INSEL-REGELN » nullified the pace of Vancouvers front three and l

TORONTO -- With Toronto FCs 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, TFC has now won as many games as it did all of last season and is firmly entrenched in a playoff position in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. But there was no celebrating after the final whistle blew. And that speaks volumes for how far Ryan Nelsens squad has come. Jermain Defoe scored on a penalty shot as Toronto FC entered the World Cup break on a high note with the win. "Another box ticked," as Nelsen put it. "And we moved on." "Were winning games now, we won that game 1-nil and were a wee bit disappointed to tell you truth with how we played," Nelsen said. "Thats where I hoped wed get to was to start to get the wins and the crowd would be going, We won but we didnt play very well. I was praying for that time to happen. Most of the time in the past it was just praying for wins." Toronto, now undefeated in four MLS games, improved to 6-4-1 and jumped from sixth to fourth in the East with several games in hand. Defoes goal came in the 27th minute, awarded when Nick Hagglund was pulled down in the box. The former Tottenham Hotspur star stepped up and slotted the ball to the far left corner, to the delight of the capacity crowd of 22,591 at sun-soaked BMO Field. It was Defoes seventh goal with Toronto and fourth game winner, one shy of the franchise record. "Ive enjoyed it," Defoe said, reflecting on his time in the MLS. "As a forward, I try to get off to a good start and hopefully relax and enjoy my football, and then I know the goals will come. Luckily the goals have come. "Before you come you can never imagine what its going to be like. But its just been amazing, lucky to be at such a good club, where the players get treated right, playing with good players, a lot of young players, theres a good team chemistry, team spirit which is always important. And I believe that we can do something special this year." It was a strong afternoon for Hagglund, a 21-year-old rookie drafted 10th overall by TFC last year. The former Xavier University defender had several scoring chances, including two in less than a minute midway through the first half. On the first, he forced the Jon Busch to make a diving save. The second, he stretched for a volley that he fired just wide of the net. "I think hes icing his groin at the moment from that volley," Nelsen said, laughing. "Hes just a lovely guy whos not afraid of any occasion. He kind of puffs his chest and just goes for it. Hes just that type of personality. Those types of personalities go a long way not just in soccer but in life. Thats why hes just a pleasure to have around the place." Nelsen said they spotted something special in the defender, which is why the club moved up in the draft to acquire him. "Just that fearlessness, which in my opinion, gets you a long way in life," Nelsen said. "We saw that in him when we interviewed him, we saw that in him when he played. Hes progressing exactly how we dreamed he would be, to tell you the truth. Hell only get better." Hagglund almost scored in the 68th off a free kick after some angry moments from Nelsen and his players. Newcomer Dominic Oduro was sprinting onto a pass in the air that San Joses Clarence Goodson reached up and stopped with his hand. Toronto players were arguing for a red card, but were awarded a free kick instead, which Hagglund headed just wide of the post. "Its been a roller-coaster," Hagglund said of his rookie season. "Its been fun just to get to play with the guys. What a great group, and Nelsen has done nothing but great things, and encouraged me and pushed me forward, and put me in positions where I have to grow and learn and its been exciting." Oduro, acquired in a trade Friday that sent Alvaro Rey to the Columbus Crew, came on in the 64th minute, and the fans soon got to see the blistering speed for which the Ghanian midfield/forward is known. "Hes direct, quick," Defoe said of his new teammate. "I enjoyed (playing with him)." The colourful Oduro is also known for the elaborate designs he shaves into his hair, still had Columbus-yellow stripes died into his hair on either side of his mohawk. The 28-year-old had a career-high 13 goals last season, including two against Toronto. Brazilian Gilberto had been pencilled into the starting lineup, but was replaced by Kyle Bekker just prior to kickoff after Gilberto was injured during warmup. Toronto doesnt play another league game until June 27 when they travel to New York to face the Red Bulls. NOTES: Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley (the U.S.), and goalie Julio Cesar (Brazil) are playing for their countries in the World Cup in Brazil. . . Retired striker Danny Koevermans, in Toronto with his family for vacation, was at the game. Grayson Allen Jersey . -- Brandon Hope stopped 46 shots and Kurtis MacDermid scored with 27 seconds remaining in overtime as the Owen Sound Attack edged the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 5-4 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Adrian Dantley Jersey .That is precisely what they got Sunday.The Ravens trailed at halftime and never built a comfortable lead against lowly Jacksonville, yet did just enough to squeeze out a 20-12 win to stay in the thick of the AFC playoff race. http://www.jazzauthentic.com/customized/ . Seriously. Seven years of losing has brought many different faces, players and management, to the annual pre-season get-to-know-the-team round up. Tony Bradley Jersey .J. Ward appeared in court Friday on misdemeanour charges that he threw a glass mug at a bartender at a Denver strip club. Derrick Favors Jersey . Both of Padakins goals came in the second period while Zane Jones added a single in the first period for Calgary (13-6-4). Hitmen goaltender Chris Driedger finished with 30 saves for the shutout.The Formations Both the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact lined up in 4-2-3-1 formations with a number of changes for both teams. Montreal coach Frank Klopas was missing five players whom he would normally consider for his starting XI: Marco Di Vaio, Justin Mapp, Felipe, Sanna Nyassi and Hernan Bernardello. Vancouver coach Carl Robinson had to replace the injured Jay DeMerit, as well as Nigel Reo-Coker, who was in New York with his wife, who gave birth to the couples first child. The Game After the excitement of the World Cup over the last two weeks, this game was something of a letdown. There were chances at both ends, but both teams – Vancouver, in particular – failed to perform up to their potential. Whitecaps fans have come to expect up-tempo, free-flowing football at BC Place this season. After scoring 17 goals in their seven-game unbeaten run leading up to Wednesdays match, the Whitecaps failed to excite their supporters and struggled to find a way past a stubborn Impact team. Pedro Morales, usually the creative maestro of the Whitecaps team, was off his game. His passes, normally precise and incisive, went astray as Montreal stymied and frustrated Vancouver. Far too often, promising moves broke down in transition as Vancouver failed to find a way to exploit the athleticism and speed of its front three – Darren Mattocks, Erik Hurtado and Kekuta Manneh. There was an expectation that the three young speedsters would create a significant advantage for Vancouver, but Montreal did an excellent job of denying all three players time on the ball and space in which to operate. The midfield partnership of Patrice Bernier and debutant Gorka Larrea hustled and harried Morales, Gershon Koffie and Matias Laba, preventing the Whitecaps midfielders from finding their intended targets. Montreals central defensive partnership of Matteo Ferrari and Heath Pearce did an excellent job of marshaling Hurtado and, with little support from Mattocks and Manneh, Vancouvers front man endured a frustrating night. After scoring a goal in each of his last four games for the Whitecaps, Hurtado failed to trouble the Montreal back four. The Impact could have come to Vancouver to ‘park the bus – put as many players as possible behind the ball, hope to keep a clean sheet and steal a point on the road. While that was the ultimate outcome of the match, Montreall looked the more dangerous side in transition.dddddddddddd Both Issey Nakajima-Farran and Maxim Tissot provided service to Andres Romero and Jack McInerney, whose movement was superb. McInerney caused problems for Vancouvers central defensive partnership of Andy OBrien and Johnny Leveron all night and, if the Impact had been a little more precise with their service to McInerney, he may very well have provided the breakthrough that the visitors needed. In the second half, Montreal hit the post through McInerney and the bar through Tissot, and may consider themselves unlucky not to have come away with all three points. But they had goalkeeper Troy Perkins to thank for keeping the score 0-0 at the other end, as the Montreal shot stopper made a number of fine saves in the second half. The pick of the bunch was a fantastic tip around the post from a low, driven Morales free kick that seemed destined to find the bottom left corner of the Impact goal. The Positives The Montreal Impact have had a difficult season in MLS. With just two wins to their credit – none coming away from home – most observers felt that a home win was as close to a sure thing for Vancouver as possible. But Montreal were solid defensively, nullified the pace of Vancouvers front three and looked dangerous in transition. Given the number of players unavailable to Frank Klopas, Montreals coach has to be pleased with a point. Both goalkeepers were excellent for their respective teams. David Ousted and Troy Perkins each made a number of reflex saves to keep a clean sheet. The Negatives Vancouver failed to live up to the high standards they have set for themselves on home soil this year. Their build-up play was methodical and, far too often, their passes failed to reach their intended target. Apart from Ousted, there wasnt a single player who played up to his potential. The message from Carl Robinson will be a simple one - chalk it up to a bad day at the office and move on to the next game. The Star Man While both Ousted and Perkins were superb, Perkins just shades it for his second-half performance. Vancouver threw everything they had at the Montreal goalkeeper, who dealt with everything in his stride. The Vancouver Whitecaps travel to Colorado on Saturday, June 28 to take on the Rapids (TSN, 6pm PT 9pm ET) while the Montreal Impact host the Houston Dynamo on Sunday, June 29. ' ' '