WINNIPEG -- Despite the heated womens soccer rivalry between Canada and the United States that has developed since the London Olympics, coach John Herdman says its important not to make too much of their meeting next week in Winnipeg.
[b]Jeff Malone Jersey[/b] . "I know for the U.S., at times, they just look at it as another game and they come into the game nice and light and bright, whereas our girls often see it as something bigger than it is," he said Thursday from Vancouver, as the Canadian roster for the exhibition game next Thursday was announced. "Were looking at some new strategies to try and retain the passion but remove the psychological burden." For Winnipeg-born midfielder Desiree Scott, the pressure will be even greater than he suggested. It will be the first time her parents have ever seen her play live. "Its a massive thing for Desiree and weve all got a big smile on our faces," Herdman said. But he says part of the teams job will be to help her focus on doing what she does best and ignore the added pressure. This is a good chance to see how much development has taken place since Herdman started to refocus the team on the kind of game he says they need to play to be competitive at the 2015 World Cup, being held in cities across Canada, including Winnipeg. "This is where your true gap analysis comes in and you get a great sense of how far youve come along the line towards success at the World Cup," he said. "Theres a certain style and approach we want to go with. . . Its more about in this game the attacking processes of managing the ball better under the sort of pressure the U.S. put you under, as well as being a lot more clinical in those key moments, that transitional moment where we are getting chances but not converting." Canada, currently ranked seventh, lost to the No. 1-ranked Americans 1-0 in Texas in their first meeting this year and hasnt managed to beat the Americans since 2001. Then there was the bitter semi-final loss to the Americans at the 2012 Olympics, where a controversial call by a referee left Canadian fans, and players, outraged. One player from that heartbreaker will be returning for this match. Striker Melissa Tancredi is back after taking a couple of years off to return to school. "Shes close to returning back to professional football in the NWSL and to be back full-time with Canada so shell come into this squad a little bit behind the eight-ball but Melissas presence is always felt." He says shes not going to be able to play 90 minutes after being off for two years, but shes a tough competitor with the kind of spirit and grit that can rub off on young players. One player Herdman would have liked still hasnt recovered enough from an ACL injury to play, natural left-footer Lauren Sesselmann, and hes also missing those who play for Swedish teams because of the travel time and a short turnaround. It provides a chance for Herdman to introduce some young players such as 16-year-old Jessie Fleming and 17-year-old Sura Yekka.
[b]Bob Dandridge Jersey[/b] . "Canada," Bolland said with a smile. "Is that a question?" One day earlier, though, fellow Toronto Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri wasnt so sure his home and native land could pull off the win against the United States in the semi-finals of the Olympic hockey tournament.
[b]Bradley Beal Jersey[/b] . Seager had another triple, a home run and a double in a rare feat not seen in more than 40 years, leading Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners past the New York Yankees 10-2. "It was a weird play," Seager said of the triple in the fourth inning.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Atlanta Hawks are once again the hottest team in the NBA and theyll put a five-game winning streak on the line Friday night when the Milwaukee Bucks pay a visit to Philips Arena. The Hawks share the leagues longest current winning streak with the Chicago Bulls and are a half-game behind the Toronto Raptors for Eastern Conference supremacy. Atlanta has lost only once since Nov. 28, going 14-1 during that span. The Hawks only setback came on a buzzer-beater by Tobias Harris in a one-point loss to the Orlando Magic on Dec. 13. The Hawks fifth consecutive victory came Tuesday night with a 107-104 home win over the Los Angeles Clippers. DeMarre Carroll scored a career-high 25 points and the Hawks rallied from 13 down in the second half to beat the Clippers. Al Horford added 20 points and Paul Millsap scored 17 for the Hawks, who took the lead for good on Kyle Korvers 3-pointer a minute into the fourth quarter and held on down the stretch. During this run, the Hawks beat the Chicago Bulls at home, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks on the road, then took care of the Clips. The Hawks have won eight straight in Atlanta and moved atop the Southeast Division. We need to get better defensively, but I thhink in these last couple of weeks weve shown improvement, said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer.
[b]Manute Bol Jersey[/b]. We have guys who step up every night and make big plays. But weve got a lot of work left and a long way to go. The Bucks have lost two in a row and three of four. During that time, Milwaukee has allowed an average of 106.3 ppg. and the most recent setback came Tuesday in a home loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Six Hornets scored in double figures as Charlotte pulled out a 108-101 victory. The Bucks dropped a seventh straight game to Charlotte despite a season-high 34 points from Brandon Knight. Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 12 and 11, respectively, in the loss. We didnt have any rhythm offensively, said Bucks head coach Jason Kidd. We turned the ball over, we missed a lot of shots. Everytime we tried to make a run we turned it over and when you do that, it puts you behind the 8-ball and thats what happened tonight. Milwaukee forward Ersan Ilyasova returned from a nine-game absence due to a broken nose, scoring four points in 16-plus minutes. The Hawks have owned this matchup in recent history, winning seven straight and 10 of the last 11 meetings. Atlanta has won five straight at home over the Bucks. ' ' '
