The Original Game » Lynch talks about not being given the crucial pass in t

Playing at home, with its biggest star onboard and an unexpected last-minute change at the helm, Brazil is looking to win its first Olympic mens soccer gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. Penny Hardaway Jersey .No pressure, right?Coach Dunga opted to include star striker Neymar as one of the three over-23 players allowed in the Olympic squads instead of taking him to the Copa America. That plan backfired when Brazil was eliminated by Peru in the group stage of the tournament being played in the United States. That result prompted the dismissal of Dunga, who was replaced by Tite as the senior team coach.Dunga was also slated to coach in the Olympics, but now the job falls to the usual under-23 coach, Rogerio Micale.This will be the third straight Olympics in which Brazil brings some of its best players looking for that elusive gold medal. The five-time World Cup champions failed with a team led by former FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldinho in 2008, eliminated by Argentina in the semifinals, and with Neymar in 2012, losing to Mexico in the final. Brazils mens team has won the silver medal three times and the bronze two.The pressure to win gold will be higher after the elimination at Copa America, and with local fans still smoldering from the embarrassing 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semifinals at home.Brazil opens against South Africa on Thursday in Brasilia, one day before the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. Three-time silver medalist Denmark and Iraq are also in Group A.Local organizers will take advantage of the stadiums built for the World Cup, and the Olympic tournament will be played at seven venues, including two in Rio and one in the Amazon city of Manaus.STARS TO WATCH: Neymar will be the main attraction, the only top soccer star to make it to the games. The striker is coming off an excellent season with Barcelona and will be rested after skipping the Copa America. Brazil will also have two up-and-coming players who have been targeted by big European clubs: Gabriel Barbosa, known as Gabigol, and Gabriel Jesus.Colombia will feature veteran forward Teo Gutierrez, while defending champion Mexico will count on striker Oribe Peralta, who scored four goals in the teams winning campaign in London four years ago. Defender Matthias Ginter, World Cup champion in 2014, will play for Germany, and experienced midfielder John Obi Mikel will star for 1996 Olympic champion Nigeria.TEAMS TO WATCH: Defending champion Mexico will field a strong squad, led by Pachuca striker Hirving Lozano, the only under-23 player on the Mexico team in Copa America. The Mexicans will face Germany, South Korea and Fiji in Group C.Colombia beat the United States in a playoff in March and its squad includes several players from the Copa America squad, including up-and-coming strikers Roger Martinez and Marlos Moreno. The Colombians face stiff competition in Group B from Sweden, Japan and African powerhouse Nigeria.Looking for its third gold medal, Argentina leads Group D against Portugal, Algeria and Honduras.Germany will be playing in the tournament for the first time since 1988, when current U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann was on the team. Brazil and Germany could meet in the semifinals at Maracana Stadium, a rematch of the World Cup semifinal from two years ago when the German senior team embarrassed Brazil at home.VENUES: Soccer is the only competition played outside Rio. The other host cities will be Salvador, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and the jungle city of Manaus. Rio will host matches in two venues: Maracana, site of the World Cup final two years ago, and the opening and closing ceremonies for these games, and the Olympic Stadium, which will also host the track and field events.Sao Paulo will host matches at the Itaquerao Stadium, home of the World Cup opener.JUNGLE OLYMPICS: Manaus will be one of the most unique cities hosting soccer matches at the games. Located about 1,800 miles from Rio in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, the city was picked as a host by local organizers even though FIFA said it was not a suitable first option for a hosting venue. Rio organizers said they added Manaus in part to integrate all of Brazil in the games. The city will host six mens and womens matches in the group stage, including Colombia-Sweden in the mens tournament and U.S.-Colombia in the womens.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/tales-azzoni Aaron Gordon Jersey .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Shaquille ONeal Jersey . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. http://www.cheapmagicjerseyschina.com/jo...simmons-jersey/ . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday.Marshawn Lynch has announced his retirement by posting a picture on Twitter, drawing tributes from the Seattle Seahawks. The running back has been heavily linked with retirement after an injury-disrupted 2015 and, during the Super Bowl on Sunday night, he posted a picture of his cleats hanging from a telephone line to indicate the end of his career.The Seahawks, in response, tweeted #thankyoubeastmode while team-mate Richard Sherman posted: It was an honour sharing the field with you. Marshawn Lynchs tweet confirming his retirement The 29-year-old won one Super Bowl during his nine-year NFL career when the Seahawks defeated Denver Broncos two years ago.Lynch gained 9,112 yards in his career which started with the Buffalo Bills in 2007 before he switched to Seattle in 2010. Known as a maverick off the field, Lynch shot to fame last year when he shunned the media before the Super Bowl, repeatedly telling them: Im just here so I dont get fined. Lynch talks about not being given the crucial pass in the Seahawks Super Bowl defeat to the Patriots The Seahawks ultimately lost last years showpiece game to New England Patriots after a bizarre last-gasp decision to not hand the ball to Lynch within rushing distance of the end-zone. Youth Magic Jerseys. But this season, hamstring and abdominal injuries restricted him to just seven appearances and he has followed through on indications that he might walk away from the NFL. Also See: NFL Video Rookies guide NFL on Sky Sports Pundits ' ' '