The Whitecaps two games this week were actually very similar, except for one critical difference; Kendall Waston made the most out of a deep Pedro Morales free kick vs San Jose, where he didnt against DC. Wholesale Athletics Jerseys . The "Towering Tico" outmuscled hulking Earthquake defender Victor Bernandez from a pinpoint Morales free kick to earn a first half penalty which the Chilean converted. The two combined again just prior to the hour mark off a Whitecaps corner with Wastons celebration equal parts elation with relief. Waston also had a first half chance from a Rosales corner, but skied it well over the cross bar despite being virtually unmarked on the play. Against DC United just three days earlier, Morales put the ball on a platter for the Costa Rican, but he nudged it wide of the far post. Had he converted, the Whitecaps might have been looking at six points from a possible nine, rather than the four they earned in their three-game home stand. Welcome to the margins of Major League Soccer, especially in the nitty gritty month of September. Teams coming to BC Place have employed a simple game plan; deny space for the Whitecaps quick forwards to run into. Its not a surprise anymore for Carl Robinsons team, which is then forced to play more east-west rather than north-south. Try as they might, the anemic Vancouver attack showed plenty of endevour and enterprise, but when it came to the critical through ball, or the definitive finish, there was simply no end product. Enter the set piece threat. Kendal Wastons acquisition was billed as a "two birds one stone" signing. Hes a 65 aerial menace who can have a major impact in both penalty areas. Finally getting on the end of a well delivered ball will do wonders for the 26-year-olds confidence, who has managed to fend off adversaries with surprising ease. Hes also been named "Man of the Match" in back to back games. The aftermath of Vancouvers two set piece goals Wednesday was plainly evident. San Jose could no longer justify sitting back, and had the Whitecaps strikers been more clinical, it could have easily been four or five nil as space opened up. The 3-0 Timbers loss notwithstanding, Vancouver has been relatively steady at the back of late, with goalkeeper David Ousted taking the league lead in shutouts with nine after his 40th consecutive MLS Start Wednesday. The back-line has two veteran fullbacks being kept honest by two youngsters coming through, to go along with a diverse group of centrebacks. With the shield provided by a tenacious Mattias Laba, its clear that the Whitecaps path to a potential playoff spot rests on their ability to score timely goals the way they did against San Jose. With seven games left, and likely 12 points required to secure a post-season berth, the magnitude of each goal will be amplified, especially if the trend of close games continues. Vancouver has scored 35 and allowed 34 on the season for a plus-1 goal difference. Slender margins indeed. Cheap Athletics Jerseys . -- Golden State Warriors reserve centre Ognjen Kuzmic is expected to miss at least six weeks after undergoing surgery on his fractured right hand. Custom Oakland Athletics Jerseys .com) - One point guard will return, while another will sit when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks. https://www.cheapathleticsonline.com/ . Rajne Soderberg, the director of the Stockholm Diamond League event, said in an email Friday that the ban still holds. Euromeetings, the organization representing Europes top track events, "will continue to recommend that members do not invite athletes who we believe cause disrepute to our meetings and our sport. TORONTO -- Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk provided the offence as the Toronto Maple Leafs avoided their third straight loss with a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night. But afterwards, both forwards were quick to point to the save made by Jonathan Bernier with 3:18 remaining and the Leafs clinging to a one-goal lead as the game changer. Bernier went post-to-post to rob Lightning captain Martin St. Louis of a sure goal as he one-timed a 2-on-1 feed from Victor Hedman. St. Louis, who had 14 goals and eight assists in 10 games coming in, was held pointless for the first time since he was left off the Canadian Olympic roster announced on Jan. 7. "Great save. Game-saving save," said Kadri. "Bernies been great for us all year and we almost expect him to make those kinds of saves since hes done it so often. Hes a great goaltender, right up with the best and he defiantly showed it there." Added van Riemsdyk: "He was incredible the whole night making big post-to-post saves playing really confidently. Again were really lucky to have him." Bernier, who made 40 saves in the win, improved to 7-1-2 when facing 40 or more shots this season. "He had his blade to the inside so I just read it good and that one worked out for me," said Bernier of the save. "I dont think we played our best game tonight. They had a lot of 2-on-1s, but we stuck with it and James scored a big goal and Naz had a great game obviously." Van Riemsdyks 21st goal of the season at 15:57 of the third stood to be the game winner. With the goal, van Riemsdyk matched his single-season career best set during the 2010-11 season while he was with the Philadelphia Flyers. Kadri scored twice in less than eight minutes to give the Maple Leafs (28-21-6) a 2-0 lead before the midway mark of the second period, but Matthew Carle and Mark Barberio responded for Tampa Bay (31-17-5) to tie it 2-2 after 40 minutes. Van Riemsdyk one-timed a Phil Kessel feed to beat Tampa Bay starter Ben Bishop. "We talked about that tonight, having a good stick and forcing their D to make a play under pressure," said van Riemsdyk of the goal. "(Tyler Bozak) was able to steal the puck from their guy, gave it to Phil and Phil slid it over to me." The loss halted the Lightnings three-game win streak, while Bishop made 23 saves in the loss. Kadri oopened the scoring at 1:49 of the second period as his shot hit a Lightning player in front and fooled Bishop. Chris Bassitt Jersey. Then at 9:48, Kadri picked up his second of the night with a highlight-reel deke to step around Hedman and beat Bishop with a backhand for his 14th of the season. It was Kadris second multi-goal game of the season. "I shouldve had a few more. I had some great chances," said Kadri. "(Joffrey Lupul) and (Nikolai Kulemin) just seemed to find me no problem out there today, wish I couldve had a couple more, but well save them for later." Ondrej Palat fed Carle with a no-look feed at 13:13 of the second before the Lighting blue-liner beat Bernier stick-side. Barberio tied it four minutes later, putting home the rebound off a scramble in front of Bernier for his fourth of the season and fourth in four games. "I thought we deserved better tonight," St. Louis said. "But weve been on the other side of the coin, too, where you dont deserve a win but somehow you can get one. Tonight was one of those game that probably evened things out a little bit." Toronto had three straight first-period power plays, but had just three shots to show for it. The Lightning outshot the Leafs 11-6 in the opening 20 minutes. Tampa had the best scoring chance of the first, shorthanded, when J.T. Brown finished off a 2-on-1 feed from Nate Thompson at 3:57, but Bernier was there to shut the door. Leafs defenceman Tim Gleason left the game late in the third period after being hit awkwardly into the boards by Lightning forward Teddy Purcell. Randy Carlyle called it a shoulder issue, adding he didnt believe it was serious enough for the blue-liner to miss game time. The Leafs continue their three-game home stand Thursday against the Florida Panthers. Notes: Canadian Olympic hopeful and Lightning star Steven Stamkos missed his 36th game recovering from a broken right leg. The Markham, Ont., native returned to practice Tuesday after missing Monday with discomfort. ... Maple Leafs forward David Bolland (ankle) participated in his first game day skate since suffering the injury Nov. 2. Toronto defenceman Mark Fraser was a healthy scratch for the 10th straight game while Paul Ranger was scratched for his 11th consecutive game. ... Six-time Canadian Olympic medallist Clara Hughes dropped the ceremonial puck prior to the game. ' ' '  |
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