NEWS » Netherlands got the better of neighbor and riv

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- NFL quarterbacks talk about the importance of staying on schedule, making at least small gains on first and second down in order to avoid those treacherous third-and-long situations.Thats what made San Franciscos struggles on offense last week in Seattle so frustrating. The Niners frequently got themselves into makeable situations on third downs only to come up empty.San Francisco (1-2) failed to convert on its first 10 third downs, before getting a few late ones in a 37-18 loss to the Seahawks.If you had told me going into that game wed be in third manageable the majority of the game, probably 90 percent of our third downs, Id probably take the bet that wed convert a good number of those, quarterback Blaine Gabbert said Wednesday. We didnt. That was the story of that game.Gabbert was off target on some third-down throws and there was miscommunication with receivers on others. But on four of them, Gabbert managed to complete a pass only to have the play end up short of the markers.Gabbert completed a 4-yard pass on third-and-7, a pair of 2-yarders when the team needed 4 yards for a first down and a 13-yard pass on third-and-17.Not every third down thats converted is converted with a ball thats thrown past the sticks, offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins said. So, sometimes what they give you is an underneath throw and you catch and run. So, there are a lot of different ways that you get a first down throwing the ball and its not always that the route has to be past the sticks.Getting rid of the ball quickly has benefited the Niners in one area. The team is tied for the league lead with only two sacks allowed through three games. But it also has played a big role in San Franciscos inability to put together long drives. Out of Gabberts 17 completions on third down, only eight have gone far enough for first downs.It also has limited big plays as Gabbert has only one completion this season on a pass thrown more than 20 yards in the air and just 12 on throws more than 10 yards downfield.Theres a catch-22, coach Chip Kelly said. Everybody can say, `Hey, lets go bombs away and throw the ball down the field. Well, then youre going to be in a lot of third-and-longs and second-and-longs because your quarterbacks going to get sacked a lot. Now youre playing behind the sticks.Gabbert has been one of the least productive quarterbacks in the league so far, ranking last in yards per attempt (5.5), second worst among starters in completion percentage (55.2 percent) and third worst in passer rating (68.6).Despite that, Kelly is not ready to turn the offense over to backup Colin Kaepernick , who is still trying to regain his strength after three offseason surgeries.Hes not 100 percent back from the recovery standpoint, Kelly said. Hes 100 percent healed from those injuries. So, that allows him to play in the game, but is he the same player that he was when he was running 4.5 and throwing the ball all over the place? Hes not that guy right now because hes not where he was physically. You can just look at him physically. Hes not the same guy right now.Game notesDL Arik Armstead said he was limited to 28 snaps last week because of a shoulder injury sustained in training camp. ... TE Vance McDonald (hip) did not practice and TE Garrett Celek (back) was limited.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFLCheap Fake Jerseys Free Shipping . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Cheap Jerseys From China . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. http://www.jerseyscheapcustom.com/ . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. Cheap Jerseys 2020 . Pert has formerly spent time as an assistant coach with Cardiff City, Coventry City, and Bahrain mens national team. "Martyn is a highly-respected coach with experience at the top levels in England," said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson. Fake China Jerseys . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.PARIS -- Home advantage has counted little for host nations in recent European Championship history.Since the finals tournament era kicked off in 1980, only France has kept the trophy at home -- 32 years ago with Michel Platini in his prime.France can take some home comfort from this exception ahead of the Euro 2016 semifinals starting Wednesday.First, Portugal plays Wales in Lyon one day before the French face Germany in Marseille, where captain Platini inspired his team to beat Portugal in a memorable semifinal in 1984.Still, history teaches us that a semifinal is most often the stumbling stage for home hopes.Here is how five European Championship hosts fell short of glory:---PORTUGAL, 2004Portugal just had to win the Euro 2004 final. Or so it seemed.Playing in Lisbon, with a star-packed lineup against a Greece team of journeymen.Luis Figo was in the team, along with a 19-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo.Portugal even had the lesson of an opening-game loss against Greece to learn from.What could go wrong?A classic from the Greek playbook: Another 1-0 win built on tight marking, robust defense, a headed goal from a rare scoring chance.Ronaldo left the field in tears and is yet to win a title with Portugal.---NETHERLANDS, 2000How the Netherlands managed to lose a Euro 2000 semifinal is still hard to believe.After Italy was down to 10 men from the 34th minute in Amsterdam, the Dutch failed with two penalty kicks in 90 minutes and three out of four in the shootout after extra time.Italy was even without first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon who injured a hand in a pre-tournament friendly.Francesco Toldo was a capable deputy. The Fiorentina `keeper saved Frank de Boers first-half spot-kick and watched Patrick Kluivert strike the post in the second half.Though Kluivert scored in the shootout, De Boer missed again and Italy won it 3-1.---ENGLAND, 1996England has never again been as close again to tournament success since a semifinals loss to Germany.This 1-1 draw at Wembley Stadium is recalled as one of the best in the era of the `Golden Goal rule, whenn the first goal scored in extra time ended the game.dddddddddddd.An English shot hit the post, what seemed a good a German goal was disallowed, and Paul Gascoigne was a toes length from connecting on a ball trickling across an empty German goalmouth.Germany, inevitably, won the penalty shootout and Andreas Moeller celebrated his decisive spot-kick with a chest-strutting, peacock pose.---SWEDEN, 1992In the last eight-team European Championship, Sweden was ousted in the semifinals by a newly unified Germany team.Sweden topped a group that eliminated a Platini-coached France and ended Gary Linekers England career when Tomas Brolin scored in a 2-1 win.A West Germany team that won the 1990 World Cup now could call on several East Germany stars including midfielders Matthias Sammer and Thomas Doll.One of the World Cup winners, Karl-Heinz Riedle, scored twice in a 3-2 win, though Denmark would stop Germany getting back-to-back titles.For Sweden, the experience was a key step toward reaching another semifinal, at the 1994 World Cup.---WEST GERMANY, 1988For once, the Netherlands got the better of neighbor and rival West Germany in a major tournament.A German team in transition from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to Jurgen Klinsmann leading the attack lost to an exceptional Dutch team in the semifinals.The teams traded goals from penalties in Hamburg, before Marco van Basten stretched to score an 88th-minute winning goal.The match is also remembered for what happened after Ronald Koeman, who scored the Dutch equalizer, swapped shirts with Olaf Thon. Koeman then delighted visiting fans by seeming to act out wiping his backside with the white Germany shirt.Two years later, on its way to winning the World Cup, West Germany beat the Netherlands 2-1 in a bad-tempered Round of 16 match.---This story has been corrected to remove the reference to Luis Figo ending his international career at Euro 2004. He retired from the national team in 2006. ' ' '