The new ball for next year's World Cup — called the "Brazuca," in honor of Brazil, of course — was unveiled at a ceremony Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro.

The word "Brazuca" has a double meaning, used as a term for Brazilians living abroad — including its many footballers — but also as slang used to describe national pride or anything "Brazilianish."

Miami's ten-game NBA winning streak came to an end with a 107-97 home-court defeat at the hands of Detroit on Tuesday, with the Pistons having seven players score in double figures as they hung on against a Heat comeback in the fourth quarter.

Among the day's other games, a makeshift Memphis outfit beat Phoenix, Dirk Nowitzki helped Dallas extend its dominance of Charlotte, and Oklahoma City made it eight-straight wins with a narrow victory over slumping Sacramento.

Japanese skater Mao Asada will be sharpening her free program at the Grand Prix Final starting Thursday as she prepares for a potential gold-medal showdown with South Korean rival Kim Yu-na at the Sochi Olympics.

Asada, who has won two Grand Prix events this season, plans to include the triple axel in her program at the Dec. 5-8 GP Final in Fukuoka, Japan.

Lindsey Vonn was cleared to get back on a World Cup course for downhill training, the latest step as she works to return from a right knee injury and get ready for the Sochi Olympics.

Now Vonn — and the rest of the skiing world — will wait to find out whether she'll actually be racing by the end of this week.

A group of Lebanese women have shrugged off family disapproval and paltry resources to create their country's first female league for futsal -- the faster, five-a-side variety of football.

"My family was against me playing at the start. They'd say neither football nor futsal is a women's sport, but I fought for it, and kept on training," said Aya Chiry, 27.

Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal has extended his contract with Juventus by one season until 2017.

The Turin club made the announcement Tuesday on its website.

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is set to return from two months out with a thigh injury in the English Premier League match at West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.

The Belgium center back, who has been in full training for a week, has been badly missed by City since he was injured in the 3-1 home win over Everton on October 5.

Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski will return to training this week after more than three months out with a left hamstring injury, handing the Premier League leaders an alternative up front for the busy festive period.

Olivier Giroud has been shouldering the attacking burden for Arsenal since Podolski was hurt during the Champions League playoff win over Fenerbahce at the end of August.

On game days in a town named Thermal, where date farms and desert surroundings evoke the Middle East and nearby communities have names like Mecca and Oasis, fans cheer a high school team known as the Arabs.

A belly dancer jiggles on center court. And a black-haired, mustached mascot wearing a head scarf rallies the crowd.

It's looking quite festive these days at Adidas' North American headquarters, and it has nothing to do with the holiday season.

Brightly colored cleats are on posters, in displays and even just strewn about. The neon shoes are part of the German shoemaker's Samba collection released recently in advance of next summer's World Cup in Brazil.