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VANCOUVER - Despite not having scored in almost three months, Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson has kept Sebastian Fernandez in the starting lineup.That faith was repaid on Saturday.Fernandez scored twice in the first half a€” his first goals since July 5 a€” as Vancouver cruised to a 2-0 victory over FC Dallas.The 24-year-old Uruguyan stands just five foot seven, but headed home his first in the 14th minute before cooly slotting home a second four minutes later.Terrific performance by the kid. It really was, said Robinson. He was a threat all game. His little movement patterns and his positional sense in getting into areas and causing problems for them was evident throughout the game.With the win, Vancouver (10-8-13) maintained its one-point lead over Portland in the race for the final playoff spot in Major League Soccers Western Conference after the Timbers downed the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 later Saturday. Both the Whitecaps and Timbers have three regular-season games remaining.Fernandez hadnt scored in 14 games, including 12 starts, coming into Saturday, but Robinson said his play overall has been strong.His work ethics fantastic, said Robinson. Hes technically a very, very talented footballer and hes got ability. When he gets in the final third he makes things happen.Fernandezs only blemish on the night was a late yellow card that will force him to sit out Vancouvers critical game Friday on the road against the Seattle Sounders.I think it was a very good win for us, said Fernandez. This is a great group, a great team. We must keep going.Mauro Rosales played his best game for Vancouver since coming over in a trade with Chivas USA, picking up assists on both of Fernandezs strikes.Were very lucky to have him, Robinson said of the 33-year-old Argentine. He was excellent. His technical ability is second to none and he had a massive influence on the game today.Vancouver improved to 3-2-1 over its last six, while Dallas remains fourth in the West, five points up on the Whitecaps and one back of Real Salt Lake with one more game played.I thought we did really well, said Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted, who picked up his 10th shutout of the season. First half we got our goals. Seba played fantastic and scored two great goals and the second half was great defending. Overall a good performance.Vancouvers three remaining games include that tough road matchup Friday against Seattle, which made Saturdays home date at B.C Place Stadium even more important.Fernandezs first goal came off a Rosales cross before the veteran midfielder made a great pass to set up the second.It is important for us for the strikers and the guys who play up front to get goals, to get confidence, said Rosales. This is what we need for the last push.Dallas (14-11-6) tried to fight back in the 33rd minute when striker Blaz Perez a€” who came in with three goals in two games against Vancouver this season a€” was ruled offside after getting behind the Whitecaps defence and beating Ousted.The visitors a€” now 4-4-0 over their last eight a€” had another opportunity to cut the lead in the 38th, but Vancouver midfielder Matias Laba made a goal-saving tackle on Dallas striker David Texeira right in front of Ousted off a break.Vancouver tied Dallas 2-2 at home on July 27 before dropping a 2-1 decision in Texas on Sept. 13, but Saturday seemed like it was always going to be belong to the Whitecaps.We went there three, four weeks ago and we took it on the chin, said Robinson, whose team won back-to-back games for the first time since May. We lost 2-1 in a game where we probably could have got something. Today was our day, but theyre a very good team.Robinson went with the same starting lineup for the third straight game after last weekends 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Real Salt Lake, and Ousteds goal wasnt really challenged much after halftime.Dallas had given Vancouver fits on set pieces in the earlier meetings, but that wasnt the case Saturday as the backline of Jordan Harvey, Andy OBrien, Kendall Waston and Steven Beitashour defended well in front of the steady Ousted.Credit to the back four in the second half especially, said Robinson. They defended properly and showed a lot of character out there. The game was won in the first half, but for me, the game was managed fantastically well in the second half.Tempers flared on both sides a bit towards the end of the match, which could make for a good battle in the playoffs a€” a likely scenario if the Whitecaps manage to edge out Portland for the final post-season spot in the West.I think if these two teams meet its going to be a brawl, to say it lightly, said Ousted. You just see that people get into every tackle.Notes: The Whitecaps announced Friday that out-of-favour striker Omar Salgado will join Mexican side Tigres UANL on a 12-day trial beginning Monday. The 21-year-old was the first pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, but has made just 29 league appearances a€” including 12 starts a€” during his time with Vancouver. Salgado had been absent from practice in recent weeks, leading to speculation his time with the club could be coming to an end. ... Vancouvers remaining regular-season games after the trip to Seattle are at San Jose on Oct. 18 and home to the Colorado Rapids on Oct. 25. ... Portland plays home games against San Jose on Wednesday and Real Salt Lake on Oct. 17 before closing things out on the road against Dallas on Oct. 25. ... Dallas next game is Oct. 12 at home against the Los Angeles Galaxy. ... Saturdays attendance was 20,183. Cheap NBA Jerseys China . With their coach gone, they finally played offence the way he would have wanted. Amare Stoudemire made all seven shots in the first half, Anthony passed and shot well, and the Knicks shook off the surprising departure of their coach to rout the Portland Trail Blazers 121-79 on Wednesday night, snapping a six-game losing streak. Wholesale Jerseys Authentic . Sixteen teams have moved on. Sixteen teams have gone home. http://www.wholesalecheapjerseysauthentic.com/. -- During a players meeting following the All-Star break, Jermaine ONeal promised his teammates to play the rest of the regular season like he would never play again -- because he very well might not. Cheap NFL Jerseys 2018 .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies have finalized their agreed-upon trade that sends former National League MVP Jimmy Rollins to the West Coast for a pair of minor league pitching prospects. Wholesale Jerseys 2018 . The 23-year-old Poland international is back as first choice at Arsenal after losing his regular spot in the team on occasions over the last three seasons.Its been quite the week for Welsh football. A number of magnificent stories emanating from Englands neighbour to the West have been worthy of praise. The South Wales derby arriving on the world stage of the Premier League, Swansea City holding strong in the Europa League, Gareth Bale scoring in Champions League for Real Madrid, West Broms Boaz Myhill with a clean sheet against Crystal Palace, and Chris Coleman seemingly front runner for the managerial position with the Eagles. All aforementioned positive Welsh footballing stories pale in comparison to the continual top performances by two players on opposite ends of their playing careers. The legendary Ryan Giggs and the upstart Aaron Ramsey featured prominently in the Champions League midweek; a testament to the quality of both players. Giggs Manchester United and Ramseys Arsenal face one another this Sunday in what sets up to be a mouth-watering tie and statement match for both sides. Ramsey will play a key role. And based on form and possible squad selection, its hard to rule out some sort of Giggs intervention in the all-important match. Welsh football has an esteemed class of top players having come from the tiny British nation. Ian Rush, John Charles, Mark Hughes and Neville Southall immediately come to mind. And while Bale is the current poster boy, no player comes close to the accomplishments of Ryan Giggs. The most decorated player in Premier League history, Giggs added another notch to his belt Tuesday, playing in his 950th match for Manchester United in a 0-0 draw at Real Sociedad. Giggs was influential in the middle of the park with United holding 55 per cent of possession and were two hit goal posts away from taking all three points. While his central midfield partner, Maraoune Fellaini was a mess and all over the place before being sent off, Giggs was a pillar of strength, bringing stability to the position and team organization. Nothing flashy, but efficient. Giggs 950th match for United puts him in the same illustrious category as all-time greats Paolo Maldini and Pele for extended service to one club. Nearing the age of 40, Giggs has undoubtedly lost a step, but his football instincts and adaptability still make him an important squad player at Old Trafford. The Welshmen has re-invented himself from a pacey left-winger into a savvy, composed central midfielder. Nowadays, Giggs picks his spots when moving forward in attack, preferring to use his superior vision and distribution to influence a match. Giggs resume speaks for itself – 13 Premier League titles, as well as a myriad of other silverware – and stands alone as the only player to play and score in every Premier League season. Now an assistant coach, it must be an awkward transition, not only in his career, but serving as the bridge between the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson to David Moyes. Coaching is a new role for him, and balancing his contributions on the field with staff responsibility speaks to how highly regarded he is at the club, from the top down. The fact he continues to contribute at a high level speaks to the class of the player. Hes only played nine matches, and must be used conservatively but the games he has played in speak to his importance. Hes played in three of Uniteds four Champions League matches, as well as appearing against Chelsea, Liverpool twice, and Southampton. United has clear weakness in the middle of the park. Fellaini is struggling to settle and Tom Cleverley has failed too convince.dddddddddddd Phil Jones has been a fit in the midfield in certain matches. So it falls to Giggs to bring consistency to the position alongside Michael Carrick. It may not be ideal casting too much responsibility on a 39-year-old nor is it ideal to do the same with 18-year old Adnan Januzaj on the wing but thats where United is at for the time being. Despite their ages, Giggs and Januzaj both seem up for it. Important for both, Manchester United is returning to form. They are undefeated in October and their last eight overall heading into Sundays match with Arsenal. Squad rotation and role definition is all-important to this return to form. Giggs is a big part of that. Arsenal does not have the luxury of a deep squad. Relying on the young legs of a Welshman of their own is a must. Ramsey, 22, has been a revelation these early days. The winning goal in a 1-0 shock away victory at Borussia Dortmund not only puts the Gunners in pole position to advance from a very difficult Group F in the Champions League, but also incredibly brings Ramseys goal tally to 11 in 17 appearances in all competitions this season. Ramsey had 11 goals combined in the last four years in various competitions for Arsenal and Cardiff City. His emergence has tipped him as early front-runner for Player of the Year. Its strange to think the player is only 22, having originally featured with Arsenal in 2008/09. Ramsey has always been highly rated, but the early returns failed to live up to his lofty billing. The impatient nature of modern football had some questioning whether hed ever meet the standard of a top, regular Premier League footballer. There was legitimate reason to question. The player often looked timid, lost in his own skin, prone to mistake with little stature. The previous description has been the furthest from the truth in recent months. Its all seemed to come naturally for Ramsey this campaign. The cool finishing in front of goal stands out. Ramseys finish against Liverpool on the weekend was a testament to patience and confidence on the ball. Liverpool foolishly gave Ramsey too much time and space outside the 18-yard box. With awareness, Ramsey let the ball bounce three times, not rushing his effort, before delivering a top corner blast for his sixth tally in Premier League play; a class goal by every sense of the description. In previous years in a similar situation, the player would have rushed the effort or become over-anxious at the opportunity. His newfound calmness is striking, not only in goal scoring opportunities but also in possession of the ball. Taking players on, back heels, and cheeky interventions have become commonplace. Its no coincidence this growth has shown itself with other top creative players around him. The influence of Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil is a positive one and cannot be discredited. Playing in a midfield of much lesser quality at Arsenal in previous years, where the line between brilliance and error was paper-thin, the context put too much of an onus on a player ill-prepared to take upon such a role. The midfield is now a strength at Arsenal; Ramsey is a prominent piece but not alone. Bale may have moved on to Spain but the Premier League remains in good Welsh hands. The savvy, record setting custodian and the lively, full of confidence young gun are making sure the Welsh Dragon is not forgotten in a sea of Belgian quality in the Premier League. @WheelerTSNgareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca ' ' '