d tried to find weaknesses in a team that doesnt hav

MONTPELLIER, France -- Italy coach Antonio Conte has some fresh worries over his teams midfield ahead of its European Championship quarterfinal clash against Germany on Saturday.Daniele De Rossi, a veteran of the triumphant 2006 World Cup side, is a doubt after picking up a thigh injury in Italys 2-0 round of 16 win over Spain on Monday. The 32-year-old has missed both training sessions since.We are doing everything to get him back but time is running out, Italy doctor Enrico Castellacci said Wednesday. We dont want to make premature conclusions even if we know how close the match is.An additional problem for Conte is that De Rossis replacement against Spain, Thiago Motta, was shown his second yellow card of the tournament and is suspended for Saturdays match in Bordeaux. And Antonio Candreva, who has missed the past two matches with a groin injury, will also be sidelined for the clash against the world champion.Contes midfield worries are nothing new. Before the tournament, Claudio Marchisio, Marco Verratti and Riccardo Montolivo were ruled out through injury.All us 23 can do something important, midfielder Alessandro Florenzi said. We climbed a significant peak, now we have Everest.If history is any guide, Italy should have the edge. Germany has never beaten Italy in a competitive match. The Azzurri won 2-1 the last time the two met, in the Euro 2012 semifinal.You dont prepare a game saying we won the one before, well win the next one, Florenzi said. We went to work immediately after Spain, we watched the video and tried to find weaknesses in a team that doesnt have many.The facts speak for themselves, theyre world champions, theyve won so many matches, thats what gives them confidence. Were gaining confidence bit by bit, match after match, training after training. We know it wont be easy but we want to do it for us, for all the work weve put in.Little was expected of Italy as it headed into the tournament with an aging team written off by critics and described as one of the worst-ever by the media back home.However, the Azzurri and Conte have impressed from the start, beating Belgium 2-0 and going on to secure top spot in Group E with a game to spare. Victory over Spain was also somewhat of a surprise and another upset against Germany would see Italy emerge as a genuine contender for the title.Theres a good atmosphere, Italy forward Ciro Immobile said. The Spain match gave us extra motivation. Its not that there wasnt before, but winning against a great team always gives you confidence. Now we are facing an even stronger team in Germany. We have to train for it as well was we did for Spain. Custom Baseball Jerseys Store . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Custom Miami Marlins Jerseys .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. http://www.customjerseysbaseball.com/custom-texas-rangers-jerseys-884x.html . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Custom Atlanta Braves Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. Custom New York Yankees Jerseys . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. The first weekend of the college football season is loaded. Here are five things to know as you prepare to immerse yourself in football.BEST GAMENo. 1 Alabama vs. No. 20 USC? No. 10 Notre Dame at Texas? No. 18 Georgia vs. No. 22 North Carolina. No. 5 LSU vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. And thats just to name a few. Lots of interesting matchups from which to choose, but the best looks as if it will be the last.No. 11 Mississippi faces No. 4 Florida State in Orlando, Florida, on Monday night. The Rebels are in a bit of a reload season after losing three first-round draft picks that were the heart of a team coming off two straight New Years Six bowl appearances. There is still plenty for the Ole Miss fans to be excited about, starting with Chad Kelly, one of the best quarterbacks in the country, throwing to a bunch of speedy receivers.Florida State seems set everywhere but quarterback. Redshirt Deondre Francois takes over a team with national title hopes. Dalvin Cook is one of the best running backs in the country and safety Derwin James is a versatile playmaker on defense.Add in some SEC-ACC bragging rights and you have the game of the week.HEISMAN WATCHNo player could do more for his Heisman Trophy hopes in Week 1 than Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. The 15th-ranked Cougars open against No. 3 Oklahoma at NRG Stadium, the home of the Houston Texans. If Ward, who passed for 2,828 yards, ran for 1,108 yards and accounted for 38 touchdowns last season, has a big game and leads the Cougars to an upset, he can vault himself into the heart of a crowded field of Heisman contenders that includes three of the top four vote-getters from last season.If Ward and the Cougars play a clunker, you can probably scratch him off the list of possible winners.NUMBERS TO KNOW-Longest current season-opener winning streaks:Florida -- 26. The Gators play UMass at the Swamp.USC -- 17. The Trojans face Alabama in Arlington, Texas.Ohio State -- 16. The Buckeyes host Bowling Green.-Nebraska coach Mike Riley and Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall each enter the season with 99 victories. The Cornhuskers open the season at home against Fresno State. Mendenhalls first game as Cavalierrs coach is home against FCS power Richmond.dddddddddddd(SLIGHTLY) OFF THE RADARBYU opens against Arizona at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, marking the return of Cougars QB Taysom Hill for a sixth season of eligibility.Hill lost most of each of the last two seasons to injuries. He also did a Mormon mission at the start of his career. So now at 26, a quarterback who was in the same recruiting class in 2009 as Matt Barkley, gets one more chance to lead the Cougars. When healthy Hill drew comparisons to Tim Tebow. He won a tight competition with Tanner Mangum to win the starting job.The Arizona game is the first in a string of high-level opponents for the independent BYU. Also on the schedule: Utah, UCLA, West Virginia, Toledo, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Boise State and Cincinnati. All of those teams played in bowl games last season. All but Cincinnati spent at least one week ranked.Regardless of how well the Cougars do, a full season from Hill will be a victory.COACH IN NEED OF A WINIts never too early to start the hot seat watch.Texas A&Ms Kevin Sumlin and Auburns Gus Malzahn enter the season with pressure to change the trajectory of their programs. Both start with huge home openers. The Aggies take on No. 16 UCLA and Auburn host No. 2 Clemson and Deshaun Watson.Big challenges and great opportunities to show things are headed in the right direction. Also, a chance to start 0-1 in front of the home crowd.For Auburn, a solid showing against a team that pushed Alabama in the championship game could make a loss in the opener palatable to Malzahns critics. Thats not necessarily the case for Sumlin. UCLA has the ranking and the star quarterback in Josh Rosen, but the Aggies are favored at home by a couple points. It is a winnable game. The Aggies are 1-6 at Kyle Field against ranked teams under Sumlin. Fall to 1-7, with an always tough slate of SEC West games still ahead, and things almost immediately get uncomfortable in College Station, Texas.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP ' ' '