bewerbung neuer mitglieder » Arizonas success by the end of the year.LAUR

BEIJING -- A native of Shanghai, a city synonymous with the Chinese growth miracle, Yi Weizhong watched up-close as his country morphed into a world economic powerhouse.Yet he cant envisage anything like that happening on the international football scene, doubting that even a coach of Marcello Lippis caliber can transform the dismal national team into a genuine World Cup contender.Its not worth hiring Lippi, Yi said, referring to the 2006 World Cup-winning managers appointment as head coach of the Chinese team.I would rather hire more good coaches for youth training, added Yi, a salesman, who attended a game last week at Shanghais Hongkou stadium. I cant see hope for the next 10 years.Ever since the Chinese Football Association announced last month it had coaxed Lippi out of retirement, the national teams long-suffering fans have greeted the news with indifference, cynicism, and even a hint of outrage.Rather than celebrating the appointment of the most high-profile coach China has ever had, some supporters have balked at the size of Lippis rumored contract.A popular joke circulating on the Wechat messaging service compares it with a nouveau riche family hiring a Harvard professor to tutor their kid.Given the teams record of failure under a string of foreign and Chinese coaches, the problems are more often attributed to the lack of a strong youth program and a misplaced, money-driven focus on the domestic league.Lippi was hired to replace Gao Hongbo, who quit after a 2-0 loss in Uzbekistan last month left China with one point from four qualifying matches and with little hope of making it to Russia in 2018. China has qualified for one World Cup -- the 2002 edition co-hosted by Japan and South Korea -- where it bounced out in the group stage without scoring a goal.Fed up with such results and seeking to close a glaring gap in its international sporting prowess, China this year announced an ambitious football development plan closely identified with President Xi Jinping, a fan of the game. The plan envisions 50 million players joining in the game by the end of the decade and the transformation of the country into a first-rate major footballing power by 2050.The blueprint is seen as another aspect of Xis grand narrative of national rejuvenation -- dubbed his China Dream -- that is generally a point of pride for the public. Yet the mixed reactions to Lippis appointment reflect a deep cynicism when it comes to supporting a football team that is ranked 84th and which also recently lost to Syria.Though Xis administration has been applauded for proposing to build academies and thousands of football fields, the politically-tinged directive has also spurred the domestic league into spending extravagantly on foreign stars and big-name managers. That has prompted talk of a bubble that will burst before any benefits trickle down to the grassroots.Against that backdrop have been reports in Italian and Chinese media that Lippi would be paid a record salary of 20 million euros a year.The former Juventus and Italy coach told Italian reporters last week the figures were exaggerated, but that hasnt quieted grumbles about yet another football import taking money that could be spent developing Chinese youngsters.Ma Dexing, one of Chinas best-known football commentators, said Xis campaign, with its intended emphasis on developing youth, was already losing its way amid Chinas frenzy of flashy managerial hires and exorbitant player purchases. But Ma said hiring Lippi was justified at whatever cost.His situation is different, Ma said in an interview. The national team is the dragons head -- the symbolic leader. If it doesnt do well, everyone else loses interest in football.Lippi, who guided Italy to World Cup success in 2006, coached Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande from 2012 to 2015, winning domestic titles and the Asian Champions League. Rather than serve merely as another foreign figurehead, Ma said, Lippi has the authority and the experience of working in China to truly overhaul the countrys football organization.In the past they changed the water but not the medicine, Ma said. This is a real revolution.In his first meeting with the Chinese media as national coach, Lippi said his top task would be to evaluate his players psychology and boost their confidence, rather than introduce new tactics. He said it was highly improbable for China to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but urged the nation to back his players.Mark Dreyer, a Beijing-based British sports commentator on China Central Television, said in some ways China resembled England, a country also locked in a perennial cycle of high short-term expectations and intense pressure on the national team, followed by disappointment and cynicism. Chinese football authorities need more independence to do their work, Dreyer said.They need someone who can come in and say, `Give me 20 years, you cant expect results in two years just because you want them, Dreyer said. But how can they suddenly be free from the government and not answering to Xi Jinping?Others are less positive. Outside Shanghais Hongkou stadium, property manager Xu Chao said he preferred watching local club Shenhua because the national teams level of play was simply unwatchable.Its useless to hire an expensive coach when the teams foundation is not good, Xu said.Yan Shihao, a junior in university, said it wasnt just China making a costly bet by hiring Lippi.Lippi chose China, he said. Its a brave decision to gamble with his honor.---Associated Press researcher Fu Ting contributed to this report from Shanghai. Nike Vapormax Plus White . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Nike Vapormax Plus Womens . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. http://www.vapormaxplus.com/ . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Nike Vapormax Plus Black . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Nike Vapor Max Plus .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizonas top recruit left to play overseas and its leading scorer may or may not be facing a suspension.Looks like a down year at McKale Center.Not a chance. Not with Sean Miller at the helm.The Wildcats coach never leaves his team bereft of talent and has another stacked team this season. It may take some patience early in the season while Miller figures out what pieces fit where, but expect Arizona to be in the running for the Pac-12 title and an NCAA Tournament berth by the time its over.We have a lot of new players, we have a lot of returning players who wont return to the same role; we have players who will return to a different role, Miller said. So its going to take us some time.Arizona entered last season loaded with expectations, its roster filled with veteran players and talented newcomers. The Wildcats won 25 games, but were upset by Wichita State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.Arizona lost some key players from that team -- Gabe York, Kaleb Tarczewski, Ryan Anderson -- but does have a solid returning core.Its unclear if Allonzo Trier, the Wildcats leading returning scorer, will be suspended to start the season, but hes expected to take a big jump in his sophomore season.Swingman Kadeem Allen is back for his senior season, point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright is bigger and stronger, and 7-footer Dusan Ristic has a chance to become one of the Pac-12s best offensive big men. Center Chance Comanche also is expected to have more of an impact with an expected bigger role with this team.Miller signed another stellar recruiting class, but headliner Terrance Ferguson opted to play professionally overseas instead of in Tucson.Even without Ferguson, this is an athletic group, including 7-foot Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen, athletic guards Rawle Alkins and Kobi Simmons.The Wildcats also will have plenty of motivation after such an early exit last season.We had a lot of success, we won 25 games, but we pulled up short, Miller said. All of those who experienced that last season came back hungrier to not do that (again) and try to be better.A few more things to look for from Arizona in 2016-17:TRIERS STATUS: Trier considered a jump to the NBA before deciding to return for his sophomore season.dddddddddddd When he starts it is still up in the air. Trier was replaced by Allen at the last minute for Pac-12 media day and Miller would not comment on reports that he will be suspended. An athletic 6-foot-5 guard, Trier was Arizonas third-leading scorer last season at 14.8 points per game and is expected to take more of a leadership role.SMITHS RETURN: Arizona should get a huge lift from a player who was already on the roster. Ray Smith was expected to join Trier in giving Arizona a talented 1-2 freshman punch last season, but he tore his right ACL in preseason practice after tearing his left one as a high school senior. Miller plans to ease Smith into the rotation and possibility limit his minutes early in the season, but the 6-8 forward will likely play a big role in Arizonas success by the end of the year.LAURIS MARK: The most intriguing player on Arizonas roster is Markkanen. He may be a 7-footer, but has the agility and shooting touch of a much smaller player. Markkanen played in numerous international championships for Finland and is projected to be a top NBA draft pick when he leaves Arizona. Until then, he will likely be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams.BIGGER PJC: Of all the players on Arizonas roster, Miller had the most effusive praise for Jackson-Cartwright. The 5-10 point guard learned as the backup to T.J. McConnell as a freshman and picked up valuable experience a year ago as a sophomore. Jackson-Cartwright was one of the hardest-working players during offseason conditioning and has the know-how of a player whos entering his third season under Miller.Hes bigger, hes stronger, Ive never seen him more confident, Miller said. And its a reminder for me as a coach that when youre in a program for more than one season and all of a sudden two; theres nothing like experience. ' ' '