. \'And one of the clubs

VANCOUVER -- It started with considerable hype and hope, but ended in futility. Eddie Murray Orioles Jersey . So as the Vancouver Whitecaps prepare to open their second Major League Soccer season Saturday against the expansion Montreal Impact, they are taking a much more pragmatic approach than they did in their first campaign. "We were probably a little naive going in," Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said. "And one of the clubs internal initiatives, that became more public than it should have been, was wanting to be a top-25 club in the world. It wasnt a good idea to be trumpeting that." After earning a comeback 4-2 win over Toronto FC in their first-ever MLS game last March before a worshipping home crowd, the Whitecaps became the talk of the town and discussed the possibility of winning a league title as an expansion club. But by the end of May, popular Icelandic coach Teitur Thordarson had been fired and replaced by soccer operations director Tommy Soehn in a bid to salvage the season. But the move, which came after players with little MLS experience had earned dramatic comeback wins and ties and were still bonding as a team, had minimal effect. Vancouver finished last overall with a 6-18-10 record and did not win a single game on the road. As a result, the club has set much more modest goals of just being competitive and qualifying for the post-season in 2012. Declining to discuss exactly what went wrong, Lenarduzzi also wants to put the disappointing 2011 campaign in the past. "Its time to look ahead and not behind us," he said. "We dont want to dwell on what went on last year. It was a difficult first season for us. Everyone, from the youngest person on the totem pole right up to ownership, I think we all are holding our hands up and being accountable." The stability starts with the return of Brazilian striker Camilo and French counterpart Eric Hassli, who ranked among the leagues top scorers with 12 and 10 goals, respectively. St. Kitts and Nevis striker Atiba Harris is also expected to play a key offensive role after he was limited to five games last season because of a knee injury. French striker Sebastien Le Toux, acquired in a trade from Philadelphia also packs scoring punch, having recorded 25 goals and 20 assists over the past two seasons with the Union. Midfield is a question mark. Italian veteran Davide Chumiento, who struggled to get into the lineup last season and battled weight issues, is trimmer and possesses offensive flair while Ghana native Gershon Koffie provides a defensive presence. John Thorrington, who missed most of lost season with a groin injury, is healthy and should also provide improvement, as will Scottish international Barry Robson will arrive in the summer from Middlesbrough in England. On the back line, holdovers Jay DeMerit, Alain Rochat, Michael Boxall and Carlyle Mitchell should provide experience and stability. The defence has also been strengthened by the additions of former South Korean World Cup star Young-Pyo Lee and Argentine Martin Bonjour. Returning goalkeeper Joe Cannon wants the team to be stronger psychologically this season. "Our heads tended to go down and we looked for answers," he said. "I think now we have (the answers) and well have the confidence." The confidence-building task ultimately falls to new coach Martin Rennie. The highly-touted Scot finally gets to coach the club in regular-season games. Rennie guided the Carolina RailHawks of the North America Soccer League to regular-season and conference titles in three years with the club. "Everywhere hes gone, hes taken over a struggling club and turned it around," said Lenarduzzi. "We like that." But Rennie, who has brought five former Carolina players with him, is not setting any loft goals, either. Like Cannon, he stressed the importance of staying grounded. But Rennie believes the first-year Whitecaps put "a lot of pieces in place." "So far, its just about making sure that, every time we step on the field, were competitive and, every time we step on the field, we have a belief that we can win," said the 36-year-old. "Right now, that means the first game against Montreal and, really, thats as far as we go." Off the field, the team expects to have continued success after ranking third in the league with average of attendance of about 20,400. After playing most of last season at temporary Empire Field, the club will play all of its games at newly-renovated B.C. Place Stadium. Season-ticket sales are down about 2,000 to 13,000. But chief operating officer Rachel Lewis said less than 2,500 tickets remain for Saturdays opener. A sellout in the stadiums soccer configuration is 21,000. Initially, seating will be confined to the stadiums lower bowl, but tarps covering upper seats can be removed if demand warrants for subsequent games. Note: Harris will not play Saturday after suffering a knock on the knee in a pre-season game against Toronto FC, but is expected back soon. Eddie Murray Authentic Jersey . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. J.J. Hardy Orioles Jersey . The Texas Rangers right-hander will probably reconsider now. Wolf pitched five strong innings for his first big league win in his first start in the majors, David Murphy and Adrian Beltre homered in a three-run first inning, and the Rangers avoided a sweep with a 3-1 victory against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday.TORONTO - In a play that sort of typified the evening and maybe even their season, Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry led a second-quarter fast break by delivering a one-handed bounce pass to Greivis Vasquez, who lateraled to the trailing Amir Johnson. Johnson, the beneficiary of a couple perfectly placed passes, capped off the sequence with a tomahawk slam that put Toronto on top by 20 points. Fouled on the landing, Johnsons momentum carried him into the first row, where he proudly pointed to the team name on his jersey and slapped hands with fans seated on the baseline. It was that kind of night. The proceedings began with the unveiling of a second Atlantic Division Championship banner and concluded with a well-deserved standing ovation just over two hours later. The Raptors - trotting off the court following a 110-100, wire-to-wire win over the Bucks - had set a new franchise record with their 48th victory of the season, while also going 15 games above the .500 mark for the first time in team history. "Its definitely great because we fed off our fans," said DeMar DeRozan, who stood centre court and counted down from three, as the banner was uncovered from the rafters atop Air Canada Centre, hanging adjacent to the one they had earned in 2006-07. The final home game of the season - Fanapolooza, as its been dubbed - had been a somber event for five years running. It was an opportunity for the Raptors loyal, albeit frustrated supporters to come bid farewell to a team that had let them down, a chance to vent their disappointment but mostly to guzzle up free t-shirts, pizza and whatever swag the remorseful organization was offering up. Most importantly, it meant the end of basketball in Toronto for another long summer. Not the case on Monday. Monday night was a celebration, a show of appreciation from a starved fan base to a team that has captured their admiration with resilience and hard play. It was a night of reflection, looking back at where they came from and rejoicing in what theyve accomplished. It wasnt a goodbye. Theyll see them again in five or six days. "Weve got to have some of the most devoted fans in the league," he continued. "Ive been here through the struggles and tough times and our fans were still right there with us on this journey. So it definitely felt good to share it with them because they played a major part in it as well." Although DeRozan was in uniform, available to play if it would have come to that, he was given the night off to rest going into his playoff debut next weekend. As it turns out, they didnt need him, not against the league-worst Bucks on Monday night. It was the 11th time theyve played without a member of their first unit - a group that has won more games than any starting five in franchise history - and the 11th time theyve come away victorious. With the Raptors all-star guard cheerleading from the sidelines, Greivis Vasquez started in his stead, pacing the team with 25 points and seven assists. "It was a fun win," said Vasquez, who knocked down his first six shots, five of them from beyond the arc. "They gave me a chance to start, I just went out there and did my job." Performances like his, like Tyler Hansbroughs double-double in 20 minutes, are a big part of whats gotten them to this point. Chris Davis Orioles Jersey. DeRozan has carried this team more often than not, so too has Lowry - who scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half - but when one or both have needed it, someone has generally been waiting and ready to back them up. "All it takes is the right chemistry, the right group of guys and you can do whatever it takes," DeRozan said. "You dont need no big name players, you dont need this, that and the third, what people supposedly say you need. Were proof of that and we continue to keep growing, keep learning and keep building. On to the next step." The next step, as the Raptors leading scorer puts it, is Wednesdays regular season finale in New York. With a win over the Knicks, Toronto would lock down the Eastern Conferences third seed and face whomever slots into sixth, most likely Washington. The Raptors would fall to fourth and play the fifth place team - likely Brooklyn - if they should lose on Wednesday and the Bulls defeat the Bobcats in Charlotte. "Im more worried about us, more so than who we play," said Casey. "Its about us, about our health, the rest, whatever we decide to do in that situation. If we play Brooklyn we play Brooklyn. If we play Washington we play Washington. There are no easy teams left in the playoffs right now. All of the teams are very capable. Brooklyn is probably more playoff-ready. But we cant control that. And Im not going into [Wednesdays] game trying to control that." The Raptors coach said he has not decided whether DeRozan - second in the NBA in minutes logged this year - will play in Wednesdays season finale. Home sweet home The Raptors will finish the season with 26 wins at home for the fourth time in franchise history. After dropping eight of their first 12 games at the ACC, they have become one of the toughest teams to beat on home court, winning 22 of 29 since the end of December. "Coach definitely stressed to us, weve got to protect home court," DeRozan said of the turnaround. "Thats big. We cant let teams come in here and think they can get wins. We really started taking it personally, understanding weve got to use our crowd to our advantage. Everybody bought in, so every time we were home we felt comfortable and felt that we could get any win." "I think our guys have gotten better, matured, improved, I think more than anything else," Dwane Casey said of their success at home. "You should have the same approach whether youre on the road, playing on the moon, wherever youre playing youve got to have the same approach and our guys have done a good job of that, whether were on the road or at home." They were undefeated, 19-0 in games they led going into the fourth quarter in Toronto, something that should serve them well as they go into the first round of the playoffs with home-court advantage. The stat With their fourth straight win over Milwaukee, the Raptors swept the season series with the Bucks for the first time in team existence. The quote "We had group at the start of the season that was motivated, dedicated to winning," said Lowry, "and when everything didnt pan out we made a move and we got a group of guys who came in that really filled the voids that we needed. Everyone is on the same page. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '