TORONTO FC CLINCHES SPOT IN 2020 AUDI MLS CUP PLAYOFFS Toronto FC has become the first team in Major League Soccer to clinch a playoff berth in the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, following tonight’s 1-0 victory over FC Cincinnati. This marks the club’s fifth playoff appearance in the past six seasons.
Toronto FC currently sit atop the standings for both the Supporters’ Shield and Eastern Conference with a record of 11-2-4 and 37 points from 17 matches. The Reds have six matches remaining in the regular season. Next week, TFC will host the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday, October 14 and Atlanta United FC on Sunday, October 18 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. The Reds will then travel to Philadelphia to meet the Union, followed by home matches with New York City FC and Inter Miami CF, before concluding the regular season on Sunday, November 8 at Red Bull Arena against the Red Bulls in MLS Decision Day.
The 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs will consist of single-elimination matches following a bracket format with MLS Cup set for Saturday, December 12.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dodgers will rely on the same threesome in their starting rotation that got them to the National League Championship Series – Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and “optionality.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Buehler will start Game 1 against the Atlanta Braves on Monday, with Kershaw getting the assignment in…
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dodgers will rely on the same threesome in their starting rotation that got them to the National League Championship Series – Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and “optionality.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Buehler will start Game 1 against the Atlanta Braves on Monday, with Kershaw getting the assignment in Game 2, the same way the Dodgers began each of their two previous playoff rounds.
As far as Games 3, 4 and (potentially) 5 – they will cross that bridge when they come to it. As they were in the NL Division Series sweep of the San Diego Padres, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Julio Urias could appear in relief before they make a start later in the series.
“I just don’t think that it just makes sense for us to close optionality in Games 1 and 2 and 3 and 4,” Roberts said. “So I think that for us – we know (the starters in Games) 1 and 2 and I honestly don’t know who 3, 4 and 5 are.
“I think that until we need to answer that question – I’ll feel good about it, but right now I just don’t feel the need.”
In the NLDS, May pitched two scoreless innings in relief in Game 1, then started Game 3 but pitched only one inning. It was a way to maximize his impact on multiple games, Roberts said, instead of limiting him to one game as a starter.
Urias has pitched once in each of the first two postseason series, appearing as a “bulk” innings pitcher in relief of another starter. He has been effective in that role, allowing just one unearned run on four hits and a walk while striking out 11 in eight innings.
The left-hander could appear in a similar swing role this series, Roberts indicated.
“Absolutely,” he said. “He’s going to pitch very meaningful innings.”
Gonsolin was set to start Game 4 if the Padres had extended the NLDS, but he has not pitched in a game since Sept. 26 (the next-to-last game of the regular season). He was scheduled to throw four or five innings in a simulated game to Dodgers hitters Saturday, Roberts said.
RIOS READY?
Edwin Rios was dropped from the Dodgers’ active roster for the NLDS after suffering a minor groin injury during the Dodgers’ workout last Sunday. Roberts said Rios has recovered enough to take batting practice and run at “about 75 percent.”
The Dodgers do not have to make a decision on adding Rios back to the roster for the NLCS until Monday.
“So we still have some time on that,” Roberts said.
FANS IN STANDS
The Dodgers and Braves will play in front of a paying crowd for the first time this season Monday. Approximately 11,500 tickets have been made available to the public for the NLCS games (and the World Series).
Tickets were sold in “pods” of four and no seats will be within 20 feet of a spot on the field, dugout or bullpen where any player could be located. Masks are mandatory except when fans are “actively” eating or drinking in their seats. Officials are expected to have the roof at Globe Life Field open for all of the games unless the weather makes that impractical.
Similar arrangements have been used to allow a limited number of fans into stadiums for football games over the past month. Even with the precautions, however, the possibility exists that allowing 11,500 fans into the stadium could result in a coronavirus spread.
“I’m not thinking about that. I’m hoping that isn’t the case,” said Roberts, who has been quarantined with his players and coaching staff at a local resort since arriving in Texas. “I know we’re excited about having fans here. I’m sure there’s going to be the right protocols to keep them away from us, however they get into the ballpark. I don’t know who qualifies. But that’s not really front of mind for me.”
Sign In The Tampa Bay Rays are dunking on the New York Yankees in a myriad of ways. In the deciding game of the American League East foes’ division series matchup, Mike Brosseau got his revenge on Aroldis Chapman (refresher on that feud if you need it here) by hitting a series-clinching home run. But…
After the win, part of Tampa’s celebration was trolling Aaron Judge and the yankees by blasting, what else, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.”
Of course, the “New York, New York” fiasco actually dates back to 2018. After Game 2 of the Yankees’ ALDS victory against the Boston Red Sox to tie the series at one game apiece, Judge walked through the concourse of Fenway Park blasting the song.
The Yankees wouldn’t win a game the rest of the series, and after clinching, the Red Sox made sure to play that song as loud as they could in the locker room at Yankee Stadium.
So, Red Sox fans will be relieved to know the Rays are keeping the tradition alive.
TORONTO FC (1) – NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (0) POST MATCH SUMMARY
SCORING SUMMARY
TFC – Ayo Akinola 29’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
NE – Tommy McNamara 40’ (caution)
NE – Henry Kessler 48’ (caution)
NE – Brandon Bye 63’ (caution)
TFC – Auro 71’ (caution)
TFC – Richie Laryea 84’ (caution)
NE – Teal Bunbury 90’+3 (caution)
MEDIA NOTES
Alex Bono made his 100th start, earned his club leading 50th win and set a new club record for clean sheets with 29 (all totals in all competitions)
Toronto FC recorded its first win in New England since August 4, 2013
RECORDS
TORONTO FC: 10-2-4 34 PTS.
NEW ENGLAND: 5-4-7 22 PTS.
LINE-UPS
TORONTO FC – Alex Bono; Richie Laryea, Laurent Ciman, Chris Mavinga, Tony Gallacher (Auro 56’); Jonathan Osorio (C), Marky Delgado, Nick DeLeon (Liam Fraser 70’), Pablo Piatti (Omar Gonzalez 85’), Alejandro Pozuelo; Ayo Akinola (Patrick Mullins 86’)
Substitutes Not Used: Quentin Westberg, Eriq Zavaleta, Erickson Gallardo, Tsubasa Endoh, Jayden Nelson
NEW ENGLAND – Matt Turner; Brandon Bye (Kelyn Rowe 68’), Andrew Farrell, Henry Kessler, DeJuan Jones (Alexander Buttner 80’); Scott Caldwell (C), Tommy McNamara, Tajon Buchanan, Lee Nguyen (Cristian Penilla 68’), Diego Fagundez (Teal Bunbury 80’); Adam Buksa
Substitutes Not Used: Brad Knighton, Michael Mancienne, Antonio Mlinar Delamea, Seth Sinovic, Kekuta Manneh
GREG VANNEY – HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC
Three wins in a row and unbeaten in six, you must be feeling good about your squad?
“Yeah, tonight is a different kind of proud. This is a tough place to play. It hasn’t been friendly to us over the years. And this was a tough game. This was a scrap it out battle for every inch kind of game. You’ve got to protect your goal, protect your box. You’re fighting for space just to move the ball and you’re trying to break on the counter sometimes. A little different look, but I’m proud of the guys. They stood strong and resilient and we created some good chances in the transition. I know Ayo when he came off said, “I should have had three.” But that’s him being humble and being the kind of worker that we need at the top right now. The release that he was able to give us throughout the game when everybody else was working. You’ve got to win like this, especially in places like this and I thought it was an incredible effort.”
Can you talk about the job Richie Laryea did on the defensive side?
“This is a tough game for both fullbacks. They’re a team that really gets their fullbacks pushing high. If you don’t get a lot of pressure on the ball early, they get those fullbacks high and there are a lot of decisions to be made. You get put in a lot of one on one situations with the overloads they put on one side and Richie did a phenomenal job of making good decisions, which is showing more of his progression in the position. His ability to close down, get tight to guys and defend one on one, to stand guys up at the right times, I thought he had a very mature performance, and a different kind of performance. Usually, in games he impacts a lot more on the attacking side. Tonight, he showed that he continues to grow on the defensive side. I thought he was excellent.”
Was there a particular reason for Omar Gonzalez not starting?
“No, not really. Just a little bit of a rotation. We have to play these games back to back on turf. So, with that being said, I don’t really want to put any of these guys, if I don’t have to, two games in a row on turf, especially with the way these games are coming so fast. So, it’s more of a management choice. I thought Laurent stood strong tonight. He did a great job. He and Chris are a nice pair. They do well on the field. They have such a good relationship on and off the field that they did a nice job. We saw it in the playoffs. I have full confidence in those guys. That gave us a chance for Omar, who has played a ton of minutes through all of these stretches, to catch his breath tonight and it was nice for us to not have to put him on the turf two games in a row.”
Can you talk about Alex Bono and what kind of teammate he has been?
“Yeah, Alex came in the offseason. He went off and trained somewhere and he just gained some experience in that trial. He also gained some perspective. He came back talking about how happy he is to be here, and he saw things from a little different perspective. He just came back ready to work every single day. What I’ve seen is him get back that full level of confidence that he had, that certainty. He has belief, but I think now he’s confident and really believes that he is again back to where he was. I don’t need to document it, but he had a tough stretch, where everybody had a tough stretch in 2018. And I think over the course of this time and a bit at the end of last year, he’s really just found some peace and some confidence again, and assuredness. He looks solid back there. I know there were a couple of crosses he’d like to have back. That’s one of his bread and butter strengths and one of the reasons why we thought he would do great in this game, to help us snatch some of those crosses that were hanging up there. But he just looks really assured out there and he has three shutouts, and all three of them were great performances. He continues to compete. We’ve got two good goalkeepers right now. Two goalkeepers I believe are in form and we’re going to try to keep it that way and see where we go.”
ALEX BONO – GOALKEEPER, TORONTO FC
Every time you’ve been called on you’ve done the job, you haven’t let a goal in, how difficult has it been this season?
“Yeah, it’s obviously difficult but I just want to start off by thanking this organization. Thanking Toronto FC, thanking the front office and my coaches for allowing me to have the opportunity to play as many games for such an awesome club. This is all I know from a professional standpoint and I’ve learned so much here along the way. I’ve been here for six years now, if you told me that six years down the road I would have started 100 games when I first walked into the training facility, I probably would of thought you were crazy and I’m so honoured and I’m so blessed to be part of this organization and so grateful for the opportunity they’ve given me. 100 games is 100 games, whether you get it in three years, four years, six years, it’s 100 games and I’m obviously very proud and very honoured. It has been a different role for me and all I’ve been focusing on is going in day in and day out training as hard as I can, try to put myself in the best position that when I do get these opportunities that I take them with my full ability because I’ve lived it as much as anyone, you don’t know when the next one is going to come, so for me to be able to take them one at a time. I thought I was a little sloppy today but at the end of the day, it’s another shutout, that’s a full team shutout, full team effort and I’m really proud of the game today.”
What are your thoughts on passing Stefan Frei for most clean sheets in club history?
“I’ve played against him a few times and in the limited conversation, he seems like an awesome guy. He was obviously before my time here and he’s a fantastic goalkeeper, so I’m not going to speak to his tenure at Toronto FC. For me again, I’m just so incredibly honoured and grateful for the opportunities that have been put in front of me from the team and the organization and the coaching staff. I can’t say enough that it is the guys around me that make my job easy. You’ve seen these last few games that I’ve been playing have really been scrappy games, fights, dog fights from minute one to minute 90 and you can’t keep zeros on the board if all 11 guys aren’t on the same page, so I can say that for every single shutout that we’ve accumulated that I’ve been in net for. From that perspective, I’m not too focused on the individual records, I just want to play games and I want to have fun and I want to win, that’s all that matters to me. So as long as I get opportunities to do that, I’m a happy man.”
Greg said your training stint with a club in England left an impression with you, what impact did it have on you?
“Yeah definitely. The first day I went back in the training ground that I got back, I walked in the doors and said we’re so blessed to be part of this Toronto FC organization. The way that this club treats the players, the facilities that we have, all the people that surround us day in and day out all the resources we have as a club and as an organization are simply unmatched and that’s not just in North America. Granted, it was a Championship club that I was training at and they were fighting to stay in the Championship but it’s still a high level of soccer. For me to come back and walk back into our facilities and see the guys and girls that help us day in and day out from top to bottom it’s just a first-class organization and to be part of it I’m so incredibly honoured. I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it when I went to train, I learned a lot in the couple weeks I was there but at the end of the day I walked back in the training facility and said this is really really special. I hope that guys that have been other places that come here, obviously notice it. It’s the one thing I tell the young guys and the one thing that was told to me when I came in was listen it doesn’t get much better than this across the league and that really is the truth, you can’t say enough good things about this organization and the opportunities they provide for us.”
Game 3 of the ALDS saw three dramatic lead changes, but the A’s kept their season alive with a 9-7 win over the Houston Astros. Chad Pinder’s 360-foot blast in the seventh was the shortest of them all, but was by far the most impactful. The three-run homer erased an Astros’ 7-4 lead late and…
By SHAYNA RUBIN |PUBLISHED: October 7, 2020 at 4:18 p.m. | UPDATED: October 7, 2020 at 4:18 p.m.
Game 3 of the ALDS saw three dramatic lead changes, but the A’s kept their season alive with a 9-7 win over the Houston Astros.
Chad Pinder’s 360-foot blast in the seventh was the shortest of them all, but was by far the most impactful. The three-run homer erased an Astros’ 7-4 lead late and shifted the momentum.
The offensive flow rode again on another Home Run Derby, with both sides upping the count to 18 total long balls at Dodger Stadium in these three games.
The A’s took an early lead with four solo blasts. Tommy La Stella got the A’s out to an early 1-0 lead in the first.
The Astros claimed the lead the following inning. José Altuve hit a solo home run and, with runners on the corners, La Stella’s weak throw on a potential double play turn scored Houston’s go-ahead run.
Oakland could feast a little on José Urquidy, who was hanging his breaking balls. Mark Canha, Matt Olson and Marcus Semien notched solo home runs to extend the A’s lead to 4-2.
The incremental lead gathered via solo home run was easily squashed with one big inning. Jesús Luzardo had been rolling. Getting ahead in counts, he held the Astros scoreless through three innings.
It started with a leadoff walk to Yuli Gurriel in the fifth inning. Aledmys Diaz worked back from an 0-2 count and nailed a fastball over the left field fence to tie the game 4-4. With reliever Yusmeiro Petit on the mound, Houston taught the A’s a lesson in hitting with runners in scoring position, stringing together four hits from the heart of the order for a 7-4 lead.
The comeback A’s, capable of reclaiming unlikely leads late, gave way to the comeback Astros. It was a snapshot for how this series has gone for the A’s: Petit allowed four earned runs in 21 2/3 innings during the regular season. Houston put up four against him in one inning this series, including three Wednesday.
The bullpen just couldn’t mask the offensive deficiencies much longer. The A’s had their opportunities to bust the game open in their favor.
After Semien’s home run in the fourth, Oakland loaded the bases with a walk and Chad Pinder’s single — the A’s first single of the game. Khris Davis, batting cleanup for the first time since July, couldn’t get all of a fastball in the zone and flied out. After Olson walked to load the bases, Canha popped out to extinguish a prime opportunity.
Pinder salvaged the mess. After back-to-back singles from Semien and La Stella to lead off the seventh, Pinder launched the opposite field three-run home run that just cleared the right field fence and missed Kyle Tucker’s outreached glove. It was the A’s first hit with runners in scoring position of the series — he also had the A’s key two-run single against the White Sox in Game 3 of the wild card series.
Liam Hendriks had to whip out his “Hercu-Liam” alter ego, tasked with shutting down the Astros in three innings.
After not throwing more than 30 pitches in any outing in the regular season, Hendriks threw 49 in Game 2 of the wild card series and got the save in Game 3. With a lead, he threw 25 through the seventh and eighth inning. He escaped a game-tying threat in the eighth by striking out pinch hitter Josh Reddick on a 98 mph heater — Reddick broke his bat in frustration.
Hendriks finished off the game by retiring Springer, Altuve and Brantley in order in the ninth.
Traikos: NHL Entry Draft should be full of surprises
Author of the article:Michael TraikosPublishing date:Oct 06, 2020 • Last Updated 3 hours ago • 6 minute read
Talk to 10 scouts and half will prefer the size and strength of Sudbury’s Quinton Byfield (right). John Lappa/Postmedia Network
Some years, there is suspense surrounding the top-end selection of the NHL Entry Draft.
But this is not a Taylor vs. Tyler type of year.
The New York Rangers have the No. 1 pick and it’s no secret that they are going to use it on Quebec-born winger Alexis Lafreniere. Of course, that’s where the predictability ends.
The virtual draft, which takes place with Round 1 on Tuesday and Rounds 2-7 on Wednesday, will rob players of the experience of walking on stage and meeting their new team. And it will also rob viewers of getting to see players sweating in their suits while waiting to get picked.
But we won’t be robbed of drama.
Who is going No. 2? This is where it always gets interesting. As much as the No. 1 pick is an easy tap-in, selecting second is not as simple as taking the next-best player. From Jonathan Toews and Leon Draisaitl to Miro Heiskanen and Cale Makar, there are plenty of examples where the best player in the draft went No. 3. This year could be more of the same. Talk to 10 scouts and half will prefer the size and strength of Quinton Byfield and the other half will want Tim Stuetzle’s skill and creativity. The only consensus is that both have the potential to be franchise centres.
How important is this draft for the Senators? Ottawa is one of two teams (New Jersey is the other) that has three picks in the first round. Obviously, they need to ensure that they get a franchise player at No. 3. But their fifth and 28th picks are equally important to being able to turn things around in a hurry. Ottawa, which chose Colin White over Brock Boeser in 2015 and went with Logan Brown rather than Charlie McAvoy in 2016, needs to make the most of their selections. All of them. Going 1-for-3 or even 2-for-3 is simply not good enough anymore.
Will anyone waste a first-round pick on a goalie? Carey Price was the last goalie to get picked in the top-5. Since then, only Spencer Knight (13th, 2019), Jack Campbell (11th, 2010) and Jonathan Bernier (11th, 2006) have gone in the top-15 — and with good reason. You are just as likely to find a No. 1 goalie in the fifth (Connor Hellebuyck), sixth (Darcy Kuemper) or seventh rounds (Henrik Lundqvist) than you are in the first round. That doesn’t mean Yaroslav Askarov will fall past the top-15. After all, if you’re a team with two or more first-round picks — Ottawa and New Jersey have three each, while the Rangers and Ducks have two each — why not use one on a goalie who could be the next Price?
Is Taylor Hall heading back to Canada? The Arizona Coyotes are reportedly shopping the rights to the pending unrestricted agent. And, further to those reports, Hall may be willing to accept a one- to two-year deal while the salary cap stays flat. That’s good news to anyone looking to add a Hart Trophy-winning winger on a short-term deal. But before we start penciling in Hall on a line with Connor McDavid, keep in mind that the 28-year-old is probably looking at somewhere around $8-million per year. That’s too pricey for Edmonton’s cap situation. A more affordable option might be Boston’s Jake DeBrusk. Unfortunately for the rest of the Western Conference, Colorado can more than afford it.
Are Patrik Laine, Jack Eichel and Johnny Gaudreau really on the trade market? While it is rare that a team would trade its franchise star, it’s even more rare for the team not to regret the deal immediately after it happens. Just ask Peter Chiarelli, who basically lost his job in Boston and then Edmonton after trading Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall. That doesn’t mean Laine, Eichel or Gaudreau won’t get moved in the next couple of days. But the return will have to be massive. And the GM pulling the trigger better negotiate a contract extension for himself before pulling the trigger.
Will the Canucks try and trade for Oliver Ekman-Larsson? When Arizona’s captain put Vancouver and Boston on the short list of teams he’d be willing to waive his no-trade clause for, it was a sign of how far the Canucks had come. But it also provided a glimpse of where they are going. Vancouver does not have a cap problem. Not yet, at least. But next year, Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko will require new contracts. Toss in Ekman-Larsson’s $8.25-million cap hit and Vancouver’s financial situation will look a lot like Toronto’s.
Will Montreal GM Marc Bergevin go all in? The best part about Montreal’s qualification round win against Pittsburgh was that it proved to management that the team is a playoff contender. The worst part about Montreal’s playoff run was that it may have fooled management into thinking the team is a Stanley Cup contender. And so, rather than continue with the rebuild, GM Marc Bergevin is already talking about potentially moving the No. 16 pick for a top-six forward. That’s not a bad move if the player is Patrik Laine. But if it’s Tampa Bay’s Alex Killorn, the Habs may be moving fast, too soon.
Will a goalie get moved? Matt Murray? Elvis Merzlikins? Devan Dubnyk? Take your pick. One — or more — of them could get traded in the next couple of days. At the same time, with a free agency crop that includes Stanley Cup finalists’ Jacob Markstrom and Anton Khudobin, as well as Braden Holtby, Cam Talbot, Henrik Lundqvist and more, the market has never been this flooded with potential No. 1 goalies. That should affect the prices. In other words, if you need a goalie and you aren’t picky, then you might be able to get one for next to nothing.
TOP 10 AND WHERE THEY’LL LIKELY GO
1. NY Rangers: Alexis Lafreniere, LW (Rimouski, QMJHL) With Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider on the left side, New York would be better off with a centre. But there’s no way they are passing on a winger as talented as Lafreniere.
2. Los Angeles: Tim Stuetzle, C/LW (Mannheim, Ger.) Slotting the offensively skilled centre behind Anze Kopitar gives L.A. the kind of one-two punch that could make them a Stanley Cup threat again.
3. Ottawa: Quinton Byfield, C, (Sudbury, OHL) The 6-foot-4 and 215-pound centre, who has drawn comparisons to Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Getzlaf, is everything that the Senators need in order to progress into the final stages of their rebuild.
4. Detroit: Cole Perfetti, C (Saginaw, OHL) GM Steve Yzerman will be seeing a lot of himself in Perfetti’s game, which is built around a Mensa-level hockey I.Q. and maturity level that should make him a future captain.
5. Ottawa: Jamie Drysdale, D (Erie, OHL) Putting Drysdale, who scored 47 points in 49 games this season, on a defence pairing with Thomas Chabot should make life easier on whoever is in net for the Senators.
6. Anaheim: Marco Rossi, C (Ottawa, OHL) The CHL’s leading scorer would be a welcome addition to a team that didn’t have a 30-goal scorer or anyone who cracked the top-100 in points.
7. New Jersey: Yaroslav Askarov, G (SKA-St. Petersburg, KHL) Thirty years ago, the Devils selected Martin Brodeur with the 20th overall selection. It worked out pretty well. So why not take another goalie who has Vezina Trophy winner written all over him?
8. Buffalo: Jake Sanderson, D (USA-U18) The Sabres could use a top-line winger to play with Eichel. But the team just as badly needs a top-pairing defenceman to play alongside Rasmus Dahlin.
9. Minnesota: Lucas Raymond, LW, (Frolunda, Swe.) Very few — if any — have Raymond going lower than eighth overall. But if the winger, who battled injury this season, is still there, the Wild will be very happy.
10. Winnipeg: Alex Holtz, RW (Djurgarden, Swe.) If the Jets are going to trade Patrik Laine (and they probably shouldn’t), then they better draft someone who can put the puck in the net. — Michael Traikos
NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Heat Sunday, October 4, 2020 Erik Spoelstra Miami Heat Game 3: Postgame Miami Heat – 115, Los Angeles Lakers – 104 Q. Should we be surprised that you guys get down 0-2 in The Finals and it’s a guy from Marquette who just does crazy things? Are you surprised by that? ERIK SPOELSTRA: Look, how do you — how else do you say it other than Jimmy effing Butler. But this is what he wanted, this is what we wanted. It’s really hard to analyze or describe Jimmy until you actually feel him between the four lines. He’s a supreme, elite competitor and we needed it. Obviously this was a very desperate urgent game and he was doing it on both ends of the court, just put his imprint on every important part of the game. He’s in the top percentile of this entire association in terms of conditioning and you saw he just got stronger as the game went on. But in terms of you saying a Marquette guy, you know, Dwyane swore to us, he looked Pat and I dead in the eye and said this is your guy. This is the next guy. But it’s also just one. So we also have perspective, like we’re not going to get carried away with this. Q. To follow up, double-digit leads mean nothing in a three-point era now, obviously, but you had a couple slip away and then Rondo’s layup early in the fourth put you guys down two. At that point, were you worried about how much you would have had left? You are playing shorthanded and all that, were you worried at all? ERIK SPOELSTRA: No, our guys are in great condition. It’s more about conquering those moments of truth during the game and this is where this opponent is probably — not probably, they are better than anybody in the league at that. You have LeBron and Rondo controlling and orchestrating the important parts of the game and we were losing those battles big in the first two games. So you’re not expecting it to be easy. Like it’s a 12-point lead, that’s going to go like that (snaps fingers), but you have to be able to respond to it and do it appropriately. You have to do it with intensity, but you have to do it with a mind. To get what we’re trying to do, it can’t just be running around as hard as you can, you have to have a real thought behind it and a discipline and a poise, and we showed that better tonight obviously than the first two games. Q. The Lakers turn it over I think like 10 times in the first quarter or something like that, and you guys only lead by three. At that moment did you feel like that was an opportunity there that you didn’t take full advantage of? And then I guess secondly Jimmy’s just physical toughness, the fouls he took late, he was stealing minutes on the ground there trying to, you know. ERIK SPOELSTRA: Nah, he wasn’t. He got hit down there. But he knows how to do that. The answer to your first question, no, like you’re not expecting it to be easy. You have to do whatever is necessary. It’s a 48-minute game for a reason. You have to be able to compete at a high level and there’s a lot of ups and downs during the course of it. I liked it and I really wanted to see how we were going to respond. We have been in those moments in games 1 and 2, they were too fleeting and we didn’t respond that well enough. This is elite competition both ways and we responded to it better tonight. And then in terms of the physicality, this is what Jimmy, why he prepares the way he does that is so uncommon, year-round. Just to be able to take on that physicality, to make those plays, to be able to draw fouls and take contact and get up and be able to make those free throws. I mean he just was, it’s so settling when you have that type of guy in a really competitive game like this. It allows your other guys, and we’re playing young guys, they can just be who they are, they don’t have to worry about too much pressure or context. They can just be who they are when you have somebody like that that takes on all the pressure for them. Q. You had a lot of players you coached over the years who are great, LeBron, D-Wade, Shaq, Alonzo also. Talk about what Jimmy did today, guarding LeBron and taking over the offense on the other end, where would you rank this in some of the best individual performances you’ve seen throughout your coaching career? ERIK SPOELSTRA: First, mubahay salamat po, and secondly out of all due respect, I’m not going to rank it. It’s one win. Jimmy understands this, that it’s going to take whatever is necessary, everything over the top and beyond. This is not about comparing to anybody else in the history, and that’s out of all due respect. It’s about what we’re trying to get accomplished in this locker room. We have a very committed group to this. We have incredible respect for this opponent. We have to figure this out, and if we’re not on top of our game we saw what it can look like in the previous two games. But this is why we pursued Jimmy so aggressively. We just felt, on all across the board, there was an alignment, that we’re sharing the same competitive values for right or wrong and we don’t — it doesn’t matter what everybody else thinks. We’re aligned on that and you’re able to build a culture from that and develop a team around him. Q. Even the greatest players in the history of sports sometimes come up short when their team needs them the most, the way you needed Jimmy in this game tonight. What is it about Jimmy that makes him able to produce his greatest game ever in his most desperate game ever? ERIK SPOELSTRA: Oh I think there’s a lot of genuine care and love in this locker room. Guys really want to do this for each other. Our hearts are broken, you know, about Goran and Bam missing these games because there’s sincere love for them. Jimmy takes that to heart. Guys know that they have to do more until or if those guys come back. But this is what competition’s all about. You have to raise your game and like I said many times, you just can’t put an analytic or a number or an evaluation to Jimmy Butler in the conventional way. He is an elite top-percentile competitor, and this is top-percentile competition that we’re facing and it’s bringing out a different level. Q. When you know that Jimmy’s going to play 40-plus-minutes and he’s going to defend LeBron, what do you do from a coaching standpoint to buy him time off the floor so he can have a little bit of energy left to draw those fouls and not be completely worn down? ERIK SPOELSTRA: To be honest, we can’t afford that. That’s why he puts in the work that he does. That’s why he does the insane things year round, offseason to put himself in a position like this to be able to handle all of this. No one could have predicted that we would have some of our main guys out and he would have to play 45 minutes a game. But it’s whatever is necessary at this point and he’s willing to take on that responsibility. We were not trying to save him or — I tried to steal him a couple minutes here or there, but we’re way past that now. Q. You said a lot that your defense should be what’s feeding your offense. Can you just describe what Jae Crowder did for you on that defensive end? ERIK SPOELSTRA: Yeah, it’s the hardest challenge of his career right now. He’s facing an MVP-type talent, he can’t do it on his own. There’s going to have to be a five-man defense and anything that I say right now, it’s going to be a whole lot easier said than done. Just have to be a competitor and throw yourself out there, be vulnerable to the competition. He’s our type of guy in terms of competitive spirit. But again, look, it’s one game, we know there will be a response and we have to be ready for that. We’re trying to get something accomplished right here, so we know it’s going to be tough. Q. Their big-to-big passing the first two games really hurt you guys at different spots, so what did you do to try to take some of that away tonight? ERIK SPOELSTRA: Yeah, you know, I don’t know. They’re really good, you know. They’re doing that against our man in the first game, and then they’re doing it against the zone. We tried to bring a better spirit tonight competitively. We are who we are in between those four lines, it was good enough to get this win tonight. But those guys, that’s a great team and great players that you have to take on that challenge. FastScripts by ASAP Sports….
TORONTO FC (2) – PHILADELPHIA UNION (1) POST MATCH SUMMARY
SCORING SUMMARY
PHI – Sergio Santos 5’
TFC – Ayo Akinola 58’ (Tony Gallacher)
TFC – Alejandra Pozuelo 76’ (Pablo Piatti)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
PHI – Jose Martinez 83’ (caution)
RECORDS
TORONTO FC: 9-2-4 31 PTS.
PHILADELPHIA: 8-3-4 28 PTS.
LINE-UPS
TORONTO FC – Quentin Westberg; Richie Laryea, Omar Gonzalez, Chris Mavinga, Justin Morrow (Tony Gallacher 39’); Jonathan Osorio (C), Marky Delgado, Pablo Piatti (Tsubasa Endoh 86’), Alejandro Pozuelo; Ayo Akinola (Patrick Mullins 86’), Jozy Altidore (Nick DeLeon 53’)
Substitutes Not Used: Alex Bono, Laurent Ciman, Liam Fraser, Erickson Gallardo, Jayden Nelson
PHILADELPHIA – Andre Blake; Olivier Mbaizo, Jakob Glesnes, Mark McKenzie, Matt Real (Andrew Wooten 86’); Alejandro Bedoya (C), Jose Martinez, Jamiro Monteiro, Brenden Aaronson (Anthony Fontana 66’); Sergio Santos (Ilsinho 71’), Kacper Przybylko
Substitutes Not Used: Joe Bendik, Aurelien Collin, Jack Elliott, Matej Oravec, Michee Ngalina
GREG VANNEY – HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC
Third win over a tough Eastern opponent. Do you applaud your team for finding ways to win or do you think, ‘we’ve got to stop giving up the first goal to put us in a tough situation?
“Both. We do need to stop conceding the first goal. We need to start better. That’s one. But I do think that, by and large, in the last couple of games specifically, not so much in the New York game, we’re starting to control games. We controlled the game, we played the majority of it in the attacking half. We’ve had good possession, we’ve pinned the opposition back. The first half we didn’t create as many chances as I’d like for the amount of the ball that we had. So, we tried to adjust a little bit of our movements for the second half, to try to open up some spaces. I thought we got a little bit better at doing that and creating chances. But with the way the schedule is, with the way everything’s going, and good opponents and teams that specifically defend well like Columbus and Philadelphia, you have got to attack really well and you’ve got to really execute, because you’re probably not going to get as many chances as you get in some other games. And we executed in some moments today. So that’s really good, so you have to applaud the guys for finding ways. But to answer the first part of the question, we do need to stop playing from behind and stop giving up early goals. And they’re not even great goals, that’s the problem. They’re goals that one hundred percent need to be cleaned up.”
You take pride in being able to win in a variety of different ways with this group. How would you characterize this win, because it looked like there were a few themes on the night?
“Yeah, I think that there was some patience involved. Like I said, I felt like in the first half we controlled a lot of the possession, we played a lot of the game in their half of the field, that’s how I felt. But having said that, we didn’t create a lot of chances, a lot of great clear chances. But we are in good areas on the field. We had to manage the transition a few times and crosses things like that, we had to deal with it. Obviously, Q had to make an important save. Part of that was just in the transition, us getting a little bit pulled apart and them having too much space. But every now and then you’re going to give up a shot from distance and Q made an incredible save. But I thought we stayed patient in the idea that the chances and the goals were going to come if we just did the right things and made some adjustments in terms of how we were moving. The opportunities that we were looking for would come. But we had to also be solid defensively. They have two big forwards who are mobile, who are a handful to defend. And for a lot of the game, Aaronson, who plays underneath them, who is quick and shifty. And I thought we did a nice job of making it really difficult for him to impact the game. But those two forwards are handful, especially on balls that are served into the box. Or balls that are played out. But I thought we did a lot of things solid on the night. It’s the first game back after being away for eight days, and so we have to rebuild that rhythm. But it was a good start against a good team. Good start to the five-game stretch. Not a good start to the actual game itself.”
Can you give an update on Jozy and Justin?
“I don’t have great information yet. Jozy, it seems to be it looks like a minor hamstring issue. I don’t know how minor or not minor. He says that soreness is there. We’ll have to see. We don’t exactly what the time frame looks like until we get a scan and we get a sense of what it is. As far as Justin, it was more just calf tightness that started to build a little bit in the warmup. So, we were aware that he was feeling sort of the onset of it, but he felt like he could go, and he could give it a go. He wasn’t sure how long, or if it would continue to tighten. So, we were communicating because he was right in front of the bench, as things were going. He was going to go as long as he felt like he was in a safe zone but if it started to progress then we were going to get him off. So that kind of happens a little bit there before the end of the first half. But he thinks he’s fine. We will get him some treatment. We will try to loosen it up. We don’t think it’s anything specific. We think it might be just a byproduct of a change of surface, or something that’s maybe causing a little bit of that. So how it changes the rotation … obviously we’re down a forward if Jozy’s out for some period of time. That puts Pat back into the rotation. Maybe it brings, at times, Poz back into the middle. There’s plenty of things that we will do to adjust. We’ll miss Jozy because I really felt like he was starting to pick up his rhythm with everybody. I thought he was starting to move in a good way. He was maybe a little bit away from the goal through the course of the first half, but I think that was just a product that Poz was inside a lot so that Jozy was drifting a little bit wider and that was one of the things that we wanted to adjust a touch in the second half but it didn’t last too long for Jozy. So, we ended up moving Poz to the inside and bringing Nick to deal with the outside, and I think that opened up a few things for us.”
JONATHAN OSORIO – MIDFIELDER, TORONTO FC
Two wins against two top teams in the conference is Rentschler Field beginning to feel like home?
“Yeah, a little bit for sure. We’re doing our best to use it to our advantage and make it a home advantage and we’re trying to do that with the way we play here and getting two wins against two big opponents helps a lot. It helps for the confidence of the team to play on this field and we’re getting comfortable in playing in this environment. It’s not easy, of course we wish there was fans and it’s a much better atmosphere when there is and for our supporters and everything. It is what it is. We’ve been dealing with it for most of the year now, but these two wins definitely help get us more comfortable playing here at The Rent. It’s always nice to win.”
What does this team remind you of?
“I think a little bit of the 2017 team. We’re in a good rhythm right now, we’re playing really good football. I think we played well in the last game and a half against two really strong teams, two teams that are top of the league. I think this team is coming together now. We went through a little bit of a transition in the beginning of 2019. I still think that throughout the whole year we always had that quality it was just getting the system down, getting used to a little bit of a different system and players getting used to the philosophy that we play with here. Once that happened and everything started clicking and guys got healthy towards the end of last year that’s when you saw the quality that we had. Like you said, we were resilient, and I think we’ve brought that over to this year and you’ve seen over the last two games with the come from behind wins. But I think this year we’re dominating games in a better way, in the way we want to and we’re playing really positive football.”
ALEJANDRO POZUELO – MIDFIELDER, TORONTO FC
Another big game from you, is this best you’ve ever played?
“No, I don’t think so. I had a good period in another team, I know I feel good. The more important thing is the team. We play very good football, we started losing but we kept going and pushing and the three points is the most important.”
Do you set any type of goal to have an MVP caliber year?
“No, this is not my goal. My goal now in this moment is to be fit because we have a lot of games and the most important is not to be injured and try to play all the games possible and working for the team. This is my goal in this moment. If you’re thinking about the MVP (award) this is no good. Now in this moment we need to keep working for the team, we need to keep working in training and this is a good example for the young guys also.”
BALTIMORE — Swiss Skydiver beat favored Authentic in a stretch duel in the Preakness Stakes run without fans Saturday, making her the sixth filly and first since Rachel Alexandra in 2009 to win the race, which this year served as the third leg of the Triple Crown for the first time. Swiss Skydiver upset favored…
By qualifying for the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, the Heat officially opens a new chapter in its history. Chance has it that this final series is played against LeBron James, even if Jimmy Butler does not agree too much that it is just a coincidence. For him, a champion cannot hope […]
By qualifying for the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, the Heat officially opens a new chapter in its history. Chance has it that this final series is played against LeBron James, even if Jimmy Butler does not agree too much that it is just a coincidence. For him, a champion cannot hope to lift the trophy without stealing his crown from the King.
Arrived last summer from Philadelphia, Jimmy Buckets was immediately adopted by Miami fans. The story is incomparable with the signing of LeBron James in Florida in 2010, but still he will be one of the leaders of the Heat in trying to offer the franchise a fourth trophy in its history, the first since the return of the king to Ohio in 2014. With Bam Adebayo, the All-Star had one of his best seasons on a personal level despite a big lack of parking address (24.4%). Always as clutch when it is necessary, the former star of Chicago shows especially the example in defense, a sector which explains the presence of the Heat in the NBA Finals in spite of its classification in the East at the end of the seeding games (fifth with 44 wins for 29 losses). With the intensity of the Playoffs, Erik Spoelstra’s followers made short work of the Pacers before knocking the regular season leader down in five innings and then having the Celtics wear out without breaking a sweat. . Without competition in their Conference since the start of the final stages, the Floridians are only one step away from the Larry O’Brien trophy. It will not be the easiest to climb, the ogre of the Lakers now appearing before them in the skin of the favorite. Anything but a surprise for Jimmy Butler who has been waiting for this moment for a long time as he explained at the microphone of NBA TV.
“If you want to win, you are going to have to go through a LeBron James led team.”
“The main key, and it has been for a very long time, if you want to win a title you have to beat LeBron James’ team. It can come down to that and that’s what we need to focus on. Obviously we can’t just focus on him because he has some really good players around him, but the same test comes back every year until you pass and that test is called LeBron James. “
Concretely, difficult to prove him wrong. Out of the last nine NBA champions, LeBron has won three titles and five teams had to beat him in the final. Ultimately, only the Raptors avoided the ultimate test while waiting for the Chosen One to finally leave the Eastern Conference to bring the cup home in June 2019. This year, LBJ will play their tenth career NBA Finals, the ninth in ten years, thus giving credibility to the words of Jimmy Butler. It’s a bit like this end boss in Mario against which we will use all of our lives by trying different strategies to try to discover our weak point. Buckets has already faced the King twice in the Playoffs with always the same result: a loss to the boss (in 2013 and 2015). But this time the situation has changed a little. Already, the number 22 is the franchise player of his team and the latter arrives in confidence with only three defeats in the bundle when it comes to attacking Game 1 of the Finals. Plus, Jimmy knows his role is going to be to put the brakes on LeBron James as the Heat managed to do with Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the summer. And at 31, Buckets has the advantage of physical freshness against an aging quadruple MVP even if he shows no signs of weakness with his 35 rods. The margin of error is slim for Miami but the Butler believes in his chances.
“You’re going to have to be absolutely perfect to beat the Lakers. We can do it. We do not think too much about these stories of first seed against the fifth seed in the East. “
Jimmy Butler and the Heat are aware of the obstacle that awaits them from Wednesday. But far from panicking, the Floridians prepare their battle plan to bring down the end boss in turn. If other teams have managed to find its weak point in the past, why not them?
Los Angeles Lakers are the Western Conference Champions after enduring an hard-fought 117-107 win over Denver Nuggets to return to the NBA Finals for the first time in 10 years. Denver Nuggets made a valiant effort, but were unable to overcome a third straight 3-1 series deficit.
Los Angeles Lakers are the Western Conference Champions after enduring an hard-fought 117-107 win over Denver Nuggets to return to the NBA Finals for the first time in 10 years. Denver Nuggets made a valiant effort, but were unable to overcome a third straight 3-1 series deficit.
Lebron James sored nine points on the stretch to erase any hopes of Denver Nuggets turning this around, The Lakers guard, will now feature in his 10th NBA finals.
James was fired-up all night long, getting to the rim dunking consecutive points and to the free throw line to consistently get his team high-percentage baskets, and he absolutely took over down the stretch to send the Nuggets packing. His parter who is reaching his first ever NBA final Anthony Davis battled first-half foul trouble, but came up big in the second half as the Lakers thwarted Denver’s comeback bid.
Denver Nuggets failed to get into their top gear in the first half due to more foul trouble for Nikola Jokic and an injury to Jamal Murray which appeared to make him less than 100 percent. True to form, the Nuggets cut the Lakers’ 10-point halftime lead to just three to start the fourth quarter, but they were unable to reproduce the heroics that got them to this point.
Lebron James Spoke after the game
“my teammates say bring this home, it is my resposniblity to do right things and bring this home, we gonna enjoy it tonight, there is only two teams that can make to the final out of 30 teams competeting, we all know we still got bigger fish to fry.”
Dwight Howard had two key blocks for the Lakers level with Anthony Davis who also had two blocks and a steal, meanwhile the former New Orleans Pelicans players, feels happy to reach his first-ever NBA finals.about:blankREPORT THIS AD
“it feels good, we have done alot this year, we all know the job is not done, while we enjoy this we still got spme work to do, it is my job, that was why they brought me here, i took the responsibilty with Lebron, and all this guy are ready for the challenge.”
Lebron James scored his 27th career-triple double, as he scored 38 points 16 rebounds and 10 assist, while Anthony Davis registered 27 points for the Lakers. Meanhwile Jeremi Grant scored a team-high 20 points for the Nuggets, who crash out of the competition.
Jamal Murray says he was playing with a bone bruise in his right leg: “I was in pain but it’s cool…I was struggling a bit today.” Also said he has a big bruise on his foot that bothered him. He tried to change shoes but it didn’t help.
The Lakers now seek the franchise’s 17th NBA title, and will meet the Miami Heat.
The view from left field 