Allgemein » cause for validation, or nothing more than a brief reprieve?M

Real Salt Lake has finally found its winning form again.RSL snapped a streak of four consecutive home draws with a 3-1 victory over Chicago last weekend. It marked the second win in three matches for Salt Lake and gave goalkeeper Nick Rimando his 181st career MLS victory -- the most in league history.Salt Lake (10-7-7) is looking for another breakthrough when it hits the road against the Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday. RSL has dropped four consecutive road matches in the series. It may take an improved defensive effort to break the streak.Salt Lake has allowed the second-most total goals (34) among Western Conference teams this season and the second-most goals away from home (25).Aaron Maunds absence with a foot injury and Jamison Olaves age (35) have combined to make the backline porous. RSL signed veteran defender Chris Schuler this week to shore up its backfield depth. Schuler played with the club for six seasons after Salt Lake drafted him in 2010.Seattle (7-12-3) is poised to take advantage. The Sounders throttled Orlando City SC 3-1 in their most recent match behind a hat trick from Clint Dempsey. It marked the second hat trick of Dempseys MLS career and helped the Sounders notch their third win in 13 matches.Nicolas Lodeiro has given Seattles offense a boost. He assisted on two of Dempseys three goals against Orlando -- the first ones of his MLS career since joining the Sounders.RSL could get its own offensive boost Sunday. Yura Movsisyan is available to play after sitting out three straight games with a hip flexor injury. Movsisyan leads the team with seven goals and 23 shots on goal. Stitched Mets Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. Mets Jerseys 2019 . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. https://www.cheapmetsjerseys.us/ . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Custom New York Mets Jerseys . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. New York Mets Shirts . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. METAIRIE, La. -- Saints fullback John Kuhn plans to stay in New Orleans during his teams Week 5 bye and try to get his first real taste of life in the Big Easy.That option became a lot more attractive after he scored three touchdowns in the Saints first victory of the season in San Diego.I wont feel like I have to have a hood up at all times, said Kuhn, who joined the Saints in August and knows what its like to mingle with a passionate fan base from his nine seasons with Green Bay.The Saints might be 0-4 now if not for a trio of Chargers turnovers inside the final seven minutes of New Orleans 35-34 victory on Sunday . Then again, they were not far off from being 3-1, either.New Orleans led Oakland in Week 1 until the Raiders scored a touchdown with 47 seconds left, and then added a bold, do-or-die 2-point conversion for a 35-34 victory.The Saints still had a 61-yard field-goal attempt for the win as time expired, but Wil Lutzs kick narrowly swerved wide left.In Week 2, the Saints lost to the Giants on a field goal in the final seconds. Only one of New Orleans losses didnt go down to the wire -- a 45-32 setback against Atlanta in Week 3.So the Saints head into their week off with at least a measure of hope theyll start winning more during the last three quarters of their schedule.We had a couple of close games at the beginning of the season that could have swung the other way, defensive end Cameron Jordan said. When you come out with those wins, it helps build confidence for the young guys and helps mold the team.The bye also comes at what appears to be a preferable time for the Saints, who have been riddled with an unusual number of early season injuries to key players.It is unclear whether starting left tackle Terron Armstead (knee), starting middle linebacker James Laurinaitis (quad), projected starting linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (quad), tight end Josh Hill (ankle) and left guard Senio Kelemete (hamstring) will return from injuries by the time New Orleans next takes the field at Carolina on Oct. 16. Ellerbe, however, appeared close to returning this past week, and annother week off certainly helps the other hobbled players.ddddddddddddMeanwhile, players including safety Kenny Vaccaro (ankle) and receiver Willie Snead (toe) just returned from recent injuries on Sunday. They could use more time to heal.And in just a few more weeks, starting cornerback Delvin Breaux and first-round draft choice Sheldon Rankins, a projected starter at defensive tackle, could be back. Both of them have fractured fibulas.Weve got a lot of guys that we need to get back healthy, which will make us a lot better team, said Vaccaro, adding that hell be staying in New Orleans this week. Ive got to get treatment on my ankle; it was really sore (Sunday), so Ill have to get treatment throughout the week.On Sunday, the Chargers, who led by 13 before their offensive meltdown, lambasted themselves for giving the game away.For the Saints, it begged the question: Was their first victory cause for validation, or nothing more than a brief reprieve?Many Saints players saw it as the latter, because they played hard until the end and capitalized on San Diego mistakes in the clutch.Even before the Chargers turnovers, the Saints defense bowed up in its territory to force a field goal and keep the game a two-possession affair.Then came the fumbles, one of which was caused by a heavy hit from safety Vonn Bell, while the other just seemed to slip from the grasp of Chargers receiver Travis Benjamin.A lot of times with turnovers, its just capitalizing on the offenses mistakes, Vaccaro said. If guys arent running to the ball, we wouldnt have recovered the fumbles.Even after the Saints took the lead, the defense, which came in ranked 31st in the NFL, had to stop star quarterback Philip Rivers from driving into field goal range. The Chargers went backward and B.W. Webbs interception of a fourth-down pass sealed it.We needed that win and I dont care what form or fashion it came in, Vaccaro said.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '