Bla Bla » a challenge, Foster said. He knows how to pick guys. Hn position

BORDEAUX, France -- Despite missing more penalties in one shootout than it had done in 40 years of taking spot-kicks after extra time, Germany still managed to end its curse against Italy.Thomas Mueller, Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger all missed in Saturdays shootout after the sides finished 1-1 following extra time in their European Championship quarterfinal.Fortunately, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer spared their blushes with two saves as Italy missed four spot-kicks and Germany went on to win 6-5, securing the teams first competitive victory over the Azzurri at the ninth attempt.It was a war of nerves, Neuer said.Only two German players had ever missed in a tournament shootout before -- Uli Hoeness as West Germany lost the 1976 European Championship final 5-3 to Czechoslovakia, and Uli Stielike as West Germany defeated France 5-4 in the 1982 World Cup semifinal.It was a dramatic shootout in Bordeaux, featuring 18 spot kicks with neither side striking a decisive blow before it went to `sudden death.Ive never experienced a penalty shootout like it before. It went on for ages. Im not sure how many penalties there were exactly, Neuer said.There had been a penalty beforehand too, scored by Leonardo Bonucci in the 78th minute to cancel out Ozils opener from 13 minutes before.With extra time almost at an end, Italy coach Antonio Conte brought on penalty specialist Simone Zaza on for Giorgio Chiellini, but the move backfired when he missed after an unconventional trot up to the ball.Then Muellers curious failure to score at a European Championship came back to haunt him when his effort was saved by Italy veteran Gianluigi Buffon.Andrea Barzagli scored before Ozil struck the post, leaving Italy with a 2-1 lead. Then Graziano Pelle dragged his effort wide and Julian Draxler equalized to make it 2-2.Germany had the advantage when Neuer saved Bonuccis spot kick.I didnt want to let Bonucci score a second time, the Germany goalkeeper said.But German celebrations were cut short when Schweinsteiger, who could have sealed victory by converting his spot-kick, struck his effort well over.Neither side missed their next three penalties. Then Neuer saved Matteo Darmians spot kick, paving the way for Jonas Hector to be the hero with the winning shot.Im delighted that it went in, Hector said. There werent many more people there (to take a penalty). I took my heart in my hand and just wanted to make sure it went in.Hectors strike penalty ended a winless curse against Italy that dated back to their first meeting at the 1962 World Cup.After so many years or decades we were due a win against Italy, German football federation president Reinhard Grindel said. From that point of view, the right ones had the luck that you need in a shootout.Germany coach Joachim Loew had tried a new tactical setup with a three-man defense, but in the end it was an old friend -- the penalty kick -- that provided the key to victory.However, Neuer is anxious to avoid a similar situation when the team plays a semifinal against France or Iceland in Marseille on Thursday.You cant just rely on the fact that Germany comes through every time theres a penalty shootout, Neuer said. Best Site Buy China Jerseys . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. Cheap Jersey Website .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. https://www.cheapjerseysreview.com/ . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. NFL Jerseys From China . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Replica Jerseys China . Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net. PITTSBURGH -- The moment called for celebration, maybe even a hint of introspection. Mike Tomlin was having none of it.Minutes after becoming just the eighth coach in NFL history to collect 100 victories in his first 10 seasons on the job, a one-sided 27-20 clinic in snowy Buffalo last Sunday that moved the Pittsburgh Steelers all alone atop the AFC North, Tomlin wasnt exactly in the mood to think about What It All Means.It means Ive been here awhile, he said with typical directness.And thats it.So what if five of the other seven coaches to get to the century mark -- Don Shula, Joe Gibbs, Tony Dungy, John Madden and Mike Ditka -- in their first decade are in the Hall of Fame? So what if the triumph made the Steelers the only franchise to have three coaches reach the 100-win plateau?Tomlin doesnt do big picture. Never has. He doesnt do hype or noise either. The only step the 44-year-old focuses on is the next one. Its that kind of focus that helped him carve out his own identity in a veteran locker room after replacing Bill Cowher in 2007. Its that kind of focus thats helped Pittsburgh navigate the seemingly impossible in an era overridden with parity. Hes won a Super Bowl, been to another and still hasnt posted a single season with a losing record, remarkable considering the Steelers went through a generational shift on the fly without bottoming out.Yet in some corners of one of the leagues most ardent fan bases, its not enough. Hop on social media after a loss -- and heck, sometimes after wins -- and do a hashtag search under #FireTomlin. Theres a cottage industry every Sunday on his decision making, whether its his clock management or his love of attempting 2-point conversions when conventional wisdom says send the kick team out instead.Its noise Tomlin blocks out, something he chalks up to simply part of the gig while leading a franchise whose hallway is filled with more Lombardi Trophies than any other team in the NFL. Tomlins players, however, hear it. Loudly.At the end of the day, if you dont got haters, you aint doing something right, center Maurkice Pouncey said. Hes a winning coach and next thing you know, he loses and hes the worst coach in America. I mean, come on.As if to prove his point, Pouncey motions toward the door of the teams practice facility. The criticism always comes from outside that door. Never inside it. While cornerback William Gay calls Tomlin a players coach, he cautions it doesnt mean what you think it means.Its like that father/son thing, said Gay, part of Tomlins initial draft class in 2007. You will get your butt whupped or get in trouble if you do something wrong. But if you dont do nothing wrong, he will applaud you, he will love on you.The longest tenured Steelers havent seen much of a change in Tomlin since the day the team hired the largely unknown 34-year-old to replace the popular and highly successful Cowher. In a profession where coaches seem to age at warp speed, there isnt a speck of gray in Tomlins hair. Dont let his energy and youthfulness fool you. When its time to go to work, the easy smile that pops up when hes needling his players disappears.I think we felt like Mike was somebody that could command the attention of the room day in and day out, Steelers president Art Rooney II told The Associated Press. I think hes done that. He has the attention of the players and I think over the years hes understood when to push the buttons and when to back off, all the little nuances you think you learn in time. Theres no doubt in my mind hes learned and continued to improve and somebody thats always looking to improve.And adapt, too.The shuffleboard table -- and frequent tournaments it invited -- that was a lockeer room fixture in the early days of his tenure vanished during a pair of 8-8 seasons in 2012 and 2013 and havent returned.dddddddddddd The pool table remains but has morphed into a gold-felt waystation for random items for the equipment managers to deal with after practice. The closest youll find to games in the locker room are the infrequent basketball shooting contests like the one that broke out Friday between running back LeVeon Bell and defensive end Cam Heyward.Tomlin stood just off to the side while Bell -- using one hand -- sank a handful from 20 feet away. After making a quick visit to rookie nose tackle Javon Hargraves locker, Tomlin stopped by again and caught a Heyward shot hopelessly wide of the mark.See what I mean Head, Tomlin said, referring to Heyward by his nickname. You just like giving your money away.The sequence provided a snapshot of what makes Tomlin an effective communicator. A private chat with a rookie nose tackle recovering from a concussion (Hargrave) quickly followed by a playful jab at his defensive co-captain (Heyward), part of an ethos of treating everybody fairly but not the same, as Pouncey put it.Hes a chameleon to how players are, added guard Ramon Foster. He knows he can talk to Ben (Roethlisberger) one way, he can talk to us another way, the defense another way. A lot of coaches dont do that. A lot of coaches know only one way: their way. He has his ways, but he also knows how to open it up.He lets his players be themselves, at least within reason. Hes never publicly called out Brown for his over-the-top touchdown celebrations, even though they occasionally draw a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Yes, Tomlin would prefer Brown to tone it down. Its not worth taking him to task in front of the whole world to do it.Why micromanage? Foster said. Ive heard of coaches doing that and it puts guys on eggshells. This game has as much pressure as it is. As long as youre doing your job, thats what he cares about.Though he gives his staff a wide berth, the coach whose favorite Tomlin-ism includes putting a hand in the pile makes sure his hand is in each one. For offensive linemen like Foster, it means pulling up the profile of an opposing defensive lineman during a given week and running down the players resume.On the surface, its a basic scouting report. The edge in his voice, however, hints at something deeper.We take it to the extreme to where its a challenge, Foster said. He knows how to pick guys. Hes always poking.And always winning, too. The Steelers are in position for a third straight playoff berth and seventh in 10 years despite a four-game swoon in the middle of the season that once again set Twitter on fire. Funny how the clamoring died down during Pittsburghs ensuing four-game winning streak -- a run in which the Steelers never trailed.Yet the credit has gone to Bells seemingly tireless legs and a resilient defense , not to the guy who Roethlisberger awarded the game ball after reaching 100 victories.Thats fine by Tomlin, though the guys he leads onto the field every week know better.It seems from the college level on up theyre always trying to fire somebody and find the new best thing, Foster said. To win in this league is hard. I think you can ask some of the other teams around the league. Some teams are hot. Some are bad, but we have consistently been a team that you consider a Super Bowl contender. That has a lot to do with what hes doing.Even if he doesnt want to talk about it. Ever.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '