Die Macht » against Auburn, but it was win if the Aggi

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- If last years European Championship was the moment Mario Balotelli revealed himself to a global audience, this years Confederations Cup is shaping up as confirmation that he is a force to be reckoned with on the international stage. And if Italy appeared hesitant at times to heap too much pressure on Balotelli in Poland and Ukraine, thats no longer an issue. When Balotelli scored the winning goal in Sundays 2-1 win over Mexico, it didnt come as a surprise. He was a force to be reckoned with throughout the game at the Maracana Stadium. According to Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon, the difference for Balotelli is that he has gained more confidence by playing regularly for AC Milan since his January transfer from Manchester City. After 2 1/2 years of often being relegated to the substitutes bench in England, Balotelli returned to Italy at the start of this year and scored 12 goals in just 13 appearances for Milan. "Talent-wise, hes the same as a year ago, because Balotelli will always be extraordinary in the way he plays football, but now hes also found continuity with his club, which is something he didnt have before," Buffon said Monday. "That gives him serenity and extra self-confidence. "Its a huge advantage to have a player like him," added Buffon, the senior member of the Azzurri at 35 and one of the few remnants from the squad that won the 2006 World Cup. Italy was still well stocked with members of the 2006 squad at the 2009 Confederations Cup and it also opened that tournament with a win, beating the United States 3-1. But then the Azzurri lost to Egypt 1-0 and were humiliated 3-0 by Brazil, resulting in an embarrassing first-round elimination for the World Cup holders at the time. The following year, Italy was again eliminated after the first round of the World Cup in South Africa. "Theres a substantial difference between now and 2009," Buffon said. "Over these last three years weve really matured in all aspects. This is a national team on the way up, and were hoping to keep moving forward." Balotelli tied as top scorer for the tournament with three goals when Italy reached the final of Euro 2012, including two spectacular goals in the 2-1 semifinal win over Germany, and he sees no reason why the Azzurri cant go just as far here. "Were here to do the best possible, to reach the final," Balotelli said. "And I think this squad has the quality to get there." Quality was certainly evident in the decisive goal for the first official match at the renovated Maracana stadium. It was a goal that combined beauty and brute strength. It started with a long vertical pass from Daniele De Rossi. With his back to the goal, Emanuele Giaccherini then volleyed the ball on to Balotelli with an acrobatic manoeuvr and Balotelli did the rest, out-muscling defenders on both sides of him and slotting the ball past the goalkeeper as he slid along the pitch. The only negative aspect of the goal came when Balotelli pulled off his shirt, earning a yellow card. If Balotelli picks up another yellow in Italys next match against Japan on Wednesday in Recife, hell miss the Group A finale against host Brazil. The yellow card, however, was likely the last thing on De Rossis mind when he jumped on top of Balotellis naked shoulders to join in the celebration. The image of Balotelli carrying a teammate on his back was more than appropriate. Balotelli, a son of Ghanian immigrants, a player who has to deal with racist chants almost every match, is Italys new leader. Authentic NCAA Jerseys . The next step is a better finish. 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"Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. What went down in the 10th week of college soccer? The aim each week is to bring you five stories that defined the week in college soccer, or help navigate the long road to San Jose, California -- site of the College Cup.BYU and Stanford endure excused absencesThat No. 6 BYU and No. 3 Stanford have players that United States womens national team coach Jill Ellis wanted a closer look at speaks volumes about why both teams are near the top of the polls this season in college soccer. It also made life a little more difficult for the Cougars and Cardinal this week.This past Wednesday, BYU players watched from the stands in Sandy, Utah, as once-and-future teammate Ashley Hatch debuted for the national team (the halftime dance cam enabling BYU forward Nadia Gomes to appear on the stadiums video big board before Hatch did as a second-half substitute). Those same players then went on the road and earned a 2-1 win at San Diego, always a tricky West Coast Conference venue. With only RPI deadweights remaining in their final three games, the Cougars could ill afford a slip in San Diego, Hatch or no Hatch, as they pursue a top-eight seed in the NCAA tournament.Stanford did BYU one better, not only beating No. 22 Colorado without midfield star Andi Sullivan or goalkeeper Jane Campbell, but also beating Utah without Sullivan again. Neither the Buffaloes, who beat Cal on Sunday, nor the Utes, who tied Cal on Thursday, have lost any other conference games.Florida States surprisingly important winThe NCAA selection committee has in recent years demonstrated a willingness to venture at least some distance from the dubiously accurate RPI in seeding its tournament. That said, the odds of landing a top-eight seed in that tournament (and thus the chance to host at least three rounds) are still far better for those teams with corresponding RPI rankings than without.All of which takes on added meaning when noting the following familiar postseason names entered this past weekend outside the RPI eight: Florida, Florida State, North Carolina, UCLA and Virginia.None of those teams had more ground to make up than the Seminoles, No. 18 in the RPI, with wins against UConn and Miami their most notable résumé entries. So for a program that can generally afford to use the regular season to tune up for yet another extended NCAA tournament run, there was a lot on the line when Kaycie Tillman headed home just her teams fifth shot for an overtime winner against No. 4 Duke on Thursday.Watch the Seminoles, ranked ninth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Top 25, and it is clear they remain a team best avoided in the postseason -- a skilled veteran defensive unit with a young and talented, if not thus far prolific, attack. But when it comes to hosting in Tallahassee for more than the first round, they needed this win badly.The wins pile up for South CarolinaThe lone remaining unbeaten team in Division I, No. 2 South Carolina, clinched the SEC regular-season title with a 2-0 win at Tennessee on Sunday. It is the second regular-season tittle for the Gamecocks, who also managed it in 2011.ddddddddddddThe win in Knoxville came in relatively comfortable, or at least predictable, fashion for a team that has outscored conference opponents 20-3. Savannah McCaskill scored twice in the second half and is now just one goal shy of matching the programs single-season record of 14 goals.The more revealing result was a 2-1 win at Vanderbilt earlier in the week. South Carolina has trailed for a grand total of 85 seconds this season, which is to the say that the Gamecocks have rarely been in anything but control. They didnt trail in Nashville, either, but they conceded the tying goal with just two seconds remaining in regulation, one of the few instances in the closing minutes in which Vanderbilt even had the ball in that half. Rather than wallow, South Carolina dominated possession in the first overtime and reclaimed the win on Daija Griffins 97th-minute winner.Florida Gulf Coast (and soccer fans) gets a scareIf you dont know Tabby Tindell, you have a pleasant surprise awaiting when you do see her -- at this level or the next. The Florida Gulf Coast senior trails only Savannah Jordan in career goals among active players and ranks fourth in assists among the same group. She scored the winner when the Eagles won at Miami this season and was the centerpiece of the team that won an NCAA tournament first-round game a season ago and pushed Duke in the second round.But Tindell wasnt on the field when Florida Gulf Coast beat North Florida 1-0 on Saturday to clinch the programs seventh consecutive Atlantic Sun regular-season title, a result and a bit of history that prove the program is about far more than one person. The Naples Herald reported Tindell missed the game with an MCL injury, and while school officials said the specific injury was never confirmed, she is expected back in time for the conference semifinal on Nov 4.Texas A&M makes the most of its crowdIt wasnt win-or-go-home for Texas A&M on Sunday against Auburn, but it was win if the Aggies harbored any hopes of again playing at home. Entering the SEC game, Texas A&M had drawn more than 33,000 fans through its first 12 home dates, its average of 2,782 per game trailing only South Carolina nationally. But in a departure for what has been one of the most consistent and successful programs in Division I, the team itself hasnt been among the nations best on the field this season.Struggling to find goals anywhere, the Aggies are winless away from College Station. Serious RPI trouble in the most recent rankings even imperiled a 21-year streak of postseason soccer. So it didnt bode well when the first lead they claimed Sunday lasted barely a minute. Enter Emily Bates and Haley Pounds. Tied 1-1, Bates drew a penalty with a hard run into the box and Pounds converted for an 84th-minute winner.All of that after the Aggies rallied at home for a 2-1 overtime win against Kentucky on Thursday. ' ' '