Vladimir Moraru
I was a columnist for a Romanian daily sports newspaper before seeking political asylum in the United States at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. I was invited to attend the Games as a guest journalist / Olympic expert by the San Diego Union-Tribune sports editor, the late Barry Lorge.
A US citizen since 1991, I worked as a sports editor for a group of community newspapers, Northeast Newspapers of Los Angeles, and Pasadena Herald Tribune. I also worked as a foreign correspondent for Radio Free Europe in Munich, Germany, and Gazeta Sporturilor (The Sports Gazette), Romania’s leading sports paper.
I have an encyclopedic knowledge of the Olympics and several sports, including soccer, track and field, basketball, golf, tennis and chess. I had high aspirations in low hurdles in my youth and two documented hole-in-one on the Verdugo Hills par-3 course, but I generally did better at writing about sports than practicing them.
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A US citizen since 1991, I worked as a sports editor for a group of community newspapers, Northeast Newspapers of Los Angeles, and Pasadena Herald Tribune. I also worked as a foreign correspondent for Radio Free Europe in Munich, Germany, and Gazeta Sporturilor (The Sports Gazette), Romania’s leading sports paper.
I have an encyclopedic knowledge of the Olympics and several sports, including soccer, track and field, basketball, golf, tennis and chess. I had high aspirations in low hurdles in my youth and two documented hole-in-one on the Verdugo Hills par-3 course, but I generally did better at writing about sports than practicing them.
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Displaying Results 1 - 47 (of 47) for All Content
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FC Barcelona's 22nd La Liga Title Belongs Entirely to MessiIn a year with many ups and downs, Lionel Messi's stellar play and scoring appetite have been the engine that has carried FC Barcelona to its 22nd La Liga title and the fourth in the last five years.
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Munich Disaster Shows Barça Needs Real Skipper; Bayern's is Available in June!Bayern Munich crushed a rudderless FC Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals, ending the Catalans' world domination. Barça under Tito Vilanova is a shadow of the team that was called the greatest in history.
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Is FC Barcelona the Underdog Against Bayern Munich?Betting houses throughout Europe like FC Barcelona over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, but with Messi a big question mark the Catalans appear to be the underdog against an impressive Bavarian squad.
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Savior Messi Pushes Limping Barça into CL SemifinalsAn ailing Lionel Messi came off the bench to inspire FC Barcelona in the 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain at the Camp Now. The Catalans have qualified for the UEFA Champions League semifinals for a record sixth straight year.
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What If He Can't Play? Can Barça Handle PSG Without Messi?Lionel Messi suferred a hamstring injury in FC Barcelona's 2-2 at Paris Saint-Germain in the CL quarterfinals and could miss the return game. Can Barça advance to semifinals without its star player?
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Messi Sets Fabulous “Tour De League” Scoring Record: 19 StraightLionel Messi's goal against Celta Vigo gave the Argentine marvel from FC Barcelona perhaps the most spectacular scoring record of his career: at least one goal in 19 consecutive games against La Liga teams.
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Vilanova, 18 Players Back as Barça Resumes League, CL ActionHead coach Tito Vilanova returns after two months of cancer treatment and 18 players are back from national teams duty as FC Barcelona plays Celta Vigo in La Liga before facing Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
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Messi Does Not Need a World Cup to Top Pele and Maradona; He’s Done ItDoes FC Barcelona wonder Lionel Messi need to win a World Cup title with Argentina to be regarded as the best soccer player ever, ahead of Pele and Maradona? No, he's already surpassed them, but he must play well and be a leader.
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Insatiable Messi Sets Scoring Records Hard to FathomLionel Messi scored two goals in FC Barcelona's 3-1 win over Rayo Vallecano increasing his streak of consecutive league games with at least one goal to 18. He has 42 goals in La Liga this season, ahead of last year's pace when he finished with 50.
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Magic Messi Lifts Barça in Epic CL Win Over MilanIn a magical night at the Camp Nou, Lionel Messi scored the game's first two goals as FC Barcelona crushed AC Milan 4-0 to overcome a 2-0 deficit and qualify for the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League for the sixth straight year.
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Messi Brings Barça Hope Before Milan CL ClashTuning up for Tuesday's Champions League game with Milan, FC Barcelona defeated Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 as Messi scored his 40th La Liga goal of the season. He has scored in a world record 17 straight league games.
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FC Barcelona Beaten, Robbed in MadridFC Barcelona lost for the second time in five days to Real Madrid, 2-1, but the result was influenced by referee Miguel Angel Perez Lasa who refused the Catalans a penalty kick late in the game.
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FC Barcelona in Crisis; End of a Cycle?Six days after losing to AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona lost to Real Madrid, 3-1 the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal at the Camp Nou and was eliminated. Barça needs a coach and a few players.
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Milan Stuns Barça; Is the King Naked?With Messi annihilated by a genial coach, heavily favored FC Barcelona lost to AC MIlan, 2-0, at the San Siro and must win by three goals at Camp Nou to advance to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
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The Soccer World According to AP: Messi 9th, Barça UnrankedAccording to AP Global Soccer Rankings, Messi was the 4th best player in the world on February 13, 2013. The week before he had been only 9th, and FC Barcelona didn't make the top 10 teams. Really?Also published on:
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Messi Extends FC Barcelona Contract to 2018Lionel Messi extended his contract with FC Barcelona through June 2018. The Argentine magician is the most expensive player in the world but he's worth much more than his salary.
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Pedro, Barça Let One Slip Away in Cup Classic at the BernabeuIn a game of high intensity, Barcelona and Real Madrid finished 1-1 in the Copa del Rey at the Santiago Bernabeu. Pedro missed a huge opportunity to give Barca a 2-0 lead and perhaps seal the game and secure the qualification.
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Messi Upstages Ronaldo Again Before Wednesday’s El ClasicoCristiano Ronaldo scored three goals and Lionel Messi answered with four as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona tuned up for their clash in the Copa del Rey in the 222th edition of El Clasico, soccer's biggest game.
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Super Barça Tames Malaga, Sets Up Cup Clash with Real MadridNeeding a victory to advance to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, FC Barcelona played a spectacular game to defeat Malaga 4-2 and set up the stage for a clash with eternal rival Real Madrid.
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Should Barça Hit the Panic Button? No, it Should Get a GoalkeeperFC Barcelona lost at Real Sociedad, 3-2, ending a 19-game unbeaten streak in La Liga. The team looks tired and needs a goalkeeper as Victor Valdes wants to play elsewhere.
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Malaga Brings Barça Down to Earth; A Case of Superiority Complex?Three days after winning 3-1 at Malaga to finish the first half of La Liga 18-1-0, FC Barcelona lined up many subs and was held to a 2-2 tie in the Copa del Rey at the Camp Nou. Barca must win in Malaga again to advance.
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91 Reasons Why Messi Can’t Miss 4th Straight Ballon D’OrLionel Messi, the Argentine star of FC Barcelona, scored 91 goals in 2012, most ever in a calendar year. He is the prohibitive favorite to win a 4th straight FIFA Ballon d'Or Award.
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In 2012 Messi Became Bigger Than Pele or MaradonaLionel Messi, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Lance Armstrong provided the top sports memories of 2012.
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Messi Injury Exposes Rookie Coach Logic FlawsLionel Messi's injury in a meaningless UEFA Champions League game against Benfica makes FC Barcelona fans ask themselves why coach Tito Vilanova sent him on the pitch one hour into the game. Vilanova says he'd do it again...
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Is Tito’s FC Barcelona Better Than Pep’s? The Best Team Ever?Undefeated FC Barcelona won 13 of its first best 14 games to set a record for the best start in the history of the Spanish league, La Liga. Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and most everybody on the team grew up in La Masia, the team's youth Academy.
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FC Barcelona Loses ‘Most Important Game;’ is Tito to Blame?Celtic Glasgow defeated FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, ending the Catalans' 12-game, two-month unbeaten streak. Is Barça coach Tito Vilanova to blame for losing "the most important game" of the year?
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Does Barcelona Depend Too Much on Messi?Lionel Messi had another spectacular performance scoring three goals to lead FC Barcelona in a thrilling 5-4 victory at Deportivo La Coruna. With suspect goalkeeping and shaky defense Barca relies too much on his genial superstar.
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Memo to FIFA Ballon D’Or 2012 Voters: Messi is Still King!Playing for club and country, Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and Argentina has had the best year of his career and deserves a fourth straight FIFA Ballon d'Or Award as the best soccer player on the planet.
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F1 Reports Link Vettel to Ferrari in 2014; Does it Make Sense?Sebastian Vettel is seeking his third straight Formula 1 world drivers championship title for Red Bull, but just a few hours after he won the Korean Grand Prix to take the lead in the standings reports surfaced that he will move to Ferrari in 2014.
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Selling Ibra Proves Costly – Il Grande Milan a Thing of the Past?Italy's AC Milan, one of the most famous and successful clubs in world soccer is up to its worst start in 80 years in Serie A after selling superstars Zlatan Ibrahimović and Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain over the summer.
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Monisha Kaltenborn Becomes Team Principal at Sauber, Makes F1 History: A Fan's ReactionMonisha Kaltenborn was named team principal at F1 team Sauber, becoming the first woman to call the shots in a sport dominated by men at all levels, in all capacities.
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Dani Alves Has Become a Major Liability for FC BarcelonaOnce hailed as one of the best right backs in the world, Dani Alves is having a bad season and has become a liability for FC Barcelona defense. A hamstring injury will sideline him for three weeks. Is it time to part ways?Also published on:
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Vettel Revives F1 Championship Race, Builds His Own LegendSebastian Vettel won the Japanese Grand Prix and is now just 4 points behind Fernando Alonso in the F1 2012 World Drivers’ Championship race. The German looks for his 3rd straight world title.
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Can Manchester United Boss Ferguson Make Van Persie–Rooney Deadliest Strike Combo Ever?The addition of Dutch striker Robin van Persie gives Manchester United legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson the opportunity to pair him with Wayne Rooney and create one of the most potent striking duos in soccer history.
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Michael Schumacher Retires Again from F1; For Good?Michael Schumacher, the most successful driver in F1 history, announced his retirement at the end of the 2012 season at a press conference before the Japanese Grand Prix.
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Fangio Tops Schumacher, Senna as the Greatest F1 Driver EverWho is the greatest F1 driver ever? Three names dominate a sport with many legends — Juan Manual Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna.
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Elvis Made Youth MatterElvis Presley was not just a musical icon, he was the voice and emblem of the youth culture. With Elvis, youth became relevant and an important social force for change.
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Madison-Felix-Knight-Jeter, a Sprint Quartet for EternityThe US women's 4x100 meters relay won the Olympic final in London in a stunning 40.82 seconds, the first world record in women's sprints in almost a quarter of a century.
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The Closest Margins of Victory in Olympic Swimming HistoryMichael Phelps lost the 200 meters butterfly by 0.05 seconds, missing the chance to become the first swimmer ever to win the same event three straight time at the Olympics. Here are some of the closest races in Olympic swimming history.
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Can Australia Derail the U.S. Women’s Basketball Machine?Australia's women's basketball team has lost three straight Olympic finals to the United States. Lauren Jackson has played in all of them. The Opals' captain hope to turn the tables in London.
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Beamon’s Leap Remains the Most Amazing Performance in Olympic HistoryThere have been many great performances achieved in the Olympics over the years, but Bob Beamon's 8,90 meters world record in the long jump at the 1968 Games remains, in this writer's opinion, the greatest individual performance in history.Also published on:
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Will Coach’s Legal Problems Affect the Performance of the US Women’s Basketball Team in London?Kelley Hardwick, an NBA security director, filed an employee discrimination lawsuit against the NBA, USA Basketball and Geno Auriemma, the head coach of the US women's basketball team. Will all this afect the team's play in the Olympics?
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Olympic Memo to Quanitra Hollingsworth: Switching Flags and Anthems is Not a Business DecisionAmerican basketball player Quanitra Hollingsworth received Turkish citizenship and will play against the US in the Olympic Tournament. And what is Turkey wins?Also published on:
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The US Women’s Basketball Team Looks for 5th Straight Olympic Title: Which is Really the Dream Team?The US women’s basketball team has not lost an Olympic game since 1992 and is the prohibitive favorite to win its 5th straight gold medal in London.
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Hot Stuff: US, Jamaican Sprinters to Clash in Olympic ShowdownAn unusual large pool of talent in the two countries makes the Olympic men and women 100 and 200 meters, along with the 4x100 meters relays, a dual track meet for sprint supremacy between Jamaica and the US.
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Ashton Eaton Reinvents the DecathlonAshton Eaton set a world record in the decathlon at the US Olympic Trials in track and field in cold, rainy Eugene, bringing some luster back to the classic event. He excels in several events, and has great potential for improvement in others.
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An Olympic Record that Will Never Be BrokenAs a sports journalist in Romania I was invited to attend the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles by an American newspaper. After the Games I asked for political asylum.