ekansekans's blog: "df"

SANDY, Utah -- A shake of the head, a furl of the lip. Andrew Luck Jersey . That was as much disappointment as Jay DeMerit would allow on Friday following the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. But its hard not to imagine the sting of defeat wasnt a little stronger, considering how evenly the Whitecaps played against one of the best home teams in the league. "I think we had enough chances to tie, and possibly win," DeMerit said after Vancouvers fourth consecutive road game without a victory. "Sometimes things dont bounce your way up front, and in the back we made a couple of individual errors." With the loss, Vancouver (9-7-7) remains in third place in the Western Conference but falls six points behind second-place Salt Lake (13-7-3). Alvaro Saborio scored once in each half and Vancouver played the final 19 minutes a man short because of a red card to goalkeeper Joe Cannon. The biggest bad bounce set up a penalty kick and Saborios first goal in the 34th minute, after DeMerit handled the ball in the box. DeMerit appeared to be nudged by Salt Lakes Kyle Beckerman, which forced his hands into the air. "Obviously, I dont go up with my hands up, so I kind of got hip-checked a little bit," said DeMerit, who played his eighth game in 24 days, including Wednesdays MLS all-star game. "My hand came up and hit the ball. I thought maybe 1/8the referee 3/8 could have called him stepping into me, but, no call." The Whitecaps evened the score in the 52nd minute when Darren Mattocks got past Nat Borchers and raced wide of Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando to convert into an empty net. Mattocks seventh goal of the season ended Salt Lakes home shutout streak at 327 minutes, which had spanned over three games. The tally also ignited a rapid-fire stretch which saw the Whitecaps pepper Rimando with shots. After managing just one shot in the second half, Vancouver tallied four in a five-minute stretch. "We had, like two, three, four chances," Mattock said. "Thats when we should have advantage because its going to be tough on the road sometimes. Unfortunately, we didnt." The momentum shifted quickly when Saborio headed a shot past Cannon in the 58th minute. It was Saborios sixth goal in five games and his 13th of the season, tied for second-most in MLS. San Joses Chris Wondolowski has 17 goals. In the 76th minute, Cannon was sent off for handling outside the box after making a diving stop against Fabian Espindola. Cannon was trying to outrace Espindola to a soft backward pass from Dane Richards. Real Salt Lake extended its home unbeaten streak to four games and won for the ninth time at home this season, a league high. "We had lots of chances against a good team away from home," Vancouver coach Martin Rennie said. "Its frustrating that we didnt take those chances. If we had, we would have gotten a better result. "We created enough to win the game." Dwight Freeney Jersey .Y. - With the Montreal Canadiens attempting to mount a late-season playoff push, defenceman P. Andrew Luck Womens Jersey . The Kop - Liverpools most loyal and vocal supporters - stayed packed into its 72 rows throughout the 15-minute halftime interval and recited chants warning Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. http://www.coltsteamstore.com/pat-angerer-jerseys . -- Mike Smith was stingy in goal, but generous with his praise after his second shutout of the season. Reggie Wayne Jersey . All exhibition games for the Winnipeg Jets played at the MTS Centre will begin at 7pm ct. The Jets will open the seven-game exhibition schedule with a first-ever visit to Rexall Place in Edmonton to face the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, Sept. Coby Fleener Jersey . Watch the game live on TSN2 starting at 8pm et/5pm pt. Kershaw has allowed two runs or less in seven of his last eight starts, but has just one win in his last four trips to the hill. He did not get a decision on Tuesday against San Diego, despite a terrific outing that saw him allow a run and five hits in seven innings of a 6-3 loss.WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Juan Pablo Montoya prefers running up front, and it grates on him when he doesnt. For the second straight week, he has no reason to beat himself up going into the race. Montoya shattered the Sprint Cup qualifying record at Watkins Glen International on Saturday. Montoya won the pole for Sundays Finger Lakes 355 with a lap around the 11-turn, 2.45-mile layout in 69.438 seconds at 127.020 mph. Kyle Bush set the track record of 69.767 seconds at 126.421 mph a year ago. "All my life Ive raced to win," Montoya said after notching his second straight pole in the series and ninth of his career. "The last couple of years have been really frustrating." Busch qualified second, also eclipsing the track record. Five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was third, followed by Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose. Ryan Newman, five-time Watkins Glen winner Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Truex Jr. and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top 10. Points leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified 16th. Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton were in backup cars after wrecking their primary rides in practice on Friday, victims of a track made slippery by Patrick Longs blown engine. Hamlin was 23rd and Burton 31st. Montoya won the pole last week at Pocono and finished 20th. He has only two top-10 finishes this season and three DNFs, one of the main reasons hes 21st in the points. Still, he isnt about to concede with five races remaining before the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. "The only thing you can do is make sure youre working the hardest you can," said Montoya, whose two Cup victories have come on the road courses at Sonoma and Watkins Glen. "Maybe we still dont have the fastest car, but if you can play the strategy right you might come up here with sometthing and you might go on to Richmond (the last race before the post-season) with a chance of making the Chase. Andrew Luck Elite Jersey. It would be shocking." Ambrose won last years race, besting Busch and Keselowski in a fender-banging, green-white-checkered finish. Busch is desperate for a victory this time. Hes fallen out of the top 10 in points and a win would vault him back into contention for one of the two wild cards. The top 10 drivers in the points automatically qualify for NASCARs version of a post-season. Chase positions 11 and 12 are wild cards and are awarded to those drivers between 11th and 20th in points who have the most wins. Busch is tied with Gordon, Logano, and Newman with one victory apiece, but Gordon has one of the wild cards. Kasey Kahne, with two wins and 11th in points, has the other. "For the next five races, its win or bust, basically," Busch said. "Finishing second, third or fourth aint going to get us anywhere." Busch said three wins would lock up a spot and figures Gordon is his main rival. "If we pass him back in points, that would get us back in the Chase," Busch said. "If he gets two and were in front of him in points with only one win, then hes in and were out." Johnson, dethroned last year by Tony Stewart after winning five straight championships, is intent on starting a new streak. "With the overall points being as close as they are, its tough now," said Johnson, fourth in points but only eight behind Earnhardt, his teammate at Hendrick Motorsports. "I want to lead the championship going into the post-season. Thats my goal. But there will be some craziness during the race. We see that on road courses, period. If theres a chance to take a risk, I think youll see a lot of it." ' ' '