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Geregistreerd op: 28 Dec 2018 Berichten: 77
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Geplaatst: 23-01-2019 02:59:28 Onderwerp: MONTREAL - The chances of a second straight trip to the Majo |
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MONTREAL - The chances of a second straight trip to the Major League Soccer playoffs are finished for the Montreal Impact, but they hope winning at home gives them something to build on for next year. Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses Outlet . Jack McInerney and Dilly Duka scored in the final 10 minutes to give the Impact a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night, leaving them 3-0-1 in their last four league games at Saputo Stadium. It wasnt enough to stave off mathematical elimination from the playoffs as the New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew both won to move out of reach of the 6-17-6 Impact, who have five regular season games left to play. "We can still play spoiler, even though San Joses not really there either, but we can still put good performances in for the fans and for ourselves going into next season," said McInerney. "Its important to end on a good note." San Jose (6-12-10), whose winless run stretched to nine games, is also in grave danger of missing the post-season. The Impact got the fifth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot in only their second MLS season in 2013, losing their lone post-season game 3-0 in Houston. But they took a step backward in 2014, when poor defence and a 0-11-3 road record was their undoing. But the season is not a write-off yet. Their 1-0 win over the Red Bulls at home on Wednesday put them in first place in their CONCACAF Champions League group with one game left (Oct. 22 in New York), so there is motivation to keep their level of play up to try to salvage something from the campaign. "These games will carry into that," said McInerney. The Impact got new life in early August when the gifted Ignacio Piatti joined as the teams second designated player. Since then the entire squad has stepped up the pace, so that they are winning games theyd have let slip away earlier in the season. Other in-season acquisitions, such as Duka and midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran, have also helped. "You never want to use a season to build for the next one, but the club is trying to build something long-term," said defender Heath Pearce, who due to injuries anchored an inexperienced back line against San Jose. "You can see the pieces starting to come together slowly. "Hopefully that will lead into something special next year. You can see the team coming together. You can see a system and a style that weve been hoping for all year, and weve added some pieces and now its a lot more realistic style." Nakajima-Farran said it may help that there is little pressure on the Impact in league play at the moment, but he said the players still feed off wins and have had enough of losing. "Its just being the players we are, we hate losing," he said. "Especially the training after a loss, when everyones still feeling the loss. "Its the worst feeling ever. This has been going on for quite a while in Montreal. And when the team doesnt change, guys are getting itchy to get on the pitch. And when we get on, theres a lot to prove, so its good to get a win." Piatti, who has been playing through a nagging bout of tendinitis in his left knee, limped off the field in the 57th minute. Even though the Impact are eliminated and it would be a chance to rest Piatti up for next season, coach Frank Klopas said "Well have to see" how much action the Argentine midfielder sees. "These guys are so competitive, they want to play," said Klopas. McInerney got his eighth of the season and his first since June 29 in the 81st minute to open the scoring. The ball went to Marco Di Vaio from a corner kick and the veteran strikers curling shot needed a diving save from Jon Busch. McInerney was standing on the doorstep and he put up his hands, as though in apology, as the rebound went off his body and into the net. In the 88th, Di Vaio fed Duka near the San Jose area. He cut inside and put a shot between two defenders in off the far post for his third of the season. The Impact were on full attack in the first half, when Piatti and Duka shot over the bar early on and McInerney just missed on a bicycle kick after a lob from Andres Romero. The closest call came in the 38th minute when Piatti tried a long shot that forced Jon Busch into a desperate leap to tip over the bar. The second half saw San Jose get chances, with Chris Wondolowski stopped from close range early and Atiba Harris heading just wide in the 70th. Notes: Montreal outshot San Jose 19-8. . . Playing a third game in eight days, the Impact gave Troy Perkins the start (and the captains armband) in goal ahead of Evan Bush. Academy product Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare got a start at left back and drew praise from Klopas. Left back Krzysztof Krol sat out a suspension from a red card shown in last weeks 2-1 loss at New England. Cheap Real Ray Bans . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley. Ray Ban Sunglasses Sale Cheap .The Canadiens will visit the Boston Bruins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on New Years Day 2016, taking hockeys oldest rivalry outside.It was special in 2010 just to be there with the history behind Fenway Park and all that, Bruins centre Patrice Bergeron said. http://www.cheapraybanfromchina.com/ . LeBron James believes hes a major reason for their early failures.Ive got to admit, when I heard Casey Janssen was going on the disabled list with a lower back strain, the first thought running through my mind was here we go again. It seemed just like the past two seasons, where an onslaught of injuries derailed both seasons. At least this time, the injury to the veteran closer doesnt appear to be that series and if there is any area the Blue Jays have depth in its the pen. For now, at least, Sergio Santos, whos had to deal with two injury-plagued seasons of his own since coming back to the Jays, will get the chance to close. I did a little digging and found out that only four of the 15 teams in the American League are starting the season with the same closer they had a year ago. That would be Boston with Koji Uehara, the Royals with Greg Holland, Minnesota with Glen Perkins and the Angels with Ernest Fieri. The Red Sox and the Blue Jays, once Janssen gets healthy, will have the same closers. The Yankees, thanks to the retirement of the great Mariano Rivera, have handed the reins over to right-hander David Robertson. Tampa Bay let Fernando Rodney walk as a free agent and then picked up former As closer Grant Balfour and another one-time closer in Heath Bell. Baltimore dealt their star closer Jimmie Johnson to Oakland and then decided to make veteran starter/reliever Tommy Hunter into their closer. For this year, at least, there is far greater closer stability. Only three of the 15 teams - St. Louis, Arizona and the Cubs - are starting with different closers than they had at the beginning of last season. The Reds would actually be a fourth, as Aroldis Chapman is on the disabled list after taking a line drive just above the eye in spring training but he will be back this season. Its no secret; if the Blue Jays are going to contend for a wild card spot at the very least, theyve got to put up a winning record against their own division. If you look at the last four years since Alex Anthopoulos took over as general manager, the Jays have only been above .500 versus the AL East once. They went 39-33 against their own division in 2010, Cito Gastons final year as skipper. That season, Tampa Bay was the only club that finished better without the division at 42-30. Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses. . In 2011, they went 33-39, in 2012 they were 29-43, and last year they went 30-46, which was the worst of the five teams within the division. Over that four year span within the East, Tampa has had the best record, averaging 42 wins per season and never worse than second best in terms of wins within the division. The Blue Jays are actually tied with Baltimore for the fewest wins inside the division over the past four years at 131. I found another interesting stat surrounding the last four years - the Blue Jays less than stellar record against left handers. Three of those last four years they have the worst record in the division against southpaws. Only in 2011 were they above .500 versus lefties with a mark of 23-19. Their cumulative record against left-handers over the past four years is 76-93. So, if you cant win enough within your own division and you cant beat lefties consistently, youre not going to be a contender. One final note on the Jays and the American League East. From August 22 on this season, the Jays play 28 of their final 35 against their own division, including six against Boston, seven versus the Yankees, six against Baltimore and nine against Tampa Bay. The only respite is a three game series against the Cubs at home in early September and then a four game series at home; the final week of the season against Seattle. So this is the season the Jays just prove they can beat the East. Better luck against lefties wouldnt hurt either. This is one of the tougher seasons to try and call the American League East, but right now Tampa Bay looks like the class of the division followed by the Yankees (if Tanaka and Pineda are for real), Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles, though if those two flip-flopped it wouldnt surprise me either. Check me in October. I mentioned former Blue Jays catcher Yan Gomes in my last article. Cleveland obviously is impressed with the first Brazilian ever to make it to the Majors. They signed him to a six-year deal that included two option years worth $23 million. I cant ever remember a team trading two catchers as the Jays did in the same off-season - Gomes and Travis DArnaud - and have them both become number one catchers so quickly. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' ' |
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