PARIS - Bordeaux coach Willy Sagnol has apologized for making disparaging comments about African players in football, although he still maintains they were misinterpreted against a backlash of widespread criticism. Cheap USA Soccer Jerseys .Sagnol, capped 58 times by France and a member of the team which lost the 2006 World Cup final, gave a question and answer session Tuesday to readers of Sud Ouest regional newspaper when the subject of African players was raised.The advantage of what I would call the typical African player is that he isnt expensive when you sign him, (he is) a player who is ready for combat, but football isnt just about that, Sagnol said.Explaining himself, he continued: Football is also (about) technique, intelligence. You need a bit of everything. You need Nordics too, Nordics are good.Speaking Thursday at a pre-match news conference ahead of Saturdays game with Lens, Sagnol tried to explain his comments.If by my lack of clarity, or my imperfect semantics, I may have shocked, humiliated or hurt people then I am sorry, Sagnol said. The interpretation that these people may have made does not reflect my way of thinking in any way or my humanist convictions.However, he said the comments made sense in a sporting context.When I spoke about the African (player) who is cheaper and ready for combat, I simply meant to talk about the young African player arriving in Europe with all of his will to win and often to escape from a precarious situation, Sagnol continued as he read from pre-prepared notes. Then, since we were in a debate about football, the intelligence I spoke of was obviously related to tactical intelligence. The forming of young players in Africa, probably because of a lack of financial means, or (lack) of infrastructure, isnt always as complete as whats available in Europe.Sagnol distanced himself from accusations that his viewpoint was offensive.In no way did I mean to talk about an individuals intelligence in the proper sense of the term. Regarding certain accusations of racism, Im 37 (and) Ive spent 32 of them in a football dressing room. Ive never had a problem with anyone, the former Bayern Munich player said.But Lens coach Antoine Kombouare, who was born in New Caledonia, is among those who felt offended by Sagnol.Lets make things clear: this is not a case of him being clumsy. Hes really messed up, Kombouare said. What he said is serious. Its unacceptable. Explaining that an African player is cheaper ... I felt humiliated and hurt.The International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA) strongly condemned Sagnol, as did former Marseille president Pape Diouf, who called for African players to boycott one round of French league games in protest.French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet, who formerly employed Sagnol as coach of Frances Under-21 side, defended him, while former teammate Lilian Thuram — an active anti-racism campaigner — was more measured.I played alongside Willy, hes somebody I respect. I know him very well, Thuram told Sud Ouest. I dont think you should put Willy Sagnol on trial, but you should put prejudice on trial. Each one of us harbours some prejudice, which is why people working in football, who have a certain exposure to the media, should be educated on this subject.Sagnols captain at Bordeaux is Senegal international Lamine Sane, who called Sagnols comments clumsy before defending him, as did club president Jean-Louis Triaud.He doesnt have any twisted ideas. He believes in all the black players in the team, Sane told French radio. We believe in him and we hope to go very far with him.Bordeaux forward Henri Saivet, who is black, told RMC radio that Sagnol apologized.We all now pertinently well that the coach is not a racist, Saivet said. Its true that, at first, we asked ourselves a few questions. But he explained how it happened. He apologized to the players. That was very important. Matt Miazga Jersey . Hes recovered from a scary injury and cleared to play. Mingo, who was hospitalized with a bruised lung he sustained in an Aug. Brenden Aaronson Jersey . -- Washingtons Bradley Beal seemed to make every shot he took in setting a career high with 37 points. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . He is nigh unstoppable against the leagues worst. The 31-year-old dangerman set up two goals and scored two himself as Toronto FC rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the slumping Houston Dynamo 4-2 on Saturday night.CINCINNATI - Cornerback Joe Haden led a line of Browns players jumping to slap hands with joyous fans in the first row. The stadium was filled with the sound of woofing.Felt like times from way, way back when.And with a dominating performance, the Browns suggested theyve finally made it all the way back.The team that has been the AFC Norths bottom dweller for years climbed back into the top spot Thursday night. The Browns were all over Andy Dalton all night long, turning a first-place showdown into a shockingly one-sided 24-3 victory.With every interception and every sack, the Browns showed theyre for real.This is a little different Browns team than the rest of the league is used to seeing, said Haden, who shadowed A.J. Green all over the field and shut him down again.Cleveland (6-3) improved on its best start in 20 years and moved into a first-place tie with Pittsburgh. The Browns also snapped their streak of 17 straight losses to division opponents on the road.The last win? Also in Cincinnati, a 20-12 victory on Sept. 28, 2008.A huge boost for our guys, coach Mike Pettine said. Just look at the streaks we ended. Not many people gave us a chance.Just like the Browns, the Bengals (5-3-1) were trying to break away from some bad franchise history. Theyve played some of their worst games in prime time and wanted to show they were finally ready to hold up under the national attention.Instead, they crumbled along with their quarterback. They also got drubbed 43-17 during a Sunday night game in New England this season.Cincinnati fell to 18-41 in prime time.It does confound me, coach Marvin Lewis said. For whatever reason, the two times (in prime time) this year we didnt play well. Because we were at home, there was an energy and excitement instead of being steely-eyed and focusing on what we have to do.Dalton was 10 of 33 for 86 yards with three interceptions and two sacks and a passer rating of 2. It was another big-game meltdown for the fourth-year quarterback, who has led his team to the playoffs three years in a row only to lose opening games all three times.We didnt start fast and thats on me, Dalton said. I missed a couple early and could never get into a rhythm.The game marked the first since 1986 — when Bernie Kosar and Boomer Esiason were the quarterbacks — that the intrastate rivals played with first place on the line so late in the season. The Browns won that one 34-3.And they were in charge rigght from the start of this one, too. DeAndre Yedlin Jersey. Playing in a cold, gusty wind, Dalton was repeatedly off-target and made a big early mistake. His first pass was high and incomplete. His next one was intercepted by linebacker Craig Robertson, who returned it to the 18. Five plays later, Ben Tate went into the end zone from 4 yards for the lead.We put a lot of pressure on their receivers by covering them tight, cornerback Buster Skrine said. He overthrew a lot of balls. He started the game with an interception and after that, nothing went right for him.It never got any better for Cincinnati, which self-destructed in a tone-setting first half.Kevin Hubers 25-yard punt into the wind set up a 59-yard touchdown drive by the Browns, highlighted by Brian Hoyers completions of 17 and 22 yards to Travis Benjamin. Isaiah Crowell carried the last two yards for a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter.Billy Cundiffs 32-yard field goal made it 17-3 at halftime. It was Clevelands biggest halftime lead in Cincinnati since 1994, when the Browns won 28-20.The Browns essentially put it away late in the third quarter when Hoyer completed a 28-yard pass to tight end Gary Barnidge in the middle of tight coverage. Terrance West went in from a yard out for a 24-3 lead that sent some Bengals fans to the exits.Cleveland rushed for 170 yards after managing only 158 in the last three games combined. West led the way with 94 yards on 26 carries. Hoyer was 15 of 23 for 198 yards.The only good moments for the crowd of 65,871 came after the first quarter when 4-year-old Leah Still — daughter of defensive tackle Devon Still — was on the field for a check presentation. The girl is fighting cancer and flew in from Philadelphia to see her father play for the first time.The Bengals raised more than $1 million for cancer research and treatment through sales of Stills No. 75 jersey. Still wrote Leah Strong on the eye black strip across his face, and police officers at the game had his No. 75 on the back of their uniforms.Notes: It was Clevelands most lopsided win in Cincinnati since a 34-0 victory in 1987 with strike replacement players. ... The Browns were missing top receiver Andrew Hawkins, inactive with an injured knee and thigh. ... It was Cincinnatis first loss at Paul Brown Stadium since a 27-10 defeat against San Diego in the playoffs to end last season.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '