Herzlich Willkommen » Stampeders played a great game today

After making a huge off-season splash, Toronto FC prepares to start their eighth MLS season still looking for a first ever playoff berth. Jonathan Toews Jersey . TSN soccer analyst Gareth Wheeler tells you everything you need to know about Toronto FC heading into 2014, while TSN soccer analyst Jason deVos tells you how they will succeed or fail during the new campaign. Gareth Wheeler: With great signings come great expectations. Toronto FC went from afterthought to main focus in an off-season of change. President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Tim Leiweke promised big things; a swift turn around in fortunes upon his arrival. Momentum has shifted from a lifeless entity into a resurrected being with true hope and an ambitious future; no easy task for the most futile franchise in Major League Soccer history. Seven years outside of the playoffs has taken its toll. Amidst the newfound excitement is an element of prove it to me. Big promises have been made before. The shock of what has transpired with upwards of $100 million worth of transfer and payroll commitments hasnt sunk in with most. Tim-squared, as in Leiweke and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko backed up their lofty words with decisive, calculated action. On paper, this looks to be the best Toronto FC side the city has ever seen. Now comes the hard part: sustained stability and on-field success. Neither are guaranteed, but the blueprint reads much clearer. The buzz is palpable across Toronto. The question most often asked from passionate or casual supporters alike, how good will this team be? Theres no straight-forward answer. Its easy to get swept up in the hoopla. Tickets have been sold and the team will be playing in front of a packed house at BMO Field once again. Theres a lot to be excited about and failing to make the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year would be seen as nothing short of a complete failure. Championship calibre talk however is premature. Striker Jermain Defoe and influential central midfielder Michael Bradley represent the two biggest moves of MLS off-season. With name comes substance, with Defoe and Bradley easily becoming the best two players in franchise history. They are that good and make TFCs roster comparable to top teams in MLS. Brazilian duo, goalkeeper Julio Cesar and promising striker Gilberto are a step lower on the wow scale, but entirely intriguing. Manager Ryan Nelsen has raved about Gilberto and believes the 24-year old can score more goals than prized acquisition Defoe. The return of Dwayne De Rosario represents a chance to rectify the wrong surrounding his previous hasty departure. The club at the time painted De Rosario as the bad guy disingenuously. Bezbatchenko has made clear this is a new TFC, set on doing business a different and better way. Extending the olive branch to the hometown boy made too much sense. Attempting to forecast how this team will do is fruitless. A MLS season is a marathon to begin with, never mind the added wrinkle of this summers World Cup. Notwithstanding injuries and/or factors out of the realm of control, here are three keys to success for Toronto FC in 2014. 1) Goal scoring: Bezbatchenko has said to anyone who will listen; his first job was to find TFC goal scorers. Sounds simplistic but only one team scored fewer goals than TFC last season. Toronto has been in the bottom five in goals scored in each of the last four years. The lack of a true finisher outside of the oft-injured Danny Koevermans was an indictment on team management. Without top goal scorers there is next to no chance of competing with the top sides and having regular success. It has been one of the many reasons for perennial failure to date. How many goals Defoe, Gilberto, and De Rosario will score will determine how far this team will go. Gilberto has already set a lofty, most likely unattainable goal of 25 tallies this season. Defoe should have little trouble adapting to MLS life, and 20 goals isnt out of the question. TFC lost back-up strike option Bright Dike through pre-season injury, Dike would have played a key role. Bezbatchenko would be prudent to bring in another goal scorer to compliment the bunch because you can never have enough goals in the team. 2) Back four: Cheap goals conceded have plagued TFC in recent seasons. The group last year was far too young, inexperienced and mistake prone. The group worked hard, but lacked cohesion and didnt do anything particular well. Justin Morrow and Bradley Orr were brought in to add experience to the back-line. The strength, or lack thereof, of this young group will make or break this team. Cesar as a leader at the back helps, as does Steven Caldwell as a steady, vocal force. Can Nelsen get this group playing as a unit? Does TFC have enough quality depth? And can young Canadians Doneil Henry and Ashton Morgan makes strides, finding consistency in their game? If the answer to these questions is yes, TFC will be in good stead. Age is no longer an excuse. 3) Team tactics: Nelsens first year as manager was a trying one. With very little talent, depth and a revolving door, six wins and the third worst points total in the league (29) was a predictable outcome. Evaluation of Nelsen as team manager is thus far incomplete. It surprised some Nelsen remained in the off-season of top-to-bottom change. And because of that, he remains the easy fall-guy in case all doesnt go according to plan. Another coaching change is the last thing this team needs - eight coaches in eight years speaks to the lack of vision or consistent direction. Players, no matter how good, cannot achieve in a current state of flux. It must be said the work-rate of the team under Nelsen was superior. Theres no question hes a natural leader and a well-liked figure. His man-management and tactical approach will be tested now he has better players and a year under his belt. The team generally lined up in a 4-4-2 last year. A level of formational flexibility will be required to get the most out of his assets, particularly finding the best spots to play De Rosario and Gilberto as dynamic attacking players. The hype is back at Toronto FC. Its been called A Bloody Big Deal. The only way that manifests is if the wins follow. For the first time ever at TFC, there is good reason to believe it actually will. TSN Soccer analyst Jason deVos weighs in on how Toronto FC will succeed or fail during the 2014 season. Jason deVos: Toronto FC will succeed if… …the stars align. TFC have made the single biggest offseason spending splurge in the history of Major League Soccer. Nearly $100m has been spent to acquire the likes of Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley, Gilberto, Júlio César and Dwayne De Rosario, and the burning question is this: Will this make TFC a contender? On paper, the answer is yes. Toronto is significantly stronger now than it has ever been. They have the U.S. national teams best midfielder in Bradley, a top-class goal scorer in Defoe and Brazils number one goalkeeper in Júlio César. You wont find a stronger spine to a team in MLS. If those players live up to their reputations, Toronto FC will not only make the playoffs, they will be the team that everyone wants to avoid in the post-season. Toronto FC will fail if… ….they put the cart before the horse. Having better players is one thing; getting them to play together, as a team, is another. It will take time for TFCs crop of new players to gel, and until that happens, the microscope will be firmly focused on head coach, Ryan Nelsen. The jury is still out on Nelsens ability - as a second-year coach - to get the best out of the talented players he now has at his disposal. He tends to stick to his preferred formation (1-4-4-2), and has so far shown little interest in experimenting with various tactical approaches to the game. This can work if the players are all on board (Real Salt Lake is a good example), but only time will tell if this will be the case for Toronto FC. If the team struggles out of the gate, expect Nelsen to come under increasing pressure. 2013 finish: 6-17-11 (ninth in Eastern Conference). Did not qualify for MLS Cup playoffs. Whos In?: M Michael Bradley (transfer from AS Roma) , GK Júlio Cesar (loan from Queens Park Rangers), F Jermain Defoe (transfer from Tottenham), M Dwayne De Rosario (Re-Entry Draft), F Gilberto (transfer from SC Internacional), M Jackson (trade from FC Dallas), D Justin Morrow (trade from San Jose), D Bradley Orr (loan from Blackburn Rovers). Whos Out?: F Justin Braun (out of contract), M Bobby Convey (trade to New York), F Robert Earnshaw (option declined), D Richard Eckersley (trade to New York), D Jonas Elmer (contract terminated), GK Stefan Frei (trade to Seattle), F Danny Koevermans (out of contract), M Matias Laba (trade to Vancouver), M Darel Russell (option declined), M Michael Thomas (option declined), F Emery Welshman (waived). SuperDraft: D Nick Hagglund (1-10), MF Daniel Lovitz (2-24). Corey Crawford Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Denis Savard Jersey . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings (3) - Early goal against was on the power play. http://www.officialblackhawksauthority.com/keith-magnuson-blackhawks-jersey-c-20/ . -- A deflected pass that landed in DeSean Jacksons hands.CALGARY - The CFLs marquee player gave the Calgary Stampeders a real scare in their 29-8 win over the Montreal Alouettes to open the season Saturday. Jon Cornish lay face down on the field in the fourth quarter after the Stampeders running back took a high, hard hit on the run from Alouettes linebacker Kyries Hebert. It looked grim for the CFLs leading rusher and most outstanding player in 2013 when an ambulance was summoned onto the field. But an immediate trip to the hospital wasnt required as the 29-year-old from New Westminster, B.C., got up and walked to the clubhouse accompanied by medical staff. "I was knocked out," Cornish said following the game. "Im going to have to go through concussion protocol 100 per cent. "Youd expect me to feel a little bit worse, but Im pretty good. I can remember what happened before and immediately after." What happened a few minutes before that play was Cornish running for an 18-yard touchdown off a direct snap to pad Calgarys lead to 26-1. The Stampeders posted the CFLs best record last season at 14-4 and were quick out of the gates to start 2014. An opening-day starter for the first time in his CFL career, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was efficient throwing for 313 yards, a pair of touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Texan completed 16 of 25 passes. He threw out of Calgarys end zone to Maurice Price for a 102-touchdown pass in the opening quarter and tossed to Anthony Parker for another major in the fourth. Rene Paredes kicked a pair of field goals and punter Rob Maver contributed two punt singles in front of announced attendance of 26,135 at McMahon Stadium. Cornish had 67 yards on 14 carries before leaving the game. "I thought we played very physical on both sides of the football and special teams, we played fast," Stampeder coach and general manager John Hufnagel said. "I think we took a first right step going in the direction we want to go. A lot of work to be done though." Montreal, 8-10 last season, have large wrinkles to iron out on both sides of the football. Troy Smiths season debut for the Alouettes marked the first time since 1999 a quarterback other than Anthony Calvillo was Montreals opening-day starter. The CFLs all-time passing leader retired in January after 16 seasons with the Alouettes. Smith, a former Heisman Trophy winner with Ohio State, completed 17 of 40 passes for 127 yards. He was sacked four times and intercepted once. Sean Whytes punt single was Montreals only point until fullback Steven Lumbala dove for a one-yard major on the final play of the game. A gaffe by Montreals secondary left Price open for his touchdown as the Als had two defenders on Calgary receiver Jeff Fuller. "I dont feel good at all," Smith said. "Theres a whole different feel when you leave the field after a weeks work of preparation and nothing works. "You definitely have to look yourself in the mirror and you have to understand that things arent going to go the exact ideal way that you want them to all the time. Patrick Kane Jersey. "Youve got to go back to the drawing board and accept the Calgary Stampeders played a great game today. They game-planned and they paid also, and they made plays." Former NFL star receiver Chad Johnson had two catches for 20 yards in his CFL debut. "Ive got a long way to go, man," Johnson said. "With this being my first time experiencing a real live game with the bullets flying, the level of competition is really not that far off from the NFL and the speed of the game is equivalent." Hebert was slapped with a major foul and ejected for his hit on Cornish. Calgary parlayed Montreals 25-yard penalty into another touchdown as Mitchell threw to Parker in the end zone. Cornish says hes yet to be diagnosed with a concussion in his career. The leagues top rusher the past two seasons said he bore Hebert no ill-will. "I dont really blame him," Cornish said. "I got a pretty good cut block on him earlier in the game, so thats how it goes sometimes." Hufnagel had said it was a "photo finish" between Mitchell and Drew Tate in choosing a first-day starting quarterback. Mitchell cleaned up his game considerably Saturday after a pre-season loss to the Lions a week earlier, when he completed half his pass attempts and was intercepted twice. The quarterback checked off the boxes of throwing touchdowns, moving the offence and not allowing any interceptions Saturday. "Im still not going to check the box of going out and doing exactly what I wanted to do and thats just making sure were executing on everything we can," Mitchell said. "A couple plays early on I can myself clean up. "I felt like there was a quarter where we didnt move the ball very well. I felt like I played good, but its easy when your receivers are making those kind of plays and your O-line is giving you time." Paredes, winner of the CFLs special-teams player award last season, booted field goals from 25 and 38 yards in the game. Maver kicked punt singles of 78 and 88 yards. Whyte was wide on a 39-yard attempt midway through the first quarter. Calgarys defence held the Als under 100 offensive yards in the first half when Charleston Hughes, Corey Mace and DeQuin Evans each recorded sacks and Hughes knocked down a pass. Juwan Simpson also sacked Smith later in the game. Cornerback Fred Bennett would have collected two interceptions in the half had his second not been negated by Deron Mayos horse-collar tackle on Smith. The Stampeders head immediately into their bye week. Their next game is in Toronto against the Argonauts on July 12. The Als host the B.C. Lions on Friday. With the Blue Bombers moving to the West Division, Montreal wont face an East Division rival until Aug. 1. 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