TORONTO -- Toronto FC left with the win. Custom Devils Jersey . But Vancouver coach Carl Robinson walked out with a smile. A baby-faced Whitecaps squad escaped the first leg of their Amway Canadian Championship semifinal Wednesday down by just one goal after a 2-1 loss to a star-studded Toronto FC outfit. "Im delighted with them. Im really really proud of the boys in there today," said Robinson. According to the Whitecaps, the average age of their starting 11 was 21.7 years, with an average of 22.1 for the matchday 18. Toronto, meanwhile, rolled out its big guns in U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley and the strike force of Brazils Gilberto and Englands Jermain Defoe. Standing in their way was 17-year-old Canadian goalie Marco Carducci, whose US$36,504 annual salary is probably what Bradley ($6.5 million) and Defoe ($6.18 million) find in their couch. Up 1-0 after Defoes first-half strike, Bradley added what seemed like an insurance goal in the 89th minute, driving down the right and then, after a nifty 1-2 with Defoe, beating Carducci with a right-footed shot. The Whitecaps responded with a stoppage-time goal from substitute Kekuta Manneh, a valuable away goal that may pay dividends if the total goals series finished tied. The second leg is next Wednesday in Vancouver. "I think the tie is wide open," said Robinson. "I think both teams wanted to win this tie and end it tonight," said Toronto manager Ryan Nelsen. "But its not (done). Its up for grabs for both teams." Nelsen said he would make changes for the return leg, but declined to elaborate. Robinson said he would give his young players another opportunity "because I think they deserve it." The defending champion Montreal Impact meanwhile lost their opening semifinal leg 2-1 against FC Edmonton in Alberta later Wednesday. Nelsen, whose club had lost its last three MLS outings, called it an awkward game against a young opposition squad looking to prove itself to its coach. "Boy they were up for it," he said. "It was one of those games where ... you could have easily lost. Theyre a good team, theyre good young players." He lamented his team was unable to get the second goal earlier, allowing Vancouver to retain its confidence. And when Toronto did score again, it was quickly followed by a Whitecaps goal that "left a bit of a sour taste in the mouth." Toronto GM Tim Bezbatchenko certainly looked grim as he left his perch atop the stadium. Vancouver lived dangerously, carved open at times by a Toronto side that more often than not was unable to punish the visitors. But the Whitecaps, who grew into the game, had stretches when they strung passes together and came close to scoring before the late strike. Toronto should have led by several goals after 45 minutes on a windy night at BMO Field before an announced crowd of 22,591 despite a good number of empty seats. But it failed to take advantage of some early stage fright from the visitors, putting only three of eight shots on target in the first half, and needed a pair of defensive stops late in the half to avoid going in tied 1-1. Toronto outshot Vancouver 14-13 over 90 minutes but the visitors had a 6-4 edge in shots on target. Perhaps the big winner on the night was Canadian soccer, with eight homegrown starters and signs of hope for the future. "I just (Canadian coach) Benito (Floro) in the corridor and he must be excited as well, because it was a very competitive game today," said Robinson, a former Welsh international. "Thats the talent that Canadian football has." Said Nelsen: "Vancouver has a fantastic academy ... I think were probably a couple of years behind them in producing a steady influx of good young Canadian players." With a league game in Columbus on Saturday, Robinson gave veterans like centre backs Jay DeMerit and Andy OBrien the night off and dipped deep into his touring party of 26 as he blooded a bevy of young talent. Under Robinson, the Whitecaps are a young side. But he went "younger than young" Wednesday. In addition to Carducci, the Whitecaps starting 11 included Canadian midfielders Bryce Alderson (20 years old), Marco Bustos (18), Kianz Froese (18) and Russell Teibert (21), who came in the game with 46 MLS appearances under his belt. Robinson gave the captains armband to Teibert, calling him "our face of our residency program." "I was impressed with them, especially their midfielders," said Toronto goalie Joe Bendik. At 17 years 225 days, Carducci becomes the 12th youngest player -- and second youngest keeper -- to play for the Whitecaps. The youngest was forward Guido Titotto who debuted at 16 years 38 days in 1987. "Were talking about a future Canadian (international) goalkeeper. Hes absolutely fantastic," Robinson said of Carducci, who has already represented Canada at the FUFA U-17 World Cup Carducci called it a "dream" night. "Its a positive result for us," he said. "It showed us very well." Toronto, which has a bye this weekend, played a more conventional lineup with Bendik making his first start of the season in place of Julio Cesar -- named to the Brazilian World Cup squad earlier in the day. Other than Bendik, it was the lineup TFC might have used had it played an MLS game on the night. The only starters missing were Brazilian midfielder Jackson and injured Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio (charley horse). Vancouver started five Canadians compared to Torontos three (defender Doneil Henry and midfielders Kyle Bekker and Issey Nakajima-Farran). That tied Vancouvers record for the tournament. Nelsen had to make a late change before kickoff, replacing rookie Nick Hagglund with fullback Mark Bloom because of a flu bug that has been going through the team. Bendik, who had 33 starts last season, had long stretches of inactivity but made the tough saves when needed. "Thats the sign of a good keeper," said Nelsen, who called Bendiks play "brilliant." Gilberto, whose goal drought continues, headed woefully wide in the 21st minute. But he played provider in the 28th minute, carving open the Vancouver defence with a nice pass to put Defoe in all alone with plenty of time to beat Carducci. While Gilberto did not score, he exuded danger whenever he got near the ball and showed a good eye in finding his teammates. And it was a typical Defoe performance with the elusive striker disappearing for stretches then turning up in places where he could do damage. Bradley, meanwhile, made some surging runs and played surgical defence. Montreal captured the inaugural Canadian championship in 2008 and won it again last year. Toronto claimed the trophy during the four interim years. Vancouver has finished runner-up the last five years. The winner hoists the Voyageurs Cup, donated by the Voyageurs Canadian supporters group, and earns a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League, a 24-team competition featuring clubs from North and Central America and the Caribbean. The CONCACAF Champions League winner advances to the FIFA Club World Cup. Scott Stevens Jersey .Russian security was tight at the Sochi Olympics this year, though it was not immediately clear whether Putins comments would signal a different approach for the soccer tournament. Pavel Zacha Devils Jersey . Martin Biron stopped 23 shots for his first shutout in more than two years, improving to 3-0 in his fourth appearance of the season. The Rangers won their fourth straight despite another inefficient performance by the power play. http://www.hockeydevilsshop.us/Scott-Stevens-Jersey/ . Jurrjens signed a minor league contract with Cincinnati in May, and was 2-3 with a 4.46 ERA at Triple-A Louisville. He has a 53-37 record with a 3.63 ERA in seven major league seasons, including five with Atlanta.SALT LAKE CITY -- Gordon Hayward scored 22 points and Derrick Favours had 21 points and 11 rebounds to help the Utah Jazz hold off the Milwaukee Bucks 96-87 Thursday night and claim consecutive wins for just the third time this season. Hayward, Utahs leading scorer, had failed to reach double-digits in the previous two games but was efficient from the start against the Bucks with 18 in the first half. Favours took his turn as the centre of the improving Jazz offence at crunch time with seven points in the final 2:02 to clinch the game. The Jazz made all 17 free throw attempts and outrebounded the Bucks 43-34 in the matchup of teams with the worst records in each conference. Larry Sanders went 7 of 7 on field goals to lead Milwaukee with 16 points, while Luke Ridnour had 12 points and Gary Neal finished with 11. The Jazz were clinging to a 76-71 lead when Marvin Williams tipped a loose ball to Alec Burks that he turned into a layup. The Jazz stole it again on the next possession and Williams found Burks in the corner for a 3-pointer, widening the gap to 10 again. Sanders scored on a spin move to cut the lead to 83-80, but Burks hit a running hook, Trey Burke hit a long jumper and Favours dunked with 2:02 remaining to give Utah some breathing room. Playing without forward Johnn Henson, who has a left ankle sprain, the Bucks were outmuscled in the paint and ran out of gas after their last run in the fourth quarter. Adam Henrique Devils Jersey. Diante Garrett, who joined the Jazz in mid-November, seemed to be auditioning to keep his job. The point guard played 20 minutes -- the most in a competitive contest since his initial game with the Jazz -- and scored 10 points, a career high. All contracts become guaranteed for the rest of the year on Jan. 10. The Bucks three-game Western Conference road trip got off to a promising start with a 94-79 win over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday. But the Bucks couldnt keep the Jazz off the boards or get critical stops down the stretch against the Jazz. Burks had seven of his 13 points in the final period as the Jazz won their third straight home game and have won five of their last eight overall. The Bucks missed their first nine 3-point attempts. Brandon Knight finally converted a 3-pointer in the third quarter. The Bucks finished 4 of 22 from beyond the arc. NOTES: The Bucks had 17 fast-break points, including eight in the fourth quarter, to Utahs nine . The Jazz improved to 10-7 with a starting lineup of Burke, Hayward, Richard Jefferson, Williams and Favours. . Favours has 11 double-doubles (points-rebounds) this season. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
Statistics: Posted by vive123654 — Sat Aug 13, 2016 4:33 pm