final but was largely muted in the first half as South Korea quickly

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss J.R. Smiths antics, Dennis Rodmans trip to North Korea, Toronto FCs spending and the inspiring story of a California high-school basketball player. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is down to J.R. Smith, the illegitimate clown prince of basketball. The New York Knicks are their own unique brand of farce, but Smith takes it to a different, dumber level. This week he was fined $50,000 for trying to untie an opponents shoelace again, after being warned by the NBA, hey, dont try to untie an opponents shoelace again. This had literally never happened before. He had already been suspended in his career for fights, for drugs, and even for reckless driving causing a death, and he has said over and over, "Ive learned." But he never learns. Hes a player with talent, no desire to shape it, no thoughts of consequences, and the brain of a slow-ish ostrich. Someone should tie his shoelaces together, and be done with it. Steve Simmons, Toronto Sun: My thumb is down to Dennis Rodman and his bizarre egotistical nonsensical attempt at diplomacy with his latest visit to North Korea. This isnt the Richard Nixon days, when ping-pong began to unfreeze the relationship between the United States and China. This is today, and this is the clown Rodman, trying to look serious in a political arena. The situation becomes all the more troubling when you consider Rodmans patty-cake friendship with dictator and admirer Kim Jong-un. While in North Korea, Rodman suggested that American tour guide, Kenneth Bae, jailed 15 years for state subversion, was at fault for being held captive and after saying that, blamed his verbal outburst on drinking too much. Dennis Rodman is, was, and remains something of a sporting embarrassment. The fact he is playing a more difficult game here only makes it worse. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to Toronto FC for its showy efforts at ending its culture of failure. This week the club repatriated Canadian midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. It then made a global splash by acquiring striker Jermain Defoe from Tottenham and signing another midfielder, American international Michael Bradley, who had been languishing at A.S. Roma. MLSEs $100 million moves faintly echo President Tim Leiwekes investment in David Beckham when Leiweke was in Los Angeles, although labeling MLS most dismal team a "super club" is wildly premature. The last Toronto team to "win" an offseason was the blue jays last winter. Howd that turn out? Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb is up to California high-school basketball player Austin Hatch, and this story will explain itself. In two airplane crashes eight years apart that killed his father, mother, stepmother, brother and sister, Austin Hatch narrowly escaped death himself. The most recent crash in 2011 left Hatch in a coma for two months. 10 days earlier, he had committed to a basketball scholarship at the University of Michigan. This week, he played in a high-school game for the first time since the crash - his first shot was a three-point attempt, he made it - his schoolmates roared and his teammates jumped from the bench and stormed the court, causing an emotional celebration....and a technical foul. Hatch still looks forward to Michigan, where his scholarship will be honored. Thumbs up all around. Indeed. Cheap Broncos Jerseys Authentic .com) - There may be a debate in Philadelphia about who should be the starting quarterback of the Eagles. Wholesale Broncos Jerseys . With their coach gone, they finally played offence the way he would have wanted. Amare Stoudemire made all seven shots in the first half, Anthony passed and shot well, and the Knicks shook off the surprising departure of their coach to rout the Portland Trail Blazers 121-79 on Wednesday night, snapping a six-game losing streak. http://www.cheapbroncosjerseyselite.com/ . The Mercedes duo of three-time Canadian Grand Prix champion Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg has won all six races to start the season, finishing one-two in the last five. Cheap Denver Broncos Jerseys . That assertion is getting harder and harder to make, especially given the way 23-year-old Danilo Gallinari has been playing this season. Cheap Broncos Jerseys China . - Young and old.SYDNEY - Australia won its first Asian Cup title by beating South Korea 2-1 after extra time Saturday in the final at Sydneys Olympic Stadium.Substitute James Troisi tapped home the winner after Kim Jin-hyeon could only parry striker Tomi Jurics low cross just before the midway point of extra time to give Australia its maiden continental title after it joined the Asian confederation in 2006.Earlier, a superb long-range strike by Massimo Luongo just before halftime had put Australia ahead before South Koreas standout player Son Hyeung-min equalized deep into second-half injury time to deny the hosts victory in regulation time.Its a proud moment for our country, said Australia coach Ange Postecoglou. To be champions you got to display a whole range of qualities and today was about courage, belief and conviction. The players had that in abundance.We got tested. We copped one in the last minute. It would have broken a lot of teams.South Korea, which had not conceded a goal until the final, has now lost its past four finals and has not won the tournament since 1960.We dont have the cup but the way we played today we are also champions of a lot of hearts, said South Korea coach Uli Stielike. I think the best result from such a match would have been a draw and we take the cup for two years each, but I know it cant be like this and we have to accept that.Australias rampant attack had notched a tournament-leading 12 goals in five games coming into the final but was largely muted in the first half as South Korea quickly settled and frequently found its way into the final attacking third.However, Australia inflicted the first blow with Luongos stunning strike within seconds of halftime. It was the 22-year-old Swindon Town midfielders second goal of the Asian Cup, to go with four assists. He was named player of the tournament after the final.South Koreas Son was the standout player on the field and, despite missing difficult chances earlier in the match, made no mistake in the final minute when he blasted past Mat Ryan to send the match to extra time.Australia looked fresher in the extra period and the match turned again on an exceptional piece of individual skill in the 105th minute.Juric, who came on for Tim Cahill in the 63rd, back-heeled the ball between Kin Jin-sus legs on the goal line and sent in a low cross which the goalkeeper could only block into the path of Troisi, who put the ball into the empty net to erase Australias disappointment of losing the final four years ago to Japan in Qatar.We knew that we would be strong in extra time, said Postecoglou. We knew we probably had them on fitness.Earlier in the gamee, Australia struggled to handle the pace of the South Korean wide players with both Ivan Franjic and Jason Davidson especially caught out in the early stages, with Son looking particularly threatening as he cut in from the flanks.dddddddddddd.Australia captain Mile Jedinak produced his teams first shot but his free kick from a central position just cleared the crossbar with Kim beaten in the 8th.Son, who scored both goals in South Koreas 2-0 extra-time win over Uzbekistan, almost opened the scoring with an exquisite volley in the 36th, which rocketed just over the angle of the post and crossbar with Ryan on the ground.After being under concerted pressure for most of the first half, Australia seized the momentum with a moment of individual brilliance by Luongo.In the final minute of the half, Luongo received Trent Sainsburys forward pass, turned sharply and unleashed a powerful low shot from 25 yards (meters) that beat Kim and passed just inside the left post to spark wild celebrations among the 76,385 crowd.I definitely enjoyed that one, Luongo said.South Korea started the second half better with Son again looking dangerous.Just past the hour Postecoglu withdrew Cahill, who suffered an ankle injury in the first half, for Juric. Cahill received a standing ovation as Australias greatest ever goalscorer — with 39 goals from 82 games — left the field in what may be his final appearance for the national team.Australia suffered further injury blows less than 10 minutes later with Robbie Kruse stretchered off the field with what appeared a serious leg injury for the Bayer Leverkusen winger.Franjic then departed through injury to leave Australia without substitutes for the final 20 minutes.With the final moments ebbing away, South Korea launched a long ball toward Australias penalty box which eventually fell to Son who held off Sainsbury to fire a shot past Ryan to force extra time.Juric then helped set up Troisi to finally settle it for the hosts.Conceding a goal just before halftime and then just before halftime in extra time, this killed our mentality a little bit, said Stielike.Despite a day less to prepare, Australias defence stood firm to cap an impressive breakthrough tournament for the host country.At the official presentation after the final, FIFA President Sepp Blatters arrival was booed by home fans, still upset with the 2022 World Cup bidding process that saw Australia lose out to Qatar.The 78-year-old Blatter is running for a fifth term as president despite increasing pressure, particularly from Europe, to step aside amid FIFAs tarnished reputation after years of scandals and criticism. 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