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Former Portuguese international Deco talks about growing up as a young footballer in Brazil, his experience with top European clubs and life after retirement.How did sport shape your life?Of course, sport was (there) all my life, ever since I was a kid. I started playing football in the streets with my friends in Brazil. When I started out, I couldnt imagine that one day I would be a professional footballer. Back then, I just wanted to have fun and enjoy playing football with my friends. And sports has been my life, until today (smiles) and I cant imagine my life without sport.Who was it who introduced you to football?The first member (of my family) was my father. My father was in love of football. I was the only son my parents had - I have three sisters. My father gave me my first football, and I started to play, just like everybody else in Brazil. I played with my friends in the streets and thats where my first football memories come from.How did you make the transition to professional football?Yeah, like I said before, I started playing with my friends. At 11, I came to an academy in Brazil - and it was an important academy. Around that time I was playing football and futsal at the same time. All of my weekends were spent playing football (smiles). At 15, I stopped playing football and started playing only futsal, and then I returned to playing football at 17. By the time I was aged 13-14, football wasnt just for fun. I had to work, I had schedules, and I had to take up responsibilities. Of course, I wasnt a professional, but there were some big games. I had to be responsible, because I was living alone, I was living in the club. That was the time, that football started to be a part of my life.What was the best part of the journey along the way in professional football?Porto, Barcelona and Chelsea were good (smiles) but before that I was playing for Corinthians (in Brazil).To start with, my career was very difficult, because I changed clubs many times in my early years. I came to Portugal when I was 18 years old, alone. They loaned me to a second-division club and it was difficult, but I knew that I had to work. I needed to believe in my capacity to do something different. Of course, it was more important that I had the opportunity to become a good footballer.(Getting to play for) Porto was my passion, because I couldnt imagine when I was young that one day I would be playing for Porto. My life was totally different from what I could have imagined. The first time I went to the stadium to watch a Porto game with a friend, I said to my friend that this (Porto) is the club that I would like to play for. It was six fantastic years there...I won everything. My relationship with the club is amazing. They still respect their people after all these years.(Representing) Barcelona was my dream, and I refused a lot of clubs because I knew that my club was Barcelona. I had the good fortune of moving to Barcelona and be a part of the history of the club. Normally in football, everything finishes (when you move to a club like Barcelona) but after my time in Barcelona, I had the chance to move to other clubs; I got to move to Chelsea. By that time, I wanted to have an experience in Premier League, and my first year in Chelsea was very good. After that I had some personal problems in Brazil within my family, and my second year was not so good. I had two more years on my contract, but I decided to come back to Brazil, because of these problems. But it was good to come back to Brazil after 16 years, to play football, and I moved to Fluminense, which was fantastic. I won two Brazilian championships, which is a very difficult competition. Now when I think back, I didnt play a lot of clubs in my career, but all the clubs I played for are a part of my life and these memories will stay with me.If you were asked for your two best memories from your playing days, what would they be?It is very difficult (to pick two moments) in one career. It is a difficult choice to pick out two moments from a 22-year career. But I think the first game for Portugal was against Brazil (in 2003), and I scored a goal and we won the game (in fact, Portugals 2-1 win was their first over Brazil since 1966). Of course, it was a friendly but these kinds of games are never a friendly game (smiles). That was a good memory. And winning the Champions League with Barcelona (in 2006), that was a great memory too.How has life post-retirement been?Yeah, its very difficult to stop playing. I decided to stop because I had a lot of injuries. I would say football is my life, I am in love with football, and to be suffering is not good. Thats why I decided to stop, though it was a very difficult decision. But now I am taking my time. I have more time for my family, to take care of my things, my business. I still work in football, Ive got some consultancies with some clubs. I work as an agent for some players, and here (laughs) working on TV. This is how I am doing. This time (as an analyst) is good, because I am seeing football from the other parts of the world, a different vision from what were (used to) playing. I am 38, and I have time to see what I would really like to do in football, and thats what I am doing now.Do you have any message for budding footballers?The thing is, today everybody wants to be Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar...but of course in my time, when I was younger, I wanted to be Zico, Maradona (smiles). I know and I understand this, but the question is the kids first need to enjoy. They need to play football if they like. They need to play basketball if they prefer that, or cricket if they like. Sport is important not to become a professional, but to learn a lot of things; to learn how to work with your teammates, to help them win something. Theres a lot of good experiences in sport. Football is amazing for the kids; they need to enjoy, they need to have fun. Thats more important. Kevin Garnett Jersey .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Kevin Garnett Timberwolves Jersey . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. http://www.timberwolvesgear.com/authentic-luol-deng-timberwolves-jersey/ . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. 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I feel like I got some good chances here and just fortunate to go in.Trevor Lewis scored the winner off a turnover with 4:05 left. The Kings withstood a late power play and an extra attacker to hold on for their sixth win in seven games.Anze Kopitar had two assists and backup goalie Jeff Zatkoff, pressed into action to start the second period, faced 26 shots and made 25 saves.Martin Hanzal scored twice for the Coyotes in the first period, with Michael Stone assisting on both. Mike Smith stopped 29 shots, but gave up two goals in the final 7 minutes.I thought he was unlucky, Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said of Smith. Made some great saves but was unlucky. Im sure hes very frustrated, just like the rest of us.The Coyotes pulled Smith for an extra attacker for the last 1:34, but couldnt draw even.The teams scored 9 seconds apart in the third period. Nolans second goal of the night came from a shot from behind the net that bounced off the back of Smiths legs to give the Kings a 3-2 lead at 13:41 of the period.I see some of the top players kind of throw it at the net when theyre in the corner there, Nolan said. It goes in for them, so I thought why not give it a try?Arizonas Tobias Rieder, whod been a hard mark for Kings defenseman Drew Doughty for much of the game, took in a long pass from Alex Goligoski and got off a shot ahead of Doughty that beat Zatkoff at 13:50.That set the stage for Lewis winner.We did a good job kind of weathering their push in the second and tied it, Zatkoff said. It was a gritty win. We probably didnt play our best but its two points. Got contributions up and down the lineup.The Coyotes converted 2 of 6 power plays, the ffirst successful power plays in the past five games.dddddddddddd Nine of their last 10 games have been decided by one goal.The Kings went 0 for 6 on power plays.Forward Tyler Toffoli picked up two tripping penalties in the first 39 seconds of the game, the first which led to the Coyotes scoring their opening goal.Toffoli was sent to the penalty box nine seconds into the game, and six seconds later, Hanzal deflected Radim Vrbatas shot into the net for a 1-0 Arizona lead.Toffoli was whistled for tripping again at 39 seconds, but the Kings penalty kill unit prevented a second goal for those two minutes.Los Angeles tied it at 12:25 of the first when Dustin Brown skated up ice, flipped a centering pass to Kopitar and got the puck back from Kopitar. Browns shot attempt was wide but it went to teammate Dwight King, who put the puck past Smith.It was Kings fifth goal of the season.The Coyotes went ahead 2-1 on Hanzals wrist shot that went off starting goalie Peter Budajs stick and into the net at 18:32 of the period, again on the power play. Hanzal, with five goals, also has three two-point games this season.Before that goal, the Coyotes, with Smith making several stops, thwarted a 5-on-3 opportunity the Kings had for 53 seconds in the first period.Zatkoff got his first win as a King. He took over for Peter Budaj, who had four saves on six shots faced.Trying to win a game, right? Kings coach Darryl Sutter said of his move to go with Zatkoff. The Kings drew even again with Nolans goal at 10:14 of the second. Nolans backhand shot eluded Smith for his first goal of the season and first since April of 2015.Game notes Arizonas Oliver Ekman-Larsson played after leaving Tuesdays game at San Jose with an upper body injury, and logged an assist. ... Arizonas Shane Doan passed Wayne Gretzky for 19th place on the NHLs career list.UP NEXTKings: Open a three-game road at Montreal on Sunday.Coyotes: Host Columbus on Saturday, the first of back-to-back games against the Blue Jackets. ' ' '