CAMPINAS, Brazil -- Cristiano Ronaldo again wore a brace on his troublesome left knee Friday, triggering a new wave of questions over his health as his Portugal team held its final World Cup training session before departing for a crucial game against the United States.
Mike Webster Jersey . The reigning world player of the year took part in some light workouts with the first team, followed by stretching. He was smiling and appeared at ease at practice at the team base in Campinas, northwest of Sao Paulo, as he took part in a playful game of keep away from teammates. The team was set to leave later in the day for Manaus for its matchup with the U.S. on Sunday. Portugal was humiliated in a 4-0 defeat by Germany in their opener. Another loss and the fourth-ranked team in the world could be eliminated even before its final Group G game against Ghana. Ronaldo has been hampered by tendinitis and a muscle injury since before the tournament, creating plenty of speculation about how he would perform in Brazil. He was doubtful to play before the Germany game, but declared himself fit and went on to produce a subdued performance that only added to the usual drama and scrutiny surrounding the player. Team officials dismissed reports suggesting that Ronaldo could be risking his health by playing, saying they were tired of having to deny every rumour about a player many consider to be the worlds best. They noted, however, that he often plays with a brace and said hes healthy and would play against the U.S. Teammate Helder Postiga also expressed frustration over the media circus around Ronaldo. "I have already answered so many questions about Cristiano Ronaldo. Actually we speak about him every day. If I am sick of it, imagine how he is feeling," Postiga said. "If he is available enough to train with us thats probably because he is feeling well. Hes been training with us all these days and as usual he always gives his best. Hes just fine." Ronaldo has been one of the best players in the world for about a decade, and last year he even passed Lionel Messi by ending the Argentina forwards streak of winning the FIFA Ballon dOr. He has also excelled on the world stage, helping Portugal reach the 2004 European Championship final and the 2006 World Cup semifinals. The team also advanced out of the group stage at both Euro 2008 and the last World Cup, and then reached the semifinals at Euro 2012. Although he is Portugals all-time record scorer with 49 goals in 111 appearances, Ronaldo scored just twice in the last two World Cups.
Neil Smith Jersey . Mauer drove in two runs before leaving with an injury, Eduardo Nunez homered and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 10-2 on Tuesday night.
Trent Green Jersey . If Vettel wins at Suzuka on Sunday, and his nearest rival Fernando Alonso finishes worse than eighth, the German driver will join his compatriot Michael Schumacher and Argentine Juan-Manuel Fangio as the only men to win four consecutive titles.OTTAWA -- Chris Byrne has relinquished his job as head coach of the Ottawa 67s to concentrate on his duties as general manager. Byrne has begun searching for his replacement for the 2014-15 season when the team returns to the refurbished TD Place at Lansdowne Park. "I fully support Chriss decision to dedicate 100 per cent of his time to focus his efforts on improving the calibre of our player personnel," Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group president Jeff Hunt said Monday in a statement. Byrne, a 39-year-old from Nepean, Ont., took over as head coach and GM of the 67s in 2009. Ottawa reached the conference final in 2012, but have finished ouut of the playoffs the last two seasons.
Alex Smith Jersey. "The objective of the 67s is to consistently win and contend for the Memorial Cup," Byrne said. "That takes time and patience if you start with a young team that gradually improves as players mature, and our team has been the youngest in the OHL for the last two seasons. "Now its time to accelerate our learning curve and improve our quality of play." Ottawa Sports and Entertainment also owns the CFL expansion Ottawa Redblacks. The 67s have played out of the Canadian Tire Centre for two seasons while the arena and stadium at Lansdowne underwent reconstruction. ' ' '