bowlstar » to a 106-106 tie with 42.3

The Vancouver Whitecaps got back to winning ways last weekend, defeating the league-leading Seattle Sounders 1-0 on Saturday at BC Place. Chuck Bednarik Youth Jersey . While the Sounders fielded a depleted lineup - they were missing five players who would otherwise be named in their starting lineup - Vancouver did what was needed to win the game. Defensively, the partnership of Johnny Leveron and Carlyle Mitchell comfortably dealt with everything the Sounders threw their way, while David Ousted turned in another strong performance in goal. The central midfield duo of Matias Laba and Gershon Koffie controlled the area in front of the back four, while attacking midfielder Pedro Morales returned to his customary role as the Whitecaps maestro. Had Erik Hurtado managed to convert a second-half breakaway, Vancouvers victory would have been more emphatic. With Vancouvers victory, many will believe that normal service has been restored. Led by players like Morales, Laba and Koffie, the Whitecaps have played entertaining football at BC Place this season. A 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids – where Laba was sent off for two yellow cards with the Caps leading 1-0 – is the only home defeat of the season for Vancouver. However, it can also be argued that Vancouver has perhaps punched above their weight this season. Just look at the Sounders. If the roles had been reversed and Vancouver – minus its top five players – played a full-strength Sounders lineup in Seattle, it is reasonable to expect the margin of victory for Seattle to be much more comfortable than 1-0. The Sounders have a much deeper squad than Vancouver – deeper than virtually every other team in MLS, in fact. Vancouvers reality is this: they do not yet have the depth to challenge the top sides in MLS over the course of an entire season. ‘Yet being the key word. Vancouvers head coach, Carl Robinson, knows that he needs to address this shortcoming. However, his hands are tied – or at least his salary cap space is - to three players. Injured skipper Jay Demerit, central defender Andy OBrien and midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker have all played a role in Vancouvers solid start to the season. But it is difficult to see a future in Vancouver for any of the three beyond this season. In the case of Demerit and OBrien, age is simply not on their sides. 34 and 35 respectively, they are coming to the end of their outstanding careers. Reo-Coker, on the other hand, has seen his playing time decrease considerably this season, due in large part to the impressive form of both Laba and Koffie. Collectively, the salaries of Demerit, OBrien and Reo-Coker tally over $1 million – a third of Vancouvers salary cap space. The club simply cannot afford to have so much cap space tied up in three players whose roles are diminishing with time. This is the harsh reality of professional soccer; players are commodities to be bought, sold, bartered for and traded. Teams that are successful know that they have to constantly be searching for additions and upgrades to make their squad stronger. It is what Seattle did in the offseason, and they are reaping the rewards this year; the Sounders sit atop the MLS standings with 35 points from 17 games. If the Whitecaps are going to continue to move forward and build on their impressive start to their campaign, they need to add quality signings to their squad of promising young players. A central defender, a wide midfielder and a proven goal scorer are all on the shopping list, but unless Vancouver can create cap space, those signings might have to wait until the offseason. For now, Vancouver goes into Saturdays home game against Chivas USA (TSN2, 10pm ET, 7pm PT) in buoyant mood. With just one loss in their last 10 games, the Whitecaps have every right to be confident taking on the visitors. However, Erick ‘Cubo Torres is one of the hottest strikers in MLS right now – his fantastic stoppage-time goal sealed a 1-0 win for Chivas over the Montreal Impact last weekend – so Carlyle Mitchell and Johnny Leveron will need to keep a watchful eye on the Mexican front man if the Whitecaps are to keep another clean sheet. Brian Dawkins Womens Jersey . - Kevin Labanc and Joseph Blandisi were a potent combination for the Barrie Colts on Friday night. Mike Quick Youth Jersey . Brassard and Coyotes defenceman Derek Morris were battling for position in the crease when a nudge from Morris sent Brassard on top of Smith late in the third period. http://www.theeaglesshoponline.com/Youth-Harold-Carmichael-Eagles-Jersey/ . Sami Salo scored two goals as the Canucks overcame a hat-trick from Edmonton Oiler rookie sensation Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to win 4-3 in NHL action Saturday.PHOENIX - Playing through flu-like symptoms, Rudy Gay made a big shot at a key moment for the streaking Sacramento Kings.Gay hit a go-ahead turnaround jumper with 1:07 left in the second overtime, and Sacramento beat the Phoenix Suns 114-112 on Friday night for its fifth consecutive victory.It was tough. Super tough, said Gay, who scored 11 points on 5-of-22 shooting from the floor. You have to keep fighting. The coach kept calling my number and no matter what he had faith in me and I kept fighting.Kings centre DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and a season-high 18 rebounds before fouling out on an illegal screen with 34.7 seconds left in regulation. Darren Collison scored 16 and Ben McLemore added 15 points.It was two crazy overtimes but we got the win, McLemore said.Eric Bledsoe had 23 points and eight assists for the Suns, who were outscored 22-11 in the fourth quarter.I dont know if we were tired and out of shape or what, Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. These guys in the fourth quarter were walking it up and we were getting caught with the shot clock. We would run a normal play and by the time we got to the second option there was five seconds on the shot clock.Bledsoe gave the Suns a 112-108 lead when he was fouled on a driving layup with 2:08 left. But he was unable to complete the three-point play.McLemore then made a 3-pointer for Sacramento with 1:49 to go, making it 112-111 and setting the stage for Gays clutch jumper. Collison then went 1 for 2 at the line with 15.1 seconds left.It shows you how our team is coming together, Cousins said. Even through the tough times and adversity, even when things arent going our way, we found a way.The Kings, led by Cousins and Collison, rallied from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter.Cousins had five points, including a pair of free throws that tied it at 94 with 4:57 left. Collison had four points in the key stretch.Cousins converted a three-point play with 1:37 to go, lifting Sacramento its first lead since early in the game. Bledsoe had a tying layup with 38.99 seconds remaining, and Phoenix guard Isaiah Thomas missed a potential winning 3-pointer at the buzzer against his former team. DeSean Jackson Jersey. P.J. Tucker scored five points in a 7-0 Suns run to begin the first overtime, but the Kings, led by Collison, fought back to a 106-106 tie with 42.3 seconds left.It was like a roller-coaster ride the whole game all the way through the two overtimes, Tucker said. At some point we had to get a couple of stops and we didnt.TIP-INSKings: At 5-1, Sacramento is off to its best six-game start since the 1999-2000 season. That club opened the season 9-1. ... The Kings have won five straight for the first time since 2006-07 and three straight road games for the time since 1995-96. . Gay entered the game averaging 24.4 points.Suns: Goran Dragic scored 10 of his 22 points in the first quarter on 4-of-5 shooting, including his first 3-pointer of the year after an 0-for-11 start. ... Thomas made his first appearance against the franchise that drafted him, but scored only three points in 17-plus minutes. ... The Suns lost for only the second time in 10 games under Hornacek following a double-digit defeat. . Phoenix had won 25 of its last 26 when scoring at least 110 points.UP NEXTKings: Visit Oklahoma City on Sunday.Suns: Host Golden State on Sunday.NO PANICPhoenix ran out to a 36-25 lead after the first quarter, shooting 68.2 per cent from the floor along the way, but the Kings didnt panic. There was no What are we going to now, Kings coach Michael Malone said. In the first quarter we werent ready to play. But the amazing stat was by the end of the game we get it down to 42 per cent and in the fourth quarter and both overtimes, we held that team to 26 per cent.ON THE MENDSuns rookie forward T.J. Warren, who has yet to play this season because a small crack in a bone in his left thumb, participated in the team shootaround on Friday. Warren, the 14th overall pick out of North Carolina State, will practice on Saturday and is expected to be active Sunday against Golden State. ' ' '