s and two assists, Lucas Wallmark also scored twice, Carolina

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil - Algerias players are being left to decide whether or not they observe the Ramadan fast during Mondays World Cup game against Germany, with coach Vahid Halilhodzic saying its not a divisive issue. Observant Muslims avoid food and liquids from dawn to dusk during Ramadan but can, and often do, skip it if travelling or doing hard physical labour. Some devout Muslim athletes choose to fast during training or competition, but it can create selection difficulties for the coaches in team sports. Halilhodzic, who has testy relations with sections of the Algerian media and its football association, threatened to leave a news conference Sunday if questions persisted on the topic. He said critics were using the issue to "try and raise hatred of me and my family. This is really disgusting." The national football association released a statement denying a report in Algerias leading football newspaper suggesting that Halilhodzic, a Muslim, had ordered players not to fast. Its a potentially sensitive allegation in the mostly Muslim country. The federation said Halilhodzic had been "very respectful" of the religion in his three years at the helm of the national team. The veteran coach, a French-Bosnian, said fasting was a "private issue and players will do exactly as they wish." "When you ask this question you lack respect and ethics. I would like this to stop. Stop this controversy. Talk about football," he said, in response to repeated questions at the official pre-match news conference. "And stop asking me about Ramadan, otherwise I will get up and leave." The match Monday kicks less than an hour before sunset in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. The Algeria lineup has been impressive in its three group games, and had its best attacking display so far in a 4-2 win over South Korea. Halilhodzic started that match with five new players following its opening 2-1 defeat to Belgium. They followed that up with a 1-0 win over Russia to reach the knockout rounds for the first time. "We will do everything we can to try and win this match, but (the Germans) are of a higher quality, more experienced and basically better than us," Halilhodzic said. "We shall prepare for this game as the most important in our career. We will give it our all." Algeria shocked West Germany 2-1 in the group stages of the 1982 World Cup, in what was a colossal upset at the time. But the team didnt make it through to the qualifying rounds after the Germans and Austria played out a mutually advantageous result in their last group match in one of the most infamous World Cup episodes. The build up to Mondays match has focused on whether this is now the opportunity for Algeria to avenge what has become known as the "Disgrace of Gijon." But Halilhodzic and Germany coach Joachim Loew downplayed that Sunday, noting that the vast majority of players were not born when it occurred. "This is history. There are many things that occur in football. I would like this wonderful championship to finish in a different way," Halilhodzic said. Air Jordan China . Listen to the Raptors vs. Jazz live tonight on TSN Radio 1050 at 9pm et/6pm pt. The Raptors are 1-1 so far on the five-game junket after defeating Denver and losing to Portland. Clearance Air Jordan Store . "Youre not really spending time to sit back and analyze what your competitions doing and things like that," Anthopoulos said. "Youre so focused on what were trying to get done." Ultimately, while the landscape around them changed with trades both major and minor, the Blue Jays did nothing before Thursdays non-waiver deadline. https://www.jordanchina.us/ . Seth Smith hit a towering drive for a tying homer leading off the eighth and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs to give the Padres a 3-1 victory against the rival Dodgers in baseballs North American opener Sunday night. Air Jordan Outlet . The win gives Canada its fifth title at the World Sledge Hockey Challenge. "Weve got to keep pushing," said Westlake, who led Canada with five goals in the tournament. "The second you let off the pedal, everyone catches up. Cheap Jordan From China .Cameron sustained his third concussion in three seasons last week on a hit by Oakland safety Brandion Ross, who was fined $22,050 by the NFL for the helmet-to-helmet blow.MALMO, Sweden - Russia beat the United States 5-3 in quarter-final play at the world junior hockey championship on Thursday, rallying to take the lead on Nakita Zadorovs two power-play goals. Zadorov scored on 5-on-3 advantages in a 1:01 span in the second period to give Russia a 4-3 lead. The 6-foot-4 defenceman plays for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League. Russia will face Sweden, a 6-0 winner over Slovakia, in the semifinals Saturday. In the other quarterfinals, Canada beat Switzerland 4-1, and Finland topped the Czech Republic 5-3. "We want to play Sweden," Zadorov said before the Swedes victory. "It was a close game last time (3-2 loss), and were going to watch some video and play better." Pavel Buchnevich also scored twice for Russia, Buffalo Sabres centre Mikhail Grigorenko added a goal, and Andrei Vasilevski made 30 saves. "The power plays were the game-changer," said Grigorenko, who has two goals and an assist in 18 games for Buffalo this season. "We scored two goals. We took the lead, and we kept it. Those two 5-on-3s in a row were the key. "This game made us a better team today than we were yesterday. I think we deserved to win. Hopefully, we can keep the same energy, same compete level for the semifinals." New Jersey Devils farmhand Stefan Matteau, Plymouth Whalers forward Ryan Hartman and Wisconsins Nic Kerdiles had first-period goals for the United States, the tournament winner last year in Russia. "Penalties," said Matteau, off for tripping when Zadorov scored the tying goal. "They buried their chances. The refs did their job. I know North American teams coming over here ... maybe the officiating is different, but we still gave them a reason to call penalties. Thats what shot us in the foot.dddddddddddd But we got power plays, too. We didnt finish." Providences John Gillies stopped 20 shots. "Its not a good feeling, but I think it will make us all better players," Gillies said. Russia has won the under-20 event 13 times, the first nine as the Soviet Union. Canada advanced to the semifinals for the 16th straight year. It won the last of its record 15 titles in 2009 in Ottawa. Sweden, 5-0-0 in the tournament, is seeking its third title and second in three years. "Were getting closer - two games away," Colorado College defenceman Gustav Olofsson said. "It feels more exciting and more fun to play when you get closer to gold." Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg had two goals and two assists, Lucas Wallmark also scored twice, Carolina Hurricanes centre Elias Lindholm added a goal and three assists, Jacob de la Rose had a goal, and Erie Otters goalie Oscar Dansk made 18 saves. Lindholm has three goals and four assists in 21 games this season for Carolina, and Forsberg has a goal and four assists in 12 games for Nashville. "We have to stay out of the penalty box a little more," Forsberg said. "Theyre pretty dangerous and its going to be even more dangerous against Russia. Thats something we have to work on." Finland overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Czech Republic, taking a 4-3 lead on Saku Kinnunens goal with 8:21 left. Saku Maenalanen scored twice, and Juuso Ikonen and Henri Ikonen added goals for Finland. Dominik Simon, Martin Prochazka and Radek Faksa scored for the Czech Republic. Norway beat Germany 3-0 in Game 1 of the best-of-three relegation series. Joachim Svendsen made 29 saves, and Martin Ronnild, Didrik Svendsen and Andreas Klavestad scored. ' ' '