Abstimmungen » grueling stretch against raanked teams

Two teams below the red line on the Western Conference table collide Sunday, when shorthanded Sporting KC hosts the Seattle Sounders at Childrens Mercy Park.The Sounders have been mired with inconsistency this season and been unable build off a recent big 5-0 win over first-place FC Dallas. Theyve dropped two games since that big win, including a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy in U.S. Open Cup play on Wednesday.Weve got to buckle down, captain center back Brad Evans told the teams website after the loss to the Galaxy on Wednesday. Just keep saying the same thing every week, but thats how you have to approach it. Its a bit of a Groundhog Day, even when youre winning. Its keep doing the same thing. And when youre losing, youve got to keep doing the same things that weve talked about: put your head down, work, sacrifice yourself for the team, all the things everybodys read in the press. Weve just got to keep working and bang away some goals and hopefully that changes the outlook for us.Sporting KC (8-10-4) has experienced similar inconsistency this season and sits in seventh place, but just one point behind sixth-place Portland. They followed up back-to-back wins over New York City FC and Columbus with back-to-back shutout losses to Chicago and Colorado, and now find themselves with a rash of injuries heading into Sundays game.Sporting KC could be missing as many as five key contributors, including emerging center back Nuno Coelho, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Defender Matt Besler, an MLS All-Star, also will miss the game after suffering an injury while training this week.Hes definitely not going to play this weekend, and he wont be going to the All-Star Game, Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes told the teams site Friday. You tweak (a ligament), and it just takes time for it to shrink back to where it normally is.The injuries to Coelho and Besler leaves the Sporting KC defense depleted, but will Seattle be able to take advantage?The Sounders are 2-7-1 in their last 10 league games and have only one road win on the season. Seattle has owned the series against Sporting KC, however, going 7-3-3 all-time. Harmon Killebrew Jersey . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Blake Parker Twins Jersey . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. http://www.twinssale.com/twins-paul-molitor-jersey/ . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Blake Parker Jersey . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Kent Hrbek Jersey . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Friday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- CHICAGO -- The Cubs return home one win shy of their first World Series appearance in 71 years. They lead Los Angeles 3-2 in the NLCS, with Chicagos Kyle Hendricks facing the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw on Saturday.- CLEVELAND -- Waiting to learn their opponent for Tuesdays start of the World Series, the Indians work out at Progressive Field. Cleveland has won seven of eight games this postseason.- LONDON -- Coach Ben McAdoo says the New York Giants have not yet decided whether Josh Brown will remain on the team after admitting to repeated abuse of his former wife.- NEW YORK -- NBA owners wrap up their two-day meetings, moving closer to a new labor agreement with players that would prevent a work stoppage next summer.- Adding Kevin Durant only adds to Golden States role as the overwhelming favorite in the West. The Warriors look to reclaim their crown, but much in the conference has changed.- TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- No. 6 Texas A&M plays at No. 1 Alabama on Saturday in a game between the SECs last unbeaten teams.- AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn is rested from an open date; Arkansas has reached the midpoint of a grueling stretch against raanked teams.dddddddddddd They play Saturday and a win would surely elevate either teams mood and, perhaps, its season.- TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Chase Elliott has been inching toward his first career Cup victory all year. He needs it to come Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, where anything but a win will likely eliminate the rookie phenom from the playoffs.- AUSTIN, Texas -- Nico Rosberg says he wont settle for the safety of second at the U.S. Grand Prix. Hell be looking for enough speed to rattle teammate and rival Lewis Hamilton in Friday practice.- SOELDEN, Austria -- Marcel Hirscher begins his bid for an unprecedented feat in the 50-year history of World Cup Alpine skiing -- a sixth straight mens overall title. Rival Aksel Lund Svindal is struggling following a knee injury.- PARIS -- Frank McCourt, who in 2012 sold the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2 billion, has a new line of work these days as owner of Marseille. And he intends to put plenty of money into the ailing French soccer club.- HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- Experts and policymakers in health, sports administration, law and education gather for a three-day conference on concussions. ' ' '