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Both Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps face tricky games this weekend, as both teams cling to their respective playoff lives. TFC sits in seventh place in the MLS Eastern Conference with six games left to play, while Vancouver sits in sixth place in the Western Conference with five games remaining. Canadaa€?s third MLS team, the Montreal Impact, is already eliminated from playoff contention. Whitecaps fans will have one eye on the earlier game on Saturday, as TFC takes on the Portland Timbers (TSN1, TSN4, TSN5 1pm et/10am pt). A Toronto victory, coupled with a Vancouver win over Real Salt Lake (TSN2, 7pm et/4pm pt) would see the Whitecaps leapfrog the Timbers into the fifth and final Western Conference playoff place. However, victories for both teams will not be easy to come by. While Jermain Defoe returned to Toronto from England this week, the injured star is not fit to play and will be a spectator at BMO Field on Saturday. Defoe hopes to join in full training on Monday, but his involvement in TFCa€?s remaining fixtures will be largely dependent on how quickly he can get up to speed. The Timbers are coming off a massive 3-0 home victory over Vancouver. It was a clinical performance from Portland, who dominated the game in both penalty areas. A glorious finish from Diego Valeri opened the scoring for Portland before striker Fanendo Adi added a brace to seal the points in the second half. Portland will be buoyed by finally having their playoff chances in their own hands - outdo the Whitecaps over the remaining five games and the Timbers will claim a playoff place. A settled back four has certainly helped Portlanda€?s cause of late, but the midfield duo of Canadian international Will Johnson and Diego Chara provide the real bite in Portlanda€?s team. That defensive solidity allows Diego Valeri, Darlington Nagbe and Rodney Wallace the freedom they need to support and supply their front man, either Adi or former TFC striker Maximiliano Urrutti. In order for Toronto to beat Portland and boost their own playoff hopes, they will need to put in another strong performance, like the 3-0 victory last week against Chivas USA. Granted, Chivas is the joint worst team in MLS, tied with the Montreal Impact on 24 points, but there were positive signs in Torontoa€?s overall performance. The return of Steven Caldwell at the heart of defence was a massive boost for TFC and I liked head coach Greg Vanneya€?s decision to play Michael Bradley at the base of the midfield diamond with Jonathan Osorio at the tip. Vanney will need to replace Jackson on Saturday, as the Brazilian was red-carded against Chivas and is suspended. Vanney may opt for a tactical change, as Portlanda€?s 4-2-3-1 formation will likely be what the home side has to contend with, but the midfield diamond can work for TFC if Bradley and Osorio perform up to their capabilities. If Gilberto can continue his rich vein of form up front, he will cause problems for Portlanda€?s back line. In Vancouver, the Whitecaps might face a less-than-full-strength Real Salt Lake team. a€?We need a result, RSL head coach Jeff Cassar said earlier this week. Were going to put the best team out there that we feel is going to give us a result. But at the same time, we have to be smart, since were getting toward the end of the year. But I feel very confident in the team that were going to be putting on the field.a€? He has every reason to feel confident in his team. RSL has won five of its last eight games, including a 5-1 win over Colorado last weekend. They get goals from multiple players and have a tried and tested tactical approach to the game. The 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield has become synonymous with RSL over the last few years and their players are well-drilled in its workings. They will line up in that way, but Vancouver has options to counter RSLa€?s formation. Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson could opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation, like the one that came from two goals down to steal a point in Aprila€?s 2-2 draw with RSL in Utah. Or he could opt to match up RSLa€?s formation with their own 4-4-2 diamond midfield, with Russell Teibert and Mauro Rosales flanking Matias Laba and Pedro Morales in midfield. The 4-2-3-1 formation provides more width and leaves Vancouver less exposed defensively in wide areas, but the 4-4-2 diamond is probably best suited to the strengths of the Whitecaps midfield quartet. Whatever formation Robinson elects to employ, he will need better from his front men a€“ the Whitecaps have failed to find the back of the net in five of their last seven games. Honduran Johnny Leveron trained all week with Vancouver after returning from international duty, and could return to the lineup to partner the impressive Kendall Waston in the heart of Vancouvera€?s defence. Mike Vernon Jersey . Henrik Samuelsson and Luke Bertolucci also scored for the Oil Kings, who are now 9-0 on home ice in the playoffs to cut Portlands series lead to 2-1. Chase De Leo and Mathew Dumba responded for the Winterhawks, who suffered just their fourth loss in their last 46 games, a string of success running all the way back to Jan. Gary Roberts Jersey . Meeks has agreed to a $19.5 million, three-year deal with Detroit, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday night. 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The ninth-ranked Russian looked to be cruising before McHale broke late in the second set to tie the match and then took her commanding lead in the final set after breaking Sharapova.England were thwarted by a spirited Sri Lanka fightback on day two of the third Investec Test at Lords, as the visitors closed on 162-1 in response to the hosts first-innings 416. Openers Kaushal Silva (79no) and Dimuth Karunaratne (50) both cracked fifties in putting on 108 for the first wicket, although the latter benefited from a bit of luck when dropped by Jonny Bairstow on 28. Englands Chris Woakes says the Lords surface has flattened out and the morning session on day three against Sri Lanka has become crucial. Bairstow made amends by grabbing Karunaratne down the legside off Steven Finn (1-31) soon after hed reached his half century, but it was to be Englands only wicket of the day.Earlier Bairstow hit an unbeaten 167 - his second score over 150 in Tests - adding 60 to his overnight score before England were bowled out.Bairstow put on 144 for Englands seventh wicket with Chris Woakes (66) - the Warwickshire allrounders maiden Test fifty - as Sri Lanka toiled early on day two. Jonny Bairstow celebrates bringing up a second 150 for England in Tests The partnership was finally broken when Woakes fell five overs before lunch, loosely lofting a return catch to Rangana Herath (4-81), and while Stuart Broad (14) lasted till lunch, he picked out gully off Suranga Lakmal (3-90) soon after the interval.Herath added Steven Finns wicket to his tally, but missed out on a five-for and a spot on the Lords honours board as Shaminda Eranga took the final wicket of James Anderson. Jonny Bairstow suffers with the Lords wobble as he drops Dimuth Karunaratne Englands destructive new ball attack of Anderson and Broad were off colour for once in their opening spells, conceding 23 from the first four overs, helping Sri Lankas openers settle.ddddddddddddBy contrast, Woakes hit his straps with his first ball, drawing a thin edge from Karunaratne through to Bairstow, but the ball wobbled in the air and wrong-footed the wicketkeeper causing him to drop the chance.Woakes suffered from further misfortune soon after tea, with a strong lbw shout against Karunaratne turned down, but the ball was shown to be clipping the top of off-stump on review - though not sufficiently to overturn the decision. Sri Lanka opener Kaushal Silva starred on day 2 of the third Test against England at Lords. Karunaratne kicked on, cracking Anderson for three fours in a row and went through to his half century soon afterwards, only for his luck to finally run out when edging Finn down the legside an over later.Silva stuck around though after notching his second straight fifty in the series and is nearing a third Test ton, putting on 51 for the second wicket with Kusal Mendis (22no) to see Sri Lanka safely through to stumps without further loss.Watch live coverage of day three of the third Investec Test from 10.30am on Saturday on Sky Sports 2. Before then, catch highlights from day two at 8pm on Sky Sports 2, followed by The Verdict at 9pm. Kaushal Silva hit an 11th Test fifty as Sri Lanka blunted Englands attack on day two at Lords ' ' '