Off Topic » rivals 14-year unbeaten league run in their Spanish

BARCELONA, Spain -- Atletico Madrids record-setting 1-0 win over Real Madrid brought an emphatic end to its crosstown rivals 14-year unbeaten league run in their Spanish capital derby on Saturday. On-form Diego Costa struck in the 11th minute and not even Gareth Bale in his home debut for Madrid could help it rally. Atleticos big win came after Lionel Messi scored before being substituted due to injury to help Barcelona win 2-0 at Almeria. Barcelona and Atletico set club records by staying perfect through seven rounds to start the season, opening up a five-point gap over Madrid. Messi and Diego Costa have guided their teams to their milestones and lead the league with eight goals each. "We are having a great year and we have to keep it going," said Atleticos Jorge "Koke" Resurreccion, who set up Diego Costas goal. "Diego Costa is in a spectacular moment. He has helped us a lot." Bale, Madrids 100-million-euro man, went on at the start of the second half, finally playing in front of his new home fans after straining his left thigh while warming up before last weekends match. Yet neither the Wales winger in 45 minutes nor Cristiano Ronaldo in 90 were able to target Atleticos goal. "Atletico was more aggressive and ran more. It wasnt our day," said Ronaldo. "We have to understand that we need to improve. I played poorly and many of my teammates did so as well. Our coach had nothing to do with it. Its our fault." Atleticos last league win against Madrid had come in 1999, and since then it had gone 23 games without a victory. But Atleticos victory over Madrid in the same Santiago Bernabeu Stadium last May to claim the Copa del Rey had apparently given it the boost in confidence it needed to break its horrendous streak. While Atletico squeaked out that cup win in extra time, Diego Simeones side simply outplayed Madrid on Saturday, creating many more shots and deploying a swarming defence that kept Madrid in check until the final minutes. Simeone pumped both fists on the final whistle as he left the dugout, deservedly satisfied with his teams effort. "We can play better or worse, but our commitment to working hard is nonnegotiable," said Simeone. "The team is above everything else. The economic power of Barcelona and Madrid is superior to ours. We give it our all in each game." Diego Costa, who also scored in last seasons cup final, took the games sole goal when Filipe Luis stole the ball from Madrids Angel Di Maria and Koke placed a throughball for his goalscorer to coolly fire it in. As the Brazilian forward soaked up the dismay of Madrids supporters, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti turned away and slapped his leg in frustration. "We are not playing well. We have to solve this by having a better attitude, staying concentrated, and playing with more speed and pace," said Ancelotti. "Its true that five points behind Barcelona and Atletico isnt a little amount. But thats not the problem." Messi netted his goal in the 21st with a left-footed shot after combining with Pedro Rodriguez, but he asked to be replaced eight minutes later after hurting a muscle in his right leg. Adriano sealed the result for Barcelona in the 56th from a pass by Cesc Fabregas while Messi watched from the bench. Messis injury leaves him in doubt for Tuesdays Champions League match at Celtic, when Atletico plays at Porto. Madrid hosts Copenhagen on Wednesday. Barcelona said the Argentina forward would undergo more tests on Sunday. While Barcelona may be missing Messi for the trip to Glasgow, it should have Neymar well rested after the striker didnt play a minute at Juegos Mediterraneos Stadium. Barcelonas first-year coach Gerardo Martino has guided Barcelona to its best start in 82 leagues. Five other managers, including Pep Guardiola (2009-10) and predecessor Tito Vilanova (2012-13), had reached six wins. "I have only latched on to one of the records that these players have broken and continue to break," said Martino. "They have been doing so for years both individually and as a team. The fact that I formed a part of this one is circumstantial." Elsewhere, Jonas scored his third winning goal for Valencia this week to secure a 1-0 victory at home over Rayo Vallecano. Jonas netted the decisive goal in recent wins against Sevilla and Granada, and he stepped up once again to produce the 36th-minute winner after intercepting a poor pass by Rayos Saul Niguez. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, was held to 1-1 at home by Sevilla before its Champions League game at Leverkusen on Wednesday. Custom Minnesota Vikings Jerseys . Formula One Teams Association secretary general Oliver Weingarten says the organization collapsed over unpaid subscription fees and a failure to strike an agreement for 2014 with all 11 teams. Alan Page Jersey .com) - The New York Jets have named Mike Maccagnan their new general manager. http://www.vikingssale.com/Vikings-Kirk-Cousins-Draft-Jersey/ . It took five games, but the Celtics finally helped Stevens earn his first NBA victory. "Im going to celebrate for a whole 12 minutes, and then Im going to start watching Orlando and trying to figure them out," the first-year Celtics coach said after Boston beat the Utah Jazz, one of the leagues other winless teams, 97-87 on Wednesday night. Cris Carter Jersey . Rooneys latest piece of football genius lost in the furore which now stalks David Moyes, and the man who gave the Manchester United striker his start as a 16-year old at Goodison Park back in 2002. John Randle Jersey . Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes, the bandleader of the beard brigade during Bostons run to the 2013 World Series title, said he will be shaving his off before spring training so that he can file it "in the archive" with his memories of the teams improbable championship.NASHVILLE -- With a year-long federal fraud investigation looming over it, the huge truck-stop chain owned by the family of the Cleveland Browns owner and Tennessees governor is doing some housecleaning at its highest levels. Several top executives at Pilot Flying J, including the president, abruptly left this week, more than a year after FBI agents raided the Knoxville, Tennessee, headquarters of the nations largest diesel retailer. Ten former employees have previously pleaded guilty to helping cheat trucking companies out of promised rebates and discounts. Those cases and this weeks departures, observers note, could indicate that prosecutors are entering the final phase of a methodical probe that has included records suggesting Pilot CEO and Browns owner Jimmy Haslam knew of the scheme, something he denies. One expert said Haslam might be cutting ties with his senior staff in a bid to persuade prosecutors not to charge the company his father founded decades ago, one in which his brother, Gov. Bill Haslam, still holds an undisclosed stake. Pilot President Mark Hazelwood and Scott "Scooter" Wombold, vice-president of national accounts, left the company Monday, with Haslam sending a company-wide email thanking Hazelwood for his service but saying nothing about why or how he was leaving. Tuesday saw the departure of five more members of the sales team. Dennis B. Francis, a Knoxville attorney who has worked in federal criminal defence for 40 years, said the only way this weeks departures make sense to him is if some of the people leaving are co-operating with prosecutors. For a defendant to get a lighter sentence than federal guidelines mandate, prosecutors have to file court papers saying that person provided substantial assistance to the government. Once prosecutors have the evidence they need to convict, they no longer offer any promises of special consideration. "They call it getting on the bus," said Francis, who is not involved in the Pilot case. "And theres only so much room on the bus." Wombolds attorney, John E. Kelly, said in an email that his client had been "helping the company repair many customer relationships during the past 14 months. Mr. Wombolds departure from the company is not connected to past guilty pleas entered into by former employees, and any inferencce that there is a connection is not accurate.dddddddddddd" Hazelwoods attorney declined to comment. Company representatives said they couldnt comment on specific personnel moves, which took place while Jimmy Haslam was meeting with fellow NFL owners in Atlanta. "Nothing more should be read into the events of this week than things playing themselves out," spokesman Tom Ingram said Wednesday. "Otherwise, the company continues to go full steam ahead and business as usual, and is doing very well." Jimmy Haslam has denied any previous knowledge of the fraud or any personal wrongdoing. The governor has said he is not involved with operating Pilot Flying J. Pilot agreed in November to pay out nearly $85 million to settle claims in a class-action lawsuit with 5,500 trucking companies. Several companies have filed separate lawsuits against Pilot that are ongoing. Nashville criminal defence attorney and former prosecutor David Raybin said that, based on his observations and experience, the departure of so many managers at once indicates that criminal charges could soon be filed. And he suggested that prosecutors are aiming high. "You dont make a bunch of people plead guilty at the lower levels and then let the top people off with a fine," said Raybin, who does not represent anyone in the case. "Theyre potentially jailing five to 10 people. You dont do that unless you are targeting the highest levels of the company." An affidavit filed last year to obtain a search warrant for Pilot headquarters states that a confidential informant told the FBI that both Hazelwood and Jimmy Haslam knew about the fraud at the company because it was discussed openly at sales meetings where both were present. Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor who teaches at George Washington University Law School, said that while the sudden departures are unusual, they could mean any number of things. For example, Pilot might be fearful that the company could be charged criminally, or the companys board of directors may have decided that the people who have left recently were partly responsible for what happened. "One reason the company might fire them is to say, Look, were cleaning house. Were getting rid of the bad people, so dont indict the corporation," Eliason said. 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