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shortlist included Japan coach Norio
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LAS VEGAS -- A topsy-turvy Continental Cup took another twist Friday night. Robert Lewandowski Bayern Munich Jersey . Team North America, which suffered five defeats in the six singles contests in the afternoon, bounced back with two victories in team play and earned a tie in the other game, with all three games decided on skips rocks in the eighth and final end. By claiming 2.5 of the three available points, Team North America took an 11-10 lead in curlings version of the Ryder Cup. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the WFG Continental Cup. Team North America skip Jeff Stoughton of Winnipeg made the shot of the evening, with a stunning in-off through a narrow port to score one in the sixth end against Team Worlds David Murdoch of Scotland. Stoughton carried the momentum into the eighth end, scoring a game-winning deuce for a 5-4 triumph. "(Stoughtons shot) was huge," said vice-skip Jon Mead. "We had a good end going and had a couple just miss by nothing and to be in such a bad situation - it was a tough in-off without having to go off two rocks just to get there and he made a beauty and the place went nuts and it was a three-point swing, which was huge." In other mens action, Team North Americas Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., also scored two in the eighth end to pull out a 4-3 win over Team Worlds Thomas Ulsrud of Norway. A beautiful freeze by Jacobs vice-skip Ryan Fry set the table, and Jacobs didnt need to throw his final rock. In womens play, a big steal of one in the sixth end by Team North Americas Erika Brown of Oakville, Ont., made the difference in a 3-3 tie with Team Worlds Eve Muirhead of Scotland. Muirhead had a shot at two for the win, but couldnt make the angle raise and settled for the game-tying single. Team World won five of the six afternoon game, after the teams split the three available points in the early draw. Thiago Alcantara Bayern Munich Jersey . "Uuufff," was all shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria could come up with after Stantons latest mammoth shot. David Alaba Jersey . -- Arizona came out of its last meeting with California a bit discombobulated, hurting from its first loss and the loss of forward Brandon Ashley for the rest of the season.ZURICH - For the third time, Cristiano Ronaldo was voted the worlds best football player. He hopes it also brought him closer to being remembered as one of the greatest of all time.Ronaldo won the FIFA Ballon dOr in a rout on Monday, racking up more than twice the votes of Lionel Messi, who edged German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into third.The Real Madrid and Portugal forwards latest hat trick tied him with Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo of Brazil on three FIFA awards. The original Ballon dOr presented by France Football magazine was won by European standouts Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten three times each.Only Messis four FIFA awards is ahead of the 29-year-old Ronaldo, whose Madrid team again seems better placed for trophies in 2015 than his rivals Barcelona.I want to become one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo said through a translator in his acceptance speech. Of course, this requires a lot of effort and I hope to get there.Ronaldo retained footballs highest individual honour after scoring 61 goals last year. His record tally of 17 in a Champions League season helped Madrid win an unprecedented 10th European Cup title — and overshadowed a relatively disappointing World Cup campaign.He has kept up the pace since FIFAs voting college — national team captains and coaches, plus selected journalists, in more than 180 countries took part — cast ballots in November.Ronaldo helped Madrid take the Club World Cup title last month to cap a Spanish-record 22-match winning streak.Its a fantastic moment in my career, Ronaldo said after the FIFA ceremony. I want to carry on with more titles in my career, collective and individual.He won his first FIFA award in 2008 as a Manchester United player and on Monday cited his mentor there, Alex Ferguson, as an inspiration.He would say, Cristiano, you are the best, dont worry about the rest. Hes fantastic. I miss him, Ronaldo said.One year ago, Ronaldo was in tears of joy and relief at ending Messis four-year hold on footballs highest individual honour.He was a much more composed winner on Monday.On hearing his name read by French great Thierry Henry, Ronaldo closed his eyes, dipped his head and smiled before walking to the stage.It has been an unforgeettable year, Ronaldo, who now has a statute in his home island Madeira, said after taking a deep breath. Holger Badstuber Bayern Munich Jersey. In what has become a Ballon dOr tradition, Portugal captain Ronaldo did not pick Messi in his top three and Argentina captain Messi ignored Ronaldo on his ballot. Neither selected Neuer.Ronaldo received 37.66 per cent of total voting points in a 23-candidate ballot. Messi got 15.76 per cent and Neuer 15.72 per cent.Germany won the other three major individual awards to compensate for Neuers defeat.World Cup-winning coach Joachim Loew beat Ancelotti and Diego Simeone of Spanish champion Atletico Madrid for the mens coaching awarrd.Germany midfielder Nadine Kessler beat two former winners — Marta of Brazil and United States forward Abby Wambach — to be named the best womens player in 2014. Kessler received 17.52 per cent of all voting points, Marta got 14.16 per cent and Wambach 13.33 per cent.A German man also won the coaching award for womens football: Ralf Kellermann was rewarded for leading a Wolfsburg team including Kessler to back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles. The shortlist included Japan coach Norio Sasaki and Maren Meinert, who guided Germany to win the Womens Under-20 World Cup.Womens football also lost to the men in fan voting for the most beautiful goal, known as the Puskas Award.James Rodriguezs volley for Colombia against Uruguay at the World Cup beat Ireland forward Stephanie Roches spectacular strike for Peamount United in an amateur domestic league match in October 2013. In third place was Netherlands forward Robin van Persies header against Spain.FIFA President Sepp Blatter gave his annual award to 90-year-old Japanese journalist Hiroshi Kagawa, who worked at his 10th World Cup in Brazil. The Fair Play award went to FIFA tournament volunteer workers.Days after the terrorist incidents in Paris, Blatter gave his keynote speech in French rather than his usual English, and Henry followed his 1998 World Cup-winning teammate Christian Karembeu in presenting awards.On a further sombre note, Kessler and Kellerman paid tribute in acceptance speeches to their Wolfsburg colleague Junior Malanda, a Belgium youth international, who died in a car crash at the weekend. ' ' '