Can Sporting KC repeat as MLS Cup Champions or will Houston Dynamo regain their
place as the best team in the East? As Major League Soccer prepares to lift the
curtain on another season, TSN.
Kyle Fuller Bears Jersey .ca presents the
first of our five part season preview, taking a look at the American based teams
in the Eastern Conference. Chicago Fire It was a tough 2013 for the Toyota Park
faithful, as the Fire followed-up their first playoff season in three years with
their lowest-ever finish in 15 MLS seasons. The disappointing finish was due in
large part to a disastrous start that saw the Fire go 2-7-1 over their first 10
games. A strong May and an unbeaten home record from late July onward were not
enough to salvage the season. A turnaround for the Fire could well depend on
their last line of defence. Goalkeeper Sean Johnson, 24, posted a save
percentage of 70, which was fifth-best among MLS keepers that started at least
20 games. The American national will need to be stellar again to get the Fire
back into the MLS Cup conversation. The Fire are going to California for their
2014 season opener, crossing conferences to meet Chivas USA. They meet up with
the Impact on Apr. 12 for their first Canadian visit of the campaign. Whos In?:
F Giuseppe Gentile (waiver draft), D Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (trade with Seattle),
D Patrick Ianni (trade with Seattle), M Benji Joya (weighted lottery), D/M Lovel
Palmer (trade with Real Salt Lake), GK Kyle Reynish (free agent). Whos Out?: D
Jalil Anibaba (trade with Seattle), M Corben Bone (option declined), D Shaun
Francis (free agent), M Joel Lindpere (option declined), M Daniel Paladini
(trade with Columbus), M Arévalo Rios (option declined), F Maicon Santos (option
declined), GK Paolo Tornaghi (waived), D Michael Videira (option declined), D
Wells Thompson (free agent). SuperDraft: D Marco Franco (1-13). Columbus Crew A
year after missing the MLS Cup playoffs by a single point, 2013 was a
disappointment in the Ohio capital. The Crew dropped to eighth in the East,
missing the playoffs once more. Six losses in seven mid-summer games would be
the Crews undoing, despite strong seasons from Argentine striker Federico
Higuain and team goal-scoring leader Dominic Oduro. The Crew have shuffled the
deck in net, sending Andy Gruenebaum to KC and hoping that one of Matt Lampson
or new acquisitions Steve Clark or Brad Stuver can carry the load. Columbus
visits the minnows of the 2013 MLS season – D.C. United – to open their 2014
campaign. They get a return date with their Eastern rivals from Toronto in their
first Canadian visit on May 31. Whos In?: GK Steve Clark (trade with Seattle), D
Waylon Francis (discovery), D Giancarlo Gonzalez (transfer from Valerenga), M
Hector Jimenez (trade with LA Galaxy), M Daniel Paladini (trade with Chicago), D
Michael Parkhurst (rights acquired from New England), GK Brad Stuver (waiver
draft). Whos Out?: D Drew Beckie (option declined), M Eddie Gaven (retired), D
Glauber (option declined), GK Andy Gruenebaum (trade with Kansas City), F Aaron
Horton (waived), D Kyle Hyland (option declined), D Chad Marshall (trade with
Seattle), D/M Danny ORourke (option declined), M Matías Sanchez (waived), M
Konrad Warzycha (option declined), GK Daniel Withrow (waived). SuperDraft: D Ben
Sweat (1-14). D.C. United Fans in the U.S. capital would probably be best served
to forget that 2013 ever happened. A season removed from the third-best record
in the League, United dropped to dead last in the table, posting an all-time MLS
low of just three wins for a season. The off-season overhaul was of particular
note to Canadas MLS clubs as United acquired Montreal Impact captain Davy Arnaud
via trade. A week later, though, D.C. sent one of its premier players back home,
leaving Dwayne De Rosario unprotected in the MLS Re-Entry Draft, allowing him to
be snatched up by Toronto FC. If Arnaud and Portland acquisition Eddie Johnson
can reignite the United offence and if Chris Pontius can rediscover his scoring
form, 2013 may prove to be an aberration. But a season that poor is a tough one
to wipe clean from a fan-bases memory. D.C. opens at home on Mar. 8 against the
Columbus Crew. Theyll face a rejuvenated Toronto FC in front of an
undoubtedly-raucous BMO Field crowd in the teams home opener on Mar. 22. Whos
In?: M Davy Arnaud (trade with Montreal), D Nana Attakora (re-entry stage 2), D
Bobby Boswell (Re-entry stage 1), F Conor Doyle (transfer from Derby County), F
Fabian Espindola (Re-entry stage 2), D Christian Fernandez (free agent), F
Christiano Francois (waiver draft), D Sean Franklin (re-entry stage 1), F Eddie
Johnson (trade with Seattle), D Jeff Parke (trade with Philadelphia). Whos Out?:
M/F Syamsir Alam (option declined), M Dwayne De Rosario (option declined), F
Christiano Francois (loaned to Richmond), D Dennis Iapichino (out of contract),
D Dejan Jakovic (transfer to Shimizu S-Pulse), M Collin Martin (loaned to
Richmond), F Lionard Pajoy (option declined), D James Riley (option declined), F
Carlos Ruiz (option declined), M Marcelo Saragosa (option declined), M John
Thorrington (option declined), D Ethan White (trade with Philadelphia), GK Joe
Willis (loaned to Richmond), D Daniel Woolard (option declined). SuperDraft: D
Steve Birnbaum (1-2). Houston Dynamo Houstons run had to come to an end at some
point. After two straight trips to the MLS Cup – both defeats at the hands of
the Los Angeles Galaxy – the Dynamos season was once again derailed by the
eventual Champs. This time it was Sporting Kansas City who took their aggregate
Conference Final 2-1 at Sporting Park. That said, the Dynamo did what they do
best once again and saved their best play for when it mattered most. A
fourth-place showing helped show that they belonged with the best in the East
and their playoff moxie once again came through for them. All-time leading
scorer Brian Ching called it a career after the season, meaning Will Bruin can
likely take full-time ownership of the “face of the franchise” mantle. With New
York City FC on the way in 2015, this season could well be Houstons last in the
Eastern Conference. Will they give the Conference one more run for its money?
The Dynamo open at home on Mar. 8 against the team that forced them into the
2013 MLS Cup Knockout Round game by virtue of goal-differential, the New England
Revolution. Their first Canadian test comes later in March, in Vancouver on the
29th. Whos In?: M Tony Cascio (loan from Colorado), D David Horst (trade with
Portland). Whos Out?: D Bobby Boswell (out of contract), F Calen Carr (out of
contract), D Mike Chabala (option declined), F Brian Ching (retired), M Alex
Dixon (option declined), F Cam Weaver (option declined). SuperDraft: D A.J.
Cochran (1-16). Sporting Kansas City Sporting got off to a roaring start in
2013, losing just one of its first six matches and that a surprising upset at
the hands of Toronto FC in the latters home opener. They would pick up that pace
once more to finish the season by winning six of eight (6-1-1) and coming within
one point of the Supporters Shield. While they narrowly missed one piece of
hardware, the Leagues most rabid fan-base was rewarded with the franchises
second ever MLS Cup after a thrilling penalty-kick victory over Real Salt Lake
in the Final. One of the faces of that triumph has left KC, as goalkeeper and
captain Jimmy Nielsen has hung up his gloves. Losing arguably the leagues
premier keeper hurts, but the addition of Columbus Andy Gruenebaum might salve
that loss. The team will also be hoping for even greater leadership out of
sophomore striker Dom Dwyer, midfielder and team MVP Graham Zusi and DP Claudio
Bieler, who led the team in goals with 10 in 2013. Kansas City opens on the road
in Seattle on Mar. 8 and make their first trip to Canada with a May 10 date with
the Impact at Stade Saputo. Whos In?: GK Andy Gruenebaum (trade with Columbus),
M Sal Zizzo (trade with Portland). Whos Out?: F Teal Bunbury (traded to New
England), D Kyle Miller (waived), GK Jimmy Nielsen (retired), D Brendan Ruiz
(waived). SuperDraft: F Adnan Gabelic (2-38). New England Revolution Something
had to give eventually at Foxborough. After two straight years in the MLS
basement, the Revs finally got back to good in 2013, racking up 14 wins (the
same total as their prior two seasons, combined) and qualified for the MLS Cup
playoffs for the first time since 2009. The difference-makers for the Revs were
the young, dynamic offensive pairing of Kelyn Rowe, in just his second MLS
season, and Diego Fagundez, a then-18-year-old Uruguayan somehow in his third.
If those two can click once more, then the upward trend should prove to be more
than just a one-year aberration. The permanent addition of Charlie Davies should
also help the Revs depth up front. The Revs open up with a visit to the Houston
Dynamo on Mar. 8 but dont hit a Canadian pitch until May 3 when they visit
Toronto FC. Whos In?: F Teal Bunbury (trade from Sporting KC), F Charlie Davies
(transfer from Randers), M Paolo DelPiccolo (waiver draft), GK Brad Knighton
(trade with Vancouver), M Daigo Kobayashi (rights acquired from Vancouver), D
Jossimar Sanchez (Supplemental Draft). Whos Out?: F Juan Agudelo (out of
contract), F Chad Barrett (option declined), D Bilal Duckett (waived), M Ryan
Guy (option declined), F Matt Horth (waived), M Gabe Latigue (waived), D Tyler
Polak (option declined), GK Matt Reis (retired), M Clyde Simms (option
declined), M Juan Toja (option declined). SuperDraft: F Steve Neumann (1-4), F
Patrick Mullins (1-11). New York Red Bulls A nearly-winless March was cause for
concern for the Red Bulls in 2013, but things turned out alright in the end. Two
huge streaks – seven unbeaten in April and May and eight unbeaten to finish the
season – propelled the Red Bulls to their first Supporters Shield in a tight
race with Kansas City. Sadly, an Omar Cummings extra-time marker stunned Red
Bull Arena and sent the Houston Dynamo on to the Eastern Final instead of the
Bulls. The playoff result has to come as a sting, especially since it was
Cummings who struck in injury time in the first leg to salvage a draw. The Bulls
were clearly concerned about their back end in the off-season, bringing in
Spanish full-back Armando Lozano and acquiring Richard Eckersley from Toronto
via trade. Will a better D be key to a better finish? The Red Bulls season
starts on Canadian soil as they will be forced to begin their campaign in front
of a boisterous BC Place crowd in the Vancouver Whitecaps opener on Mar. 8. Whos
In?: D Armando (free transfer), M Bobby Convey (trade with Toronto), D Richard
Eckersley (trade with Toronto). Whos Out?: D Brandon Barklage (option declined),
D David Carney (option declined), F Fabián Espíndola (option declined), GK Kevin
Hartman (retired), D Markus Holgersson (contract terminated), D Heath Pearce
(out of contract). SuperDraft: D Chris Duvall (2-22). Philadelphia Union The
Union finished just three points out of the MLS Cup playoffs and maybe locking
down the last 10 minutes of their final three games – all of which saw them
concede an equalizer or winner – might have been that difference. Jack McInerney
– seventh in league scoring – certainly did his part scoring late ones of his
own in two of the three, but time would run out on the Union. McInerney was
excellent early in the season and clearly turned it on again at the seasons end.
The Union are hoping theyve found him some help, but will a return to the States
prove a jump-starter for Maurice Edu? The 27-year-old has seen little of the
pitch over two years with Premier League side Stoke City and it has led to fewer
appearances with the U.S. national side as a result. The Unions season begins
with a tall task, the team being handed the reigning Western table-topping
Portland Timbers on the road to start the season. Philly will hit Canada for the
first time on Apr. 26 when they visit Montreal. Whos In?: M Corben Bone
(re-entry stage 1), M Maurice Edu (loan from Stoke City), GK Brian Holt (free),
M Cristian Maidana (free transfer), M Vincent Nogueira (transfer from Sochaux),
D Ethan White (trade with Philadelphia). Whos Out?: D Chris Albright (retired),
F Don Anding (waived), M Michael Farfan (transfer to Cruz Azul), M Greg Jordan
(waived), M Kleberson (waived), GK Oka Nikolov (waived), D Jeff Parke (trade
with D.C. United), D Mikaël Silvestre (contract terminated). SuperDraft: GK
Andre Blake (1-1), MF Pedro Ribeiro (1-15).
Vladimir Ducasse Jersey . Any real chance at
payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win
over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the
groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward
Brandon Sutter said.
Leonard Floyd Bears Jersey . Those lessons
were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points
and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85
victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the
fourth time in five games.
http:///...Wilson_Bears_Jersey/
. He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the
Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when
interviewing for the job Friday night.TORONTO - If you had just started watching
Raptors basketball two days prior you wouldnt have recognized the team that was
run out of their own building Friday night. Coming off their most encouraging
victory of the season in Memphis Wednesday, the Raptors were out-muscled,
out-worked and ultimately out-played against a Chicago Bulls team missing their
star point guard. The Bulls - as they tend to do, with or without Derrick Rose -
set the tone with their defence in the opening minutes. By the time the buzzer
sounded 24 minutes into the contest, the Raptors booed off the floor by their
home fans, Toronto had mustered just 31 points on 26 per cent shooting. "Theres
nothing redeeming about tonight," said Dwane Casey, who later relented and cited
DeMar DeRozan as the lone redeeming spot on the night. "Tonight was one of those
stinkers that you have. We were mentally fried, physically fried but this is the
NBA [and] theres no excuses. That wasnt us. Weve had stretches like that but not
an entire game, the way we were running in mud." DeRozan, just 3-of-9 at the
half, caught fire late in the third quarter. He scored 28 of his career-high
matching 37 points in the second half, including 19 of the Raptors 21 points
during a stretch that extended into the fourth quarter. He couldnt miss,
knocking down off-balance jumpers, four three-pointers and crowning Joakim Noah
on a tomahawk slam. If it was conceivable for the Raptors guard to bring his
team back on his own at that point he may have, he certainly tried. But it was a
little too little too late. "I just wanted to win," DeRozan said solemnly after
his offensive outburst was wasted in a game that was lost early in the first
half. "Thats the only thing. Just looking at the score, I knew it was going to
be tough. Its just my passion, just trying to win." "He was the one redeeming
spot tonight," Casey eventually acknowledged. "The way he came out in the second
half, but its a 48 minute game. Youve ggot to start the game out that way.
Danny Trevathan Bears Jersey. " First Half
Credit the Bulls and their defence for what turned out to be a nightmare of a
first half for the Raptors offence. The same team that registered 11 assists and
hit 7-of-9 three-point attempts in the first half of Wednesdays game against a
quality opponent had just seven dimes and missed all seven shots from long
range. The Raptors were routinely pushed around under the rim, as the Bulls
front line of Noah, Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng got the visitors off to a quick
start on both ends of the floor. "You cant allow someone to come in your home
and outwork you like that," Casey said. "Its hard to get to the basket on them,"
DeRozan admitted. "They all load in. Theyre a good defensive team so youve got
to find counters and different ways to try and get to the basket." However, the
game was lost on the other end, where the Raptors failed to match Chicagos
defensive effort. With Rose on the sideline - ruled out prior to the game,
nursing a sore right hamstring - the Bulls didnt miss a beat. They moved the
ball with precision and shredded Toronto in the paint, outscoring them 26-18.
"Mental frustration I think is more than anything else," Casey said. "We allowed
them to do that. Youve got to make a team miss. We didnt play with the
desperation weve played with this week." Regrouping With five of their next six
games at home, the Raptors will benefit from more practice time, something they
expect to take advantage of immediately as they return to the gym on Saturday to
reflect on this loss. "Its a long season, its a marathon," Casey pointed out.
"But its how you bounce back from these types of games that define you." "I dont
want to get too overly alarmed because you have those. You have about five or
six of those a year but we cant make it a habit." Toronto is back in action at
the ACC Sunday afternoon when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.
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