Clanpartner » the giant television screens at midcourt.

As we approach Sundays FIFA Under-20 Womens World Cup Final at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, its time to shake off that inertia Canadians possess for slapping our own backs. I think Americans refer to it as “grandstanding”. Already more than a quarter of a million spectators from Moncton to Edmonton have taken in the tournament first hand. There they have witnessed matches upholding the true spirit of the beautiful game: Free-flowing football with an absence of simulation and malicious intentions. Weve seen more goals and high scoring matches than anyone could have dared to imagine. Surely even Kim Jong-un must have got to his feet at the final whistle to salute Nigerias six-star performance in Moncton Wednesday. Proceedings kicked off with a star-studded banquet in Montreal Aug. 3 where guests included the FIFA President. Whilst here, for good measure, Sepp Blatter threw his support behind the Canadian Soccer Associations government-endorsed bid to host the 2026 World Cup Finals. You know, the one where Cristiano Ronaldo announces his Real Madrid exit in favour of Montreal? CSA President and chair of the National Organizing Committee Victor Montagliani, and everyone he is tasked to oversee, are now rightfully reaping the rewards of their labour seeds sown across the country since preparations for Canada 2014 began back in earnest, in March, 2011. That came right after Canada was awarded the rights to host Canada 2015 by FIFA. "The soccer has been fantastic and we expect the best match to be played on Sunday with Germany facing Nigeria in the FIFA U20 Womens World Cup Canada 2014,” Montagliani told TSN.ca by email yesterday. The tournament itself, one could say, is the official launch of the FIFA Womens World Cup Finals in Canada 2015. Or as Montagliani stated; "The competition is a great launching pad for next years FIFA Womens World Cup: for FIFA, the National Organising Committee, the stadia and training grounds, and the host cities.” The outstanding outpouring of country-wide support for our U-20s at Canada 2014 - where we eventually became unstuck by the Germans [who doesnt?] in the quarter-final - has not been lost on the Chairman. "The way our country got behind the Canadian team was fantastic. The best crowds were always those when Canada played, including the 22,421 in Edmonton for the quarter-final phase,” Montagliani added. "Playing four international matches in a global competition like this provides our young players with important experience and growth opportunities. This particular U-20 group may graduate five or more players to the womens national team, so for them to get that experience before next years FIFA Womens World Cup is paramount for our national program." Those five or more U-20 players Montagliani references who will graduate to next summers Womens World Cup Finals stand in direct contrast to what tends to occur with the Mens World Cup Finals. Coincidentally if we look at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Finals Canada hosted in 2007, hardly any players went on three years late to appear at South Africa 2010. The male incubation period leaps from a single year to seven. On average at Brazil 2014 only two or three players from each nation who competed here in 2007, and who qualified for this summers World Cup Finals would have made it onto the squads. Chile who made it to the2007 semi-finals were the exception. Six players from 2007 were at Brazil 2014. Such is the task at hand for our ladies next summer, the considered opinion is that only a pair of German players who will appear in Sundays Final will return for Canada 2015. Thats for matters on the pitch. Montreal, where Sundays final will be staged, are well aware of the added values for Canada 2015 which are directly associated for playing host to the U-20s. "The FIFA U-20 Womens World Cup has provided us with the building blocks towards a bigger and better FIFA Womens World Cup Canada 2015,” Francis Millien, who chairs the Local Organizing Committee, told TSN.ca via email this afternoon. "In using Olympic Stadium for both competitions in 2014 and 2015, we can iron out our logistical pathway and reconfirm that logistics, transport and stadia operations meet the requirements for the FIFA Womens World Cup Canada 2015,” Millien added. Having already hosted eight matches, Olympic Stadium plays host to Sunday evenings final between Germany and Nigeria. Before the show piece event comes an intriguing encounter in the bronze medal playoff match between France and North Korea. Sure to be a sizeable and raucous crowd at Olympic Stadium. No word yet though on the weekend travel plans for Kim Jong-un. Noel Butler can be reached via: Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Custom Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys . Bayern winger Franck Ribery marked his league return after recovering from a cracked rib by scoring two goals and setting up two more as the league leaders inflicted the heaviest home defeat on Bremen in the Bundesliga. Brayden Point Jersey . They named Mark Washington as their defensive co-ordinator on Thursday and appear to be closing in on an offensive co-ordinator. http://www.lightninghockeystore.us/Andrei-Vasilevskiy-Jersey/ . Phoenix got injured centre Emeka Okafor and a top-12-protected first-round draft pick in 2014 -- giving the rebuilding Suns potentially four choices in the opening round. The Suns also sent guards Kendall Marshall, Shannon Brown and Malcolm Lee to Washington so the deal will work financially. Steven Stamkos Jersey .K. Subban has picked the right time of the year to go on an offensive tear. Ryan McDonagh Jersey . Whenever United loses, its crisis. When other top teams slip up, its the quirky nature of the Premier League. The predictable reaction speaks to the sky-high expectations for a team proven perennial contender and 13 times Premier League champion.SAN ANTONIO -- Tony Parker had 18 points to lead six players in double figures and the San Antonio Spurs rolled past the listless Brooklyn Nets 113-92 on Tuesday night. Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan had 15 points each and Tiago Splitter and Patty Mills each had 12. Miles Plumlee and Shaun Livingston had 15 points each to lead Brooklyn. Kevin Garnet was held to two points, failing to make a field for only the second time in his 19-year career and the first time since 1996. The Nets (10-30) began the season with the same hope as a New Years Eve celebration after a blockbuster trade brought former NBA champions Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to the team. That promise ended quickly and the lacklustre loss to the Spurs was a microcosm of their season so far. It got so bad for the Nets they couldnt even end the game. Brooklyn was forced to call a timeout with 0.2 seconds left after a long delay because they only had four players who hadnt retreated to the locker room -- thinking the game had ended. Several Nets had not fully retreated, but resumed after initially stopping when the officials ruled the game was not over. With first-year coach Jason Kidd and his staff standing around puzzled, Andrei Kirilenko slowly walked back to the court and was subbed in to complete the game with an inbounds pass. While San Antonio walked off the court collectively high-fiving and in good spirits, Brooklyn walked in separate packs, with the five players who were on the court appearing tired as they trudged to the locker room slowly. Kirilenko was playing his first game after missing the last 25 with back spasms. He had four points. The Nets fared better offensivelly in the second half, but their defence was just as lacklustre.dddddddddddd The Spurs set a season high for points in the third quarter in a 39-32 period. San Antonio went 4 for 4 on 3-pointers in the third quarter, steadily increasing its lead to 65-38 on Marco Belinellis with 9:22 remaining and to 98-62 on Patty Mills in the final seconds. Gregg Popovich emptied his bench for the fourth quarter, sitting Duncan, Parker, Ginobili for the entire period. The loudest ovation in the fourth quarter came when former Spurs centre David Robinson was shown on the giant television screens at midcourt. NOTES: Jason Terry was shocked by the hostile reception he received upon entering the game early in the first quarter. As the booing grew louder and louder, Terry turned to the crowd, smiled, raised his arms, shrugged and asked "what." Terry has spent the past two seasons in the Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics and Nets, but Spurs fans obviously have not forgotten his testy battles with the Spurs during his days with the Dallas Mavericks. . Popovich was upset with Ginobili for failing to pass the ball on a 2-on-1 break against Mirza Teletovic to close the first quarter. Ginobili missed a contested layup, with the buzzer sounding as the ball bounced away. Popovich immediately stormed the court and began berating Ginobili, who gestured he thought he had a scoop layup. Popovich followed Ginobili to the bench, but was held back by Duncan momentarily. Popovich eventually worked his way around Duncan and yelled at Ginobili on the bench between quarters. Duncan, who wasnt in the lineup at the time, consoled a visibly upset Ginobili prior to the start of the second quarter. ' ' '