'I could make a difference' – Usain Bolt wants Manchester United trial

Sprinting icon Usain Bolt insists that he is serious about wanting a trial with Manchester United.

The 25-year-old Jamaican, the fastest man in history, dashed into sporting legend on Sunday by defending his Olympic 100-meter title at London in a Games record of 9.63 seconds.

But, as a passionate Red Devils fan who has met up with the team and manager Sir Alex Ferguson before, he is hoping that his running glory might prompt his dream career change.

"People think I am joking, but if Alex Ferguson called me up and said, 'OK let's do this, come and have a trial,' it would be impossible for me to say no," Bolt told the Sun on Monday. "I would not take up the challenge if I didn't think I was good enough. I am a very accomplished player and know I could make a difference."

He added: "I would not take up the challenge if I didn't think I was good enough. I am a very accomplished player and know I could make a difference. I would be the fastest player in the team, but I can play as well."

And when exactly does Bolt want the tryout?

"I am in Britain for a few more days," said the gold medallist, who will seek to retain his 200 meters crown in Thursday’s final. "If Alex Ferguson wants to give me a call he knows where I am."

A spokesman for the Premier League club observed to the paper: "As the fastest man on Earth he would undoubtedly add speed to the team."

Bolt has expressed his desire to play football before, declaring in 2011, "I definitely want to see what I could do. I think I could step up to the [Wayne] Rooneys."

USA 2-1 Japan: American women win gold for the third straight Olympics

A year after losing to Japan in the World Cup final, veteran midfielder Carli Lloyd led the top-ranked U.S. team to a 2-1 victory over the Asian nation to earn a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Lloyd had both goals for the U.S. on either side of halftime to give the Americans a comfortable lead before Yuki Ogimi got Japan on the board late in the second half.

The U.S. has won gold at the last three Olympics and five times in six final appearances since 1996. 

Playing in front of a women's soccer Olympic-record crowd of 80,203 at Wembley Stadium, the Americans took a two-goal lead before Japan made things interesting with less than a half hour to play. For a moment, it looked as though Japan may rally back as it did a year ago.

The two teams met in the 2011 World Cup final, with the Japanese twice coming back to tie the Americans in a match that ended 2-2. Japan then won the title in penalty kicks.

At the Olympics, the U.S. held its own until the very end.

The U.S. controlled the game from the opening kick off and quickly found itself with an early lead thanks to a great interchange play that resulted with Alex Morgan assisting Lloyd for the opening goal.

After receiving a pass from Tobin Heath at the near post, Morgan sent a perfectly placed chipped ball to a rushing Lloyd for a powerful header past goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto in only the eighth minute.

But Japan quickly gained control and would have tied it up had it not been for U.S. defender Christie Rampone getting her foot on a ball with goalkeeper Hope Solo out of position. Moments later, Solo just barely got her hands on a Yuki Ogimi header to deflect it to the crossbar.

The U.S. entered halftime leading 1-0.

In the 54th minute, Lloyd - who had the game-winning goal against Brazil in the final at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing - raced down the middle of the field and drilled a rocket from just outside the middle of the box to give the Americans a two-goal advantage.

Japan got back in the game after a scramble in the U.S. box. Rampone once again bailed out Solo with a stop on the goal line but the defenders were unable to clear the ball and Ogimi was there to put it in the back of the net to assure the Americans wouldn't celebrate too early.

Japan had a huge opportunity to keep its gold hopes alive after Rampone turned the ball over in a very dangerous area, giving Japan's Tanaka an open lane to the U.S. goal. But Solo stepped up to the challenge and made a remarkable diving save.

And the U.S. completed a perfect Olympic run, securing its sixth straight win.

The Best Job in the World / P & G London 2012 Olympics

              Pitbull- Rain Over Me ft. Marc Anthony

Di María renews until 2018: "I feel loved"

Real Madrid and Ángel Di María have reached an agreement to extend the player's contract which will keep him at the club until the 2017-18 season.

The Argentine expressed his delight in a statement on Real’s official website: "I'm fulfilling a childhood dream. I'm really happy here and my contract extension allows me to stay at Real Madrid for many years to come where I can keep evolving as a player. When I arrived at the club I was told that it wouldn't be easy to win over the home crowd, but thanks to God, the work and effort I have put in every day and every game has helped me to do so. I really appreciate them. I feel totally supported and loved by the club and fans".

Di María said that José Mourinho had played a key part in the Argentine's evolution as a player: "He's had a massive influence. He wanted the club to sign me when I was at the World Cup and things weren't going so well for me. A huge part of the way I do things now is down to him. I like to think I'm paying him back with the effort I put in every day".

When asked about his development as a player since joining Real from Benfica, Di María said: "I've totally changed in every aspect. I've improved my game and improved drastically, thanks to Mourinho's impact. I've also evolved as a person. Playing for Real Madrid means a lot".

Modric countdown

There are three weeks to go before the end of the transfer market which closes at midnight on 31st August. Luka Modric, while there is no news to the contrary, continues as part of the Tottenham regime although he is neither present nor expected to be present at White Hart Lane.

While Modric was training alone in London in the morning, his current team touched down in Valencia in the afternoon.

The Croat believes that the longest summer of his career is coming to an end and has absolute faith that he will be wearing a white shirt at the Bernabéu. Modric has done everything he can to make this a reality and convince Tottenham to sit down and negotiate with Madrid.

In the Tottenham and Real Madrid offices everyone is keeping their cards close to their chests and playing it cool but the clock is ticking for their respective football directors – Villas-Boas and José Mourinho .

The deal seems to have completely stalled and drawn to a halt. Madrid will not go above the €35 million plus performance-related add-ons and Tottenham wants at least €45 million. Over the last few days there has not even been any direct contact between the clubs as the offices of the Bernabéu and White Hart Lane both know perfectly well what the other party wants and neither seems prepared to give way. At least, not yet.

Bielsa remote Croatian village

The Koprivnica area, home to the team Athletic Bilbao will meet to qualify for the Europa league group phase, is tiny, with a population barely breaching the 30,000 mark. But the town where Athletic will be staying for its game against Slaven is even smaller.

The team from Bilbao will escape the hustle and bustle, something that Marcelo Bielsa will enjoy, to Durdevac, a town in the centre of Croatia with a population of less than 7,000. They will stay at a touristic sports complex that is often used by Croatian teams for training sessions or during preparation for their league campaigns.

Durdevac is in the middle of nowhere, some 25 kilometres from Koprivnica and more than 100 kilometres from Zagreb, where the travelling fans will stay. The team's home for the coming days will be Hotel Picok, an establishment that has been awarded three stars but that has a football pitch, several playing fields and a covered sports pavilion, as well as a gym, a pool and enough open land to train for any sport.

Athletic's qualifier will be played in Koprivnica's small Gradski stadium, which has little over 3,000 seats. This game will be a real occasion for Koprivnica.