ekansekans's blog: "df"

GDANSK, Poland -- Miroslav Kloses remarkable rise from a provincial German club to the second most prolific scorer in World Cup history is a tale that may never be matched. Arian Foster Pink Jersey . Klose made his debut for Germany in 2001 without ever having played for any of its junior teams, something that is unlikely to happen again because prospects these days are honed through youth academies and groomed in camps for different age groups. Klose was born in Poland but came to Germany with his parents when he was 6. On Saturday, he turns 34 on the day Germany kicks off its Euro 2012 campaign against Portugal. "Three points would be the best present I could get," Klose said Tuesday, one day after arriving in his land of birth with the team he now represents. Too bad that the match is in neighbouring Ukraine and not in Poland, where Klose would be assured of a warm reception. Klose and Lukas Podolski, the other Poland-born Germany forward, were given a rousing welcome Monday when the German team staged an open training session only hours after arriving in Gdansk and drawing more than 10,000 fans. The perception in Germany is that Podolski is more popular in Poland than Klose, although both speak Polish and maintain close ties to the country. "I dont know where this came from, possibly a quote or two were taken out of context, misunderstood. I love this land like I love Germany," Klose said. "I was born here. I have family here. "We were very warmly received yesterday at the training even though it was arranged at the last moment," the striker said. Klose and Podolski were still signing autographs long after the other Germany players had climbed into the bus. Klose has recalled how his early days in Germany were difficult without speaking the language. But the kids quickly recognized that "Miro" could play football and he was the first to be chosen for pickup games. Soon enough, he was the first in his family to speak German fluently. With his mother a handball player and father also a footballer, Klose had genes to succeed and he eventually began playing for Kaiserslautern, a relatively minor Bundesliga club. He moved to Werder Bremen in 2004, and later to Bayern Munich, before heading to Lazio in Rome, where he has just finished his first season. Klose is about to play at his third European Championship. If Germany might have been a culture shock for someone coming from then-communist Poland, Italy also was not without surprises -- particularly when Kloses postman turned out to be a Lazio fan who kissed Kloses feet after he had scored the winner against local rival AS Roma. Such adulation is unlikely in Germany but Klose will be celebrated as a hero if he scores again to help Germany win its first title since Euro 96. With 63 goals in 116 games for Germany, Klose is five behind Gerd Mueller. He has already pulled level with Mueller on 14 World Cup goals in three tournaments, one behind Brazil striker Ronaldo. Germany coach Joachim Loew prefers using one striker and Klose is his man, although Mario Gomez keeps finding the target for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. But Loew thinks Klose has better playing skills and sees Gomez more as a big man limited to the penalty box. An ankle injury and back problems cut short Kloses Lazio season and the striker was unable to practice fully until a few days ago. "I dont think I was ever 100 per cent at a major tournament but I am now at a point where I wanted to be," Klose said. "At nearly 34, the back hurts a bit, I have to do a little extra before and after each training, a little more stretching, otherwise I feel sluggish." On Saturday, Klose will first put on his right shoe and make the first step on the field with his right foot, his normal routine. After the match, it will be an ice bath for those aging bones and muscles. "I dont know if my legs will still be carrying me," Klose said, "but the 2014 World Cup (in Brazil) remains in my sights." Brian Cushing White Jersey . Teague was taken with the 29th selection out of Kentucky and is expected to fill a backup role at point guard. Andre Johnson Black Jersey . On a day when F1 could again focus more on racing than politics, the Bahrain Grand Prix was held without a hitch as Vettel completed a wire-to-wire victory in a race that was completely unaffected by the ongoing anti-government protests that escalated this week. http://www.shoptexansfans.com/arian-foster-jersey . Hunter-Reay, the IndyCar series leader, completed the 2.2-mile, 13-turn circuit in the fastest time of one minute 17.23 seconds in the final qualifying session on a wet track at the City Centre Airport. Brian Cushing Black Jersey . Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals are still trying to lock up their berth to the postseason and turn to Lohse on Saturday evening in the second of three straight meetings with the NL East-leading Nats, who have a chance to lock up the division. Owen Daniels Jersey . Barnes, who was not present in court, entered his plea Tuesday through his attorney. Superior Court Judge Burt Pines sentenced him to two years of probation. NEW YORK -- For eight innings, the only real drama that filled pumped-up Citi Field was whether R.A. Dickey would get a shutout to go along with his 19th win. When the New York Mets star knuckleballer went back to the mound for the ninth, a shutout seemed like a foregone conclusion, but moments later all Dickey could do was watch from the bench and hope that struggling reliever Jon Rauch could shut down the Miami Marlins with the tying run on second base. Rauch came through by the slimmest of margins, and Dickey and the Mets breathed a sigh of relief when they escaped with a 4-3 victory on Saturday. Dickey allowed a four-pitch walk and a double to open the ninth, and Rauch surrendered a three-run homer to John Buck before striking out Gorkys Hernandez to end it. "We ultimately got the win but it was definitely a little harder than we wanted it to be," said Jason Bay, who staked Dickey to a 2-0 lead with a second-inning homer. Just hours after the Mets snapped a nine-game losing streak at Citi Field on Friday and scored more than three runs in their home ballpark for the first time since Aug. 12, New York broke out the bats again in front of a crowd of 30,332. The Marlins rallied but couldnt finish off the comeback after Buck was awarded a home run when a video review determined his drive struck the left-field foul pole. "I knew it hit the pole and I was just waiting for the reversal," Bay said. "It was kind of like, this cant be happening." The Mets have won consecutive games at home for the first time since topping Houston on Aug. 25-26 -- the last two games before the start of their most recent home skid. Dickey got to 19 wins on his third try after two consecutive losses -- the only time this season he has been beaten in back-to-back starts. Washingtons Gio Gonzalez, who earned his 20th win on Saturday, and Dickey are the only major leaguers with at least 19. The knuckleballer batted for himself in the eighth, despite already throwing 104 pitches, and heard cheers and chants of his name when he returned to the mound in the ninth. He tried to finish his fourth shutout of the season but was pulled after Greg Dobbs led off with a walk and Donovan Solano followed with a double. "Nobody wants this guy to win more than me," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "I could not let him get into a situation where he might lose that game." Rauch then allowed Bucks 12th homer before getting three outs for his fourth save. "I had a quick eighth, so I was game to try to give the fans a treat and a complete game," Dickey said. "I felt pretty good and I told Terry, Im good. He has trusted me all year. I went back out there and tried it, and he pulled me when he needed to and we won the game." Dickey yielded two runs, six hits -- including three by Solano and two by Gil Velazquez -- and two walks. Dickeey nearly provided another thrill with his bat when he sent a long drive to left field with the bases loaded in the sixth, but was robbed of an extra-base hit when Bryan Petersen jumped into the fence to make a highlight-reel catch. Arian Foster Elite Jersey. "That is as close as Ill probably ever get," Dickey said. "That was all this old man can do. I cheated on the pitch. He threw me a good pitch to hit. Everything was perfect." After a wild pitch on a knuckler, Dickey worked out of a jam in the second inning by striking out Hernandez and Jose Reyes with runners on second and third. "He struck out the guy when he needed to strike out the guy," Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. "That was a huge, huge inning for him." Five of Dickeys wins this season have come against the last-place Marlins, the only team in the NL East behind the Mets. He should get one more start against them in the final series of the season in Miami. "He obviously is good. Its not like hes just had our number," Buck said. "We didnt single-handedly hand him the Cy Young. He did have to face some other teams. Were obviously a big part of the reason." Dickey struck out four to retake the league lead from Los Angeles Clayton Kershaw and will be in position to reach 20 wins for the first time when he faces Pittsburgh on Thursday in his final home start of the season. Bay provided the punch against Mark Buehrle (13-13) in the second by launching a two-run homer to straightaway centre for his eighth of the season. It was Bays second consecutive shot against Buehrle, having hit a grand slam against the left-hander in Miami on Sept. 2 to pace the Mets to a 5-1 win. Scott Hairston pushed New Yorks lead to 3-0 in the fourth when he led off with his 19th homer of the season and second in two days. Hairston had to wait through a video review before he finished his trot in from second base, as the ball was originally ruled in play off the centre field fence. Replays showed the ball struck the batters eye above the blue wall 408 feet from home plate. Buehrle allowed four runs and five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in six innings of his 30th start of the season. He is six innings shy of reaching 200, which would give him 12 straight seasons of 10 wins, 30 starts and 200 innings -- the longest current streak in the majors. NOTES: Mets closer Frank Francisco was again unavailable after feeling soreness in his elbow. ... Dickey is the first Mets pitcher with 19 wins since Frank Viola (20) and Dwight Gooden (19) did it in 1990. ... Lucas Duda returned to the Mets lineup one day after being pulled from the game by Collins for not running out a pop fly that dropped. ... Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton sat out a fourth consecutive game because of a strained muscle in his side. ... Buehrle is 0-3 against the Mets in his career, all this season. ' ' '