st base. Cespedes was given an RBI. Masterson walked Donaldson and Moss to start the fourth. Jasos one-o

Day 11 in 100 words or less We must remember that people are seeing a World Cup for the first time, just dont tell them it isnt always like this. Many of those eyes are in the United States of America, a country that the sport has wanted on its side for some time. On Sunday the football Gods delivered once again, only this time it was time for good old USA to experience as much heartache as joy. Portugal 2-2 USA Football is a funny old game. Last week the USA struggled to keep the ball, were not at their best, and still won. This time they treasured the ball far better, were absolutely outstanding, and didnt win. This World Cup has been an absolute blockbuster and some of its main characters have been counter-attacks, comebacks, headers, and substitute goals. All four starred together in an incredible last scene in Manaus. Portugal were on the ground, seemingly knocked out in Brazil, flat out on their back with the referee standing over them about to wave his arms and end their misery. They knew they were out of the fight. Angry, petulant, disappointed they were a wounded bunch. Then, like a boxer swinging one last right hook at an opponent just for the sake of it, they delivered a stunning final moment to another monumental match in Brazil. The clock read 94:25. Michael Bradley picks up the ball and has no outlets to pass the ball to. Eder, the Portugal striker who came on early in the first half finally did something valuable by making a crucial tackle. 94:28 - Nani counters with pace, looks up and sees Cristiano Ronaldo on the right side. It was the first time the talisman was in that zone where he could put a pass in. (stats powered by Opta) 94:31 - Ronaldo had just enough time to take one touch, look down at the ball, look up and deliver an absolutely incredible cross. 94:33 - Silvestre Varela then runs into the box and delivers a powerful header into the mix. The USA victory and place in the last 16? Gone in eight seconds. It was a fitting dramatic finale to an enthralling game in the Amazon. It will be remembered for the final scoreline, the Ronaldo pass, and the USA comeback, but we shouldnt forget about the tempo. The game was stretched throughout, played at an incredible pace in exhausting conditions. Watching it we learned many things. We learned that Portugal have very little depth. Anyone who has followed this small, yet proud football nation would tell you they already knew that but this exposed it even deeper. Anyone who criticizes Ronaldos performance would be best served to look at what he had to work with. They lost Helder Postiga early, threw on Eder and effectively played with 10 men for the second successive match. The sight of the worlds finest player having to play up front in the second half and get absolutely no service was an all too familiar one. A sad tale of what could have been. Nani scored a goal but was very disappointing the rest of the way, giving the ball away far too much. Joao Moutinho is a special player but his sparring partners, Miguel Veloso and Raul Meireles are not at the form of Euro 2012. Theyve been hammered by injuries, admittedly, but this was one of the worst showings by a Portugal team in two decades. Last week they could blame Pepe and a brilliant German attack. On Sunday their excuses ran out and they will likely fly home on Friday as another European team humbled in Brazil. Jurgen Klinsmanns team were by far the better side and will be happy to be on four points through two games but it is far from job done. Indeed, it could turn out to be what might have been. Sure, Jurgens new mates and old mates can kick a ball around for 90 minutes in Recife on Thursday and both go through but anyone who thinks Germany would agree to that are kidding themselves. Germany are in Brazil to win the World Cup, not risk playing a close game with an inferior country, where a bad bounce or poor decision could end up costing them the chance to progress or, even, win the group. If the game is even as it enters the final 25 minutes I could see the two teams defending deep and giving up very little but until then I expect Germany to use the game as an opportunity to get back the tempo and attacking guile that was missing against Ghana. Belgium 1-0 Russia The 2014 World Cup has been billed by some as the greatest ever but then Fabio Capello arrived in a time machine from 2010 to remind us just how easy a game can be killed off. It almost worked. To be fair, the dullest game of the tournament so far was not all Russias doing. An average Belgium defended deep and rarely got playmaker Eden Hazard into the game, looking to settle for a point they know would have helped them win the group. The schedule makers also played a small part in the snoozefest. Every team in this World Cup, Mexico vs Brazil aside, had four or five games off in between group games but all the teams who played on Sunday play again on Thursday, giving them just three days off before a crucial group finale. Thankfully, Belgium decided to find some extra gears in the last ten minutes and for the second successive match their changes made a difference. Substitute Kevin Mirallas got the best out of Hazard and the two combined on the goal, scored by another sub, 19-year-old striker Divock Origi. The extra gear found by Belgium showed, again, they can reach another level when required and also left Russia embarrassed that they couldnt. Russia were organized and clearly had a game plan that almost worked and it is hard to be too critical of that based on that game but the bigger question mark over this teams methods is do they have it in them at all to play a more open, expansive style that will be needed against Algeria to progress? This World Cup has made a mockery of players and coaches who have tried to play like it was 2010. Capello gets one last shot to prove otherwise, against Algeria. How did that work out for him in 2010? South Korea 2-4 Algeria Missed by many, this was a fantastic game. Algeria are a real threat to Russia. They are strong in attack, have a fine, technical leader in Sofiane Feghouli who can glide by midfielders and can score. Admittedly, South Koreas defending in the first half was woeful but Vahid Halilhodzics side deserve tremendous credit for sensing their opportunity to finish the game off early. It has been a good couple of days for African football. Man of the day Nominees.... Vincent Kompany - on a day where most of his teammates were average, the Manchester City skipper was fantastic in the middle of the Belgian defence. Islam Slimani - he got his first start at the World Cup and it wont be his last after he tormented the South Korean backline. Clint Dempsey - talk about a big game player. Not blessed with any one outstanding trait, he just seems to pop up in big moments. Jermaine Jones - After a brilliant display on the left of a midfield diamond against Ghana, he was asked to come more centrally this time and had a superb match. Cristiano Ronaldo - he was far from his best but, just like Lionel Messi on Saturday, he had his moment. Winner Cristiano Ronaldo - a defensive liability in the first half, clearly not fit, playing with a bunch of average players, sulking and then he does that. Wow. Whats next Australia vs Spain & Chile vs Netherlands (12pm/9am) Croatia vs Mexico & Brazil vs Cameroon (4pm/1pm) Burning question for Mondays games Can Chile win the group and finally carve open a path to the late rounds that doesnt include nemesis Brazil? Stat of day 11 Silvestre Varela became the 16th substitute to score at this World Cup. Cheap Air Max 95 Free Shipping . With just under five seconds remaining - the Raptors having clawed back from a 19-point deficit and pulled within one - DeRozan took the handoff from Chuck Hayes. Nike Air Max 95 Australia . Adding playoff teams. Monitoring instant replay from league headquarters. Possibly creating a set of guidelines to prevent locker-room bullying. http://www.cheapaustraliaairmax95.com/ ... as usual. Even with the salary cap being set lower than many general managers expected and hoped for at $69 million and whats considered a shallow pool of top-end players available, this unrestricted-free-agent period figures to follow the familiar script of teams bidding up prices to keep up with each other. Air Max 95 Australia Sale . City has reached new heights under manager Manuel Pellegrini as they transition from big spending/immediate impact to perennial contender. Yaya Toures seeming discontent Tuesday may complicate that, as does the little issue of Financial Fair Play. Cheap Nike Air Max 95 Australia . First-half goals by Will Bruin and Oscar Boniek Garcia sucked the life out of the Impact as the Houston Dynamo bounced them from Major League Soccers post-season with a 3-0 victory on Thursday.CLEVELAND - The Oakland Athletics showed off their offensive prowess all weekend at Progressive Field. Sundays 13-3 win gave Oakland a three-game sweep over slumping Cleveland, a series in which the Athletics outscored the Indians 30-6. Yoenis Cespedes drove in a career-high five runs and Brandon Moss had three RBIs to pace Oaklands offence that began with an eight-run second inning Friday night and never let up. "I would just use the word confident," Moss said of his teams offence. "Everybodys going up there and taking good swings. We have guys who put together some good at-bats who have some pop. That usually leads to runs." The Athletics, who have won nine of 10, saved their best for the final game, pounding out 12 hits, including seven doubles, and drawing nine walks. Cespedes two-run double was the key hit in Oaklands four-run fifth. He also drove in two runs with another double in the eighth. Moss was 3 for 3 with two walks and scored four runs. He had an RBI double in the fifth, a two-run double in the sixth and a triple in the second. John Jasos RBI double in the fourth put Oakland ahead for good while Josh Donaldson, who drove in seven runs in the series, had an RBI single in the fifth and scored four runs. "All the guys we rely on to knock in runs are doing exactly what theyre supposed to do," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "Thats when were at our best." Jesse Chavez (4-1) gave up solo homers to Michael Bourn in the first and Michael Brantley in the fifth, accounting for both runs the right-hander allowed in five innings. Cleveland has dropped four straight and six of eight. The Indians scored first in all three games, but were no match for Oakland, which leads the AL West with a 28-16 record. Indians manager Terry Francona is impressed with the Athletics. "They got it working right now," he said. "They have good starting pitching, theyve got a very good bullpen and they are swinging it from one through nine." Justin Masterson (2-3) allowed seven runs, seven hits and five walks in 4 1-3 innings. Francona moved Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana, who hhave battled season-long slumps, down in the batting order, but the changes didnt help the struggling offence, which has scored three runs or fewer 24 times in 44 games.dddddddddddd Santana, moved from cleanup to seventh, was hitless in four at-bats while Swisher, switched from second to sixth, was 0 for 5 and committed an error in the seventh. Swisher fielded a routine grounder to end the inning and was given a sarcastic cheer by the small crowd of 14,872. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall also had an error, giving the Indians a major-league high 45. Bourn led off the game with a home run to centre that landed in Clevelands bullpen, but the lead didnt last long. Moss started the second with a triple. Chisenhall fielded Cespedes ground ball and his throw landed in the camera bay behind first base. Cespedes was given an RBI. Masterson walked Donaldson and Moss to start the fourth. Jasos one-out double put Oakland ahead and Josh Reddick followed with a single for a 3-1 lead. Oakland put the game away in the fifth, stringing together four hits and a walk off Masterson. Following Donaldsons RBI single, Moss drove in a run with a double and Cespedes double scored two more. Jaso and Reddick also drove in two runs apiece. "Obviously, we got a lot of guys on base this series," Donaldson said. "From top to bottom, we had guys having really good at-bats." Oakland shortstop Jed Lowrie left the game in the second inning because of a strained neck and was replaced by Nick Punto. NOTES: The Athletics announced following the game they claimed LHP Jeff Francis off waivers from Cincinnati and he will join the team for its series at the Rays that begins Tuesday. ... LHP Joe Savery, who was expected to go on the paternity list, was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento instead. He pitched two scoreless innings Sunday. SS Jake Elmore (strained left quad) has been moved to the 60-day disabled list. ... 2B Eric Sogard was removed in the eighth inning after fouling a ball off his knee. ... Melvin said LHP Scott Kazmir, ejected in the second inning Saturday, will likely stay on his regular turn and start Friday in Toronto. ' ' '