21.   Win, and the Rose Bowl is in sight and national title hopes are alive.

22.   With the loss in Pauley Pavilion and a season-ending Bay Area road trip, the Wildcats considered victory essential to their title hopes.

23.   Yes, if they blow it, their title hopes likely are doomed.

24.   After watching its title hopes crash earlier in the week, Powerhouse FC Barcelona fired famed Dutch coach Johan Cruyff Saturday .

25.   All title hopes will fade if its overworked stars like Michael Ballack and Lucio suffer injuries.

26.   Another contendor, VfB Stuttgart, needed a dramatic last-minute goal from subsitute forward Sreto Ristic to keep their longshot title hopes alive.

27.   At Bari, Alessandro Del Piero scored for Juventus with nine minutes left to keep alive the title hopes of the Turin team.

28.   Auriol, his title hopes in jeopardy, clinched the championship when Spanish rival Carlos Sainz crashed out on the final day of the RAC Rally.

29.   Australia, considered strong title hopes, are in pool D with Kenya, Scotland and the West Indies.

30.   Atletico, though, has title hopes of its own and Italian coach Arrigo Saachi is out to silence its legion of skeptics.