on three occasions and lose against France. The idea of ‘fortress Wembley’ may be distant, but England know that a simple victory against Wales will suffice to virtually ensure qualification for the EURO2012 finals.

After the clinical performance against Bulgaria, one may feel Capello would be inclined to adhere to the saying ‘never change a winning team’. Yet Capello feels that the circumstances demand a different approach and has indicated that he will change the shape and the style of the side. ‘We are playing at home and that means it is different game. Visiting teams came here and sit back. It is difficult for us to break the opposing defense down and score goals.’

Aside from the way the visitors respond to being away from home, Capello acknowledges that Gareth Bale is Wales’ biggest threat and much of his planning for tonight’s game centers on countering Wales’ number 11.  The Tottenham winger has 29 caps under his belt for Wales, but didn’t play in Cardiff back in March due to injury. His devastating pace is a worry for Capello: ‘Bale is a fantastic player. It is difficult to stop him. He receives the ball fast, attacks the space and is very fast. He makes a difference and we need to be careful whenever he receives the ball.’

The more defensive minded James Milner will replace Theo Walcott on the right side of the field to provide extra cover for the inexperienced Chris Smalling from Manchester United. There is no doubt that Bale and Wales will try to exploit this potential weakness in England’s rearguard. However with Craig Bellamy missing, Bale may take up a more withdrawn role, which won’t enable him to run at the England defense with his turbo-charges at will.

The inclusion of Milner, lining up next to Barry and Parker, is an indication that Capello will field a 4-3-3 formation, which proved highly effective in Cardiff. In the final third of the field Ashley Young, blossoming as a player under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, will act in a supporting role for England’s main striker Wayne Rooney. If the Manchester United pair can reproduce their antics from last Friday, they are bound to give the Welsh defense serious trouble and may swing the game England’s way.

The banana skin for England, who are the favorites, in trying to dismantle the Wales defense is a lack of patience quickly turning into frustration and nerviness, which in turn endangers England’s composure. A repeat of England’s World Cup qualifier against Greece back in 2001 springs to mind. The stage is set for an intriguing battle between Capello and Gary Speed, between England and Wales, or in some minds, Ogre v Shrek.
 
 
 
 
 

S.O.S. Mano Menezes

LONDON, Craven Cottage – SK. The honeymoon period for Mano Menezes has ended for a  while now, but the pressure is steadily building on Brazil’s coach ahead of Monday’s friendly against Ghana at Craven Cottage. The consensus among the players and the media is the same: Brazil is currently going through a transitional period after the 2010 World Cup, the balance between youngsters and the veterans is difficult to strike, but the question is how much longer the biggest football nation on earth will accept the experimental approach of Mano Menezes with results not going Brazil’s way?

After 13 games at the helm of the Selecao Mano’s Brazil have lost 3 games against France, Argentina and Germany, were eliminated from the Copa America by Paraguay and conceded 7 goals. The new whiff, which accompanied Menezes when appointed, is gone. The new coach vowed to do away with Dunga’s counterattacking game and emphasized the need to strengthen the midfield with offensive players. Quality in the axe of the field as a foundation for Brazil’s resurrection.

A poor Ganso struggled and the passing through the midfield was not sufficiently slick at the Copa America. The performance in Argentina pointed to the conclusion that Brazil are very much a work in progress. In August Germany, with Gotze as protagonist, totally dismantled the team of Menezes. Menezes had no other choice but to graciously accept defeat: ‘We are still finding it hard to organize an attacking move. We are depending on individual skills from our strikers. We are not able to put together combinations as mechanically as the Germans are doing.’

The result of a friendly is obviously not the most important aspect, but the lack of belief in his own ideas by Menezes was astounding. His formation was conservative and only when the game was lost, did Ganso appear. Rodrigo Paiva, the flamboyant press officer of Brazil, was quick to inform the gathered media that the CBF would continue putting its faith in the hands of Menezes, but critical voices are growing ever louder. Milton Neves, an outspoken journalist, did not hide his dismay: ‘Mano, you are the pilot of a small plane, but the Selecao is a boeing!'

Menezes had to act and opted to select Ronaldinho for the game against Ghana. The latter has found his 'joie de vivre' at Flamengo, where the shrewd Vanderlei Luxemburgo plays Ronaldinho closer to goal to mask the loss of his burning acceleration. Ronaldinho will be wearing the yellow jersey as he needs to help bridge the gap between the different generations within the team. It is a task he humbly accepts:  'I am happy to return to the team. I have the duty to help the team with all the experience that I have acquired.’

Up front Menezes is ringing another change: Alexandre Pato from AC Milan, who turned 22 last week, has to make way for Leandro Damiao. The former has just scored 6 goals in 17 games and has been given ample time by Menezes to prove his worth. Menezes' patience with Pato has run out and so he turns his attention to Damiao in a bid to give Brazil more physical presence in the box. The tall striker from Internacional can be described as a classic number 9. Damiao made his debut for Brazil in March against Scotland. 

The Brazilian coach has hence made several changes in his team that will face Ghana tonight, but the time to experiment is over. Ronaldinho may offer temporary relief for Menezes, but his selection will not solve Brazil’s structural problems. Mano is a coach under intense pressure. The Olympic Games in London are approaching rapidly and it offers Menezes another chance to further develop his philosophy and build his team. In the squad for the game tonight, Ganso, Neymar, Lucas, Damiao, Danilo and Pato can all be identified as having an Olympic passport. But whether the CBF and the Brazilian public are willing to tolerate Mano’s experimental approach for another year remains to be seen.

Brazil line-up v Ghana: J. Cesar, D. Alves, T. Silva, Lucio, Marcelo; Ganso, Fernandinho, Lucas Leiva; Ronaldinho, Neymar, Damiao

Mano Menezes banks on Ronaldinho renaissance

LONDON, Craven Cottage – SK.  After a disappointing Copa America and defeat in Germany, Mano Menezes has recalled Ronaldinho Gaucho to the Brazil squad ahead of the friendly international against Ghana at Craven Cottage. Menezes believes that a reinvigorated Ronaldinho can help to get his Brazil back on the right track.

Ronaldinho’s recent, excellent performances with Flamengo have caught the eye of Mano Menezes. At moments Ronaldinho has shown glimpses of his former best. The shrewd Vanderlei Luxemburgo positions Ronaldinho closer to goal to mask his ageing legs. It has enabled Ronaldinho with his vast array of tricks and nose for goal to be the driving force behind Flamengo’s title bid. His genius unmistaken, there is no doubt however that Menezes wants to use the experience that Ronaldinho has acquired to help and build the Brazilian team.

Menezes needs to fil up a vacuum. After the 2010 World Cup Menezes took the pressure seat with the massive task of constructing a Brazil ready to win the World Cup on home soil in 2014. But the transitional phase initiated by the dismissal of Dunga has not been easy. Menezes’ experimental approach came crashing down at the Copa America, where it was proved that his team is very much a work in progress. The new generation of Neymar, Ganso and Pato have been unable to fill the boots of their illustrious predecessors. 

In a squad, where only Julio Cesar and captain Lucio can be considered veterans, Ronaldinho has now been given the task of providing some much needed guidance to the new generation. Yet Menezes’ choice to recall Ronaldinho is an odd move. Succumbing to the increasing pressure in the wake of recent results Mano had to act, but Ronaldinho can hardly be considered part of the plans for the 2014 World Cup. In the long term Ronaldinho won’t solve Brazil’s structural problems. In a bold statement Menezes disagrees with this view: ‘His selection is not a temporary solution. It is important for Brazil to have experience. He is a world champion and alongside with the younger players we try to build the team. I do not exclude the possibility of selecting him for the 2014 World Cup. It is still far away and it is about Ronaldinho playing well. I do believe he has what it takes to play at the World Cup.’

In a sense, Menezes believes that the call up of Ronaldinho was only a matter of time. Repeating that the form of a player is the decisive criterion to select a player, Mano continued by stressing that Ronaldinho is valuable to the Selecao: ‘Ronaldinho contributes a lot to the game. He is a leader with great technical ability. You can rely on him to help the younger players, who are on their way to a permanent spot in the team. When he returned to Brazil from AC Milan he had to adapt again. I waited for the moment that Ronaldinho started to enjoy playing again.’

Ronaldinho himself seems pleased with his return to the elite of Brazilian football. With the spotlight firmly turned on him, the former Ballon D’Or winner and FIFA World Player of the Year hasn’t been very talkative about his second call up by Menezes, but in a scarce comment to the Brazilian press, he expressed his sincere joy: ‘I am very happy to play for Brazil again. Every call up is different and emotional. My task now is to help the team with my experience.’

Whereas player and coach seem to think along the same line, the media and public scrutiny beg the question that this is not the right option to rebuild the Brazilian team. Brazil may have won the U-20 World Cup in Colombia, but another injection of youthful talent may at this stage given the circumstances be fatal for Menezes. Thus, with Kaka totally out of form, Menezes has little choice but to include Ronaldinho in his team. Menezes does confirm that Kaka is not completely out of the picture. Kaka wearing the yellow shirt, boasting five stars, shouldn’t be ruled out in the future: ‘You can’t compare Kaka with Ronaldinho at this moment. The former is not playing very well. You have to give him time. When he gets back to his best, I may include him. I am waiting.’

The overall equation leaves Menezes with a near impossible assignment, keeping in mind the upcoming 2012 Londen Olympics. The current situation Brazil find themselves in is not Menezes’ fault, but at the same time it, as a coach, is his fault. He knows that he can’t afford a slip up against Ghana, whatever support the CBF may be showing.  It is now up to Ronaldinho to answer Mano’s faith with a convincing performance.