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Steve Nash believes Kobe Bryant is ahead of schedule in his recovery from Achilles surgery, is hopeful that the Los Angeles Lakers will finally find the chemistry they lacked a year ago and is finding himself fueled by the memories of an injury-filled season. On Tuesday, however, basketball wont be his sport of choice. The two-time NBA MVP gets to become a soccer player again -- if only briefly. The Lakers guard who grew up playing soccer and still has deep ties within the sport will have a tryout of sorts with Inter Milan, before the storied team opens play in the Guinness International Champions Cup tournament thats coming to the U.S. next week. The tournament features eight club teams from around the world, with a winner to be crowned in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Aug. 7. "Its a dream come true to get a chance to try out, not just to try out but to take the field with Inter Milan, one of the great, storied franchises in professional sports," Nash said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I feel like a little kid." Tournament officials said the tryout will take place in New Jersey, two days before Inter Milan opens its portion of the Guinness event in Indianapolis against Chelsea. And Nash expects to be feeling a fairly ramped-up level of nervousness when he laces up his cleats for that training session. "Its going to be a lot higher than it is playing basketball, for sure," Nash said. "I still get nervous for basketball games from time to time. When I get out on the court, I dont get nervous, but before. To go out there with guys that I look up to and watch play, its definitely going to raise the nerves. Ill be really nervous and really excited." The tournament begins Saturday when AC Milan visits Valencia. Juventus and Everton meet Wednesday in another first-round game, with the other opening matchups being the Inter-Chelsea game and Real Madrid taking on the L.A. Galaxy on Thursday. The European clubs are primarily using the event as preseason training and the matches will allow for many more substitutions than normal, as is common with exhibition matches. "Guinness has kind of taken it to another level by making a tournament out of it," Nash said. "Theres stakes involved. For Guinness to bring seven of the worlds biggest clubs over and play with the Galaxy, thats phenomenal exposure for the game and itll help grow the game in North America." The Victoria native played soccer and hockey as a child before starting his basketball career as an eighth-grader, primarily because most of his friends at the time were spending more time taking corner jumpers than corner kicks. His father, John, played professional soccer in South Africa and England, and Nash remains an avid soccer fan and is part of the ownership group for the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer. As far as his "real job" goes, Nash said hes encouraged for the coming NBA season. Hes working his way back to being 100 per cent physically. His first season with the Lakers was an injury-filled one, where he was limited to 50 games because of a broken left leg and a strained right hamstring. "Ive had a really good summer of training and rehabilitating," Nash said. "Im not 100 per cent, but Im pretty close. Good enough to go out there Tuesday. Im thrilled Ive had this time to build myself back up, and I believe Ill have a great year." Last season was a struggle for the Lakers, and the off-season hasnt exactly been tranquil, either. Dwight Howard left Los Angeles for Houston, Bryant has been working his way through rehabilitation for his Achilles, and the Lakers added new pieces like Chris Kaman, Nick Young and Wesley Johnson. "Were all just excited for another opportunity," Nash said. "Weve got some terrific players coming off of difficult seasons. I know Pau Gasol after his injuries, Kobes coming off a difficult injury, I was injured for the better part of the season. The three of us are eager to get back out there and theres other guys, Jordan Hill, Steve Blake, who missed a lot of time last year. "Were excited to see what we can make of ourselves. We really are going to try for the second consecutive year to find chemistry and identity, but were excited for it, so well see." Nash said he isnt letting go of the bad memories from last season, using them instead as motivation for the coming year. And when the new season starts, he said he wouldnt be at all surprised to see Bryant -- who tore his Achilles tendon in April -- not just ready, but raring to go. "I dont think hed have it any other way," Nash said. "I know hes very focused and determined and he plans to come back as strong as ever, probably in record time."Custom USA Soccer Jerseys . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. USA Soccer Jerseys 2020 . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. USA Soccer Store . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. USA Soccer Shirts . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask.MADISON, Wis. -- Atop the Camp Randall Stadium steps, where the sun bakes pavement and the weight of a 50-pound vest burns his legs, Corey Clement stares down on the field and envisions everything again being right in his world.He visualizes 80,000 fans screaming uncontrollably after he has polished off a long touchdown run, but beyond that, he visualizes redemption. With the season set to begin, he is once again healthy in body and spirit, fully recovered from a sports hernia injury that derailed his junior season and an embarrassing off-field fight that sullied his reputation. This, Clement tells himself, is the way its supposed to be -- the way it can be once more.He is here, grinding through more stadium runs preparing for Wisconsins Saturday opener against No. 5 LSU at Lambeau Field in Green Bay (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET). On one side will be Leonard Fournette, a Heisman favorite and the presumptive No. 1 running back in the upcoming NFL draft. On the other side will be Clement, who says he feels like a forgotten man. His mission is to use this year with the Badgers as an opportunity to reclaim what was lost. And he understands he has plenty to prove both on and off the field.Clement, who holds the career South New Jersey high school rushing record, has never hid from his desire to be considered among the elite class of college running backs. But when Clement logged onto Twitter this offseason and saw several top-five lists of the best college tailbacks, he noticed his name was nowhere to be found. Leonard Fournette. Dalvin Cook. Christian McCaffrey. Royce Freeman. Samaje Perine.I try to stay off Twitter as much as possible, but its annoying, he said. You scroll down and you see, Whos going to be on the podium for this running back class? Im just sitting there like, OK. I really laugh sometimes.Of course, there are good reasons those players have pried much of the spotlight from Clement. McCaffrey was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year and finished second in the nation with 2,019 rushing yards. Fournette finished third (1,953 yards), Freeman fourth (1,836), Cook sixth (1,691) and Perine 21st (1,349) one year after setting the single-game FBS rushing record. Clement, meanwhile, could do nothing as he watched from the sideline, missing nine games and finishing with 221 yards rushing.In July, Clement was frustrated enough about being overlooked that he posted this tweet:I just think some NFL scouts or people who follow college football in general, they dont even mention me up with Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, all these other top premier backs, Clement said. Its kind of a smack in the face to not even be mentioned with these guys. Ive been here before some of these guys who came in, like Fournette. But hes gained his respect.This is my season to make up and say, I havent left yet. You made a big mistake trying to drop my name out of the running. Its another motivation just to kick into another gear and just go off the first game. Ive got to think about the first game -- the first game only. Me against Fournette. So, bring on the show.Clement has tracked his offseason slights and used them as a fuel reserve. He singled out a Feb. 16 tweet from Fournette, who uploaded video of himself squatting 405 pounds during offseason workouts while describing it as easy. Several media outlets wrote stories off the video, which has been viewed nearly 150,000 times on Fournettes Twitter and Instagram accounts alone.Theres so much that they hype up on social media, whether its, Oh, look at Fournette do this squat, 405 pounds 20 times, Clement said. I can do it, but Im not going to display it. Its fine. The SEC has their talent, and I respect their style of play. ... It doesnt mean we have to let the world see that before the season starts.Clements training sessions this summer have largely occurred in the background. And while he bemoans the national significance of one 12-second video, Clement acknowledges it also provides him with visual proof of what hes chasing in his final college season.Sometimes, in the pre-dawn hours when Clement feels tired, when he wants to hit the snooze alarm and sleep just a little longer to avoid a workout, hell jolt himself awake with one question: Whats Fournette doing?Shoot, hes probably doing something right now, Clement said. Let me get my behind out of bed and just keep working.A season to forgetA year ago, Clement found himself occupying a space that changed him as a person and a football player. Melvin Gordon had exited one season early for the NFL, leaving Clement at the front of the line as Wisconsins next potentially great tailback. But he became consumed with putting up monster statistics, saying he wanted to rush for no less than 2,000 yards, so he could win a Heisman Trophy and follow Gordon to the pros. His family prepared accordingly.It was more or less like, OK, hes about to roll out and do what he needs to do and hes leaving, said Coreys mother, Latanya. He wanted to make his mark and get out at a young age.Clement began listening to people tell him how good he could be. He focused on the result rather than the process required to achieve his goal. Ultimately, he lost track of what really mattered. After he underwent sports hernia surgery following the 2015 season opener against Alabama, he still returned to play in three more games at less than full speed. He says he now sees how his behavior impacted so many others.I was licking my chops a little bit at the next level, Clement said. Because you feel it. Its just so close. Its like, Man, all this work I put in the past 15 years playing this game, its finally almost here. But I forgot -- not forgot that Im on this team -- but I let that fall by the wayside a little bit. And then I slowly got a wakeup call.It was a wakeup call to let you know that you have a team that cares about you and that you should be here, and its very selfish of you to think about the next level when youve got 80,000 here every Saturday cheering this team on. You should be a part of it. This season is still here. The NFL can still wait.When Clement suffered his sports hernia injury, it forced him to adjust his football goals. When he was cited for fighting, it forced him to adjust his life.On Saturday, Nov. 7, instead of returning from Wisconsins game at Maryland, Clement was home nursing lingering soreness from his sports hernia surgery. He stepped onto an elevator at his apartment complex at 2 a.m. Sunday morning with a large group of people. It turned into an incident that spilled over into verbal thrreats and punches.ddddddddddddPolice concluded Clement used derogatory and sexually explicit language directed toward a female and initiated the fight by punching a man in the face. Clement was then knocked to the ground and kicked before the melee dissipated. He was glassy eyed and nearly hyperventilating when police arrived, though they concluded he was not intoxicated.He said his first thought when it was over was, What the f--- am I doing?Im an aggressive person playing this football game, Clement said. I try to take all my anger out, whatever it is that may be within me thats bottled up. And I normally release it during football. But I didnt have any football to be playing at the time. Even though I had played against Rutgers a week before the fight happened, it still wasnt enough. I dont know. My aggression just built up. It bit me in the butt.If Clement had come clean about his role in the fight over the coming days, he couldve avoided adding another uncomfortable chapter to a forgettable season. Yet he dug a deeper hole when he told Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst and running backs coach John Settle that he was coming to the aid of a security guard, whom he claimed was being assaulted. When the truth was revealed, Chryst suspended Clement for Wisconsins Nov. 28 game against Minnesota, and he didnt travel with the team.Clements mother said she did not find out what happened directly from him, instead hearing the account from her oldest son. She said it is the only occasion during his college career in which she was truly disappointed in him.Theres going to be things youre going to grow through, she said. First and foremost, youve got to be honest, and you have to say what happened. There are things you have to do to get that respect from your teammates, your coaches, because they all look up to you. You cant say one thing and do another. You have to be what you say you are.Clement eventually was cited for two counts of disorderly conduct and ordered to pay $878 in fines. He said that night last November was a one-time mistake, and he wants to show everyone that is not who he really is.I lied to Coach and had to tell him the truth, Clement said. To be honest, everybody makes mistakes. He understands everybody is human. What he really said straight up is, Dont lie to the guy whos trying to help you. Thats the message I received. Really take it into account that you have to be accountable for your own actions, but at the same time, you have people trying to help you.Do I regret it? Yeah. Its something I look back on and say that was a bad decision, bad choices. Ive got to live and learn from it.Second-chance pointsWhen Clement paid his citation fees, the court case finally closed. But a great deal of work remained for him to rehabilitate his image in the eyes of frustrated coaches and teammates -- to demonstrate humility and place a genuine priority on teamwork.Settle said the incident embarrassed Clement and forced him to grow up. Settle encouraged Clement to surround himself with teammates, because they shared the same schedule and would be less likely to stray if they were together. Meanwhile, Clement spent the offseason working to gain back the trust of the coaching staff.That process has been ongoing, including several discussions with Chryst and Settle about leadership and maturity, in addition to his labor-intensive workouts. Over the past eight months, coaches have said they have seen necessary improvements in Clements focus, restoring their confidence in him.He wants to be the best player he can be but also the best person he can be, Chryst said. I think he values this team and he wants to be a good teammate. I also believe that Corey knows that part of him being a good teammate is being there. We can depend on him. ... I think last year is not a year that he would want to script out, but I think hes tried to learn from it, and I appreciate that about him.Running back Dare Ogunbowale, one of Clements closest friends on the team, said the difference has been noticeable. He and Clement spent the offseason pushing each other, using early-morning hours to run in the sand volleyball courts on campus, complete ladder and cone drills and compare weight room performances. Clement has set personal records on the bench press (365 pounds) and squat rack (530 pounds) and gained eight pounds of muscle this summer. But what Ogunbowale has seen extends beyond those sessions.Hes a great leader, and last year that trait kind of got away just because he was thinking about things he could accomplish personally, Ogunbowale said. Now we get to see how hes trying to bring the younger guys along with him and know that his success is going to depend on other peoples success as well. Its exciting to see what he can do this season.Some of Clements objectives no doubt remain self-involved, but he said he has learned he cannot accomplish individual goals without the team. He said he has been able to better compartmentalize his priorities this year. He has been hounded with phone calls from potential sports agents waiting to represent him when he pursues the pros. Clement said he changed his number this summer to avoid the distraction. He has directed all calls to go through his mother.Latanya acknowledged that Clement still feels the pressure to reach his dream. He has been chasing the NFL since age 7, when he told his mother he would play in the pros. She has imparted a simple message for Corey to obey this year: Stay in the moment. Have fun with the game you love, and everything else will follow.Clements on-field play and conduct among teammates and in the community ultimately will determine how well he adjusts to a senior year he never thought he would require. He knows the window to put a stamp on his college career at Wisconsin is closing fast. Given what is at stake, there is little margin for error. But he maintains faith that, through his work ethic and renewed concentration, all will indeed be right in his world again soon, beginning with a date this Saturday against LSU and its much-accomplished tailback.I think Im heavily motivated by everything, Clement said. Proving the fans wrong, proving the people who think different of me wrong and just proving scouts wrong and proving other opponents wrong. Just letting people know that I came back for a reason and thats to make a name for myself and this team. This is going to be a fun one. ' ' '