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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Fans wearing the familiar gold-and-green-trimmed shirts of Brazils national team were still streaming up the ramp and into the Maracana Stadium when Neymar struck. All of 15 seconds had elapsed since the opening whistle.As it turned out, there was no need to hurry, let alone worry. Whatever terrible toll these Olympics wind up extracting from this cash-strapped, soccer-mad nation, its already clear that wont put a dent in the Selecao.Its 6-0 semifinal win Wednesday over Honduras kept Brazil in pursuit of the Olympic gold medal -- the one important international prize the only five-time World Cup champions have never won.Im happy for the goals but the most important thing is that we made it to the final, said Gabriel Jesus. It was important to win like this, playing well and with a lot of goals.The locals expect them not just to win, but to do it with style, keeping faith with a long line of stars -- beginning with Pele -- who set the bar high with their commitment to play o jogo bonito (the beautiful game). By that standard, Neymars opening tally was a comedy of errors.Honduran defender Johnny Palacios clumsy clearing attempt from the top of his goal box bounced off Neymars shins and the slim forward kept his balance and followed it toward the net. Goalkeeper Luis Lopez rushed out, went to the ground and tried to spread himself, but his clearing attempt, too, bounced off Neymar and rolled slowly forward once more, this time into the net.We can admit now -- we were all nervous when we came. The last game (against Mexico) was too close, said Rio native Marcio Salles.Salles was wearing the jersey of former Brazilian player Hulk and dancing in the concourse afterward alongside his pals as samba music filtered through the stadium.But even when it was still only 1-0, Salles added, they showed confidence and then ... they honored this place and played as they should.At least Brazils other two scores before halftime were artistic successes. Gabriel Jesus beat Lopez with the flick of his right boot after running onto a surgical cross from Luan in the 26th minute to make it 2-0; then he outraced a Honduran defender and scooped up a perfectly weighted pass from Neymar in the 35th , finishing the breakaway with a rocket into the roof of the net.Footballers like Neymar, who draws his hefty paycheck from the Spanish giant Barcelona, are the countrys most famous exports. At last count, there were more than 600 Brazilians employed in the top leagues in Europe, where the money is good and the living is much easier than back home.Neymar left Brazil in 2013 as a 21-year-old and is one of three senior players on Brazils team; Olympic rules require the remaining players to be 23 or younger. So while only four of the players on the roster currently play overseas, 10 more will likely be gone within the next two to three years. Prominent in that group are Garbiel Barbosa, known in these part as Gabigol and Gabriel Jesus, who signed Premier League powerhouse Manchester City.By comparison, all but two of Honduras 18 players ply their trade in the countrys domestic league, and nearly all of them are likely to stay there.Including Neymar wasnt simply about winning Olympic gold, but a way to let him begin forming a partnership with Gabigol and Gabriel Jesus, two youngsters who also figure prominently in Brazils 2018 World Cup plans. The nation is still keening for revenge over the way Germany humiliated them in the last World Cup -- 7-1 en route to the title -- and on their home soil no less.That much was apparent right after Brazils first tally, when fans, clearly pulling for Germany in its semifinal match against Nigeria later in the day, began chanting, Hey Germany, just wait! Your turn is coming up!---Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke(at)ap.org and Twitter.com/JimLitke. Cheap Vapormax 2 China . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. Nike Air VaporMax 2019 White-Metallic Gold . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. http://www.clearancevapormax.com/cheap-vapormax-womens-clearance.html . 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. Mens Fake Vapormax . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Vapormax 2 Flyknit Clearance . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. PITTSBURGH -- Mike Tomlin is not a big picture guy. The Pittsburgh Steelers coach, as he likes to say, prefers not to paint with a broad brush.Only when the season is over will Tomlin widen out the lens. Still, even with a month to go Tomlin acknowledged the responsibilities placed on cornerback Ross Cockrell have been borderline unfair. Signed off the waiver wire in the summer of 2015, Cockrell has rapidly evolved into Pittsburghs equivalent of a shutdown corner, a spot he earned through a combination of merit and attrition.And one in which Cockrell has largely thrived. The latest proof came last Sunday, when Cockrell and rookie first-round pick Artie Burns helped keep New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in check for large portions of a 24-14 win that kept Pittsburgh (7-5) tied for first in the AFC North.Not bad for a player deemed expendable by the Buffalo Bills -- whom the Steelers visit this weekend -- who also spent a large portion of 2015 playing only in sub packages. Now hes the guy Tomlin turns to first when facing a top-flight wide receiver.Because of his partner being the young guy that he is in Artie Burns, weve challenged him in ways that maybe arent necessarily fair to him or a guy in his position, Tomlin said. Oftentimes, we treat him as a much more seasoned player than he actually is in terms of the things we ask him to do.Thats fine by Cockrell, who has lined up across from Beckham, A.J. Green and Dez Bryant among others while helping anchor a secondary that is starting to come together after a slow start. Ranked 30th against the pass a month ago, the Steelers have steadily improved to 19th during a three-game winning streak. New Yorks Eli Manning managed just 195 yards through the air, with 52 of them coming on a meaningless last-minute drive when the outcome was already decided.Cockrell hardly claims to be a miracle worker, quickly passing credit to a rejuvenated pass rush that has generated 13 sacks over the last three weeks -- or the same total the Steelers managedd through the first nine games combined.ddddddddddddWe are getting pressure on the quarterback and that helps a whole bunch on the back end, Cockrell said. So long as those guys continue to perform well, I think well be a good defense.The Steelers prefer to mix up their matchups and Burns is rapidly maturing into the aggressive force they envisioned when they took him with the 25th overall pick in the draft. Cockrell entered the league as a fourth-round selection in 2014, but lost his job at the end of his second training camp with the Bills. The Steelers didnt waste any time picking him up.One mans misfortune, or one organizations luxury, is another ones opportunity, Tomlin said. We were thankful he was available to us. Hes been a consistent performer for us. And one thats been consistently on the rise.The Bills in a way offer a breather of sorts, at least when it comes to throwing all over the field. Buffalo is dead last in passing and quarterback Tyrod Taylor is struggling to find any sort of rhythm. While running back LeSean McCoy is so dynamic Buffalo often doesnt need Taylor to put it up to move the ball, a little bit of Taylor and wide receiver Sammie Watkins could go a long way for the Bills. It will be up to Cockrell and company to try and keep Watkins under wraps and Pittsburghs late-season surge afloat.I think were all just growing thorough the process, and thankfully, I think were growing in the right ways, Tomlin said. And I think thats helping us put better tape out there and putting us in position to win the games.Game notes Tomlin said theres a chance injured kicker Chris Boswell (abdomen) could return this weekend but the team will hold on to Randy Bullock just in case. ... RB DeAngelo Williams (knee) and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot) could return to practice this week.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '