e past Gustavsson after carrying the puck from the side of the net to the cre

GENEVA -- Brazil vs. Bill Walton Jersey . Italy. Twice a World Cup final, it could be the World Cup opening match in Sao Paulo on June 12. And the second match the next day could be a 2010 final repeat: Spain vs. the Netherlands. Thank the FIFA rankings that decide which teams are seeded if the World Cup receives such a blockbuster kickoff. The often-criticized rankings will surely be criticized on Thursday when they decide the eight top seeds in the World Cup groups being drawn on Dec. 6. The powerful Dutch, runners-up in 2010, and Italians, 2006 champions, should miss out despite going unbeaten through qualifying, according to unofficial calculations provided by FIFAs website. Belgium and Colombia are likely in, despite failing to qualify for the 2010 tournament. They will join Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina plus Uruguay, if it beats Jordan in a playoff. Also likely is Switzerland, which will spark questions about how FIFA grades national teams over a four-year results cycle. Indeed, Switzerlands surge up the rankings -- fueled by a 14-match unbeaten run in qualifying and friendlies -- might cast doubt on the value of being seeded. The intention of seeding is rewarding the best by ensuring they avoid the other strongest teams in the group stage. Host Brazil is automatically seeded in Group A. The decision to allocate the other seven seeds by the October rankings alone was agreed on by the FIFA executive committee only this month. That leaves the Netherlands, Italy and England -- all seeded at the 2010 World Cup when FIFA rankings were again decisive -- lurking as potential opponents for Argentina early in the tournament. England coach Roy Hodgson expects "two very, very good teams in every group," with FIFA set to allocate the other places by geographical spread rather than ranking. "Its pretty unnecessary to worry too much about whether we are the first or second out of the hat," Hodgson said on Wednesday. Still, Lionel Messi and Argentina might prefer to face Switzerland instead, after their 3-1 victory in a February 2012 friendly at Bern where the worlds best player scored all three. Switzerlands young team is certainly better since failing even to reach the 2012 European Championship. Euro 2012 was almost the perfect place to score ranking points in a FIFA system which gives greater weight to recent results, competitive matches, beating higher-ranked opponents, and wins against European and South American teams. So Italys slip beneath Switzerland is a little mystifying given its run to the Euro 2012 final, including beating Germany in the semifinals. However, Italy is penalized for drawing its final qualifiers 2-2, in Denmark last Friday and at home to 55th-ranked Armenia on Tuesday. Victory in either would have guaranteed a seeding in Brazil. "Im not disappointed. The goal was qualifying," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "At the European Championship we werent a top seed either and we finished second, so we shouldnt let it bother us. It doesnt worry me." Italy still carries an intimidation factor which the Swiss lack, and also comes with Cristiano Ronaldos Portugal and a Franck Ribery-inspired France. Both could join an illustrious group of unseeded European teams at the World Cup draw in Salvador de Bahia following an eight-team playoffs round next month. Portugal and France both could have fared better under FIFAs old system of seeding teams based on performances at recent World Cups. France being runner-up in 2006, when Portugal got to the semifinals, counts for nothing now. Though Portugal also reached the Euro 2012 semifinals and France was a quarterfinalist, both have dropped below a Swiss team which neither has played in the past four years. France has further gripes about FIFAs seeding by rankings, because it placed second to Spain in the only European qualifying group with five teams rather than six. Coach Didier Deschamps this week called it a "double punishment" that France had two fewer qualifiers to earn ranking points, and will likely be edged by Ukraine for seeding in the European playoffs being drawn on Monday. "From my point of view its not very logical," said Deschamps, whose route to Brazil could be directed through Portugal. The Netherlands, which took the top spot from Spain in the August 2011 rankings, did play Switzerland but drew 0-0 in Amsterdam in November 2011. The Dutch might yet be seeded if Uruguay slips up, but could have edged the Swiss by beating 88th-ranked Estonia in Tallinn last month. They needed a stoppage-time goal to draw 2-2. Switzerland, however, can also suggest one key result which raised its ranking and perhaps justifies its top-seed status. In August, when so many teams treat their friendlies lightly, coach Ottmar Hitzfelds team beat Brazil 1-0. Al-Farouq Aminu Jersey . According to Dave Stubbs of The Montreal Gazette, preliminary talks have begun between Markov - an unrestricted free agent this summer - and general manager Marc Bergevin. Ed Davis Jersey . Granlund scored 2:04 into the first period. Max Reinhart, on his first NHL shift of the season, neatly stripped the puck from Zack Smith at the Senators blue-line. As he moved in, his attempted shot deflected into the slot where Granlund buried a shot past Craig Anderson. http://www.blazersteamofficial.com/Brandon-Roy-Blazers-Jersey/ .Mihajlovic was sent off minutes from the end of Thursdays 2-0 win over Brescia and has been punished for using a disrespectful expression toward the fourth official and throwing the contents of a bottle of water at him, thus assuming an intimidating attitude.DETROIT -- For the first time in more than three months, the Red Wings have a winning streak at home. Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Kronwall and Gustav Nyquist each had a goal and an assist to lead Detroit past the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Friday night for its second consecutive victory at Joe Louis Arena. The last time the Red Wings won two in a row at home was Oct. 12-15. They beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 in a shootout Wednesday night. "Obviously, real important. Its like anything, some years you win lots of games at home and some years you dont," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "Some years youre good on the road and some years youre not and you never really figure out why. But we have an opportunity here on Sunday to keep things going and wed like to." Detroit is 3-1 on a five-game homestand that ends Sunday against Florida. "Try to get a template that we can hang our hat on and play every night. Its hard because we were playing pretty solid and we lose those back-to-back games 1-0," defenceman Kyle Quincey said. "Its hard to tell the boys to keep going and itll come, but then you play Chicago and we end up scoring (four) goals and winning and now youre saying, Keep playing like that. Again we scored four goals tonight and I think we believe if we keep playing like that well be OK." Riley Sheahan also scored for Detroit, and Jonas Gustavsson made 30 saves. Brendan Gallagher had the goal for Montreal, and Carey Price stopped 22 shots. "Just little, unfortunate breakdowns that we know better. Just little things cost us," Gallagher said. Kronwall gave the Red Wings a 3-1 lead with 3:31 left in the second period. He scored his sixth goal of the season on a one-timer from the slot after Nyquists pass went off Gallagghers stick. Shabazz Napier Jersey. "I read the play, I was where I wanted to be. I was ready but I got ahead of myself," Gallagher said. Nyquist added his eighth goal with 1:19 remaining in the game. Gallagher put the Canadiens on the board with a power-play goal with 7:24 left in the second period. He jammed one past Gustavsson after carrying the puck from the side of the net to the crease for his 13th goal. Sheahan made it 2-0 Detroit with 8:12 remaining in the second. He beat Price with a snap shot from the top of the left circle for his second goal. Gustavsson made a nice save on Louis Leblancs backhand from the bottom of the left circle with 3:07 remaining in the first. Zetterberg op ] ' ' '