found a soft spot in Portugals defense, and exploit

Rugby is returning to the Olympics for the first time in 92 years, bringing the ruck, the maul and the hooker back into the lexicon of the Summer Games.The format has changed, considerably, since the United States won the last rugby union Olympic gold medal in 1924, with the abbreviated seven-player version favored for Rio over the traditional 15-a-side game, and Fiji favored for a breakthrough triumph. The aim remains the same: score more tries -- grounding the ball in the opponents in-goal area -- and youre a good chance of winning.Its fast and physical, with more emphasis on speed and passing the ball (always backward) than heavy contact, and it is typically played in two seven-minute halves.Heres some things to watch in Rio, where the womens tournament runs Aug. 6-8 and the mens from Aug. 9-11 at the Deodoro Stadium:---FLYING FIJIANSFiji has never won an Olympic medal, but it has never had a chance to play its national sport at the Summer Games. The world series champions are favorites in the mens competition, and expectations are high in the Pacific.Englishman Ben Ryan took a squad containing an abundance of players with size, speed and natural flair for rugby sevens, and added extra discipline to every facet of the preparation from diet to drills. The result is a still entertaining, but more consistent Fiji team.Its the national sport, so our best athletes play rugby, Ryan says. We have been successful at it and thats also created this aura around the team, the way we play, totally different to every other side in the world. Its a risky, entertaining, exciting, slightly laid back -- sometimes -- way of playing the game. And we are doing it to a very high level.---GO BROSonny Bill Williams is a high-profile game hopper likely to feature for New Zealand in Rio, another notch in a career that has involved switching back and forth from rugby league to rugby union to win some of the biggest prizes in those sports. Already a World Cup winner with the famous All Blacks, Williams wants to add Olympic gold. He probably wont have to look far for family support, with his sister Niall figuring in selection calculations for the title-chasing New Zealand womens team.---POINT PROVEDThe sevens format has surged in popularity since its inclusion on the Olympic program, and the rewards are being spread more widely than ever. Countries such as Kenya and the United States have won titles on the world series circuit, and are ranked 6th and 7th behind southern hemisphere powers Fiji, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina. American Madison Hughes led the world series with 331 points in the 2015-16 season. American speedster Perry Baker was second behind South Africas Seabelo Senatla for most tries scored and most line breaks.---WOMENS DRAWAustralia won the womens world series, reaching the final in four of the five tournaments to outpoint second place New Zealand, the dominant team in 2014-15. Canada and England were equal on points in third place.The womens squads in Rio will feature players lured from sports such as basketball, volleyball and track and field. As it catches on, therell be more professionals, and increased competition.New Zealand had been the benchmark ... ever since I had started playing rugby. Everything we trained for and played for can subconsciously be aimed around beating them, Australias Alicia Quirk said. But this series turned out to be the most competitive season yet -- the gap between teams has definitely closed.---SPANISH ACQUISITIONSpain was the last of 12 teams to qualify in each of the mens and womens tournaments. The Spanish men had a stunning upset win over world series regulars Samoa in the last-ditch repechage, a victory which playmaker Patricia Garcia said inspired her womens team to its victory over Russia in Dublin the following week.--USEFUL TERMSRuck, maul, scrum -- all physical contests for the ball. Hooker, prop, wing -- all playing positions.--FORMATEach competition will feature 12 teams divided into three pools, with the top eight advancing to the quarterfinals. U.S. teams got tough draws: the men were grouped with Fiji, Argentina and Brazil, and the women were grouped with Australia, Fiji and Colombia. Cheap Jazz Jerseys . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. Cheap Swingman Jazz Jerseys . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. http://www.cheapjazzjerseys.com/ . Kuznetsov, who was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has been playing for his hometown team Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. Cheap Utah Jazz Jerseys . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Grayson Allen Jersey . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. PARIS -- Cristiano Ronaldo didnt make the same mistake twice.In a semifinal penalty shoot-out against Spain at the 2012 European Championship, Portugals star played no part.He was fifth in line to step up to the spot. But, by then, the match was already lost. Spain had won the shootout 4-2 and Ronaldo never even got to take his kick.Against Poland on Thursday, Ronaldo was first in line.The end result was a victory that sends Portugal to the semifinals for a fifth time.It will next play the winner of Belgiums match against Wales.Here are five things to know about Portugals quarterfinal win in Marseille.---PORTUGALS NEW STARWith three-time world player of the year Ronaldo nearer the end of his career than the beginning, the search was already on for Portugals next star.Look no further.At just 18, and making only his ninth appearance for the national side, Renato Sanches stole Ronaldos thunder in his first start at the European Championship.Sanches equalizer for Portugal that cancelled out Robert Lewandowskis early goal oozed quality and remarkable self-confidence for a player so young and inexperienced on such a big stage.Sanches both started the move and finished it. Running, full of attacking intent, headlong into the Polish box, he flicked the ball wide to the quick-thinking Nani, who tricked the Polish defense by heeling it straight back to Sanches.Caressing the ball onward with his right foot, Sanches set himself up for a left-footed thump. A touch off Grzegorz Krychowiak made an already tough job nigh impossible for Polish `keeper Lukasz Fabianski, who couldnt get fingers to the ball despite his dive.The goal wasnt Sanches only contribution. The attacking midfielder was all over the pitch. He harassed Polish players and selflessly tracked back -- unlike Ronaldo -- from his right wing to help out with defense and then get Portugal going forward again.Portugals youngest ever player to be called up for a major tournament, surpassing the mark previously held by Ronaldo, is now heading to Bayern Munich, which paid Benfica 35 million euros ($40 million) for him.Could be a bargain.---WHO STOLE THE REAL RONALDO?Before scoring Portugals first penalty in the 5-3 shootout win, Ronaldo had been just a shadow of his usual self.Swinging a left leg at what could have been a match-winning goal in the last minutes of normal time but then missing the ball entirely: Was that Ronaldo or some impostor?That failure to connect with a golden opportunity to break the deadlocked score of 1-1 wasnt Ronaldos only glitch.He squandered a first half chance, scuffing the ball wide. Through on goal again in the second half, he hit into the side netting.And he thumped a free kick from 35 meters out straight into the Polish wall.Had he scored in normal time, Ronaldo would have matched Michel Platinis tournament record of nine European Championship goals.Instead, the accumulated misses made him look human.---RONALDO SHOULD HAVE HAD A PENALTYFelix Brych has mounds of experience, having officiated World Cup, Champions League and other matches.dddddddddddd. But the German referee made a very debatable call in the first half, not awarding what looked like a penalty for Ronaldo.In the heart of the Polish defense, Michal Pazdan stuck to Ronaldo like a shadow. He got too close in the 30th minute, shoving Ronaldo in the back and to the ground as the Portuguese forward prepared to receive Nanis in-bound cross in a threatening position in the box.The Real Madrid stars penalty appeals fell on deaf ears. Ronaldo looked terribly aggrieved, and understandably so.---LIKE HIM, LOATHE HIM, BUT ALSO RESPECT HIMIn the tunnel before kick-off, Portuguese defender Pepe was all sweetness and light, high-fiving the kids who accompanied the players onto the pitch.But the whistle brought the fighter out of him.By far the most experienced player in the Portuguese back line, with more caps (76) than the three other defenders -- Jose Fonte (14); Cedric (13) and Eliseu (18) -- combined, Pepe provided leadership and stability at the back.Few players divide opinion quite like the Real Madrid defender, notorious for his gamesmanship.But he was on his best behavior against Poland.He got a leg to a dangerous first-half shot from Arkadiusz Milik, diverting it away.He used his body to thwart Krychowiak as the midfielder made a scorching second-half run for the Portuguese area.Most important, his cool head and instructions to other players helped the team recover after Lewandowski scored the second-fastest goal in tournament history, just 100 seconds into the match.---PORTUGALS WEAK LINK:Poland quickly found a soft spot in Portugals defense, and exploited it ruthlessly.At 24, Cedric Soares was the youngest player in the Portuguese back four and the defender with the least national team experience.Polish winger Kamil Grosicki targeted the right-back with his first foray into Portugals half, collecting a pass from Lewandowski and then using his superior speed to overhaul the Southampton defender, who just -- but only just -- managed to get a foot to the ball and kick away the danger.It was an early warning for what happened seconds later: A long Polish pass bounced in front of Cedric and straight over his head to Grosicki, who was lurking behind him and then tore away downfield to center a cross to Lewandowski.The Bayern Munich striker scored with his first touch, right-footing the ball into the Portuguese netIt was Lewandowskis first goal in 645 minutes of European Championship football, since he scored against Greece in Polands first match of Euro 2012.----John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester(at)ap.org or follow him at http://twitter.com/johnleicester ' ' '