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RIO DE JANEIRO -- After each of the U.S. field hockey teams first four games here, all of which ended in a win and two of which resulted in upsets, striker Michelle Vittese fielded questions about what sparked her squads Olympic turnaround after finishing last overall at the 2012 London Games.I love the question, Vittese said Saturday, after scoring the lone goal for the Americans in their first loss of the tournament, 2-1 to Great Britain.Its the type of positions we put ourselves in, the uncomfortable places we go to in training, in the weight room, during conditioning and game training. We go to the ugliest places and figure out how to push through and get out of them. That shapes you as a person, makes you mentally fit and helps you get up for games like this. Were so resilient and gritty.That training will also help Vittese and her teammates pick themselves up after their first defeat and refocus for Mondays quarterfinal match against No. 9 Germany. If the Americans want to be defined by their 2016 grittiness rather than their 2012 meltdown, Monday is their moment to prove themselves.Were so process oriented, U.S. captain Lauren Crandall said. Weve been through so many scenarios in tournament play that nothing is a surprise. Theres no panic. Thats the mental preparation weve done to get out of whatever place weve gotten ourselves into.If it sounds like Crandall and Vittese are quoting the same philosopher, thats because they are. To a woman, the members of the U.S. team have bought in to a team philosophy and culture they began creating 3? years ago, after the hiring of their head coach Craig Parnham, a former assistant coach for Great Britain.When our new coaching staff came in, we recommitted to the program, defined our culture and values and started building a family, Crandall said. We pride ourselves on our hard work, persistence, perseverance and family.Three years ago, Parnham wrote a lofty goal on a board at the teams practice facility and asked the women if they were ready to buy in to the idea that they could become the best in the world. He didnt care that they hadnt won an Olympic medal since 1984. He wasnt interested in who they were before his arrival; he wanted to know how good they believed they could be now that he was there.The coaches can push it on you all they want, but unless the players buy in and want to do the work, you wont get there, Vittese said. The player buy-in is huge.It meant a complete overhaul of the way they were doing everything from lifting in the weight room to practicing technical drills on the field. It meant transforming themselves from a defensive-minded squad into the most physically fit attacking team in the world. Parnham told his players that with complete commitment, they could push the boundaries of womens field hockey, but they, not him, needed to lead the change.The players drive the culture here, Crandall said. Our coachs philosophy is [for Parnham] to be useless. He wants independent thinkers on his team.But of all the changes to their program, it is their geographical move that has received the most attention. For years, the womens team trained at the U.S. Olympic training center in Chula Vista, California, an idyllic, culturally diverse San Diego suburb located close to the beach but far from home for most of the women, the majority of whom are from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. So Parnham relocated the program from Chula Vista to the field hockey hub of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where players could train year-round in a world-class indoor facility with fewer distractions than they had in Southern California.Theres no party or night life, so its a great place to train and focus on what we need to get done, U.S. goalie Jaclyn Briggs said. It takes the stress off of feeling like Im in my 20s and should be living it up or Im missing out on things.Lancaster is also located in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, where commitment and hard work, community and family are at the center of Amish values. The move to Lancaster allowed the women to slow down, simplify their lives and evaluate what was important.The Amish are community oriented, Crandall said. Its a family-oriented culture, and we are a family. We are so supported there.Now in Rio, 5,000 miles away from home, the women say they can still feel that support, and they believe it will carry them to the gold-medal game.We know you could put your head down for 3? years and still be the first out of the Olympics, Crandall said. That knowledge is what makes us work so hard. Our goal is to stand on that podium. Our goal is to win it all. Miami Marlins Store . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Miami Marlins Gear . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/ . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Marlins Jerseys 2020 . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Miami Marlins Pro Shop . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. DENVER -- A late-night session in the batting cage and a spirited discussion helped Nolan Arenado get his swing back.Arenado broke out of a slump in a big way, hitting two homers and driving in six runs Sunday to boost the Colorado Rockies past the Chicago Cubs, 11-4.The All-Star third baseman was 1 of 16 during the Rockies homestand before getting four hits. He passed Cubs slugger Kris Bryant for the NL homer lead.Ive been grinding, I havent really felt like myself, so to be up there, its a good feeling, Arenado said.Arenado credited Sundays results to his work with batting practice pitcher Garrett Carson late Saturday night. He said the two stayed after the loss to the Cubs to watch video and work in the cage.We almost got into an argument, Arenado said. He would be like, `I feel like theres not much off and Id be like, No, there is something off. The two concluded Arenado was overstriding, and he went into Sundays game with renewed confidence.After (Saturday) night I was able to sleep better after what I worked on, Arenado said. I applied it today and it worked out.Arenado hit a three-run homer during a seven-run burst in the first inning that included three Cubs errors, then added another three-run drive in the fourth.Arenado leads the majors with 104 RBI -- he had a big league-high 130 last year -- and tops the NL with 32 home runs.Jorge De La Rosa (8-7) tossed eight innings, giving up two home runs to Addison Russell.De La Rosa delivered a two-run single in the first as the Rockies quickly ended Jason Hammels 22-inning scoreless streak.De La Rosa scattered four hits and struck out six in matching his longest outing since last Sept. 16. Russell was the only batter to reach second base against the lefty, who outpitched his former teammate.Everything was working really good except those two pitches to Russell, De La Rosa said.Hammel (13-6) had been 6-0 with an 0.95 ERA since the AAll-Star before getting roughed up.ddddddddddddThe Rockies scored 10 runs off him, six earned, in 3 1/3 innings.Arenados first homer hugged the left-field foul pole to start the early outburst. Tony Wolters had a two-run double and De La Rosa added his single.Arenado singled in the second and drove Hammels first-pitch fastball into the left-field seats to make it 10-0 in the fourth.A lot of foul balls today off my slider and two mistakes to Arenado, Hammel said. That was pretty much the story.DJ LeMahieu also homered for Colorado.Russell hit solo homers in the fifth and seventh, and the Cubs scored two more off reliever Matt Carasiti in the ninth.The Cubs last run came when pinch-hitter Jorge Soler hit a foul popup between home and first and Anthony Rizzo ran in from third to an uncovered home plate.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: Soler didnt start after fouling a ball off his right knee in Saturdays win. Manager Joe Maddon said he didnt want to play him in the spacious Coors Field outfield.Rockies: CF Charlie Blackmon was not in the starting lineup for the third straight game because of a bruised right toe. Manager Walt Weiss said Blackmon and would likely be back in the lineup for Mondays game in Milwaukee.HOT BATLeMahieu had three hits, including his 10th homer, to raise his average to .345, tied for the NL batting lead with Washingtons Daniel Murphy. They are both 150 for 435 this season. LeMahieu finished the homestand 14 for 20 with nine runs and two homers.UP NEXTCubs: LHP Jon Lester (13-4, 2.86) opens the Cubs three-game series in San Diego on Monday. It will be the first start of Lesters career in Petco Park.Rockies: RHP Chad Bettis (10-6, 5.29) will start the series opener at the Brewers on Monday. He is 5-4 on the road this season with eight quality starts. ' ' '