PRISTINA, Kosovo -- The German soccer federation has agreed to assist Kosovo in its first steps as a new organization.The two federations signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday.Germany will assist the Kosovo Football Federation in training its administration staff, coaches and judges and strengthening the work with the younger generation.Kosovo became a UEFA member in May, joined FIFA a week later and was fast-tracked into 2018 World Cup qualifying.Kosovo drew 1-1 at Finland in its competitive international debut in Group I this month.Serbia has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against Kosovo being accepted as a member of UEFA. Belgrade has refused to recognize Kosovo as a state since the Balkan republic declared independence in 2008. Womens Eagles Jerseys . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. 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STORRS, Conn. -- With its road win over second-ranked Notre Dame on Wednesday, UConn has opened the 2016-17 season at 8-0 to extend its current winning streak to 83 games.The 72-61 victory over the Fighting Irish marked the second time this season the Huskies -- ranked third in the AP Top 25 preseason poll -- beat the nations No. 2 team.Prior to the Nov. 17 matchup with then-No. 2 Baylor, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said: Im somewhat realistic about what my expectation level is. Im realistic about what we can do, and I think the previous couple of years we would sit here and tell you that we were the favorite to win the national championship. Thats not the case this year. I know it, and I think everyone on our team knows it.But lets be realistic: Its time to talk about the Huskies being the favorites -- again.Weve seen this movie before. When Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Asjha Jones graduated after winning the 2002 national championship with a perfect 39-0 record, many thought the Huskies would be down on their luck the next year.The AP preseason poll ranked the 2003 Huskies fourth; the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll had UConn third. The Huskies werent supposed to extend a 39-game winning streak to 70. They werent supposed to go 37-1. They definitely werent supposed to win their second consecutive NCAA championship.Of course, a lot of things were different 14 years ago.The 2003 championship marked the programs fourth title. The Huskies now have 11. Their streak of 70 consecutive victories was the longest in Division I womens basketball history. UConn has since shattered its own record; it owns the top spot in all of Division I basketball, having unseated the 88-game streak the UCLA men put together (1971 to 74) with a 90-game winning streak from 2009 to 11.And most of all, in 2003, UConn had Diana Taurasi and no one else did.While Taurasi was the primary reason for UConns championship-level success in 2003 (and 2004), the defining characteristic of the 2003 squad was the fact that its composition worked (Taurasi averaged 17.6 points per game). It just so happened that its composition required Wonder Woman in the form of a basketball player.There is obviously no Taurasi at UConn this season, and quite frankly, there doesnt need to be. What makes this version of the Huskies work is how mmalleable they are.dddddddddddd They create matchup difficulties all over the floor.Gabby Williams primarily plays inside but is increasingly stepping out to the perimeter, and she can guard pretty much anyone. Sophomore forward Napheesa Colliers movement off the ball and quickness make her difficult to guard for traditional forwards and centers.The perimeter doesnt get much more friendly with 6-foot-3 sophomore Katie Lou Samuelson and 6-foot junior Kia Nurse. Overall, size inside has the potential to be a big problem for UConn, but its quickness is a problem for everyone else.The most concerning thing for the Huskies is that their offense has stalled for atypical stretches, especially when Collier is not in the mix. Collier is averaging 19.1 points per game (Samuelson is right behind at 19.0 PPG), and when she is on the floor producing, Collier opens up the perimeter for Samuelson and Nurse. Without her on the floor, UConn struggles, as it did in the second quarter against Notre Dame (the Irish outscored the Huskies 20-11).And dont underestimate the intangibles. For the first time in years, UConn has gotten to play as the underdog. When the season started, few expected the Huskies to win another championship this year, and that has proven to matter.The differences my first two years and this year in the expectations people have for us, thats something that I play with a chip on my shoulder about, Nurse said before the Baylor game.Those expectations have already begun to shift, as reflected in UConn jumping Notre Dame for the No. 1 spot in the rankings this past week, despite the Irish remaining unbeaten at the time. It took the 2003 Huskies 13 weeks to top the rankings, doing so as the only remaining unbeaten team.This does not mean that UConn is somehow impenetrable. The Huskies still have to play at No. 4 Maryland (Dec. 29), home versus No. 6 South Carolina (Feb. 13), and home versus No. 12 Ohio State (Dec. 19). They could also lose unexpectedly, akin to the Huskies Big East championship loss to Villanova in 2003.In the grand scheme of things, 2003 probably doesnt matter that much to this crop of Huskies, but that teams success shows just how far they could go. NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap Jerseys Store NFL Jerseys China Wholesale NFL White Jerseys Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys Discount Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys ' ' '