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The Vancouver Whitecaps got back to winning ways last weekend, defeating the league-leading Seattle Sounders 1-0 on Saturday at BC Place. While the Sounders fielded a depleted lineup - they were missing five players who would otherwise be named in their starting lineup - Vancouver did what was needed to win the game. Defensively, the partnership of Johnny Leveron and Carlyle Mitchell comfortably dealt with everything the Sounders threw their way, while David Ousted turned in another strong performance in goal. The central midfield duo of Matias Laba and Gershon Koffie controlled the area in front of the back four, while attacking midfielder Pedro Morales returned to his customary role as the Whitecaps maestro. Had Erik Hurtado managed to convert a second-half breakaway, Vancouvers victory would have been more emphatic. With Vancouvers victory, many will believe that normal service has been restored. Led by players like Morales, Laba and Koffie, the Whitecaps have played entertaining football at BC Place this season. A 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids – where Laba was sent off for two yellow cards with the Caps leading 1-0 – is the only home defeat of the season for Vancouver. However, it can also be argued that Vancouver has perhaps punched above their weight this season. Just look at the Sounders. If the roles had been reversed and Vancouver – minus its top five players – played a full-strength Sounders lineup in Seattle, it is reasonable to expect the margin of victory for Seattle to be much more comfortable than 1-0. The Sounders have a much deeper squad than Vancouver – deeper than virtually every other team in MLS, in fact. Vancouvers reality is this: they do not yet have the depth to challenge the top sides in MLS over the course of an entire season. ‘Yet being the key word. Vancouvers head coach, Carl Robinson, knows that he needs to address this shortcoming. However, his hands are tied – or at least his salary cap space is - to three players. Injured skipper Jay Demerit, central defender Andy OBrien and midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker have all played a role in Vancouvers solid start to the season. But it is difficult to see a future in Vancouver for any of the three beyond this season. In the case of Demerit and OBrien, age is simply not on their sides. 34 and 35 respectively, they are coming to the end of their outstanding careers. Reo-Coker, on the other hand, has seen his playing time decrease considerably this season, due in large part to the impressive form of both Laba and Koffie. Collectively, the salaries of Demerit, OBrien and Reo-Coker tally over $1 million – a third of Vancouvers salary cap space. The club simply cannot afford to have so much cap space tied up in three players whose roles are diminishing with time. This is the harsh reality of professional soccer; players are commodities to be bought, sold, bartered for and traded. Teams that are successful know that they have to constantly be searching for additions and upgrades to make their squad stronger. It is what Seattle did in the offseason, and they are reaping the rewards this year; the Sounders sit atop the MLS standings with 35 points from 17 games. If the Whitecaps are going to continue to move forward and build on their impressive start to their campaign, they need to add quality signings to their squad of promising young players. A central defender, a wide midfielder and a proven goal scorer are all on the shopping list, but unless Vancouver can create cap space, those signings might have to wait until the offseason. For now, Vancouver goes into Saturdays home game against Chivas USA (TSN2, 10pm ET, 7pm PT) in buoyant mood. With just one loss in their last 10 games, the Whitecaps have every right to be confident taking on the visitors. However, Erick ‘Cubo Torres is one of the hottest strikers in MLS right now – his fantastic stoppage-time goal sealed a 1-0 win for Chivas over the Montreal Impact last weekend – so Carlyle Mitchell and Johnny Leveron will need to keep a watchful eye on the Mexican front man if the Whitecaps are to keep another clean sheet. . On a hot, sweaty day, the Hall of Famer looked cool and comfortable. . The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists detailed in a report how Russian and international journalists have been harassed and prevented from covering sensitive stories in Sochi such as the abuse of migrant workers and environmental issues. . The result was a game-winning, power-play goal. Chiasson snapped a third-period tie and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory on Monday night. . The Canadians led for much of the game before Argentina forced overtime in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter. Canada weathered the storm after squandering a lead with a series of made shots. "Its a fantastic win for our country with 11 first-time Canadian national team members," said head coach Roy Rana. . The 48th-ranked Williams made her first appearance in Dubai since she won her second straight title here in 2010. Shed missed the last three years either because of injury or Sjogrens Syndrome.Sacramento, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Brook Lopez had 22 points and six rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets held off the Sacramento Kings 103-100 on Wednesday night. Brooklyn led by as many as 23 in the first half before the Kings trimmed the deficit to two late in the fourth quarter, but the Nets were able to stave them off down the stretch. Jarrett Jack posted 16 points and eight assists, while Joe Johnson added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Nets, who have won two of their last three games on the heels of a seven-game losing skid. I think we were moving the ball well and really sharing it, Lopez said. Weve been doing well. DeMarcus Cousins supplied 28 points and 14 rebounds and Rudy Gay chipped in 25 points, eight boards and six assists for Sacramento, which has lost five consecutive contests. We just didnt come ready to go, Kings head coach Ty Corbin said. I thought we came back and fought hard. Gay scored the final eight points of a 12-2 run to trim an early 17-point fourth quarter deficit to 88-81 midway through the frame and Cousins netted the last four points of a 9-22 spurt later in the period to whittle the gap to 96-94 with 1:31 to go.dddddddddddd Johnson answered at the other end with a left wing 3-pointer before Cousins and Johnson each hit a pair of foul shots for a 101-96 Brooklyn advantage with 24.1 ticks remaining. Cousins drove in for a dunk and Johnson split a pair from the charity stripe, but Ben McLemore was off on a triple and Jack hit 1-of-2 foul shots with 8.6 seconds on the clock to seal the outcome. Earlier, Jack capped a 14-5 burst to close the opening frame with a jumper as the Nets headed into the second with a 36-24 advantage. An Alan Anderson trey provided the Nets with their largest lead, 60-37, late in the second and they were up 62-46 at the break. Sacramento was within 82-69 after three. Game Notes Brooklyn point guard Deron Williams sat for the eighth time in nine games due to fractured rib cartilage ... Brooklyn has beaten Sacramento six times in their last seven meetings ... Anderson netted 14 points off the bench ... Darren Collison recorded 16 points and five assists for the Kings. ' ' '
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