News & Neuigkeiten » -THE FIFA MANAGERAs FIFAs le

PITTSBURGH -- The Minnesota Wild, after a long layoff, were admittedly a little rusty early on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.But Eric Staal provided the spark offensively to allow the defensive-minded Wild to settle down.Staal had a three-point night, including the game-winning goal in the third period, as the Wild defeated the Penguins 4-2 on Thursday night.Ive scored a few against (Pittsburgh) and Ive felt the pain against them in the playoffs a few years, too, Staal said. It was nice to get the win tonight.Staal has spent 11 of his 12 NHL seasons in the Eastern Conference, and last season, he played for the Rangers, a team the Penguins eliminated in the playoffs en route to the franchises fourth Stanley Cup.Still, Staal has experienced success against Pittsburgh and the trend continued Thursday. Staal scored his fifth of the season and added two assists, giving him 51 points in 50 career games against the Penguins.Charlie Coyle scored his fourth of the season on the power play, while Nino Niederreiter added his third and Jared Spurgeon his second into an empty net for the Wild, who won for the fourth time in six games.Devan Dubnyk, who made 39 saves, allowed fewer than three goals for the eighth straight game, which includes a streak of three straight shutouts. The Wild defeated the Penguins for the first time in five games, including four straight in Pittsburgh.This was a great challenge going against the Stanley Cup champions who hadnt lost in regulation at home, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. I think they were up for it.Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist both scored power-play goals for Pittsburgh, which lost in regulation for the first time in eight games. It was also Pittsburghs first regulation home loss this season.Crosby has nine goals and 11 points in eight games since returning from a concussion that sidelined him for the first six games of the season. Crosby opened the season with a six-game point streak. Phil Kessel had two assists for Pittsburgh, which allowed a season-high 43 shots.Marc-Andre Fleury made his first start in a week on Thursday and stopped 40 shots. He backed up Matt Murray the previous two games.Especially in their own zone, (the Wild) are really good at having different layers, Crosby said. They collapse five guys pretty close to the puck, so you have to find ways to win your battles and play in their end a little bit more and we werent able to do that.The Wild, playing their first game since a one-goal loss against Colorado on Saturday, started slow as a giveaway led to a chance for Crosby alone in front of Dubnyk, while Evgeni Malkin later hit the post during a 2-on-1 with Kessel.(Crosby) is not the guy you want to see standing in front of you that early in the game, Dubnyk said. Anytime Sid wants to backhand it into my chest Im fine with that because his backhand is as hard as many forehands. They came out real hard and sometimes you need a couple bounces to get going.Staal was the catalyst, with a second assist on Coyles power-play goal and then the primary helper on Niederreiters tying goal in the second period.Staal put Minnesota in front for good early in the third period. Coyle put a shot on net following a Penguins turnover behind the goal and Staal backhanded the rebound behind Fleury.The first five minutes, I think we were a little nervous and we started throwing the puck away, and I thought `Uh-oh, were going to get killed, Boudreau said. Once we settled down, a lot of good things happened and I thought we competed really hard.Game notesMinnesota entered with five goals in its previous 34 chances with the man advantage. . Kessel has a seven-game home point streak. Malkin has a point in five straight home games for Pittsburgh ... Wild F Erik Haula returned after missing seven games with a foot injury. ... Minnesota F Zack Mitchell made his NHL debut. ... The Wild placed D Marco Scandella on long-term injured reserve on Wednesday. ... Minnesota F Zach Parise remains week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered last month.UP NEXTWild: Continue a stretch of three road games in four nights Saturday against Philadelphia.Penguins: Complete a three-game home stand Saturday against Toronto.Replica Shoes Wholesale . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. Cheap Shoes China Wholesale . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.wholesaleshoes.us.org/ . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence. Shoes Wholesale China Market . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Cheap Replica Shoes China . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants.GENEVA -- The goal of helping referees with video review to make decisions at the 2018 World Cup has been facing key tests at FIFA headquarters.Two systems among the 11 in talks to win the World Cup contract were undergoing trials this week during training sessions with Europes candidates to referee in Russia.An idea met with a skeptical response when then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter presented it in 2014 has support from his successor, Gianni Infantino -- even if Blatters idea of NFL-style challenges by coaches looks unlikely to survive.It is not certain that video assistance referees, or VARs, will be approved in time for the World Cup.Still, history was made on Wednesday with a first significant intervention by video review at a Dutch Cup match. Willem II player Anouar Kali was sent off for fouling an Ajax opponent one minute after the referee initially showed a yellow card.Here is how FIFA is moving to give top-level referees the kind of help that is standard in American sports leagues:---THE REQUIREMENTSFIFA wants video review only for potential clear errors in four situations: goals being scored, penalties being awarded, players being sent off and cases of mistaken identity.It needs a technology system to help VARs and the referee communicate quickly without spoiling the games flow.Massimo Busacca, FIFAs director of refereeing, believes it should take not take more than five, six seconds to review an incident.If we need one (camera) angle more, of course it can take two seconds more, Busacca told The Associated Press.In most situations, play has naturally stopped and review time will not disrupt the flow.All involved agree that calling back play to impose a decision not initially taken is the biggest challenge for FIFA and its rule-making panel, known as IFAB, which must give final approval.---THE TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMThe DreamCatcher system developed by Evertz Microsystems of Burlington, Ontario is among FIFAs options. It has already been proven in NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL games.This week at FIFA, two DreamCatcher operators worked in a windowless portable cabin next to the hedges lining the soccer bodys compound.Two banks of screens -- each to be monitored by one of two VARs, helped by a technician -- take feeds from cameras around the artificial turf pitch that flanks FIFAs offices.The largest wide-screen TV above the desk shows a live game feed. Two smaller screens at desk level show several angles of the action at a slight delay, allowing the VARs to take a quick glance at an incident. The VAR can ask to zoom in anywhere on the split-screen images. Each World Cup match has at least 30 cameras, but too many angles can slow a decision.Though the NBA and MLB centralize review operations in one location, FIFA would likely want each VAR team in a truck or booth at each of the 12 stadiums in Russia.FIFA had sset a two-year timetable and wants a decision by IFAB by March 2018.ddddddddddddThis has been the most thorough review of the leagues we have worked with, DreamCatcher project manager Nima Malekmanesh said.---THE REFEREES BOSSSix seconds. In that time, Busacca wants his officials to know if they must change a clear mistake.That will require expert analysis and communication skills from the VAR, who Busacca believes should also be a FIFA-list official.Absolutely. If he is not the same level, how can he change the decision of the referee? said Busacca, who suggests video review could be a rarity at World Cups with only the best referees taken from each continent.If you have a top referee, one situation every four or five games, he said.Busacca insists video review cannot compromise the personality and football understanding of his officials, and he is no fan of letting coaches challenge decisions.Never lose the authority of referees, never take it out, he said.---THE REFEREEBjorn Kuipers supports video review within clear limits.You need a VAR which you can trust, said the referee from the Netherlands. If you dont have a VAR on the same level, it will be difficult.He foresees the two video reviewers joining a referees two assistants and fourth official as part of a regular match team from the same country, speaking their native language.The communication has to be very clear, very short, said Kuipers, who worked the 2014 Champions League final before going to the World Cup in Brazil. We have 10 seconds or 12 seconds if we want but its not good for the game.Kuipers was granted 10 seconds earlier this month when Italy hosted France in Bari, and he made a key video-assisted decision to show France defender Djibril Sidibe only a yellow card for fouling Daniele De Rossi. The Italy midfielders teammates wanted a red card.Players like it when they got confirmation, Kuipers said, referring to that outcome.---THE FIFA MANAGERAs FIFAs lead official for technological innovation, Johannes Holzmueller oversaw the process of approving goal-line technology and picking the GoalRef system for the 2014 World Cup.Holzmueller visited the U.S. in February to hear from pro leagues about their experiences with video review.The 11 contenders in talks with FIFA also include American firm XOS Digital and Hawk-Eye, the British system used in Amsterdam on Wednesday.The technology works, and FIFA must find a clear protocol for feeding information to referees, Holzmueller said.Coaches challenges could lead to stoppages to tactical reasons, and requiring referees to check images on a tablet computer also appears to be slow.We have to look at, `Does it improve the game and not just refereeing? Holzmueller said. ' ' '