Status-
Besucher
| Heute: |
|
1713 |
| Gestern: |
|
2024 |
| Gesamt: |
|
1871256 |
-
Benutzer & Gäste
4926 Benutzer registriert, davon online: 7025 Gäste
|
|
|
| 18575 Beiträge & 12638 Themen in 21 Foren |
Keine neuen Beiträge, seit Ihrem letzten Besuch am 15.11.2025 - 18:20.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Autor |
|
|
|
| pass by Lloyd Sam under rookie g |
|
|
| 1445 Beiträge - Hardcoreposter
|
|
|
TORONTO -- For once, expectations are sky high at the start of Toronto FC training camp. A team that has long been the MLS doormat --Toronto has won six, nine, 10, nine, six, five, and six games since coming into the league in 2007 -- enters the 2014 season as a shooting star thanks to the hoopla over high-priced signings Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley and Giberto. "Its a bloody big deal" is the already tired slogan around the acquisition of England striker Defoe. But the atmosphere is unmistakable. "Theres a buzz," said general manager Tim Bezbatchenko. The players started arriving late this week and most trained indoors Friday, although manager Ryan Nelsen did not involve those who were are the recent Canadian national team camp in Florida. He also gave Bradley a pass, given his recent involvement in Serie A. "Michaels had a lot of football," Nelsen said. "He doesnt need it now. He just probably needs a little rest." Captain Steven Caldwell sat out with a minor calf knock while the club waited on visa paperwork for Brazils Gilberto and Jackson. Toronto leaves Sunday for Florida. The 31-year-old Defoe will remain with Englands Tottenham until the end of February. Toronto opens the season March 15 in Seattle. Nelsen says the team will give Defoe time to bed in when he gets here. "We have to be very careful and we have to judge it. Hes here for four years, its not like were going to rush him back, patch him up if we have to and throw him out on the field. We have to think long-term. "So when hes ready to play, hell be ready to play. If thats Game 1, then brilliant. If its Game 4, so be it." In his second year on the job, the 36-year-old Nelsen finds himself in a totally different situation. He arrived last year with minimal knowledge of the talent that awaited him. He has the squad of his choice largely in place this time. "In all honesty I thought it might take a couple of years to get to the situation where we are right now," said Nelsen. There was short-term pain for long-term gain last season. Some 27 players came in -- if you count Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim whose loan deal from QPR never quite happened -- and 26 exited. The revolving door has slowed ahead of 2014 but those coming in have been quality additions. The three DPs are joined by American Justin Morrow and Englands Bradley Orr on defence, Jackson and Canadian star Dwayne De Rosario in midfield and teenage Canadian forward Jordan Hamilton. The team still has some roster work to do on the status of Argentine midfielder Matias Laba and English fullback Richard Eckersley. Laba is in camp while Eckersley, with the teams blessing, is not. Laba also has a designated player deal, meaning Toronto is one over the three DP limit. So the club has to find a way to restructure his contract or move him on. The club likes the Argentine, who at 22 has many years ahead on him. Heres guessing the team finds a way to farm him out without losing track of him. Eckersley is a victim -- sort of -- of a rich contract that grew fatter this year when the team was forced to restructure his deal to help ease its salary cap burden last season. Toronto could take a one-time contract buyout to get out from under the Eckersley contract burden without taking a salary cap hit. Toronto can also reach a settlement with Eckersley or deal him while eating some of the contract, which would impact the cap. Other MLS teams are unlikely to take Eckersley at his current number. Still, Bezbatchenko is confident he can find a way. Given his background as a former MLS insider and the leagues seemingly fluid rules, he is likely to succeed. When it comes to his starting lineup, Nelsen often says his players -- not him -- pick the team with their performance on the pitch. When all his pieces are in place, one would expect a likely starting 11 of Joe Bendik in goal behind a backline of Morrow, Caldwell, Canadian Doneil Henry and Orr, a midfield of Jackson, Bradley, De Rosario (or fellow Canadian Jonathan Osorio) and Alvaro Rey with Gilberto and Defoe up front. Its a good-looking team sheet, although the rest of the roster is young. Nelsen likes what he sees but is realistic. He knows it takes time to turn around a franchise and establish a winning culture. "It doesnt matter who you put out on the field, the clubs got to learn how to win ... we know weve got a long way to go." Nelsen adds: "I say that with one side of my face. The other side says if theres a group of guys that can live up to any expectations, I feel like these guys will really enjoy it and will enjoy the pressure. "It will be different for them because we will have a target on our back. Everybody will want to beat us. Everybody wanted to play us because they knew they could beat us in the past. Now theyll want to play us because they will want to try to prove a point to beat us. "Its a different mentality and its going to be difficult. But its a lovely challenge to be in." A one-year partnership with the North Carolina-based Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Pro League gives TFC a place to give some of its younger talent a chance to play. Toronto may also look to loan a player within MLS. Bezbatchenko was part of the process in getting the newly installed loan format approved while he was working in the league office. Canadian international Issey Nakajima-Farran is in the Toronto camp on trial. cheap jerseys . The Denver Nuggets played as though they were already relaxing on a tropical beach. Love started practicing early for All-Star festivities, making six of 11 shots from 3-point range and totalling 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Timberwolves to a 117-90 victory over the Nuggets on Wednesday night. wholesale jerseys . Spieth again showed game well beyond his 20 years with a 9-under 63 on the North Course, giving him a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink going into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. http://www.cheapnfljerseys2015.us.com/ . Mata had already been dropped from Spains squad once this season and with the country blessed with so many playmakers, he was in real danger of being overlooked for the trip to Brazil to defend their title. jerseys from china . -- Packers cornerback Tramon Williams has been fined $26,250 for contact with an official, per NFL guidelines. wholesale nfl jerseys . Gregor Blanco doubled, singled and drove in three runs, and the surging San Francisco Giants beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Sunday for their fifth straight win. "Theres nothing I can complain about," manager Bruce Bochy said. The Giants completed their fourth sweep of the season.HARRISON, N.J. -- With replacement referees handling the games, there was bound to be some controversy in Major League Soccer this season. It happened in Week 2. Vicente Sanchez scored on a penalty kick in the 72rd minute after a questionable decision by the substitute referee and the Colorado Rapids and new coach Pablo Mastroeni opened their season with a 1-1 tie with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. Substitute referee Alan Kelly awarded the penalty kick after defender Jamison Olave used his chest to knock a much smaller Marvin Chavez to the grass as he took a pass from Sanchez. "If its against you its a tough call," Mastroeni said. "If its for you, you are OK with it. I think referees are out of our control." The substitute referees are working the games because the Professional Referee Organization, which manages on-field officials for Major League Soccer, has locked out officials from the Professional Soccer Referees Association. The two sides have failed to reach agreement on a contract after the officials formed a union last year. Kelly told a pool reporter that Olave challenged Chavez from behind and initiated the contact, a decision that brought boos from the crowd of 20,542 at Red Bull Arena who earlier had thought that Thierry Henrys 57th-minute goal would be the winner. "I dont mean to be blunt, but in terms of the questions thats the straight forward answers I can give," Kelly said. Red Bulls coach Mike Petke didnt like the decision but he wasnt going to draw a fine from the league by criticizing it. "Listen, its the game," Petke said. "I mean what am I going to say about the penalty kick? Perhaps if the guy was Olaves size he would not have gone down like that. I dont know? Olave looked to step up and stand his ground and keep him in front of him and got him. The referee made a decision. Its unfortunate for us, fortunate for Colorado. You get away from it, move on from it." The 6-foot-3 and 210-pound Olave, who seemed shocked by the call, left the locker room and was not available for comment.dddddddddddd Sanchez deposited the kick from the spot into the right corner of the net. Red Bulls keeper Luis Robles did not have a chance to stop it. "I spoke to the ref afterward and he said, He was too physical coming from behind him," Robles said. "I have to respect that." The Red Bulls, the defending Supporters Shield trophy winners, were trying to bounce back from a dismal season-opening performance in 4-1 loss at Vancouver last weekend. Henry, who did not play in the season opener because it was on an artificial surface, headed a brilliant crossing pass by Lloyd Sam under rookie goalkeeper John Berner. It was his 42nd goal for the Red Bulls, second on the career list behind Juan Pablo Angel (58). "There is no panic," Henry said about the slow start. "We have to go back to the film this week and do better because it obviously was not enough to win the game today." He had no comment on the referees decision. New York had two chances to win in the five minutes of injury time. Eric Alexander was wide with a shot in the box and Berner, who played last season at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, made a diving save on another header by Henry. "To say I wasnt on the edge of my seat of out, if not out of it, would be an understatement," said Mastroeni, who played 11-plus seasons with the Rapids and returned after last season with several club records, including most games played. "Thats the beauty of the game. It can all come down to the last minute, the last second, thats why its exciting." Robles had kept the Red Bulls in the game in the first half, making five saves, including a finger-tip stop on a 35-yard shot by Nick LaBrocca that caught the goalkeeper a little too far off his line. Mastroeni was named the Rapids head coach last week, replacing Oscar Pareja, who left in January to take the same job with his former club, FC Dallas. Mastroeni was in charge of the squad through the preseason. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '
|
| Beitrag vom 07.03.2015 - 08:32 |
|
|
|
