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ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP)—A drunken driver responsible for a 2009 crash that seriously injured United States forward Charlie Davies has been sentenced to two years in prison.

Maria Alejandra Espinoza was sentenced Friday at a hearing in federal court. She tearfully apologized for her actions during the hearing.

Espinoza was legally intoxicated as she drove Davies and Ashley Roberta on the George Washington Parkway on their way back to Davies’ hotel. She drove off the road and the crash seriously injured Davies and killed Roberta.

Davies, now a member of DC United, missed the 2010 World Cup as he recovered from his injuries.

Espinoza had pleaded guilty in November to involuntary manslaughter in the case.

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Labels: crash, Davies, Driver, injured, years

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Barcelona were still confident last night of a second-leg comeback against Arsenal in the Champions League because they believe Arsène Wenger will not be able to copy Jose Mourinho's ultra-defensive tactics in the Nou Camp next month.

Barça went out of the competition at the semi-finals stage last season having lost the first leg away to Internazionale 3-1. Then the Inter coach, Mourinho said: "We did not park the bus, we parked the plane," after seeing his side defend for 90 minutes in the second leg to go through following a 1-0 defeat.

Wenger's natural attacking instincts are now seen as Barça's biggest ally and last night Barcelona players were consoling themselves by reflecting on the amount of chances they were allowed at the Emirates before Arsenal's comeback.

Midfielder Xavi said: "We had infinite opportunities to kill off the tie; we didn't take them and we ended up paying but there are 90 minutes left and I am still optimistic. I'd like to think that we are still favourites with the second leg to come at home and in front of our supporters."

Lionel Messi will need to find the goalscoring touch that deserted him in London. The Argentine has now failed to score in seven games on English soil for Barcelona. "Jinxed" was the one-word verdict on the Argentine after he made it 626 minutes without a goal in England.

Messi does have happy memories of last year's home-leg against Arsenal however when he scored all Barcelona's goals in a 4-1 win. The Spanish Champions have scored 103 goals so far this season but could have far bigger problems at the other end of the pitch with Gerard Pique's suspension ruling him out of the second leg and putting more pressure on captain Carles Puyol to return quickly from injury.

In 40 games this season Barcelona have only lost four times and Puyol has been missing in each of the defeats. He has been out with a tendinitis problem in his left knee for three weeks but was due to return for this Sunday's home game against Athletic Bilbao. Barcelona have no defensive cover and coach Guardiola would be forced to pair Gabriel Milito with Eric Abidal if the 32-year-old Puyol does not return on time.

His La Liga return could now be delayed to ensure he can face Robin van Persie and company in the Champions League, sparing Guardiola the necessity to call on Milito who has struggled for form and fitness this season.

Despite the optimism in Spain over the second leg, there was still an inquest over Barcelona's second-half capitulation with special attention paid to England starlet Jack Wilshere's second-half domination of Xavi.

Barcelona paper El Mundo Deportivo eulogised: "Wilshere confirmed all the good things that have been said about him in the last few months. The great hope of English football looked like the complete midfielder. He started the game as a holding player and in the second half played further forward in the style of Xavi who was not comfortable at the Emirates and whose experience could not save Barça from a nervous end to the game."

Nicola Rizzoli was the other protagonist of the enquiry into why Barcelona had thrown away a lead at the Emirates for the second year running. The match official known as "Mourinho's friend"' was accused of denying Barcelona a penalty as well as wrongly ruling out Messi's first-half goal.

Rizzoli mistakenly gave Inter a penalty in 2009 that enabled Mourinho's team to draw 3-3 with Roma. He was demoted to Serie B for the mistake and his past misdemeanors were not forgotten as replays showed Messi onside when he headed over the line in the first half.

Barcelona now play four games in the 19 days leading up to the return. After Sunday's home game they travel to Mallorca and Valencia followed by a home fixture against strugglers Zaragoza on the Saturday before their most important 90 minutes of the season so far.

What the Spanish papers said...

Cesc's Arsenal breaks Barcelona

Marca praised the counter-attacking threat that Arsenal posed throughout the game. However, it did describe Robin van Persie's goal as a "fatal error" by goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Marca.com also conducted a 40,000-strong survey which pinpointed the failings of Lionel Messi, Maxwell and Pedro in Barça's defeat, but praised the performance of Eric Abidal, who played out of position at centre-back.

Forgiveness

Mundo Deportivo criticised Barcelona's "forgiveness" in front of goal and their failure to kill off the game. They also questioned manager Pep Guardiola's change in formation following David Villa's substitution in the 67th minute: 16 minutes later Andrei Arshavin added Arsenal's second to complete an unlikely turnaround.

A 'good fit'

AS described Barcelona as becoming "too enchanted by their own football" and argued that Barça's first hour of dominance at the Emirates only helped to spur Arsenal on: "A wounded Englishman is very dangerous. And if he knows how to play on the counter, even more so. And it turned out that power, in the end, overcame technique."

However, the Madrid paper led with Emmanuel Adebayor saying Cesc Fabregas would be "a good fit" at Real Madrid.

The Camp Nou comeback

Sport backed a Barça win in the return leg after refereeing decisions went against them at the Emirates. Messi had a goal "unfairly disallowed" and there was no penalty awarded for a "foul" on Pedro.

And the rest...

El Pais

"Last night Arsenal fought like champions. They didn't give up even when the night looked at its bleakest."

"Arsenal have definitively shed their respect for Barcelona, who yesterday were more functional, less ambitious or, at the least, more vulnerable and less punishing."

El Mundo

"Arsenal won deservedly, thanks to their noble resistance and the drive of Wilshere."

The idea that La Liga is the best league in the world "fell apart in a single trip to London."

Michael Butler

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Labels: aposto, Arsenal, busapos, confident, crash, Independent, refusal, Wengeraposs

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Kubica’s accident appears to have polarised opinion within the paddock between those who consider allowing such activities irresponsible and those who consider them essential.

Three-times world champion Sir Jackie Stewart, a man who regularly raced in sports cars during his F1 career, said he was more inclined these days to consider such activities irresponsible having been a team owner himself.

His argument is that teams and sponsors pour millions of pounds into racing every year and hundreds of people depend on that for jobs.

“You’ve got to look after that investment,” Stewart said. “It’s quite a challenge to stop drivers doing the things I believe are unwise leading up to a F1 season. Skiing is the one you would immediately think of.”

Yet Ferrari annually raise eyebrows by allowing their highly-paid drivers to ski every year at their pre-season trip to the Italian Dolomites.

And speaking on Monday at the launch of the MVR-02, Virgin team principal John Booth admitted he had recently taken his two drivers skiing as well.

“We took Jerome [d’Ambrosio] and Timo [Glock] skiing a couple of weeks ago,” Booth said. “We said ’OK guys, stick to the piste blah blah blah.’ So we got to the top of the lift, the gates opened and they were just flat out.

“They were everywhere. And that’s how they are. That’s what makes them so good. It’d be difficult to stifle that, wouldn’t it? You can’t wrap them in cotton wool.” Some teams try.

It is understood that McLaren’s two British drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, must seek permission if they wish to pursue any sort of dangerous extra-curricular activity. A request to go rallying would not likely be granted.

Over at Red Bull, Christian Horner said last December he would consider banning Mark Webber from mountain biking after the Australian broke a second bone in as many years falling off his bike.

Ultimately, each team is different although whether attitudes will harden in light of Kubica’s accident remains to be seen.

The Pole remained in an induced coma on Monday, woken only briefly to speak to family and friends, as doctors at the Santa Corona Hospital near Genoa rested him ahead of possible further operations to fractures of the shoulder and elbow.

Professor Mario Igor Rossello, part of the team who carried out the seven-hour operation to save Kubica’s right hand on Sunday night, cautioned that it would be a while yet before it could be deemed successful.

“The hand is warm and this means the operation went well,” Rossello said.

“We need at least six days to check if the circulation of the blood in the limb responds as it should.”

That leaves Renault in an awkward position. Boullier said on Monday that he would not make a decision on Kubica’s replacement until he knew how long he would be out for. However, with the second of four winter tests starting in Jerez on Thursday, time is of the essence.

Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean are Renault’s two reserves waiting in the wings, but Boullier is believed to favour signing a driver with greater experience.

Nick Heidfeld, with 172 grands prix behind him, has that in abundance while there has been a groundswell of support for 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen to return.

The Finn’s manager, Steve Robertson, was unavailable for comment on Monday night.

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Labels: crash, decision, defend, Kubica, rally, rallying, Renault, Robert, Telegraphcouk

{ Kubica seriously injured in crash(UKPA) – 44 minutes ago

Lotus Renault driver Robert Kubica is undergoing surgery on multiple fractures after suffering a high-speed accident while competing in a rally in Italy.

The 26-year-old Pole was taking part in the Ronde di Andora Rally near Genoa when he left the road and crashed into a wall. Kubica was airlifted to the Pietra Ligure Hospital with serious injuries to his arm, leg and hand. His co-driver, Jakub Gerber was unhurt.

Kubica's Lotus Renault team gave an update on their official Twitter feed, saying: "After extensive medical checks, Robert has been diagnosed with multiple fractures to his right arm, leg and hand. He is undergoing surgery."

The accident is almost certain to rule Kubica out of the start of the Formula One season, which gets under way in Bahrain on March 13. Lotus Renault reserve driver Bruno Senna is the man most likely to deputise in Kubica's absence.

Kubica's accident prompted a flood of messages on Twitter, with many of his fellow drivers keen to offer their support.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso said: "Let's all support Robert Kubica, who suffered an accident. Besides a great driver, he is a great person."

"I'm thinking of Robert, wish him all the best and hope to see him soon on the track and especially off-track as a friend," said Virgin Racing's Timo Glock.

Williams veteran Rubens Barrichello Tweeted: "I would like to ask you for your best wishes to Kubica. He is being operated (on) right now. We all like him and he deserves all the best."

The crash is reported to have taken place 4.6km into the stage. Kubica's car, a Skoda Fabia, left the road and collided with the wall of a church.

Kubica is said to have remained conscious during a lengthy operation to free him from the car before he was airlifted away.

Copyright © 2011 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

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Labels: Association, crash, injured, Kubica, Press, seriously

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Robert Kubica, Turkish GP 2010 

 © The Cahier Archive

Robert Kubica has been airlifted to hospital with multiple fractures to his arm, leg and hand after a crash en route to a Ronde di Andora rally stage in Italy.

Kubica, driving a Skoda Fabia, is believed to have hit a church wall and overturned, with co-driver Jakub Gerber escaping unhurt. The 26-year-old Pole, the Renault team leader who set the pace in last week's Valencia F1 test, is believed to have suffered fractures to his left leg and to his hand/wrist, although we stress that there has been no official medical information.

Lotus Renault GP has issued a statement confirming that Kubica has been taken to Pietra Ligure Hospital, near Genoa, where he has been diagnosed with multiple fractures to his right arm, leg and hand, and is currently undergoing surgery.

Kubica has regularly contested rallies alongside his F1 career but today's accident, sadly, will put the wisdom of such actions under serious scrutiny. Kubica, who won the 2008 Canadian GP for BMW a year after suffering a colossal accident in the same race a year earlier, is highly rated by his rivals as well as by his team. Technical chief James Allison said last year, "I have no doubt that if we give Robert a championship-winning car, he will deliver a title."

Although it is early days in pre-season testing, the initial performance of the new Group Lotus-sponsored Renault R31 seems highly promising. While the prime concern must be for Kubica and a full recovery that allows him to continue his career, it seems inevitable that he will not be taking part in the opening races of the new F1 season, which starts in Bahrain five weeks today.

The team finds itself in a situation whereby its second driver, Vitaly Petrov, has just one season of F1 experience behind him and, also, the biggest 2010 gulf between himself and his team mate on the F1 grid.

Bruno Senna has just signed a deal to be Renault's reserve driver. The 27-year-old also has only a single season in the top category under his belt, with the newly-formed HRT team. If Kubica's injuries rule him out as expected, it remains to be seen whether Renault will consider Petrov/Senna a workable partnership or whether the team will look elsewhere.

Drivers with ability/experience who have not got full-time F1 seats in 2011 include Germans Nick Heidfeld and former GP champion Nico Hulkenberg, who is reserve driver at Force India.

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Labels: crash, GrandPrix, Kubica, rally, seriously

{ GENOA, Italy (AP) — Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland was injured Sunday in a rally car accident in Italy just weeks before the start of the new Grand Prix season, his Lotus Renault team said.Local health authority officials in Italy said Kubica's life was not in danger, and that the worst damage appeared to be to his limbs.

"Certainly it is a very delicate situation, as the first hours always are after a huge trauma, one in which there could also have been a strong bleeding," Roberto Carrozzino, a local health authority official, told Sky Italia.

The ANSA news agency reported that an operation on the 26-year-old driver began just before 1300 GMT after professor Igor Rossello, a hand specialist, was called to the hospital.

Kubica, eighth in last year's F1 world championship, now looks unlikely to race at Bahrain on March 13.

His team said in a statement that Kubica "suffered an accident at high speed this morning while competing in the Ronde di Andora Rally" and was "airlifted to Pietra Ligure Hospital, where he is currently undergoing medical checks."

Carrozzino said the driver underwent an examination to assess any possible damage to internal organs and the brain. Asked about a report that one his arms would be amputated, Carrozzino said that "all assessments have yet to be made."

"An amputation is not a decision that is made so rapidly," he said. "I do not confirm or deny this report."

Kubica arrived at the Santa Corona hospital in Pietra Ligure, a small coastal town about 35 miles (60 kilometers) southwest of Genoa, about two hours after the accident because it was difficult to extract him, Carrozzino said.

ANSA said fractures of one of Kubica's hands appeared particularly serious. French sports channel Eurosport reported that Kubica may have a fractured hip and multiple other injuries, including possibly a fracture to his arm or wrist.

There was no immediate comment from the hospital, though they said there would be an update on Kubica's condition later in the day.

ANSA said the driver was 4.6-kilometers from the start of the rally, near Genoa, when his car left the road and hit a wall. His co-driver Jakub Gerber was unhurt, the Lotus Renault team said.

Kubica was due to lead the Lotus Renault F1 team this season alongside Vitaly Petrov of Russia, with former HRT driver Bruno Senna named as a third driver. Romain Grosjean, who drove for Renault in 2009, was also named third driver alongside Senna.

It was not immediately known whether Senna or Grosjean would take Kubica's place in Bahrain should he fail to recover.

Last week, Kubica closed Formula One's first test session of the season with the fastest time over three days in Valencia, Spain.

The next F1 test session is Feb. 10-13 in Jerez, Spain.

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AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire in Paris and Associated Press Writer Alessandra Rizzo in Rome contributed to this report.

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Labels: crash, injured, Kubica, Renaultaposs, Robert, Today