hen I played, and for that matter very competitive when I ran Team save Ant

ZAGREB, Croatia -- Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic were included in Croatias experienced 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup on Wednesday. The skilful Real Madrid midfielder, with 73 appearances for Croatia, and the prolific Bayern Munich striker, with 54 caps, are expected to form the spine of countrys team at the World Cup, where it will play host Brazil, Mexico and Cameroon in Group A. However, Mandzukic will have to sit out the World Cup opener against Brazil on June 12 in Sao Paulo because of his expulsion during Croatias playoff match against Iceland. Also included in the provisional squad are defender Darijo Srna and Brazilian-born striker Eduardo of Shakhtar Donetsk, midfielders Ivan Rakitic of Sevilla and Niko Kranjcar of Queens Park Rangers, and strikers Ivica Olic of Wolfsburg and Nikica Jelavic of Hull. In 1998, Croatia -- still recovering from a bloody civil war in the Balkans in the early 1990s -- finished third in its maiden World Cup. Since then, the team from a nation of 4.3 million people qualified for three out of four World Cups. Now, the Croats believe they can finish at least second in their group after the highly favoured hosts, and progress to the knockout stage. "Well try our best in Brazil, but the earth wont stop turning if we fail," Croatia coach Niko Kovac said Wednesday while announcing the squad which will be reduced to 23 players on May 31. "There will always be disappointed players, but thats how it goes," the German-born former Croatia midfielder said. "I was not in the team for the 1998 World Cup, but still managed to play at many big events after that." Defender Josip Simunic had to be omitted from the squad after he lost his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday, ruling him out of the World Cup for leading fans in a pro-Nazi chant after the playoff win. "Simunic will unfortunately not be with us in Brazil," Kovac said. "We are friends and Im sad." ------ Squad: Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Rostov), Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Oliver Zelenika (Dinamo Zagreb) Defenders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Dejan Lovren (Southampton), Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Gordon Schildenfeld (Panathinaikos), Danijel Pranjic (Panathinaikos), Ivan Strinic (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kyiv), Sime Vrsaljko (Genoa), Igor Bubnjic (Udinese) Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla), Niko Kranjcar (Queens Park Rangers), Ognjen Vukojevic (Dynamo Kyiv), Ivan Perisic (Wolfsburg), Mateo Kovacic (Inter Milan), Milan Badelj (Hamburg), Ivo Ilicevic (Hamburg), Marcelo Brozovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Mocinic (Rijeka), Mario Pasalic (Hajduk Split), Sammir (Getafe) Forwards: Mario Mandzukic (Bayern Munich), Ivica Olic (Wolfsburg), Eduardo da Silva (Shakhtar Donetsk), Nikica Jelavic (Hull), Ante Rebic (Fiorentina), Duje Cop (Dinamo Zagreb) Cheap Basketball Shoes Free Shipping . - Buffalo Bills running back C. Discount Basketball Shoes . Vonn flew back to Vail, Colo., last week after hurting her surgically repaired right knee at a downhill race in France. "Her knee was swollen again after Val dIsere," U.S. womens head coach Alex Hoedlmoser told The Associated Press. https://www.cheapbasketballshoesstore.com/ . In mens doubles, Vancouvers Vasek Pospisil and American Jack Sock reached the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Croatian Mate Pavic and Andre Sa of Brazil. Basketball Shoes Online Store . Minutes after the previously winless Colts got their first win, 27-13 over Tennessee, team vice chairman Bill Polian said the four-time league MVP will not play this season though he has begun throwing to teammates at the team complex. Basketball Shoes Sale .ca has you covered for whos in, whos out and what to expect from all 30 teams.Wayne Gretzky became the NHLs all-time goal scoring leader on March 23, 1994 when he scored his 802nd career goal for the Los Angeles Kings against the Vancouver Canucks. With the 20th anniversary of that record-breaking night coming up, Gretzky sat down with Ray Ferraro on the NHL on TSN to discuss his memories of the event and talk about how he is enjoying his life nowadays at the age of 53. Ferraro asked Gretzky how he remembered the goal that broke Gordie Howes record, and the former King gave credit to long-time teammate Marty McSorley. "Marty was a little bit better of a player then people really give him credit for - he had pretty good vision," explained Gretzky. "Marty was a pretty good playmaker and I was probably in more shock than anybody that that puck ended up on my stick. He made such a good play that he basically took a defenceman and the goaltender out of the play to ultimately leave me the empty net. "So he made the whole goal happen and I just happened to be in the right spot." The fanfare that followed goal number 802 was a special moment, even among the many NHL records that Gretzky broke during his stellar career. "I really savoured the moment, I really took it all in - as far as my family being there and my friends being there," said Gretzky. "It was an historic day for me, it was a nice event. "As a child everybody knows Gordie was my idol and I was fortunate enough to be friends with Gordie and to have that opportunity to break his record.dddddddddddd..obviously I played with a lot of great players." Switching from the past to the present, Ferraro asked Gretzky if the competitive fire that drove him through his hockey life still burns the same way today. "Im really not competitive now," answered Gretzky. "When I play golf with friends or family I just enjoy playing. I always felt like my whole life and everything I have in my life is because of hockey and I gave every ounce and all my energy to being the best I could be. I was very competitive when I played, and for that matter very competitive when I ran Team Canada and then the involvement with the Coyotes. "But to me now, that winning is sort of behind me now. My life is more of...okay, Im going to enjoy my life, enjoy my friends, enjoy my family, and if I have a good round of golf Im happy and if I have a bad round of golf Im thrilled." Ferraro took the opportunity to ask Gretzky if he would one day entertain a return to a job in the National Hockey League. "Listen, never is a long time but right now Im really enjoying my life what Im doing," explained Gretzky. "The stress and pressure of having to win and compete every night, its sort of, Im enjoying being a fan. I love the game, I love the players that are in the game today, I enjoy it, I sit back, I enjoy going to games here and there. "Right now I dont know. If something wonderful came along obviously Id be all ears, but at this point in time Im just a fan." ' ' '