track," Garber said. "Were developing
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It seems like only yesterday, but it was on this day a year ago that Canadas Womens Soccer Team created history, beating France to win a bronze medal at the London Olympics. Diana Mathesons late winner was a moment never to be forgotten, and the performance of the team throughout the Olympics lifted the players to a whole new level of recognition across the country. It was fantastic to see how our Womens soccer team was able to bring the nation together and having the honour of calling that moment in Canadian soccer history was such a privilege and one of the most special moments in my broadcasting career. The country got swept up in soccer fever because of the spirited way in which those players represented our nation and there was a great sense of pride in what they managed to achieve. It was an amazing story after the controversial, heartbreaking way they lost to the United States a few days earlier and the players deserved immense credit for the way they responded. Of course, the match that still sticks out above all others was the heartbreaking semifinal defeat to the United States. It was a match for the ages. A brave, spirited performance from underdogs, denied a famous win in controversial circumstances at one of world soccers most iconic venues. It was one of the most enthralling games you are ever likely to see. A 4-3 defeat to the No. 1 ranked team in the world is certainly no disgrace, but the manner in which the game was lost left the Canadians feeling cheated. Unfortunately, at the time, all the talk about the referees decisions overshadowed an incredible individual display from Christine Sinclair. We shouldnt have been surprised. Sinclair is world class and proved it once again last summer. She is one of the greatest soccer players the womens game has ever seen. She is the ultimate professional and a total team player. It was great to see her receive so many accolades and awards following her performances at the Olympics. A bronze medal was a big success for this team, but now full focus is being placed on building towards Womens World Cup in 2015 to ensure that Canada is able to perform well on home soil. Canada coach John Herdman transformed the team in the space of a year but now has another massive job ahead. After finishing the Womens World Cup in 2011 in last place and without a win, Herdman inherited a despondent bunch of players. In a 12 month period he worked just as much on improving the mental aptitude of his squad as any other aspect of their game. Now he has to deal with expectations created by the Olympics success while reinventing a squad that has lost, and will continue to lose, some key veteran players. Herdman was a guest analyst with us in studio for TSNs recent coverage of the UEFA Womens EUROs in Sweden. Hes engaging, intelligent and without a doubt the right person to be leading this team to the World Cup. Canada is lucky to have him - but hes under no illusion as to the task that is facing him and his squad of players. Replicating the success of the London Olympics will arguably be a harder task than winning bronze in the first place. The next step in Canadas preparation for 2015 comes in October when the squad gets back together for a friendly against South Korea in Edmonton, but there isnt a moment that goes by when Herdman isnt plotting a way forward, as he aims to once again captivate the country with his teams performances in two years time. As Herdman told me recently, Canada will not enter 2015 as the highest quality squad in the World Cup, but he will make sure they are the best prepared. Cheap Panthers Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. Keith Yandle Jersey . What general manager Dave Nonis called "short and productive" negotiations ended with Kessel signing a US$64-million, eight-year contract on Tuesday. http://www.nhlpanthersauthority.com/ . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. James Reimer Jersey . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. MacKenzie Weegar Jersey . Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Expansion is coming to Major League Soccer. The only questions facing the leagues board are how many teams, where to locate them and when to bring them into the fold. Commissioner Don Garber told The Associated Press in a wide-ranging interview Monday that the leagues owners plan to discuss expansion "in great detail" during a meeting Wednesday. The MLS will play Italian club AS Roma in its annual All-Star game that night. At the moment, the league is focused on adding a second team in New York. But with David Beckham holding an ownership option and several cities expressing interest in a franchise, the league could shoot past the 20-team mark within the next few years. "The league is going to expand. Its not an if, but a when, and its a how many," Garber said. "Theres lots of interest among many, many different markets, so well get pretty focused on establishing something firmer in the next few months." There was a time when an ownership group could spend less than $10 million on a franchise, but those days are over. Surging attendance, modest but consistent television growth and even the recent success of the U.S. national team have made the MLS a hot property. It cost English club Manchester City and its partner, the New York Yankees, an expansion fee of $100 million to launch New York City FC, which will begin play in 2015. Other cities that have expressed interest in a team, or have lower-tier franchises who want to join MLS, include Atlanta, Sacramento, Orlando and the Twin Cities. Meanwhile, Beckham has been linked to businessman Marcelo Claure, who owns Bolivian team Club Bolivar. The two appear interested in Miami, where Claures wireless company Brightstar Corp. is based, and Beckham has said he plans to reveal his MLS intentions in the next few months. "The overall growth of the sport has been so dramatic over the last number of years by almost any measure," Garber said. "Whether its the league or the national team or the womens game, all the developments are sort of proving the fact that were a soccer nation." Expansion isnt the only issue for Major League Soccer, however. --The leagues TV deals with ESPN, NBC and Univision expire after the 2014 season, and Garber said discussions will begin early this fall on the next round of contracts. ESPN has broadcast MLS games since 2006, while NBC took over for Fox Soccer last season with a package that includes pputting the majority of its games on NBC Sports Network.dddddddddddd Univision joined up as a Spanish-language broadcaster this season. "Weve very confident we have a strong television property," said Garber, pointing toward overall growth in viewership the past two seasons. "We have great partners and there are many broadcasters that are really bullish on the sport, and I think its a good time to be in the business of selling sports television rights. Theres a lot of energy behind the sport." --Garber said progress on new stadiums for San Jose and D.C. United are good signs for the league, and hes confident a soccer-specific stadium will be built for New England. The Earthquakes broke ground on their new stadium last October and expect to move into it next year. D.C. United announced formal plans for its facility just last week. "Years ago, nobody ever said wed develop stadiums in what I would call the more difficult markets," Garber said, "and over time I think well achieve all our new stadium goals, including in New England. We do look at this as a long-term project." --As MLS continues to mature, Garber said its critical that teams begin to develop youth academies to produce the next generation of stars, rather than rely on aging players from Europe and elsewhere to stir up interest in the league. Garber pointed to Sporting Kansas City, which is hosting this years All-Star game, as an example of one franchise that has already begun to sprout homegrown talent. "There are a lot of paths to achieve our goal of being one of the top leagues in the world in the next 10 years, and its not just the signing of international players," he said. "Its really with the development of the American and Canadian players, and that starts with the development of the youth academics. Here in Kansas City, it certainly has proven to be true." Garber said the U.S. national team, which beat Panama on Sunday to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup, is further evidence that MLS is succeeding in producing the next line of stars. "When I look at their recent success in the Gold Cup, with a core of MLS players, it just proves the point that were right on track," Garber said. "Were developing a broad interest in the sport among fans, but also really doing well on the field. I think without doubt, if it wasnt for Major League Soccer, the national team wouldnt be what it is today." Wholesale NFL Gear Black China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Stitched NFL Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Jerseys Online Stitched NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL White Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Outlet White NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Camo Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping ' ' '