Sept. 18. It also allows Edwards to get creative, knowing a m

SALVADOR, Brazil -- Neymar and Mario Balotelli will be attracting most of the attention when Brazil and Italy play to decide the Group A winner at the Confederations Cup on Saturday. The strikers are two of the tournaments biggest stars and have played up to expectations so far, scoring two goals each in the first two matches. Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said Friday it will be "nice to see them together" when the teams play in the northeastern city of Salvador. Brazil and Italy have already secured a spot in the next round. The group winner will probably avoid Spain in the semifinals of the warm-up tournament, although both coaches are downplaying the significance of delaying a matchup against the World Cup champions. There was a lot of hype surrounding Neymar and Balotelli ahead of the Confederations Cup, and they have been decisive for their national teams so far. Balotelli scored a remarkable winner when Italy defeated Mexico 2-1 in its opener last Sunday, then converted a penalty kick that helped the Italians edge Japan 4-3 on Wednesday. "Balotelli is a great player and he has been showing his qualities when plays for the Italian national team," Brazil defender Daniel Alves said. "We will need to stay on alert the entire match to be able to defend well against him." Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari also loudly praised the Italian striker. "He is a very good player, very good," Scolari said. "We are preparing ourselves to play against him, we need our defenders to be on alert. He is extraordinary, I would love to have him playing with us here in Brazil." Neymar netted an outstanding goal from outside the area to open the scoring in Brazils 3-0 rout of Japan in the tournaments opening match last Saturday, then had another remarkable strike to put the hosts on the board first in the 2-0 victory over Mexico on Wednesday. The newly signed Barcelona forward also set up the second goal against Mexico after a nifty move past two Mexican defenders inside the area. "The problem with Neymar, as with all great players, is that you cant stop him just by marking well," Prandelli said. "You need to do a good job limiting the spaces." Neymar said he became friends with Balotelli after Brazil played Italy to a 2-2 draw in a friendly in Geneva earlier this year. Brazilian media even reported that the players are planning to travel together in Brazil after the end of the competition. "Im a fan of Balotelli," Neymar said recently. "He is one of the greatest in the world. Ive always watched him play. He is a great person and Ive always admired his moves." Brazil and Italy have won nine World Cup titles together. Two of the five Brazilian titles came in finals against the Italians -- in 1970 and 1994. Friday marked 43 years of the 1970 World Cup title. "Its a classic in world football," Brazil midfielder Hernanes said. "These are two of the most traditional national teams in the world. Its always a match with a lot involved, with a lot of tradition." Brazil and Italy are tied with six points atop Group A, but the hosts are ahead on goal difference and can secure first place with a draw on Saturday. Italy has to beat Brazil to likely avoid Spain, which is leading Group B. "We are not thinking about Spain at all," Prandelli said. "If we have to play Spain, we will talk about it later." Although Neymar and Balotelli are set to start on Saturday, both teams will be without key players for the match at the Arena Fonte Nova. Italy will miss star midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who is nursing a strained right leg muscle, adding to Prandellis problems in midfield. The coach also wont be able to count on Daniele De Rossi, who is suspended after receiving two yellow cards. Scolari will be without defensive midfielder Paulinho because of a left ankle sprain sustained in the match against Mexico. Doctors said the injury is not serious but the player will be left out so he can fully recover ahead of the semifinals. Chelsea defender David Luiz sustained what the Brazilian federation called a "minor fracture" in his nose after being hit in the face against Mexico, but he is set to play on Saturday despite the injury. Scolari said he may replace Daniel Alves and captain Thiago Silva because they already have received yellow cards, and theres also a possibility the coach will rest playmaker Oscar, who has played a lot with Chelsea this season.Nike Shoes China . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Black Friday Nike Shoes . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. https://www.fakenikeshoeswholesale.com/ . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Cyber Monday Nike Shoes . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. Fake Nike Shoes From China . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U.BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Break time is over.With four races left in the Sprint Cup regular season, the push for NASCARs playoffs revs up at Bristol Motor Speedway with the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race on Saturday night.Sprint Cup drivers got a final week off last weekend and now race uninterrupted through the season-ender in Florida on Nov. 20. The immediate concern for most of those in the garage is making the 16-team Chase field -- either insiders shoring up a dicey spot on the end of the grid or outsiders making a last-ditch charge to get in.During the off weekend, I spent a lot of much-needed time with my family, six-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson said. I feel like the battery is charged and ready to go for the final stretch of the regular season and then the most important part of the year for us.Johnson, with two victories this season, is among 10 drivers locked into the Chase. Many others are less certain about their chances.I think we have to be aggressive, said Austin Dillon, who would make his first playoff appearance at No. 13 right now. Any time you start playing defense and start playing that game, it seems to hurt you.Dillon and his Richard Childress Racing team cant afford to sit back. He is only 47 points in front of Trevor Bayne, the first driver out at No. 17. And there are the issues of race winners Tony Stewart and Chris Buescher.Three-time series champion Stewart missed the first eight races this season recovering from back surgery and received a playoff waiver from NASCAR if he qualified. He won at Sonoma in June and, at 26th in the standings (race winners must also be among the top 30 in points), has a provisional, and likely, playoff spot.Buescher, last years Xfinity Series champion, won a rain-shortened race at Pocono last month, but is currently three points short of the cutoff.Its time to go out there and get every pooint we can get every time were out on the track, Buescher said.dddddddddddd And from there, well just let it play out.If Buescher succeeds, thats one fewer spot for more familiar contenders -- something all of them are painfully aware of.I know Im in the Chase right now, but I havent viewed that way since (Buescher) won, said Kyle Larson, currently 16th in points and the first left out if Buescher gets in.The other drivers in on points alone right now are Ryan Newman in 11th, then Chase Elliott, Dillon, Jamie McMurray and Larson. The regular season concludes after Bristol with races at Michigan on Aug. 28, Darlington on Sept. 4 and Richmond on Sept. 10.Expect some hard-charging, risk-taking racing the next few weeks, starting at the always tricky half-mile Bristol layout. Following the Food City 500 in April, track officials coated part of the racing surface with a compound designed to entice racers to use the traditional, bottom-groove line as the quickest way to get around.Carl Edwards, who won Bristols spring race, said practice sessions for the summer event did not answer many questions about the best place to run.I dont know if anyone knows where the fast groove is going to be, he said.Edwards is among the fortunate 10 whove combined wins with consistent performances and wont bite their nails worrying about Saturday night.Edwards said his fourth career Bristol victory gave his team the opportunity to try different setups and techniques that might be useful when the Chase starts at Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 18. It also allows Edwards to get creative, knowing a mistake or two wont end his season on the outside.For us guys that have wins, we just get to go try everything, Edwards said. And thats a fun way to race. ' ' '