that." Neymar was replaced in the 69th to a standing ovation by

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Carl Edwards became the early favorite to win NASCARs championship with a strong showing in the final practice before Sundays title-deciding finale.Edwards was the fastest championship contender in the category that is the best indicator for race readiness. On pure speed, his Toyota was second fastest overall in Saturdays practice. Edwards was fifth on the chart for best 10 consecutive lap averages, and thats typically the clue as to who has a strong car.I couldnt have asked for a better practice than that, Edwards said. We didnt have any problems.Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano and teammate Kyle Busch will race Sunday for the Chase championship. The highest finisher at Homestead-Miami Speedway wins the title.Edwards last raced for a championship in 2011, when he lost the title on a tie-breaker to Tony Stewart. Now a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, hes in the championship finale for the first time in the three years of this elimination format. One of the most structured and regimented drivers in the series, hes handling the stress of a hectic championship week like a pro.Hes been loose and funny, despite total chaos. His motorhome broke down on the way to Miami, the loaner was a dud, and when he finally got some accommodations, he had none of his personal belongings. Edwards had to make an emergency trip to a Macys to buy clothes to wear to a Miami Beach dinner party.Yet hes managed to focus on Sunday and give thought to what might transpire.Anything can happen in this race. You kind of visualize it being straight forward, but theres a lot of fast cars that arent one of us four guys racing for a championship, so I think its going to be a really good battle, he said.Indeed, those outside the championship four are a pretty stout group of potential winners. Martin Truex Jr., the strongest driver in the first round of the Chase before he was eliminated in the second round, was fastest on speed.Kevin Harvick had the best 10 consecutive lap average. He was eliminated from the finale last week and isnt racing for the title for the first time in three seasons.Also in the mix is Stewart, who is retiring Sunday from NASCAR competition. He has a decent car for his last Cup race in a Chevrolet, a brand he has long represented but will take his Stewart-Haas Racing organization to Ford next year.Johnson, seeking a record-tying seventh championship, was ninth in the final practice. He hit a hose that fell off another car, dismissing it as just a little scratch.Driving much better, great speed, short run speed, long run speed, he said. We made some good improvements there at the end of that.Busch was 13th and Logano, trying to become the first Ford driver to win a title since 2004, was 21st and didnt sound thrilled with his car.Were OK. We need to work on our stuff a little bit, he said. I know weve been on both sides of the fence, and we havent been the fastest yet, so well keep working on it. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. Cheap Jerseys . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. http://www.nbajerseyschinawholesale.com/ . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Authentic NBA Jerseys Cheap . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. SALVADOR, Brazil -- Neymar scored his third goal in three matches and Fred added two others as Brazil showed commanding form to defeat Italy 4-2 and finish top of Group A of the Confederations Cup on Saturday. Substitute defender Dante opened the scoring from close range in first-half injury time, but Italy equalized through Emanuele Giaccherinis swift breakaway in the 51st. Dante looked just offside for his goal. Neymar scored in the 55th with a well-placed free kick shot into the top corner of the net as Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon could only watch, and Fred added to the lead from inside the area in the 66th before Italy pulled closer again with a Giorgio Chiellini goal in the 71st. Brazil was furious with Uzbek referee Ravshan Irmatov, who appeared to blow for an Italy penalty but changed his mind and gave a goal when it went in the net a second or so later. Italy almost equalized when an 80th-minute header by Christian Maggio exploded off the crossbar, and Mario Balotelli just missed with a right-footed shot a few minutes later, but Fred sealed the victory from a Buffon parry in the 89th, another goal that looked offside. Brazil ended with nine points, three more than the Italians. Mexico and Japan had already been eliminated. Brazil needed at least a draw to win the group and likely avoid a matchup with World Cup champion Spain, which leads Group B. "Brazil is ready for the semifinal," Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "Weve made it with a team with good technical and tactical quality and with a lot of confidence." Italy coach Cesare Prandelli was pleased with some of his teams performance. "In the second half we played great. Im very pleased with what I saw, the way we reacted and had desire to attack deep. Of course, against squads like these you always risk something and if you make a mistake you let in a goal. "Matches like these make you grow and if we face Spain well try to play our game," he said. The result keeps Italy winless against Brazil in 30 years, since the second round of the 1982 World Cup in Spain. In six matches since, Brazil has won four and there were two draws. Brazil had also beaten Italy 3-0 the group stage of the 2009 Confederations Cup, when it eventually won its second-straight title -- and third overall -- in the warm-up competition. Brazil hasnt won any significant title since then. The teams had met only four times since the 1994 World Cup final in the United States, with two victories by Brazil and two draws, including a 2-2 result earlier this year. It was the first time the teams played in Brazil. Brazil took control in the first few minutes but it didnt take long beffore Italy levelled the match at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador.dddddddddddd "We feared Brazil a little in the first half and you cant do that against a team like Brazil," Prandelli said. "In the second half we played in a different way. We showed personality and we are satisfied with how the team reacted. Im happy with the way the team fought back and tried to make it difficult for Brazil." Dante, who replaced injured starting defender David Luiz in the 34th, put Brazil ahead with a left-footed shot off a rebound from a difficult save by Buffon following a header by striker Fred. Buffon dived to his left to make the stop, but Dante was in position to sidefoot the ball into the net. Dante appeared to be narrowly offside after Freds header from the free kick taken by Neymar. Italy equalized with Giaccherinis powerful shot into the far corner after receiving an acrobatic pass by Balotelli as he was hit by Dante outside the area. Giaccherini had come on in the 26th to replace injured midfielder Riccardo Montolivo. Neymar found the net from the free kick after he was fouled just outside the box following a nice run past Italian defenders. Buffon began going to his right and couldnt get back after Neymar fired the shot away from the wall instead of going over it. "Neymar can be decisive and thats what happened with the free kick," Scolari said. "He had many good quality opportunities but the key thing was when he realized Buffon was taking a step to the side. Only those geniuses who have a notion of what is happening in the match can do that." Neymar was replaced in the 69th to a standing ovation by the nearly 50,000 fans packing the Arena Fonte Nova. The recently signed Barcelona player was chosen the man of the match for the third match in a row. Fred took advantage of a long pass by Marcelo and scored his first goal with a firm left-footed shot into the top of the net after battling with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini inside the area. Chiellini pulled Italy closer with a shot from near the penalty spot after a corner kick taken by Antonio Candreva, and after the missed chances by Maggio and Balotelli, Fred found the net again off the rebound of Buffons save after a shot by Marcelo in a breakaway. Italy also lost Ignazio Abate because of an injury just 30 minutes into the match. The teams started without some of their most important players. Italy couldnt count on midfielder Andrea Pirlo because of a strained right leg muscle, while Brazil was without defensive midfielder Paulinho because of a left ankle sprain. The Italians also missed Daniele De Rossi, who was suspended with two yellow cards. ' ' '