that the team to beat in the East may be the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Burris is still | Forum

BARCELONA, Spain -- Alexis Sanchez netted his first hat trick for Barcelona to spark its 4-0 win over Elche at Camp Nou on Sunday, setting up a highly anticipated showdown with Atletico Madrid next week between the top two teams in the Spanish league. http://www.germanynationalshop.com/Max-Kruse-Germany-Jersey/ . With Lionel Messi watching from the stands and Neymar waiting in the dugout, Barcelona turned to Alexis and its core of Spain internationals for a second straight victory without its star forwards on either side of the two-week winter break. Alexis opened the scoring in the seventh minute and struck twice more in the 63rd and 69th after Pedro Rodriguez had doubled the advantage and Xavi Hernandez had missed a penalty kick. "The holidays were good for me," said Alexis, who also credited first-year coach Gerardo Martino for improving his scoring rate. "I think Martino gave me the confidence I needed as a player," Alexis told GOL TV. Barcelonas victory was its ninth in as many league games at home this season, and it remained tied on points with Atletico atop the standings. The pressure is now on Real Madrid come Monday when it hosts Celta Vigo trailing the pacesetting pair by eight points. Alexis and Pedro lead the team with 11 goals each in league play, tying them as the leagues fourth-highest scorers this campaign. Both players were given ovations when substituted late, with Neymar coming on for the final minutes. Martino said he was as impressed by Alexis treble as anyone else, especially with his last goal from a free kick. "Alexis takes free kicks well in practice," Martino said. "When Leo, Xavi, Cesc or Neymar are playing, they almost never let him take one. One time he sent a free kick into the wall and we all thought it was his last. I told the bench that as a joke before he took todays kick and he ended up scoring it." Elsewhere, Real Sociedad downed Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in an entertaining Basque Country derby to close to just one point of its rivals in fourth place and Spains last Champions League spot. Carlos Bacca scored one goal and set up two more to help Sevilla beat Getafe 3-0 at home, provisionally lifting the club into sixth place behind Sociedad with its fifth victory in a six-game unbeaten streak in the league. Osasuna edged Espanyol 1-0 in Pamplona thanks to Alvaro Cejudos 33rd-minute goal to escape the relegation zone. Espanyol coach Javier Aguirre was expelled from the dugout in the second half, apparently for arguing with the referee. Messi tore his left hamstring on Nov. 11 and only returned to training with Barcelona this week, having spent time in Argentina doing rehab. He was left off the squad for Sundays game and Martino will have to decide if he brings him back against Getafe on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey to get him up to speed before the big trip to Atletico next Sunday. "Messi is fine physically and in good spirits," Martino said. "Whether he plays or not depends on his mentality, on whether he has gotten over the fear of the injury. Maybe we should have a little more patience (with him)." Alexis charged behind his marker to meet Jordi Albas cross from the left and volley it into the corner of the net to get Barcelona rolling. Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes looked a tad rusty in his first action in six weeks returning from injury in the 14th when Yiadom Boakye blasted the ball off the post, but he wasnt tested again after Pedro made it 2-0 two minutes later. Pedro followed up his hat trick at Getafe in the last round by meeting Cesc Fabregas weighted pass behind the defence, then used one touch to round goalkeeper Antonio "Tono" Rodriguez before sliding the ball inside the near post. Xavi, also back from injury, wasted penalty three minutes after halftime when he sent his spot kick wide after Fabregas had been fouled in the area by Elches Ionut Sapunaru. But Pedro took Andres Iniestas through ball and squared for Alexis to fire into the open net in the 63rd. Moments later Alexis earned his free kick from a foul outside the box that the Chile forward promptly curved over the defensive wall with a right-footed strike. The games only negative for Barcelona was defender Marc Bartra apparently hurting his leg late on. Sociedad took control of the back-and-forth match at Anoeta Stadium when Antoine Griezmann followed up his own rebound from long range for this 12th league goal of the season two minutes before halftime. Bilbao sought the equalizer but it was Sociedads Ruben Pardo who capped the victory in added time. http://www.germanynationalshop.com/Emre-Can-Germany-Jersey/ . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. http://www.germanynationalshop.com/Leroy-Sane-Germany-Jersey/ . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. http://www.germanynationalshop.com/Manuel-Neuer-Germany-Jersey/ . The Croatian served 21 aces and hit 42 winners against Sijsling, who double-faulted to give Cilic a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. "All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said.For a football fan, that was one of the best weekends of football the year has to offer. The CFL has hit the mid-point which means as important as the games were, they are even more important from this point on. The Canadian university season is beginning and that means people do play football for free, which sometimes I forget. The NCAA machine and its 117 Division 1 teams have started and come Thursday night, the ruthless efforts of Super Bowl experience begin with the Baltimore Ravens in Denver to take on the Broncos. I thought the B.C. Lions played their best game of the year against the Ticats on Friday night. Travis Lulay hit the 300-yard passing mark and threw for three touchdowns for the first combination of that defined success this season. But there is still something missing. Last year, B.C. was 13-5 and in first place. This year, it will depend on Week 19 and rising to the challenge of that week. Maybe that is good, remembering that if you win the West, there is no guarantee you win the Grey Cup. If the Tiger-Cats can stay healthy, they will be able to beat anybody as the season move on. The only weakness I sense is the secondary but what was a major weakness has improved since the start of the season. The defensive line, led by Brian Bulcke, is becoming effective, receiver Greg Ellingson continues to impress and Joel Figueroa gives Hamilton two good offensive tackles. Over 50 per cent of the Ticats 42-man roster are first or second year players. This is a young and hungry team being molded by a Grey Cup-winning quarterback/head coach in Kent Austin. With a new stadium on the horizon, its not a bad time to be a Ticat fan. Its also not a bad time to be a Rider fan. At 8-1 and nine games to go, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are looking good. I give a lot of credit to Winnipeg for playing a very good first half but not a full game. Often discussions occur about half-time adjustments and what goes on. If you have a significant lead, not much is said. You just want to keep doing what youre doing. If you have to overcome a deficit, the focus is on what to eliminate and what to focus on. And if the game is close, then much of the critical interaction is about what mistakes to avoid and what plays to create. But I wonder if coach Cory Chamblin simply told his guys to calm down at half-time. Thats all we have to do is concentrate on what we do and execute our game. To stay calm and focused on the goal; winning. The third quarter changed things for the Riders. They opened with a seven-play, 76-yard touchdown drive that took almost four minutes off the clock, followed by a field goal and another touchdown to end the third and start the fourth. Add three interceptions from a humbled Justin Goltz and his receivers equals 48 points and an easy win. The combination of George Cortez as coordinator and Cory Chamblin as head coach was impressive with whatever was said at half-time. Maybe it was complex jargon of elite understanding or maybe it was just calm down and do what your trained to do. Regardless, it was a solid second half as Darian Durrant passed for 103 yards and the Bombers just two. With no Toronto at Hamilton Labour Day game, all the focus was on Edmonton at Callgary. http://www.germanynationalshop.com/Mario-Gomez-Germany-Jersey/. I dont know how to evaluate the fourth quarter comeback by Edmonton. Part of me says great job by Mike Reilly and the offence of the Eskimos executing football plays under fourth quarter pressure. The other part of me says how can you let the game get so out of hand at one point (37-7). Did Calgary become complacent in the fourth quarter? Yes. At the end of the first half, the Eskimos had 33 passing yards and 30 rushing yards. They were being totally dominated. The hidden hero of the game was defensive coordinator Rick Campbell because going into the game, Edmonton was starting inexperienced players at left guard, centre and running back. Campbell designed many effective fronts, stunts, blitzes and combinations to shut down Edmonton completely... until the fourth quarter. In the rematch on Friday, I dont think you will see anything passive from Calgary all game as they will stay aware of the possible consequences. Im still a believer in Mike Reilly, though. He went into this game completing 70 per cent of his passes and produced three consecutive 300-plus passing games. Of more significance, he has great courage and heart and can take a beating and keep on ticking. For Edmonton, they are closing in on a point of no return. If they do not win Friday night at home, they will be 1-9 with nine games to go. Just to have a 9-9 season, they would have to go undefeated. When do you consciously or subconsciously start planning for 2014? One last thought about Mondays game. I dont give enough credit to John Hufnagel. Friday will be his 100th game as Stampeders head coach. The only other person to surpass that number is Wally Buono, who is well past 200. Overcoming injuries, producing three good quarterbacks, new coaches, Hufnagel is exceptional at overcoming adversity and building winners, which they are again at 7-2. Finally, it was Tuesday night football in Toronto and I dont like it. The Rogers Centre could not make the transition from baseball to football fast enough and the University of Guelph was committed to homecoming (understandable), so Tuesday night it is. Hopefully it doesnt happen again. Tuesday is a regeneration day, not a football game day. Enough said. As for the game, it makes you realize just how good Anthony Calvillo and Ricky Ray are. That is not a criticism of Collaros or Marsh. Marsh was experiencing his first start ever in pro football and Collaros was experiencing his second start. I actually thought Collaros would do well again as he has three former quarterbacks coaching him through the week. Head coach Scott Milanovich was a quarterback, quarterbacks coach Marcus Brady was a quarterback and receivers coach Jason Maas had great success in Edmonton as... a quarterback. I think you can say right now that the team to beat in the East may be the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Burris is still healthy and they are improving. A football season has major lows and major highs. Toronto and Montreal are hitting the lows but it is just a matter of time before the highs come back. With nine games completed and nine to go, each team will play rematches in Week #11. Learn from your mistakes and press forward. Fall football is coming soon. Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NHL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '