ws that." Toronto FC, 9-8-5, performed

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Toronto FC manager Ryan Nelsen stood outside the visitors locker room at Sporting Park and promptly rattled off a list of the reasons his club is in position for its first playoff appearance in franchise history. He raced through the areas of improvement in only a matter of seconds. But that index eventually led him to a realization that his club learned the hard way Saturday. Theres still work to be done. Sporting Kansas City put a stamp on its Eastern Conference lead by routing Toronto FC 4-1 in front of 20,730 fans at Sporting Park. Toronto FC fell to 0-2-1 this season against the Eastern Conference leaders. "We needed to harden as a team, but you have to do that through experience, through playing and through the plays, year after year of grinding it out," Nelsen said. "I think we still got a wee bit to go, but the positives on our day, we can beat anybody in this league, and I think everybody knows that." Toronto FC, 9-8-5, performed better than the scoreline indicated. The visitors recorded only one less shot than Sporting KC and held 47 percent of the possession - a hard number to reach at Sporting Park, where only one visiting team has claimed victory this season. But Sporting KC striker Dom Dwyer broke a five-game scoreless slump when he converted a pair of first-half penalty kicks. He has 16 goals this season. Toronto FC forward Gilberto Oliveira Souza executed a nifty flick to beat goalkeeper Jon Kempin in extra time of the first half to cut the deficit to 2-1, but Soony Saad and C.J. Sapong finished off corner-kick plays for the 4-1 final. "I dont think well be giving away goals on corner kicks like that. We dont normally," Nelsen said. "And then its just two penalties. If you take all that away, they dont create much against us and dont break us down very often. "We had very many opportunities to score a lot of goals in open play. Were dangerous. We look good now. Well be a different animal when we have a few guys (back)." The club played without its captain, defender Steven Caldwell, as well as Jermain Defoe, Mark Bloom and Warren Creavalle. Nelsen said all four players could return when Toronto FC returns home Aug. 23 to host the Chicago Fire. Their absences loomed large - particularly on the back line. "We looked young at the back today - some indecision," Nelsen said. "But we learned from it. All those guys learned from it. Theyll grow from it. The experience will be good for them. The exciting thing about it is if were lucky enough to come back and play these guys again, Im very confident in our team." Gilberto provided reason for optimism in the first half when he finished off a crossing pass from Dominic Oduro, but he missed his chance to knot the score later in the game. Gilberto found himself in a one-on-one with Kempin - who was making the first start of his Major League Soccer career - only six minutes after halftime, but Kempin deflected the shot wide. Toronto defender Jackson Goncalves - responsible for the first penalty kick when he tripped midfielder Benny Feilhaber - had an opportunity to atone for his mistake in the second half when he found himself one-on-one with Kempin. But he took too long to make his move, and Sporting KC defender Aurelien Collin hustled back to clear the ball from danger. That was the end of chances for Toronto FC, which still managed to secure six points over its four-game road swing. "I think youd take six points from four away games. I think if someone offered me that, Id probably take it," Nelsen said. Matt Murray Jersey . - Frankie (The Answer) Edgar dominated B. Ron Francis Jersey . -- David Freese is starting to pick up his run production, which is something the Los Angeles Angels have been waiting half a season to see. http://www.penguinsauthenticofficial.com...artin-jersey/.Y. -- When the New York Islanders lead was cut in half in the opening minute of the third period, the sense of impending doom began wafting through Nassau Coliseum. Paul Coffey Jersey . Johansen scored twice and Derek MacKenzie, Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson also had goals to lead the Blue Jackets to a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, ending a three-game losing skid. Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and foot injuries.TORONTO -- The Canadian mens rugby team will play the U.S. on June 21 in Sacramento, Calif., as part of the IRB Pacific Nations Cup. Canadas other game in the tournament -- against Japan on June 7 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, B.C. -- had been previously announced. The contest against the U.S. Eagles will be played at the new Cal Expo Multi-Use Sports Field. Canada is currently ranked 15th in the world, while Japan is No. 13 and the Americans are No. 18. The other Pacific Nations Cup pool features No. 8 Samoa, No. 11 Fiji and No. 12 Tonga. Samoa will host Tonga on June 7 before Fiji entertains Tonga on June 14 and Fiji faces visiting Samoa on June 21. The U.S. will host Japan at the Stub Hub Center in Los Angeles on June 14 in the other Pool B game. The Pool A winner will be crowned the Pacific Island conference champion while Pool B will compete for the Asia/Pacific conference title. "The Pacific Nations Cup is an excellent opportunity for all participating teams to play some tough, competitive test matches with just over a year to go until Ruggby World Cup 2015," Mark Egan, the International Rugby Boards head of competitions and performance, said in a statement Wednesday.dddddddddddd Canada will also host No. 10 Scotland at Torontos BMO Field on June 14. Canadian coach Kieran Crowley plans a trials match in B.C. a week before the first game in June so he can review the Canadian-based and overseas talent at his disposal. Domestic-based players will take part in the Canadian Rugby Championship in the late summer with Crowley selecting the cream of the crop to represent Canada in the Americas Rugby Championship in the fall. The Canadians will also have three test matches in November. Canada has already qualified for the 2015 World Cup, which opens in September 2015 in England. The Canadians will play in Pool D with No. 5 Ireland, No. 7 France, No. 14 Italy and No. 17 Romania. Fiji and Canada both finished with 3-1-0 records at the Pacific Nations Cup in 2013 but the Pacific Islanders placed first by virtue of more bonus points. The 2013 event was a basic round-robin format. 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