defeat on the season, having lost 6

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VANCOUVER -- The biggest knock against Gershon Koffie with the Vancouver Whitecaps has been his consistency. An imposing presence in midfield, the Ghanaian would be the best player on the pitch one game and virtually invisible the next. After starting the 2014 campaign on the bench, Koffie has finally begun to live up to expectations on a daily basis, and both he and the Whitecaps have one of the teams new acquisitions at least partly to thank. Toronto FC dealt Matias Laba to Vancouver right before the start of the season and the Argentine midfielder has slotted seamlessly into the centre of rookie head coach Carl Robinsons formation. The workhorse not only cleans up danger in front of the Whitecaps defence, he also allows Vancouvers attacking players to push forward -- with Koffie being one of the main beneficiaries thus far. The 22-year-old scored from 40 yards out after pouncing on a goalkeeping error in last weekends 2-2 draw with the Seattle Sounders, and had three other clear-cut chances, including a shot that rattled the crossbar in the games opening minutes. "Gersh has got incredible attributes. Hes got the physical strength. When he makes a tackle and he means it, no ones going to beat him. Hes really that powerful," Whitecaps assistant coach Martyn Pert said Thursday. "The consistency part of the game is still something that hes got to really work hard at, and hes getting there, thats four or five games on the spin now hes been very good. "Hes got to keep it going, keep the foot on the pedal and keep driving." Robinson favoured Nigel Reo-Coker in the centre of midfield at the start of the season, but after the Englishman was injured in an off-field incident the Whitecaps turned to Koffie. "I dont think I was disappointed to be on the bench, but that motivated me," said Koffie, whose goal against Seattle was his first of the season. "I have to embrace it because my fellow mates were doing well and it was a coachs decision." Koffie -- who has already played 93 games in his Major League Soccer career -- said Robinson has asked him to go forward more in his attack-minded system, and credits Laba with allowing him that freedom to roam. "Playing with Matias Laba gives me the license to go forward and get some chances," said Koffie. "I know hes there to work the defensive part and delay (opponents) before we can get back in (formation)." Labas tenacity has also rubbed off on his midfield counterpart, who tracked back on more than one occasion against Seattle to help out Vancouvers back line. "(Labas) a guy who sets the tone," said Koffie. "If you play next to him, he goes in for tackles (and) you have to do the same. If he goes in chasing the ball, you have to do the same, because you cant let him do the job (alone)." Also just 22, Laba was a casualty of Toronto FCs winter spending spree, with the club unable to retain the designated player it acquired last season. "I didnt expect it, but I think its for the best," Laba said through an interpreter. "Im very happy in Vancouver with a great coach and teammates." Although he often takes care of the less-glamorous tasks on the field, the Whitecaps have come to appreciate his tireless work. "Mati gives us a great dimension to build off of at the back," said Vancouver captain Jay DeMerit. "He lets the guys that are creative express themselves a little bit more, just by giving you a little bit more of a lockdown defensively." Added the selfless Laba: "Ive always played that way -- win balls, win tackles -- and quickly disperse (passes) so my teammates have more time on the ball." Pert has been in awe at how quickly Laba has adapted to his new surroundings. "Matis been incredible since hes come in and the fact he came in two weeks before the start of the season and every game he just never lets you down," said Pert. "Hes absolutely a top, top player. I couldnt speak highly enough of Mati. "He makes incredible tackles, he gets his foot on the ball, he plays it simple." Because of their youth, Laba and Koffie could be patrolling Vancouvers midfield for some time, and the pair are expected to start alongside each other once again when the Whitecaps (4-2-5) visit the Portland Timbers (3-3-7) on Sunday. "(Koffies) a great player and I think we work really well together," said Laba. "I can win balls and that opens space up for him to go forward and attack more. We compliment each other quite well." Curtis Glencross Jersey . - Zac Leslie scored two goals and assisted on two more, and Justin Nichols made 34 saves as the Guelph Storm blanked the Kitchener Rangers 6-0 in Ontario Hockey League action on Sunday. Tanner Glass Jersey .com) - James Harden put the Houston Rockets on his back and willed them to an overtime victory on Thursday. http://www.jerseyofficialhockeyflames.c ... ey-jersey/. When New Zealand finally held on for an 8-7 win, France No. 8 Imanol Harinordoquy collapsed to the ground, having given every drop of energy he could muster, and lay prone as All Blacks danced around him in celebration. Few critics had given France any chance, but coach Marc Lievremonts team rallied from 8-0 down and came within one kick of taking the lead with 15 minutes remaining, only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Ducs 49-meter effort to drift wide. Matthew Tkachuk Jersey .com) - The Vancouver Canucks hope an upcoming stretch of home games will be enough to get the club into the postseason. Jarome Iginla Jersey . Blatter also told reporters Saturday after meeting with Qatars emir that the decision to award the tournament to the desert nation is "not reversible." There have been calls to move the tournament because of Qatars intense heat.(SportsNetwork.com) - While the Winnipeg Jets dropped a one-goal decision last time out to see their four-game winning streak came to a halt, the Toronto Maple Leafs had their longest string of victories this season snapped in lopsided fashion. The two clubs look to rebound with Saturday nights meeting in Winnipeg. Listen to the game live on TSN Radio Winnipeg 1290 or TSN Radio Toronto 1050 starting at 7pm et/6pm ct. You can also join the TSN 1290 Jets Game Night Chat and get interactive about the game. The Jets had matched their longest win streak of the season by winning their first four games under Paul Maurice, who replaced a fired Claude Noel as head coach on Jan. 12. Aiming for a fifth consecutive triumph, Winnipeg instead lost a 1-0 decision in San Jose. Ondrej Pavelec took the tough-luck loss, yielding a goal 6:48 into the third period and coming up with 31 stops overall. "They got the bounce and we didnt," Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Trouba said. "(Pavelec) certainly did a great job to keep us in it. We can take a lot of positives out of this game." One positive remains the defense as the Jets have yet to allow more than two goals in a game under Maurice. Pavelec has been part of that surge, giving up just eight goals in the five games since the coaching switch. However, Winnipeg was shut out for the second time this season and for the first time since a 3-0 loss at home to Montreal on Oct. 15. The Leafs might wish they had that kind of losing effort to build off, but they instead will look to rebound from a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of the Dallas Stars on Thursday. Maurice waas frank about facing a team that is coming off such a large defeat.dddddddddddd "I wouldve preferred they won 7-1 coming in here fat and happy, but theyre not. Theyre going to be ready to play," said the former Maple Leafs head coach. Toronto had won six in a row, but yielded four second-period tallies and matched its largest margin of defeat on the season, having lost 6-0 to Columbus on Nov. 25. Nikolai Kulemin had a goal, but Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer combined to make just 21 saves. Bernier allowed three goals on 13 shots through 26 1/2 minutes, while Reimer didnt fare much better after getting bested four times on 15 shots faced in relief. "Weve got to find a way to pick ourselves back up," Toronto head coach Randy Carlyle said. "We cant let this linger with our group." Forward Nazem Kadri assisted on Kulemins tally to give him five helpers in his past five games for a Maple Leafs club that concludes a four-game road trip tonight and is tied with the Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division with 59 points. Tonight marks the first of two meetings this season between the Jets and Leafs, who will host Winnipeg on April 5. The Jets have won two straight and four of the last six meetings overall and have claimed three of four over the Maple Leafs since relocating to Winnipeg. Pavelec has gone 7-4-2 with a 2.23 goals against average in 13 career starts versus the Maple Leafs. Reimer, who is starting for the Leafs tonight, is 3-2-1 with a 2.43 GAA in his career versus the Winnipeg franchise, making eight appearances with six starts. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys 2018 NFL Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '