Pirate Galaxy » id.Gaining tax payers understanding i

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Wave after wave of opponents kept overwhelming beleaguered and befuddled Americans.Only these players were Costa Ricans in red jerseys, not Brazilians in yellow or Italians in blue.With one of its worst performances in decades, the United States put itself in a deep -- but not insurmountable -- hole in World Cup qualifying.Theres going to need to be some urgency, U.S. captain Michael Bradley said after Tuesday nights 4-0 wipeout. Were going to have to look collectively real hard in the mirror at ourselves and understand its not been a good start. But the reality of this hexagonal format is that nothing is lost yet, not even close. So anybody who thinks that is sorely mistaken.Johan Venegas scored in the 44th minute, Cristian Bolanos doubled the lead in the 68th and second-half substitute Joel Campbell beat beleaguered goalkeeper Brad Guzan in the 74th and 78th minutes.The U.S., which dropped to 0-2 in the final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region for the first time, had not lost a qualifier by four goals since a 5-1 defeat at Mexico in November 1980 and had not dropped a shutout loss in a qualifier by that margin since a 6-0 rout at Mexico in April 1957.Central defenders John Brooks and Omar Gonzalez, and right back Timmy Chandler had particularly poor games. The absence of injured defender Geoff Cameron was glaring.A very, very bitter moment for us. Theres no doubt about it, said U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who called it the defeat that hurts most of his five-year tenure.Costa Rica (2-0), a 2014 World Cup quarterfinalist, leads the hex with six points, followed by Mexico and Panama, both 1-0-1 following Tuesday nights 0-0 draw in Panama City. Honduras (1-1) has three points, and the U.S. is tied with Trinidad and Tobago.Was the result embarrassing? Yes. But Im not embarrassed by our team, U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said. Im very disappointed, obviously.Seeking its eighth straight World Cup berth, the Americans opened with a 2-1 loss to Mexico on Friday at Columbus, Ohio, their first home defeat in a qualifier since 2001.The top three teams qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia, and the No. 4 finisher advances to a playoff against Asias fifth-place nation.Mexico qualified with 11 points, Gulati said, thinking back to the last hex. Theres a lot of points left on the board -- 24 to be exact.As the U.S. dropped to 0-9-1 in qualifiers at Costa Rica, jubilant Ticos fans sounded air horns at the end of a match that reignited questioning of Klinsmanns tactics. A former World Cup champion and coach with Germany, Klinsmann will be under perhaps the most scrutiny since he was hired.He insisted he is the right person to lead the team.I obviously understand that when you lose two games and especially two World Cup qualifiers right after each other, that there will be a lot of your comments, he told reporters after the match. That is just part of the job.Qualifying resumes with a March 24 home game against Honduras followed by a match at Panama four days later. Gulati would not be drawn into a coaching discussion.We dont make any decisions right after games, he said. Well think about what happened today and talk with Jurgen and look at the situation.There was some whistling during The Star-Spangled Banner from the capacity crowd of about 35,000 in Estadio Nacional, where the field is surrounded by an athletics track and crowd noise dissipates -- even from a band in the second deck. The venue appears less intimidating to visitors than old Estadio Ricardo Saprissa, where fans were directly behind the benches.Costa Rica went ahead after a giveaway by Brooks. Randall Azofeifa took a short pass from Jose Salvatierra in the center circle and played a long ball into the corner, where Bolanos ran it down on its third bounce. Gonzalez didnt close down Bolanos, who crossed for Venegas just outside the 6-yard box. Venegas beat Brooks to the ball and sent a header across Guzan.Bolanos scored after a turnover by 18-year-old midfielder Christian Pulisic near midfield. Salvatierra sent a pass down the flank to Bryan Ruiz, and his cross found Bolanos in front, with Chandler a step late.Ronald Matarrita created both of Campbells goals, first sending a looping ball that Brooks misplayed into the path of the forward, who broke in alone and slotted the ball past Guzan from 16 yards. Then Matarrita lifted the ball from just past midfield as Campbell beat an offside trap by Brooks and Gonzalez, to break in alone again and follow with a second celebratory dance.At moments like this it does you no good to point fingers and to be looking around trying to figure out who you can throw under the bus, Bradley said. Come March, theres going to be the need to go after things in a strong way so we can start to put things right.Game notes Chandler and MF Jermaine Jones are suspended for the next qualifier because of yellow-card accumulation, both cautioned by Mexican referee for fouls against Ruiz. ... Honduras (2-0) beat visiting Trinidad and Tobago 3-1 on goals by Romell Quioto in the 16th, Emilio Izaguirre in the 19th and Eddie Hernandez in the 80th. Carlyle Mitchell scored in the 51st for the Soca Warriors (0-2). Ultra Boost Scarpe Outlet . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Outlet Ultra Boost Online . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. http://www.ultraboostoutlet.it/ . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Ultra Boost Outlet Online . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Scarpe Ultra Boost Uomo Offerta . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. TOKYO -- The rowing and canoeing venue for the 2020 Olympics should either be moved to a site hundreds of miles (kilometers) away in northern Japan or downgraded to a temporary facility in Tokyo, a city government cost-cutting panel said Tuesday.The recommendation came as officials of the International Olympic Committee, Tokyos city government and other key parties gathered to review the cost of the games.The panel has said the cost of the Tokyo Olympics could exceed $30 billion -- four times the initial estimate -- unless drastic cuts are made.In a final report presented to Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, the panel said another option is to stick with the original plans for the Sea Forest venue in Tokyo Bay but to find ways of cutting the costs.Last month, the panel came up with the option of moving rowing and canoeing to the Naganuma site in Tome city, 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Tokyo. That came after the projected cost for the Sea Forest venue soared to nearly 50 billion yen ($480 million), seven times the initial estimate.On Tuesday, the panel of academics and business consultants hand-picked by Koike said moving to Naganuma would be the most cost-efficient solution. Panel chairman Shinichi Ueyama said the Naganuma site is the only realistic out-of-town alternative to the Sea Forest venue, considering the time needed for additional construction and other preparations.The relocated venue would require up to 20 billion yen ($190 million) in construction costs to meet Olympic standards. Additional costs related to security, transportation and other infrastructure could add up further. An earlier cost estimate for the Naganuma site was 35 billion yen ($330 million).Downgrading the Sea Forest venue to a temporary facility could bring the estimated construction and running costs down to 45 billion yen ($430 million), the panel said. Alternatively, continuing with the permanent Sea Forest facility could cost about 70 billlion yen ($670 million), even with further cost-cutting efforts, the report said.ddddddddddddKoike was to present all options in the report to the officials from the IOC, Japanese organizers and the central government during the four-party talks beginning Tuesday. The officials are expected to hold several rounds of talks before reaching a conclusion.We have to decide by the end of November at the latest, considering the time needed for revisions to the design and construction of the venues, Koike told reporters. We must make sure to get everything ready in time.The Naganuma site is part of the area still recovering from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which Koike says fits the theme of the regions reconstruction from the disaster.The IOC, as well as international and Japanese rowing and canoeing organizations have opposed moving the venue outside of Tokyo. IOC President Thomas Bach, who was in Tokyo last month, supported further cost-cutting measures, however.The city panel also proposed scaling down planned new venues for two other sports -- volleyball and swimming -- with an alternative plan of moving volleyball to the nearby city of Yokohama.There is a demand for good facilities, but who takes care of them after the event? We have to think carefully if they serve positive legacies, Ueyama said.Gaining tax payers understanding is crucial for a successful Olympics, he said, criticizing secrecy among Japanese organizers and bureaucracy.Tokyo organizers have yet to formally disclose the total cost for the games and breakdowns. Ueyama urged Japanese organizers to follow the example of London, which disclosed cost estimates from five years out before the 2012 Games.---Follow Mari Yamaguchi at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchiFind her work also at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mari-yamaguchi ' ' '