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VANCOUVER -- John Herdman may be new to the CONCACAF region, but he knows exactly how his opponents will try to stop Canadas womens soccer team from reaching the 2012 Olympics. King Dunlap Chargers Jersey . "The keys are, theyre going to try and stop (Christine) Sinclair," said Herdman, Canadas coach since last September. "So how you play Sinclair, where you play her, is going to be crucial, and having some fluidity around that as well." Canada will open the eight-team Olympic qualifying tournament for teams in North and Central America and the Caribbean today against Haiti. Only two teams will earn a berth in this summers London Games. Canadas other opponents in its preliminary-round pool are Cuba and Costa Rica. The other group consists of the U.S., Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. Trying not to give away too many secrets, Herdman said Canada will strive to create more room for Sinclair and allow its top striker to get into open space more elusively. As captain and longtime star Sinclair goes, so goes Canada most of the time. The dependence on her was magnified during last summers early exit from the World Cup in Germany, where she suffered a broken nose and was not at her best while playing in extreme pain. Since replacing Carolina Morace at Canadas helm last fall, Herdman, an Englishman who guided New Zealand to a pair of World Cup berths, has made a point of trying to spread more offence around the pitch and relieve pressure on Sinclair. His moves worked as Canada won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in Mexico in October. However, Herdman said he is not worried about a possible over-reliance on Sinclair in this tournament. "I dont mind the relying when youve got a unique person like that," Herdman said. "All the best teams in the world have relied on those key players to do the scoring. "If its just her scoring and we get through the tournament, Ill take that. So its about making sure Sinky gets as many opportunities as she can to be in those key areas, as well as to probably arrive there a bit more early." Sinclair, a 28-year-old native of the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, appears poised for a strong showing in front of friends and family and a pro-Canadian crowd. She expects her club to continue to thrive on its emphasis on the attack, which Morace introduced and Herdman expanded upon. "Hes brought in some different forwards and some young forwards and, at the same time, given some veteran players a chance," Sinclair said. "Hes introduced a very attacking style of playing where a lot of people are involved in the attack. I think it showed in the Pan Am Games and our most recent games that other people could score when given the chance." Downplaying her own importance in Canadas attack, Sinclair credits Herdman for relieving pressure on her by getting more players going forward. She and Herdman said Canada will have to be aware of opponents efforts to cause frustration and score on the counter-attack. "Theyll do anything they can to try and get a result," said Sinclair. "For some of these teams, that means bunkering down and trying to catch us on the break. In the past, we kind of got frustrated with that and panicked a little bit, and thats something Johns been trying to work on with us." Canada and the U.S., which lost the World Cup final on penalty kicks to underdog Japan, are viewed as strong favourites in the eight-team tournament that concludes Jan. 29. Meanwhile, Mexico and Costa Rica are considered potential spoilers. Haitis squad, which has had to deal with last years devastating earthquake, is viewed as a clear underdog. Both Canada and the U.S. have made it clear they expect to reach the semifinals. But the Americans, who needed a second-chance tournament to qualify for the World Cup, insist they are not taking any teams lightly. "Were not overlooking anybody," said U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo. "Obviously, our teams World Cup qualifying didnt go as we expected it to go. So I expect us to step on the field - in the first game, the second game and going forward - and to be completely prepared, dialled in." The U.S. and Canada have not seen the Caribbean clubs since World Cup qualifying in Mexico in November 2010. Unusually frigid temperatures and snow that hit Vancouver this week might go against the teams from temperate climates, although B.C. Place Stadiums newly-installed retractable roof will be closed throughout the tournament. All teams must also adjust to playing on artificial turf after playing most of their games on natural grass. "Personally, I dont like field turf," said U.S. midfielder Megan Rapinoe. "I think you can ask any footballer and they would say they dont like it. But its a nice pitch as far as field turf goes." U.S. star Abby Wambach said her team wont use weather, the opponent, or surface as an excuse. But the Americans faced a potential psychological burden late Tuesday as Vancouvers first homicide of the year occurred in a restaurant in the hotel where they are staying. Solo said the shooting incident made her think about loved ones and the importance of life itself. But the team has no concerns about being in Vancouver. "Keep in mind: I live in Seattle," said Solo. "Its just a few hours down south. So I feel safe, and I know our team has no second thoughts about being here." LaDainian Tomlinson Blue Jersey . So on Friday, they went to work. The two-time Eastern Conference runner-ups announced they had signed three free agents -- backup big man Lavoy Allen, swingman C. King Dunlap Womens Jersey . Lowry joined TSN 1050 on Monday to discuss his personal growth, what was going through his mind on his final second drive and whether his future plans include staying in Toronto. “That last play will be my summertime grind,” Lowry said of his final shot which was blocked by Paul Pierce in the lane as time expired.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Ron Rivera is staying in Carolina after leading the Panthers to their first playoff appearance since 2008. The Panthers rewarded "Riverboat Ron" on Tuesday with a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2017 season after Carolina finished 12-4 this season and won the NFC South championship. Carolina lost at home in the divisional playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers. Rivera started the season on the hot seat after a 1-3 start, but the Panthers rebounded to win 11 of their final 12 regular season games to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. Rivera had one year left on the four-year, $11.2 million contract he signed in 2011 when first hired as head coach. Financial details of the new deal were not immediately available. "The improvement of our team has been reflected in the progress of the record over the last three seasons under Ron and we look forward to building upon that foundation," Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said in a release. Rivera is 25-23 in three seasons as the Panthers head coach. The decision to extend Rivera isnt surprising. Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman said two days after the season ended he had "ultimate faith" in Rivera as the teams coach. He made good on that statement this week, giving Rivera three additional seasons at the helm. "The team has shown improvement under Ron each year and he is deserving of the recognition that he has received for the 2013 season," Gettleman said inn the release. Ladarius Green Chargers Jersey. "We are pleased and excited with the continuity this extension brings." The 52-year-old Rivera went 6-10 and 7-9 in his first two seasons in Carolina, starting those seasons 1-5 and 1-6 respectively. After Carolina stumbled out of the blocks this year with another poor start there was talk about Riveras future with the team. But following a road win at Minnesota in Week 5, the Panthers got hot behind quarterback Cam Newton and a stifling defence led by middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. Rivera did his part, too. He took on a gamblers mentality after the slow start often going for it -- and succeeding -- on fourth downs, earning him the nickname "Riverboat Ron." "I have been very clear about how much I have enjoyed living in Charlotte and working for this organization," Rivera said in the release. "I very much appreciate the support and confidence Mr. Richardson and Dave Gettleman have shown in me and our staff." Rivera quickly deflected praise from this past season, saying "Any success we have enjoyed is the result of a team effort by players, coaches, scouts and the entire organization, and our ultimate goal remains winning the Super Bowl." The next challenge for Rivera will be sustaining that success. Since joining the NFL in 1995, the Panthers have never been to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The extension comes two days after Rivera led his team to a victory in the Pro Bowl. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '