CANTON, Ohio -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended himself Friday against criticism that he was too lenient in suspending Ray Rice two games for his "horrible mistake." "We just cant make up the discipline," Goodell said. "It has to be consistent with other cases. And it was in this matter." Goodell stressed that the Baltimore running back has assumed responsibility for his conduct, has no history of assault and is following a court order to enter a diversionary program following his domestic violence arrest. "Weve dealt with it in a serious manner, and were very confident that this young man understands where he is and what he needs to do going forward," Goodell said. "I think whats important here is Ray has taken responsibility for this. Hes been accountable for his actions. He recognizes he made a horrible mistake that is unacceptable by his standards, by our standards. And hes got to work to re-establish himself." Goodell spoke a day before the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It was his first opportunity to answer questions regarding Rice since disciplining him July 24. A day earlier, Rice apologized at training camp in his first comments since the suspension. He called his actions "totally inexcusable" and acknowledged he must live with this for the rest of his life. The six-year veteran will miss the Ravens season opener against Cincinnati on Sept. 7 and the Sept. 11 game against Pittsburgh. Rice allegedly struck then-fiancee Janay Palmer, now his wife, on Feb. 15 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The 27-year-old player has been accepted into a diversion program and upon completion could result in the charges being expunged. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended six games in 2010 after being accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old college student. That suspension was eventually reduced to four games. Goodell said, unlike Roethlisberger, Rice had not had off-field problems before. "If its a first offence, someone whos had a strong background of being very responsible in the community, doing the right things and not violating other policies or anything else that reflect poorly on the NFL, then we would take that into account," Goodell said. "And when theres a pattern, we also take that into account on the other side." Many critics contend Rices suspension is insufficient when compared to longer suspensions for players who violate the leagues substance abuse policy. Goodell noted there is a policy in place to determine punishment based on the number of times a player tests positive. "You have to respond to facts here. You have a lot of people voicing their opinions," Goodell said. "But I think its important to understand that this is a young man who made a terrible mistake." Goodell also stressed that Rice acknowledged he was wrong and promised to speak out against domestic violence. The commissioner said it was important he had the chance to meet with both the player and Palmer. "What I want to see is success stories," Goodell said. "I want to see people, when they make a mistake, I want to see them take responsibility, be accountable for it and make a difference going forward. I hope thats what Ray Rice is going to do." On other league matters, Goodell declined to comment on possible suspensions for three players implicated in the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal last season, but he said theyve fulfilled league requirements so far. Richie Incognito, Mike Pouncey and John Jerry were all implicated in the episode, which prompted tackle Jonathan Martin to quit the team. "There are different issues with different individuals," Goodell said. "The bottom line is everything is proceeding. Theyre doing what theyve been asked to do. And that we will make individual decisions if necessary." Pouncey is still with the Dolphins. Jerry is with the New York Giants. Incognito, whose troubled relationship with Martin caused the scandal to mushroom, is unsigned. "I would say the one person that has been very responsive and has gone through the program is Richie Incognito," Goodell said. "Were working with his people and monitoring his progress." Air Jordan Shoes For Sale Cheap . Sources tell TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun the international tournament will likely return in September 2016 rather than 2015. Cheap Air Jordans Australia .com) - Hassan Whiteside scored 20 points with nine rebounds in the Miami Heats 83-75 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday. http://www.cheapairjordanaustraliaonline.com/ . De La Rosa pitched six strong innings to win his sixth consecutive decision, Todd Helton homered and the Colorado Rockies snapped the Los Angeles Dodgers six-game winning streak with a 7-5 victory on Wednesday night. Cheap Jordan Shoes Australia . The Toronto Argonauts running back hurt his left ankle during the teams practice Friday afternoon at Rogers Centre. Nike Air Jordans For Sale Australia . James Erskine said Tuesday that Thorpe was "quite sick" in a Sydney hospital but dismissed media reports the swimmer might lose the use of his left arm. "Hes not in the intensive care," Erskine said.TORONTO -- For FIFA and Canadian organizers, next months U-20 Womens World Cup is a test run for the 2015 Womens World Cup. For Canadian coaches, its also a chance to see future and present talent in action. Players on coach Andrew Olivieris under-20 squad, announced Wednesday, who have already featured on John Herdmans senior team include centre backs Kadeisha Buchanan and Rebecca Quinn, fullback Sura Yekka and midfielders Ashley Lawrence and Jessie Fleming. Forward Nichelle Prince made her senior debut in the Four Nations Womens Tournament in China in January 2013, coming off the bench to score against South Korea. Defender Kylie Davis is a veteran of the 2012 U-20 World Cup. For them and their teammates, the U-20 tournament will be a valuable preface to the World Cup if they make that squad -- ensuring they have a taste of what its like to play under the pressure of being the host team. The U-20 tournament is scheduled for Aug. 5-24 in Edmonton, Moncton, Montreal and Toronto. Under Olivieri, Canada went 1-2-0 at the 2012 tournament. The Canadian women failed to advance out of the group stage, thumping Argentina 6-0 before losing 2-1 to Norway and North Korea. The Canadian coach said the 2012 experience has helped shape the preparation for this tournament. With Herdman also serving as high-performance director, consistent coaching approaches at different levels have helped ensure the Canadian women are all on the same page. "Hes been fantastic support the last two years," said Olivieri. Fresh from a July 16-21 camp in Mexico, the Canadian women open the 2014 tournament Aug. 5 at BMO Field with a Group A game against Ghana. They play Finland three days later in Toronto before heading to Montreal for an Aug. 12 date with North Korea. "We know our last match will be an extremely difficult one," Olivieri said of the group play schedule. The opener may be a challenge as well. Ghana made it to the semifinals at the FIFA U-17 tournament in 2012, losing to eventual champion France. The Africans went on to defeat Germany in the third-place match. "They wont be easy," said Olivieri. The Canadians lost to North Korea in the U-17 quarter-finals with the Koreans eventually losing 7-6 to France in a penalty shootout in the final. Such success does not always translate to the next age group, but the U-17 performance of Ghana and North Korea gives the Canadians something to think about. The Finns were the surprise of European qualifying, beating Norway and drawing with Sweden and Germany. "Just to qualify out of Europe definitely signifies they have a quite a bit of quality. It will be quite a difficult match," said Olivieri. It wont get any easier for the Canaddian women after pool play, assuming they advance.dddddddddddd The top two teams from each pool advance to the quarter-finals, with the Group A survivors taken on likely either the U.S. or Germany from Group B, which also features China and Brazil. The U.S. and Germany have dominated womens soccer at this level, combining to win five of the six previous tournaments. North Korea won in 2006. "We know that our objective going into the tournament is going to be to win a quarter-final. And we have probably the toughest crossover you can ask for," said Olivieri. "But well be ready and well be happy to play Germany or the U.S. or if theres a surprise, Brazil or China. Weve certainly done our work to make sure were as ready as we can be for those matches." The Canadian team will be captained by defender Kinley McNicoll. Kailen Sheridan goes into the tournament as the No. 1 goalie. Olivieri hopes goals will come from both the forwards (Prince and Janine Beckie) and midfielders (Ashley Campbell, Fleming and Lawrence among others). The Americans won in 2012, defeating Germany. The U.S. also won in 2008 and 2002, when it defeated Canada and Christine Sinclair 1-0 after extra time before 47,784 at Edmontons Commonwealth Stadium to claim the inaugural then (under-19) title. Germany won in 2004 and 2010, when it became the only host country to hoist the trophy. Group C is made up of England, Mexico, Nigeria and South Korea while Group D consists of Costa Rica, France, New Zealand and Paraguay. The quarter-finals are shared by all four host cities, with Moncton and Montreal hosting the semifinals. Montreal will stage the final and third-place match. Canada will play Mexico and England in friendlies in advance of the tournament. The two final Canadian cuts were forwards Chelsea Harkins and Sessen Stevens, both from Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite. --- Canadas U-20 Team Goalkeepers: Kailen Sheridan, Clemson University; Marie-Joelle Vandal, Dynamo de Quebec; Rylee Foster, Woodbridge SC. Defenders: Sura Yekka, Brams United; Kinley McNicoll, University of Wisconsin; Kylie Davis, Cometes de Laval; Kadeisha Buchanan, Ottawa Fury FC; Rebecca Quinn, Duke University; Victoria Pickett, Glen Shields; Lindsay Agnew, Ohio State University; Jordane Carvery, Glen Shields. Midfielders: Ashley Campbell, Toronto Lady Lynx; Jessie Fleming, London NorWest SC; Ashley Lawrence, Ottawa Fury FC; Vanessa Gregoire, Cometes de Laval; Sarah Kinzner, Calgary Foothills; Emma Fletcher, Louisiana State University. Forwards: Nichelle Prince, Toronto Lady Lynx; Janine Beckie, Texas Tech University; Amandine Pierre-Louis, Cometes de Laval; Valerie Sanderson, Cometes de Laval. Coach: Andrew Olivieri. ' ' '