1.   As much as just winning a game was important, though, USC made several important strides.

2.   But he has made important strides in recent months and now appears a confident commander of the ship of state.

3.   But while a fragile victory over a slumping team may not signal much of anything, there were some important strides the Jets made.

4.   Over the past dozen years Mexico has made important strides toward cleaning up its elections.

5.   That is particularly troublesome because the ANC and IFP have made important strides toward peace in the last year.

6.   They have not yet conquered cancer, stroke, heart disease and AIDS, but they continue to make important strides.

7.   This is not to say that Russia has not made important strides toward stabilizing its economy.

8.   Brazil also took an important stride towards the World Cup by beating Venezuela, first-round conqueror of the United States.

9.   But the United States and Brazil also are making important strides in increasing their programs.