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AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- In a severe blow to the Netherlands World Cup hopes, midfielder Kevin Strootman looks certain to miss the tournament in Brazil because of a serious knee injury. AS Roma said Monday that the 24-year-old Strootman will undergo surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and possibly damaging the meniscus in his left knee during Sundays 1-0 loss at Napoli. Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said in a statement he talked to the injured midfielder by phone. "I can imagine his world is falling apart at the moment," Van Gaal said, adding that Strootmans loss "is also a blood-letting for the Netherlands team." The left-footed midfielder has captained the national side in the past and is widely considered a future full-time leader for his country. A strong tackler, he is also comfortable bringing the ball forward in attack. Strootman has played 25 times for the Dutch national side as a midfield enforcer, scoring three times. He was one of only a handful of players virtually guaranteed a place in Van Gaals World Cup squad. "Kevin played a major role in our qualification for the World Cup in Brazil," Van Gaal said. The 2010 runners-up have been drawn to play defending champion Spain, Chile and Australia at the World Cup. Balenciaga Wholesale . Their 9-19 record remains identical to the crosstown rivals in Brooklyn and trails both Toronto and Boston in the Atlantic Division. Raymond Felton, their declining point guard, is back on the sideline nursing his third injury of the season. Air Max 95 Discount .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. http://www.cheapairmaxchinawholesale.com...-tn-outlet.html. 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Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Cheap . - Anthony Beauvillier had the winning goal in the third period as the Shawinigan Cataractes edged the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 2-1 on Wednesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play.THE HAGUE, Netherlands - In the biggest challenge yet to Sepp Blatter, Dutch football association leader Michael van Praag entered the FIFA presidential election race on Monday.Van Praag became the first would-be Blatter opponent to announce he has the required nominations from five of FIFAs 209 member federations.Its widely known that Im very worried about FIFA, Van Praag said in a statement. Last June, he told Blatter in Brazil that people tend not to take you very seriously anymore.People link FIFA to corruption and bribery and all kinds of old boys networks, Van Praag told reporters in Sao Paulo last June after he and other senior European football officials confronted Blatter at a UEFA meeting.The Netherlands association said in a statement that Van Praag will send his official candidacy letter along with five declarations of support from unnamed federations to FIFA headquarters on Tuesday. The entry deadline is Thursday, four months ahead of the May 29 ballot.Van Praags campaign was launched after he revealed the plan to his UEFA executive committee colleagues at a meeting in Nyon, Switzerland.Still, UEFA is not formally endorsing Van Praag as its candidate despite its open hostility toward Blatter.There is no candidate of UEFA, as a matter of fact, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino said at a post-meeting news conference. What we provide at UEFA is a platform for everyone to express (his) view. It is certainly positive for football that there is more than one candidate.UEFA and its president Michel Platini — who last August opted out of a conttest against his former mentor Blatter — have also encouraged FIFA Vice-President Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan to stand.ddddddddddddPrince Ali announced his intention to stand three weeks ago but has not revealed his five supporting nations.However, Van Praag took an apparent swipe at the prince in his statement.For quite some time, I was hoping that another credible challenger would put himself forward, but that simply has not happened, said the former president of four-time European champion Ajax.Other potential candidates include longtime Blatter ally Jerome Champagne, a former FIFA international relations director, and former France player David Ginola.Blatter, who has led FIFA since 1998, is the overwhelming favourite to get a fifth presidential term.The 78-year-old FIFA chief stoked tensions with UEFA in an interview aired by CNN ahead of Platinis board meeting Monday.Blatter goaded UEFA by saying it led opposition to him but they dont have the courage to come in the election fight.The 67-year-old Van Praag, a respected figure whose family led Ajax to dominate European football in the early-1970s, has long been seen as the most likely European to take on Blatter.He has called a news conference Wednesday at the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam, which was his clubs home in its heyday.One should not confine oneself to words, Van Praag said in the Dutch FA statement, but follow them up with deeds and decisiveness, which is why I now announce my candidacy.___AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Nyon, Switzerland, contributed to this report ' ' '