the Nationals to no-hits for 8 2-3 innings in his final start of the s

MELBOURNE, Australia - Iran and the United Arab Emirates can all but ensure themselves of advancing to the Asian Cup quarterfinals, while Bahrain and Qatar are playing to survive in Group C on Thursday.Heres some things to watch:___QATAR VS. IRAN (0900 GMT): Three-time Asian Cup champion Iran showed why its the favourite to top Group C after a powerful display of speed and strength against Bahrain.2014 Gulf Cup champion Qatar, meanwhile, will need to draw on all its resolve to recover from an error-riddled 4-1 loss to the United Arab Emirates, when mistakes by goalkeeper Qasem Burhan contributed to at least two goals.Ehsan Hajsafi was the standout for Iran in its 2-0 win in Melbourne.The Iranians will be the clear favourites to beat Qatar in Sydney, but recent history shows it will not be a formality.Iran has lost just once to Qatar in 10 matches since 2007, but the fact that five of them ended in a draw is a more telling statistic.Thursdays game will be just the second time the two teams have met at the Asian Cup. Iran won the previous match 2-0 in 1988.Despite the background, Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said Qatar would start as favourite following its title in the recent Gulf Cup.We know that we face a well-prepared and motivated Qatar team after their success in the Gulf Cup, he said. Queiroz said. We aim to be the best team on the pitch and win the match.Irans star striker Reza Ghoochannejhad says while his side is under a lot of pressure to continue to perform at the tournament, it is ready for the challenge.Everybody is excited to play against Iran, and everybody is motivated, especially because we are coming from the World Cup, but this is the situation right now we cant complain, we cant make excuses, he said.Iran has lost just one of its past 15 Asian Cup matches, winning nine.___BAHRAIN VS. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (0700 GMT): Fresh from a 4-1 win over Qatar, the United Arab Emirates will be virtually assured of a quarterfinals spot with a win over another Gulf rival Bahrain in Canberra.The win will be no formality, however, after Bahrain put up a spirited challenge to regional powerhouse Iran in a 2-0 loss at Melbourne on Sunday.The UAE and Iran share the Group C lead with three points each after their opening wins.Ahmed Khalil and Ali Mabkhout scored two goals each in the UAEs dominant opening performance, while playmaker Omar Abdulrahman was dangerous in midfield.This was the key game for us, UAE coach Mahdi Ali said. The first step gives players motivation and confidence for the second game ... from tomorrow we work harder.Bahrain striker John Okwunwanne constantly troubled Iran in their opener, and Sami Al Hussaini demonstrated that he wont be overawed by the tournaments big name players.In the six matches theyve played against each other since 2004, the UAE has won the past three, while Bahrain has won two.UAE has never won its opening two games at an Asian Cup. Wholesale Lions Jerseys . -- At the beginning of training camp, Andrew Bogut set a goal to play all 82 regular-season games and regain his place among the NBAs best centres. Cheap Lions Jerseys China . TSN2 December 18 Knicks at Bulls 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 December 18 Thunder at Warriors 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 December 21 Pacers at Timberwolves 7pm et/4pm pt. 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LOUIS - At the trade deadline in July, the Cardinals appeared to be in the market for starting pitching. Instead, St. Louis stood pat and trusted their young arms. That trust paid off - in a trip to the World Series. Michael Wacha capped a nearly untouchable month by being selected the NL championship series MVP after outpitching Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for the second time in a 9-0 win in Game 6 Friday night. Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, a 19-game winner, said the 22-year-old rookie has been so good he wouldnt be surprised if Wacha was on the mound for Game 1 of the Fall Classic on Wednesday at the winner of the ALCS between Boston and Detroit. "I told them if we have enough time off they might try to get Michael back for Game 1," Wainwright said during the Cardinals celebration Friday. "You never know." Joe Kelly was the strongest member of the rotation for a long stretch in the summer and has been tough in the post-season, too. Closer Trevor Rosenthal hit 100 mph on the stadium radar in finishing off the Cardinals 19th NL pennant, tied with the Giants for the most in the league. Carlos Martinez emerged as the setup man, 41st-round draft pick Kevin Siegrist had a lights-out 0.43 ERA and Seth Maness was one of the best at inducing the double-play ball. Kelly is in his second season and the rest are rookies, all of them enjoying themselves in the post-season instead of stressing out about the implications of each pitch. Wacha made his major league debut in late May, but he was back at Triple-A Memphis when many of his teammates were promoted. "They were performing at a high level, they werent letting a lot of things affect them," Wacha said. "So whenever I got called up, I felt like I had to hang with these guys." The Cardinals have a mid-level payroll with a handful of high-paid players and rely heavily on a system that keeps promoting prospects - who keep coming through. After dispatching the free-spending Dodgers, theyre seeking their second title in three years and third since 2006. "Payrolls arent playing, the players are playing," chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. As the rookie fill-closer on a veteran-laden team, Wainwright got the final out of the NLCS and World Series in 06. The current crop is a lot deeper, influencing general manager John Mozeliaks no-deal strategy. Wacha leads the way, a little more than a year after thhe Cardinals drafted him in the first round out of Texas A&M.dddddddddddd The 6-foot-6 right-hander held the Nationals to no-hits for 8 2-3 innings in his final start of the season and is 3-0 with an 0.43 ERA in three post-season starts. He kept the Cardinals alive in Game 4 of division series at Pittsburgh. "I think our general manager had a pretty good plan," Wainwright said. "I think he knew he had an ace in the hole. I think the rest of the world wanted him to go out and sign a big-name starting pitcher." Turns out they had more than enough pitching to overcome serious setbacks to three-fifths of the starting rotation entering spring training, Edward Mujicas collapse the final month after earning 35 saves and the failures of other projected bullpen stalwarts. It was enough to sideline Shelby Miller, too. Miller led all rookies with 15 wins and was in the rotation from opening day, but he has barely pitched in the post-season. Chris Carpenter, 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner, has been out all year with a nerve ailment that could end his career and Jaime Garcia underwent shoulder surgery in midseason. Jake Westbrook, dogged by elbow and back injuries, was barely used the final month and hasnt been on the post-season roster. Cleanup man Allen Craig could be ready to contribute, as a DH or more, after ramping up his rehab program and getting favourable results. The first baseman-outfielder been out since early September with a mid-left foot sprain. "I cant put myself on the roster, but I feel pretty good and Im excited about what lies ahead," said Craig, whose .454 average with runners I scoring position led the majors. "I feel ready." Elder statesman Carlos Beltran is fired up about the first World Series appearance of his 16-year career. He was the offensive star of the NLCS and made some key plays in right field, too. "My legs are fine, man, my legs are good," Beltran said. "Im very happy." Beltran has three go-ahead hits in the post-season and 12 RBIs, a number that should boost his profile entering free agency. The Cardinals have to be interested even though theyll be trying to find regular duty for Matt Adams, the stand-in first baseman in place of Craig, and top outfield prospect Oscar Taveras. Also, big contracts for Chris Carpenter, Jake Westbrook and Rafael Furcal are expiring. But thats for later. 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