This story appears in ESPN The Magazines September 19 NFL Preview II Issue. Dennis Byrd Jersey . Subscribe today!AFTER A 12-YEAR hiatus, the World Cup returns for Round 3 on Sept. 17 in Toronto, with eight teams vying for global bragging rights, including the new continent-spanning Team Europe and Team North America, with 23-and-unders from the U.S. and Canada. Who will win? For that, we used the goals versus threshold (GVT)* metric -- think WAR -- to rank each roster. Then we sought out ESPNs mullet man himself, Barry Melrose, to pinpoint each teams X-factor player. Spoiler alert: The Canadians appear to be good at hockey.1. CANADAJust how good is Canada? The likes of Taylor Hall and P.K. Subban (who both posted north of 50 points in the NHL last season) didnt make the cut. Despite the scratch of the Stars Jamie Benn, forwards on this roster recorded an average of 65 points last season -- seven more than the U.S. team, the next-highest group. All seven defensemen averaged over 23 minutes per game, and Carey Price, the 2014-15 NHL MVP, will man the net. Giving Sidney Crosby and the Canadians home-ice advantage to defend the teams 2004 title almost feels unfair.MELROSE X-FACTOR: LW BRAD MARCHAND I think Marchand is a real lightning rod for Canada. If theyre a little flat, he will go out, run into somebody, get somebody mad and get Canada fired up.2. UNITED STATESFor those whove forgotten, the U.S. did win the first World Cup back in 96. And if Patrick Kane (46 goals for the Blackhawks) & Co. can give Team USAs trio of goaltenders (Jonathan Quick, Cory Schneider and Ben Bishop, who combined for a .923 save percentage) enough goal support, it has a shot this time too. The U.S. can grind down opponents with centers Ryan Kesler and David Backes in front of the net, creating opportunities for playmakers such as Kane, Zach Parise and T.J. Oshie. The test for the U.S. comes early: a faceoff with Canada in the preliminary round on Sept. 20.MELROSE X-FACTOR: LW JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK JVR is a 6-foot-3 forward with skill. The Americans need a big forward to have a successful tournament, and he is a bit of a wild card. A real pivotal player.3. SWE?DENThe Swedish roster combines experienced vets in forward Loui Eriksson, center Nicklas Backstrom and Canucks twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin with youth in the form of defenseman Victor Hedman and forward Filip Forsberg. The Swedes play a fast finesse game and can move the puck up ice in a hurry -- their defenders averaged 33 assists in the NHL last season, more than the average for any other team. Sweden has ten 20-goal scorers, which should provide plenty of cover for goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who holds a .923 save percentage over the past five seasons.MELROSE X-FACTOR: LW GABRIEL LANDESKOG I think its time for these young Swedes to take over up front, and Landeskog is one of those guys. Hes obviously a leader -- Colorado made him the captain very young.4. RUSSIAWhat to expect from Russia? Fast, physical, powerful -- just like its best player, left winger Alex Ovechkin, who netted 50 goals for the Caps last season. Russias forward group -- led by Ovi, St. Louis Vladimir Tarasenko, Pavel Datsyuk and Chicagos Artemi Panarin -- averaged 0.33 goals per game last season, third best of the eight teams. But will that be enough to counter shortcomings on the defensive side? The defense lacks a true game breaker, and none of Russias three goalies bettered a 2.75 goals-against average last season.MELROSE X-FACTOR: RW VLADIMIR TARASENKO Every year Tarasenko is a dominant player -- one of the top point getters, runs the power play. I think its time for him to show people how good he is on the big stage.5. NORTH AMERICAIts unfair to criticize this squad for being young. It literally exists for that reason. Still, the roster has just a combined 240 games of playoff experience, and six of the players have yet to skate in a playoff game. Break out the Baby Bjorns! Then again, whats age when youve got skill in the trio of phenoms Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews and the size of Seth Jones (6-4) and Colton Parayko (6-6) on defense? Also, the goaltending situation cleared up this spring with Matt Murrays Stanley Cup heroics for the Pens. Dont sleep on the JV team.MELROSE X-FACTOR: LW BRANDON SAAD The vast majority of this roster hasnt played significant minutes in big games -- Brandon Saad has. The more important he becomes in the lineup, the better he plays.6. EUROPEEurope falls into the dreaded Group A with the U.S. and Canada -- which would be great if this were a U.N. cocktail party and not, you know, ?a winner-take-all hockey tournament. Europes bigger problem? This is the oldest squad at the World Cup, with an average age of 30. The team will lean on the two-way play of center Anze Kopitar (plus-34) and scoring of winger Mats Zuccarello (26 goals). But the key will be picking the goalie, as the Islanders Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss are both capable of winning games -- but also capable of blowing them.MELROSE X-FACTOR: D ROMAN JOSI Josi is going to be on the ice against every other teams best player. Hes going to see a ton of tough minutes, plus kill penalties and play the power play.7. CZECH REPUBLICThe good news? Forward Roman Cervenka, a late injury replacement for David Krejci, scored 23 goals last season in the Czech Extraliga, the most of anyone on the Czech roster. The bad news? Ten players on Team Canada and seven on Team USA surpassed that tally. The Czech Republic will need wingers Jakub Voracek and Ondrej Palat (55 and 40 points, respectively, last season) to take over games and goalie Petr Mrazek to play like he did in the first half of last season for Detroit (.932 save percentage before the All-Star break, .899 after). Defense is another story: The Czechs lack anyone who played at least 23 minutes per game last year.MELROSE X-FACTOR: RW DAVID PASTRNAK With his speed and shooting ability, Pastrnak can get open. Hes got a lot of experience for a guy at his age and could really become a star of that Czech team.8. FINLANDPatrik Laine checks in as the youngest player in the tournament, but the 18-year-old might have to put the Finns on his back at the World Cup. Laine, who scored 17 goals in Liiga last season, joins only one NHL 20-goal scorer on the roster, the Panthers Aleksander Barkov. On the other end of the ice, Olli Maatta and Sami Vatanen will have to be ready for big minutes on defense, and Tuukka Rask, who led Finland to a bronze medal in the 2014 Olympics, will have ?to rebound in net from a poor NHL campaign by his standards (2.56 GAA for Boston).MELROSE X-FACTOR: C MIKKO KOIVU Koivu has size, skating ability and a hockey pedigree but always leaves me wanting more out of him. I still think hes the most talented forward on that team.*Goals versus threshold (GVT) is calculated based on a three-year weighted average of the goal differential for each player on each roster compared with a replacement-level NHLer and then adjusted to likely ice time in the World Cup. Courtesy of Hockey Abstract and Hockey Prospectus. Keyshawn Johnson Jersey . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Wholesale Jets Jerseys . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. http:///...wayne-chrebet-jersey . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts followed the blueprint to get back into playoff contention.They started fast and finished strong. They were creative with play-calling and fortunate enough to get a couple of good bounces.And with the 2006 Super Bowl champs watching every play, these Colts did something to make the old guys proud: Beating Tennessee yet again.Andrew Luck led the Colts to touchdowns on each of their first three possessions and the defense staved off the Titans second-half charge for a 24-17 victory on Sunday.Love the way the guys responded, loved the way we started the ballgame. We went out and put 21 quick points on the board. The defense was outstanding, coach Chuck Pagano said after Indy moved into second in the AFC South.The Colts (5-5) have won back-to-back games for the first time all season -- and for the first time they no longer have a losing record.If Houston loses Monday night at Mexico City, the Colts would be one game out of the division lead and potentially in position to win the title by winning their final two division games in Indy.The Colts have won 11 straight against Tennessee (5-6) and still have not lost to the Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium, which opened in 2008.Its not about the streak, its not about here. Its not about ... somebody asked me something about their helmets. Its not that, Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. This was a team that played better than we did today, coached better than we did today.Even as the script changed.Luck led usually slow-starting Indy on three straight touchdown drives to open the game.The second was set up when Frank Gore took the snap, ran left and flipped the ball to Luck who had lined up at receiver. Luck looked up the field and spotted the wide-open Gore for a 49-yard pass play.Indy made it 21-0 when T.Y. Hilton caught a pass that slipped right through the fingers of Titans cornerback Perrish Cox. Afterward, Cox looked around in dismay.Tennessee answered with a 3-yard TD pass from Marcus Mariota to DeMarco Murray in the final minute of the first half, a 34-yard TD pass from Mariota to Tajae Sharppe and a 47-yard field goal from Ryan Succop to make it 21-17. LaDainian Tomlinson Jersey. But Adam Vinatieri answered with a 49-yard field goal and the Titans last gasp ended when Murray was stopped for no gain at the Colts 19-yard line with 2:42 left.What a great stop, what a gritty fourth-down stop by the defense to win the game, Luck said.Luck was 15 of 28 for 262 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, while Hilton finished with five catches for 97 yards.Mariota was 25 of 38 for 290 yards with two TD passes -- his seventh straight game with more than one, breaking Warren Moons franchise record.STREAK BUSTERVinatieris NFL record streak of consecutive field goals ended at 44 when a 42-yarder sailed wide right. While he has been terrific at just about every venue, the window end of Lucas Oil Stadium that has given so many other kickers trouble finally caught up to Vinatieri on Sunday.MURRAYS MILESTONESMurray, the 2014 rushing champion, reached the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his career -- barely. The NFLs second-leading rusher entering the game ran 20 times for 70 yards to give him exactly 1,000. His streak of consecutive games with a rushing score ended at five, tying Earl Campbells franchise record.INJURY REPORTTennessee left tackle Taylor Lewan limped off the field with 5:34 to go. Mularkey said Lewan will have an MRI on his left knee Monday. Titans cornerback Brice McCain left in the first half with a leg injury, but returned in the second half and picked off Luck.THEY SAID ITTitans: We were outplayed and we were out-coached until we all settled down and got back into a groove, Mularkey said. And I give our guys credit. Nobody panicked.Colts: If I told you, Id have to kill you and, uh, that wasnt how we drew it up, Luck said when asked about the name of the trick play he ran with Gore.UP NEXTTitans: Visit Chicago next Sunday.Colts: Host Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving night.---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholeslae Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap Baseball Jerseys ' ' '