ACCRA, Ghana - Ghana picked Michael Essien and Kevin-Prince Boateng in a preliminary 26-man World Cup squad on Monday. The group will be trimmed to a final 23-man squad after a friendly game against the Netherlands on May 31, the Ghana Football Association said. AC Milans Essien and Schalkes Boateng were named after returning to international football last year. They had both asked for time away from the national team in the years after the last World Cup. Ghana captain and striker Asamoah Gyan and midfielder Sulley Muntari were also included and are set to play in their third consecutive World Cups. Ghana was the best-performing African team at the 2010 tournament, reaching the quarterfinals and just missing out on the semifinals after a penalty shootout loss to Uruguay in South Africa. Ghana will play the United States, Germany and Portugal in Group G in Brazil, and opens its campaign against the U.S. in Natal on June 16. Ghana beat the U.S. in the second round of the last World Cup. Coach Kwesi Appiah didnt reveal what his target was for the team that nearly became the first African nation into the last four of a World Cup four years ago. "Once the players are all fit we hope to deliver," Appiah said. "Every coach has a target and l believe in my players and the national team, but l cannot tell where we will get to. The only thing l can say is we will not disgrace Ghanaians." Essien missed the 2010 World Cup through injury and is likely facing his last chance to play at the showpiece in Brazil. Boateng stepped down from national team duties in 2011 but was recalled to Ghanas squad toward the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign late last year. Ghana will play in its third straight World Cup in Brazil. Appiah also picked Marseilles Andre Ayew, Juventus Kwadwo Asamoah and young attacking midfielder Wakaso Mubarak. Defender Jeffrey Schlupp, who plays for Englands Leicester City, was the biggest surprise in the initial squad. The GFA announced Monday that Ghana would play the Netherlands in Rotterdam on May 31 and South Korea in Miami on June 9 in its final World Cup warm-ups before facing Jurgen Klinsmanns U.S. team in Brazil. ___ Provisional squad: Goalkeepers: Adam Kwarasey, Fatawu Dauda, Stephen Adams. Defenders: Samuel Inkoom, Daniel Opare, Harrison Afful, Jeffrey Schlupp, John Boye, Jonathan Mensah, Jerry Akaminko, Rashid Sumaila. Midfielders: Michael Essien, Rabiu Mohammed, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah, Sulley Muntari, Albert Adomah, Wakaso Mubarak, Christian Atsu, David Accam, Andre Ayew, Afriyie Acquah. Forwards: Asamoah Gyan, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Abdul Majeed Waris, Jordan Ayew. Cheap Air Max 95 Grey . “Im not sure well get Melky Cabrera at all,” said Gibbons. The 29-year-old left fielder struggled all season with knee and hamstring problems. Cabrera was first on the disabled list from June 27-July 20 with tendinitis in his left knee. Cheap Air Max 95 Purple . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday. http://www.airmax95cheap.us/cheap-air-max-95-all-pink/ . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Cheap Air Max 95 All Black .com) - Delon Wright scored 17 points and No. Air Max 95 For Sale Cheap . Hoffman, the former star closer, will evaluate and help co-ordinate all pitchers at Double-A, Triple-A and the big league team. Byrnes says Hoffman "will be a key part of finishing the development of our younger pitchers.AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Stan Van Gundy introduced his new general manager Wednesday and then tried to quell any concerns over how the Detroit Pistons would distribute power within their front office. "I think the final decision thing gets overblown," Van Gundy said. "What we want is a collaborative process with a lot of hard-working, intelligent people, who are thinking, and then use the process to come to a decision." Jeff Bower is now the teams general manager, after Van Gundy was hired as coach and team president last month. They both appeared at a news conference, then were available for more informal interviews afterward. Van Gundy was surrounded by reporters almost immediately, and its clear that hes still the face of the franchises next big effort to return to relevance. But Bower brings plenty of experience at the NBA level to his new job. He was the coach at Marist College last season, but hes been a general manager and coach in the pros with New Orleans. "Hes done almost everything at the NBA level," Van Gundy said. "Hes been an assistant coach, hes been a head coach, hes been a scout, hes been an assistant general manager, hes been a general manager, so hes got an experience that really allows him to know the NBA on every level of what goes on in terms of basketball operations." Bower said his coaching experience helps shape the way he evaluates talent. "Being able to see how players change and the impact that you can have on a players game -- aalways kind of kept that thought process in mind, that you can improve players, and that players can get better," Bower said.dddddddddddd Bower was the general manager of the Charlotte-New Orleans Hornets from 2001-03 and again from 2005-10. He also coached the team in 2009-10, going 34-39. Bower has also been an assistant coach at Penn State and Marist. Van Gundy said their relationship dates to when Bower was an assistant at Marist and Van Gundy was an assistant at Fordham. "Ive always had a tremendous respect for people who have really had to work their way up the ladder," Van Gundy said. Detroit went 29-53 last season, missing the playoffs for a fifth straight year. That disappointing performance helped lead to the end of Joe Dumars tenure as team president. Van Gundy said he felt the players could have performed better last season, and Detroit does have a young standout to build around in big man Andre Drummond. Greg Monroe is a restricted free agent, so much of the off-season outlook may depend on whether he returns to the Pistons. Detroit does not have a first-round draft pick. That selection was lost because of a trade made by the previous front office, but Bower is hopeful the Pistons can improve themselves in the draft anyway. "The 38th pick can be a pick of value," Bower said. 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