The teams traded leads four times in the

GENEVA - Aiming to end Sepp Blatters 17-year grip on power at FIFA, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein has a daunting task. Kevin Trapp Jersey .The 39-year-old prince from Jordan announced Tuesday he will be a candidate for the FIFA presidency even though five of the six continental confederations have already declared their support for Blatter.The rebellious region — European governing body UEFA — holds only 53 of the 209 votes and includes traditionally loyal Blatter supporters among former Soviet republics.Prince Ali also cannot be sure of widespread support within his home Asian Football Confederation, where he faces an awkward election in May before FIFAs decision day.Still, the prince represents a genuine choice for FIFA voters who truly want to freshen the culture of an organization rocked by scandals on Blatters watch.Elected by Asian members as their FIFA vice-president in January 2011, Prince Ali is untouched by the allegations of bribery and favour-seeking that tainted many of his colleagues on the much-discredited, Blatter-chaired executive committee, which he formally joined later that year.This was not an easy decision, the prince said in a single-page statement in which he pledged to run a positive campaign and did not specifically mention Blatter. It came after careful consideration and many discussions with respected FIFA colleagues over the last few months.The message I heard, over and over, was that it is time for a change.Prince Ali has been encouraged to run by UEFA President Michel Platini, who opted last year to avoid an expected challenge to his onetime mentor Blatter.I know Prince Ali well. He has all the credibility required to hold high office, the France great said in a statement. We now await his proposals and his program for the future of football.FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Blatters office.Prince Ali is considered the main challenger to Blatter. Jerome Champagne of France, a former FIFA staffer and longtime ally of Blatter, has also announced his intention to run.During Blatters 17-year reign, he has avoided personal scandal amid bribery allegations in presidential and World Cup hosting elections, kickbacks paid to senior officials, and World Cup ticket scams.Blatter has also mastered the politics of an often secretive organization he joined in 1975, a few months before Prince Ali was born. The veteran Swiss official has said his mission to lead world football is unfinished.That mission is fuelled by a runway popular and commercial success of FIFAs cash cow, the World Cup.The worlds most-watched sports event has given FIFA $1.5 billion in cash reserves with plenty more to give members and confederations every four years ahead of election day.Rest assured, the 11 members in this room are the first in line, Oceania confederation president David Chung said last June, pledging his voters support to Blatter in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Its against this culture — and Blatters long relationship with voters, such as the 54 in Africa who have little contact with Jordan — that Prince Ali must compete.Prince Ali did not specify which five FIFA members will nominate him, as required before a Jan. 29 deadline. He travelled Tuesday to Australia for the Asian Cup, which kicks off Friday after an AFC congress in Melbourne.AFC president Sheik Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain pledged its backing for Blatter at a 60th anniversary celebration at Manila in November, confirming earlier support in Brazil.It was a unanimous decision, Salman said at the time. We never go back on our words and commitments, thats how we are.Last June in Brazil, Sheik Salman also effectively manoeuvred Prince Ali out of his FIFA vice presidency by tying that role to the AFC presidency at future elections. Those are next due in May, when Prince Ali should contest an ordinary FIFA board seat as one of Asias four elected delegates.While others in Asia have shaped internal politics, Prince Ali has taken a more personal path in development projects for youth and womens football. Previously, he led a successful campaign to lift a FIFA ban on female Islamic players wearing headscarves in its competitions.The theme of public service follows a Jordanian royal family tradition for the son of the late King Hussein and the late Queen Alia, who died in a helicopter crash in 1977.Educated at schools in England and the United States, Prince Ali attended the elite Sandhurst military academy in England before joining his countrys armed forces.His sister, Princess Haya, stepped down last month as an International Olympic Committee member after eight years as president of equestrians governing body, and their half-brother Prince Faisal remains an IOC member.Prince Ali was a vocal supporter of FIFA ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia, who resigned last month with a parting shot at Blatters leadership style and the organizations seeming unwillingness to reform.On Tuesday, Prince Ali called for shifting focus away from administrative controversy and back to sport.The worlds game deserves a world-class governing body — an international federation that is a service organization and a model of ethics, transparency and good governance, Prince Ali said.However noble the aim, it is unclear that FIFA voters feel the same way. Antonio Rudiger Jersey . A last-minute leveler ensured the two-time defending champion remained nine points ahead of Roma, which drew 0-0 at bitter rival Lazio in the capital derby. Marvin Plattenhardt Jersey .Patterson marked his anniversary by proving his worth — once again.Lou Williams poured in 26 points, and Patterson drained two huge three-pointers late in the fourth quarter, as the Raptors topped the Denver Nuggets 112-107 in overtime Monday. http://www.germanysoccerpro.com/Sami-Khedira-Germany-Jersey/ ." Bach is in Rome for the European Olympic Committees general assembly and meetings with Pope Francis. He also visited with Italian Premier Enrico Letta. "The prime minister appeared to be interested in a bid from Italy for 24, because he has realized that the games can serve as a catalyst for development for a city and a country," Bach told The Associated Press on Saturday.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- In a span of three days, Shabazz Napier and Connecticut knocked out both Philadelphia schools in the NCAA tournament. Now, the seventh-seeded Huskies are off to the East Regional semifinals in New York City to see how much more bracket busting they can do a year after being barred from the post-season because of academic sanctions. Second-seeded Villanova became the highest seed to fall so far after Napier scored 25 points in leading UConn to a 77-65 victory Saturday night. The win came on the heels of another upset in Buffalo, where Dayton, the 11th seed in the South, beat third-seeded Syracuse 55-53. "I guess it means something to you guys but at the end of the day, just because theyre No. 2 and were No. 7, they dont get extra points to start the game off," Napier said. "Everybodys the same." UConn was better thanks to Napier, who scored 24 points two days earlier in an 89-81 overtime win against Philadelphias other tournament entry, Saint Josephs. Napier had 21 points in the second half and helped put the game away by hitting three consecutive 3-pointers to give the Huskies a 54-45 lead with 6:08 remaining. The star guard was limited to 8 minutes in the first half by foul trouble, and he avoided a major scare when he briefly left the game after hurting his right shin with 4:01 left. "The pain was excruciating. I couldnt put any pressure on it," Napier said. "Our trainer told me to mentally stay strong. ... He put that Bio-freeze on it, and I was ready to go." The freeze didnt cool him down once Napier returned after missing only about 40 seconds of action. Holding the ball atop the 3-point arc, he blew past a defender while driving into the paint and flipped in an underhanded reverse high off the backboard to put UConn ahead 60-51 with 2:19 remaining. Lasan Kromah scored 12 points for the Huskies, while DeAndre Daniels, Ryan Boatright and Terrence Samuel each had 11. Connecticut (28-8) advanced to face the winner of Sundays game between third-seeded Iowa State and No. 6 seed North Carolina. "Its unbelievable," UConn athletic director Warde Manuel said. "Its extra special, given what this team went through last year. Extra special." Manuel was referring to the academic sanctions that essentially rendered the Huskies 20-10 finish meaningless last year inn Kevin Ollies first season as coach. Matthias Ginter Germany Jersey. . Ollie has improved to 2-0 in his tournament debut, two years since taking over after Jim Calhoun stepped down because of health issues. Ryan Arcidiacono scored 18 points for Villanova (29-5) in a matchup of former Big East rivals. James Bell had 14 and Darrun Hilliard added 13. "Certainly a tough way to end the season," Wildcats coach Jay Wright said. "I didnt want to let this put a damper on what this group has done all year." Villanova fell one win short of matching the school record set in 2009, when the Wildcats lost to North Carolina in the national semifinals. Napiers performance played a significant role. "He was just awesome," Wright said. "There was a period where he hit three 3s, and it just created a separation." Wright was referring to a surge during which UConn took control in a span of 1:32 as Napier made three consecutive 3-pointers to build a 51-40 advantage. Kromah started it and Napier struck a pose for the cameras after hitting the second 3 with 8:59 left. "He led us to victory," Ollie said. "He was just unbelievable in that second half: 21 points, crucial 3s, dagger 3s. He was 30 feet out and he was making them." The Huskies are marching on to Madison Square Garden in their first season as members of the American Athletic Conference after the Big East was realigned following a series of defections. Villanova remained a Big East holdover, but wound up being bounced by a familiar foe. The teams traded leads four times in the opening 5:25 of the second half, with Daniels putting UConn ahead for good, 37-36, with a layup. Poor shooting continued to haunt the Wildcats, who were coming off a 75-53 win over Milwaukee on Thursday. After hitting five of their first eight attempts through the first 6:11, the Wildcats closed the half going 2 of 15. Their offence went stone cold after Hilliard hit a 3 to put them up 19-9 with 11:30 left. Villanova went 11:24 without a field goal, missing 10 straight shots before Arcidiacono hit a 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left in the first half that cut the Huskies lead to 25-24. Villanova was down 42-36 with 11:48 left when Hilliard drove into an opening on the right wing and, as he went up to shoot, the ball slipped out of his hands and bounced out of bounds. ' ' '