Author: Liam_Richner

Graduated from Southampton Solent University with an Upper Second (2:1) in Sports Journalism. Contact- Email: liamrichner@googlemail.com.

The MLS: League Growing in Stature or Exile For Past Greats?

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So, good old Frank Lampard is the latest to move across to the states as he signs for New York City FC. The sister club to Manchester City. But will NYCFC be able to dominate their domestic league as much as City have over the past few years (2 league titles in 3 seasons)? It all depends on transfers, squad morale and ultimately results.

Having to wait until 2015 for their debut season in the MLS, New York are currently building a team they believe can challenge to go all the way in the big apples’ maiden campaign. However, it’s more big name signings rather than players in their prime.

Don’t get me wrong. David Villa and Frank Lampard are quality players. But they are well beyond their best. Villa was the main man at Valencia and in his early Barcelona days before the terrible leg break in 2011. He didn’t have the hugest impact at Atletico Madrid last season and hopes for a fresh start in NYC. If he can be as prolific as before his injury, New York will do well next season.

Frank Lampard has been Chelsea’s best player of the past 10 years. He constantly hit 20 goals a season and became Chelsea’s all time leading goal scorer last season with a couple of strikes at Aston Villa. In the past few seasons though he has been restricted to fewer appearances at Stamford Bridge then he would of like. Lampard is 36 years of age and is nearing the finishing line of a glorious and successful career, a MLS title with NYC will top it all off.

Compared to sister club city, they don’t spend big and don’t buy the big name stars of today. Manchester City have splashed out on Aguero, Yaya Toure and Jesus Navas in the past few years. They have had successful managers like Roberto Mancini and current boss Manuel Pellegrini. NYC have a rather unknown boss.

Away from Manchester City and New York, another big name will be playing in the MLS next season. Kaka has joined Orlando, again another star who has gone past his prime years. He was player of the year in 2007 when he helped AC Milan win the Champions League, which earned him a big summer switch to Real Madrid in 2009. Similar to Villa, serious knee injuries made his career at the Bernabeu a tough time, and when he rejoined Milan, he failed to make a similar impact to his first stint in Italy.

I guess what I’m trying to get to here is that the MLS is growing and becoming much more recognisable. However, the stars which will embrace the states over the next year or so are older, and much more experienced. Henry, Defoe, Donavan, Kaka, Villa and Lampard have all had their prime years behind them and although they are good players, better players are still playing in the much better leagues on the planet. The Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A and the Eredivisie are all leagues that compared to the MLS have more quality, and it may still be a few years before the MLS can be considered one of the best leagues in the world.

Is This Nibali’s Time? Tour De France Week One Review

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I have to be honest. If you asked me about Cycling- the conversation would be short. I haven’t really been a big fan of the sport and haven’t paid much attention to it in the past. But this years Tour De France has had me hooked from Stage 1. Today is the first rest day of the competition and I have decided to write about how I feel the first week and bit of the tour has gone.

The competition started in a sunny Yorkshire. The streets were packed for the first two days as the peleton cycled through cities such as Leeds and Sheffield. The powerful German Marcel Kittel took two of the opening three stages, predominantly due to his sheer power and sprint speed. He took the first stage and third stage driving down the Mall ahead of sprint competitors such as Peter Sagan.

British hopes have in a way been squandered by the tour. Mark Cavendish crashed out at Stage One with a fractured shoulder. Chris Froome abandoned on stage 5 of the competition after a few falls. Sir Bradley Wiggins never broke into a very strong Team Sky and is henceforth not participating.

For Team Sky, Australian Ritchie Porte has become the main man with the aid of Geraint Thomas. He is currently second in the general classification and has made a steady job behind the handlebar after a tough week for the Sky Team.

The stage which had me grimacing was stage 5. Wet, windy and cobbles to deal with made it every cyclist’s nightmare of a stage. With crashes here, there and everywhere it was a chance for people to gain time on rivals, and also lose them.

The king of the mountains competition (poke-a-dot jersey) has been intriguing as the Tour hit the mountainous region near Besincon. The jersey switched hands three times in the past three days. Tony Martin had the jersey going into yesterdays’ stage however Spaniard J.Rodriguez is in the lead with a huge gap between him and his nearest challenger.

Alberto Contador was the favourite for the Tour de France this year, however yesterday marked the end of his campaign for the yellow jersey. A fall during stage 10 left him with a fractured kneecap and ruled him out of the tour, following Chris Froomes’ footsteps during stage 5.

That leaves the door wide open for our current leader, Vicenzo Nibali. The champion of Italy has held the yellow jersey for 8 days of racing out of ten and looks good to keep hold of the yellow jersey until the tour hits Paris. The Italian won stages 2 and 10 in his pursuit of a second tour victory this year.

Tripped Over The First Hurdle: Why Are England Out Of The World Cup?

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So England are out of the World Cup; eliminated from the Group Stages for the first time since 1958. Questions have been instantly raised about the team and the management but to be honest, England haven’t played poorly. But if England played decently, then why are they out? I hear you ask. Well, here is how I see it.

Roy Hodgson is trying to cement young players into the team, players such as Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain, as well as mixing it with the experience of Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney. He is planning for the future and I think it has been the correct decision by the FA to back Roy Hodgson for the Euro 2016 campaign. But to plan for the future, you need to experiment. I think that’s what Roy has used the World Cup for. The back five (Hart, Johnson, Cahill, Jageilka and Baines) will most likely feature in France in two years time. However the forward six may be different. Gerrard’s future is in doubt, Lampard will be too old. Players like Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana will arguably hit the prime years of their careers, making it difficult for Hodgson to find the balance in the team. Perhaps the players picked weren’t ready for the World Cup, and more experienced players who have retired should have been called up or persuaded to play. Players such as John Terry and Ashley Cole, who have been there and done it. Baines struggled against the Italians and perhaps the Chelsea pairing of Terry and Cole may have been much more solid.

The team formation was one that has been questioned. The 4-2-3-1 formation seemed to not suit the players. Two holding midfield players seemed to make the team look deeper. The uncertainty of where to play Wayne Rooney was also another huge factor. This was the press and public pressure constantly asking for Rooney to play here or there and it to me, made the whole team a little annoyed. Wayne Rooney is a world class player that should play behind the striker. He gets into the box and is more dynamic and a much bigger game changer in the number 10 role.

Tactically, I would have had two pivotal instructions I would have given to the players. Number one; don’t give Andrea Pirlo any space to play his game. Make sure he only passes sideways and backwards. Number two; don’t allow Luis Suarez any space to shoot. These weren’t followed in the two games and we got punished. Andrea Pirlo and Luis Suarez beat us. They are two of the world’s greatest players and to give them the time and space we did, we had it coming.

So we may be out of the World Cup early, but good things come to those who wait, and I predict a much more successful Euro 2016 in France.

Sangakkara Helps Sri Lanka to Draw First Test Against England At Lords

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Kumar Sangakkara proved that even at his age, he is one of the best test batsmen in the world. He was calm, steady and played well timed shots in two innings of pure class in Sri Lanka’s first test against England at Lord’s. Sangakkara hit 208 runs in his two innings including a 147 in the first of those innings. It’s arguable that without his experienced batting, his team may have struggled to come away with the draw.

Take nothing away from Sri Lanka; other team members played pivotal roles in securing the draw. Angelo Mathews hit a century in his first innings. Both Herath and Eranga bowled extremely well to stop an England onslaught in the three lions second innings. Ultimately, they deserved a draw for the hard effort the team made.

For England, it was a positive sign of what’s to come for this relatively new and young fresh team. Robson, Ali and Jordan made steady starts in their test debuts. Robson perhaps had the weakest game out of the three new boys, only scoring one in his first innings for England and only making thirteen in his second. Ali and Jordan hit vital runs when they were required to bat and Jordan also got some big wickets.

Joe Root, who has been moved about countless times in the batting order looked like he was a number 5 when he scored his first double century for England- a joy to watch. He looked calm and collective and steadied the ship for an England team that had lost wickets early. Prior, Bell, Plunkett, Ali and Broad helped the team to a huge 575-9d, the first time they scored over 400 runs since their tour of New Zealand last year.

The second innings proved trickier. As England tried to cement a score that set them up for the win, Sri Lanka made it difficult for the batsman. At one point the score was 102-5 and England looked like they may have blown their chances at securing a 1-0 test series lead. But Gary Ballance hit an unbeaten century to calm the nerves in the home dressing room.

For me the draw was a fair result. On a flat pitch, both teams found it easy to score high at the start of the test match. As the pitch wore, players like Herath and Ali became more important in their teams quest for victory. Everyone who watched the final few overs yesterday will have enjoyed some excellent drama, with England requiring two wickets in the final over. Broad managed to get one with his first delivery, although Herath had his glove off the bat, meaning according to the laws of the game he wasn’t out. Had England of got the final wicket, Herath may have found himself in the shadows of the Sri Lankan dressing room. England thought they had got victory when Broad’s fifth delivery of the final over smacked the pad of Eranga, but the review showed an inside edge on the bat, and celebrations ceased in a matter of moments.

I for one am looking forward to Headingly, the second test should prove to be a lot more entertaining. The pitch I’m guessing will not be as flat as at Lords, making it harder to score as many runs. I hope we see an England win, otherwise it will have been a Sri Lankan dominated summer, and with India to come in July/August, a test series win would be perfect preparation.

Brazil v Croatia: World Cup 2014 Day One Preview

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So, here we are. Four years on from South Africa the greatest sporting tournament in the world returns to our screens as the World Cup takes centre stage. After being revealed that Brazil, the adopted home of Football, were to stage the competition seven years ago, a lot of finance has gone into constructing or redeveloping twelve iconic stadiums and new transportation systems such as Airports and roads. This has had its fair share of controversy in the past few years with public strikes, protests and workers losing their lives for this magnificent event to take place. As the football edges ever closer, the excitement in the air of the world has only risen. Brazilians are hoping to bring the samba party to football and they are sure to put on a spectacular show which kicks off this evening at 9:00pm when the hosts Brazil take on Croatia in their Group A match.

So what do I think about Brazil’s chances? Well they will certainly have a lot of pressure put on them for three reasons. Firstly, they are hosting the competition. They will want to impress and stay in their home World Cup for as long as possible. Secondly, the fans no, the whole country will be expecting a performance by the Samba Boys. They very much are used to seeing Brazil winning the World Cup as they have won it the most times (5 in total). Finally, the last time the World Cup was held in Brazil in 1950, the hosts lost agonisingly to Uruguay in the final, causing public unrest. The players and fans will want to make that right by avenging that defeat with triumph this time around.

This Brazil team isn’t the greatest Brazil team of all time. For me, looking back at videos I would have to say the team of 1970 were the best. I remember that one goal, where Pele, the best player to ever grace the game, slid the ball through for Captain Carlos Alberto to fire the ball into the far corner. That for me is the best goal I have ever seen, scored by the best team. This team for me is followed by the 1978 team that played in Argentina. Socrates, Zico and co. They had skill, flair and were just a joy to watch. They however lost to Italy. A game Zico recalls as the day “Football died.” Now, I think this class of 2014 Brazil are very reminiscent of the one of France 98, and Korea of 2002. They may not have the brilliance of Ronaldo or the skill of Ronaldinho. But they have arguably the best centre back in the world in Thiago Silva and a young forward who has the country resting on his shoulders, Neymar. If Neymar and the others perform to their highest ability, I can see them making the final. However, I predict more heartbreak for Brazilians as I can’t see past Argentina lifting the trophy.

Brazil’s coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, has called it “Our World Cup” and that “Brazil’s time is now.” He believes that Brazil have what it takes to win the competition in their native country. Tonight, they play in Sao Paulo, in a stadium not properly tested by approved by FIFA. They take on Croatia. A European country that only seven years ago knocked England out of Euro 2008 qualifying.

Croatia are managed by Nico Kovac, a young coach who wants to implement his own attacking philosophy on the team. He took charge of the national side just before the play off with Iceland. In those playoff games, they were far from convincing. However, reading Kovac’s interview in The Guardian this morning, Croatians should be optimistic about their new coach and what he attends to do with how they play the game. Kovac sounds technical, saying he “believes in science.” He believes that technology should be used to help a player improve their weakened parts of their game. He sets his players individual training regimes to work on. He has stated he will not “park the bus” tonight and that they will go into the game with an attacking mentality and try and be the party poopers.

So, what’s going to be the outcome of tonight? Personally, I expect a cagey opening quarter of the game. Brazil will feel the pressure of the fans and country watching. Croatia will start positively, but will fade as the game goes on. I think gaps will appear in the Croatian back line and Brazil will get a couple of goals, maybe Neymar will introduce himself on the world stage with a man of the match performance. Croatia without Mandzuckic is like Portugal without Ronaldo or England without Rooney. So I’m going to go 2-0 to Brazil. And when that final whistle goes, the World Cup will have definitely begun.

Manuas: The Amazonian Destination for England v Italy

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With only ten days to go until England take to the pitch to play Italy in their first World Cup Group fixture, I thought it be good to research Manuas, a place of high altitude in northern Brazil. This is the place where England begin their quest for world glory. But what’s there to visit, what’s the stadium like, and finally why is it going to be so difficult to play football there?

Manuas is located in the amazon rainforest, with transportation to the state apical only available via boat or plane. The culture  of Manuas, like much of urban Brazil, is centred around native tribes. There are many things to visit in Manuas, including the  Amazonas Opera House and the CIGs Zoo. For travelling fans, there are things to keep you entertained before the football.

The Arena Amazonia is a newly built stadium for the 2014 Fifa World Cup. The stadium has a capacity of 44,000 and has caused Manaus to be refurbished with a new airport for the fans and safety regulations implimented in the northern state. The stadium has a modern design and looks stunning in my opinion.

Roy Hodgson, the England manager, has critisised Manuas being a location for a football match due to the unplayable humidity the amazon conditions convey, and Hodgson believes European teams will struggle to cope with the extreme heat. England were then drawn into Group D alongside Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica and have to play Italy in Manuas on June 14, karma? Fate? All we know is that the footballing gods seemed to have picked up Hodgsons comments and condemned him and his team for it.

England’s training base is in Rio, around 5 hours away from Manuas and that means a long journey for the three lions to get up to the amazon. It is going to be difficult. Italy are a good team with a steady defence and powerful forward attack, and England will need to be on top game to defeat their European rivals. I don’t know how Italy have prepared for Manuas, but the conditions are definitely going to play a huge factor in the result in 10 days time.

Barca’s Week from “Hell”!

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It has been a tough week. Not just for FC Barcelona, but for all who love football. The world lost itself a young, talented coach in Tito Vilanova on Friday to throat cancer, followed by a racist remark made to full back Dani Alves at the weekend against Villarreal. Yesterday was the funeral of Vilanova at Barcelona cathedral, attended by the current Barcelona squad, past Barcelona presidents and representatives of other clubs including Espanyol and Real Madrid.

Vilanova’s death sent shockwaves through my body. He was a man who I admired as a coach. He impressed me with his tactical decisions- helping Barcelona win La Liga last season with a record tally of 100 points. Tito wasn’t recognised as well as a player as he spent most of his career in Spain’s second division but he became well known as Assistant Manager to Pep Guardiola at Barcelona.

Tito took over from Guardiola in 2012 and in his single season at the Nou Camp he took the team to the league title and the semi finals of the Champions League. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2011 and has fought a tough battle for the past 3 years. Tito had to take time out managing Barca as he flew to the USA for treatment for the cancer. Tito resigned as Barcelona coach last summer and has spent the final few months of his life with his family in Barcelona.

Tito leaves behind his wife and two children including his son Adria, who currently plays for the Barcelona academy.

The players reacted to the death of their friend and former coach with a 3-2 win at Villarreal- a victory that was dedicated to Vilanova. However the victory was spoiled by an idiot in the Villarreal stands.

Dani Alves went over to take a corner, but as he prepared a fan threw a banana at him because of his colour. It was one of the most disgraceful things I have seen watching football. For a game trying to push racism out of the game, this was a sign that in Spain and other countries, this is going to be a long time before that objective is to happen.

Alves’ response however was one of true admiration for any footballer who suffers racial abuse. Alves calmly picked up the banana, peeled it, and ate a bit before giving the rest to a ball boy and continuing the game. That takes guts. Personally, I don’t think I would have continued playing. The reaction from football fans has been phenomenal for the Brazilian. Players such as Sergio Aguero have shown their admiration for Dani by posting a picture of him eating a banana on his twitter page.

Barcelona have had to suffer with both racism and mourn for a former coach. This isn’t easy to do and the football club has acted superbly with the incidents that have occurred. I hope happier times come to the Catalan side soon.

RIP Tito Vilanova 1969-2014

Lewis Hamiton Eases to Malaysian GP Victory

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After an entertaining start to a new era of Formula One in Australia, the focus moved swiftly to Malaysia for the second race of the season. The Sepang International Circuit has a history of extreme weather changes- from blinding heat to atrocious rainfall. However this weather which can be just unpredictable at times makes the race weekend another exciting one to look forward too.

So could Nico Rosberg and the Mercedes team carry on from where they left off at Australia? Well here are my highlights of the 2014 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix.

Hamilton grabs successive Pole Position in the wet

Too say it was wet during Qualifying is an understatement. The heavens truly opened on Saturday as the drivers battled for Pole. And once again, Lewis Hamilton finished top of the time sheets, even though it was just 0.055seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel- who had a decent weekend in an improving Red Bull car. Nico Rosberg, who won two weeks ago, qualified third. It was qualifying to forget for two drivers. Bottas suffered a three place grid penalty to start 18th after being accused of holding up another driver and Jenson Button, usually very accurate with his tyre choice, seemed to choose wrongly- meaning he could only secure 10th position on the grid.

Riccardio struggles again

Daniel Riccardio has found his start at Red Bull a frustrating one. After disqualification in Melbourne- the Australian seemed to have car problems this time around. The first incident occurred during a pit stop. Riccardio pitted as you do and then drove off promptly- however, what he hadn’t noticed was his front left tyre hadn’t been put on properly. This caused the driver to have to pull up in the pits and wait to be dragged back to the Red Bull garage to get the problem fixed. He may have wanted to reverse up the pits but that would have resulted in instant disqualification for unsafe driving and after Australia that was the last thing on his mind. This condemned Daniel to what was at the time a good race where he was comfortable in 4th– to a disastrous race near the back end of the pack. The young driver’s race got even worse a few laps later when his front wing seemed to collapse and cause him to ultimately retire.

Kimi left frustrated

Kimi Raikkonen is another driver finding times tough at the moment. His return to Ferrari hasn’t got off to the best of starts and in Malaysia; things weren’t going to get better. His race suffered after an incident with young Kevin Magnussen, where the Dane clipped Raikkonen’s rear tyre which resulted in a puncher. The Fin then never really got going- and only finished a disappointing 12th.

“Bottas is faster than you. Don’t hold him up.”

This was the team order from Williams to Felipe Massa, a man who has in the past had to let drivers go past him. Well it seemed Felipe has had enough of that, and refused to let Bottas through. As team mates, this may dent their relationship, but at the end of the day- Williams finished 7th and 8th. The team should come first, and silliness about who overtakes who can lead to serious incidents- do you remember Vettel and Webber for Red Bull in Turkey? Both drivers have an argument in this situation. Massa could claim Bottas was too far back to overtake and make a move for Button in sixth, whereas Bottas will feel he couldn’t do anything with Felipe in the way.

Perfect Weekend for Mercedes

It was Lewis Hamilton’s and Mercedes day in the end as they won the race with a 1st/2nd place finish (there first since 1955) which guaranteed them maximum points available for their bid for the constructors championship. Lewis Hamilton was comfortable all race with no real worries as he led for the majority of the race. Nico Rosberg came second to make his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship to 18 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton who with that win rises to second in the standings.

 Drivers Championship Standings (Top 5)

  1. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 48 Points
  2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 25 Points
  3. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 24 Points
  4. Jenson Button, McLaren, 23 Points
  5. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren, 20 Points

 

Constructors’ Championship Standings (Top 5)

  1. Mercedes, 68 Points
  2. McLaren, 43 Points
  3. Ferrari, 30 Points
  4. Williams, 20 Points
  5. Force India, 19 Points

 

So I leave you with this- Do you think Massa did the right thing in not letting Bottas through? Either comment below Yes or No or tweet me at @leeham1996 with either #MassaYES or #MassaNO.

Melbourne Win For Rosberg As New Era in F1 Begins..

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Formula One has had one of the most anticipated build ups to a new season in history as the sport returned this weekend with new rules and regulations. These changes have been a struggle for certain teams to come to grips with such as World Champions Red Bull however teams like Mercedes have excelled- making themselves the favourites for this seasons constructors championship.

This season started with action, crashes and pure adrenalin, just as any Formula One season should. Here is my review of the 2014 Australian GP.

Albert Park

This is my favourite venue on the F1 calendar because it is fast, and particularly unpredictable, it’s very rare for a driver to win this race season after season.  With a particularly fast second sector and a slow final few corners, many have retired in this race due to driver mistakes. The question posed this season was whether drivers would manage to finish the race let alone challenging for points.

Rules and Regulation changes and their impact

Many changes were on show in Australia. The new V6 engines sound totally different to past engines used in the sport. The new petrol cap means cars must run from the beginning to the end of the race on one tank of petrol without filling back up, and the new eco-system and car system means if something faults the car becomes impossible to drive- therefore many retirements occurred at the weekend. Most noticeably, World champion Sebastian Vettel and world championship favourite Lewis Hamilton both retired due to car problems. It was also a weekend to forget for Lotus who finished last in the qualifying and both cars retired during the race.

The Debutants

It was a weekend to remember for some new drivers, especially McLaren Mercedes new boy Kevin Magnussen. The young Dane managed to secure a highly respectable fourth in qualifying and then third in the race- further pushed up to second following the disqualification of Daniel Riccardio. The Aussie himself before the disqualification had qualified and finished in a comfortable second. Also impressing fans was Torro Rosso’s Russian new boy Kvyat.

Rosberg Cruising to Victory

German Nico Rosberg came a comfortable 1st place in Australia and impressed with the very impressive Mercedes car. He won by a comfortable 26 seconds or so. The established f1 driver follows his father’s footsteps by winning the Australian open and therefore leads the championship after round 1.

Who do you think will win this season’s World Championship? Please comment below or tweet me at @leeham1996 with your answer and #F12014Winner.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial: A Brief Background To The South African Athlete

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Oscar Pistorius faces the possibility of spending 25 years in Prison. Prison life in South Africa has a terrifying reputation for its hostility, brutality and suffering. For a man who has been through a double amputation on his legs, Pistorius will potentially struggle to cope with the torrid conditions and life behind bars.

The Trial over the alleged murder of Oscar’s girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp began today and with the nation watching, (something Pistorius isn’t fazed about after performing at the 2012 Olympics in London) this is a whole new low for the athlete.

The incident took place on Valentine’s Day last year, when Pistorius allegedly mistook Steenkamp for an intruder and shot her point blank through the bathroom door. The neighbour’s evidence suggests “bloodcurdling screams” and “a sense of fear” from Steenkamp. Oscar pleads not guilty to all allegations.

As I said, this is a new low for the life of the most famous Paralympian of all time and his background is what makes this one of the most anticipated court cases of the century, and also bares a huge blow on the Paralympics who could lose their most prized asset.

Some of you reading this may wonder who the hell Oscar Pistorius is. Oscar was born in Sandton, South Africa on November 22, 1986. He had both his legs amputated below the knees aged just 11 months. He has gone on to become known as “Blade Runner” after competing for South Africa in the 2011 World Championships as well as the 2004 Athens,2008  Beijing and  2012 London Olympics in the 200 and 400m events using artificial limbs. Pistorius became a hero for disabled athletes around the world and was the face of the Paralympics.

This isn’t the first time Pistorius has got in trouble with the law, as in 2009 he was arrested for assault on a woman at his home. He was held overnight but was bailed out the next day without charge.

So, what did we learn from Day One of the Trial? Well, from the 107 witnesses we heard from the neighbour of Pistorius and Steenkamp, who knew something was wrong when she could hear Steenkamp’s terror. She was very adamant that she felt Reeva was in danger for her life as her comments were played to the court, press and both sets of families who made their appearances present.

The court has also asked for apple to hack into Pistorius’ phone in order to try and contextualise the events of that fateful morning through call logs and text messages the evening before. Pistorius’ representatives claim they gave the court the code to access the offender’s mobile but the code doesn’t seem to unlock the device. Does this foreshadow Pistorius’ fate?

The Trial will go on until the 20th March when a verdict will supposedly be delivered. Whether he is guilty or not, the Life of Oscar Pistorius will change…forever.