2012 » g to start back up Scott Tolzein.He has a limited amount of exp

MINSK, Belarus -- Less than three years ago, Alexander Skshinetskys soccer career seemed over.The former under-21 international found himself unemployed after his career stalled, and was working on construction sites when an offer came. Would he consider joining an amateur team that had been playing seven-a-side soccer but now wanted to go pro, founded by a small group of fans staking thousands of dollars of their own money to build a club from scratch?Two seasons and two promotions later, the 26-year-old midfielder is a key player in one of European soccers most unlikely success stories. In only its third professional season, Krumkachy Minsk is playing top-flight soccer, beating established names and challenging the economic orthodoxy in one of Europes most closed-off countries.Krumkachy -- Ravens in Belarusian -- has soared into the countrys top league with a shoestring budget but an enthusiastic and growing fan base of hipsters, families and others turned off by the stagnation of soccer in the ex-Soviet nation. Before a recent run of losses, it was even challenging for Europa League qualification.The secret has been finding talented players on the verge of leaving the game, or even those who have already quit, people who have been underestimated and put down, in the words of co-founder Denis Shunto, who set up Krumkachy with friends in 2011. We get those guys and we can really make them into a team.After starting out in recreational competitions, Shunto and his friends decided to aim higher. Belarusian soccer has a three-tier league system packed with clubs backed by various government agencies and state-run factories in the countrys Soviet-style economy, a set-up which prefers predictability over ambition and can give rise to conflicts of interest. With a spot open in the third tier, but without a state patron, Krumkachy scraped together a few thousand dollars to apply. Each subsequent step up the pyramid brought predictions of imminent financial collapse.Everyone said we wouldnt have the money, we couldnt take part, said Skshinetsky, the midfielder. We played for free in the second division, and in the first division it wasnt much. Maybe $100 for a win in the first division and salaries maybe $150 (a month).On a freezing Friday night in Minsk, the crowd was small and the game scrappy. Goalkeeping errors helped to hand Krumkachy a 2-1 win which all but ensured the clubs top-flight survival for 2017 in the Belarusian leagues calendar-year system. Financial survival is always a trickier question.Weve got the smallest budget (in the league) and were still putting money in ourselves, said Shunto, who wonders if the approach of going without government funding may be too romantic.At Fridays game, commercial tie-ups were prominent and Krumkachys shirts were covered in a myriad of small logos from various businesses which have chipped in as sponsors, while opposition Granit Mikashevichi bore only the logo of its backer, a state-run quarry. Consumerism may be the norm in most European leagues, but in Belarus state-dominated economy, its the mark of the plucky underdog.After ending a nine-game wait for victory, the players came over to celebrate with the sparse crowd. An hour later, the reserve players were still sharing the field with fans and their children having a kickabout.Its an atmosphere like home, very warm. Its been helping the guys not to give up, said Vasily Khomutovsky, one of Krumkachys two co-coaches.At a recent away game, a woman with two children who went there, with two small kids 7 and 10 years old, she made each player a little souvenir by hand and signed it, something different for each player, Khomutovsky said.Theres a family atmosphere within the club, too, with Shuntos brother serving as a backup goalkeeper and Skshinetskys wife in charge of fitness training.Vladimir Harlach, one of the teams supporters, said Krumkachy reminds him of AFC Wimbledon, the English club founded by fans after owners relocated its previous incarnation to another town, and which has since shot up several divisions.Thats a bit different, there was history, Harlach said. Here, its from scratch. History is being written in front of our eyes. You could compare it to other countries 100 years ago, when (soccer) was all being created.Krumkachys average home attendance of about 1,500 is tiny by European standards, but enough to put it comfortably above all but the biggest clubs in Belarus, as well as higher than that of FC Minsk, the city government-run club whose stadium Krumkachy is using.Some at the club wonder whether European qualification might be possible next year, another improbable step up, but the top spot in Belarus appears far out of reach. Able to outspend rivals with cash from occasional Champions League appearances, BATE Borisov has just sewn up its 11th straight title.Khomutovsky welcomes the comparison to Leicester, a team which was promoted to top division in England, survived one season, then won a wildly unlikely title the following year.I hope next year, Khomutovsky said, we do what we can to become the Belarusian Leicester.Kansas City Royals Store . 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Kansas City Royals Gear .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win.Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is facing a race to be fit for Thursdays Thanksgiving encounter with the Pittsburgh Steelers after he entered concussion protocol.During the fourth quarter, Luck was tackled by Austin Johnson and Derrick Morgan. His arms pinned to his sides, Luck fell to the ground as the back of his helmet hit the turf.Luck also took some other big hits during the final period, but the Colts couldnt confirm which tackle had caused the concussion. NFL Week 11: Pick Six Neil Reynolds reviews the weeks action - with the Cowboys, Jared Goff are on the agenda. Safety Clayton Geathers was also taken out of the game with a concussion and will face the same battle to be ready for week 12 as Luck. After we were all done with the locker room, both guys didnt feel right and went in the training room, and both were evaluated for concussions. Both are in the protocol, said Colts head coach Chuck Pagano.Following entry into concussion protocol each player must slowly return to training with bike work, strength training and non-contact practice, before full training and an independent neurological assessment. Luck was hit eight times and sacked twice, with the concussion occurring in the fourth quarter Chasing down the Houston Texans for a play-off spot, the Colts 24-17 victory over AFC South rival Tennessee Titans was important, and moves the franchise to 5-5, just one game back from the division lead.ddddddddddddHowever, given the short turnaround time between Sundays win and Indianapolis Thanksgiving day game against the Steelers, it is highly unlikely Luck will be cleared to play, and Pagano is planning to start back up Scott Tolzein.He has a limited amount of exposure, but he is a pro, Pagano said. If he has to roll and be the guy, then he will do a great job. He prepares really well every single day.Tolzein has just two starts in the NFL, both coming in 2013 as a replacement for Green Bay Packers starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He signed for the Colts in March, following the retirement of Matt Hasselbeck.Sky Sports is your home of NFL with all the Thanksgiving day action. Join us for 24 hours of NFL on Sky Sports 1, as well as Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions live on Pick TV from 5:30pm.Also See:ICYMI: Week 11Raiders beat Texans in MexicoBengals duo injuredThanksgiving on Pick ' ' '