Patchnotizen » ward a first career final with a 6-4, 6-3

MANAUS, Brazil -- Mario Balotelli scored with a second-half header Saturday to give Italy a 2-1 win over England at the World Cup. The Italy striker was left free by his marker Gary Cahill and nodded a cross from Antonio Candreva past goalkeeper Joe Hart in the 50th minute. Claudio Marchisio scored first for Italy, sending a long shot through a crowded area and past a diving Hart in the 35th. Daniel Sturridge equalized for England two minutes later, tapping in a cross from Wayne Rooney. The win puts Italy in a strong position to qualify for the second round, and leaves England with plenty to do in its remaining two matches. In the other Group D match, Costa Rica beat Uruguay 3-1, giving the 2010 semifinalists a similarly difficult task to advance. Balotelli nearly scored another in first-half injury time, running deep into the area and enticing Hart to come off his line. The Italy striker stopped, looked toward goal and sent a chip over the keepers head -- only for Phil Jagielka to clear by heading the ball over the bar. Englands attack-minded lineup made frequent runs into the Italy area throughout the match, and came close to scoring several times. The best of the chances came in the 24th when Danny Welbeck sent the ball across the front of goal but Andrea Barzagli was able to slide in and tip the ball up in the air. Raheem Sterling, who had been running in from the left, jumped for the header but couldnt reach it, letting the ball go past him as he tumbled into the net. Italy played without the injured Gianluigi Buffon. The 36-year-old Italy goalkeeper, who can play in his fourth World Cup if he is able to recover from an ankle problem, was replaced by Salvatore Sirigu. The PSG keeper stepped up and made several good saves, but the best may have come in the 77th when he dived to his left to block a free kick from Leighton Baines. The match was played in the Amazonian city of Manaus, the most exotic of the 12 World Cup venues for this years tournament. According to FIFA, it was 30 degrees C (86 degrees F) with humidity at a relatively low 61 per cent for the match. While none of the players appeared to be affected by the heat, there was an injury on the England bench when team physio Gary Lewin dislocated his ankle while celebrating Sturridges goal. England and Italy were playing each other at the World Cup for only the second time. They also met in the third-place match at the 1990 World Cup, with the Italians also winning 2-1. Fred Lynn Jersey . Louis Cardinals have agreed to a one-year contract. Tyler Thornburg Jersey . Sixteen teams have moved on. Sixteen teams have gone home. http://www.cheapredsoxjerseys.com/?tag=c...y-poyner-jersey. Its been a successful Games for Canada, which will finish near the top of the medal standings again. From repeat gold medal winners to multiple medal winners to undefeated teams to acts that define the Olympic spirit, there are many solid candidates who could be considered to receive the honour. Robby Scott Jersey . That assertion is getting harder and harder to make, especially given the way 23-year-old Danilo Gallinari has been playing this season. Ted Williams Jersey . The 7-foot-1 Hawes, who is in the final year of his contract, is averaging 13 points and 8.5 rebounds, both career highs, and shoots 40 per cent from 3-point range. The 25-year-old Hawes is in his seventh NBA season.MARSEILLE, France -- Top-seeded Richard Gasquet of France and defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga both advanced to the Open 13 semifinals on Friday. After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Gasquet, ranked ninth, broke Dodig twice in the first set and once more in the second set, where he saved three break-points of his own. He sealed the win on his own serve when Dodigs forehand from the back of the court was wide. "I played a solid match. I served well, didnt really drop off at all during the match and managed to save some break-points," said Gasquet, who lost the Open Sud de France final in Montpellier to countryman Gael Monfils earlier this month. "Im happy to be in the semifinals. Its the first time Ive reached the semifinals here so Id like to get to the final." Gasquet next faces third-seeded Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, who won 6-3, 7-6 (1) against No. 8 Nicolas Mahut of France to reach his second consecutive semifinal. He leads thee 23rd-ranked Gulbis 2-0 in the career head-to-heads.dddddddddddd Tsonga, who improved to 4-0 against Roger-Vasselin, next faces Germanys Jan-Lennard Struff, who continued his run toward a first career final with a 6-4, 6-3 win against Frenchman Michael Llodra. "Edouard played very well. He took his chance in the tiebreaker and was very aggressive," Tsonga said. "It was tricky and Im glad to have got out of it. I hope I recover well so that I can play a good match tomorrow." Tsonga broke Roger-Vasselin twice in the second and third sets, and sealed victory on his first match point with a backhand pass down the line. But Tsonga, who had 39 winners, was unhappy with his overall performance. "I got through with my serve tonight," he said. "The rest wasnt great and at one point I wanted to leave the court because I was ashamed of how I was playing." The 23-year-old Struff, who is ranked 117th, had nine aces, won 87 per cent of first-service points, did not face a single break-point and broke Llodras serve three times in a dominant performance. ' ' '