Dein erstes Forum » pulled the Portland strings for most of the day, rake

The life of a professional athlete can be a lonely one at times. Countless solitary hours spent in the gym, pushing your body to its limit, striving for just the slightest improvement in your game. While those hours in the gym can be lonely, the light at the end of the tunnel - being able to walk onto the pitch to compete along with your teammates - is always there for you, pulling you through the pain. No one knows that pain better than Kara Lang. For the past year, Lang has been been working day and night to re-train her body; to break it down so that she could build it up again, in the hopes that she could resume a career she was forced to end in 2011. It was then, at the age of 24, that she retired from the game. "I have come to the very difficult decision to retire from soccer and step down from the national team," she said. "I have always held myself to a very high standard — as it is demanded at the international level. Regrettably, I am physically incapable of maintaining that standard and fulfilling my role as a player." Lang has twice torn the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee, the first occurring in 2005 and the second in 2009. Early Thursday morning, Lang revealed that her knee has once again suffered serious damage. 2 days after being cleared to train w/ #CanWNT my knee literally exploded yesterday. Ive torn just about everything you can in a knee. — Kara Lang (@Kara_Lang) February 13, 2014 While the extent of the damage is not yet known, the chances of Lang recovering in time for next summers womens World Cup look remote. Lang is one of the most decorated players in the history of Canadas womens national team program. She made her debut for Canada at the age of 15, and has scored 35 goals in 92 appearances for her country. She won a silver medal with Canada at the 2002 FIFA U20 Womens World Cup, and competed in both the Olympic Games (2008) and the Womens World Cup (2007, 2003). Not only has she made her presence felt on the field for Canada, she has become an integral part of the womens national team program itself. When Lang was re-introduced to her teammates in Edmonton back in October, where the team was set to play South Korea, it was as if the prodigal daughter had returned. Players and staff alike accepted her back into the fold without skipping a beat, and it was like shed never been away. When she announced her retirement back in January 2011, Lang said, "For the past ten years, this team has been my second family and this program my second home." You can be sure that her "family" is hurting just as much as she is right now. Over the course of her career, Lang has become a role model for young players - both male and female - across the country. She has become the face of womens soccer in Canada, and her inspirational message of battling through adversity transcends gender. Kara Lang will recover from her knee injury, and will continue to inspire soccer players young and old across the country - regardless of her role within the game. Adidas Basketball Shoes Discount .com) - The Winnipeg Jets got over one hurdle by snapping their longest losing streak of the season. Shop Adidas Basketball Shoes . The best round belonged to Pat Perez. Tiger Woods didnt come close to claiming either Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open, where the seven-time champion failed to break par in the opening round for first time in his career. http://www.cheapnmdsneakersireland.com/adidas-basketball-shoes.html . The hard-serving 22-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., became the first Canadian to be ranked in the Top 10 on the ATP World Tour thanks to his runner-up performance at Rogers Cup in Montreal. Adidas Nmd Womens Ireland .com) - Rick Nash scored twice and Derek Stepan chipped in a goal with one assist as the New York Rangers claimed a 5-2 decision over Calgary at the Saddledome. Cheap Adidas Nmd Shoes .FIFA says it is relaxing the rule which forced match officials to leave its international list at the end of the year they turned 45.TORONTO - It was a game with a sickening injury in the opening seconds and a stirring comeback in the final minute.An emotional roller-coaster of an MLS contest Saturday started with Portland Timbers captain Will Johnson being taken to hospital with a broken leg and ended when Michael Bradley, one of his best friends, completed a Toronto FC comeback with an 89th-minute goal for a 3-2 win.For them a teammate, for me a very close friend, Bradley, speaking in the Toronto locker-room afterwards, said of the Canadian international Johnson. Look for anybody else in here, you hate to see somebody down like that.Theres still a game to be played. Unfortunately theyre still passing out points at the end of the game.Rookie defender Nick Hagglund scored twice in the second half to set the stage for Bradley, whose curling free kick from more than 35 yards out went through a mass of players a€” freezing goalie Donovan Ricketts a€” and into the goal without being touched.Rallying from a 2-0 deficit after just 16 minutes, Toronto scored three second-half goals in 27 minutes in a character-defining comeback.These are the kind of days that can change seasons, said Bradley, who initiated Torontos second goal via another free kick.We know theres still a lot we can improve on, we still need to be better, he added. Were still right in the thick of it.But if you use these kind of afternoons in the right way, they can give you a real boost.The game, played on a sunny 22 C afternoon before an announced sellout crowd of 22,591 at BMO Field, was a matchup of two teams on the playoff bubble, with both carefully watching results of clubs around them.The Timbers started the day in fifth place in the West while Toronto was seventh in the East, three points out of the playoff picture.The win moved TFC into fifth place and a playoff spot, at least temporarily pending the outcome of the Columbus-Montreal game later in the day. Eastern-leading D.C. United did Toronto a favour by defeating Philadelphia 1-0.Toronto (11-11-7) stretched its unbeaten streak to three (2-0-1) while recording a franchise record 11th win of the season, surpassing the club mark for victories (10) and points (39), both set during a 10-11-9 season in 2009.Coach Greg Vanney called it a remarkable comeback.When I look in the guys eyes after, theyre believing, he said. Theyre very much believing in what they have to accomplish this season.The loss snapped Portlands unbeaten streak at four but the outcome will be overshadowed by the loss of its influential and popular captain.It turned into a game of two halves, with Portland holding the edge in the first a€” scoring twice in the first 16 minutes a€” and Toronto taking over in the second.Fanendo Adi scored for Portland, which also got an own goal from Toronto captain Steven Caldwell.Toronto started its comeback in the 62nd minute with Hagglund rising high tto head in a cross from Daniel Lovitz for his first MLS goal.dddddddddddd Minutes later, Ricketts stopped Dominic Oduro from in close to preserve the lead.Toronto made it 2-2 eight minutes later off another Bradley free kick that went through a mass of humanity before an open Hagglund, whose giveaway led to Portlands first goal, headed the ball down and it went in at the far post.The game started on a disastrous note for Portland, with Johnson injuring his right leg in a shin-on-shin collision with Toronto fullback Mark Bloom in a 50-50 challenge that saw both players sliding to get to the ball first. Johnson immediately grabbed his right leg just below the knee and motioned to be substituted.He was taken off on a stretcher with a fractured fibula and tibia in his right leg after a lengthy delay with Bradley looking on closely. The injury led to eight minutes extra time at the end of the first half.Johnson remained in Toronto to have surgery.Bloom was able to continue and wasnt penalized on the play. But he was in pain after the game, his leg throbbing from the collision.Referee Ismail Elfath pocketed his whistle for much of the contest, infuriating both sides at different times but helping make for a fast-paced, exciting game.The offensively gifted, defensively challenged Timbers came into the game with 52 goals, averaging 1.79 a game to stand third best in the league, and had scored three or more in three of their last four MLS games. And they carved open Torontos backline repeatedly.Portland went ahead in the 13th minute when Hagglunds pass out of defence hit midfielder Diego Chara, who fed Adi. The Nigerian striker headed straight into the penalty box and his low right-footed shot beat Joe Bendik.Three minutes later, it was 2-0 after Toronto failed to clear a corner. Diego Valeri, who pulled the Portland strings for most of the day, raked the ball across the penalty box and it bounced in off Caldwell.Caldwell thought he had repaid the debt three minutes later when his header off a Bradley free kick beat Ricketts. But the play was called offside.Toronto should have pulled to within a goal in the 20th minute when Oduros cross beat everyone and found Gilberto at the far post with the net wide open. But the Brazilians stubbed shot somehow went wide.Portland almost scored an own goal of its own in the 36th minute when defender Pa Modou Kahs attempted clearance of an Oduro cross rattled off the goalpost.Rodney Wallace shot wide in the 53rd minute, clutching his head in disbelief after Portland sliced through the Toronto backline yet again.The game marked the second time in club history that Toronto FC has overcome a two-goal deficit to win in MLS league playIt also was the 15th consecutive sellout at BMO Field, helping set a league record as the 113th soldout match across all teams this season.Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter ' ' '