BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil -- Several members of the U.
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Italia .S. Olympic womens soccer team faced a history pop quiz of
sorts when they met the media in advance of Wednesdays opening game against New
Zealand. The largely Brazil-based media contingent wanted to talk about the last
major tournament game played at the Estadio Mineirao, a mens World Cup semifinal
two years ago that did not go the host teams way. Decidedly so.Yes, Kelley OHara
replied, she remembered watching Brazil and Germany play that day.No, Hope Solo
said, she didnt imagine another 7-1 scoreline would unfold in this
tournament.They played along, but their focus is less on any history already
made and more on history yet to be written.Already the only country to win three
consecutive Olympic gold medals in womens soccer, the United States is
attempting to make it four in a row. Doing so would guarantee another
unprecedented feat: becoming the first team to win World Cup and Olympic titles
in back-to-back years.The only way to claim such prizes is to play like the
experienced team that this group is.And not like the inexperienced team ... that
this group also is.More than half of the U.S. roster is taking part in the
Olympics for the first time. That is notable turnover for a team that won gold
four years ago in the London Games. Yet only four players in Brazil are part of
a major tournament roster for the first time.More to the point, only four
players havent won a major title.Given that 2011 World Cup champion Japan didnt
qualify for this Olympics and only six players remain from Germanys 2007 World
Cup championship team, the American roster that has so many Olympic rookies also
owns a near monopoly on experience winning an event of the same magnitude as
whats about to unfold across Brazil.The starting lineup Wednesday could have six
first-time Olympians. It also could have seven world champions, eight if Morgan
Brian reclaims a spot after dealing with a hamstring injury.We have a lot of new
faces in their first world championship, and then we have a lot of world
champions, as well, midfielder Tobin Heath said. So in that way I think its
great because we have that depth of experience, but we also have this great
energy about the team that everyone is excited to be here because this is a
world championship. Everyone wants to play their role.The United States first
opponent is evidence that this tournament is tricky in its own fashion. Though
New Zealand hasnt beaten the U.S. women in the World Cup and in the Olympics era
(New Zealands lone win in the series came in 1987), it is not the pushover it
once was. The United States won 4-0 in the most recent meeting a year ago, but
the margin was just 9-3 in the four relatively recent games that preceded that
encounter. That included a 1-1 draw on American soil in 2013.Compare that to a
34-1 U.S. goal advantage in seven meetings between 1993 and 2008.Especially in a
group without either African entrant -- both South Africa and Zimbabwe are
untested programs at this level -- these Olympics offer the Americans little
breathing room and even less time to catch their breath. Assuming the U.S. women
advance from Group G, they will play their first four games in 10 days, compared
to a 15-day span for the Americans first four games in last years World Cup. And
if the United States doesnt win Group G, that fourth game might well be a
quarterfinal against Germany. Things can go wrong quickly in the Olympics.Add to
it that the Americans enter the game against New Zealand with at least moderate
injury question marks. Coach Jill Ellis said Tuesday that Brian, Heath and Megan
Rapinoe are all actively training and available. She made it sound as if Rapinoe
would be counted on more in the future, which wouldnt be unlike the situation
Ellis managed with Alex Morgan at the outset of the World Cup a year ago, while
Brian and Heath are closer to unencumbered options.All the more reason the
United States needs to play from the outset like a team that has been here
before.And for as much talk as there is about turnover and new faces,
understandably, some have been here before. Likely starters Morgan, OHara and
Becky Sauerbrunn were Olympic rookies in 2012; now they are the experience.
Carli Lloyd is after her third gold medal, perhaps on her third winning goal.
Solo becomes only the second American womens soccer player to travel to four
Olympics (the first as an alternate).I know what to expect on a daily basis,
Solo said of the roster. But I dont know what to expect when you have the
intensity of a major tournament, when you have two days between every game --
how some of the players are going to recover, especially some of the players
coming back from injury, especially some of the younger players. Its a mentally
and physically very taxing tournament. It can be emotionally taxing as well.I
think thats fun, to not know what to expect because somehow, [in] some way well
figure it out. Whether its through subs, whether its through putting your arm
around someone like Mallory Pugh and being like, Well get through this. Its not
always going to be pretty, but well figure it out. That theme keeps appearing
when the players with the most experience talk about this team, perhaps
surprisingly, given at least the public perceptions of many of the players
involved. Whether seen as intensely introspective, like Sauerbrunn, intensely
outspoken, like Solo, or just intensely focused, like Lloyd and Morgan, they are
now the core of the experience that Ellis said brings a voice of levity to the
locker room.That seems to be the identity they want, knowing that we will make
it out to be their strength if they win and their weakness if they lose.The
casualness of this team is, I think, a positive thing, Morgan said. In the past
its been so tense leading up to tournaments because we had very intense players
like Abby [Wambach]. I think not having a big player like that, thats very loud
and intense, I think its good for us. Because I think for the younger players,
they might stress out over seeing just how many games we have in such a short
period of time and the impact we can have at this level. I think its good to
have.It is a young team, but its a team on which almost everyone has experienced
what is required to win a title.It isnt the same team that entered past
Olympics. It enters off World Cup success instead of disappointment. But the
goal is the same.Every time we play in a major tournament, we want to win, Lloyd
said. So I think there was that motivation, and its almost like the year after
the World Cup you are able to make things better. But I think its just [about]
winning. Im a winner. Every time I go out there I want to win. No matter if its
a World Cup or Olympics, whether were going for a fourth consecutive or whether
we havent won, thats just kind of the nature of this team.
Air Max 90 Uomo
Saldi . The next step is a better finish. Bae played bogey-free
Friday on another gorgeous day at Riviera for a 5-under 66, giving him a
one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus going into the weekend.
Air Max 90
Scontate .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson
on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in
Rochester.
http://www.airmax90scontate.it/ . According
to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace
former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. ?SAN ANTONIO
-- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said on Monday that starting guards
Tony Parker and Danny Green?could return to the lineup for Wednesdays home game
against the Houston Rockets.Parker (right knee soreness) hasnt played since
Tuesdays 106-91 loss to the Utah Jazz, the teams first loss of the season.
Parker originally suffered the injury in San Antonios season-opening rout of the
Golden State Warriors, but continued to play until the Spurs decided to sit him
over their past two games due to a lack of mobility caused by the injury.They
tell me they think hes going to be ready on Wednesday and he did the whole
practice, Popovich said. So, well see. He got injured in the Golden State game;
hyperextended his knee. It didnt seem that bad. It was like a bruise and it got
worse with the pounding. At one point, you saw him shooting runners. It looked
like he couldnt get off his feet. It looked like he was favoring that leg and
was on one leg, basically. Thats why we shut him down.Green, meanwhile, still
hasnt made his 2016-17 debut after aggravating a strained left quadriiceps
during a scrimmage prior to the start of the season.
Air Max 90
Offerta. Green returned to practice on Monday and participated
fully. Although the Spurs wont practice Tuesday, the staff plans to re-evaluate
Green that day before making a decision about Wednesday nights outing.The Spurs
assigned Green to the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League on Sunday just
so he could take part in a full practice along with rookies Bryn Forbes and
Dejounte Murray. The team recalled all three Monday.Given their recent struggles
on defense, the Spurs could get a boost from the return of Green, one of the
NBAs premier 3-and-D players.?It felt good. I still have to do some
strengthening regardless of whether Im active or playing tomorrow, Green said.
Mentally [its been] frustrating, but staying positive. Our trainers and strength
and conditioning guys have done a great job of helping me get back, and keeping
me in shape. So Ill just continue to stay consistent with it.
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