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TORONTO -- Four games into the MLS season, the Toronto FC training room is packed. Toby Gerhart Elite Jersey Womens . And more worrying, it is filled with marquee talent. Toronto (3-1-0) could be without as many as five starters for Saturdays visit by the Colorado Rapids (2-1-1) including two designated players whose combined pay this season is close to US$13 million. Catch the game on TSN starting at 4pm et/1pm pt. England striker Jermain Defoe (hamstring) is out for the second straight week. American midfielder Michael Bradley missed another practice Friday, his body feeling the effects of games for both the U.S. and Toronto last week. "Were giving him every single chance ... well make a decision (Saturday)," manager Ryan Nelsen said of his teams midfield general. Centre back Doneil Henry (knee) will sit out a second straight game. Jonathan Osorio (hamstring) is "probably a no" for the third week in a row and fellow midfielder Alvaro Rey (hamstring) is "very very questionable." Because of injuries and suspensions, Toronto has only five players who have started every game so far: goalkeeper Julio Cesar, defenders Mark Bloom and Justin Morrow and midfielders Bradley and Rey. And that number could be down to three after this weekend. Defoe was sidelined by a hamstring injury at Spurs earlier this season. Nelsen has said the two injuries are not linked and repeated Friday that the England star was dealing with a mild strain. Hamstrings are tricky things, especially for elite soccer players. Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, for example, ran 12.2 kilometres in Wednesdays Champions League semifinal against Barcelona. Toronto, which has used 19 players to date, has had to put the brakes on Defoe, who has wanted to resume training. Nelsen, however, sees a bigger picture. "The one thing that we dont want is obviously him coming back and getting re-injured. And so if we have to sacrifice an extra week, we have to sacrifice an extra week." Nelsen said the team has been reviewing everything at its disposal -- from heart rate to distance travelled in training -- to see if things could be done differently. The club is also learning the ins and outs of the bodies of new players like Defoe, he added. The TFC manager says there are no alarm bells about the current spate of injuries. A challenging opening to the schedule and the long winter that has kept practices until this week to artificial turf under a bubble at the team training centre havent helped. Most top soccer pros would rather gargle cod liver oil than set foot on artificial turf. Nelsen believes that this is just the kind of injury run that all clubs go through at some point. "It happens at Chelsea, it happens at Man City, it happens at every single club. Hopefully were just getting all of them done now." Said captain Steven Caldwell: "Its disappointing that weve got a few injuries but a lot of them are nobodys fault." In the case of Toronto, this is a squad that brought in at least seven new starters this season. Time has been needed on the training ground to get everyone on the same page. Youre damned if you, damned if you dont, Nelsen said of practice regimens. "Because if you pull them out of training and just rest them, then theyre not ready for the demands of a game. Were sitting with three wins because the guys are fit and organized. But we couldnt have done that if we had all wrapped them up in cotton wool." Bradley presents an interesting case in point. Rested this week, he is probably the exception to the rule that starters need to practise. If he doesnt start, speculation will grow that he is dealing with more than the variety of strains the club has pointed to. The good news is the injuries have not slowed Toronto down so far. Missing Defoe, Osorio, Henry and the suspended Caldwell last week, it still managed to topple previously unbeaten Columbus away from home. Also on the plus side, squad players like rookie defender Nick Hagglund and second-year midfielder Kyle Bekker have stepped up. And veteran Bradley Orr showed his moxie in smoothly shifting over to centre back. Nelsen says his reserves have stepped up to the challenge during the current injury glut. But he is not about to say debate over his teams depth is over. "I always got told that anybody can play one, two, three games at any level," he said. "But its the ability to spit them out week in, week out ... thats the mark of what a really good player is." Orr will likely partner Caldwell in central defence with Bekker deputizing for Osorio in midfield again. Dwayne De Rosario could start on the flank for Rey with Issey Nakajima-Farran who scored off the bench last week, possibly partnering Gilberto up front. Jeremy Hall may get the nod if Bradley cant go. The pitch at BMO Field, poor for the home opener thanks to the brutal winter, should be better Saturday although the players know it will take time to return to top condition. "Its not going to be ideal," said Caldwell, who returns from his one-game suspension. Colorado, under new head coach Pablo Mastroeni, has already defeated Portland and Vancouver this season and tied the New York Red Bulls. The lone loss was a 3-2 decision to defending champion Sporting Kansas City. "Theyve got a really nice team thats been around together as well for a bit," said Nelsen. "Theyre a team, for me, that has no real weaknesses. Theyre just a lovely, solid MLS team thats going to be very difficult." Spanish midfielder Jose Mari -- real name Jose Maria Martin Bejarano-Serrano -- introduced himself last week with two goals against Vancouver. The first, a swerving left-footed rocket, was judged the leagues goal of the week. Sen Derrick Marks Jersey . More than a month after signing the free agent centre, Bynum is expected to make his debut with Indiana on Tuesday night against Boston. Mens Blake Bortles Elite Jersey Two Tone . Agent Mike McCartney confirmed via Twitter on Sunday that Mendenhall had decided to end his playing career after six NFL seasons, all but one of them with the Pittsburgh Steelers.SEATTLE -- Once the doors to the Seattle Seahawks locker room opened, the music came blaring out. Players danced while still in uniform and donned hats reading "NFC West Champions." On their third try, the Seahawks finally got to celebrate after wrapping up the division title and home-field advantage in the playoffs with a 27-9 win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Having failed two times previously, Seattle ensured the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through the Pacific Northwest. "We can check the NFC West off our list," quarterback Russell Wilson said, "but we still have a lot more to do." Malcolm Smith returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter to get Seattle started, Marshawn Lynch added a 2-yard scoring run in the second half and the Seahawks (13-3) matched the franchise record for wins in a season. By doing so, the favourites in the NFC for most of the season finally wrapped up the No. 1 seed after losses to San Francisco and last week to Arizona, which snapped a 14-game home winning streak. Seattle won the toughest division in the NFL behind the leagues best defence. The Seahawks home field is still feared, and they will host Green Bay, New Orleans or San Francisco in the divisional round in two weeks. Seattles combined record at home the past two seasons against those three teams: 4-0. "Its more of a sense of accomplishment," Smith said. "It would have been really sad if we didnt get that done, but were happy to be in the position that were in." Wilson finished 15 of 23 for 172 yards. Lynch finished with 97 yards on 23 carries, his best game since running for a season-best 145 yards against Atlanta in Week 10 Seattle capped the victory with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Golden Tate early in the fourth quarter that lacked the unsportsmanlike wave that got Tate flagged on a similar TD reception in St. Louis earlier this season. Tate finished with eight catches for 129 yards, both career highs in his final regular-season game before he becomes a free agent. But with home-field advantage wrapped up, there might be a few post-season games still to come for Tate and the Seahawks. "Its an awesome feeling. Its a great feeling to feel like you really helped in this game," Tate said. The only other time Seattle had home-field advantage was 2005, the only time the Seahhawks have reached the Super Bowl. Marcedes Lewis Jersey. Theyll get a week of rest before hosting in the divisional round, and they might need the time off after a pair of key injuries Sunday to defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (groin) and tight end Luke Willson (leg). Willson was taken off the field on a cart in the fourth quarter with an air cast on his leg. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said the team believes its not broken. Still, the upcoming week off is needed. "I definitely need it. I was getting smacked today," Tate said. Seattles defence closed the season with one of its finest performances. It started with Smiths interception return for a touchdown a week after he was tackled at the 3-yard line trying to score on an interception return. But it went beyond just the two interceptions Seattle grabbed to finish the season with a league-leading 28. Led by Mebane, Seattles defensive line flustered Kellen Clemens. Zac Stacy, who needed 42 yards rushing to reach 1,000 on the season, was held to 15 yards on 15 carries. The Rams had 13 yards rushing, tied for the fewest allowed in Seattle history. "They had about nine guys down there in the box," Clemens said. "You only have about seven or eight to block and they did a good job." Seattle also kept its cool while St. Louis was losing its composure. The Rams (7-9) were penalized 12 times for 87 yards. St. Louis was flagged for four personal foul penalties in the span of two plays late in the third quarter -- two on Alec Ogletree and two on Kendall Langford. Langford was flagged for making contact with an official, which appeared inadvertent. Langford was ejected and became incensed, slamming his helmet to the turf as he left the field. Two plays later Lynch walked in from the 2, Seattle led 20-3 and the celebration was just getting started. "This whole thing just feels like a dream to me," Seattle safety Kam Chancellor said. "It feels good right now just to see my brothers happy." NOTES: Tate became the first Seattle player with at least eight receptions in a game since Doug Baldwin in 2011. ... Rams P Johnny Hekker set an NFL record for net yards punting for a season. Hekker had a 44.2 net average. The previous record was 44.0 by San Franciscos Andy Lee in 2011. ... St. Louis DE Robert Quinn had one sack and finished with 19 for the season. ' ' ' |
