Rund ums Forum » a frustrating year, but thats footba

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Sounders benefited from an own goal in the 89th minute to beat the Chicago Fire 2-1 Saturday night for their fourth straight win. Chicagos Gonzalo Segares ran back toward the goal to clear the ball and instead knocked it into the net. "We did a very good job in making offensive chances and we didnt connect on that one but we connected on an own goal," said Seattle midfielder Mauro Rosales. "It was a lucky one. But I think we deserved the win because we had the effort to go forward and control of the game. It was a great game for us." Lamar Neagle also scored for Seattle (14-8-4), which has won seven of its last eight to move two points behind first-place Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference. Neagle is tied for the team lead with seven goals and has been a big part of the hot streak and turnaround from early in the year. "We saw people kind of panicking and wondering how this year was going to turn out," Neagle said. "We knew from the start and if you look around our locker room we are a confident bunch and the players to do it. We have the veterans and our new guys are stepping up left and right." Mike Magee had a goal for the Fire (10-11-5), which has never beaten the Sounders while losing for the fourth straight time in Seattle. "It happens," Fire coach Frank Klopa said about the own goal. "Youre running behind and sometimes the ball comes and those things happen. Its a little disappointing now not to walk away with points. I thought the team played really well and definitely deserved to walk away with points." Magee gave the Fire a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute on a left-footed kick from the centre of the box off an assist from Dilly Duka. Magee, who didnt play in the second half, broke free behind the defence to receive the ball and shot it past goalkeeper Michael Gspurning for his 15th goal. Magee hurt his groin in the first half and sat out the second half. "With the amount of games coming up and being on turf this game we wanted to make sure we dont miss him for four or five games," Klopa said. "He tweaked it a little but it could have been worse. He came out and hopefully we got it on time and he will be ready for Wednesday." Seattles Osvaldo Alonso missed a penalty kick in the 30th minute that goalkeeper Sean Johnson punched away. A hand ball in the penalty area by Bakary Soumare off a corner kick set up the attempt. Neagle blasted a left-footed kick in the 40th minute off an assist from Marc Burch to tie the score. Johnson had saves early in the second half on Seattle shots by Alonso and Obafemi Martins, who returned after missing four games with a sprained ankle. Johnson made a diving save on a shot by Alonso in the 50th minute. Martins shot wide on a header in the 83rd minute. Seattles Clint Dempsey and Eddie Johnson missed the game while training with the U.S. national team for Tuesdays game against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio. Mirza Teletovic Jersey . Hall joined Bengals teammates for a voluntary workout on Monday. Hes got his mobility back and is on schedule to be ready for the season. CINCINNATI - Bengals cornerback Leon Hall is happy with his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon and expects to be ready for the start of training camp in July. Jabari Parker Jersey . The Redblacks host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7-9) Friday night in their last home game of the year and as of Thursday afternoon, the team was anticipating a ninth consecutive sellout. You can watch all the action on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5 beginning at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. http://www.nbabucksproshop.com/Authentic...ucks-Jersey/.In the Football Money League compiled by accountancy firm Deloitte, German champion Bayern Munich remained third but Barcelona dropped from second to fourth during its trophyless 2014.In the 2013-2014 financial year, Real generated 549. Custom Milwaukee Bucks Jerseys . -- Isaiah Pead took a stutter step forward, then raced to the left sideline and travelled 60 yards up the field before finally getting tripped up by a leg tackle. Vin Baker Jersey . "[People] keep asking that question and its not a legit question because we dont have that right, we havent arrived yet," Casey responded. "Weve got to take each game at a time, each possession at a time and look at it that way.TORONTO -- Richard Eckersley had hoped to say his Toronto FC farewell on the pitch. But the 24-year-old English fullback will say his goodbyes instead via the media as the MLS club holds its end-of-season wrap Monday -- for the seventh straight year in advance of the playoffs. Eckersley, like striker Danny Koevermans and goalkeeper Stefan Frei, is headed out the door. All three have been deemed surplus to requirements. Eckersleys crime is he is too expensive in a league whose salary cap was US$2.95 million this season. His salary was listed at $90,000 in 2011, $390,000 in 2012 and $310,000 in 2013. Of course the salary cap figures revealed by the MLS Players Union only tell part of the story with clubs able to use allocation money to reduce the amount that is publicly listed. The contracts of Koevermans (only $368,750 of his $1.663 million salary counted against the 2013 salary cap as a designated player) and Frei ($200,000) both expire later this year. But Eckersley has one more year, worth more than $500,000 thanks to a renegotiation to lighten the cap hit this year. Chances are the team will rid itself of that burden, using a once-a-year available buyout that does not count against the salary cap. Eckersley hopes that will lead to a job with another MLS team. "Id definitely like to stay (in MLS). If youre playing for a successful team, I think it would be a great league to play in. Its just that for the last two and a half years weve not been successful. "I like the league, I like how they play." He saw action in just 13 league wins with Toronto. Eckersley played in 72 league games, including 70 starts, in total. Frei played in 82 (all starts) while the injury-plagued Koevermans had 30 games (22 starts). Their departures will leave 22-year-old fullback Ashtone Morgan (66 games) atop the list for league appearances in a Toronto FC shirt. Next on the list are midfielders Reggie Lambe (55 games) and Jeremy Hall (54 games) and 20-year-old defender Doneil Henry (49 games). Eckersley played for Paul Mariner, Torontos former director of player development and manager, while on loan at Plymouth Argyle. A popular player with TFC supporters, Eckersley is an energetic and versatile defender. A full-bodied fullback who loves to race down the flank, he played on the right and left as well as in central defence when needed. He added competitiveness and bite to the Toronto backline. Eckersleys 2013 seasonn was marred by injury, however, and ended early as the team made it clear it was looking to the future.dddddddddddd He was ruled out of a Sept. 14 game in New York because of an injury sustained in training and then sat out the next five games while the team gave Mark Bloom ($46,500) an audition at right fullback. Eckersley never complained publicly. "If the gaffer (manager Ryan Nelsen) feels Im not going to be here next season, then hes going to try to plan for future seasons," he said. His regret is not being able to "say thanks to the fans and wave them goodbye, so to speak." "Theyve been very good to me," he said. "Honestly the supports been fantastic every week -- week in, week out." Eckersleys frustrations started at training camp this year. "I knew that they wanted to look at my contract so I had that in the back of my mind. In pre-season, I was really frustrated and my head was kind of elsewhere. Up until I realized Im just going to play. Im just going to play for me and then if the club sorts it out, then they sort it out." He started the first five games of the season then injured his hamstring celebrating teammate Darel Russells 90th-minute equalizer against FC Dallas on April 6. Eckersley missed the next three months as his hamstring refused to co-operate. He returned July 13 and started 11 games straight before the New York game signalled the beginning of the end. "Its been a frustrating year, but thats football isnt it," he said philosophically. "Youve just got to kind of deal with it. Everyone deals with it in different ways. I just try to get on the training pitch and hopefully good things come from there." Publicly, Nelsen has said Eckersley is a fine player who is a victim of his contract and the MLS salary cap. He jokes that Eckersleys agent did too good a job negotiating the deal. Eckersley, for his part, notes that he arrived on loan so there was plenty of talk with Toronto about wages. Plus the former Manchester United and Burnley product "was on a lot of money in England." "So for me to come out here, I needed decent money, so to speak." Eckersley expects Toronto to do better next year, in his absence. "It will be sad to leave but hopefully Ill go to a successful team. But its been a great two and a half years and I cant really thank the fans and the players enough really." ' ' '