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BEIJING -- World Cup-winning manager Marcello Lippi was hired Saturday to take over the national football team in the latest sign of Chinas commitment to becoming a serious force in world soccer.The Chinese Football Association announced Lippis hiring after reports circulated this week suggesting a deal was close.The 68-year-old Lippi led Italy to the 2006 World Cup title, won five Italian league titles as manager of Juventus, and won three Chinese league titles while managing Guangzhou Evergrande before announcing his retirement in 2014.The Chinese association posted photos of a smiling Lippi signing a contract, but did not immediately confirm reports that his deal was worth 50 million euros ($54 million), which would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the world.It wont be easy for the Italian. Lippi, who will be formally introduced on Friday, inherits a national team thats made one World Cup in its entire history -- and did not score a single goal in that tournament.Currently, China is ranked No. 84 by FIFA and in danger of missing the 2018 World Cup. Its previous coach, Gao Hongbo, resigned after a 2-0 loss on Oct. 11 to Uzbekistan. That followed a 1-0 loss at home to war-torn Syria, after which fans were seen protesting in the streets.But China has established a national goal of creating a football superpower capable of winning the World Cup by 2050. The drive is led by President Xi Jinping, a noted soccer fan who is said to have watched with frustration a 1983 exhibition in which the English side Watford trounced China.Chinese Super League teams have given big contracts to international players like Alex Teixeira and Jackson Martinez, and prominent coaches like former Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and former England boss Sven-Goran Erikkson.A 50-point plan to promote football in the country includes setting up school programs, recruiting foreign coaches and creating 70,000 new fields and 50 million school-age players by 2020.China has made improving its soccer performance a test of its prestige on the world stage. Its employed a top-down approach reminiscent of efforts that produced champions in several Olympic sports, though some question whether a World Cup competitor can be developed that way.---Football Association (in Chinese): http://www.fa.org.cn/news/china/2016-10-22/514105.html Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Stitched NBA Jerseys . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. https://www.nbachinajerseys.us/ . The news was first reported on Gonzalezs Twitter account and confirmed by the Rockies. Gonzalez has a six-week window before position players have their first workout at spring training in Arizona. NBA Jerseys China . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. Cheap NBA Jerseys . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. CHICAGO -- Terry Francona is on the verge of ending another long World Series drought.Call him Mgr. October.Clevelands maestro of a manager, who has pushed all the right buttons this season and especially over the past few weeks, moved closer to capturing his third Series title as the Indians beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 in Game 4 on Saturday night to take a 3-1 lead.Francona is the one who guided the Boston Red Sox around the Curse of the Bambino in 2004, helping them to their first title in 86 years. He led them to another three years later.And now hes got the resilient Indians on the edge of taking their first World Series in 68 years.The 57-year-old would never take any credit for Clevelands success, but the Indians wouldnt be where they are if not for Francona, who improved to 11-1 in World Series games.The guy everyone calls Tito -- his dads name -- claims he doesnt have a crystal ball. But he certainly seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to setting his lineup, pulling pitchers at just the right time and keeping his players focused.Following Clevelands 1-0 victory in Game 3, a chess match with Chicagos Joe Maddon which he called one of the most agonizing games of his managerial career, Francona made the difficult decision of not starting first baseman Mike Napoli in Game 4.Hes like the heart and soul of our team, Francona said beforehand. It bothers me to sit him, a lot.Francona played Carlos Santana at first instead, and the move panned out when he homered leading off the second inning against John Lackey. Francona has been forced to be creative with his lineup during the three games at Wrigley Field, where the Indians have had to play by National League rules and couldnt use their designated hitter.He took a risk by starting Santana in left field for Game 3 even though the former catcher had played just four innings in his career in left. It worked, though, as Santana caught the only ball hit his way on a night when the wind was blowing out in Wrigley.That was prrobably the funnest moment of the game, Francona said of Santanas catch in the first.dddddddddddd I was going crazy in the dugout. Then I thought I better cool it because there might be another one that finds him.None did, and Francona made several more astute moves in the first Series game at Wrigley in 71 years. He pulled starter Josh Tomlin in the fifth and ace reliever Andrew Miller came in and shut down the Cubs. And when Millers turn came up to bat, Francona sent in pinch-hitter Coco Crisp, who drove in the games only run.Of course he did.Francona also got a little lucky.He made so many double switches that he ran out of position players, and was going to have to bat Game 4 starter Corey Kluber.He almost used some guys that werent on the roster, joked Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway. I mean, theres no better manager in all of baseball than him. He thinks of everything at every moment. Ive learned so much from him. Its fun to watch him do it during the game. Hes gonna use everyone in the right situation to have the most success they can possibly have, and youre seeing the results of it.Francona knew just what to do with Kluber on Saturday night.Miller was throwing in the bullpen when Anthony Rizzo doubled leading off the sixth. Miller, who has been virtually unhittable in the postseason, was ready but Francona stayed with Kluber and he promptly retired the next three batters.Its been like that all month as the Indians, who have been overlooked despite running away with the AL Central, swept Boston, beat Toronto in five games and are now a win away from their first title since 1948.That Cleveland team was managed by Lou Boudreau, who was also the clubs starting shortstop.Francona laughed before Game 4 when he was asked if he was ready to play short.Im just trying to handle managing, he said. That will be enough.Its been more than that. ' ' '