get out to a lead." Aaron Hill cut the deficit in half in the top of

GENEVA - The American lawyer who led the investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process resigned from the FIFA ethics committee on Wednesday in protest over the handling of his findings.Michael Garcia cited a lack of leadership at the top of FIFA in a resignation statement. He also said he has lost confidence in the independence of his ethics committee colleague, German judge Joachim Eckert.Though Garcia did not identify Sepp Blatter by name, he also revealed that the FIFA executive committee — led by the longtime president — made a failed complaint of unethical conduct against the former U.S. Attorney in September.Speaking at the Club World Cup in Marrakech, Morocco, Blatter told The Associated Press he was stunned by Garcias decision to resign.Im just surprised, Blatter said. Its all what I can say. Just that.Garcia quit a day after the FIFA appeals panel rejected his challenge of Eckerts summary of the confidential 430-page investigation dossier. Last month, Eckert moved to close the case on the World Cup bidding contest because of lack of evidence.Russia won the right to host the 2018 World Cup and Qatar was awarded the 2022 tournament.After Eckerts summary was made public, Garcia claimed that the German judge had misrepresented his work and then launched his failed appeal.(My) report identified serious and wide-ranging issues with the bidding and (World Cup host) selection process, Garcia wrote Wednesday, adding that Eckerts decision made me lose confidence in the independence of the Adjudicatory Chamber, (but) it is the lack of leadership on these issues within FIFA that leads me to conclude that my role in this process is at an end.In his resignation statement, Garcia also questioned how FIFA can truly change after years of scandals and criticism.No independent governance committee, investigator, or arbitration panel can change the culture of an organization, Garcia wrote.Garcia also revealed that the executive committee tried to have disciplinary proceedings opened against him for allegedly violating the Code of Ethics through my public comments. The attempt was rejected by the chairman of the FIFA disciplinary panel, at a time when Garcia pressed for publication of key details from his report.FIFA vice-president Michel Platini, also the UEFA president, called Wednesdays events a new failure for FIFA.FIFAs ethics committee was created to increase transparency at the organization, thats what we wanted, but in the end it has just caused more confusion, Platini, the former France great who has refused to back Blatter for re-election but will not stand himself in the May 29 vote.Garcia won support from Congress, with Sen. Bob Casey, describing his resignation as understandable following repeated obstruction from FIFA and calling for full release of the investigation report.Michael Garcia was a strong voice for accountability and transparency in an organization famously lacking either, said Casey, who has criticized Qatars labour policies and treatment of migrant workers.Garcia was appointed in July 2012 with the priority of probing the controversial 2018-2022 bidding contests. The investigation has helped reveal how willing Blatters organization has been to confront some of its deep-rooted problems.For the first two years ... I felt that the ethics committee was making real progress in advancing ethics enforcement at FIFA, Garcia wrote. In recent months, that changed.FIFA said it would appoint an interim replacement for Garcia before electing a new ethics prosecutor in Zurich next May.Since Garcia and his investigation team submitted their work in early September, clear splits emerged between the prosecutor and the judge. Eckert has seemed closer to FIFA in his approach and belief in how the ethics panel could use its powers, much to Garcias increasingly obvious frustration.Their working relationship was damaged by Eckerts 42-page report published by FIFA last month which suggested that the World Cup bidding probe should be closed for lack of strong evidence of wrongdoing.(W)hen viewed in the context of the report it purported to summarize, no principled approach could justify the Eckert Decisions edits, omissions, and additions, Garcia wrote.Eckert said any corrupt and rule-breaking acts were of limited scope and did not influence the result of the December 2010 votes of the FIFA executive committee.Still, with Garcias work kept sealed against his wishes by strict FIFA Code of Ethics rules, critics and others have relied only on Eckerts word about the evidence against Russia, Qatar and the seven other bid candidates.It now appears that, at least for the foreseeable future, the Eckert Decision will stand as the final word on the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process, Garcia wrote.Garcia passed up the chance to stay and pursue his appeal against Eckert at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which would likely take several months.I have concluded that such a course of action would not be practicable in this case, he said.Still, prosecutions launched by Garcia against five senior football officials for alleged wrongdoing in the World Cup campaigns will continue. Those cases can be led by his ethics investigation deputy, Zurich-based former public prosecutor Cornel Borbely.Germany great Franz Beckenbauer, a voting member of the FIFA executive committee in December 2010, is the highest profile of the five accused men.Three current board members — FIFA vice-president Angel Maria Villar of Spain, Michel DHooghe of Belgium and Worawi Makudi of Thailand — also face sanctions for their actions during contests marred by claims of bribery, collusion and favour-seeking.They are scheduled to attend a two-day executive committee session starting Thursday in Marrakech, Morocco.On Friday, Blatters ruling panel will discuss publishing all or parts of Garcias file, and could finally see the document for themselves.As part of Garcia-Eckert peace talks last month, they invited FIFA audit panel chairman Domenico Scala to analyze the investigation report. Scala can decide what the board should see before taking the next steps on a case that seems close to being shut down more than four years after the vote.___AP Sports Writer John Leicester in Marrakech, Morocco, contributed to this report. Cheap Nike Sb For Sale . Linemates Ryan Johansen and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist in the first period, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves to lead the Blue Jackets past the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Saturday night. Nike Sb Shoes Discount .com) - Colorado forward P. http://www.nikesbcheap.com/ . Knapp defeated American Alison Riske 6-3, 7-5 to secure Italys victory in the best-of-five series. She held a 5-2 lead in the second set, only to let Riske tie it at five. Nike Sb Shoes China Wholesale . A night later, he was back to help lead a rout of the Detroit Pistons. John Wall had 20 points and 11 assists, and Beal scored 10 of his 15 points during the second quarter as Washington pulled away for a 106-82 victory on Saturday. 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It was a redemptive outing for the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner after Arizona ripped him for seven runs in just 1 2/3 innings the last time they met. He had won his last three starts since that outing. "You hope to not have any of those clunkers in a season but it happens obviously," he said. "I dont know if Im on a roll or whatever but its been going well." The Diamondbacks rallied as soon as Kershaw left the game. Three of their first four batters in the eighth singled against reliever Brian Wilson, including a one-out RBI single by Tuffy Gosewich that brought them within one. But J.P Howell entered and struck out David Peralta and got Miguel Montero to fly out to end the threat. Justin Turner extended the Dodgers lead in the bottom of the inning with a pinch-hit RBI single to right to score A.J. Ellis from second. The knock extended Turners modest hitting streak to six games and would prove valuable when the Diamondbacks once again staged a rally in the ninth against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. Gerardo Parra got the comeback attempt started with a one-out single, Paul Goldschmidt walked and Aaron Hill followed with a single through the left side to score Parra and cut the deficit to 4-3. Jansen buckled down aand escaped further damage though, striking out Martin Prado and inducing Cody Ross to fly out to right to end the game and record his 18th save.dddddddddddd The Diamondbacks stranded 12 runners on base in the contest and were just 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position. "You look at it and it was a one run game the whole way," Owings said. "We just couldnt get it done." Matt Kemp got the scoring started when he crushed a 2-1 changeup deep into the bleachers in left-centre field in the second to put the Dodgers up 2-0. The blast, measured at 402 feet, was Kemps first home run since May 10. "That was big for us," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Weve struggled to score early and been getting behind a lot early here at home. It was good for us to get out to a lead." Aaron Hill cut the deficit in half in the top of the third, smacking a grounder down the third-base line just under the glove of a diving Chone Figgins for an RBI double. After that Kershaw went into lockdown mode. He allowed only four baserunners the rest of the game, none of which passed second base. "I think hes been pretty good except (for one start this year)," Mattingly said. "Hes the same old Clayton, right where we want him to be." The Dodgers win spoiled Diamondbacks rookie Chase Andersons bid to make history. Anderson (5-1) was trying to become just the second National League pitcher since 1914 to win his first six career starts. Instead, he suffered his first career loss after allowing five hits and two runs in five innings, with four walks and four strikeouts. NOTES: The Dodgers reinstated C A.J. Ellis from the DL before the game and optioned C Tim Federowicz to Triple-A Albuquerque. .The Diamondbacks recalled OF Tony Campana from Triple-A Reno and placed OF Ender Inciarte on the 7-day concussion DL. . A video tribute commemorating the career of former Dodgers RHP Bob Welch was shown before the game. Welch, who pitched for Los Angeles from 1978-1987, passed away Tuesday at the age of 57. ' ' '