standards required by FIFA," Rousseff said. She

BARI, Italy -- In 10 seconds, Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers got all the feedback he wanted from the two assistants examining video replays in a truck outside the stadium.Instead of sending off France defender Djibril Sidibe for a hard foul into the left leg of Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi three minutes into a friendly, Kuipers pulled out a yellow card instead.Its exactly what FIFA was hoping for from video assistance tests for referees -- keeping interruptions to a minimum and maintaining the flow of play.The feedback I got in just 10 seconds convinced me to give a yellow instead of sending off the player, Kuipers said Friday, a day after Frances 3-1 win.FIFA President Gianni Infantino hopes video assistant referees will be used at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.Last night a page of football history was written, said Infantino, who attended the match in Bari. Finally, after years of words, weve moved on to facts.Experiments are also being held in national club competitions this season, including Australias A-League, the Bundesliga, the league and cups in Portugal, Major League Soccer, and Serie A.Video replay officiating would be restricted to decisions on goals being scored, penalties being awarded, players being sent off, and cases of mistaken identity.The only technology currently used in soccer is to rule on disputed goals.We can no longer allow the entire world to see something big where the only one who cant see it, because its not permitted, is the referee, Infantino said.Kuipers also relied on video assistance when Italy protested for a perceived handball by Layvin Kurzawa following a header from De Rossi in the first half.I noticed that the players accepted the decisions more calmly, Kuipers said. Its better for everyone, even for the refs so theyre calmer and surer of themselves.The test was considered semi-live because Kuipers did not review any replays on the field.FIFA has not introduced on-site screen reviewing yet. Instead, Kuipers was assisted through radio communications.Getting back to the Sidibe foul, Kuiper recounted how Italys players were demanding a red card.So I had the moment to speak to the VAR, he gave me the input to give a yellow and the players accepted it, Kuipers said. (Giorgio) Chiellini for example said, `Clear rosso, rosso (red), and I said, `Its a yellow card. Its enough. So they accept it and its finished. Adidas Clearance Sale . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. Cheapest Nmd Shoes . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. http://www.stansmithdiscount.com/discount-stan-smith-shoes.html . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. Cheap Adidas Ultra Boost White . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. Cheap Adidas Stan Smith .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena.RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Brazil is facing an international embarrassment over the cancellation of a football match against England, which is sure to raise more red flags concerning the countrys readiness to hold the Confederations Cup in two weeks, the World Cup a year from now, and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. A judge on Thursday ordered the cancellation of Brazils international friendly against England scheduled for Sunday at Rio de Janeiros newly renovated Maracana stadium, saying the venue is unsafe. The state government of Rio de Janeiro said it would appeal the decision by judge Adriana Costa dos Santos and believes the stadium meets all the safety standards required. Its possible the judge may back away from her order and the let match go ahead. Even if its played, the confusion sends a message that Brazil is unprepared for the Confederations Cup -- a World Cup test even with eight teams -- and more importantly the World Cup itself, and the Olympics. FIFA, the governing body of world football, has been complaining openly for a more than a year that Brazil is not ready. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke was in Brazil earlier this month to check on venues. Hes acknowledged the Confederations Cup will be a maze of unfinished work and admitted that "not all operational arrangements will be 100 per cent." He then warned: "This will be impossible to repeat for the FIFA World Cup." "The World Cup, we cant reduce any requirement," he added. "On any (other) competition that would be fine, except at the World Cup. The World Cup is 99 per cent of the FIFA system. The World Cup has to be perfect. The World Cup is the diamond of FIFA." Early in 2012, Valcke angered Brazil officials with a blunt assessment that made international headlines. The rift was eventually settled, but delays remain in finishing stadiums and a myriad of other infrastructure like airports, roads and hotels for the World Cup. Much of that infrastructure will not be ready for the Confederations Cup. FIFA and the local World Cup organizing committee tried to distance themselves from the problems, saying they were not responsible for organizing the Brazil vs. England match. Local organizers, however, acknowledged they are using the match to view "operational areas." In her ruling, Costa dos Santos said she was cancelling all matches in the stadium until local organizers presented the documents showinng that the venue is appropriate to host events.dddddddddddd She said the decision was made to guarantee the "safety of fans at the Maracana." Prosecutors said that the stadium must remain closed until it is shown there will no safety or health risks to the public attending events at the venue. Prosecutors said they received a police report, saying the stadium presented "safety risks" and added that "dangerous materials" were at the site. They also noted there were not adequate measures for crowd control at the 79,000-seat venue, which has been renovated several times in recent years with some estimates suggesting $1 billion has been spent. The government said the problems were due to a "bureaucratic error," and said a report showing that the stadium is safe was not delivered to the proper authorities. The six stadiums being used for the Confederations Cup are in various stages of readiness. Six others that will be used for next years World Cup are still being built, and FIFA has demanded they be ready by Dec. 31. The Maracana stadium in Rio is scheduled to host the Confederations Cup final on June 30, and will be the venue for the World Cup final next year. It is also slated to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympics. Brazil President Dilma Rousseff this week praised the six Confederations Cup venues, including Maracana. "Many people did not think we would be able to build these stadiums before the Confederations Cup at the standards required by FIFA," Rousseff said. She made reference to what she called the "old-mutt" complex, a sense that Brazil lacked confidence and would fail to meet the challenge. "But the workers who built these stadiums, the businessmen hired to do these works and all the governments involved have proved that Brazil is able to accept challenges and fulfil promptly commitments undertaken." In something of a bad omen, the day that Rousseff spoke a small part of the roof at the stadium in Salvador -- a Confederations Cup venue -- collapsed under the weight of heavy rainfall. There were no injuries. The stadium that will be used for track and field at the Olympics was also closed earlier this year because of a faulty roof. The England squad, which is hoping to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, arrived in Rio on Thursday for the match. The England squad is staying at a hotel on Rios Copacabana Beach. ' ' '