Former Tottenham Hotspur, Jermain Defoe - in hopes of making Englands
squad for the upcoming World Cup - saw MLS as his best showcase.
USWNT Gear
. Michael Bradley, who some argue to be the strongest American player
in the world, also left soccers more glamorous European stage, departing
AS Roma for more playing time in preparation for Brazil this coming
summer.
This weekend saw both players delivering on their marquee reputations in
front of a sold out crowd at TFCs BMO Field. Defoe maintained his
status as the sole goal scorer of the team, netting his third of the
season, while Bradleys midfield presence and decisive passing continues
to impress.
A second-half collision forced Bradley to leave the field, only to
return with his head semi- mummified with blood soaked bandages,
displaying a trait that will undoubtedly endear him to Canadian fans.
BarDown went to the game to bring the sights both on and off the field.
Take a look.
(All photos by Paul Harrington for TSN/BarDown)
1. Fans watch TFC players warm up before the teams home opener at
Torontos BMO Field, Saturday, March 22nd, 2014.
2. Dwayne De Rosario puts hand-to-heart while the national anthem plays,
in preparation for the home opener to start.
3. Coaching staff cheer on players as the home opener kicks off against
DC United.
4. The off-seasons roster additions and a successful first away-game
bring a sold-out crowd of 22,591 to the first home game of TFCs 2014
campaign.
5. Brazilian striker Gilberto participates in his TFC debut after
missing the season starter with a leg injury. Gilberto brought speed and
was an integral contributor to the one goal of the day.
6. TFCs English Premier League import, Jermain Defoe, takes the ball
upfield.
7. Jermain Defoe fights Perry Kitchen for a header while TFCs Michael
Bradley and DC Uniteds Nick DeLeon watch on.
8. The scoreless first half comes to a close as fans in the North East
section of BMO Field endure cool temperatures to support the home team.
9. TFCs Michael Bradley takes a kick from midfield. Bradley came to the
team via Roma of the Serie A, and has so far performed as advertised,
being a dominant midfielder.
10. DC Uniteds goalkeeper, Bill Hamid, lunges to launch the ball back
into play. Defoe described Hamids play during the home opener as
"amazing," stopping 13 of the 14 shots he faced.
11. Players from both teams gather as TFCs Doneil Henry argues with the
referee during the teams home opener.
12/13. Fans of the south side stands enjoy the second half.
14. The sun makes its appearance as TFCs Jermain Defoe watches the ball
roll past DC Uniteds goalkeeper, Bill Hamid, and defenders Sean Franklin
and Bobby Boswell. Defoe leads the team with all three goals scored so
far in the 2014 season and was credited with half the 14 shots taken by
TFC in the game.
15. Fans of the south east corner of BMO Field known as the Red Patch
Boys celebrate Defoes goal by throwing fake money in the air, a means of
representing the big money the team spent on bringing in imported
talent at any cost.
16. Players gather to celebrate the first and only goal of the game.
17. South end supporters rejoice after the home squad takes a 1-0 lead
by unleashing red smoke.
18. Hometown favourite, Dwayne De Rosario, is subbed into the game in
the second half. De Rosario is a former TFC player who re-signed with
the team early this year after stops in New York, playing for the Red
Bulls, as well as DC United.
19. Players gather on the field and celebrate with fans after the game
ends with a 1-0 win.
20. Michael Bradley leaves the field applauding an enthusiastic
fan-base. A head-to-head collision with DCs Davy Arnaud led to a wound
later repaired with staples. After the game, Defoe said of Bradley, "He
gives everything, every game. Mikes winning mentality and his energy
lifts the team…"
21. TFCs Jermain Defoe speaks with a reporter after the game. His legs
display a hard played game, having taken 7 shots and netting a goal, his
third in two games of the 2014 season.
Cheap USWNT Jerseys .com) - The Vancouver Canucks hope an upcoming stretch of home games will be enough to get the club into the postseason.
USWNT Shirts
.
The club says its first-choice centre back "underwent medical tests on
Wednesday morning" which confirmed he has injured his right hamstring.
The injury was caused in the second minute of Tuesdays 4-1 league win
over Real Sociedad in the Camp Nou when teammate Sergio Busquets
accidentally struck Mascherano just above the knee with an outstretched
boot.BOCA RATON, Florida - When Rich Peverley collapsed on the Dallas
Stars bench on Monday night, Mathieu Schneiders mind went racing back to
November 21, 2005 when Jiri Fischer suffered a similar cardiac event on
the Detroit Red Wings bench.
"That was the first thought that came into my head, flashbacks to what
happened on that day," said Schneider, who was a teammate of Fischer in
Detroit that season. "Hes a big man and he collapsed right on me. That
was one of the scariest moments of my career. At first you had no idea
what was happening but then he started convulsing, it was really scary
for everyone."
Its the type of situation that nobody ever anticipates, even less so
amongst a group of highly conditioned athletes in peak physical
condition.
"It was shocking particularly because Fischer was just an incredible
athlete and in amazing shape, you dont expect it," said Schneider. "Last
night was another very scary incident; I got texts as soon as it
happened."
Fischer was stabilized that day by the heroic work of Dr. Tony Collucci
who was on the scene in seconds. His proximity to the bench played a big
part in contributing to a positive result. As a result, the NHL
requires that doctors have immediate access to the players bench to act
in the case of such events transpiring.
That scenario again played a role in helping to stabilize Peverley on
Monday night as doctors were on the scene in seconds, able to treat the
Stars forward for what team physician Gil Salazar termed a cardiac
event.
"Everything played out and transpired exactly as you would draw it up
and luckily we had a fortunate result," said NHLL Deputy Commissioner
Bill Daly.
Wholesale USWNT Jerseys.
"The leagues done a great job over the years to make sure every safety
net is there and available to the guys," added Schneider. "In the two
instances that Ive known, the doctors have literally saved the players
lives."
The news of Peverleys collapse quickly reached the leagues general
managers who are gathered in Boca Raton, Florida for meetings this week.
"Obviously it was a scary situation," said Daly. "We were all at a
general managers dinner and we were alerted immediately to the events in
Dallas. A number of us left the room and were being updated on a step
by step basis to what was happening."
Once it became clear what had transpired, Daly explained that the
decision to postpone the game came at the urging of both the Dallas
Stars and their opponents, the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Having gone through a similar situation himself, Schneider agreed the
right decision was made.
"As a player being so close to your teammates, its too taxing, its too
difficult to go back and I would think youd be playing half-heartedly in
a situation like that," he said.
Daly explained the NHL has identified a date to reschedule the game and
intend to announce it later in the week. The Blue Jackets will be
allowed to maintain their 1-0 lead that they had built through the first
6:23 of the game though a fresh sixty minutes will be played when the
game is made up. The NHL followed the same procedure when the Red Wings
and Predators game was completed in 2006 after Fischers incident,
allowing Nashville to maintain their 1-0 lead. The Predators ultimately
went on to win 3-2.
'
'
'