RIO DE JANEIRO -- Germany is a step closer to claiming another medal in womens Olympic field hockey. The U.S. once again will leave empty-handed.The Germans held off a late surge by the U.S. to advance to the semifinals with a 2-1 victory, putting them in position to return to the medal podium in an event they won in 2004.The U.S. wont be so fortunate, but the Rio Games were a step in the right direction for a team that finished last in 2012.Were just right where we wanted to be from the beginning on, and now we have two chances to win a medal, Germany defender Nika Lorenz said. Thats what were here for, right? Thats why you play the Olympic Games.Germanys Marie Mavers opened the scoring with a goal midway through the first period. Lisa Altenburg knocked a backhanded shot into the top of the net to put Germany up 2-0 late in the first.The German defense frustrated the Americans for the rest of the match. The United States got off just seven shots. The United States controlled possession for much of the match, but couldnt produce in close.The Americans beat No. 2 Argentina and No. 3 Australia in their first two matches at the Games, then toppled Japan and India to take the lead in their pool. The United States led their final pool play match against Britain heading into the fourth period before losing 2-1.We came into the tournament hopeful of getting onto the podium, United States coach Craig Parnham said. Weve not been able to do that. Im really proud of what this team has done here, and what weve done over the past 3 + years.Even with the early deficit, the Americans thought they had a chance.Of course, wed prefer not to be two goals down in the first part of the game, Parnham said. Its what happens. Weve been there before. Its not a big issue for us.The United States turned up the pressure in the second half, but it was for naught. The Americans came up empty on a penalty corner with two minutes left in the third period. Katelyn Falgowskis goal with 3:54 remaining gave the Americans a chance, but the Germans remained strong defensively.Had we have scored a little earlier, I think it would have been a different game, Parnham said.Parnham hopes the fast start in the tournament laid the foundation for future growth. It was the United States best effort pool play performance.The strength of the program will continue to grow, Parnham said. Hopefully, weve inspired a few young Americans to get into the sport, pick up a stick and increase our number of player base.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAP Authentic Nike NFL Gear . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup. Signed Nike NFL Jerseys . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. http://www.cheapnfljerseyssigned.com/ . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Stitched Nike NFL Jerseys . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. There is a higher percentage of starting-quality prospects at quarterback than at any other position in fantasy football.That trend causes many fantasy owners to wait until later rounds to draft a quarterback. The best-case scenario in this instance is to find a quarterback with enough consistency to be a weekly starter, but one who also has the type of upside potential to vastly outperform hiis average draft position (ADP).ddddddddddddA lot of quarterbacks may come to mind as fitting this description, but one who seems to be flying under the radar is Blake Bortles. There is a strong case to be made that Bortles is a top-five-caliber fantasy quarterback. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '