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HOUSTON -- Less than a month ago, the Montreal Impact were sitting comfortably in playoff position looking like a team destined to make the post-season.Andrew Luck Colts Jersey . Following Friday nights 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo, Montreal is in jeopardy of missing the playoffs altogether. Ricardo Clark scored in the sixth minute and the Dynamo defeated Montreal 1-0 to extend the Impacts winless streak to four games. The loss stings even more for Montreal (13-10-7, 46 points), who fell to fourth in the Eastern Conference, as Houston (13-10-8, 47 points) jumped past the Impact into third place. The Dynamo are now unbeaten in their last four games. With four games left, including one game in hand on almost every team in the Eastern Conference, the Impact have time to right the ship, but Montreal goalkeeper Troy Perkins says there has to be a sense of urgency. "I certainly hope the guys know what this means now," Perkins said. "We are close to falling out of the pot now. We got to pick ourselves up and get back to it." Clark gave Houston an early lead going back to his right in the middle of the field and sending a blast that both Clark and Perkins said grazed off of Matteo Ferrari and inside the near post from 25 yards out. Davy Arnaud said the Impact knew the game would be tough, but the goal made it that much tougher. Montreal head coach Marco Schallibaum said giving up a goal in the first six minutes changed the game plan. "We were too shy (in the first half)," Schallibaum said. "We let Houston dominate in the first half and do what they wanted. The second half was OK. It looked like we might get one point here, but the luck was not on our side." Montreal had two chances midway through the second half to tie the game, with the first chance in the 68th minute coming with controversy. With Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall off his line, Arnaud sent a blast from 14 yards out in the middle that was blocked by Houston defender Bobby Boswell, who was moving his body to avoid being hit in the front. The ball appeared to hit him in the left elbow. Schallibaum and Arnaud both said the play should have been a penalty as Boswell committed a handball, but referee Drew Fischer did not blow his whistle even as the Impact cried out for a penalty kick. "For me, its a penalty," Arnaud said. "I think when everyone reacts like that, its pretty clear. For me its a penalty. Things happen quickly. Maybe he didnt see it." Montreal had another chance to tie it a couple minutes later, but Andrew Wenger sent a shot from the penalty area wide left. "I thought we more than deserved to get the equalizers," said Impact midfielder Justin Mapp said. "I thought we were just as good as them on the night. (Its) very frustrating because we know how tight the races are. They were close to us, now (they are) ahead of us." Perkins echoed Mapps thoughts. "I think we played well to at least get a point," Perkins said. "Little mistakes, little decisions come back and bite us in the end. We need to be able to get a point on the road this late in the season." In less than four weeks, the Impact have gone from a 4-2 win at New England and sitting atop the East to dropping three of their last four. The Impact play two of the last four games at home, and will be looking for a better outcome from their next match, Oct. 12 against New England. "We know we go back home for a big game," Arnaud said. "As much as we dont want to put this behind us, we need to. We are still in a good position. We have a game in hand on a lot of teams, but now going back home, we know we need to get three points." Mapp added: "Each game will have to be like a playoff game. Two games remaining at home, and at this point they are must-win. No other way around it. We have to protect our home field the next two games." Vontae Davis Jersey . -- Ernie Els hardly ever catches a break at the Match Play Championship. Bjoern Werner Colts Jersey . Kitna told The Dallas Morning News (http://dallasne.ws/1aaJ38v ) of his plans Wednesday. Kitna retired after the 2011 season, his 15th in the league, and was coaching football at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash.PHOENIX -- Larry Fitzgerald says he has restructured his contract with the Arizona Cardinals, reducing a big salary-cap hit from his old deal and creating room for signing other players. Fitzgerald announced the move on Tuesday via his Twitter account. The receiver says the move was made to help the Cardinals "get better for 2014." Under his old deal, Fitzgerald would have earned $12.75 million next season and counted a whopping $18 million on the cap. The restructured contract came as no surprise. Fitzgerald said in a radio interview in New York last week that he understood the need to restructure his deal. "When those discussions come I will do what I need to do," Fitzgerald told Arizona Sports 98.7 in an interview at the Super Bowls "radio row." "I have a great relationship with (general manager) Steve Keim, he drafted me in Arizona. I understand his vision and what he is trying to do and the direction he is taking this ballclub. I understand at 30 years old there are things that need to change. Thats part of football, thats part of being an older veteran." Fitzgerald said he knew Patrick Petersons "deal is coming up and he needs to be compensated as the best corner in the game, which I feel he is." Fitzgeraald also mentioned defensive linemen Darnell Dockett and Frostee Rucker. Ahmad Bradshaw Womens Jersey. "There are a lot of guys that deserve to be compensated for their play," he said in the radio interview, "and I understand that." Fitzgerald is on his third contract in his 10 NFL seasons, all with the Cardinals. Last season, he made his eighth Pro Bowl. Fitzgerald holds every Cardinals career receiving record. He caught 82 passes, most on the team, for 954 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. In his career, Fitzgerald has 846 catches for 11,367 yards and 87 touchdowns. He has not missed a game since the 2007 season. The Cardinals, coming off a 10-6 season in their first year with Keim as GM and Bruce Arians as coach, had several players on one-year contracts, including inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, who resurrected his career with a big season, leading the team in tackles. Azcentral.com reported that the restructuring was a simple swap of bonus money for salary, saving the team about $10 million on the coming seasons cap. Cardinals President Michael Bidwill expressed confidence last week that the restructuring would get done. Keim has repeatedly said the team has no intention of trading Fitzgerald and wants him to retire a Cardinal. ' ' ' |
