GIBRALTAR, Gibraltar - The captain of Gibraltars national soccer team laughs as he contemplates the task facing his team of amateurs against Germany. Authentic Gordon Hayward Jersey .To put things in perspective, we have gone from Sunday league football to playing the world champions in 18 months, Roy Chipolina said, shaking his head in bewilderment. Sometimes I have to pinch myself.Win, lose or draw — and some locals here will be happy if Germany is kept to single figures in Fridays European Championship qualifier in Nuremberg — its a victory for Gibraltar just to be sharing a field with a team that beat Brazil 7-1 en route to winning the World Cup four months ago.After a 16-year fight, the tiny British colony — a rocky outcropping on the southern tip of Spain inhabited by about 30,000 people — became a fully recognized international team when it was accepted as the 54th and smallest member of UEFA in 2013. The move had previously been resisted by the Spanish, who dispute the sovereignty of the territory.The acceptance sparked wild celebrations in the narrow streets of Gibraltar, some of the biggest parties since one native won Miss World in 2009.A completely amateur set-up, from the players to the countrys football association, suddenly had to become a whole lot more professional. Within months, they had been drawn in a European qualifying group containing Germany, Poland, Ireland and Scotland.We have gone from 10 people watching us play to 35,000 people watching us play, Chipolina said in an interview just off the bustling main street that runs through Gibraltar, which has an area of just 7 square kilometres.The past 12 months has been a year of firsts for the Gibraltarians: A first official game — a creditable, unexpected 0-0 against Slovakia in November; a first (and so far only) win — 1-0 over Malta in June; a first Euro qualifier — a 7-0 loss to Poland in September.In their two other Group D qualifiers, theyve lost 7-0 to Ireland and 3-0 to Georgia. No points, no goals.Its been a culture shock for the players. Only three Gibraltar internationals play professionally — two of those in the English lower leagues — with the rest having to balance playing the game they love with holding down a full-time job.Take the teams main striker, Kyle Casciaro. He is an operations manager for a shipping firm in Gibraltar and works 9-6 Monday to Friday, as well as being on call every other weekend. In his spare time, he plays for Lincoln Red Imps — one of eight teams in the amateur Gibraltar Premier Division. They train three, sometimes four, nights a week before a weekend match. Then there is fitness work at the gym.Yesterday, I finished work, went home quickly, changed into my kit, had a banana, then went to get the coach to training in Spain, Casciaro said in an interview during a break from work.Going on international duty with Gibraltar involves taking a week off work for the likes of Casciaro and Lincoln teammate Chipolina, who is a customs officer. Representing Gibraltar in 10 European qualifiers per year requires 50 days off work and they have only 25 days of annual leave. So, they rely on the goodwill of their employers to accept a request from the Gibraltar FA to take special leave for international matches.Its hard enough balancing football, work and family, with your wife nagging at you when you go training every night, Chipolina said with a smile. Then youve got to use your annual leave for football, so you have to tell your wife we arent going on holiday this year.Firemen, a policeman, a store manager, a student, a teacher, a researcher — they come from all walks of life to play for Gibraltar.Admittance to UEFA means Gibraltars players are, however, getting a glimpse of what life would be like as a professional footballer. When they go away for international duty, players now wear suits instead of tracksuits, stay in five-star hotels and VIP areas, and are even starting to be asked for autographs. They follow a strict itinerary, when two years ago they would book their own hotels and everything would be fairly ad hoc.But back at their clubs, life can still be amateurish. Gibraltar midfielder Jeremy Lopez plays in the domestic league for Manchester 62 FC, which holds one of its three training sessions each week on a concrete parking lot behind a hotel.Can you imagine Bastian Schweinsteiger doing that? Lopez said, referring to the Germany midfielder he is about to confront.There are severe challenges and hardships facing Gibraltars footballers. There is only one full-sized field on the territory, at Victoria Stadium near the border with Spain. The arena has to be shared by teams from all leagues and age groups — juniors to seniors, men and women — so time is at a premium.Because Victoria Stadium only has a capacity of about 2,000 and doesnt meet UEFA requirements, Gibraltar has to play its home matches in Faro in Portugal — a five-hour drive for the team and their fans, who usually number around 500. The GFA is looking into building an 8,000-seat stadium at the other end of the territory but that is years away from being a reality.And Gibraltar coach Allen Bula said he realistically has a pool of only about 60 players to choose from when he selects his national squad.Still, Gibraltar isnt complaining, not after what it has been through to get recognition from the global football community. Long-awaited UEFA membership is offering the team and the country new opportunities.Its giving us international exposure, free publicity, PR that money cant buy, said GFA chief executive Dennis Beiso, whose target is for Gibraltar to become the best of the minnows within Europe on and off the field.A daunting trip to Germany awaits but its not the first huge obstacle to have faced Gibraltars footballers.It wont be the last.Its going to be a different level, a different planet, Casciaro said. I think, to be quite honest, they are going to score as many goals as they want. Authentic Jayson Tatum Jersey .Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday it is inevitable that the league will one day take after European sports and have sponsor names on team jerseys. Authentic Reggie Lewis Jersey . -- The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena to a $25 million, five-year contract Saturday. http://www.cheapcelticsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-marcus-smart-jersey . -- Jonathan Diaz is easy to spot in the Blue Jays clubhouse. SEATTLE -- Corey Hart saw everyone around him contributing something to the Seattle Mariners strong start. After a lacklustre spring and sluggish first week, he desperately wanted to be a part of it. His response: a three-run homer and a solo shot that sent the Mariners to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in their home opener Tuesday night. "So many guys on this team have been chipping in and I havent been one of them," Hart said. "It was nice to find contact tonight and be able to help out. I was getting kind of tired watching everyone else help out." Seattle became the final major league team to open at home and improved to 4-0 this season against the Angels, who got consecutive home runs from Albert Pujols and David Freese in the first inning. After fans at Safeco Field gave Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and other members of the Super Bowl champion Seahawks a raucous ovation, the Mariners gave the sold-out crowd some winning baseball to cheer for. "Im not a hoopla person. Id rather just go about my business," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "But it was a good night in a lot of respects. I thought it was a good night for our fans on a lot of different avenues. I was very pleased with how our guys responded." Seattle scored four times with two outs in the third inning, capped by Harts three-run homer off starter Hector Santiago (0-2). Hart added his solo drive in the seventh. Robinson Canos home debut in Seattle was mostly uneventful. Cano went 0 for 3 and scored a run, getting a massive ovation when he was introduced before the game that was topped only by Felix Hernandezs reception. Hart, another off-season acquisition, made plenty of noise. Hart had the 15th multihomer game of his career and first since Sept. 29, 2012, before knee surgery sidelined him for the 2013 season with Milwaukee. Seattles rally in the third started when Santiago struck out Brad Miller but the ball bounced away from catcher Chris Iannetta. Miller reached first and Santiago pitched around Cano, walking him on four pitches. Justin Smoak lined a two-strike single to score Miller, and Hart made Santtiago pay for missing with an 0-2 pitch. Stitched Celtics Jerseys Online. It was the third time in his career Hart has homered on an 0-2 pitch. His homer in the seventh was a line drive to centre off reliever Fernando Salas. Seattle starter James Paxton (2-0) gave up two first-inning homers, then retired 14 straight. He left in the sixth inning after straining a muscle on the left side of his back. Paxton did not believe his injury was serious, but is taking the precaution of having an MRI on Wednesday. He initially felt a twinge in the fifth inning, but returned in the sixth. If he is sidelined, Paxton would join Hisashi Iwakuma and Taijuan Walker as expected starters in the Mariners rotation dealing with early injuries. "I just want to be careful right now," Paxton said. "They say my strength is still good. I just want to get it checked out." Paxton was amped up early and it cost him when he gave up a two-run homer to Pujols and a solo shot to Freese. But Paxton quickly settled down and kept the Angels silent from there. Kole Calhouns single leading off the sixth was the Angels only hit after the first inning. "Early on we had some strong looks at Paxton but he settled down and pitched a strong game," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. Yoervis Medina replaced Paxton and got out of the sixth. Danny Farquhar and Tom Wilhelmsen worked the seventh and eighth, and Fernando Rodney earned his second save despite walking his first two batters in the ninth. "He was probably a little ticked at himself and turned it up a little bit," McClendon said. NOTES: Pujols became the 52nd player to reach 1,500 RBIs. ... Iwakuma is expected to throw his first bullpen session Wednesday as he recovers from a finger injury. ... LHP Roenis Elias will make his first start in Seattle for the Mariners on Wednesday against Garrett Richards. Elias threw five strong innings in his debut last week. "Its going to be a little bit different being at home," he said through a translator. "Felix already talked to me and told me to be aggressive and stay ahead with my pitches and leave it out there." Chiefs Jerseys China Cheap Nike Chargers Jerseys Cheap Nike Raiders Jerseys Wholesale Cowboys Jerseys China Cheap Nike Giants Jerseys Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys For Sale Wholesale Redskins Jerseys China Cheap Nike Lions Jerseys Packers Jerseys China Cheap Vikings Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Panthers Jerseys Hoodies Cheap Saints Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike Buccaneers Jerseys Cardinals Jerseys China Cheap Rams Jerseys Hoodies Cheap Nike 49ers Jerseys Seahawks Jerseys China Bears Jerseys China Cheap Nike Bills Jerseys Ravens Jerseys China Wholesale Falcons Jerseys China ' ' '