Players had to compete for jobs

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FRANKFURT -- Wolfsburg won its first Bundesliga title when it beat Werder Bremen 5-1 in the final round Saturday. Roberto Luongo Jersey . Felix Magaths team finished the season with 69 points, two ahead of last years champion, Bayern Munich, which edged Stuttgart 2-1. Magath, who has also won two titles with Bayern, is leaving to coach Schalke next season. "At the start of the season, I really didnt think we had a chance of winning the title," said Magath, after getting drenched in champagne by his players. "But I knew we had a good team and we played well and deserved the title." Bayerns consolation prize will be to join Wolfsburg in the Champions League next season. Stuttgart, which finished third with 64 points, will have to qualify. Hertha Berlin, which lost 4-0 at relegated Karlsruhe, finished fourth with 63 points and will join Hamburger SV in the Europa League, formerly known as the UEFA Cup. Hamburg won 3-2 at Eintracht Frankfurt to finish fifth with 61 points. Karlsruhe and Arminia Bielefeld were demoted, while Energie Cottbus will go into a relegation playoff against the third-place team from the second division, still to be determined. Wolfsburgs Brazilian striker, Grafite, scored twice against Werder to finish with a league-high 28 goals. His partner Edin Dzeko added one for a total of 26. With 54 goals between them, Grafite and Dzeko set a new Bundesliga record. Gerd Mueller and Hoeness twice combined for 53 goals for Bayern in the early 1970s. "I never thought Id be a champion after only two years in Germany," Dzeko said, celebrating after the game with a flag of his native Bosnia wrapped around his shoulders. Wolfsburg, backed by the giant car maker Volkswagen, which has its main factory and headquarters in the central German town, has spent 12 season in the top division but had never won any title before. Magath took over in Wolfsburg six months after getting fired by Bayern in January 2007 despite having won two straight domestic doubles in Munich. In two years, Magath transformed Wolfsburg from a side that narrowly escaped relegation the season before his arrival into a champion. Magaths successor in Wolfsburg has not been named, but several German newspapers reported Saturday that it would be Armin Veh, who won the championship with Stuttgart in 2007, only to be fired in November. Wolfsburg was ninth halfway into the season, nine points off the lead. But Magaths team won 14 of the next 17 games, putting together a 10-game winning run, losing only two and scoring 13 goals in its last three games. It also topped the league with 80 goals. Bayern, which has a record 21 championships, ended a tumultuous season on a somewhat positive note after firing coach Juergen Klinsmann five games before the end. Bayern secured a direct spot in the Champions League with four wins in five games under interim coach Jupp Heynckes. Dutchman Louis van Gaal will be Bayerns new coach. "It ended relatively well, we got a place in the Champions League and thats what we wanted," Bayern manager Uli Hoeness said. "The way Wolfsburg played, they deserved the title. We will bring some new players next season." The final round also decided which teams will be relegated. Cottbus got another chance when it routed Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 at home to get ahead of Kalrsruhe and Arminia Bielefeld, which drew 2-2 at home with Hannover. Hertha squandered a chance of finishing third, but the big win failed to help Karlsruhe. Hamburg got an injury-time goal from Piotr Trochowski in Frankfurt to jump over Borussia Dortmund into fifth place and earn a place in Europe. Dortmund drew 1-1 at Borussia Moenchengladbach. Wes Welker Nike Jersey . [Provided to China Daily] BEIJING - Nearly a year after setting up a branch of her 6th Sense Tennis Academy in Beijing, seven-time Grand Slam winner Justine Henin finally came to town on Monday in her first trip to China and shared her experience with local fans. Nike Tom Brady Jersey . Yet despite holding the No. 1 pick, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats general manager cant say for sure if the Saskatchewan Huskies star defender will be wearing black and gold this year. Sean Avery Jersey . As a follow-up, TSN.ca offers you the opportunity to chime in on all the big issues with our insiders. Read up on all the questions and answers from TSNs hockey experts, and put in your own two cents on our popular Your Call feature. Maxim Lapierre Jersey . About forty people, including family members of abductees and activists gathered to release balloons carrying banners towards the DPRK after they wrote on it about their hopes of their family members return. [PhotoAgencies] Shigeo Iizuka of Japan, 72, brother of Yaeko Taguchi who was believed to be abducted by Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), attaches a ribbon on the barbed wire fence after he wrote his wish to see his brother again at Imjingak pavilion, near the demilitarised zone separating the ROK and DPRK in Paju, about 55 km north of Seoul, Nov 2, 2010. Kirk Mclean Jersey .Speaking on radio talk shows, Lai said although Police officers cannot take enforcement action in Manila, they can ask to collect evidence from witnesses in the presence of their Philippine counterparts.Hong Kong has sent two Police officers to Manila to assist in the investigation, and their work has gone smoothly. SASKATOON - There are no big names this year on the United States junior hockey team, but this nondescript, lunch-bucket crew has had more success at the world junior championship than its high-profile predecessors. The Americans face Canada for gold Tuesday (8 p.m. ET) for the first time since 2004. The U.S. came from behind that year in Helsinki, Finland, to edge Canada 4-3 and capture the countrys first world junior title. Canada has won every gold medal since then while U.S. teams loaded with first-round NHL draft picks floundered. A bronze medal in 2007 was their best result after that gold medal. The Americans were shocked by Slovakia in last years quarter-final in Ottawa and ended up ended up fifth. No Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, Erik Johnson or James van Riemsdyk on this U.S. team. There isnt one top-10 NHL draft pick. Defenceman Jake Gardiner is the highest at No. 17 by the Anaheim Ducks. Weve got to prove something, said Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jerry DAmigo said Monday. We dont have those top-skilled players. We have a lot of heart. The Americans gave Canada their toughest challenge of the tournament in the final game of the preliminary round last Wednesday. Trailing 4-2 midway through third period, the hosts scored a pair of goals and then won 5-4 in a shootout to secure a bye to the semifinals. The U.S. beat Finland 6-2 in the quarter-final and then favoured Sweden 5-2 in Sundays semifinal to earn a rematch. Far from feeling discouraged from their loss to Canada, the U.S. feels they are inching closer to halting the host countrys bid to win six straight gold at this tournament. We had a win in our hands I think and we let it slip, so weve got to limit the turnovers and play solid defence, said Vancouver Canucks draft pick Jordan Schroeder, who is playing in his third world junior tournament. Canada turned the puck over several times in the face of American pressure, and the U.S. scored a pair of short-handed goals against the defending champions by stealing the puck at the blue-line. Wed like to have the same type of game plan, said head coach Dean Blais. We know were going to have to work and finish our checks and work for everything we get. We took six penalties against them. Thats too many because more than likely theyll get a couuple (of power-play goals) this next round. Brian Leetch Jersey. U.S. captain Derek Stepan leads the Americans in scoring with three goals and nine assists in six games, followed by DAmigo with five goals and five assists. Jack Campbell from Port Huron, Mich., had a strong performance in net during regulation time against Canada, but the 17-year-old struggled in the shootout. Blais wasnt tipping his hand Monday as to which goaltender hell start Tuesday, but Mike Lee was in the U.S. net for both playoff wins. Blais knows Lee well as the Phoenix Coyote prospect backstopped the USHL team Blais coached in Fargo, N.D., to the league final last season. He took a brand new franchise to the national championship, Blais said. That wasnt our good play. It was Mike Lee, so he can play. Lee, now playing at St. Cloud State University, has also had international success against Canada. He was the winning goalie in the Americans 7-1 win over Canada West at the 2008 World Junior A Championship in Camrose, Alta. Youre playing for your country the same way, said Lee. I was fortunate enough to play in the championship game last year and come out on top. This is obviously a little bigger stage, but you can compare it. This U.S. team is playing a more cohesive game than previous teams that underachieved in this tournament. For the first time, the Americans held a selection camp prior to the world junior championship, which is what Canada does every year. Players had to compete for jobs on the team, instead of USA Hockey simply naming 22 players to the squad. It changed the mentality completely, said forward Ryan Bourque, the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Ray Bourque. There was about 29 guys pretty much battling for 22 spots. It upped the ante on the competitive level even before camp. You had time to gel with your teammates and linemates. USA Hockey has been developing top-notch talent via its full-time under-18 and under-17 mens programs that operate out of Ann Arbour, Mich. The addition of selection camp was to foster the competitive edge that seems to pull Canada to victory. We took what were the most competitive guys up here, Blais said. We let some talented guys go for the same reason Canada lets them go every year. Youve got to win this thing with some grit. ' ' '