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TORONTO - For months, the thought of walking out on his team and fleeing to the U.S. lingered on Maikel Changs mind.The young midfielder talked about it with close friends on Cubas national soccer team and almost tried his luck on a few occasions, only to let fear deter him. But when he saw his chance — the night before a World Cup qualifying match in Toronto in the fall of 2012 — there was no hesitation, he said.He and two teammates, Odisnel Cooper and Heviel Cordoves, grabbed their passports and belongings while the rest of their group settled into their hotel rooms. They then slipped out through the fire escape and bolted down the street to avoid being spotted by their coaches. U.S. officials later confirmed the three had crossed the border in Niagara Falls, Ont.We had to do it if we wanted to play professional soccer. We also had to do it when we were still young, Chang, 23, told The Canadian Press in a phone interview from Charleston, S.C., where he, Cooper and Cordoves play for the Charleston Battery in a lower-tier professional league.We had already played at all levels in the national team and we realized that there was nowhere else to go, he said in Spanish.Dozens of top athletes — including many from Cuba — have defected during international competitions in an effort to escape persecution or to move up to a larger market.Its too early to tell whether the thawing relations between Cuba and the U.S., which will ease travel restrictions and may affect immigration policies, will reduce the incentive for Cuban athletes to defect while playing abroad, experts said as Ontario prepares to welcome thousands of athletes for the Pan Am and Parapan Games this summer.When Canada last hosted the Games in 1999, eight members of the Cuban delegation defected, stirring tensions between the two countries as Cuban officials accused Canadian media of inciting athletes to jump ship. When Winnipeg first staged the Games in 1967, a Cuban boxer defected shortly after winning a gold medal.Two players from the Cuban womens soccer team defected in 2011 after facing off with the Canadian team in Vancouver in an Olympic qualifying match. They crossed into the U.S., where they were reunited with relatives.It is fairly common given that these events bring people from different places in the world...They may be persecuted due to their sexual orientation, due to their political opinion and other grounds, said Jamie Liew, an Ottawa lawyer specializing in immigration and refugee law.In our culture, we view athletes as being quite well off, being compensated for the work that they do, who live charmed lives, (but) its very different for people who may come from different countries, she said.Athletes in certain sports, such as soccer and baseball, can often find better opportunities in North America, said Bruce Kidd, an expert on the history and political economy of Canadian sports at the University of Toronto.But should travel between Cuba and the U.S. become easier in the next few years, they might not need to defect to get their big break, he said.Many Russian athletes defected during the Cold War, when movement in and out of the Eastern Bloc was heavily controlled, Kidd said.Since then, he said, the freeing up of travel has significantly reduced the driver for a lot of this and Russian athletes dont have to defect to have opportunities to train and compete in the United States, Canada and Western Europe.Both Liew and Chang, however, said its unlikely the softening relationship between Havana and Washington will affect athletes decisions at this time.There is still a lot of uncertainty, Liew said. In the last few weeks there has been an increase of Cubans trying to get to the U.S. due to U.S. policy with regards to Cuban refugees. There is a healthy skepticism that anything in the near future will change in Cuba.Chang said he cant predict whether Cuban athletes will try to defect during this summers Pan Am Games, but he doesnt believe the new diplomatic developments will be a factor.Fear, and concerns about leaving relatives behind, are more likely to influence athletes considering defection, he said.I can tell you that all my fellow Cuban players would like to be here to play professional soccer but this is a very difficult decision to make, said Chang, who was barred from returning to Cuba for eight years but talks to his mother daily through email.This is a decision you cannot undo.Athletes seeking to stay in Canada rather than head south of the border will have to go through the same process as any other asylum-seekers, Canadian officials said.Canadas refugee policies are applied consistently regardless of any special event, a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada said in an email.In the past, there were allegations that Ottawa — or NGOs acting with federal approval — actively encouraged defection, Kidd said, more to embarrass its political rivals than to bolster Canadian teams.More recently, he said, Canada has not gone out of its way to recruit defectors, it has simply considered and supported those who have asked for refugee status._ With files from Marie-Espérance Cerda Custom Dolphins Jerseys . 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Third-place City has a game in hand but the surprise result against Sunderland, coupled with Sundays 3-2 loss at Liverpool, may be a setback too far in its bid for a second championship in three seasons.IRVING, Texas - Rolando McClain dances around questions about how much he loves football and whether he enjoyed training camp. The new Dallas linebacker keeps getting asked because he walked away from the game twice in Baltimore after Oakland dumped its former top 10 pick just three seasons into his career. Ready or not, McClain is expected to start Sundays opener against San Francisco. The Cowboys apparently have seen enough to believe hes the replacement in the middle for Sean Lee, whose season-ending knee injury led them to give the Ravens a seventh-round pick just to see if they could rekindle McClains interest. The former Alabama star remains coy with reporters about his commitment. McClain said he "loved life" when asked if he still loved football during game in California, and said he had "no expectations" days before his first football game in almost two years. "If you live up or care about somebodys expectations, youll always let them down," McClain said earlier this week. "So you set your own expectations." Owner Jerry Jones let his expectations run wild almost as soon as McClain reported for camp, always bringing up his name without being asked and at one point saying the Cowboys have "a chance to pull one out of our hat" with the move to get him. McClain skipped practices sporadically through camp, with coach Jason Garrett mostly saying he was just getting back in football shape. During a steamy morning practice earlier this week, McClain appeared to injure something during an individual drill and spent the next few minutes fidddling with a knee wrap instead of participating in the work.dddddddddddd "I dont know what youre talking about," McClain said later when asked about the knee. "Im ready. Im great." The Cowboys might need him to be great if they want to improve on the leagues most porous defence from a year ago. The defensive line is filled with questions, and the linebackers are unsettled too. Bruce Carter was supposed to start on the weak side in Rod Marinellis 4-3 scheme, but will be on the strong side instead. Justin Durant, the early pick as Lees replacement, will call the defensive signals and be on the weak side, a critical spot in run support. McClains ability in pass coverage was the biggest reason he landed in the middle. "I expect him to be really a heck of a linebacker for us," said Marinelli, who replaced Monte Kiffin as defensive co-ordinator a year after both joined the staff to implement a scheme change. "I think he has great range. Hes got length. Hes smart. Hes a really physical player. So we just have to get him going and see how it works out from there." And McClain still has his moments of passion, even with reporters. "I still love the game like Im an 8-, 9-year-old kid," he said. "Its just about getting back into it, building chemistry with some of these guys, some trust and just playing and having run really." Now its time for McClain to show the love on the field. ___ Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ___ Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '