performance lead Toronto FC up the standings

Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:15, Jun 11 2014

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- As much time as Adam Scott spends away from the PGA Tour, this might have been a good week to take off. By the mathematical wonder of the world ranking, Scott could have stayed in The Bahamas this week and still moved to No. 1 in the world ranking provided three other players had an ordinary week at The Players Championship. "See you later," Scott said with a laugh when told of the scenario. Scott would love to get to No. 1 for the first time in his career, though hes more interested in winning big tournaments. Besides, he had a chance at Bay Hill and the Masters to replace Tiger Woods atop the ranking and squandered both chances. What adds to the interest on the TPC Sawgrass is Scott has company. Henrik Stenson, Masters champion Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar each have a mathematical chance to reach No. 1 for the first time. "I dont think I knew that," Kuchar said. "That title is a pretty impressive title. To be No. 1 in the world at anything is amazing. To have a chance to be No. 1 in the world in the game of golf, I think all of us that play have those dreams." Its been made possible in part by Woods being on the sidelines. The Players Championship, which starts Thursday, is the second title he is unable to defend this year because of a balky back. Woods had surgery on March 31 and still doesnt know when he might return. Woods effectively has owned the No. 1 ranking for the better part of 15 years, his most recent reign dating to his victory last year in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Other players have reached No. 1 with a caveat. Woods was going through a swing change in 2004 (though Vijay Singh helped his cause by winning nine times and a major), and he was going through another swing change and a divorce when he lost the No. 1 ranking from October 2010 to March 2013. And now hes not even playing. But the landscape is changing in golf. Woods has gone six years without a major and is hampered by injuries to his legs, arm and back in recent years. Stenson a year ago became the first player to win the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai in the same season. Scott won the Masters and became a force in the majors. "This guy has had as much of a No. 1 period as anyone," Geoff Ogilvy said as he walked onto the short-game area to see Scott stick 24 tees into the ground around the cup for a putting drill. "He contends every time he tees it up. He only plays the big tournaments. After two rounds, it feels like he has a chance in every tournament." That sounds a little like Woods, minus the outrageous number of victories. Even so, Ogilvy remembers the time when someone else got to No. 1 -- whether it was Singh in 2004 or Lee Westwood in 2010 -- and the murmurs were that Woods was busy changing his swing. Now? "He seems to be playing better every week than Tiger," Ogilvy said about Scott. "Tiger won five times last year, but you go to the majors, Scotty seems to be in contention with a chance to win more often than Tiger. If Tiger is your benchmark, he (Scott) has been a better player. Right now, whoever gets to No. 1 probably is. If Henrik wins a major and gets to No. 1, there cant be an argument." Woods still has the nod over two years, the duration of how the ranking measures performances. In the 26 tournaments that Woods and Scott have played, Woods has won five times (Scott has won twice) and has a 12-11-3 edge in how they finished. However, Scott has a 5-1-1 advantage in the seven majors they have played, winning one of them. Stenson and Woods have played in 22 tournaments, with Woods having an 11-10-1 advantage (along with four wins to two for Stenson). Heres the very least the four contenders have to do for a chance at No. 1: -- Scott has to finish in the top 16. -- Stenson has to finish in the top six. -- Watson has to finish second alone. -- Kuchar has to win. "It would be the same as the green jacket," Watson said, describing it as the "pinnacle of the game." Scott has the most experience answering the questions, since it has been a mathematical possibility for more than two months. He couldnt hold a seven-shot lead at Bay Hill going into the weekend with a shot at No. 1. By now, as it was then, he cares more about winning. "Look, Im here to win golf tournaments," Scott said. "Thats been the goal and from that you can get to No. 1 in the world if you win often enough." Thats the way Woods always approached it, and it worked for him. cheap jerseys from china . 19. The match is part of the Gillette International Soccer Series which also includes Argentina versus Ecuador in New York on Nov. cheap nfl jerseys . -- Steve Blake scored 16 points and Pau Gasol added 14 to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 90-88 on Tuesday night with Kobe Bryant watching from the sidelines. http://www.salecheapjerseyschina.com/. Not so much for Jeff Teague and the Atlanta Hawks. Hinrich buried six big free throws down the stretch and Teague had a couple of costly turnovers as the Bulls held on for a 107-103 victory at Atlanta on Tuesday night. wholesale nfl jerseys . -- Down by 25 in the second quarter, the Indiana Pacers still had plenty of time. wholesale jerseys . The 26-year-old Messi doubled over during Argentinas 0-0 draw against Romania on Wednesday. Martino thought Messi had the flu before a 3-1 loss to Real Sociedad nearly two weeks ago. But the Argentine coach has changed his thinking since. TSN.ca has asked the soccer experts what fans can expect from Canadas MLS franchises in 2012. Coverage continues today with a preview of Toronto FC by TSN Radio 1050s Gareth Wheeler. Will the team be able to turn the corner in its sixth season and finally reach the post-season? What impact will the teams pair of high draft picks have on the 2012 squad? Will Torsten Frings be enough to push the team into the top half of the league? Read on for Gareths take and be sure to check back in over the next two days for what to expect from the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps. Consistency breeds success. Thats the hope for Head Coach Aron Winter and Toronto FC entering the clubs sixth season in Major League Soccer. The five previous seasons were marked by regular wholesale changes to the roster and coaching staff. And the infamous record of being the only team in MLS history failing to qualify for the playoffs in their first five years is ugly proof of previous dysfunction. Change of a different kind took place at the club this off-season: very few changes of any significance were made to the team at all. And its this newfound stability that gives reason to believe brighter days are on the horizon. Winter enters his second year in charge at TFC. His first season at the helm was one of education and experiment. The process was progressive, but the results were often not pretty. Toronto FC conceded the most goals (59), scored the second fewest (36), and ended with the worst goal differential (-23) in MLS. But the numbers only tell part of the story. Winters arrival last January gave him very little time to prepare and with the cupboards rather bare, the Dutchman - along with Director of Player Personnel Paul Mariner - rebuilt the team on the fly. By mid-season, the squad had been re-invented through multiple trades and the signing of two new Designated Players, striker Danny Koevermans and former German International midfielder, Torsten Frings. With the injection of pedigree came professionalism to the roster, short on experience and years. Positive results followed suit. Toronto FC ended the season on a five-match unbeaten streak, including unexpectedly advancing through the CONCACAF Champions League group stage. Winters squad is not yet a complete package but his side does have a proper mix of youth and veteran experience, with requisite attacking flair. While questions remain at the back, the team made enough progress over the last 14 months under Winter to expect Toronto FC to be a part of the playoff equation: MLS Eastern Conference is wide-open. The door is open for Toronto FC to take advantage. 2011 Finish: Eighth in Eastern Conference (6-13-15). Did not qualify for Playoffs. Key additions: D Jeremy Hall (trade with Dallas), M Reggie Lambe (Intl signing), D Miguel Aceval (Intl signing). Key subtractions: M Nathan Sturgis (trade with Houston), D Kyle Davies (waived), M Matt Gold (waived), M Leandre Griffit (waived), F Javier Martina (waived), D Demitrius Omphroy (waived), D Eddy Viator (waived), M Gianluca Zavarise (waived), D Danleigh Borman (MLS Re-Entry Draft), F Mikael Yourassowsky (waived), D Andy Iro (option declined), F Peri Marosevic (option declined), M Elbekay Bouchiba (waived). SuperDraft: M Luis Silva (1-4), D Aaron Maund (1-12). STARTING XI Goal: Stefan Frei Defence: Ty Harden, Torsten Frings, Miguel Aceval Midfield: Richard Eckersley, Julian de Guzman, Eric Avila, Ashtone Morgan Forwards: Ryan Johnson, Danny Koevermans, Joao Plata THE BENCH Goal: Milos Kocic Defence: Jeremy Hall, Doneil Henry, Aaron Maund Midfield: Oscar Cordon, Terry Dunfield, Reggie Lambe, Luis Silva, Matt Stinson Forwards: Keith Makubuya, Nick Soolsma Plan of Attack: Winters tactics were a great unknown coming to MLS. The much talked about Dutch Revolution and the influence of total soccer was often tough to evaluate with an ever-changing roster and many players not suited to play a more brave, possession game out of the back. Fan favourite, the diminutive Joao Plata and Jamaican winger Ryan Johnson flourished towards the end of the season. Both are fit, pacey, and cause all kinds of problems down the wings. Johnson has particularly looked bright in the pre-season, also having scored Internationally for Jamaica last week. Plata will have to learn to adapt his game, improving his distribution to become a more complete player. Winters superior tactical wherewithal saw his team surprisingly start matches in a heavily attack-minded 3-4-3 at times. Three at the back was hardly preferable, but with few capable defenders fit, Winter played to his teams strength and earned Toronto FC points in games they were clearly out-matched on paper. Stability at the back is mandatory for success in 2012. Without a traditional leader at the back, Toronto FC relies on system on the ability of the wingbacks to get forward to change shape. Bringing right-back Richard Eckerslley to the club on a permanent deal was the most important business of the off-season and the future is now for Ashtone Morgan, with Canadian U-20 Player of the Year winning the position on the left-flank.dddddddddddd If the back-four struggles early, Winter will be tempted to deploy his star player Frings at centre-back, much like he did last season. The team Captain prefers to sit in front of the defenders in the city of the park, where he has a greater influence on proceedings. Frings, alongside fellow Designated Player, Julian de Guzman combine to make for one of the most effective defensive midfields in MLS. The Canadian International stepped up his game late in the season with better talent around him and a more defined role. De Guzman will miss Wednesdays CONCACAF Champions League match against the LA Galaxy through suspension. Winter has plenty of cover in the middle of the park (Dunfield, Stinson, Avila); easily Toronto FCs greatest position of depth. Up front, Danny Koevermans will be expected to do the heavy lifting for a team looking for secondary scoring. Outside of Koevermans eight goals, no member of the current squad scored more than three. Winter is hoping rookie Luis Silva takes some pressure of Koevermans, making a smooth transition into the traditional number 10 role as facilitator and goal scorer. Home and Away: Two players for Toronto FC fans to watch this season - one home grown and one imported from overseas. No squad player benefitted more from opportunity afforded by the youth movement last season than Canadian left-back Ashtone Morgan. A product of Toronto FCs Academy, the 21-year old made 14 MLS appearances in 2011, as well as appearing in all 8 CONCACAF Champions League matches. Morgan was rewarded for his efforts with a call-up to the Canadian Mens National team and was named U-20 Player of the Year. Technically gifted attacking down the flank, Morgans challenge is develop defensive consistency while filling out his frame. If he continues to progress, Morgan will be in the discussion for a call-up for Canadas World Cup qualifiers this June. Morgans a likeable young player, and looks to be the poster boy for the TFC Academy program, which continues to grow under new Academy Director Thomas Rongen. The single-most important player for Toronto FC this season will be striker Danny Koevermans. The former Dutch International notched eight goals in 10 matches after arriving at the club in July, showing requisite physicality in front of goal, complemented by a deft scoring touch. The 33-year old DP is the only traditional out-and-out centre forward on the roster. Staying healthy will be of the utmost priority for club and player, with Koevermans already leaving a pre-season match early as a precaution for hamstring tightness. The schedule and travel in MLS make staying fully fit a uphill battle. Any lengthy lay-off for Koevermans without proper back up at centre forward could be problematic for a thin front-line. With an additional International roster spot at their disposal, finding coverage for Koevermans may turn into Toronto FCs top priority as the season progresses. Supporters Shield: Which Toronto FC player is destined to become a fan-favourite in 2012? Toronto is a city that loves its blue-collar players. The city gets the best of both worlds – grit and quality – in team Captain Torsten Frings. Quality like Frings does not go unnoticed in the soccer-savvy city. And Frings could very well replace incumbent Joao Plata as fan favourite if his inspirational performance lead Toronto FC up the standings in 2012. The 35-year old answered any critics questioning his motive and commitment in joining Toronto FC with standout performances and unmatched on-field leadership. No player was more important to the teams late season turn-around, even deputizing centre-back when called upon. Its cliché, but Frings essentially serves as another coach on the field. Toronto FCs Captain has seen it all as a World Cup runner-up and 15-year veteran of the Bundesliga. Some may be wary of his age, but Frings hasnt shown signs of slowing down. Hes still a key contributor on set pieces and his experience as a ball winning centre-midfielder is an asset the team will rely on to turn around a porous away record from a year ago. Strength of Schedule: While an opening date against the leagues second-best regular season squad from last season (Seattle) is less than desirable for the Reds, four of the teams next five matches are within the friendly confines of BMO Field. The only road game in that stretch comes against the expansion Montreal Impact. If the team can right the ship early in the year it could provide a huge confidence boost as the summer schedule beckons. Canadian Match-Ups: Saturday, April 7 @ Montreal; Wednesday, June 27 @ Montreal; Wednesday, July 11 vs. Vancouver; Saturday, October 20 vs. Montreal. ' ' '