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Its been more than a year and a half since Canadas mens soccer team tasted victory. Too long for Benito Floro. So while Canadas pair of friendlies against Bulgaria and Moldova in Austria are a continuation of the coachs plan to bring young players into the Canadian team fold, theyre also very much about winning. "We need to win because it is very important for us to improve our psychology and mentality," Floro said Thursday from Laa an der Thaya, Austria, where the team has been based. "For us, they are two games that are very important." Canada — 110th in the FIFA rankings — faces No. 73 Bulgaria on Friday in Ritzing then meets 99th-ranked Moldova in Mauer on Tuesday. The Canadians went a woeful 0-13 last year, and scored just one goal — by Marcus Haber — in a 2-1 loss to Japan. Their last victory came in October 2012, a 3-0 win in World Cup qualifying against a Cuban side that dressed just 11 players (several Cubans left the team before the game kicked off in Toronto). "Were longing for a win," Atiba Hutchinson said. "Its been a while so I think were motivated enough to get that. We just have to go out and work as we always do and hopefully well be a bit more fortunate with getting that result, but well have that working spirit." Floro summoned a mix of veterans such as Hutchinson and Julian de Guzman and promising young players including Caleb Clarke, Samuel Piette, Daniel Stanese and Cyle Larin for these friendlies. Eight of the Canadians have yet to make their national senior debut, as Floro focuses on developing younger players one year out from the next CONCACAF Gold Cup and the resumption of World Cup qualifying. "The objective is the same for every camp: to prepare players on our system of play because we need to improve our level in attack and defence. At the same time, we want to take the young players because the experienced players are good at teaching them how to work as an individual and in a collective," Floro said. "For the young players, this is a very good experience because our experienced players are very good people and they are always focused on teaching the young players how to do things in a good way." Floro is counting on players such as the 31-year-old Hutchinson, who plays professionally in Turkey, to help bring the younger ones along. "Were developing well and mixing some younger players is going to help us," Hutchinson said. "Its going to take some time to jell a little bit more but I think were trying to go in the right direction." On a team that sorely needs goal scoring, eyes will be on the six-foot-two Larin in these two friendlies. The 19-year-old from Brampton, Ont., earned conference rookie of the years honours after scoring a team-high 14 goals for the University of Connecticut. "We brought Larin into the Florida camp (in January) because we had a very good reference and we want to test him because hes a striker and we need a lot of players in this position," Floro said. "In that camp, we realized he is a young player but with good experience playing as a striker. He has a good desire to learn a lot about that and for us he is a good player for the present and the future." Canadas roster is comprised mostly of European-based players. Among the other veterans on the squad are Andre Hainault, David Edgar, Tosaint Ricketts and Simeon Jackson. . Its been two seasons in one for both parties and neither will look back on the first 18 games fondly. "I think I took the fall for a lot of things," said Gay, reflecting on his short time in Toronto ahead of Wednesdays game against his former club. .TV Series: Duck Dynasty. . According to a report from CSN Bay Area, the 49ers are bracing for 6-8 game suspension for their outside linebacker. . But defending champion Elena Vesnina of Russia held off a strong challenge to beat Shuai Peng of China 6-3, 6-4, and there was another hard-fought victory for 2012 runner-up Angelique Kerber of Germany, who defeated Alison Riske of the United States 7-6 (6), 6-4. . Dumont, a fifth round draft pick of the Canadiens in 2009, has four assists and 20 penalty minutes in 12 games with the Bulldogs this season. The 23-year-old split last season between Hamilton and Montreal, recording 16 goals and 15 assists in 55 regular season games with the Bulldogs.Liverpool, England (SportsNetwork.com) - Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard confirmed on Friday he will leave the club at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season. Gerrard, 34, has been the face of Liverpool Football Club during a glittering career on Merseyside which spanned 17 years and included 695 appearances and 180 goals. A native of Liverpool, he joined the clubs youth academy at 8 years of age, made his first-team debut in 1998 and went on to win two FA Cups, three League Cups, one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, and, famously, the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League title in which he led the Reds back from a 3-0 second-half deficit to win in a penalty shootout. Gerrards contract with Liverpool will expire at the end of the season, but no decision has been made on a future destination, but he has said that he will continue his career outside of the U.K. and will not move to a club which could be in direct competition with Liverpool. This has been the toughest decision of my life and one which both me and my family have agonized over for a good deal of time, Gerrard said. I am making the announcement now so that the manager and the team are not distracted by stories or speculation about my future. Liverpool Football Club has been such a huge part of all our lives for so long and saying goodbye is going to be difficult, but I feel its something thats in the best intterests of all involved, including my family and the club itself.dddddddddddd Im going to carry on playing and although I cant confirm at this stage where that will be, I can say it will be somewhere that means I wont be playing for a competing club and will not therefore be lining up against Liverpool - that is something I could never contemplate. My decision is completely based on my wish to experience something different in my career and life and I also want to make sure that I have no regrets when my playing career is eventually over. My final message is for the people who make Liverpool Football Club the greatest in the world - the supporters. It has been a privilege to represent you, as a player and as captain. I have cherished every second of it and it is my sincere wish to finish this season and my Liverpool career on a high. Gerrard scored a pair of penalties on Thursday to held the Reds earn a 2-2 draw against Leicester City at Anfield. The club currently sits in eighth place in the Premier League with 29 points, seven behind Southampton for the final Champions League place. It is almost an impossible task to find the words to appropriately sum up Steven Gerrard and his importance to Liverpool, added manager Brendan Rodgers. This is an era where the word legend is vastly overused, but in his case it actually doesnt do him justice. ' ' '
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