Conference USA Weekly Swimming Update

By Robert H. Kelly

SMU's Petra Klosova and Houston's Anastasia Pozdniakova claimed Swimmer and Diver of the Week honors, respectively, for their showings at the Art Adamson Invitataional hosted by Texas A&M University.

The Mustangs finished third in the loaded field, while the Houston divers notched 100 points.
East Carolina took seventh in the prestigious Nike Cup, while Marshall claimed second at the Western Kentucky Invite. Rice was also strong at the Indiana Invitational where no team scores were kept.

Click on the title of this posting to access complete swimming statistics for the week.

Conference USA: Womens Basketball Weekly Update

Conference USA has eight teams in action Friday night including an undefeted SMU (3-0). The Mustangs are set to host its two-day Hoops For The Cure Classic that features San Jose State, Bradley and Wisconsin-Milwaukee inside Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas. Tulsa and UCF will also be in action against top 15 programs in No. 9 LSU and No. 15 Baylor, respectively.

Click on the title of this posting to link to an abbreviated notebook with standings, stats and results. (does not include Marshall's game on Nov. 23)

Cougars Win 4 of 5 Meets at Phill Hansel Duals Weekend

The University of Houston 200 yard fresstyle relay prepare for the final event of the Phill Hansel Duals Weekend. The Cougar relay finished 4th in the event
Photo by Darla Tamultits


Sophomore Andrea Pa'lmai collected wins in the 200-yard backstroke and the 400-yard individual medley to lead the University of Houston swimming and diving team during the second day of the Phill Hansel Duals Weekend at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium.

The Cougars rallied on the final day of the 19-event, six-team meet to win four of five dual meets. The Cougars posted wins over Conference USA rival Rice (176-171), Mesa State (297-37), Trinity (281.50-66.50) and New Orleans (262-85) with only a loss to Nevada (203-150).

It was the Cougars' first win over Rice since a 147-118 decision to open the dual-meet season on Oct. 16, 1992.

With four dual meet wins this weekend, the Cougars also improved to 9-2 overall. That total tied the UH single-season record for dual-meet wins, equaling the mark set by the 2005-06 and the 2003-04 teams.

Pa'lmai finished first in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:04.72, more than two seconds ahead of her closest competitor. The Budapest, Hungary, native added a similar finish in the 400-yard individual medley with a clocking of 4:27.57.

Senior captain Szintia Szanto finished first in the 200-yard butterfly with a clocking of 2:02.61, nearly a second faster than her closest competitor. The Budapest, Hungary, native also finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Sophomore Anastasia Pozdniakova, the reigning C-USA Freshman Diver of the Year, won the 1-meter competition with 336.90 points. The winner of the 3-meter event on Friday, the Elektrostal, Russia, native was the only diver to crack 300 points in either event.

Sophomore Sasha Schwendenwein captured first place in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:59.04.

The Cougars' 400-yard medley relay team of Pa'lmai, Szanto, Lauren Van Cleave and Jessica Shamburger finished second with a time of 3:55.51.

The Cougar Diving team returns to action when they compete at the Art Adamson Invitational next weekend in College Station, Texas. The Swimming team returns to the competitive waters at the Miami (Ohio) Invitational on Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Oxford, Ohio.

The Cougars won't return to the friendly waters of the CRWC Natatorium until Jan. 12-13 when they play host to North Texas, New Mexico State and Florida International in a two-day meet.

Houston Leads Three Teams at Phill Hansel Duals Weekend

University of Houston swimmer Kristine Kelly swims the 100 yard backstroke during day one of the Phill Hansel Duals Weekend.
Photo by Darla Tamultits


Sophomore diver Anastasia Pozdniakova and sophomore swimmer Andrea Pa'lmai each posted first-place finishes to lead the University of Houston Swimming and Diving team Friday evening during the first day of the Phill Hansel Duals Weekend at the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center Natatorium.

In the six-team, two-day, 19-event meet, the Cougars grabbed big leads over Mesa State (155-21), Trinity (147.50-35.50) and New Orleans (134-49) but were trailing Conference USA rival Rice (93-90) and Nevada (109-77).

Pa'lmai captured first place in the 1,0000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:07.44, the fifth-fastest time in school history. Pozdniakova, the defending C-USA Freshman Diver of the Year and the reigning C-USA Diver of the Week, enjoyed a first-place showing with 377.55 points on the 3-meter springboard, more than 80 points ahead of her closest competitor.

The meet is named in honor of former UH swimming and diving head coach Phill Hansel. Hansel, considered the Father of Cougar Swimming and Diving, led the Cougars from 1975 to 1996, racking up 70 dual-meet victories, a school record that still stands. Hansel, a 1949 graduate of Purdue, was named the Southwest Conference Coach of the Year three times during his tenure, and mentored 31 swimmers to All-America honors, including Diane Johannigman, the first NCAA swimming national champion in UH history.

Hansel also had an impressive resume at the international level, serving as the manager of the 1992 U.S. Olympics teams and working with the Singapore teams at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.

Senior captain Szintia Szanto finished second in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:17.80 and added a similar finish in the 200-yard individual medley with a clocking of 2:04.53.

Sophomore Sasha Schwendenwein finished second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:51.22, while sophomore Jessica Shamburger earned a second-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 57.97.

Sophomore Lauren Van Cleave finished third in the 100-yard butterfly.
The Cougars' 200-yard medley relay team of Shamburger, Szanto, VanCleave and Schwendenwein started the day with a third-place finish.

Two UH Swimmers Honored By USA Swimming

By Chris Price

University of Houston freshmen swimmers Kristine Kelly and Linda Fox were recently named to the USA Swimming Scholastic All American Team by USA Swimming.

Kelly and Fox were honored for their scholastic and academic achievements, and were named to the elite squad for the third year in a row.

USA Swimming honors swimmers who maintain a 3.75 grade point average and compete at the national level swimming competition during their high school years.

Kelly competed for the Houston Cougar Aquatic Sports while Fox competed for the Houston Swim Club.

Both swimmers maintained their high GPAs and competed in both the SPEEDO Champions Series Short Course and Long Course Championships to qualify to receive the honors.

Wings Over Houston Airshow Scheduled for October 21-22

The 2006 edition of the Wings Over Houston Airshow is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, October 21-22 at Houston’s Ellington Field.

This year’s show will include the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, performing their close flying formations, tight turns and solo head-on flying.

Gates will open from 8 am to 6pm on Saturday and from 8 am to 5 pm on Sunday. Aerial performances will begin daily at 10 am.

Check back with TexSport Publications for updates and more information on this premier event.

Two More Longhorn Football Players Arrested

By Chris Price

University of Texas head football coach Mack Brown may need to add a position to his staff; Legal Defense Coordinator

For the second time in four months, Longhorn football players have been arrested and jailed for actions off the football field.

Early Monday, cornerback Tarell Brown and defensive back Tyrell Gatewood, along with former player Aaron Harris were stopped while driving on Interstate 35 about 2:50am.

A deputy pulled the group over after watching the car weaving erratically and coming close to hitting another car.

Brown was charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon, a loaded 9 mm handgun, and with possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana. Gatewood and Harris were charged with the same drug misdemeanor.

The weapons charge is a Class A misdemeanor with maximum punishment of one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. The marijuana charge, which was for less than two ounces, is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Coach Mack Brown said he met with both players and was "holding them out of all team functions as we gather as much information as possible before making a team decision."

This past May, former running back Ramonce Taylor was arrested in Bell County on the charge of possession of marijuana. He had already been dropped from the team for “academic reasons” at the time of arrest and is currently awaiting trial.

Texas High School Football 5-A Top 10 (Week 0)

TexSport Publications will post our weekly Top 10 poll of 5A high school football.

Our rankings are based on the reseach and opinions of our writers, photographer, along with various reporters and bloggers in Texas.

TexSport Publications
2006 Texas 5-A Football
Top 10 Rankings (Week 0)
(Current rank-school-record-last week's rank)

1. Lufkin (1-0) (1)
2. Southlake Carroll (0-0) (2)
3. Garland (1-0) (3)
4. A&M Consolidated (1-0) (4)
5. Austin Westlake (1-0) (5)
6. Smithson Valley (1-0) (8)
7. GP North Shore (1-0) (9)
8. Euless Trinity (0-0) (11)
9. Katy (1-0) (12)
10. SA O’Connor (1-0) (17)

LaMarque Bests Nederland 28-20 at Reliant Stadium

By Robert H. Kelly

La Marque High School came to Reliant Stadium to show their fans that they were deserving of a number 10 ranking in a Texas Football Magazine poll.

It took them a while to get started, but showed they were deserving of the ranking and perhaps much more.

The Cougars came back hard and heavy in the second half to kicked off the 2006 football season with a 28-20 win over Nederland.

Nederland senior running back Micah Mosley, on the second play from scrimmage, took the ball up the middle for a 68-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead just 64 seconds into the game.

La Marque came back quickly on their first offensive possession, effect ively driving downfield to cut the lead to 7-6. The Cougars drive lasted 4:29 for 60 yards in 12 plays.

Mosley took off on another big run for the Bulldogs, streaking down the right sideline for a 57-yard touchdown, taking the score to 14-6 with 3:23 to go in the quarter.

The second quarter saw La Marque quarterback Durklyn Haynes find receiver Joseph Florence with a 12-yard touchdown pass. Haynes then followed up with a two-point conversion to Shane Cams even the score at 14-14 at the half.

La Marque continued its offensive assault in the second half with a 54-yard touchdown by Marcus Frank on the second play.

The Bulldogs then drove 57 yards downfield in five plays, scoring on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Alex Moshier to Josh Cabra. The extra point attempt failed, leaving La Marque with a 21-20 lead.

The Cougars took scored a final time in the fourth quarter on a six-play, 76-yard drive that saw Haynes complete a 32-yard touchdown pass from Durklyn to Cams, giving La Marque a 28-20 victory.

FC Barcelona and Club America Battle to 4-4 Tie

By Robert H. Kelly

Before a record crowd of 70, 550 soccer crazed fans in Houston’s Reliant stadium, FC Barcelona and Club America of Mexico battled to a 4-4 tie.

The international friendly match saw forward Nelson Cuevas score three first half goals to give Club America a 4-1 lead at the half.

The match was dominated by Club America in the first half, with Barcelona managing to find the net only once on a kick by Rafa Marquez in the fifth minute. However the second half was all Barcelona

Club America took the lead early in the third minute as Cuevas found the goal from twelve yards out off an assist from Claudio Lopez.

Cuevas scored his second goal in the 30th minute and his third in the 44th minute.
Barcelona's Oleguer scored an own goal in the 65th minute to give Club America its 4-1 lead.

Forward Javier Saviola stared Barcelona’ comeback in the second half when he took a pass from forward Samuel Eto in the 85th minute to score from 15 yards to take the score to 4-2.

FIFA’s World Player of the Year Ronaldinho sat out the half due to fatigue from the heavy tour schedule. He was the World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

He entered the game in the second half and cut Club America’s lead to 4-3 on a penalty kick in the 89th minute after being knocked down by Jose Antonio Castro.

Eto scored the goal for the tie in the 90th minute to end the game.

The match was preceded by the Los Angeles galaxy beating the Houston Dynamo 1-0 in an MLS match.

Thorpe Win Olympic Decathlon: 94th Anniversary

By Robert H. Kelly

94 years ago today, Jim Thorpe won the Olympic decathlon. With 8,412 points, he breaks the world record by an incredible 998 points. This came eight days after winning the pentathlon.

His closes competition was Hugo Wieslander of Sweden, who scored 7724 points.

When Thorpe is introduced at the awards ceremony there is a great burst of cheers, led by King Gustav V. Besides the gold medals, Thorpe receives a jewel-encrusted chalice in the form of a Viking ship (a gift from Czar Nicholas of Russia) for winning the decathlon and a life-size bronze bust of the Swedish king for capturing the pentathlon. In congratulating Thorpe, Gustav tells him, "Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world."

Thorpe reputedly replies, "Thanks, king."

He was later stripped by the International Olympic Committee of his gold medals for professionalism. They were eventually restored to his family in 1983, thirty years after his death.

In this writerÂ’s humble opinion, Jim Thorpe was the greatest athlete of all time.
Below is a partial list of his achievements

* College Football Hall of Fame - 1951

* Charter Enshrinee in the Pro Football Hall of Fame - 1963

* All-America - 1911, 1912

* Olympic Decathlon and Pentathlon Champion - 1912

* AP Most Outstanding Athlete of the First Half of the 20th Century - 1950

* "America's Greatest Football Player of the half-century" - 1950

* ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Century - 2001

* Track and Field Hall of Fame

* In 1950, the nation's press selected Jim Thorpe as the most outstanding athlete of
the first half of the 20th Century

* From 1996-2001, he was continuously awarded ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of
the Century award

No other athlete in history can come close to these and his other achievements.

On one my numerous trips around the county to various sporting events, I had the opportunity many years ago to see his gold medals in the state capital in Oklahoma City. They were displayed in a case in the capital rotunda along with the classic painting of Thorpe in this 1912 Olympic uniform.

This was a major event in my life, as I grew up hearing about Thorpe from my father. I was fortunate to have my wife and young daughter with me.
The man is still inspiring athletes son many years after his great accomplishments and eventual death.

Say what you want about Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Carl Lewis and all the rest. Yes, they are indeed great athletes, but none of them compare to Jim Thorpe.

He is indeed the GREATEST ATHLETE OF ALL TIME.

We should all take the time to think about this great athlete on the anniversary of his greatest Olympic achievement.

Arena Out At USA Mens Soccer Head Coach

By Robert H. Kelly

In a copywrited article from the Houston Chronicle, USA Soccer men’s head coach Bruce Arena’s contact will not be renewed by the U.S. Soccer Federation at the end of the year.

Arena, who has been the most successful coach in USA Soccer history, began the job in 1998, coached the men’s team to 71 victories and a quarterfinal appearance at the 2002 World Cup.

Now, three weeks after the Americans' disappointing first-round exit from the World Cup in Germany, Arena is out despite an apparent wish to return to the team.

Everyone knows the drill. If the team wins, it is the players. If the team loses, it is the coach.

I watched all the USA games in this year’s World Cup and it was obvious to me it wasn’t Arena’s fault they lost.

These guys played like they were out there for themselves and couldn’t have cared less about team goals.

I am sure they wanted to win, but they didn’t have the fire and enthusiasm of past teams. It was eleven guys playing as eleven, instead of eleven guys playing as one.
So USA Soccer personnel will find some big name coach from Europe, give him the reins of the program and say “Gitty-Up.”

Don’t be surprised if we don’t see Team USA any better in four years.
In fact, we could possibly be worse off.

I say “Good Bye to Bruce Arena. You did a GREAT JOB with what you had to work with. You will be sorely missed.”

USA Crushes Great Britain in World Cup of Softball Opener

From USA Softball Press Release
July 14, 2006

(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK) USA Softball sent a message in its opener at the World Cup of Softball presented by Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes with an impressive 14-0 shutout victory over Great Britain. After suffering a 2-1 loss to Canada in its opener at the 2005 World Cup, the U.S. was determined to not have it happen again. The team totaled16 hits in just five innings as the game was shortened to five innings due to the international run rule.

Team USA put up two runs in the first inning off a two-run homerun by Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.) that scored Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.). The Great Britain defense kept the United States off the board in the second, allowing three hits but stranding three on base.

Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) started in the circle going three innings, allowing no hits and striking out six batters. The bats of the red, white and blue came out strong in the third inning with the US posting five hits for six runs, hitting through the entire lineup. Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) hit her first triple of the year scoring Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) who singled to right field. With two outs, Mendoza again launched a ball over the fence, her third of the season, for two RBI. This is the first time in her career with the National team that she hit two homeruns in a game.

Alicia Hollowell (Suisun, Calif.) came in to pitch the fourth inning, striking out one batter. The team again scored six runs in the fourth off five hits. With two runners on Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.), in her first International appearance with Team USA, soared a homerun ball over left field for a three-run homerun. Mendoza singled again for an RBI, finishing the game 3-4 with five RBI and two runs.

Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) wrapped up the game for the U.S. throwing the fifth inning with three strikeouts to close out the game in five due to the run rule ahead.

Team USA will take on Canada tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. (CT) to open up session II.

Astros Fire Gaetti as Hitting Coach

By Chris Price

The Houston Astros fired hitting coach Gary Gaetti on Wednesday and named Sean Berry interim hitting coach.

The Astros entered this season with three regulars, Brad Ausmus, Adam Everett and Willy Taveras, among the bottom of hitters in Major League Baseball at their positions.

In addition, veterans Craig Biggio and Preston Wilson were sure to produce below their career norms

It's hard to see what Gaetti could have done these cases. Maybe he deserves some blame for Jason Lane's decline, but if that's the case, he definitely deserves credit for how Chris Burke and Mike Lamb have progressed this season.

More than anything else, it might have been Morgan Ensberg's injury problems that cost him his job.

Berry had his one big year in the majors as an Astro in 1996. The 40-year-old was in his second year in the role of minor league hitting coordinator for the club.

Astros Acquire Aubrey Huff From Tampa

By Robert H. Kelly

The Astros, in an attempt to boost their record for the second half of the season, acquired outfielder Aubrey Huff from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Huff, who played his high school ball at Vernon (Ft. Worth) High School and college ball at Vernon College in north Texas and the University of Miami is excited about coming home to play in Texas.

"I'll tell you," Huff said, "I'm very, very excited about Houston. There was a rumor last year about Houston, and I was excited to hear the rumor about it."

Trade rumors had been swirling around Huff for the past couple of seasons. Several clubs reportedly showed interest in him over the last few weeks as well, including the Tigers.

“It's like I've been dangling in front of teams the last three years," he said.
The question is where manager Phil Garner will decide to play him.

"I don't really know what the situation is with who they've got playing well and what have you," said Huff. "I've been playing third base here in Tampa, and this is the first year I've felt really comfortable playing third. I played right field, too, and I really enjoyed playing there."

First base is also an option.

"Whatever it takes to get the best possible lineup on the field is what I'll do," Huff said.

With the Astros clearing looking for anything that will raise them to the level that carried them to the World Series last season, Huff’s addition may be the added punch they need.

Bonds To Face Indictment

By Chris Price

In a copyrighted article from the New York Daily News, Major League Baseball has indicated that San Francisco Giants baseball player Barry Bonds will face indictment for perjury and tax evasion.

As I have stated in earlier posts, Bonds indeed will called to task for his actions (or lack of action).

Keep alert for further news on this story. TexSport Publications will be here to update the facts and give our own unique perspective on the issue.

Century 21 Home Run Derby

By Robert H. Kelly

Philadelphia Philles’ Ryan Howard wins the Century 21 Home Run Derby at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. He hit 23 home runs, defeating David Wright of the New York Mets by one run.

The Houston Astros’ Lane Berkman hit three home runs in the first round, but was eliminated.

At least it was good to see an Astro in the Derby.

On a personal note: Being born in Pittsburgh and growing up a diehard Pirate fan, it is good to see the All Star Game in Pittsburgh. I remember going to Three Rivers Stadium and seeing the Pirates play. I never got to go to Forbes Field, but I do remember seeing it on TV. In fact, my grandmother lived about three blocks from Three Rivers Stadium, in the same block as the Rooney family (of Steelers’ fame).

PNC Park looks great for the All Star Game, but I cannot be sad thinking about the parks of old. Oh well, progress marches on.

The final results of the Home Run Derby are listed below.

Click here for the final results.

USA Italy Battle to 1-1 Draw

By Robert H. Kelly

Feeling the possibly of an early exit and an end to their World Cup 2006 experience, the United States needed to step and play the type of soccer that would show the world they deserved to be here.

Facing an Italian that had far more tradition in the World Cup, the Americans stepped up to the plate, put the ball in the goal, and showed what good old American determination can do.

The Americans put themselves into a possible advancement to the next round with a 1-1 draw with Italy on Saturday. However, nothing has been determined, as all four teams in Group E still have a chance to advance to the second round.

The Italians head the way with four points (1-0-1), followed by the Czechs (1-1-0) and Ghana (1-1-0) with three points each and the United States ((0-1-1) with one point.

After Monday’s debacle, this writer felt the USA had already punched its ticket for an early return home. The one thing I had forgotten was that athletes rarely listen to sports writers and sports writers don’t determine the outcome of games, no matter how much we think we know.

Italy’s Alberto Gilardino, who scored in the 20th minute, voiced praise for the Americans after the match. “We came up against a strong and determined team,” he was quoted in saying.

The United States ties the match with a Cristian Zaccardo own-goal in the 27th minute.

The match was plagued by three red cards, with two of those coming in a span for five minutes."Two red cards in a span of five minutes is pretty hard. There's no way you prepare a team to play 10-on-9 for 45 minutes in a World Cup against a team like the Italians," said USA Head Coach Bruce Arena.

The Americans next take the field on Thursday against Ghana in their final match of the first round of World Cup 2006. They can still advance to the second round with a defeat of Ghana and with a Czech Republic victory over Italy.

New Jersey To Test HS Athletes For Steriods

By Chris Price

New Jersey becomes the first state in the country to begin statewide testing high school athletes for performance enhancing drugs.

On the National School Boards Association website, the specifics of the programs were detailed. They are listed below.

Sluggers on steriods? Joggers on juice? Placekickers on performance enhancers? While this might sound like a likely roster of Congressional testifiers on the topic of steroids, it's actually the latest group to come under scrutiny in high schools. On Wednesday, New Jersey became the first state to introduce a statewide steroid-testing policy for high school athletes.

An article in USA Today reports that according to the "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 6% of U.S. high school students, or about 300,000, took steroids in 2003 without a doctor's prescription." In accordance with New Jersey's plan, student athletes testing positive for steroids will be punished with a one-year loss of eligibility.

The state expects to test about 500 athletes, with the state and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association putting $50,000 toward the cost of the tests. Sixty percent of the tests will be performed on those participating in football, wrestling, track and field, swimming, lacrosse, and baseball, because NCAA data indicates that athletes in those sports are the most susceptible to steroid abuse.

California is also considering testing for athletes, but cites funding as an obstacle. Hawaii cites cost as a "red flag" in addition to the "legal ramifications" of testing.

How widespread steroid usage is in New Jersey is unknown. Obviously it must be a problem, so they won’t take this action.

Be ready to see a frequent lawsuits if tests start coming back positive. After all, Barry Bonds lawyered up when his problems started, so while shouldn’t future little Barrys.

I would love to see that happen her in Texas, but the cost would be so prohibitive that iy would be like stopping steroid use in Major League Baseball.

World Cup 2006 Preview: USA -vs- Italy

By Robert H. Kelly

If the USA is going to have any chance against three time world champions Italy and eventually advance to the second round of the FIFA World Cup, they are going to have to execute their game plan better than they did in their 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic on June 12.

The USA looked unorganized and as if they lacked confidence, which combined with the uninspired play of much of their talent, allowed the three Czech goals to go unanswered.

USA head coach Bruce Arena was critical of some of his stars, and stated "If we come out and play as bad against Italy as we did against the Czechs, we're going to lose. It's just that simple."

The USA managed only six shots on goal as opposed to ten by the Check Republic. No matter how well you think you played, a team cannot win a game with a shooting percentage of .000.

Indeed the Americans need to get their minds in the game and play the way they did so many years ago, when they advanced to the quarterfinals and played Germany to a 1-0 loss in 2002

I do not know if they USA can recover from the uninspired play earlier in the week. If I had to bet the rent money, I would put it on Italy, with a 3-0 win.

That decision is being made with my head. If I decided with my heart, I cannot say I wouldn’t still pick Italy. I think the Italians are simply a much better team.