VANCOUVER -- Brad Knighton has a problem with follicles. Scarpe Nike Air Max Thea Uomo Print Natural nere Charcoal bianche . "I dont enjoy hair," the Vancouver Whitecaps backup goalkeeper said recently. "Youre doing your taping and putting your shin guards on. Its not a very good feeling." Accordingly, Knighton regularly shaves his legs his legs prior to games. He will continue the ritual before Wednesdays opening leg of an Amway Canadian soccer championship semifinal series in Edmonton, where he is expected to make his first start of the season. "I wouldnt say it makes me play better or stronger," he said. "Its like a lucky penny in your pocket." If all goes as planned, the Whitecaps will bank on Knighton to help them advance closer to a Canadian title that they have never won. The two-game, home-and-home series will be decided by total goals. The return leg goes May 9 in Vancouver with the winner advancing to the Canadian finals against the winner of the Toronto-Montreal series. The Whitecaps enter the game with a 4-2-2 record, including a league-leading six shutouts, in Major League Soccer play. Meanwhiile, Edmonton (0-3-1) has gone winless in four games in the lower-tier North American Soccer League. Knightons first start is designed to give No. 1 Joe Cannon a rest as the Whitecaps deal with a heavy schedule of four games in 10 days. However, Knighton, a 28-year-old Hickory, N.C., native who grew up in Richmond, Va., also offers a strategic advantage. His former Carolina RailHawks squad went unbeaten against Edmonton (3-0-1) in four NASL meetings in 2011. Knighton was in goal for every game and only allowed one goal on a penalty kick. "They like to possess the ball," said Knighton. "Theyve done very well possessing the ball. Scoring goals was one of their issues last year." In other words, Edmonton did not score often enough, and it is still having difficulty putting the ball in the net this season. The squad from the Alberta capital, which still has many holdovers from 2011, has scored only three goals to date while allowing six. But Knighton expects the host club to put on a good show at Commonwealth Stadium. "Theyre going to be up for an MLS team," said Knighton. "And, playing for a Canadian championship, theyve got something to play for." So does Vancouver. Last year, under then coach Teitur Thordarson, the Whitecaps played Toronto to a 1-1 draw in the first game and were leading 1-0 on the aggregate through 60 minutes of the second leg when torrential rain and a thunderstorm struck. In accordance with tournament rules, the game was abandoned and a replay ordered. In the meantime, the Whitecaps went through upheaval as Thordarson was fired and replaced by interim coach Tommy Soehn. Vancouver lost the replay 2-1. In 2009, the Whitecaps were in strong contention to win the tournament, when the Montreal Impact lost 6-1 to Toronto. "I havent heard a tonne about it," said Knighton. "But from what I know, its a tournament that this organization looks forward to winning." The Whitecaps will have to prevail with a revamped lineup. Captain Jay DeMerit and fellow defender Young-Pyo Lee, who have played all eight regular-season games, did not make the trip in order to rest before Saturdays MLS contest against the San Jose Earthquakes. Brazilian striker Camilo remains sidelined with a thigh injury that forced him to miss last weekends 1-0 victory in Columbus. But Knighton insisted the club will still strive to put out their best effort against an apparently weaker team. "(Coach Martin Rennie) is not going to take this game lightly," said Knighton. "Thats not Martins mentality. I dont think its the organizations mentality. Itll be interesting to see which players he mixes in there. But every player who is in there knows what Martin wants." Rennie decided Knighton was the keeper he wanted last season. Then with Carolina, Rennie recruited Knighton after he was released by Philadelphia after the 2010 season. Knighton, a former University of North Carolina-Wilmington standout who was never drafted by an MLS team, had gone up and down between MLS, with New England and Philly and lower-tier Indiana Invaders and Portland Timbers teams the previous four seasons. He posted a 17-3-8 record in the regular season and then went 1-1 in the post-season, earning a promotion to MLS when Rennie moved to the Whitecaps and brought him along. "Its a difficult situation going from playing 30 games a season to being the backup here," said Knighton. "But (Cannon) has done a fantastic job and, defensively, weve been pretty good." Knighton shared in one clean sheet against Chivas USA on March 17, and also got credit for the win, after Cannon left the game in the first half with a quadriceps injury. The backup approaches every game with "a chip" on his shoulder, aiming to prove that he deserves to start more often. "I just keep my head down and push (Cannon) and be a team player and wait for my opportunity," said Knighton. Notes: Vancouver defender Alain Rochat, who has missed five games with a knee injury suffered March 24 against D.C. United, made the trip and is expected to see action. ... With Lee also out, defender Carlyle Mitchell, who excelled after joining the team late in the 2011 season, has a good chance of playing his first game of the current campaign. ... Whitecaps rookie striker Darren Mattocks has returned to practice after being sidelined with shoulder burns sustained in a cooking accident at home six weeks ago. He is expected to be cleared Wednesday. ... Away goals serve as the first tiebreaker. If the series is still tied after overtime in the second game, it will be decided by penalty kicks. Nike Air Max 90 Outlet italia . -- Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon has been suspended indefinitely without pay for another violation of the NFLs substance-abuse policy. Nike Air Max 2015 Scarpe Honeycomb KPU Donna nere rosa fluorescente gialle . The Canadians rose to No. 11 from 12th in the rankings released Wednesday following their bronze-medal performance at the recent FIBA Americas championship.NEW YORK -- Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling responded to the NBAs attempt to oust him on Tuesday, arguing that there is no basis for stripping him of his team because his racist statements were illegally recorded "during an inflamed lovers quarrel in which he was clearly distraught." According to the response, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, Sterling says V. Stiviano recorded him without his knowledge and thus the recording was illegal under California law. He also said he could not have "wilfully" damaged the league because he did not know it would be made public. "A jealous rant to a lover never intended to be published cannot offend the NBA rules," Sterling said in the document, which was first reported by USA Today. Meanwhile, the attorney for Shelly Sterling confirmed that Donald Sterling has given her written permission to sell the team. According to a person who is in contact with a potential bidder, who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the process publicly, the Clippers are seeking binding bids before next Tuesday -- the day NBA owners are scheduled to meet in New York and vote on whether to strip Sterling of the team. The league said in a statement Tuesday that if three-quarters of the 30 owners voted to sustain the charge, "the Sterlings interests in the Clippers will be terminated and the team will be sold." The NBA charged Donald Sterling with damaging the league and its merchandising partners, and the leagues constitution gave him until the end of Tuesday to respond. According to a basketball official familiar with the proceedings, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss Sterling, the NBA has scheduled a call of its executive committee for 3 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. Shelly Sterling submitted her own separate response to the NBAs charges Tuesday that included a "vigorous defence of the attempt by the NBA to blame her for doing nothing wrong," according to a person with knowledge of the proceedings. The individual wasnt authorized to speak publicly about the response. In his response, Donald Sterling saays that next weeks hearing cannot be fair because the owners have already made up their minds, quoting 10 teams who commented on Twitter or elsewhere that they supported the seizure of the team. Nike Air Max 90 Uomo Prezzi. An AP survey on the day Commissioner Adam Silver announced Sterlings lifetime ban found that half of the teams supported it and no owner was against it. "These procedings will be a spectacle meant to mollify the popular opinion, not a fair and impartial hearing: the outcome of these procedings became a foregone conclusion weeks ago," the response states. The response also notes the disparity between his lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine and previous NBA punishments, including the $100,000 fine levied on Kobe Bryant when he was caught referring to a referee by a homosexual slur, and the 72-game suspension of Ron Artest for punching a fan. The NBA said Sterling is in violation because his racist comments were harmful to the league and its business partners, including the players. Sterlings response argues that because his comments came in the privacy of his girlfriends living room he cannot be considered "taking a position" that damaged the NBA, as required under the league constitution. "Mr. Sterling was not conducting the sport of professional basketball when he was arguing with Ms. Stiviano in her living room," the response says. "Not even the Commissioner alleges that Mr. Sterling intended to harm the NBA with his comment. Nor could he. This was an argument between a jealous man and the woman he loved that should never have left the privacy of his living room." Sterling also noted his history of supporting racial diversity, including five black head coaches and a black general manager, Elgin Baylor, who held the job for 22 years. Baylor eventually unsuccessfully sued Sterling, accusing him of racist behaviour. It also notes that he was due to receive his second lifetime achievement award from the NAACP before the recording of his comments was leaked. The response claims that it would cost Sterling $300 million to $500 million in capital gains taxes if he is forced to sell now rather than pass the team to his heirs. Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys China Cheap MLS Soccer Jerseys ' ' '
