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BRASILIA, Brazil -- The top-ranked team in the world will likely be the undercard in womens Olympic soccer on Friday. Cameron Sutton Youth Jersey .The United States, the three-time defending champions, will take on Sweden in Brasilia. But the late game in Belo Horizonte between Australia and host Brazil may be the more intriguing match.The Aussies and Brazilians met at the Womens World Cup last year, and it was Australia that advanced by beating Marta and Co. 1-0 in the round of 16.As Olympic hosts this time, Brazil is getting a boost from its soccer-loving public. Although womens soccer does not enjoy the popularity that the sport has in the United States, for instance, the Brazilians drew a sellout crowd to their last match, a scoreless draw against South Africa in the Amazon city of Manaus.Fans, as usual, shouted Marta! Marta! for the five-time FIFA World Player of the year.The Brazilians are ranked No. 8 in the world and went 2-0-1 to finish at the top of their group. The fifth-ranked Australians went 1-1-1 to finish third in their group but still managed to make it into the quarterfinals.Like in Manaus, the fans are expected to pack in to the Mineirao Stadium, with 60,000 expected for the match.Before the Brazilians take the field, however, the United States will be facing old rival Sweden.The Americans won their first two matches in Brazil before a surprising 2-2 draw against Colombia, which had already been eliminated.That hasnt put a damper on the teams expectations.I think were feeling good. You know, I wouldnt want a perfect journey to the top, U.S. co-captain Carli Lloyd said. I think everyone just needs to take a deep breath and relax. We tied against Colombia but its all good. It will motivate us even more.The match reunites the United States with former coach Pia Sundhage, who led the Americans to gold at both the Beijing and London Olympics. Sweden, ranked sixth, struggled in the group stage with a 5-1 loss to host Brazil and finished 1-1-1.Were going to play the best team in the world, Olympic champions and the World Cup champions, and that is challenging and inspiring, Sundhage said Thursday. All the pressure is on the Americans.Were not playing well in the attack, but weve done some good things defending, and if you can put those things together, we have a chance to win.Tenth-ranked Canada won all of its group matches -- including a pair against top-five teams -- but drew a tough quarterfinal opponent in No. 3 France. They will meet in Sao Paulo.The Canadians, who won the bronze medal in London, have been paced by Janine Beckies three goals.This is a Canadian team thats very gritty, thats got a good spirit. And at this point, theyre not overconfident, Canada coach John Herdman told The Canadian Press. Theres a quiet confidence about them.Second-ranked Germany, which was upset in the group final by Canada, faces No. 12 China in Salvador. The Germans are playing in their final tournament under coach Silvia Neid.The Olympic soccer tournament is being held across Brazil, with the gold medal match set for Aug. 19 in Rio de Janeiro. T. J. Watt Youth Jersey . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Cameron Sutton Womens Jersey . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. http://www.steelerspronfl.com/Youth-JuJu-Smith-Sch...te-Jers ey/ . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. RIO DE JANEIRO -- For months, fears about the Rio de Janeiro Olympics have been hogging the spotlight.There are concerns about safety amid a surge of murders in Rio and extremist attacks in Europe and the United States. Polluted beaches and other waterways could make athletes and visitors ill, and the Zika virus has scared some competitors away.If all that wasnt enough, the state of Rio is so broke that months ago it stopped paying thousands of public employees; angry police have periodically been greeting tourists in the international airport with signs that say, Welcome to hell!If history is a guide, however, a focus on the problems is all part of the script in the run up to the games. Once the competitions start, most if not all of the problems fade into the background -- at least for the athletes, tourists and millions watching around the world.Such negative coverage has a very simple explanation, says Michael Heine, director of the Center for Olympic Studies at Western University.The event is about sports, but you cant find sporting material because the whistle hasnt gone yet, said Heine. So what else do you write about?Coverage ahead of the 2012 Olympics in London included stories about terrorism fears and concerns about civil liberties in light of increased military and police presence. The run up to 2008 Games in Beijing put a spotlight on authoritarianism and extreme air pollution in China. In Athens 2004, there were myriad questions about whether the venues would be ready in time.Many Brazilians feel frustrated that the expectations are overwhelmingly negative, especially when the country has pulled off big events like the 2014 World Cup.They argue that such accounts dont take into account Brazilian jeito, or way of doing things, which includes an easy-going nature and a penchant for successfully pulling things off at the last moment. And the doomsday scenarios all but ignore samba dancing and capoeira martial arts, beautiful coastlines contrasted by mountains covered with lush jungle, stunning sunrises and sunsets, caipirinha cocktails and culinary options that range from meat-eaters delights to exotic fish plucked from the Amazon River.No one throws parties like Brazil, said Denis Eduardo, a 34-year-old travel agent from Sao Paulo traveling to Rio for the games. People might be bashing Brazil now, as if all previous Olympics had been perfect, but it wont be long until they are all enjoying it here.Brazils problems, however, go beyond what other recent countries hosting the Olympics have faced. Latin Americas largest economy and most populous nation is suffering its worst recession in decades. A political crisis has paralyzed the country and brought out deep polarization -- which could very well translate into large protests during the competitions.The opening ceremony will highlight the cloud hanging over the country: Interim President Micheel Temer will ring in the games while impeached President Dilma Rousseff, suspended for alleged fiscal irregularities in her managing of the budget, stays home. James Conner Womens Jersey. Even in normal times, Brazils infrastructure is poor. Building collapses are frequent, clogged and pot-holed plagued streets turn traffic into parking lots and electricity and running water are not always a given, even in rich areas.When the Australian delegation complained last week about dangling wires, bursting toilets and gas smells in the Olympic Village apartments, they were experiencing things that are common for Brazilians.The April collapse of a coastal bike lane, an Olympics legacy project inaugurated with much fanfare just a few months before, underscored how dangerous shoddy construction can be. Two men plunged to their death when a big wave turned a large chunk of the path into a mountain of concrete and metal.The lane has been shut down while authorities investigate. However, there is little doubt that the engineering was deficient or the construction was faulty, or a combination of both.David Wallechinsky, president of the International Society of Olympic Historians who will be attending the games, says the last-minute completion of major projects reminds him of an episode in Athens.On the way back from watching a beach volleyball game, his wife and son got stuck in a newly-built metro train. It was over 90 degrees and the doors were not working, so several men pried them open.When Wallechinsky looked into it he was told: We just inaugurated it yesterday.In Brazil, are they doing this for the metro system, the venues? Has everything been checked out? he asked.Arguably the biggest fear is security. The recession has exacerbated the already precarious situation of millions who live in the citys hundreds of slums; Armed men sometimes descend from the hills to rob unsuspecting tourists and more well-to-do locals.After recent attacks in Orlando, Florida, and Nice, France, Brazilian authorities have gone on the offensive in recent weeks, arresting more than a dozen men who had expressed allegiance to the Islamic State group -- but had done almost nothing to actually plan an attack.Soldiers wearing bullet proof vests and carrying automatic weapons have been blanketing the airports, malls and tourist areas in recent weeks. Authorities say 85,000 soldiers and police will be on hand during the games, roughly twice the number on hand in London.I understand that people are concerned about security, said Alexandre Braga, chief of the citys tourist police unit. But I dont think there will be any major problems in Rio.----Associated Press reporter Mauricio Savarese contributed to this report.----Peter Prengaman on Twitter: http://twitter.com/peterprengaman Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
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