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Toronto FC is a date with the Vancouver Whitecaps
HOUSTON - The Baltimore Ravens will need some help to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday. Air Force 1 Green Sale .But a win against the injury-plagued Houston Texans will certainly bolster their chances of reaching the post-season no matter what happens.The Ravens (9-5) can secure a playoff spot with a win and losses by both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, or a win and losses or ties by both Kansas City and San Diego, or a tie and losses by Kansas City and San Diego and a loss or a tie by Buffalo.Coach John Harbaugh doesnt have to remind his team how competitive the AFC North is; three of four teams have nine wins.They know. They know how tight it is, Harbaugh said. They know what they have to do.The Texans (7-7) have a slim chance of reaching the playoffs, too, but would need to win both remaining games and for several teams to lose their last two.Theyll proceed with a fourth-string quarterback with Ryan Mallett (chest), Ryan Fitzpatrick (broken leg) and rookie Tom Savage (knee) all out with injuries. Coach Bill OBrien wont say who he plans to start between Thad Lewis and Case Keenum.We dont know who were going to play, Baltimore outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil said. All we can do is just kind of gather up film and try to prepare for everything ... so, its difficult. As difficult as it may seem for them, its difficult for us, too.But regardless of who OBrien picks, the Ravens will face a quarterback who hasnt appeared in a game this season — and who wasnt with the Texans when the season began.Because they dont know wholl start at quarterback, the Ravens are focused on slowing down Arian Foster, who is averaging 102.5 yards rushing a game.Keenum lost all eight games he started for Houston last season before being released in training camp. Lewis went 2-3 in five starts for Buffalo in 2013 before he was released in camp. The Texans plucked Keenum off the St. Louis practice squad this week and signed Lewis on Nov. 26 when Mallett was injured.These guys have stepped right in, and its really the philosophy in this league, that injuries happen and the next man up has to be ready to go, OBrien said. Both guys are working really hard.Some things to know about the Ravens-Texans game:HOMECOMING: Sunday will be a homecoming for Baltimore offensive co-ordinator Gary Kubiak, who grew up in Houston and coached the Texans from 2006 until he was fired last year. Kubiak led the Texans to the only two playoff appearances in franchise history in 2011 and 2012.Many of the Texans are excited to see their former coach again, but Foster is looking forward to it more than most. Foster, an undrafted free agent, said hell always be thankful to Kubiak for giving him a shot in the NFL.CORNERED: The Ravens have five cornerbacks on injured reserve, which goes a long way toward explaining why they have the NFLs 30th-ranked pass defence. Six players have lined up at cornerback for Baltimore, which last week lost two defensive backs — CB Asa Jackson and safety Terrence Brooks — to knee injuries.WATT A SEASON: Houston defensive end J.J. Watt keeps adding to his impressive numbers. Watt had two sacks last Sunday to give him 16 1/2 this season, third in the NFL. He has 53 career sacks to tie the franchise record and needs 3 1/2 more to become the first player in NFL history with two seasons with 20 or more sacks; he had 20 1/2 in 2012. He has swatted down 10 passes, forced three fumbles and recovered five.Hes also scored on an interception return, a fumble return, and has grabbed three touchdown receptions.HOMECOMING, PART 2: Kubiak isnt the only Raven with ties to Houston. Veteran tight end Owen Daniels returns after spending the previous eight seasons with the Texans.Its going to be weird walking into that stadium, he said. It will be different being in there and coming out a different tunnel and all that stuff. But it will be good to see my old buddies that are still there.Daniels signed as a free agent with Baltimore in April.___AP Sports Writer David Ginsburg contributed to this report.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL ;Air Force 1 High Wholesale . -- Once again, Carlos Santana was a huge hit in Kansas City. Air Force 1 Off White Wholesale . This week, topics cover the World Series champion Red Sox, John Farrell and what to look forward to this off-season.Frustrating. Sloppy. Forgettable. Choose your adjective. Toronto FC was poor in a 2-1 home loss to the New England Revolution. The play on the field resembled the dark and dreary day by the lake in downtown Toronto. The Revs may have come away with all three points, but they were no better than the home side. Two absolute gifts were the tangible difference on the day. An overall disappointing display and now three straight losses for Toronto FC. Head coach Ryan Nelsen said afterwards it was a "really good" performance by his team. Beauty must be in the eye of the beholder. Toronto FC out-possessed their opponent for the first time all season, which is progress. It should be noted there is a tangible difference between positive and negative possession. The attacking play was all too narrow and lack of cutting edge or decisiveness in the attacking end is a significant concern. Many will point to the 82nd minute penalty as Toronto FC reverting back to their old ways, conceding late. In truth, the full 90 was concerning. A fully healthy squad meant, for the first time all season, Nelsen had his full compliment of weapons. Coming off a bye week, playing at home should have given ample time for rest, recoup and regeneration. Instead, 50-50 balls were won by New England (56.5 per cent) and mistakes were more noticeable than sustained, meaningful build-up. Canadian mens national team head coach Benito Floro was in attendance to see three of his internationals feature in Toronto FCs starting XI. His analysis of the Canadian contributions had to be similar to the rest of the Canadian team: a work in progress. A late right leg/ankle injury to Jonathan Osorio left the Canadian international on crutches. If England manager Roy Hodgson were watching, he would have seen a rather anonymous performance by Jermain Defoe in his return from a long-term hamstring issue. Defoe played the full 90 (a positive) but lacked his typical sharpness. Service from the midfield remains an issue and certainly contributed to the non-descript afternoon. There is only so much he can do on his own. Here are my five thoughts on the 2-1 loss: 1) Shapes of the Midfield - Alvaro Rey was kept out of the starting XI in preference of Kyle Bekker and/or Osorio, however you want to look at it. Bekker was deployed in a holding role, which seems to be Nelsens preference, allowing attack-minded Osorio and all-action Michael Bradley to get forward. The outside left position is an interesting one for Osorio, giving him freedom to roam, checking in and out of the middle of the field. The question is whether the team is better off using a more traditional 4-4-2 with natural wing players or having Osorio in a freer role. All too often, the attack was too narrow and predictable, easy to play against. If this is the way Toronto FC wants to play, they need more overlapping runs from the wingbacks to make it work. And whether Bekker is ready/able to be a stabilizing defensive midfield player is highly debatable. Nelsen acknowledged he was happy how his new-look middle four worked. To the critical eye, it needs work. 2) Oh Henry - Centre-back Doniel Henry returned from a five-week absence (left knee sprain) and the early returns didnt flatter. It was a struggle throughout, with Henry the culprit for both goals conceded. In the first half, Henrys careless, errant pass straight up the middle went right to Revolution midfielder Daigo Kobayashi. A quick pass to Patrick Mullins and a powerful strike from distance beat Julio Cesar for the equalizer. Credit Mullins, as he still had much work to do. Henrys distribution and decision-making must improve for him to take the next step. Remember, hes only 20. With a physical maturity beyond his years, its the mental maturity that is a step behind. Hes a beast in challenges and will continue to be a frustrating asset for the time being. The final blow on a gut-wrenching day for the defeender was his handball in the box, leading to the 82nd minute Lee Nguyen penalty winner. Air Force 1 Yellow On Sale. A controversial retaken corner kick and Justin Morrows ensuing poor clearance obviously played a role. All too often, Henry slides recklessly inside the 18-yard box and this time, he was punished with the ball hitting his arm. There was no argument whether it was a penalty. Henry will have better days. Hes still the starting centre-back for this team. That should not be debated. 3) In Bloom? - It remains somewhat a surprise Mark Bloom is the preferred option at right back. Bloom has done little wrong to start the season. Hes proven himself to be a valuable squad player on an incredibly team friendly contract. But is he the best option? Bloom provides little getting forward in attack. There were numerous opportunities to get forward and overlap, yet he stays put, falling deep in support. When he does get forward, good things happen. But hes not programmed to be that free-flowing outside back that is preferential in the modern game. Bradley Orr, on the other hand, has more to offer. The Englishman was outstanding deputizing at centre-back with Henry out through injury. Orr is a natural right back however, and seems a better fit to take over the position. Bloom should and will continue to play a role. But Nelsen may do better with Orr as his regular. 4) Action Jackson - The Brazilian midfielder was all over the field, in the middle of good and bad all day long. Jacksons goal was fortunate, taking a nasty deflection off AJ Soares, freezing goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. Its Jacksons goal for now, but a case can be made for an own goal. The rest of the day was hardly a Picasso. The Brazilians work-rate is his biggest asset. A controlled temperament is not in his arsenal. Jackson has been involved in numerous questionable challenges on the year. In the 43rd minute, he was involved in the worst of any to date. Jackson failed to control and went in high and late on Chris Tierney, catching the midfielder with his studs up to the chest. Jackson was shown a yellow but he should have been sent off. A little more restraint is needed in a league where more times than not, hasty decisions are made. He needs to be more in control: of the ball, in his decisions, and positioning. 5) Failure to Launch - Nelsen pointed to missed opportunities as being a disappointment. Misfiring Gilberto hit the post twice and still looks a step off and rather uncomfortable in his surroundings. Henry had a header on the far post go wide. And Defoe was crafty in manufacturing a chance late, putting a left-footed strike just past the left post. Its fair for Nelsen to point to the inability to take their chances as reason for defeat. Its also fair to say New England, despite only having 40 per cent possession, missed opportunities as well. Both teams were similar in attempts on goal (15-14), so its how Toronto FC uses possession thats the bigger issue. Bradley continues to be a powerhouse going forward through the middle. But on a day the opponent is content to sit back and welcome pressure through the middle, its all too predictable and easy to defend. Toronto FC needs to spread its tactical wings, developing layers of attack and giving more options through natural team movement. If they are unable to do so, they will remain best as a counter-attacking team, relying on the likes of Defoe to take whatever limited chances fall their way. This, perhaps, is not the best way to utilize millions of dollars of talent. Once again, this is a work in progress for all. Progress is essential over the next month leading into the World Cup break. There is still good reason to think this can all come together and work efficiently. Next up for Toronto FC is a date with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the opening leg of their Amway Canadian Championship tie, Wednesday (7:30pm et) at BMO Field. @WheelerTSNgareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca ' ' '
- Created: Dec 25 '19
- Admin: miaowang123
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