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06.06.2019 05:58
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RENTON, Wash. - During a long weekend of rest, the Seattle Seahawks got the help they needed to take control of their own fate in the NFC West race.And to top it off, coach Pete Carroll added a lighthearted quip at the expense of the rival 49ers.Following the Seahawks dominating 19-3 win over San Francisco on Thanksgiving that improved Seattle to 8-4, 49ers CEO Jed York tweeted an apology to fans saying, This performance wasnt acceptable.When asked what his reaction would be if Seattle owner Paul Allen ever tweeted a similar message after a game, Carroll grinned.Our owner would never do that, Carroll said tongue-in-cheek.And once the chuckling subsided, Carroll added, I would never comment on that.The atmosphere around the Seahawks has changed in a short time. When Seattle returned from its 24-20 loss at Kansas City in Week 11, the Seahawks were 6-4, three games out of first place in the NFC West and about to begin a rugged five-day stretch facing division foes Arizona and San Francisco. They were on the cusp of falling out of the division race and potentially the playoff picture.Two weeks later, the Seahawks are in playoff position and, more importantly, control their own destiny in the division thanks to Arizonas loss on Sunday at Atlanta. If Seattle wins its final four games — beginning Sunday at Philadelphia — it wins the division.One of the things that you love in competition is that you control your own future, Carroll said. We have an opportunity to do that and we have to do that one day at a time.Seattle has improved as its defence has gotten back to the 2013 form that made the Seahawks the best in the NFL. Seattle limited Arizona to 204 yards of offence and was even more impressive against the 49ers. Colin Kaepernick threw two interceptions to Richard Sherman and San Francisco was limited to 164 total yards — the ninth time since Carrolls arrival in 2010 that the Seahawks have held an opponent under 200 yards.Seattle is 18-1 in regular-season and playoff games under Carroll when holding its opponent to less than 250 total yards. The Seahawks have allowed one touchdown in the past 10 quarters.The players have just rallied to find their best. I think the ascending health, weve been getting stronger, and they feel better, Carroll said. The corners have come back to play, Bobby (Wagner) has come back to play, Kam (Chancellor) has come back, it just seems like thats all added to it. But I think theyve really rallied and (defensive co-ordinator) Dan (Quinn) has done a great job and the coaches have done a great job on the defensive side to keep guys growing and not get to the point where you get frustrated and where it starts to work against you.The Seahawks will still likely be without centre Max Unger when they travel to Philadelphia. Unger missed the past two games with ankle and knee injuries, but Carroll said the target was for him to start practicing next week prior to Seattle hosting San Francisco. The Seahawks are also unsure if backup tight end Cooper Helfet will be able to go after spraining his ankle against Arizona.NOTES: Seattle waived DB Loucheiz Purifoy on Monday after he failed his physical. Purifoy was signed on Friday following his release by Indianapolis. ... LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, who was placed on injured reserve last week, will have surgery to repair a damaged labrum in his shoulder. Dale Hunter Jersey . The former Edmonton Oilers defenceman was with the St. Louis Blues in training camp on a professional tryout. Whitney, 30, had four goals and 13 points in 34 games with the Oilers last season. Dennis Maruk Jersey .com) - Sergio Agueros 63rd-minute goal was enough to lift Manchester City to a 1-0 win over 10-man Manchester United on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. http://www.officialcapitalspro.com/Mike-...apitals-jersey/. - Buffalo Bills running back C. T. J. Oshie Jersey . Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN Canadiens at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The game can also be heard on TSN Radio Montreal 690. The Calgary Flames will see if they can take their recent hot streak on the road when they shoot for a sixth consecutive win Monday night in Montreal. John Carlson Jersey . According the CSNBayArea.com, the 31-year-old suffered an ACL injury in his right knee on Friday when he collided with Anaheims Emerson Etem during a pre-season game.Nineteen points in 11 matches played. Tops in the Eastern Conference, second-best in all of MLS, an average of 1.73 points per game. Currently sitting in a playoff spot. Not a bad start, is it? Welcome to the new world of Toronto FC. Toronto FC entered the World Cup break with a combative 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, upping their record to 6-4-1. There is nothing cosmic about Toronto FCs newfound positive fortunes. The recipe has been simple: commitment to defensive workrate, sound team structure with a true game-breaker in front of goal. Its been that cliché, yet poignant never-say-die kind of stuff. Just how the team wants it. The first half Saturday was arguably the best 45 minutes played on the season. Toronto FC went toe-to-toe with San Joses physical play. The movement, the use of space, the passing and shape were prominent, but it was team commitment standing out the most: 50/50 battles. Getting stuck in. Getting forward and pushing onwards. The simple stuff. A winning attitude is being developed and dedication to the crest has never stood out so much. We sometimes focus too much on tactics, formations and Xs and Os. There are many reasons teams win or lose. Its oftentimes the basic intangibles that first need to be established before the more complicated follow. Thus far, the basics have been the difference between points and no points. This is the first step and its a big one. The bar will continue to be raised. Team approach will be tested. It will be up to the manager and individual quality to take this team from being good to potentially great. The appetite lived up to standing. The main course begins post-World Cup. Here are my five thoughts on Toronto FC at the World Cup break: 1. Trader Tim – General manager Tim Bezbatchenko has been a busy man in his first eight-plus months on the job. An off-season overhaul was required and mission accomplished, but it was evident the team was still a work in progress to start the year. Too thin at some positions and too weak at others. The ensuing in-season adjustments have followed and have come with purpose and all look to be solid moves. Gale Agbossoumonde, Issey-Nakajima-Farran, Alvaro Rey and allocation money go out, with Luke Moore, Collen Warner and Dominic Oduro coming in. With the acquired players come great salary, but more substance. These are all considerable moves and represent potential starters in exchange for players either battling for roles or ones who have fallen out of favour. Moore has two goals in four games and has paired well with Jermain Defoe up front. He holds up the ball and is a supplementary goal-scoring threat that was desperately needed. Warner filled a significant gap at defensive midfield. It is clear head coach Ryan Nelsen prefers a diamond in the midfield, with a central player sitting on top of the back four. Warner is the man tasked with the job and his true importance will come to light once Michael Bradley returns from the World Cup. He deservedly won Man of the Match Saturday, rarely out of position and confident on the ball. Oduro has just arrived, but adds more pace to an already dangerous counter-attack. Hes a proven MLS commodity and a useful player, adaptable to play either up front or wide right, particularly in a 4-3-3 if required. It may be early, but from the outset all three trades seem like a win for Bezbatchenko. The rookie GM deserves significant credit for these moves in addition to off-season trades for Jackson and always-impressive Justin Morrow. Bez knows the league and has massively upgraded the depth of the roster. No ego. No meddling agents. Just business. This Tim deserves credit. 2. Big money, big results – Defoe with seven goals in eight games. Check. Michael Bradley as on-field general, influential leader with a game-winning goal under his belt, looking to be among the top players already in MLS. Check. You get what you pay for. The early returns reinforce Toronto purchased absolute quality. No player may ever justify a $7 million per year salary in MLS, not even David Beckham, but if youre trying to reach for the stars, then get there.dddddddddddd Any misplaced cynicism about either signing is gone. These two make Toronto FC an instant MLS Cup threat, no question. The waiting game on the third Designated Player, Gilberto, continues. He has more games missed through injury (two) than goals scored (none). Its been a tough transition for the Brazilian: new city, new country, new language and new life. Never mind the fact hes playing in a new league and with new expectations. Flat-out, Gilberto has been disappointing, but weve seen flashes. The hope is the flashes turn into moments that turn into games. One has to wonder how much patience will be given. DP spots are gold, especially for a club like Toronto FC that can pay for quality. 3. Points earned – It cannot be said the team has hit absolute stride. It has been ugly at times with Toronto FC grinding out results. They have only out-possessed opponents twice on the season and more consistent build-up is essential. Distribution needs work, as does movement off the ball. The learning curve has been made more difficult through injury in the team and a wonky schedule. Chalk up an early season 3-0 loss at Real Salt Lake in the ugly category, while a 2-1 home loss to New England disappointing. Other than that, a difficult schedule has played out favourably and late goals have come, more often scored than conceded. Late tallies against Columbus (twice), New York, and Sporting Kansas City have either won or secured points. Its these kinds of performances that bode well long term. Its characteristic of winning teams to win while not at their best. Progress. 4. Nellies team – We are witnessing the maturation of a head coach. Nelsen was in a difficult position last year, coming straight off the field as player, late into the fray, into a completely new context as a first-time coach with a subpar team. It was as tough an introduction to coaching as one can imagine. Nelsen survived the off-season purge and was given requisite tools to succeed for his sophomore adventure. He may still have critics, but patience is needed. Week by week, Nelsens in-game management has grown. His substitution patterns have been spot-on and his read for the game is becoming more apparent. It was a calculated gamble by the previous regime to hand over the reigns to a man with no experience, but a natural leader and well liked within the game. Its paying off. Nelsen was essential to the recruitment of the likes of Defoe, Julio Cesar, Steven Caldwell and Bradley Orr. And its no secret his players love to play for him. Nelsen doesnt apologize for his team, but he sticks up for them, stands by them and doesnt throw any player under the bus. The culture created is a positive one and the benefits are being reaped. 5. Areas for Improvement – It must be kept in mind the team is still a work in progress and there are clear areas in need of improvement and/or upgrades. Deficiencies in ball possession and passing have already been documented, as have the struggles of Gilberto. Doneil Henry needs to find stability in his game with more consistent one-v-one defending, decision-making and positioning. With Henry, its worth having patience, as he is a budding stud centre-back. Improvement on the wings is also required. This may come through trade or transfer. The team often plays too narrowly with Jonathan Osorio more comfortable playing inside than on the left side. Tactically, after early season relentless high pressure, the team has become too comfortable sitting too far back in defence. There needs to be a balance here, and it hasnt been found yet. Most importantly for TFC, they must get Defoe the ball. It needs to be much better and more frequent. Defoes been relegated to being too much of a chaser. Service at his feet is mandatory to ultimately get the most out of their prized striker. Toronto FC is off until a June 27th trip to New York to take on the Red Bulls (4-5-6). 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