As the MLS Playoffs resume this weekend with the second leg of the Conference Semifinals, Canadas three teams will be watching on from afar. Phil McConkey Jersey . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. This year the leagues Golden Boot did head north for the first time courtesy of Camilos 22 goals for the Whitecaps but none of Canadas teams have ever been close to being an MLS Cup contender. What if you could pick a team using players from the three Canadian MLS teams? Who would be in your starting lineup? Heres mine in a 4-3-3 formation, based on performances from the 2013 season. Goalkeeper - Joe Bendik: This one was a close call with Montreals Troy Perkins having a strong season and Vancouvers David Ousted a formidable presence between the posts following his mid-year move from Denmark. If I had a full season to judge Ousted, he may have been my choice but Bendik was excellent throughout the whole year for Toronto FC in his first season as the clubs number one goalkeeper. He was handed the opportunity following an injury to Stefan Frei and he grabbed it with both hands. The 24-year-old Georgia born keeper saved TFC on countless occasions while having to deal with a constantly changing back four in front of him. Right Back - YP Lee: At 36 years of age, YP Lee brought an illustrious career to a close in 2013, retiring from the game at the conclusion of the Whitecaps season. The South Korean international appeared at three World Cups during his career and was an extremely valuable player for Vancouver during his two years with the club. Although Lees performances in 2013 did not meet the heights of the previous year when he was named the teams MVP, the veteran provided a steadying presence at full back. He is positionally very strong and good defending one-on-one, but it is his ability to get forward down the right, especially during home games that stood out. Lee narrowly beat out Montreals Hassoun Camara for a spot in my fantasy starting lineup. Central Defender - Matteo Ferrari: Ferrari was a calming presence in Montreals defence in 2013 as he draws on his vast experience in Europe to be a big asset for the Impact in his second MLS season. He is aerially strong, very athletic and has a good positional sense. Ferrari is also a handful in the opposition penalty area as a threat in the air from set pieces. Central Defender - Steven Caldwell: The former Scottish international was the main reason for Toronto FCs defensive improvement in 2013. A defence that set a league record for the number of goals conceded in 2012 was tightened up considerably and Caldwells leadership was a key. He reads the game very well and is a commanding presence in the air. Had Jay DeMerit not missed a large part of the season due to injury, the Whitecaps captain would likely have been a strong contender for one of the two central defensive positions. Left Back - Jeb Brovsky: Brovsky was defensively solid as Montreals first choice left back and has really settled into that position well. He also likes to get forward down the left and finished the year with two goals and two assists. He played in every match until needing surgery with four games to go. Brovsky battles hard, and is also an excellent character to have in the locker room. Midfield - Matias Laba: 2013 will be remembered as the year Toronto FC over-promised and under-delivered, but for all the signings that didnt materialize, there was one high profile addition that will prove to be a major piece of the club moving forward. 21-year-old Argentine Matias Laba grew in stature with each game he played as he settled into MLS and has the potential to be one of the best players in the league in his position. His distribution is superb. He is tenacious in breaking up play and he also showed good ability to burst forward from a holding midfield role. Midfield - Patrice Bernier: The Canadian midfielder can be an impact player in both defensive and attacking aspects of the game. He has the qualities to win possession and then when he gets the ball, he has excellent distribution. Bernier can pull the strings in midfield, start attacks and also provide the killer pass that can lead to a goal, he finished the season with a total of eight assists for the second consecutive year. Bernier also has a perfect record from the penalty spot since joining Montreal two years ago, having scored all 10 of his spot kicks. His absence due to injury in the final weeks of the season left a hole the Impact were unable to fill. Midfield - Nigel Reo Coker: An experienced, fearless leader, Reo Coker had an excellent first year in Major League Soccer. He is strong in the tackle, positive with distribution and his lung-bursting runs forward can change defence into attack in the blink of an eye. When Reo Coker speaks, his team responds, and there was evidence of that on a few of occasions this year when the London born midfielder lifted the Caps team on his shoulders. He is also versatile; most at home as a central midfielder, he can also be effective on the right side of midfield and as cover at right back. Forward - Kekuta Manneh: The teenager didnt get the opportunity to be a regular starter for the Whitecaps in his rookie season but showed enough during his limited appearances to prove he has the ability to be a match-winner, finishing the year with six goals. He is a raw but exceptional talent with great speed and composure in front of goal, as he showed when scoring his hat-trick at Seattle in early October. With a run of games and experienced heads around him, Manneh can blossom into one of the most dangerous attacking players in MLS. I originally had Vancouvers Kenny Miller in the lineup instead of Manneh, but at just 18 years of age, the Gambians potential edged him ahead of the veteran Scot to give a youthful spark to the team. Forward - Marco Di Vaio: The Italian may be getting towards the end of his career, but he made an exceptional impact for Montreal on and off the field during the season. He was in the chase for the Golden Boot until the final day of the regular season, finishing with 20 goals. Di Vaio is one of the fittest players on the team and is an excellent example for the younger players on the team. He reads the game superbly and his intelligent running creates opportunities for himself and others. He is one of the best, most clinical finishers in MLS. Forward - Camilo: The Brazilian had the best season of his career, finishing as the leagues Golden Boot winner with 22 goals and being named to the MLS All Star team. There was great variety amongst the goals he scored including two diving headers at Seattle, a free kick against Sporting Kansas City, and of course the spectacular finish against Portland Timbers. He also finished the year with six assists. At the age of 25, he has some great years ahead of him.So there is my starting 11. There were plenty of close calls and a couple of decisions that Im still not certain about, but there will never be a perfect answer. The lineup I have chosen would play a 4-3-3 formation but could also switch to a 4-4-2 with Kekuta Manneh and Nigel Reo-Coker playing wide in midfield. Feel free to send me your thoughts on who should be in the 11 - @lukewileman on Twitter. Will Hernandez Jersey . But history aside, theyre still happy to participate in the Par 3 contest, traditionally held on the day prior to the first round of the Masters. Sean Chandler Jersey . "Yes, Id like to get them in," Detroits rookie manager said. "Mother Natures going to have a say in that." Sure enough, the Tigers had their game against the Kansas City Royals postponed because of rain on Thursday. http://www.cheapgiantsjerseysonline.com/?tag=eli-manning-jersey-online . Especially after he got ejected. "How many innings was that?" he wondered.LOS ANGELES - With sluggish starts costing his team two of their last three games, Dwane Casey has considered making a change to the lineup ahead of Friday nights contest against the Clippers. The Raptors have been outscored 88-66 in the opening quarter over a three-game span to begin the month of February. Their most recent loss, 109-101 in Sacramento on Wednesday, was eerily similar to Saturdays defeat at the hands of the Trail Blazers. After digging themselves an early hole on both nights, the Raptors were unable to close out late-game comeback bids, forcing Casey to question his first units disposition. "Every team has their cross to bear and ours is starting games," he said after practice Thursday afternoon. "Whether weve got to change the lineup to start the game or whatever, I dont know we have to see." "Thats been our problem and it just didnt start [in Sacramento Wednesday], its been going on for a while. Weve been able to dig out of it but you cant get hit like that and expect to bounce back that way every game, it just takes too much of a toll on your body." In many ways the Raptors have been defeating themselves. Over that three-game stretch they held opponents to 43 per cent shooting in the first quarter, an impressive mark, but the hustle stats tell a different story. Toronto was out-rebounded in the opening 12 minutes of each game and put both Portland and Sacramento on the line 12 times. "We addressed it, we talked about it," Casey said, citing his teams focus, toughness and attention to detail. If Casey does opt to shake up his starting lineup in Los Angles, even temporarily, the most likely casualty would be slumping California-native Amir Johnson. Johnson has been hampered by a sore right ankle after turning it late in last weeks win over Orlando. He has logged fewer than 20 minutes in just six games this season, yet three of those have come in the last four contests. The forward has been Torontos most reliable and valuable player over the last three years but its clear he hasnt been himself, even before his most recent injury. Eli Apple Jersey. After averaging 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds on 63 per cent shooting in December, Johnsons production dropped last month, scoring 9.5 points and grabbing 6.0 rebounds a night. His 47 per cent field goal shooting in January was his lowest in a full month since March of 2011. As a team the Raptors surrendered 11 points more than they scored with Johnson on the floor in the month. Johnson, who routinely tops the team in the plus/minus stat, was the only Raptor (minimum 50 minutes) that was a net-minus in January, per NBA.com/stats. Mired in a similar slump, and with the team struggling late in November, Johnson was pulled from the starting lineup in favour of Tyler Hansbrough (Johnson told the Toronto Sun that he had requested a move to the bench). Johnson would go on to play his best basketball of the season over the following nine games, averaging 18.0 points and 9.6 rebounds on 68 per cent shooting, and getting his starting job back after three games when Hansbrough went down with an ankle injury. Poised to make a run at the playoffs, the Raptors need Johnson, a nine-year veteran, healthy and focused late in the season. Another temporary demotion could be in the best interest of both the Raptors and their best defensive player. Although Hansbrough could be a candidate to replace him should a change be made, without disrupting the chemistry of the second unit, he has fallen out of Caseys regular rotation since returning from injury. Patrick Patterson would seem to be the most logical choice. Often the first player of Torontos bench, Patterson has been consistently effective since coming over in the trade from Sacramento in December. The forward has scored in double figures in 12 of his last 20 games, averaging 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds, shooting 52 per cent from the field and connecting on 17 of his 35 attempts from three-point range over that stretch. The Raptors have outscored opponents by 132 points when hes been on the floor during that span. Jerseys NFL China Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale China Jerseys NFL Jerseys China Discount Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Cheap Nike Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Nike Patriots Jerseys Cheap Nike Jets Jerseys Cheap Nike Bengals Jerseys Cheap Nike Browns Jerseys Cheap Nike Steelers Jerseys Cheap Nike Texans Jerseys Cheap Nike Colts Jerseys Cheap Nike Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Nike Titans Jerseys Cheap Nike Broncos Jerseys ' ' '