too ambitious, but at the same time youve got to have faith in t

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Portugal and Nigeria won their final Group B matches to reach the last 16 of the Under-20 World Cup on Thursday, while third-place South Korea still has a chance of advancing. Spain and France had already advanced from Group A, and Spain won the group with a 2-1 win over the French. Captain Paco Alcacer and Jese scored before substitute Thibaut Vion found the net for France in injury time. The United States, which hasnt reached the knockout stages since 2007, finished last in the group after a 4-1 defeat by Ghana. Portugal striker Bruma scored his fourth and fifth goals of the event to help the two-time champions beat Cuba 5-0 and top the group, while Nigeria defeated South Korea 1-0 after an early goal by Olarenwaju Kayode and overtook the Asians for second place. Ricardo, Aladje and To Ze also found the net for Portugal, while Bruma almost added a sixth but hit the crossbar. It was Portugals biggest ever win in the competition, improving on 3-0 defeats of Argentina in 1991 and the Netherlands four years later. Portugal won the title in 1989 and 91 and finished runner-up to Brazil two years ago. Cuba, which lost all three games and became the first team to be eliminated, was making its debut appearance. Nigeria secured its victory after Kayode was left unmarked by the South Korean defence and headed home a free kick by captain Abdul Ajagun in the ninth minute. South Korea still has a chance to advance as one of the best four third-place teams. Ghana had more possession in the opening half hour but the U.S. was still able to create three scoring chances. However, a header and later a shot by Mario Rodriguez both lacked power, and a powerful 20-meter (yard) effort by Jose Villarreal brought a diving save from goalkeeper Eric Antwi. U.S. keeper Cody Cropper reacted quickly while lying on the ground to save a shot from six meters by Lawrence Lartey In the 35th minute. But Cropper had no chance shortly afterward, when several American defenders failed to clear the ball from the area and Frank Acheampong fired home a low shot. Another piece of weak defending allowed the unmarked Ebenezer Assifuah to curl the ball past Cropper in the 58th the minute. Shane ONeill pulled a goal back for the Americans from Oscar Sortos cross in the 69th, the U.S. wasnt able to stage a comeback. Assifuah scored his second of the game nine minutes later and Kennedy Ashia added Ghanas in the 83rd. It was the first defeat for the U.S. team against an African opponent since losing 2-0 to Egypt in 2001. The U.S. qualified for Turkey after finishing runner-up to Mexico in the CONCACAF Under-20 championship earlier this year. But it was drawn into what is widely regarded as the toughest group with two European powerhouses and Ghana, which won the title in 2009 and has never failed to qualify for the knockout stage in its five previous appearances. Nike Air Force 1 Clearance Australia . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. Nike Air Force 1 Australia Cheap . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. http://www.cheapnikeairforce1australia.com/ . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Nike Air Force Ones Sale . "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. Cheap Nike Air Force 1 Australia . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk has already come back from one ruptured Achilles tendon.Now hes doing it again -- and faster than before.Less than six months after he was hurt during an offseason workout, Sirk is aiming to be back on the field next month when the Blue Devils begin preseason camp.I just dont want to be back just to say that Im back, Sirk said in an interview with The Associated Press. I want to be even better than I was before. It wouldnt do me any good or the team any good to say, `Hey, Thomas Sirk is back. I want to come back and help our team win in every game.Sirks recovery will likely be a topic of discussion Thursday during the Atlantic Coast Conferences media days in Charlotte. Coach David Cutcliffe said this week that hell have a better idea of Sirks availability in the next couple of weeks -- Duke begins Aug. 8 -- but that Sirks work ethic during his rehab process left a strong impression on him.I dont ever go into the facility and not see him working, Cutcliffe said.Sirk is a rising redshirt senior who in his first season as Dukes starter led the Blue Devils to their first bowl victory since 1961, an overtime win over Indiana in last years Pinstripe Bowl in which he earned co-MVP honors after rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for another. He passed for 2,625 yards with 16 TDs last season and also led the team in rushing with 803 yards and eight scores.Then came a seemingly benign conditioning session with his teammates on Feb. 9. He started to run a 10-yard sprint and heard his left heel pop. It was the same sound he heard from his right heel in April 2013 -- when he ruptured that Achilles tendon and missed that entire season.I just kind of accepted it at that point -- here comes the rehab process, Sirk said. I knew that I did it once, I can do it again and come back from it.To many outside the team, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Sirk wouldnt play in 2016, and the fiirst-team reps during the spring game went to Parker Boehme.ddddddddddddBut the Blue Devils werent so pessimistic. Cutcliffe said during spring practice that Thomas may be ready, just so everybody knows while mentioning his rehab was ahead of schedule, and it was Sirk who was listed atop the post-spring depth chart.For Sirk, some of the lessons from his first comeback helped to accelerate the process this time around, he said.Its kind of sped up as far as what Im doing, and now I feel like Im reaching the goals that I had last time for my Achilles faster, and Im reaching them at 100 percent, Sirk said. Im not just reaching them to say that Ive reached them. You dont want to be too ambitious, but at the same time youve got to have faith in the process.The worst of the exercises, he said, were calf presses because its kind of disheartening when you cant lift up on one side as well as you can the other side but that hes regaining the muscle definition in his left calf.He said hes been throwing five days a week with his receivers to keep his timing, touch and coordination, even if sometimes those throws have been while hes on his knees. And hes jogging both on land and on an underwater treadmill, working toward his goal of running full speed.Ultimately, he wants to help Duke reach -- and win -- an ACC championship game after the injury during his redshirt freshman year kept him sidelined during the Blue Devils run to the Coastal Division title in 2013.It means everything to me, coming back for my senior year and being there with the guys I came in with and finishing what we started, Sirk said. We want to win an ACC championship. I think we have that caliber of talent on our team. ... I feel like I still have unfinished business and I want to make my senior year the best I can for myself and my team. ' ' '