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TORONTO - It took just seconds for the Portland Timbers to lose their captain Saturday. China NFL Jerseys .Will Johnson was stretchered off in the first minute of an MLS game against Toronto FC. He broke the fibula and tibia in his right leg after going shin-on-shin in a 50-50 challenge with Toronto fullback Mark Bloom that saw both players sliding to get at the ball near midfield and close to the Portland bench.The 27-year-old Canadian international midfielder, curled on the ground, immediately grabbed his leg just below the knee and motioned to be substituted. He remained in Toronto after the game to have surgery.Players know, Toronto coach Greg Vanney said later. Players know and he knew immediately (he was hurt).That was for me, the moment, the second I knew he was in trouble. It was a sad moment because I think hes a great player for this league ... I hope he recovers well and quickly.Johnson, a no-nonsense midfielder in his own right, was taken off the field after a lengthy delay. Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley, a close friend of Johnsons, stood by as the Portland player was treated before leaving on a stretcher and taken to hospital.I didnt get a great view, not sure if Ill watch it again. said Portland coach Caleb Porter. It was a tackle, two guys went in and he got the wrong end of it.It was unfortunate and tough but I was really pleased with the way the guys responded, sometimes you lose your captain and it sends your group into a funk but I thought we responded really well.Portland scored in the 13th and 16th minutes to go ahead 2-0 but gave up three goals in the second half, including the 89th-minute winner via a Bradley free kick to lose 3-2.Bloom also went down in the collision with the Toronto-born Johnson but was able to continue.For me it was just a matter of getting up and walking it off, Bloom said later. Unfortunately for him, it was more intense.There was no call on the play.They both went down just a little bit late for me, Vanney said of the collision. And what happens is theres so much force into the challenge when guys go down a little bit late. Neither guy was going after each other. The ball was just there and they were both going for it.Its a matter of inches and millimetres, one guy getting a broken leg and one guy being able to walk away. Its a sad moment.Growing up in Chicago, Bradley played youth soccer with Johnson and the two have also been teammates in Europe. They were both in each others weddings.As a player and as a competitor you hate to see anybody get hurt. But when its one of your closest friends its not nice at all, said Bradley. They both went in very hard. On the one hand you expected that they were both going to pop right up and on the other hand that play had a harder tone to it.If you were close to it, you could hear a€” the way they crashed into each other a€” you kind of knew that that was a hard one. I thought the medical staff and everybody did a good job. More than anything, at that moment, youre just trying to let him know youre there for him and make sure hes as calm and comfortable as possible.After the game, Bloom said his leg was throbbing but he was grateful it was nothing worse.It was just a situation where he took a bad touch, (the ball) got away from him. And at the beginning of the game you want to set a tone. So we both went in for the tackle. I thought we both went in clean, no one went in dirty. Its just unfortunate that someone had to come out like that.And Bloom tweeted: Good luck @WillJohnson04 in your recovery. Hope you get better quickly. God bless.The injury led to eight extra minutes at the end of the first half.More reaction was quick to follow via Twitter.Stay strong, @WillJohnson04 ... know you will be back better than ever, said Timbers owner Merritt Paulson.My thoughts and prayers to you @WillJohnson04, said Ben Zemanski, the Timber player who came on for Johnson.Wishing you a quick and healthy recovery, added Real Salt Lake goalie Nick Rimando. The five-foot-10, 160 pound Johnson was playing in his 29th game of the season and 177th of his MLS career. He has six goals this year.The injury and defeat overshadowed several Portland marks:a€” The Timbers tied their club MLS single-season record in goals (54).a€” The two goals in 16 minutes were the fastest to begin a match in the teams MLS history.a€” Midfielder Diego Chara became the first Timbers MLS player to surpass the 10,000 minutes played milestone in his Portland career.___Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter Wholesale Jerseys China .C. - NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick headlines this years electees into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Cheap Jerseys China . - The width of Alec Martinezs shin guard was the difference between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks in their playoff series opener. www.cheapjerseysoverchina.us/ . TSN 1290s coverage begins with Hustler & Lawless at 3pm. Rick Ralph hosts the Official Jets Pre-game Show at 5pm.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers are hoping to get off to a fast start this season for a change -- with or without Cam Newton. Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Friday the teams Pro Bowl quarterback threw passes and took all of his anticipated reps at practice with the first team, raising some hope that he might play Sunday at Tampa Bay. Rivera said Newton "took the next step" in his recovery from fractured ribs. However, Rivera reiterated he wont make a decision on Newton until Sunday, possibly before the team arrives at the stadium. "He looked pretty good," Rivera said. "It was a good sign. But we will see how he feels. He will get treatment (Saturday) morning and meet with trainers." Newton is listed as questionable on the teams injury report. The Panthers have lost five straight season openers and are 6-13 overall entering their 20th season. They lost their season opener at Tampa Bay 16-10 two years ago and will look to avoid a similar lacklustre performance on Sunday. Whether Newton is part of Carolinas game plan remains to be seen. Hes never missed a start in three seasons for Carolina. If he does play, hell wear a thick flak jacket to protect the ribs he busted in an Aug. 22 preseason game at New England. Rivera said he will listen to input from Newton, the trainers, his assistant coaches and even general manager Dave Gettleman before making a decision on whether Newton starts. "I have to listen to whats going and how everybody feels," Rivera said. "The truth of the matter is I have to make a decision that is ultimately in the best interest of his health and in the best interest of the football team. Our concern is his health, first and foremost." Rivera was more certainly optimistic than on Thursdaay when he talked about not wanting to risk putting Newton on the field if he couldnt protect himself. Cheap NFL Jerseys China. Newton didnt speak to reporters on Friday. Derek Anderson would start if Newton is still too sore to play. Anderson has started 43 games during his nine-year NFL career, but none since 2010. Hes only thrown four passes in the past three seasons with the Panthers. Asked if hes ready to play, Anderson replied "Always." "I thought I had a good week of preparation and we will finish it tomorrow and see what happens," Anderson said. Anderson said the game plan will be exactly the same regardless of who starts. Carolina has had some real duds in its three season opening losses under Rivera. That has led to some poor starts for the season with the Panthers going 1-5 in 2011, 1-6 in 2012 and 1-3 last year. Unlike the first two seasons, the Panthers were able to pull out of that early funk in 2013 and win 11 of their final 12 games to finish 12-4 and win the NFC South championship. But theyd prefer not to have to take that route again. "Starting with a win is the way to go," said middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. "It gives you a chance to say, All right, we got the first one behind us and you dont have to keep waiting for it. That is what hurt us last year. We lost the first game and it took us a while to get going. If you can get going it sets the tone for the season." Said linebacker Thomas Davis: "Its important to start fast because we dont want to be in the same situation we were in last year and start feeling pressed. We are confident with our team. Its just about executing early. Sure, we were able to pick it up last season, but we dont want to start out slow like that again." Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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