While a labor dispute simmers at home, the U.S. womens national soccer team is set to travel across Brazil as the favorite to win its fourth straight Olympic gold medal.The Rio Games are happening as a U.S. federal agency looks at a wage discrimination complaint filed by a group of national team players who claim they make less money than their male counterparts. The teams union also is looking for a new contract with U.S. Soccer.Intrigue is nothing new for the top-ranked Americans.Unlike the mens tournament, which requires teams to field under-23 squads, womens Olympic soccer brings together the best players in the world.Seeking to clinch its fifth gold medal since womens soccer became an Olympic sport in 1996, the U.S. makes its debut against New Zealand on Aug. 3 -- two days before the opening ceremony in Rio. Thatll be followed by games against powerhouse France and Colombia in Group G.Second-ranked Germany, fifth-ranked Australia, sixth-ranked Sweden and host Brazil loom as potential quarterfinal opponents.The tournament will be played in seven venues across Brazil, including the jungle city of Manaus, in the Amazon rainforest, where the U.S. faces Colombia on Aug. 9.Last year, U.S. players led a protest against the artificial turf used in the World Cup in Canada before winning their third tittle in the tournament. Heading into the Olympics, the women have been vocal about gender equity in the sport as they seek a new collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Soccer.On the field one of the biggest issues for the Americans heading into the Olympics was the status of reigning FIFA Player of the Year Carli Lloyds right knee.Lloyd, who wowed fans with three goals in 16 minutes in the 5-2 win over Japan in Julys World Cup final, sprained her MCL in an April game with her club team, the Houston Dash. The team was cautious with her recovery, but it appears as if Lloyd is healthy and ready to play for her third gold medal.Lloyd also scored the deciding goals in the gold medal matches in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.ANOTHER KEY INJURY: Megan Rapinoes status, at least for the start of the games, is far less certain. The winger tore her right ACL during a training session in Hawaii before a scheduled World Cup victory tour match last year (the match was ultimately canceled because of poor artificial turf conditions). The injury required her third ACL surgery.On her blog, the 30-year-old Rapinoe wrote on June 9: My Olympic dream is still alive! This blonde aint gone! And coach Jill Ellis named her to the 18-player squad for the Olympics, a good sign. But she may not play in the group stage.MARTAS MOMENT: Marta is one of the biggest stars in womens soccer. The 30-year old Brazilian striker was voted FIFA Player of the Year for five consecutive years from 2006 to 2010. Yet despite her success she is not a household name in her country, where the focus will be on Neymar and the mens squad to win Brazils first Olympic gold.Marta and the rest of the Brazil womens team will face less pressure to win their first gold than their male counterparts, and the squad should benefit from friendly home crowds.The woman that Pele himself dubbed Pele in skirt showed she is ready for Olympic duty, scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory over Canada in Toronto in June.Brazil faces China, South Africa and Sweden in Group E.SILVIAS FINAL BOW: One of the games most respected coaches will be stepping down following the Olympics. Silvia Neid has been head coach of the German senior team since 2005. During her tenure the Germans won a World Cup (2007), two UEFA womens championships (2009, 2013) and the Olympic bronze medal in Beijing. Also a decorated former player for Germany, Neid has twice been honored as the FIFA womens coach of the year.She will continue as scouting coach for the Germans, while current assistant Steffi Jones will take over as head coach.Germany leads Group F with Canada, Australia and Zimbabwe.CANADAS REVENGE?: While the London Games showed that Canada is a team on the rise under coach John Herdman, the bronze medalists thought they could have done better.The Canadians fell 4-3 in an overtime semifinal match to the eventual gold medal-winning U.S. team, a game that featured a non-call on what appeared to be a missed handball by an American player in front of the U.S. goal.We feel like we didnt lose. We feel like it was taken from us, said Canada captain Christine Sinclair, who was later suspended four games for her comments. Its a shame in a game like that, which is so important, that the ref decided the result before the game started.WALTZING WITH THE MATILDAS: No other Australian senior national team -- male or female -- had won an elimination game in a World Cup until the Matildas last summer; they knocked off Brazil in the round of 16. While they were defeated by Japan, it was considered a big move toward future success.Australia went on to earn a spot in the Olympics, its first since 2004, in the Asian qualification tournament. As a result, its international ranking jumped four spots to No. 5.Australia has never advanced past the quarterfinals in two Olympic appearances. John Block Jersey . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. Matt Maloney Jersey . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. https://www.cheaprocketsonline.com/ . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No. Otis Thorpe Jersey .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. Matt Bullard Jersey .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Jake Melville threw for 315 yards and a career-high five touchdowns as Colgate streaked past Yale 55-13 on Saturday.Melville, who was 22-of-32 passing, threw for 219 yards and three touchdowns in the first half as Colgate (1-1) dominated throughout, rolling to a 35-13 halftime advantage.John Maddaluna pulled in seven passes for 147 yards with one TD and Nick Martinsen grabbed five for 69 yards and two scores.Colgate had 558 total yards while limiting Yale to 188.The Raiders defense shut down the YYale running game, allowing just 12 yards on the ground.dddddddddddd Pat Afriyie and Trent Williams had two sacks apiece and both totaled three tackles for loss. The Raiders also picked off four Yale passes.Rafe Chapple led Yale (0-1), throwing for 139 yards and one score.Yale scored first when Chapple hit Christopher Williams from the 11. Colgate responded with three straight touchdowns. ' ' '
