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GIBRALTAR, Gibraltar - The captain of Gibraltars national soccer team laughs as he contemplates the task facing his team of amateurs against Germany.To put things in perspective, we have gone from Sunday league football to playing the world champions in 18 months, Roy Chipolina said, shaking his head in bewilderment. Sometimes I have to pinch myself.Win, lose or draw — and some locals here will be happy if Germany is kept to single figures in Fridays European Championship qualifier in Nuremberg — its a victory for Gibraltar just to be sharing a field with a team that beat Brazil 7-1 en route to winning the World Cup four months ago.After a 16-year fight, the tiny British colony — a rocky outcropping on the southern tip of Spain inhabited by about 30,000 people — became a fully recognized international team when it was accepted as the 54th and smallest member of UEFA in 2013. The move had previously been resisted by the Spanish, who dispute the sovereignty of the territory.The acceptance sparked wild celebrations in the narrow streets of Gibraltar, some of the biggest parties since one native won Miss World in 2009.A completely amateur set-up, from the players to the countrys football association, suddenly had to become a whole lot more professional. Within months, they had been drawn in a European qualifying group containing Germany, Poland, Ireland and Scotland.We have gone from 10 people watching us play to 35,000 people watching us play, Chipolina said in an interview just off the bustling main street that runs through Gibraltar, which has an area of just 7 square kilometres.The past 12 months has been a year of firsts for the Gibraltarians: A first official game — a creditable, unexpected 0-0 against Slovakia in November; a first (and so far only) win — 1-0 over Malta in June; a first Euro qualifier — a 7-0 loss to Poland in September.In their two other Group D qualifiers, theyve lost 7-0 to Ireland and 3-0 to Georgia. No points, no goals.Its been a culture shock for the players. Only three Gibraltar internationals play professionally — two of those in the English lower leagues — with the rest having to balance playing the game they love with holding down a full-time job.Take the teams main striker, Kyle Casciaro. He is an operations manager for a shipping firm in Gibraltar and works 9-6 Monday to Friday, as well as being on call every other weekend. In his spare time, he plays for Lincoln Red Imps — one of eight teams in the amateur Gibraltar Premier Division. They train three, sometimes four, nights a week before a weekend match. Then there is fitness work at the gym.Yesterday, I finished work, went home quickly, changed into my kit, had a banana, then went to get the coach to training in Spain, Casciaro said in an interview during a break from work.Going on international duty with Gibraltar involves taking a week off work for the likes of Casciaro and Lincoln teammate Chipolina, who is a customs officer. Representing Gibraltar in 10 European qualifiers per year requires 50 days off work and they have only 25 days of annual leave. So, they rely on the goodwill of their employers to accept a request from the Gibraltar FA to take special leave for international matches.Its hard enough balancing football, work and family, with your wife nagging at you when you go training every night, Chipolina said with a smile. Then youve got to use your annual leave for football, so you have to tell your wife we arent going on holiday this year.Firemen, a policeman, a store manager, a student, a teacher, a researcher — they come from all walks of life to play for Gibraltar.Admittance to UEFA means Gibraltars players are, however, getting a glimpse of what life would be like as a professional footballer. When they go away for international duty, players now wear suits instead of tracksuits, stay in five-star hotels and VIP areas, and are even starting to be asked for autographs. They follow a strict itinerary, when two years ago they would book their own hotels and everything would be fairly ad hoc.But back at their clubs, life can still be amateurish. Gibraltar midfielder Jeremy Lopez plays in the domestic league for Manchester 62 FC, which holds one of its three training sessions each week on a concrete parking lot behind a hotel.Can you imagine Bastian Schweinsteiger doing that? Lopez said, referring to the Germany midfielder he is about to confront.There are severe challenges and hardships facing Gibraltars footballers. There is only one full-sized field on the territory, at Victoria Stadium near the border with Spain. The arena has to be shared by teams from all leagues and age groups — juniors to seniors, men and women — so time is at a premium.Because Victoria Stadium only has a capacity of about 2,000 and doesnt meet UEFA requirements, Gibraltar has to play its home matches in Faro in Portugal — a five-hour drive for the team and their fans, who usually number around 500. The GFA is looking into building an 8,000-seat stadium at the other end of the territory but that is years away from being a reality.And Gibraltar coach Allen Bula said he realistically has a pool of only about 60 players to choose from when he selects his national squad.Still, Gibraltar isnt complaining, not after what it has been through to get recognition from the global football community. Long-awaited UEFA membership is offering the team and the country new opportunities.Its giving us international exposure, free publicity, PR that money cant buy, said GFA chief executive Dennis Beiso, whose target is for Gibraltar to become the best of the minnows within Europe on and off the field.A daunting trip to Germany awaits but its not the first huge obstacle to have faced Gibraltars footballers.It wont be the last.Its going to be a different level, a different planet, Casciaro said. I think, to be quite honest, they are going to score as many goals as they want. Kevin King Jersey . - Leon Draisaitl scored a hat trick as the Prince Albert Raiders stormed past the Swift Current Broncos 5-2 in Western Hockey League action Tuesday. Randall Cobb Jersey . Watching them over the past year - and in some cases, two years - has given us a starting point for this seasons Craigs List. http://www.officialgreenbaypackersfootba...jersey-womens.J. -- Pete Carroll said it was the suspension of linebacker Bruce Irvin last spring that finally got the attention of the rest of the Seattle Seahawks that they needed to be taking their commitment to the team more seriously. Lane Taylor Jersey . The teams were scoreless for most of the first two periods before Canada scored three times in a span of less than four minutes. Sarah Potomak opened the scoring on the power play. Bart Starr Jersey . -- The Los Angeles Clippers chose not to speak publicly about owner Donald Sterling before they faced the Golden State Warriors for Game 4 of their first-round series Sunday. CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Anna Nordqvist rallied to win the Kia Classic on Sunday at Aviara for her second victory in her last four LPGA Tour starts. Two strokes behind leaders Cristie Kerr and Lizette Salas entering the round, Nordqvist closed with her second straight 5-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Salas. "Im very excited. I still cant believe it," Nordqvist said. "I was a couple of shots back going into today, but this morning I told myself to give it a shot and I ended up making quite of bit of birdies out there. Im very excited to have two wins this season." The 26-year-old Swede won the LPGA Thailand last month to end a five-year victory drought, holding off top-ranked Inbee Park. In 2009, Nordqvist won the LPGA Championship and LPGA Tour Championship. Projected to jump from 16th to ninth in the world, Nordqvist finished at 13-under 275 and earned $255,000. She two-putted for par on the par-4 18th, holing a 2-footer. "My hands were shaking a little, Im not going to lie," Nordqvist said. "You never know with the sun setting you see every little spike mark. So I tried not to focus on that and see the hole." The Kraft Nabisco, the first major tournament of the year, is next week in Rancho Mirage. "I really love the majors," Nordqvist said. "Its a tougher set up on course and I feel more pressure, more spotlight on the tournament and I like that. I like the test and it seems like it is going to be pretty windy next week which will make it tougher. Im very happy with the way Im playing and cant wait to tee it up." Salas birdied the 18th for a 70. "Im going to put this in the back of my mind, but know I can make putts down the stretch," Salas said. The former Southern California player is winless on the LPGA Tour. "Obviously, I cant control what Anna does," she said. "Shes been playing awesome this year and already had a win, congrats to her. Thats just golf. Sometimes thiings go your way and sometimes they dont.dddddddddddd Luckily, I finished with a birdie on a good note, and off to the Kraft."" Nordqvist changed equipment and started working with instructor Jorje Parada during the off-season after considering leaving the tour. The former Arizona State player made a short birdie putt on the par-4 first hole and added birdies on the par-5 eighth and par-4 ninth to make the turn at 11 under. She also birdied the par-4 13th, par-3 14th and par-4 16th before dropping a stroke on the par-5 17th. Lexi Thompson was third at 11 under after a 68, and Chella Choi was another stroke back after a 69. Kerr closed with a 73 to finish fifth at 9 under. Park, preparing for her title defence next week at Mission Hills, had a 68 to join third-ranked Stacy Lewis (71), Se Ri Pak (69) and Eun-Hee Ji (71) at 8 under. Dori Carter, the 244th-ranked player who shot a course-record 64 on Friday, finished with a 73 to tie for 10th at 7 under. Michelle Wie had a 70 to tie for 16th at 5 under. Laura Diaz had a hole-in-one for the second straight day to become the second player in LPGA Tour history to make two aces in a tournament. Diaz aced the par-3 third hole Saturday in the third round, then holed out on the par-3 sixth on Sunday -- a shot she followed with an eagle on the par-4 seventh. She also had an eagle Saturday on the par-5 fifth. Jenny Lidback is the only other player with two aces in an event, accomplishing the feat in the 1997 Tournament of Champions. Diaz used a 6-iron Sunday on the 157-yard sixth. "I was trying to hit it a little left to right high and take a little bit off of it," Diaz said. "And, yeah, I did it. It went in." On the eagle on No. 7, she holed out from 122 yards with a 50-degree wedge, the club she used to hole out twice Saturday. Shes the first tour player to follow an ace with an eagle on the next hole The 38-year-old Diaz shot 2-under 70 in each round to finish at 2 under. 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