SAO PAULO, Brazil -- FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke is giving Brazilian organizers only a few more weeks to show that the stadium in Curitiba will be ready in time for the World Cup. Will Barton Jersey . Valcke showed real concern about the pace of construction at the Arena da Baixada after visiting the southern city on Tuesday, saying that work there is more than late. He said he believes the stadium will make it, but declined to guarantee it will be part of the tournament that begins in June. Valcke said local organizers have until Feb. 18 to demonstrate that the work can be completed in time. "What we are expecting is that these technicians will work from now up to the 18th of February and by the 18th of February they will say, OK, guys, its fine," Valcke said. Most of the delay at the venue, which was about 90 per cent completed, was blamed on difficulties getting the needed funding for the construction. The stadium is being built mainly by local club Atletico Paranaense. "For the time being, I trust that the decisions that have been made today will give us Curitiba as one of the host cities," Valcke told a news conference. "It will be a difficult birth, but at the end we will have a baby." Brazils deputy sports minister Luis Fernandes said that after Tuesdays visit it was clear something had to be done to guarantee Curitiba as a host city. "With the current pace of construction, the stadium would not be ready in time," Fernandes said, adding that more workers are expected to be added to the construction site to try to get the venue ready. The trip to Curitiba was not originally scheduled for this weeks inspection tour by FIFA, but footballs governing body added a stop there after receiving the latest construction report from local organizers. Valcke was initially expected to go to the jungle city of Manaus. The Arena da Baixada was the most delayed among the six that still have to be delivered for the World Cup. FIFAs inspection tour began on Monday in Sao Paulo, with Valcke visiting the Itaquerao stadium, where a crane collapse late last year killed two workers and caused significant delays in construction. The Itaquerao, which will host the World Cup opener between Brazil and Croatia on June 12, is expected to be ready in mid-April. On Wednesday, the Arena das Dunas in the northeastern city of Natal will be the latest stadium to be delivered. Valcke will be there for the inauguration ceremony along with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. Brazil promised to deliver all 12 by the end of 2013 but only the six that were used during last years Confederations Cup were ready. Four of those had missed their initial completion deadline of the end of 2012. The Arena da Baixada is due to host four World Cup matches, all in the group stage. The first is Iran vs. Nigeria on June. 16. Alex English Nuggets Jersey . According to Tony Barrett of The Times, the Liverpool captain is set to announce that he will leave the club at the end of the 2014-15 season. Dikembe Mutombo Jersey . -- Officials have approved a deal to build a new $672 million stadium for the Atlanta Braves away from the downtown Atlanta area that has traditionally been its home. http://www.authenticnuggetsproshop.com/Dikembe-Mutombo-Jersey/ . Ronaldo netted his 14th goal of the season in Europes top competition to give Madrid a clear advantage ahead of next weeks quarterfinal return leg in Germany. But it came at a price as the Portugal forward, who came into the first-leg nursing a sore left knee, came off in the 80th minute.NEW YORK -- Jason Kidd has a winning record for the first time in his coaching career. "Doesnt matter," he said. "It doesnt. Were playing better, thats all that matters." Better than anybody in the Eastern Conference since the new year, in fact. Joe Johnson scored 21 points, Marcus Thornton came off the bench for 20, and the Nets powered their way above .500 for the first time this season by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 103-94 on Wednesday night. Deron Williams added 16 points and Paul Pierce 14 for the Nets (30-29), who have won four in a row overall and six straight at home in turning around a turbulent start. They are still only sixth in the Eastern Conference, but look capable of climbing more after following a rout of Chicago on Monday by clobbering the Grizzlies for most of this one. The matchup between two of the NBAs best teams in 2014 was a mismatch until the fourth quarter, when the Nets had already led by 30. Memphis fell to 21-9 since Jan. 1, while the Nets 20-8 record is tops among East teams. "Its not always how you start, its going to be how you finish. And I think with the way weve been playing as of late, since the All-Star break, since the turn of the new year, this is the Nets team that I envisioned from the beginning of the season," Pierce said. Jon Leuer scored 19 and Marc Gasol 18 for the Grizzlies, who were without Zach Randolph because of the flu and then turned in a sickly performance. Memphis never led and missed a chance to tie Phoenix for the Wests eighth and final playoff spot. "We look at the standings every day. I hear guys talking about who lost, who won. Just to come out with a performance like this is devastating," guard Tony Allen said. "But we cant hold our heads down. Weve got to keep pushing." Leading scorer Mike Conley missed all eight shots and had two points and six turnovers. "It was a tough night," Memphis coach Dave Joerger said. "We had some guys really, really struggle tonight. Give them credit. They came out and played with a much more forceful nature, attacking us, both being physical defensively and just the mentality that, you know Were going to bring it to you. Carmelo Anthony Nuggets Jersey. " Jason Collins played 17 scoreless minutes on the day he signed his second 10-day contract. The NBAs first openly gay player got a visit in the locker room before the game from Commissioner Adam Silver, but received just polite applause when he checked in during the second quarter after getting a standing ovation Monday during his home debut. Randolph sat in front of his locker before the game with his sweatshirts hood pulled over his head, ultimately deciding he lacked the energy to play. Pierce went right at his replacement, Ed Davis, and already had eight points by the time Davis was yanked with the Grizzlies trailing 13-2. James Johnson replaced him and quickly botched a fast-break layup as Memphis missed 10 of its first 11 shots. Andray Blatches three-point play made it 26-5 with 3:30 left in the first, and Brooklyn led 54-44 at halftime. Brooklyn scored the first nine of the second half to open a 19-point lead and kept pouring it on by making six 3-pointers in the third quarter. The lead hit 87-57 on Johnsons short jumper, but the Nets had to bring starters back when the Grizzlies sliced that in half by midway in the fourth. The Nets were 10-21 after getting blown out at San Antonio on New Years Eve, threatening to become the NBAs biggest flop after building a team that would cost more than $180 million in salary and taxes. But theyve kept rolling after losing leading scorer Brook Lopez for the season, and most recently playing without Kevin Garnett for the past three because of back spasms. They picked up Thornton in a trade with Sacramento just before the trade deadline, a move that was all but ignored after they signed Collins a few days later. But hes scored 20 or more in two of his first five games with the Nets, and had 15 in the second quarter alone Wednesday. Notes: The Nets are 9-3 against West teams since Jan. 1. ... The Grizzlies Nick Calathes was chosen Wednesday as the Western Conference rookie of the month for February, when he averaged 10.7 points and 4.6 assists. ... Memphis had scored 110 in each of two previous games and was averaging 103.4 since the All-Star break. ' ' '