hances in the match, with Keisuke Honda getting some in the first half and Ryoichi Maeda had a couple in the second. But Zaccheroni again said Brazil was a superior team to his, and wondered if it was the long flight to Brazil or Neymars quick strike that beat his team. "Either the early goal we

MINNEAPOLIS -- Seimone Augustus had 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting in her return from a knee injury, and Maya Moore added 15 to help the Minnesota Lynx cruise to an 88-70 victory over the New York Liberty on Friday night.Augustus, who missed the last three games because of a sore left knee, grabbed a season-high seven rebounds and had four assists. Janel McCarville scored a season-best 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting for Minnesota (18-4).Back-to-back baskets by Shavonte Zellous pulled the Liberty (16-7) within four with 2:35 left in the first half, but Lindsay Whalen hit a jumper and had two assists during a 9-2 run that pushed the Lynxs lead into double figures early in the third quarter. Minnesota, ranked second in the AP WNBA power poll, made 10 of 15 from the field in the period and led the rest of the way.Tina Charles had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Zellous added 11 points for the third-ranked Liberty. New York had its four-game winning streak snapped.The Lynx have won three games in a row and five of their last six. Authentic Custom Pelicans Jersey . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Cheap Custom Pelicans Jersey . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. http://www.custompelicansjersey.com/ . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. Wholesale Custom Pelicans Shirts . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Pelicans Jerseys China . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. BRASILIA, Brazil -- Only three minutes into the match, Neymar got the job done. The Brazil striker scored early to help Brazil beat Japan 3-0 in the opening match of the Confederations Cup on Saturday, knocking in a firm shot from outside the penalty area. Neymar connected with the ball after Fred controlled a long cross from Marcelo with his chest. The ball bounced only once before Neymar whacked it in. "It was a very quick moment where Fred was able to control the ball and I was very lucky to get a fantastic kick and score a goal," said Neymar, who went off in the 74th minute with what appears to be a minor injury. "Everythings OK," Neymar said. "Not to worry." For the two minutes following the goal, most of the 67,432 fans at the National Stadium chanted Neymars name, reveling in the knowledge that their poster boy is already starting to deliver for the national team with one year to go before the World Cup. Paulinho added the second goal for Brazil in the 48th, deftly controlling a cross from Dani Alves before turning inside and shooting. Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima got his hands to the ball, but it was too powerful for him to stop. Jo got the third, latching onto a through ball from Oscar and sliding it past Kawashima in injury time. The win puts Brazil at the top of Group A with three points. Italy and Mexico will play in the other group match on Sunday. "The reason we were not able to do what we normally do on the pitch is because we went one goal down in the third minute of the first half," Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said. "This probably shocked us." Neymar entered Saturdays match facing a minor wave of criticism. He has become something of an idol in Brazil, but a nine-match scoreless streak had heaped pressure on the 21-year-old striker heading into the Confederations Cup. The fickle Brazilian fans, who had taken to booing their team in recent weeks, were firmly behind the "Selecao" and its star this time, however. "We are building an environment that is even better than then one we had 15 days ago," said Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led his national tteam to the 2002 World Cup title.dddddddddddd"I believe this is something everybody wants for us to reach the final, and win it." With his hair long on top and short on the sides, Neymar has already started to transcend the game in Brazil, like David Beckham nearly everywhere else. His picture is plastered around the country in underwear and phone ads, to name a few. He has also appeared on Brazilian TV, appearing as himself in one of the countrys biggest soap operas. Thats just off the field. On it, Neymar has earned himself a massive transfer from local club Santos to Barcelona, where he will be teammates with Lionel Messi next season. The match against Japan was likely something Neymar was looking forward to. The Japanese have never beaten Brazil in 10 games, earning only two draws -- both at the Confederations Cup, first in 2001 and then again in 2005. The last time they played, in a friendly in Poland in October, Neymar scored two goals. This time, he was named "Man of the Match." Japan had its chances in the match, with Keisuke Honda getting some in the first half and Ryoichi Maeda had a couple in the second. But Zaccheroni again said Brazil was a superior team to his, and wondered if it was the long flight to Brazil or Neymars quick strike that beat his team. "Either the early goal we conceded made the team too worried or maybe the physical fitness was not enough," the Italian said. Not everything was perfect for Neymar on Saturday, however. In the 15th minute, Neymar was stuck on the sidelines fiddling with the socks on his right foot. He came back on the field about two minutes later -- after the fans took a moment to boo referee Pedro Proenca for not letting their star back on more quickly. Midway through the second half, he was briefly knocked down. When he got back up, the fans started chanting his name once again. And then, about six minutes later, Neymar was taken off and replaced by Lucas. The decision halted the Neymar chants, but not the cheers for Brazil from the yellow-clad faithful. "He had a good game," Scolari said, "and he only left because he had an injury." ' ' '