News » is playing a more difficult game here only makes it worse.

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Spain became the first team to advance to the knockout stages of the Under-20 World Cup, earning a lacklustre 1-0 victory over Ghana on Monday. The United States boosted its chances of reaching the final 16 with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with France after a late strike by Daniel Cuevas. Spain, the tournament favourite, was a shadow of the team that routed the Americans 4-1. It rarely threatened and often appeared unsettled by Ghanas pressing style. The only real chance for Spain came in the 13th minute when Denis Suarez took a long ball and sent a pass to an unmarked Jese who tapped it in. Ghana had the better chances in the second period but struggled to finish. A header from Frank Acheapong went wide in the 55th and then Yiadome Boakye spun around and fired his shot just over the goal three minutes later. Ghanas Ebenezer Assifuah was taken down in the area in injury time by defender Israel Puerto but no penalty was called. Spain coach Julen Lopetegui insisted he was "happy" with his sides performance despite its lack of offence. "We played a strong physical team and we had a lot of chances," he said. "We scored one goal and dominated the second half. We are very happy to be in the second round." Ghanas Sellas Tetteh praised his players "brave" effort and blamed the poor finish on his sides inexperience. It now must beat the United States in its final group match for any chance of advancing. "You never call it over until its over," Tetteh said. "That is the game of football. There is nothing that is impossible. We will give it our final shot." In the earlier match, France looked on pace to win and advance after Auxerre striker Yaya Sanogo scored his second goal of the tournament from a penalty kick in the 48th minute. It came after Dimitri Foulquier was sideswiped by Americas Javan Torre in the area. The United States had few chances and missed those it did have -- the worst when Luis Gils penalty was easily saved in the 65th. But the Americans grew in confidence toward the end and it paid off in the 85th. Gil made up for his miss, curving a free kick into the area that Cuevas pounced on and scored. "I feel like they were confused. They couldnt get the ball out and luckily it took a bounce my way and I got to push it in," Cuevas said. The late goal showed the character of the American team, he said. "Our team is very united and we are always together and pushing forward," Cuevas said. "If things dont go our way, we keep trying and keep trying until they do. Luckily we got the tie." Coach Tab Ramos admitted he was a "little disappointed" with the performance from the Americans early on but happy to come away with a draw. "My disappointment is that in a game like today we should have gotten all three points," Ramos said. "At the end of the day, it was great courage, effort by our team." With France and Spain having won their openers, the United States needs a victory in its final match against Ghana to advance outright. But it could still advance as one of the four best third-placed teams. France failed to repeat the form that beat Ghana 3-1 in its opener. "I dont think we had a great control of the game tonight," France coach Pierre Mankowski said. "It feels a bit strange because the U.S. team was hardly dangerous. But they had situations they should have never had. We conceded a penalty and a free-kick, which led to their goal." France will be without captain Paul Pogba for their final group match against Spain after a second yellow card in two matches. "The boys were really disappointed at the end of the game," Mankowski said. "Playing without Pogba for the last crucial game against Spain is something we have to figure out tomorrow when things will be quieter." In the other early match in Group B, Nigeria got its campaign on track with a 3-0 win over newcomer Cuba. Aminu Umar scored twice in four minutes and captain Abdul Ajagun got his third of the tournament as the African team easily beat Cuba. Nigeria opened the scoring when Olarenwaju Kayodefed fed Umar for the easy tap-in with 19 minutes gone. Four minutes later, Abdullahi Shehu drilled a cross which Umar flicked between his legs for the goal. The Nigerians completed the route in the 67th when Kingsley Madus cross was headed home by Ajagun. In the other Group B match, South Korea twice came from behind to draw with Portugal 2-2. Custom Hockey Jerseys Store . According to a report from ESPN, sources said Manuels college coach Jimbo Fisher told teams he didnt think Manuel had the tools to be an NFL starter. Custom Calgary Flames Jerseys . His absence against the Celtics comes a day after he scored 43 points in the Heats 100-96 win at Cleveland. http://www.customjerseyshockey.com/custo...rseys-929b.html. The 42-ranked Czech saved seven break points while converting his one chance, and defeated the No. 3 seed in 1 hour 46 minutes. Rosol, who lost in the final in Stuttgart against Roberto Bautista Agut on Sunday, awaits the winner between Philipp Kohlschreiber or 2011 champion Gilles Simon. Custom Hockey Jerseys China . He has spent much of his adult life trying to give back to his native South Sudan, the war-torn African nation the Cavaliers forward and his family fled when he was a young boy. Custom Winnipeg Jets Jerseys . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss J.R. Smiths antics, Dennis Rodmans trip to North Korea, Toronto FCs spending and the inspiring story of a California high-school basketball player. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is down to J.R. Smith, the illegitimate clown prince of basketball. The New York Knicks are their own unique brand of farce, but Smith takes it to a different, dumber level. This week he was fined $50,000 for trying to untie an opponents shoelace again, after being warned by the NBA, hey, dont try to untie an opponents shoelace again. This had literally never happened before. He had already been suspended in his career for fights, for drugs, and even for reckless driving causing a death, and he has said over and over, "Ive learned." But he never learns. Hes a player with talent, no desire to shape it, no thoughts of consequences, and the brain of a slow-ish ostrich. Someone should tie his shoelaces together, and be done with it. Steve Simmons, Toronto Sun: My thumb is down to Dennis Rodman and his bizarre egotistical nonsensical attempt at diplomacy with his latest visit to North Korea. This isnt the Richard Nixon days, when ping-pong began to unfreeze the relationship between the United States and China. This is today, and this is the clown Rodman, trying to look serious in a political arena. The situation becomes all the more troubling when you consider Rodmans patty-cake friendship with dictator and admirer Kim Jong-un. While in North Korea, Rodman suggested that American tour guide, Kenneth Bae, jailed 15 years for state subversion, was at fault for being held captive and after saying that, bllamed his verbal outburst on drinking too much.dddddddddddd Dennis Rodman is, was, and remains something of a sporting embarrassment. The fact he is playing a more difficult game here only makes it worse. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to Toronto FC for its showy efforts at ending its culture of failure. This week the club repatriated Canadian midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. It then made a global splash by acquiring striker Jermain Defoe from Tottenham and signing another midfielder, American international Michael Bradley, who had been languishing at A.S. Roma. MLSEs $100 million moves faintly echo President Tim Leiwekes investment in David Beckham when Leiweke was in Los Angeles, although labeling MLS most dismal team a "super club" is wildly premature. The last Toronto team to "win" an offseason was the blue jays last winter. Howd that turn out? Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is up to California high-school basketball player Austin Hatch, and this story will explain itself. In two airplane crashes eight years apart that killed his father, mother, stepmother, brother and sister, Austin Hatch narrowly escaped death himself. The most recent crash in 2011 left Hatch in a coma for two months. 10 days earlier, he had committed to a basketball scholarship at the University of Michigan. This week, he played in a high-school game for the first time since the crash - his first shot was a three-point attempt, he made it - his schoolmates roared and his teammates jumped from the bench and stormed the court, causing an emotional celebration....and a technical foul. Hatch still looks forward to Michigan, where his scholarship will be honored. Thumbs up all around. Indeed. 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