Pique: “We have to keep evolving”

Pique’s Interview with the press at Ciutat Espotivo 3 months ago. Proves his goal yesterday could have happened to any defender; Shakira has no part of play with that error.

In a press conference at the Ciutat Esportiva on Monday morning just after training, Pique offered his insight on how Barcelona is doing and his thoughts about the media reaction to Mourinho. Read some excerpts after the jump.

Always offering his honest and sometimes brutal insight, Pique started the press conference by reminding the press that the squad has never felt that they are invincible. “You can never feel you are unbeatable because as soon as you get that feeling you are most likely to lose,” before adding that “we have to continue with the same strategy and on the same dynamic, that’s what will help us.”

The press then continued with two questions that have been on a lot of people’s minds: Is the team better than under Pep? Has Barça reached its peak? Pique replied that he thinks it’s intangible and very subjective. Regarding reaching the peak, he said that “we have signed Jordi Alba and other different players. We have to keep evolving, we have to keep improving, and look for new challenges. I think we’re going to start playing at a very high level again.”

Regarding Madrid’s 18 point difference and Mourinho being under fire, Pique retorted that in his opinion Mourinho never changes, only Madrid’s results have changed. Highlighting Mourinho’s past offenses, such as Tito’s eye-gouging, and contrasting it with this season’s controversies, Pique had this to say: “It makes me laugh, because I remember when Madrid were winning, and Mourinho got away with murder. He even came here and poked Tito in the eye. How many games was he banned for that? None. Now Mourinho has picked on Casillas, threatened a journalist, and people are criticising him. Mourinho has always been like this, ever since he arrived. And he got away with everything.” He also added that the bias from the sports media in both cities doesn’t help either.

As for the next match against Malaga on Wednesday, he said that Barcelona is honored to have received applause from their rival and hope they will feel the same way at the end of the Copa match.

Jose Mourinho points at Real Madrid departure.

Jose Mourinho says he may not remain as Real Madrid coach next season and plans to be “where people love me to be”.

The 50-year-old former Chelsea manager saw his side exit the Champions League after a 4-3 aggregate defeat by Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final.

The Portuguese has been linked with a move away from Spain and has spoken in the past of a return to England.

After the match in Madrid he said: “I know in England I am loved, I know I am loved by some clubs, especially one.”

Mourinho left the Blues in acrimonious circumstances after a falling out with owner Roman Abramovich, although Mourinho remains Chelsea’s most successful manager with two Premier League titles and three domestic cup wins.

Current interim Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez, an unpopular figure among Blues supporters, has said he will leave the club at the end of the season.

Mourinho added: “I am loved by the fans and the media who treat me in a fair way.

“I know in Spain it is different because many people hate me.”

Real are 11 points behind arch rivals Barcelona with five games remaining in La Liga.

They face city rivals Atletico in the Spanish Cup final in May, Real’s last realistic chance of winning silverware this season.

Mourinho insisted he would wait until the end of the current campaign before making a decision on his future.

“I didn’t make a decision because I have a contract and the respect I have for the club and the president,” he said.

“At the end of the season I want to sit down with the president and speak about it.”

Former girlfriend of Boston Bomber reveals he would beat her for dressing like a Westerner and wanted her ‘to hate America’

• Nadine Ascencao, 24, dated Tamerlan Tsarnaev for three years
• He tried to make her become a Muslim and wear more modest clothing
• Pair fought after he started going out with future wife Katharine Russell
• Tsarnaev killed with police in shoot-out after Boston Marathon terror attack

The ex-girlfriend of one of the Boston bombers has revealed that he tried to turn her against the U.S. and beat her if she wore Western clothing.

Nadine Ascencao says that over the course of her relationship with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, he was transformed from a fun-loving student into an Islamic extremist who shunned American life.

The 24-year-old lost her virginity to the Chechen immigrant and said she was besotted with him – but now she admits she had a ‘lucky escape’.

Ms Ascencao said: ‘One minute he’s this funny, normal guy who liked boxing and having fun, the next he is praying four times a day, watching Islamic videos and talking insane nonsense.

‘He became extremely religious and tried to brainwash me to follow Islam. Tamerlan said I couldn’t be with him unless I became a Muslim. He wanted me to hate America like he did.’

Tsarnaev, 26, was killed in a stand-off with police four days after he and his brother Dzhokhar apparently set off two bombs at the Boston Marathon on April 15.

Since the terror attack, which left three by-standers dead and more than 170 injured, the brothers’ interest in Islamic terror has been revealed.

Tsarnaev apparently stopped her from listening to pop music or watching television, and tried to control who she spent time with.

‘Tamerlan told me I should only talk to Muslim girls, not other “slutty” girls,’ Ms Ascencao said.

And when she wore Western clothing, he would fly into a rage and even attack her, she added.

‘He hated my tight trousers and made me wear long skirts,’ she said. ‘Towards the end I was wearing a hijab. He once ripped a pair of my jeans and hit me in the face with them.’

The pair’s relationship seems to have hit the rocks after Tsarnaev started seeing Katherine Russell after meeting her at a nightclub.

He would apparently play the two women off against each other, pitting them in competition to learn Islamic verses.

A police report from July 2009 indicated that he slapped Ms Ascencao during an argument at their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

She called 911 to complain, but although Tsarnaev was arrested and charged with assault the charges were dropped before trial.

The couple broke up later that year after three years together, and he went on to marry Ms Russell, who converted to Islam in order to be with him.

Ms Ascencao says she had no contact with her ex-boyfriend in the years before he launched his terror attack this month, but was questioned by the FBI over her links to the Islamic extremist.

‘When they said Tamerlan was dead, I didn’t cry,’ she said. ‘I was more shocked Dzhokhar was involved. He was a nice kid.’

Dzhokhar, 19, is currently in police custody in hospital after being injured in a shoot-out with police which led to his arrest hours after Tamerlan’s death on April 19.

 

Dortmund thrashing of Real like ‘Robin Hood taking from the rich’, says Klopp

• ‘Of course we can still do it,’ insists Real’s José Mourinho
• Jürgen Klopp agrees Champions League semi far from over.

Dortmund’s Jürgen Klopp looks on as Real Madrid’s José Mourinho gestures during their Champions League semi-final. Photograph: Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

José Mourinho said that Real Madrid would turn round their semi-final deficit against Borussia Dortmund or die trying after they were thrashed 4-1 in Germany on Wednesday night, all four of the hosts’ goals coming from the coveted Polish striker Robert Lewandowski.

Madrid conceded those four just 24 hours after Barcelona had done the same against Bayern Munich but Cristiano Ronaldo’s away goal gave them a glimmer of hope for the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday and the Portuguese coach insisted: “Nothing is impossible in football.”

Dortmund’s manager, Jürgen Klopp, agreed that the tie was not over and insisted that whatever happened next this would be a historic night for the club. “That was like Robin Hood taking from the rich,” he said, adding that he would not be leaving at the end of the season and that he did not expect Lewandowski to depart either. There have been reports of an approach for the striker from Bayern Munich and of offers from English clubs, too, but Klopp insisted the 24-year-old would stay.

Mourinho said: “It is obvious that Dortmund were the better side. They were more aggressive physically and mentally and they won virtually all the duels. I have the feeling that every goal was a mistake. And we had one or two more [mistakes] that could have [made the score] worse too but our goalkeeper made good saves.

“Over the last three years at Madrid I have met lots of people and they have told me lots of things about the club, including the importance of the Bernabéu [on European nights],” Mourinho continued. “Things seem impossible but they are not. There is still hope. If you asked the players now if there is a chance, they would say ‘no’. Ask them in an hour and they will say ‘yes’. By next Tuesday they will be ready to go for it and give everything.

“Of course we can do it. On a crazy night where everyone performs at a high level and you score every chance, you can do it. What you cannot do is get knocked out without dying on the pitch. If we are knocked out I want [Dortmund] to suffer and I want the Madrid players to leave the pitch with absolutely nothing left to give.”

Klopp added: “This will go down in the club’s history books. I hope soon they will show a film in the club’s museum of the goals by Lewandowski tonight but that will only happen if we win on Tuesday. The goals were incredible; the third is worth every single cent of what the TV channels pay for the rights.

“I would never have dreamed that we would score four in a semi-final of the Champions League. If we lose 3-0, we’re out. If 4-1, it’s extra-time. So it’s not over but whatever happens we will give our best and let’s not ruin the pleasure of this night.

“Lewandowski is quality [because of] his mentality, his fitness, what he thinks about football, how cool he is,” Klopp said, adding: “And I am sure he will stay.”

So too will Klopp, even though he is realistic enough to know that one of the consequences of this success is that it makes the breakup of the side more likely. “I have told the journalists that they can write what they want, but I will stay,” he said. “That might not be the best news for some of the players but it is the truth so it’s no problem.

“The better you get the more the other teams want your players; you cannot be successful and have nobody recognise it. Every year we lost one brilliant player and we get better and better and better. It is no problem because we know we have to concentrate on the next match and not think about next year. This team’s mentality is to enjoy each day that we are together and then we will see at the end of the season.”

Mercilessly Beaten. Bayern Munich vs. FC Barcelona: Rating Both Sets of Players

Allianz Arena

yesterday, 7:45 PM

Bayern Munich                            4-0                                     Barcelona

(8-2)                                                          Final                                                  (5-3)

Scores and Schedule

Yesterday                       Bayern Munich 4-0 Barcelona                            Final

Wed, May 1st                 Barcelona          vs Bayern Munich                      7:45 PM

The German Champions’ physical superiority helped them brush aside Barça in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.

Bayern Munich gorged themselves at the top table of European football on Tuesday night.

The powerhouse performance that Bavaria’s finest produced against Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final was as good a 90 minutes of football as you are likely to witness.

Taking into account the quality of their opponents, I doubt that many pundits would have imagined quite such a one-sided spectacle. 

Barcelona’s famed “tiki-taka” passing game was only evident in short phases of the match and was no match for Bayern’s heady mix of raw aggression, power, pace and a strong pressing game.

Let’s take a look at how I rated both teams…

Bayern Munich Goalkeeper and Defence

Manuel Neuer: 5/10

I don’t think I can rate Bayern’s keeper higher than a five because he had hardly anything to do in the game! A couple of routine saves aside, this will have been one of the quietest nights he has enjoyed.

David Alaba: 8/10

Got forward at every opportunity as his direct opponent, Pedro, offered little as an attacking threat. Popped up as a “false nine” halfway through the first half. Set up the fourth goal, racing down the outside on 81 minutes to cross for Thomas Muller.

Dante: 9/10

Apart from a couple of wasteful early balls, Dante was a commanding presence at the heart of the Bayern defence. A brick wall that Barcelona couldn’t breach. Huge leap to set up the first goal. Dominant.

Jerome Boateng: 7/10

Was dependable and assured alongside Dante, mopping up any loose balls in and around the area. Went about his work quietly but effectively and was always available.

Philipp Lahm: 8/10

An energetic performance from the Bayern captain. Played high up the pitch at every opportunity, affecting the play whenever possible. Kept Alexis Sanchez very quiet for the most part.

Bayern Munich Midfield

Bastian Schweinsteiger: 9/10 

Patrolled the midfield like a general. Had the unenviable task of man-marking Lionel Messi. That the Argentine barely had a sniff of a chance in this game tells you all you need to know about the performance of “Schweini”—at the heart of everything.

Bayern Munich Attack and Substitutes

Thomas Muller: 9/10

A great attacking performance from the two-goal hero. Muller served notice of his intentions with a strong challenge on Jordi Alba on 17 minutes.

Quick to react to Dante’s header for the first goal, he was on point for the coup de grace, sandwiching his setup for Mario Gomez to get on the scoresheet. However, he was lucky not to get booked in the lead-up to Robben’s goal.

Mario Gomez: 9/10

A spearhead in the Bayern attack, his presence often unsettled the Barcelona defence. Gomez led the line very well, bringing others into play often. Despite being offside for his goal, his all-round display deserved some reward.

Luiz Gustavo: 4/10

Luiz Gustavo came on as a 71st-minute substitute for Gomez, but there was little play of note from the player in the short time he had on the pitch.

Xherdan Shaqiri: 4/10

Replaced Ribery on 88 minutes but, as with Gustavo, there was too little time for the player to impose his quality on this match.

Claudio Pizarro: 4/10

Played the last seven minutes of the match, taking over offensive duties from Muller. With the game already won, the substitute linked up well but had little effect to the overall performance/result.

Barcelona Goalkeeper and Defence

Victor Valdes: 5/10

Got down well to deny Robben in the second minute but was rooted to the spot for the first goal and caught in no man’s land for the third. Perhaps could’ve done better in cutting out the cross for the fourth goal—the keeper has had better nights.

Jordi Alba: 6/10

Alba was as good as ever marauding forward, but too often there was no end product to his play. A scuffed pass on 62 minutes when Messi was well-placed to receive is a prime example. Allowed Muller to get ahead of him for the fourth goal and ruled himself out of the second leg with a stupid act of petulance at the end of the match.

Gerard Pique: 7/10

Good distribution for the most part although he lacked attention at times, most noticeably when he stood still for the first goal, allowing Muller in behind. Pique did win a fair number of balls in the air but was again found wanting for Gomez’ goal.

Marc Bartra: 5/10

The game was just too big for him. Tito Vilanova had no choice but to start with him, but unfortunately for the youngster, this was not the game to be thrown in at the deep end. A few completed passes aside, his performance was most notable for the glaring miss on 68 minutes that would’ve given the game an entirely different complexion.

Dani Alves: 7/10

Involved in much of Barcelona’s early play, he got forward at every opportunity but did well not to neglect his defensive duties. Alves never stopped working, but it was his tired pass that led to the attack culminating in the third goal.

Barcelona Midfield

Sergio Busquets: 7/10 

Busquets did little wrong in this match, the Barcelona midfield were simply overrun by superior opponents. Breaking up play effectively when the opportunity arose, “Busi” had a good first half. The hallmark of his usual game was in evidence—simple, short passes that invariably found their target.

Xavi Hernandez: 7/10

A typical Xavi performance. Popped up here, there and everywhere in trying to find the chink of light in the opposition midfield. Was well-marshalled for much of the game, but as ever, most of Barcelona’s probing and forward play came via Xavi.

Andres Iniesta: 7/10

Never really got much time on the ball and was therefore caught in possession a number of times. Although this wasn’t a vintage performance, Iniesta broke through on a few occasions in the second half, pinning Lahm back to his defensive sentry.

Barcelona Attack and Substitutes

Pedro Rodriguez: 5/10

Well taken care of by Alaba, Pedro rarely had a sniff in the match. Despite lots of sharp movement and a spirited desire for work, it was a very quiet game by his standards.

Alexis Sanchez: 6/10

Another who couldn’t escape the shackles of a ferocious Bayern defensive unit. Worked extremely hard at creating openings and bringing teammates into play, ultimately for little reward. Should’ve done better with a second-half cross when well-placed.

Lionel Messi: 6/10

Barcelona’s “saviour” was clearly not fit for this match, and in hindsight it will be seen as a mistake to play him. Surrounded at every twist and turn, it took until the 68th minute of the match for Messi to go on one of his trademark penetrating runs toward the heart of the Bayern defence. It was his quietest game for some time.

David Villa: 4/10

Should’ve been introduced by Tito Vilanova much earlier. Another substitute who had no time to have any influence on the outcome of the match, which was already won by the time he replaced Pedro on 83 minutes.

Javi Martinez: 9/10

A constant thorn in the side of Barcelona, he was another who dominated his area of the park. Biting at the heels of Andres Iniesta in the 33rd minute and barely leaving Sergio Busquets side, he broke up Barcelona’s occasional attacking thrusts with ease.

Arjen Robben: 10/10

My man of the match. Apart from a ridiculous dive towards the end of the game, we saw the best side of Arjen Robben. He almost scored with a toe poke as early as the second minute and a diving header in the second half. He was direct and broke at pace and with purpose whenever possible.

The Barcelona defence were unable to cope with him. He finished his goal with aplomb despite the fact it should never have stood. It was a complete performance from the Dutchman.

Franck Ribery: 9/10

Gave Dani Alves much to think about during the game. Involved often, Ribery mirrored Arjen Robben’s work rate on the opposite side of the pitch and defended from the front. A solid performance from the Frenchman.

The race for next season’s UEFA Champions League is hotting up, and it’s always intriguing to see a new face make a splash on Europe’s elite competition.

We look at some of the lesser-established—but far from lesser-talented—clubs who are on the brink of qualifying and assess who the surprise packages could be.

Add your own in the comments if a particular club has caught your eye!

FBI releases images of two suspects near Boston bomb sites

Investigators hope release of images showing two possible suspects will help lead to their identities.

Federal investigators issued an urgent appeal Thursday for the public’s assistance in identifying two suspects in the Boston Marathon attacks Monday. The two were seen on local surveillance camera carrying backpacks near the sites just minutes before two bomb devices were detonated.

Boston FBI chief Richard DesLauriers said the young men — identified as “Suspect 1” and “Suspect 2” were the only people authorities were seeking in connection with the blasts, which left three dead and 176 others wounded near the finish line of Monday’s race.

Suspect 1 was wearing a black cap, khaki pants, sunglasses and slip-on dress shoes.

Suspect 2 was wearing a white cap backward, jeans and gray hoodie sweatshirt with a black jacket over it. He is also seen casually walking down a busy sidewalk with a pack that investigators believe was set down near the site of the second explosion.

Both suspects’ bags appear to be similar to the black nylon pack described earlier as possibly used to carry the explosive devices believed to have been assembled in common kitchen pressure cookers.

DesLauriers said the suspects’ photos were culled from streams of video and photographic evidence collected since Monday. Police first became suspicious of Suspect 2 because of his actions and proximity to the second bomb scene. Investigators later found images of Suspect 1, who appears to be traveling with the other person.

“We consider them to be armed and extremely dangerous,” DesLauriers said at a televised evening briefing. “No one should approach them. No one should attempt to apprehend them except law enforcement. Do not take any action on your own.”

In the unusually blunt appeal, DesLauriers asked the public to closely examine the photographs and report any information to its telephone tip line: 1-800-225-5324.

“No bit of information is too small for us to see,” he said.

Within minutes of the photos’ release, the FBI’s website was swamped, temporarily blocking access to the material.

“Identifying and locating those responsible is now our highest priority,” DesLauriers said.

The release of the images comes three days after the blasts killed 8-year-old Martin Richard of Dorchester, 29-year-old Krystle Campbell of Medford, and Lu Lingzi, a 23-year-old Boston University graduate student from China.

More than 1,000 officers and agents studied 3,000 photographs and many terabytes of digital data to identify the suspects, FBI Special Agent Jason Pack said.

Investigators used several different photos over time to piece together the suspects’ paths and association, FBI Special Agent Dan Curtin said.

At a service for victims in Boston on Thursday morning, President Obama vowed the attackers would be caught and prosecuted. “Yes, we will find you — and, yes, you will face justice,” he said.

In Washington, Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday that the “full resources” of the Justice Department were being deployed in the investigation and to guard against any future attacks.

MORE: Interfaith service held in Boston

FULL COVERAGE: Boston Marathon bombings

Holder, the nation’s top law enforcement officer, told a congressional committee Thursday that the “individual or group that carried out this heinous act” would be held accountable … “by any means available to us”

Holder’s comments came after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a House panel that the responsibility for the attack has yet to be linked to any individuals or international or domestic terrorist organizations.

“We don’t know,” Napolitano told a congressional panel, as investigators in Boston continue to pursue a number of promising leads.

Authorities continue working to identify individuals at both sites as well as a number of other people in video and photographs near the explosions.

More than 50 people remain hospitalized, with seven listed in critical condition, down from 14 Wednesday. They include a 10-year-old boy at Boston Children’s Hospital whose leg was amputated and a 9-year-old girl with a leg injury. Brigham and Women’s Hospital had four people in critical condition and Boston Medical Center had one. At Tufts Medical Center, five bombing victims remain under care, but none are listed as critical.

Meanwhile, families of a newlywed couple who both suffered a leg amputation below the knee are thanking supporters for an outpouring of donations.

The families of Patrick and Jessica Downes said Thursday that the generosity from friends and strangers has restored their faith in humanity. More than 4,400 people have donated more than $246,000 to the couple through GiveForward.com.

The families say they don’t want the couple to worry about paying for prosthetics and modifications to their home during the recovery process.

Thirty-year-old Patrick and 32-year-old Jessica are in stable condition and recovering from surgery. They were married in Boston in August. Jessica is a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of several area hospitals treating bomb victims.

A. Song Unhappy with his play at Barcelona F.C

Alexandre Song Bilong who left Arsenal to Cam Nou last transfer season now unhappy with his role at his present club. F.C Barcelone.

The former Arsenal midfielder’s older cousin reveals that the Cameroon international is frustrated about a lack of first-team appearances since moving to Camp Nou

Reired Cameroon star Rigobert Song has revealed that his cousin, midfielder Alex Song, is unhappy at Barcelona because of his lack of first-team opportunities since joining from Arsenal.

The Cameroon international moved to the Catalan club for 15 million pounds over the summer but has made just 12 starts in La Liga, spending some of that time in a less-familiar center back role rather than his preferred position in the middle of the park.

The former Liverpool and Galatasaray defender has now publicly declared the 25-year-old’s discontent in Spain but still believes that he ought to remain with the Blaugrana.

“Alex is not happy [at Barcelona]; at Arsenal he was a leader on and off the field, he doesn’t feel like the protagonist in Spain, it makes him feel bad,” the elder Song told Calciomercato on Wednesday. “He still has a long contract, until 2017. I do not think moving away is the right choice. All players want to play all the time but in Barcelona it is not easy. ”

Despite his cousin’s struggles to impose himself on the first team at Camp Nou, the veteran Song sees success in due time for the former Gunner.

“Alex must have patience,” he asserted. “His time will come because he has the qualities to do well.”

No Arrests Made; Progress in Boston Marathon Bombing Case, FBI Says.

After law enforcement sources told CNN that an arrest was made in Boston Marathon bombings, two senior administration officials and another federal official told CNN contributor Fran Townsend that no arrest happened.

Investigators reported major progress in the Boston Marathon bombing case Wednesday, but said no arrest had been made, despite conflicting news accounts.Two law enforcement sources told USA TODAY no arrest had been made, although the Associated Press, CNN and Fox Boston had reported in early afternoon that a suspect had been taken into custody.As reports spread of an imminent arrest, the federal courthouse was jammed with a massive police and media presence. People with cell phone cameras poised to snap a picture of any suspect filled the parking lot.

A message sent to Boston officers on the police scanner, however, said flatly: “Despite reports to the contrary, there has been no arrest.” The message added that officers should “remain diligent in our mission.”

The reports that offiicals were zeroing in on a possible suspect came as several news sources said investigators had identified images of a suspect seen delivering one of the explosive devices near the marathon finish line.

CNN’s John King quoted law enforcement sources as saying that surveillance video from a nearby Lord &Taylor department store was key in the investigation. Television footage also played a role, CNN reports.

“The camera from Lord & Taylor is the best source of video so far,” said Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino tells the Boston Globe. “All I know is that they are making progress.”

A law enforcement official, who described the investigation as “very active,” told USA TODAY that authorities have been focusing on a mass of photographic evidence provided by the public and area security cameras. But the source indicated that there mixed views on the value of the analysis so far.

“There is a lot going on,” said the official, who is not authorized to comment publicly on the investigation.

As investigators painstakingly gather fragments of evidence from the two explosions that killed three people and injured more than 170, a lid has been recovered from a pressure cooker apparently used as the explosive device, a federal law enforcement official said.

The official, who has been briefed on the matter but is not authorized to comment publicly, told USA TODAY the lid was found on a roof near the scene of the blast.

The discovery came as the head of the Department of Homeland Security told a Senate panel in Washington that the Coast Guard worked with the Boston Police Department after the bombings Monday to guard against any potential water-borne attack from the harbor or the Charles River.

Janet Napolitano said officials continue to investigate the bombing with the FBI as a solitary act of terror.

Boston Marathon bombing suspect arrested.

Officials: Arrest ‘imminent’ in Boston bombing case.

Federal agents zeroed in Tuesday on how the Boston Marathon bombing was carried out — with kitchen pressure cookers packed with explosives, nails and other lethal shrapnel. (April 17)

An arrest of a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing case is imminent, a law enforcement source said Wednesday, with the suspect to be brought to court soon, the Associated Press reported.

The AP reports comes as several news sources report that investigators have identified images of a suspect seen delivering one of the explosive devices that killed 3 people and injured more than 170 at the finish line of the marathon.

CNN reported that the arrest has already taken place, but sources tell USA TODAY no arrest has been made.

The reports of an arrest follows comments from officials that they had pinpointed the image of the suspect carrying, and perhaps dropping, a black bag at the scene of the second blast on Monday.

CNN also quotes a law enforcement source a saying that officials believe they have identified the bomb suspect in the crowd.

CNN’s John King quotes the sources as saying that surveillance video from a nearby Lord &Taylor department store was key in the investigation. Television footage also played a role, CNN reports.

“The camera from Lord & Taylor is the best source of video so far,” said Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino tells the Boston Globe. “All I know is that they are making progress.”

A law enforcement official, who described the investigation as “very active,” told USA TODAY that authorities have been focusing on a mass of photographic evidence provided by the public and area security cameras. But the source indicated that there mixed views on the value of the analysis so far.

“There is a lot going on,” said the official, who is not authorized to comment publicly on the investigation.

As investigators painstakingly gather fragments of evidence from the two explosions that killed three people and injured more than 170, a lid has been recovered from a pressure cooker apparently used as the explosive device, a federal law enforcement official said.

The official, who has been briefed on the matter but is not authorized to comment publicly, told USA TODAY the lid was found on a roof near the scene of the blast.

The discovery came as the head of the Department of Homeland Security told a Senate panel in Washington that the Coast Guard worked with the Boston Police Department after the bombings Monday to guard against any potential water-borne attack from the harbor or the Charles River.

Janet Napolitano said officials continue to investigate the bombing with the FBI as a solitary act of terror.

“There is no current indication to suggest the attack was indicative of a broader plot,” Napolitano told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “But out of an abundance of caution, we continue to keep in place enhanced security measures, both seen and unseen.”

At least 15 of the 170-plus people injured in the blast remained in critical condition Wednesday at several area hospitals. Peter Burke, chief trauma surgeon at Boston Medical Center, said two of the 19 patients there still being treated remain in critical condition, including a 5-year-old boy. All, however, are expected to survive, he said.

Burke said patients who required amputations or who lost limbs at the bomb scene are now entering the second phase of their recovery, which is making sure that infection does not set in. “They get injured very quickly, but it takes a long time for people to get better,” he said.

At the blast site, evidence investigators from ATF, FBI and other federal agencies wearing protective suits were poring over the crime scene Wednesday. Evidence trucks and mobile labs fill Exeter Street, the side street off Boylston closest to the blast scenes.

The amount of gunpowder used in the Boston Marathon bombings is believed to be a fraction of the overall weight of the devices estimated to be about 20 pounds each, a law enforcement official said Wednesday.

Much of the weight was attributed to the pressure-cooker container and a mix of shrapnel — BB pellets and nail fragments —that cut a deadly path through the crowds gathered near the race finish line, said the official who is not authorized to speak publicly.

The official said the components of the bomb — common kitchen pressure cookers, wire, batteries and gunpowder — are so widely available that barring the assistance of an informant or a telling photo from the crime scene it will likely take investigators some time to determine where the materials were obtained and who acquired them.

“This is either quick or it’s not,” the official said, referring to the identification of possible suspects, “and right now it’s looking like not.”

At the same time, the official said, bomb technicians will likely be able to reconstruct much of the entire device, from both pieces recovered from the scene and the collective knowledge of investigators who have encountered similar devices in past investigations.

“They are going to be able to figure out how this device was acquired,” the official said. “Depending on the trade craft involved, they will be able to do it relatively easily.”

Boston FBI chief Richard DesLauriers said the recovered materials were being examined at the FBI’s laboratory in Quantico, Va., where the bureau has assembled a clearinghouse of IED devices recovered from places ranging from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to crime scenes around the country.

The scene is strewn with shredded T-shirts, metal fragments and glass shards. Boston Police and National Guard soldiers guard every access point, but from the side streets, spectators have watched the investigators at work.

Some evidence is being flown to the FBI lab and will undergo an expedited analysis, FBI spokesman Special Agent Jason Pack said.

The ATF’s evidence recovery experts have found blast debris on rooftops and embedded in nearby buildings, Acting ATF Special Agent Eugenio Marquez said.

“It gives the scope of the power of the blast,” Marquez said.

The latest discoveries came as investigators appealed to the public for videos and photos of the scene in hopes of getting an image of the person or persons who left the explosive devices near the finish line of the marathon.

Richard DesLauriers, the FBI special agent of the Boston office, confirmed on Tuesday that investigators had found pieces of black nylon from a bag or backpack and fragments of BBs and nails, possibly contained in a pressure cooker.

Authorities, however, have yet to determine the motive for the bombings or who was behind them, and are urging anyone with tips to come forward with information.

“The person who did this was someone’s friend, co-worker or neighbor,” he said. “Somebody knows who did this.” No one has claimed responsibility for the atrocity and “the range of suspects and motives remain wide open,” ­DesLauriers said.

Meanwhile, a Chinese newspaper has identified the third victim of Monday’s deadly blast as Lu Lingzi, a Chinese national and graduate student Boston University.

The Shenyang Evening News, a state-run Chinese newspaper, in a post on its official Twitter-like microblog account, identified the victim, who is from the northeastern Chinese city, the Associated Press reports.

An editor at the newspaper said that Lu’s father confirmed his daughter’s death when reporters visited the family home, the AP reported.

Lu, who previously studied international trade at Beijing Institute of Technology, was studying statistics at BU, according to her Facebook page and media reports.

The other two victims were Martin Richard, 8, of Boston, and Krystle Campbell, 29, of Medford, Mass.

The Chinese Consulate in New York said in a statement Tuesday that another Chinese citizen was wounded and was in stable condition following surgery.

Jose Mourinho Agrees A Provisional Deal To Return As Chelsea Manager.

Jose Mourinho is close to a Chelsea return after Roman Abramovich agreed to swallow his pride and reappoint the “Special One” as manager.

Real Madrid coach Mourinho was due to be at Stamford Bridge on Monday night to watch Russia play Brazil as part of a whistle-stop visit to London.

And, six years after his tempestuous relationship with Abramovich ended in combustion, Mourinho is on the brink of consenting to go back “home” to the Blues.

 

It is understood Mourinho and Abramovich have reached a provisional agreement for the Portuguese to take over from interim Rafa Benitez this summer on a three-year contract.

 

There are still significant stumbling blocks before any deal can be signed though, with Anzhi Makhachkala’s Dutch veteran Guus Hiddink lined up as a potential fall-back option if the Mourinho move goes wrong.

 

Mourinho is believed to have made it clear that he will only consider a return if Chelsea finish in the top four, qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

 

More contentiously – and what could cause a major hurdle – the Portuguese is concerned about working in an environment where technical director Michael Emenalo and chief executive Ron Gourlay hold the levers of power.

 

Also, sources in France and Spain insist Mourinho’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has struck a similar provisional deal with Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain, who are ready to dump ex-Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti if his expensively-assembled side do not win Ligue 1 this season.

 

But, with Mourinho determined to pack his bags and leave Real at the end of the season irrespective of whether he becomes the first manager to win the Champions League with three different clubs, it seems that the hopes and prayers of most Blues fans could be answered.

 

The 50-year-old has played a blatant game of tease with would-be suitors over recent weeks, including suggesting he could go back to a former club but that he might be ready to unleash a “surprise”.

 

What is evident, though, is that Abramovich – falsely reported by one Russian TV station to have been arrested in the United States on Monday – is ready to admit he made the biggest mistake of his reign when he parted company with Mourinho in 2007.