SPWWith the World Cup in Brazil looming, The Associated Press takes a look at 10 great players in the tournament's history:

PELE:
Considered by many the greatest player in football history, Pele won three World Cups with Brazil. He was a teenager when he helped the "Selecao" lift the trophy in 1958, then four years later he won again despite playing only one match because of an injury. Pele's career was at its peak when he led Brazil to victory in 1970. He remains the only player to win three titles.

DIEGO MARADONA:
Maradona was joint FIFA player of the 20th century with Pele. "El Pibe de Oro" inspired Argentina to victory in the 1986 tournament. The English will never forgive him for his "Hand of God" goal en route to winning in Mexico. And perhaps his own people, the Argentines, will never forgive him for being a terrible national coach four years ago in South Africa. But as a player, Maradona was peerless in his heyday, although drug problems marred the end of his career.

RONALDO:
He is the most prolific scorer in World Cups with 15. He was a youngster in the Brazil squad that won the 1994 World Cup, then helped Brazil reach the final both in 1998 and 2002. He had convulsions hours before the 1998 final in France and didn't play well in a 3-0 loss to the hosts, but four years later in Yokohama he scored twice in the final to give Brazil its fifth world title. Ronaldo's last World Cup was in 2006.

ZINEDINE ZIDANE:
People who don't know football remember Zidane for the headbutt that put Marco Materazzi on the floor in the 2006 final. That earned Zidane a red card and an ignominious end to a glorious career. The connoisseurs cherish a player gifted with uncommon skill and technique, coupled with a penchant for big-game goals. The three-time world player of the year helped France win the 1998 World Cup on home soil -- scoring on two headers in the final -- and the 2000 European Championship. Soon after, he was sold by Juventus to Real Madrid for a then-record fee of $65 million.

JUST FONTAINE
Fontaine holds a record that is unlikely to be broken anytime soon: Scoring 13 goals in a single tournament. Fontaine took six games to achieve his feat in 1958 in Sweden, where he was a last-minute inclusion for France. Entering the tournament, the Moroccan-born Fontaine was a little-known forward outside of the French league. Yet he tormented opponents with his speed and finishing touch -- and even with someone else's boots. He had to borrow a pair after damaging his own boots in practice.

FRANZ BECKENBAUER
Beckenbauer defined the role of libero, and his elegant and effortless style earned him the nickname the Kaiser. Beckenbauer is the only man to captain (in 1974) and coach (1990) a team to the World Cup title. Beckenbauer made 103 appearances for Germany and is considered the football power's greatest player. He also served as coach and president of Bayern Munich, where he won every available club honour as a player. At 68, he has given up official functions but still works for television and remains vastly popular in Germany.

JOHAN CRUYFF
He never won a World Cup, never was top scorer and played only one final tournament. Yet it was more than enough to turn Johan Cruyff into a World Cup great because less than a handful of the game's greatest stars combined beauty, speed, vision and elegance like he did. At the 1974 event in West Germany, Cruyff led the Oranje with guile and cockiness as the Netherlands beat teams like Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil with free-flowing "Total Football" to reach the final against the host team. In his finest moment, the lanky playmaker used his dumbfounding body feints and speed to cut through the German defence from the opening kickoff to force a penalty and give the Netherlands the surprise lead. Shockingly, with the cup for the taking, Cruyff and the Dutch machine sputtered and stopped.

EUSEBIO
Of all the spectacular moments in Eusebio's two-decade career, perhaps the most memorable was the comeback he inspired by Portugal against North Korea in the quarterfinals of the 1966 event in England. After Portugal fell 3-0 behind, Eusebio scored four goals in just over 30 minutes, demonstrating the athletic prowess and sure-eyed finishing that made him one of the world's top scorers in the 1960s. Born into poverty in Africa, Eusebio became known as the Black Panther for his agility and hard-charging attacks. He was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1965, and twice won the Golden Boot - in 1968 and 1973 - for being top scorer in Europe. He died in January.

LEV YASHIN
The only goalkeeper ever voted European footballer of the year, Lev Yashin helped to redefine goalkeeping, producing acrobatic saves and marshalling his defence as few had done before. After bursting onto the international scene with spectacular stops against eventual winner Brazil at the 1958 tournament, he led the Soviet Union to fourth place in 1966, a result the team has yet to better. During a 20-year professional sports career, Yashin's exceptional reflexes even allowed him to be a multi-sport champion, winning the Soviet Cup ice hockey trophy with Dynamo Moscow.

GIUSEPPE MEAZZA
Regarded by many as the greatest Italian player, Meazza played in two World Cups, and Italy won both. Born and bred in a Milan suburb, the diminutive Meazza was 24 when Italy hosted the tournament in 1934. Used on the right wing rather than his favouritecentre-forward position, he unsettled defences with his dribbles and set up the move that led to Angelo Schiavio's winner in the final against Czechoslovakia. Four years later, his only goal was from the penalty spot against Brazil in the semifinals, his last appearance in an Italy shirt. AC Milan and Inter renamed their venue Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (better known as San Siro) after his death in 1979.


[readon1 url="http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/10-soccer-players-who-left-enduring-marks-on-the-world-cup-1.1852291"]Source:www.ctvnews.ca[/readon1]

1545667 285494304942685 772034756 nMany people are very surprised to learn that Riviera Nayarit is blessed with high quality point surf and reef breaks that provide variety and a premier experience for beginners and experienced surfers alike.

Seven different “breaks” circle the Punta Mita southern peninsula alone, from Anclote to Sayulita, providing surfers with the options of zippy reefs, to perfect point breaks, to fun beach breaks.

Other “breaks” line the coastline north to Chacala and San Blas. Traditional short board as well as long board and stand-up paddleboard surfing are all available for lessons and test “drives” at reasonable rates, and ultimate rides for more experienced boarders.

Here are some of the most frequented surfing locations in Riviera Nayarit. Catch a wave and the thrill of a lifetime!

The Cove
Location: Punta de Mita Point, southern most bay
Quality: Guides say it’s the best break around.
Access: Panga from Punta de Mita, or 40 minute rocky walk.
Tide: High, gets shallow on low tide
Notes: Go early! Can get crowded with tourists competing for the ride of their trip.

Surfing in Mexico's Riviera NayaritEl Anclote
Location: In front of condos
Type: Longboard, right
Quality: Good beginner break. Mellow pitch, slow, and long.
Tide: Most, inside gets shallow. Be sure to find best path out.
More: Usually 2-4 ft, right

La Lancha
1.5 miles south of El Anclote
Type: Longboard, most rights, few lefts
Quality: Good longboard wave
Access: Panga or 40 minute beach walk from Punta de Mita
Tide: Best on incoming tide, then outgoing tide. Shallow on low tide
More: Goes when everything else is flat.
Watch out for Coral heads, especially near the take off.

Punta Burros
Location: 10 minutes south of El Anclote at Palladium Vallarta Resort
Type: Longboard, shortboard
Quality: Great, favorite break in the area
Access: Stay at resort or park outside the resort gate on the left, near the taxis.
Find path along the fence line to the left.
Tide: High is best, but works on most anything
Note: Can get busy on weekends with locals and tourists.
More: Left is steeper and throws a bit. Right is longer with a mellower pitch.
Because Burros has easy access, don’t miss this wave.

Surfing in Mexico's Riviera NayaritSayulita
Location: 20 minute north of El Anclote
Type: Longboard, shortboard. Mostly rights.
Quality: Decent wave that goes without much swell.
Tide: works on most any tide
Fun, great atmosphere, but can get crowded with locals and tourists.

Los Veneros: Also known as Dinosaurs, this is a classic reef break with a long right It is a great short board wave, but long boarders enjoy it too. The wave is very much like Malibu Point, only more hollow.

Swimming Pools: Just north of Los Veneros is another point (you can see it break from the line up at Los Veneros) This is a fast hollow right that pitches big time Long boarders will like Los Veneros much better. The easiest way to get to the break is to simply paddle over to it.

The Beach Break: About 200 yards to the left from Los Veneros (looking at the ocean) is an excellent beach break with an outstanding wide open left that is perfect for getting barreled. It breaks over a sand bottom and has all the juice you need to do some hard core tube riding.

The Other Breaks

La Caleta: A short panga ride from the village of Chacala puts you onto the perfect left point known as La Caleta. This is a deep water peak that unwinds down a perfect left point. Long rides on steep and perfect walls follow a stimulating drop and bottom turn on the peak. This is another break that is frequented by Costa Azul Adventure Resort and when they show up, it is an instant crowd.

Matenchen Bay: Reputed to be the longest ride-able wave in the world, Matenchen Bay offers an excellent long right point over a cobblestone and sand bottom. It takes a focused swell to get it to break, but when it does, it is legendary. Rides of over a mile are possible on the right swell and don't mistake a long ride to mean a crappy wave. This wave pitches and peels all the way.

Stoners: The outer point of Matenchen Bay breaks more frequently and offers a wonderful right point with hollow sections. This is a high quality wave worth the wait.

Lolas: An excellent left point north of San Blas. One can negotiate for a panga to take you to the point and you will find a long and sometimes hollow left that you will always remember as epic. No crowds, remote jungle, regional class surf and barrels. What more could anyone ever want?

Courtesy: Mexico Surf Resorts

91ywHarriette Thompson became a symbol of inspiration across the national running community after Sunday's trek

The 91-year-old runner who broke records during Sunday's Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon is overwhelmed by the national attention but is still “eating it up.”

"It was a big surprise to me,” Harriette Thompson said the day after the race. “I just ran how I normally run -- only a little bit slower this time -- and I'm overwhelmed by all the attention I'm getting."

Messages of encouragement and inspiration began flowing in after Harriette Thompson ran the 26.2 miles in just over 7 hours, completing the fastest time in the U.S. for the 90-94 age group and becoming the oldest person to finish that race.


[readon1 url="http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/-Record-Breaking-91-Year-Old-Runner-Overwhelmed-Elated-by-Attention-261608461.html"]Source:www.nbcsandiego.com[/readon1]

Ghislayne-Garcia-Juegos-Nacionales-EscolaresDebbye Ghislayne Leal will participate in the National School Games to be held in Tepic, Nayarit.
 
At twelve years old, Ghislayne Debbye Leal García will represent Tamaulipas in the National School Chess Games to be held in the city of Tepic, Nayarit.

Leal Garcia is a student at the school  "Despertar del Campesino" in Altamira, and a stage winner of the state chess tournament organized by the Secretariat of Basic Education.

Belonging to a poor family, living in the Miramar area of ​​the municipality, the outstanding sithe grade student, has many achievements and successes in sports science.

"Chess is a way to play with math, to learn and to think faster," says the athlete who also shares her passion for football.

basketWe're going to devote this week's Off-Season Report to how we see the Off-Season playing out.

It's probably going to be boring

With all the speculation of who may go where and what the Nets might be offered and for whom, one possibility isn't getting a lot of attention: Suppose everyone or just about everyone came back?  Suppose the mantra of the Nets' off-season was preserving chemistry?

Increasingly, that, rather than some massive changes, appears to be the more likely scenario, in other words, a boring off-season.

Taking things one by one:

--It appears highly unlikely that Kevin Garnett will leave a full $12 million on the table. He's made $315 million in his career by making shrewd moves. This time, he doesn't have to do anything. He's owed the money. Welcome back, KG.

--No team can pay Paul Pierce what the Nets can and when he had agent Jeff Schwartz push to get him to Brooklyn, he believed there was a two-year, not a one-year, window for doing something special. The Nets are likely to overpay him with a two-year deal, maybe with a partial guarantee in the second year. As he said after the Miami series, he thinks he has "one, maybe two years" left.

--Deron Williams and Brook Lopez's trade value are at career lows while their salaries are at a career highs. Is that a formula for getting something good in return? Hardly. And both players have 15 percent trade kickers. So the Nets will wait, monitor their progress in rehab and hope for the best.

--Word is that unless Shaun Livingston gets a fourth year --or some huge salary-- from another team, he will be back. He knows how the Nets and Jason Kidd resurrected his career. Don't forget that the Wizards released him just before Christmas in 2012.

--Andrei Kirilenko? After missing 37 games, his market value is now close to what his salary is. Moreover, the Nets Russian ownership is close to Kirilenko and his fashion designer wife, Masha.  It's possible he leaves, but doubtful.

--That leaves Andray Blatche and Alan Anderson. Of all the possible departures, these two look the most likely.  Blatche's lack of reliability --and conditioning-- hasn't helped him with his coach. Anderson could make more elsewhere, not a lot more but enough to lure him away. Originally, he agreed to a two year, $4 million deal with the Nets then agreed to take the vets minimum so the Nets could sign Kirilenko.

It's likely the Nets will call about Kevin Love but no one expects they will have the assets the T-Wolves are looking for.  Marcus Thornton might be offered around and teams may inquire about Mirza Teletovic, both expiring deals, but the Nets aren't likely to get rid of their two bench bombers. What about Marquis Teague, who's owed $1.1 million, and Jorge Gutierrez, who reportedly has a small guarantee on an even smaller deal? Does it matter in the larger picture if Livingston stays?

So what can we expect? The players the Nets interviewed in the draft, as far as we know, were all backcourt or swingmen: Shabazz Napier, the UConn point guard who they like a lot; Thanasis Antetokounmpo, a 6'7" swingman and Giannis brother, and two other point guards Spencer Dinwiddie and Deonte Burton. The belief is that there is value in the second round, perhaps a rotation player if you look hard enough. If that's the case, it will be a real bargain since second rounders are normally paid the rookie minimum, or around $500,000.

Free agency is likely to be mostly a search for value among vets minimum players. The Nets think the lure of New York City, Jason Kidd, Mikhail Prokhorov, a squad of veteran players and post-season success will help them recruit players who normally wouldn't think about joining them at the minimum. Finding those players will start with the free agent tryouts on June 2. Don't dismiss that as a fool's errand. In the past two years, the Nets have picked up Blatche, Livingston, Anderson and Gutierrez at the minimum. There is value out there.

Yes, they still would like Bojan Bogdanovic but once the mini-MLE is promised to Livingston, it's not economically viable for him.  And he wants playing time immediately in the NBA.

Bottom line: what do we have the most confidence about? The return of KG. Who do we think is most likely gone: Blatche.

Draft debts "extinguished"

Now that the final order of the 2014 Draft is settled, two of the Nets draft "debts" have also been "extinguished" as they say in legalese.  The Nets pick will go to Boston at #17 and the swap of 2014 picks didn't happen since the Hawks finished higher in the draft than the Nets.  That's what the Nets hoped for: Boston gets a non-lottery pick and the Hawks get nothing. In making the Boston and Atlanta trades, the Nets believed they would play well enough as to make the picks irrelevant. That didn't quite happen with the Boston pick. They would have liked it if it were lower. The Nets second rounder, at #47, is owned by Philadelphia. It had gone to Boston as well, as part of the MarShon Brooks deal, but.got moved.

The trick now is for Billy King to buy a pick that will turn out to be better than the 17th pick he sent to Boston.  He did it last year. Mason Plumlee turned into a top five rookie no matter how you play it.  He was taken at #22.  (In fact, he was a consolation prize. The Nets really hoped Gorgui Dieng would fall to them, but he went one pick earlier).

Next up, in 2015, the Nets will own their own pick, but it is again subject to a swap with the Hawks, the last piece of the Joe Johnson deal.  The second rounder was sent to Utah two years ago for Mehmet Okur.  The Jazz traded it to the Hawks last year.

If the Nets magically had the overall No. 1 pick, who would they take? The consensus is Joel Embiid, and it's not close.

The Worlds and the Nets

The FIBA World Championships take place this summer in Spain, starting August 30.  As of now, Jorge Gutierrez is on Mexico's national team roster and two of the Euro-Nets, Bojan Bogdanovic (Croatia) and Ilkan Karaman (Turkey) are expected to play for their teams.  Andray Blatche is likely to be cleared to join the Philippines as early as Monday morning, although it's uncertain if he will be on the Nets. He has said he will opt out but also said he'd like to return to Brooklyn. We shall see.

Mirza Teletovic is also expected to play for Team Bosnia at the FIBA Europe Qualifying Tournament in Ukraine earlier in August. Teams like Bosnia that didn't make the World Championships will compete this summer around the world to get into the 2015 regional tournaments. If they qualify there, then they could play in the Rio Olympics the following year. Joe Prunty, the Nets assistant who filled in for Jason Kidd at the beginning of the season, will be coaching Great Britain as well.

Gutierrez has said he wants to play in the Worlds. Talking to FIBA Americas about the Worlds in an interview the day before the Nets lost to Miami, the 25-year-old point guard said, "It is one of my goals for this year. Playing in such an important competition is incredible. For now I am focused on the NBA season, but I am really looking forward to join my teammates and start the training camp for the World Cup."

But there is a complication. Mexico's national team begins training in Nayarit , Mexico, on June 16. Gutierrez is also playing in the Nets summer league in Orlando starting July 5. The summer leaguers will be gathering in East Rutherford on July 4 weekend.  Also, Gutierrez was expected to play for Mexico in CentroBasket, a FIBA Americas tournament for Central American and Caribbean teams. That's in early August.

The various schedules could provide Nets fans with some interesting match-ups: the opening game of the World Championships in Spain on August 30 is Croatia vs. the Philippines: Blatche vs. Bogdanovic. Of course, depending on free agency and trades, it could also be irrelevant!

And the second day of the FIBA Europe Qualifying Tournament on August 13 will feature Bosnia vs. Great Britain: Teletovic vs. a team coached by Prunty.

Good luck to all of them and we hope to cover as many of the games as possible.


[readon1 url="http://www.netsdaily.com/2014/5/24/5747202/netsdaily-off-season-report-2"]Source:www.netsdaily.com[/readon1]

nba g ayon b1 200x300Gustavo Alfonso Ayón Aguirre (born April 1, 1985) is a Mexican professional basketball player who currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

College career
Ayón attended Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla in Mexico for three years of college. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Mexican national college championship tournament in leading the team to the championship. Following this season, he signed with NCAA Division I San Jose State University. However, Ayón never played for the Spartans, instead choosing to sign with a Mexican professional team, Halcones UV Xalapa.

Professional career
In the 2006 season, Ayón saw some action off the bench for Halcones UV Xalapa as the team finished second in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional. Ayón cracked the starting lineup the following season and eventually led Halcones to back-to-back Mexican league titles in 2007–08 and 2008–09. He averaged 10.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in 2007–08 and improved on that by averaging 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game the following season. In what turned out to be his final game for the team, Ayón turned in a dominant, 24-point, 20-rebound, performance in leading his club to a 94–90 overtime victory over Soles de Mexicali that clinched their second consecutive league title.

Following the 2008–09 season, Ayón signed with Baloncesto Fuenlabrada of the Spanish League.

On December 2011, Ayón signed with the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA after liquidating Baloncesto Fuenlabrada with a $1.5-million buy-out clause. Ayón received a three-year contract, with the last year being a team option.

On July 11, 2012, Ayón was traded to the Orlando Magic in a sign-and-trade deal for Ryan Anderson.

On February 21, 2013, Ayón was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks along with guards Ish Smith and J. J. Redick for guards Beno Udrih and Doron Lamb and forward Tobias Harris.

On July 25, 2013, he was waived by the Bucks.

On July 29, 2013, Ayón was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Hawks. On February 28, 2014, it was announced that Ayón would miss the rest of the 2013–14 season after successful surgery to repair a right shoulder injury.

International career
Ayón has been a member of the Mexico national basketball team since 2007. He played center for the seventh placed Mexicans at the FIBA Americas Championship 2007 and the fifth placed team at the 2008 Centrobasket.

In 2013, Ayón led Mexico to victory in the gold medal game against Puerto Rico at the FIBA Americas Championship. Ayón was named the MVP of the tournament.

Vitals

  1. Height: 6'10''/ 2.08m
  2. Weight: 250 lbs./ 113.4 kg
  3. Born: April 01, 1985
  4. From: Mexico
  5. Draft: Undrafted
  6. NBA Debut: 2011
  7. Years Pro: 2

Previous Teams:

  •   Milwaukee Bucks 2013 - 2013
  •   Atlanta Hawks 2013 - 2013
  •   Orlando Magic 2012 - 2012
  •   Milwaukee Bucks 2012 - 2012

More Previous Teams
Prior to NBA/Country: Baloncesto Fuenlabrada/Mexico

5mexicoMexico has produced a great crop of central defenders throughout its history. Some of those players have stayed in the country to play in the local league, while others have left, looking to gain world recognition.

Their performance with the national team has been key in friendlies and international competitions like the Gold Cup, Copa America, Confederations Cup and World Cup.

From Rafael Marquez, one of the most successful Mexican footballers in history, to Fernando Quirarte, a stalwart of El Tri of the '70s, let's find out who are these prolific centre-backs.

[readon1 url="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2075813-5-greatest-mexico-central-defenders-of-all-time"]Source:/bleacherreport.com[/readon1]

ms9ccThe Mexican national soccer team has a history that dates back to the 20th century. As of 2011, the Mexican soccer team is ranked 27th according to 2011 FIFA World Ratings and 11th in the World Football Elo Ratings. The team represents Mexican soccer by combining all the best Mexican soccer players on the planet. Together, Mexico has qualified for fourteen consecutive cups since 1994, although they have never advanced passed quarterfinals.

The Mexican soccer team represents and holds titles for Mexico in many other competitions including the FIFA Confederations Cup, CONCACAF, the North American Nations Cup, NAFC Championships, and the Copa America.

The Mexican national team dresses in a tricolor system inspired by the Mexican flag of green, red and white. The Aztec Stadium, built in the 1960s, is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican club team.

Mexican Soccer History

The Mexican Soccer Organization started in the early 20th century by immigrants from England and Spanish Civil War exiles. The first competition was held in 1923, and the newly formed Mexican soccer team did very well in a series of international friendly competitions. Managed by Rafael Garza Gutiérrez, the original Mexican soccer players were: Nacho de la Garza, Pedro Legorreta, Manuel Yáñez, Enrique Esquivel, Agustín Ojeda, Roberto Jardón, Carlos Garcés, Horacio Ortiz, Adeodato López, Mauro Guadarrama Alatorre, Cornelio Cuevas, and Alfredo García Besné.

On August 9, 1927 the Mexican Football Federation, the governing body of the sport in Mexico, was founded. In 1930 the Mexican National team participated in the FIFA World cup, but lost its first two matches against France and Chile. Juan Carreño, a Mexican football player, was responsible for their first goal in the competition, and the first penalty of the tournament was scored by Mexico's Manuel Rosas.

Mexico did not compete again in the FIFA World Cup until 1950, where the team made little impact. In 1970, Mexico hosted the event until it was eliminated by Italy in the quarterfinals. Mexico hosted the competition again in 1986, only to be eliminated again in the quarterfinals by West Germany.

The year 1990 proved to be controversial when the Mexican national team was disqualified from international competitions because underage Mexican soccer players were used in the qualifying round of the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988. The punishment was extended to all national representatives of all Mexican sports for a full two years.

Legendary Mexican soccer player Hugo Sanchez and other players like Carlos Hermosillo, Ricardo Pelaez, Alberto Garcia Aspe, Adrian Chavez, Felix Fernandez, Luis Flores, Luís Roberto Alves dos Santos Gavranic, Miguel Herrera, Benjamin Galindo, Daniel Guzmán and Guillermo Huerta saw their hopes crushed by the “Cachirules” scandal, as it became known. However, some of these Mexican soccer players later got their chance to compete in the 1994 World Cup.

In the years following their disqualification, the Mexico football team started to achieve greater international success under coach César Luis Menotti. Mexico finished second in the Copa America and went on to win its competitive group in the 1994 World Cup, although Mexico was eliminated in the second round. Mexican soccer player Miguel Mejía Barón stood out in the competition, known for giving one of the best World Cup performances. Mexico has consistently played well in the Copa America since 1993. In 1995 Mexican footballer Luis García was declared the leading scorer of the competition and in 1997 the honor went to Luis Hernández.

Mexican star football player Cuauhtémoc Blanco helped Mexico win its first official FIFA World Championship tournament and the 1999 FIFA Confederation Cup in 1999. He was awarded the Golden shoe award, along with Ronaldinho, as maximum scorer of the competition.

In the 21st Century, Mexican soccer continues to improve and gain international reputation. Mexico's soccer team participated in the 2002 World cup, where it was eliminated in the second round by the US. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Mexico advanced to the second round only to lose to Argentina despite good performances by Mexican soccer players Rafael Márquez, Pável Pardo and Hernán Crespo. In 2007, Mexico's national team was eliminated from the CONCACAF championship in the final round and made it to quarterfinals in the Copa America of 2007.

In July 2009, the Mexican national team claimed their fifth Gold Cup and eighth CONCACAF championship. By 2010, Mexico defeated Italy, the reigning World Champion in a friendly game before the 2010 South African World Cup. There, Mexico passed the first round thanks to a goal differential only to be eliminated in the Round of 16 for the fifth consecutive World Cup in a row. The best goal of the match was given by Mexican soccer player Javier Hernandez, although it would be Mexico´s only match goal. Spain would go on to win the 2010 South African Cup.

In Mexico and Spain, as well as many other countries, soccer is not only a sport but a passion, part of their culture, national identity and pastime.


[readon1 url="http://www.donquijote.org/culture/mexico/sports/mexican-soccer.asp"]Source:www.donquijote.org[/readon1]

SCCGUADALAJARA, Mexico – All the speculation surrounding left back Edgar Castillo leaving Club Tijuana appears to have been accurate. The 27-year-old confirmed on Friday he is heading to Liga MX side Atlas.

Castillo wrote that he would be leaving Xolos on Thursday, when he posted a message on his Twitter account. He told Cancha on Friday that his final destination will be Los Zorros.

“In Tijuana I lasted two and a half years, I did well and thought I’d stay longer, but it wasn’t like that and I hope that at Atlas it will be much longer,” Castillo told the publication.

Castillo stressed that he has matured at Tijuana and is ready for the new challenge at the club coached by Tomás Boy, who will have money to work with following a buy-out by TV Azteca in late 2013.

Get all your American Exports news here
“Thanks to all the fans that supported me in this great adventure called Xoloitzcuintles,” read Castillo's Twitter message on Thursday in Spanish.

Castillo went on to thank the club’s directors and president for having confidence in him and announced it was time for him to leave the “beautiful city” to start a new stage of his footballing career.


[readon1 url="http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/05/23/american-exports-edgar-castillo-announces-tijuana-departure-atlas-arrival"]Source:www.mlssoccer.com[/readon1]

rlFernando Regueiro wants you to know that the Chicago Red Hots’ match Saturday night in Cicero against Roller Derby Guadalajara won’t be like the old roller derby. There aren’t good guys and bad guys, there isn’t dirty play and the athletes aren’t playing characters.

It’ll be two teams facing off in an important event for the sport – the first sanctioned international game.

“It’s just a very important match in general for the branch of roller derby that we play,” said Regueiro, one of the owners and the general manager of the Red Hots. “Right now there’s a big movement in the derby community to make it into more of a real sport and to organize the sport.”
The Red Hots are well along on that path.

About 2 1/2 years ago, the Red Hots’ discipline of roller derby were accepted by USA Roller Sports – the governing body of roller sports. Then a year later, they were approved by the International Federation of Roller Sports as an official discipline.

“We are in this new wave of teams that play under the sanction of the US Olympic Committee, the USA Roller Sports and the federation,” Regueiro said. “So it’s very important for us because this is the first ever international game between two different countries under this sanctioning. We’re really excited to have that happen here in Chicago where roller derby started.”

Now the sport will break more ground Saturday night when the Red Hots host Mexico’s reigning national champion.
Regueiro said the match came about after some of his players went to Mexico City and Guadalajara to train other and less-experienced players. That created a bond between the athletes from the two areas, and when the Red Hots were building their schedule for this year, Roller Derby Guadalajara expressed an interest in playing here.

“We’re very excited to have them,” Regueiro said.
That feeling is mutual.

“It’s going to be amazing,” said Vale Lopez, a member of Roller Derby Guadalajara.

“Everybody in Mexico is asking and paying attention to this.”

The match starts at 7 p.m. Saturday. It will be played at Cicero Stadium, 1909 S. Laramie Ave, in Cicero. For more information, go to www.redhotsderby.com and to purchase tickets visit http://redhotsderby.brownpapertickets.com/.

soVeracruz midfielder Angel Reyna was reportedly ready to transfer to Guadalajara no later than Friday. It should be of note, however, that the 29-year-old did have Cruz Azul as an option.

On Thursday, Veracruz Sporting Director Fidel Kuri added a new twist to the transfer saga. Reyna won't be walking to Guadalajara. If the Mexican giants want his services, they're going to have to break the bank (h/t to Medio Tiempo). "If there's a good offer that will allow me to bolster my team, then there wouldn't be a problem as long as they pay me what he's worth," Kuri said.

"For me, Reyna is the best player in Mexico, even if he's never been to a World Cup. When I bought him, they [Monterrey] told me he was worth one dollar and I told them that I would pay 50 cents, but they told me he was worth a dollar and that's what I ultimately ended up paying for him," he added.

Should Chivas Guadalajara Target Naturalized Mexican Lucas Lobos?

Veracruz entered the season in danger of being relegated to Mexico's second division. Fortunately for Kuri, Reyna arrived to salvage his season.

"He saved my team. He had nine goals. I know what kind of player Reyna is. Apart from being a great man, he is a friend and I consider him to be a son."

With such an emotional tie to a player, Chivas Guadalajara's efforts to complete his transfer will be tougher than expected. Will they be able to ultimately complete it? Tell u
 


[readon1 url="http://www.sportsworldnews.com/articles/13836/20140523/chivas-guadalajara-transfer-news-fidel-kuri-not-selling-angel-reyna-chivas-must-pay-what-hes-worth-first.htm"]Source:www.sportsworldnews.com [/readon1]