Lindsey Vonn was cleared to get back on a World Cup course for downhill training, the latest step as she works to return from a right knee injury and get ready for the Sochi Olympics.

Now Vonn — and the rest of the skiing world — will wait to find out whether she'll actually be racing by the end of this week.

A group of Lebanese women have shrugged off family disapproval and paltry resources to create their country's first female league for futsal -- the faster, five-a-side variety of football.

"My family was against me playing at the start. They'd say neither football nor futsal is a women's sport, but I fought for it, and kept on training," said Aya Chiry, 27.

Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal has extended his contract with Juventus by one season until 2017.

The Turin club made the announcement Tuesday on its website.

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is set to return from two months out with a thigh injury in the English Premier League match at West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.

The Belgium center back, who has been in full training for a week, has been badly missed by City since he was injured in the 3-1 home win over Everton on October 5.

Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski will return to training this week after more than three months out with a left hamstring injury, handing the Premier League leaders an alternative up front for the busy festive period.

Olivier Giroud has been shouldering the attacking burden for Arsenal since Podolski was hurt during the Champions League playoff win over Fenerbahce at the end of August.

On game days in a town named Thermal, where date farms and desert surroundings evoke the Middle East and nearby communities have names like Mecca and Oasis, fans cheer a high school team known as the Arabs.

A belly dancer jiggles on center court. And a black-haired, mustached mascot wearing a head scarf rallies the crowd.

It's looking quite festive these days at Adidas' North American headquarters, and it has nothing to do with the holiday season.

Brightly colored cleats are on posters, in displays and even just strewn about. The neon shoes are part of the German shoemaker's Samba collection released recently in advance of next summer's World Cup in Brazil.

Fiorentina beat 10-man Hellas Verona 4-3 in an eventful Italian league game on Monday to boost its hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League, while Napoli won 3-2 at Lazio to stay in touch with Juventus and Roma.

Four of the goals came in the opening 15 minutes in an open match at the Stadio Franchi as Fiorentina captain Borja Valero scored twice, either side of goals from on-loan Fiorentina midfielder Romulo and Juan Iturbe for Verona.

Organizers of the 2014 World Cup say football great Pele will make an appearance at Friday's draw in Brazil but his role is being kept a secret.

It hadn't been clear whether Pele would be participating in the event that will determine the schedule for next year's tournament, but organizers confirmed Monday he will be part of the show broadcast to about 250 million viewers in more than 190 countries.

Less than three years after Assem Allam rescued Hull from falling into financial ruin, the goodwill toward the Egyptian businessman has turned into open hostility.

Allam was feted as a savior after injecting about 40 million pounds ($61 million) into the club when it was close to bankruptcy while playing in the second-tier League Championship in 2010. The team then secured a surprise return to the Premier League last season.