in the 2006 World Cup, made some specific complaints abou

PARIS - The Rhone derby against neighbour Saint-Etienne comes at the right time for Lyon.The seven-time champions have won five of their last six games and are unbeaten in 10 ahead of the big match of the weekend in the French league.Both clubs are well positioned in the standings, with third-place Lyon trailing leader Marseille by four points and Saint-Etienne in sixth, four points further back.With 10 league titles to its name, Saint-Etienne is the most decorated French club while Lyon dominated the first division between 2002 and 2008, claiming seven titles in a row. Their fierce rivalry often produces clashes off the field, too, and only 400 Lyon fans will travel to the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium on Sunday night.Unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions, Les Verts will be seeking their first home win in the topflight against Lyon in 20 years.Here are some things to know ahead of this weekends matches:___STRATEGIC HEADACHEThe appointment of Marcelo Bielsa as Marseille coach has been decisive in the teams resurgence this season.Lacking the millions invested in Paris Saint-Germain by its Qatari owners, the Argentine coach is compensating with strong discipline and astute strategic decisions.This season, Marseille played most of his games in a 3-3-3-1 system, with striker Andre-Pierre Gignac scoring 11 of his teams 30 goals. Ahead of Nantes visit to the Stade Velodrome on Friday, Bielsa is thinking about starting with two strikers, Gignac and Michy Batshuayi.The problem is when you play with two No. 9s, one of them has to play further down the pitch and on the sides, Bielsa said. And he will play worse than usual. On the other hand, it can happen that the addition of the two has a positive impact on the teams overall performance.The former Argentina coach said that this aspect of the game has been troubling him for years.I started to think about it 15 years ago, when I had (Hernan) Crespo and (Gabriel) Batistuta under me, Bielsa said. Its not an easy decision to take.___LILLE IN CRISISWith only three more points than the relegation-threatened teams and the worse offensive record in the league, Lille is in tatters.Because of the Davis Cup final held in the northern French city last weekend, Rene Girards side has not played since a 2-0 loss at Reims on Nov. 9 and its most recent win dates back to the end of September.We need to find a solution. I hope this break will have done us some good because the last month and a half has been very difficult, Lille midfielder Rio Mavuba said.The problem for Lille, which is also involved in a tiring Europa League campaign and claimed only one win in its last 12 matches, is that the club is now facing a run of tough encounters before the winter break. First comes a trip to Bordeaux on Sunday before matches with leader Paris Saint-Germain and rival Lens in the northern derby.I think we can come through this run of games better off than we were before, Mavuba said. At the moment I am not worried but we know it will be difficult.___KURZAWAS BOTCHED TRIPHighly-praised Monaco left back Layvin Kurzawa could hit the Premier League sooner than expected.The 22-year-old France international travelled to Manchester earlier this week to attend Citys Champions League match against Bayern Munich as a guest of the English champions. But according to LEquipe newspaper, a last-minute intervention from his club prevented him from watching the game form the stands and Kurzawa saw on it on TV in a hotel room.Kurzawa did not play in Monacos 1-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen and will not make the squad for Saturdays match at Rennes because of a hamstring injury that will sideline him until January.___MOTTA AND SILVA BACKAfter sitting out PSGs 3-1 win against Ajax in Champions League because of leg injuries, Thiago Silva and Thiago Motta returned to training ahead of Saturdays game against Nice.Mottas return will bring some relief to coach Laurent Blanc after his teams frailties in midfield were exposed against the Dutch side.Thats the second time weve been behind (Ajax) in terms of possession. They played better football than us, Blanc said. We know that were not dominating teams at the moment. You have to analyze and try to understand why. Wholesale Nike Shoes . Yet heading to New York, the Habs remain positive as it all comes down to the one main ingredient that the organization has built its team on - character. Wholesale Jordan Shoes From China . - A late-game interception by defensive back Malcolm Butler saved the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots. http://www.cheapshoesfromchina.us/ .com) - The Buffalo Bills will return to the friendly confines of Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday when they welcome the upstart Cleveland Browns to town. Wholesale Shoes China .com) - Jeff Teague had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 90-85 on Saturday night. Cheap Shoes Free Shipping . He looked very comfortable Wednesday night. Konerko had a big three-run double and Gordon Beckham homered for the second straight game, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-3 victory over the sliding Chicago Cubs.SAO PAULO - Brazil assistant coach and former world champion Carlos Alberto Parreira says its "a joke" that the Brazilian government took so long to start working on some of the infrastructure projects needed for the World Cup. With less than five months before the tournament, Parreira said he is disappointed with the countrys preparations and accused the government of missing a huge opportunity to improve conditions for Brazilians. Parreira told Radio CBN in an interview first aired Sunday that he believes stadiums will be ready in time, but its a shame most infrastructure projects that could benefit Brazilians wont be completed until long after the World Cup. The World Cup-winning coach in 1994 is the latest past champion to blast Brazils preparations, following the recent criticism by former players Cafu, Bebeto and Rivaldo. "We missed an opportunity to show the world what we can do in this country," Parreira said. "We missed an opportunity to provide more comfort to Brazilians and to show a different kind of Brazil." The country has only seven of the 12 World Cup stadiums ready for the tournament that opens in June, and there are still doubts whether Curitiba will remain a host city because of delays in its stadium. But the greatest missed opportunities are related to the infrastructure work that was supposed to remain a legacy to the countrys population. Many of the projects promised by the government will not be completed in time or wont even leave the drawing board. "We know the World Cup is about stadiums, but its not only about stadiums. Fans cant live in a stadium," Parreira said. "They say everything will eventually be ready in 2018, 20020.dddddddddddd.. but we wanted it ready for the World Cup to try to change this view that the foreigners have about Brazil." Parreira said the government is mostly to blame. "Everything was supposed to be ready for the World Cup, but it was a total neglect," he said. "I saw recently that they are going to start the bidding processes for (work at) airports in March, three months before the World Cup. Its a joke. We won the bid seven years ago and its only now that they are starting these bidding processes." Parreira, who also coached Brazil in the 2006 World Cup, made some specific complaints about Rio de Janeiro, the city hosting the 2016 Olympics. "Rio will always continue to attract tourists. Its a wonderful city. I cant think of a city that is more beautiful than Rio," said the 70-year-old Parreira, an assistant to Luiz Felipe Scolari. "But we all know that it could offer us a lot more comfort, a lot more safety and a better quality of life." Brazil is expected to spend a total of about $14 billion in the World Cup, and the lack of government improvements to society prompted violent protests during the Confederations Cup last year. There were some demonstrations on Saturday in dozens of cities, and a lot more is expected during the World Cup, footballs showcase event. Cafu and Bebeto, World Cup winners with Parreira in 1994, last week said it would be a disaster if Curitiba was dropped because of the stadium delay there. Rivaldo, the former Barcelona midfielder who was key for Brazil when the five-time champion won the 2002 World Cup, said the country will "embarrass itself" because of its problematic preparations. ' ' '