PORTLAND, Ore. Niklas Backstrom Authentic Jersey . -- Even a few tense moments and a flurry of shots at the finish didnt dissuade Portland coach Caleb Porter from believing that the Timbers were going to beat the Sounders. "We dodged some bullets, for sure," he said. "But in the end I thought it was our game to win." Kalif Alhassan scored late in the first half and the Timbers held on for a 1-0 victory over Cascadia Cup rival Seattle on Sunday night, denying the Sounders a chance to clinch a playoff berth. The Timbers (13-5-14) moved into first place in the MLS Western Conference, pulling them closer to the post-season spot with two games left. Portland has not lost in six straight overall matches, and hasnt lost at home in 14 straight. "Everybody is dialed in," midfielder Will Johnson said. "Everyone is on board." It was the third straight loss for the Sounders, who fell to Vancouver Whitecaps 4-1 on Wednesday night. The Sounders (15-11-6) dropped into third place in the conference standings as the playoffs loom. Seattle star Clint Dempsey, captain of the U.S. national team, appeared to injure his shoulder in the first half and twice went to the sidelines to seek treatment. But he returned for the second half. He was trying his best, but he was carrying his shoulder," Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. "He couldnt go into challenges and tackles, he couldnt run normally. All those things affected him." With the Seattle loss, Vancouver claimed the supporters-created Cascadia Cup, an annual three-way competition between the Sounders, Whitecaps and Timbers. The Timbers were last seasons recipients of the Cascadia Cup, which was introduced in 2004 when all three teams were part of the United Soccer Leagues First Division. But the actual rivalry between the three teams dates to 1975, when they were part of the North American Soccer League. Both the Sounders and Timbers were missing players because of international duty. The Timbers were without defenders Rodney Wallace (Costa Rica) and Alvas Powell (Jamaica) and forward Ryan Johnson (Jamaica). The Sounders were without midfielder Brad Evans and forward Eddie Johnson, both of the U.S. national team. Schmid decided to go with Marcus Hahnemann in goal instead of usual starter Michael Gspurning. It was Hahnemanns third start this season. Dempseys header came close in the 14th minute but hit the crossbar, denying him of his first goal with the Sounders. A short time later, he was seen running to the sideline holding his left shoulder. He was briefly looked at by a trainer before heading back on the field. Dempsey came off again in the 27th minute and his shoulder was treated on the bench. He had just returned from a hamstring injury that has kept him out since Sept. 13, entering Wednesdays match against Vancouver in the 51st minute before starting against the Timbers. Schmid was concerned about the beating Dempsey has been taking. "You look at the times that Dempsey got fouled, thats gotta stop," the coach said. " The referees got to protect him, and they dont, and it doesnt matter if a foul is early in the game or late in the game." Alhassan doffed his jersey after his goal from the top of the box flew past Hahnemann, running to the corner and dancing for the fans before he was mobbed by his teammates. "I was excited," said Alhassan, who is from Ghana. It was his third goal this season. The match was heated throughout, but tempers flared after Portlands Darlington Nagbe was fouled in the 72nd minute. In the back-and-fourth between the two teams, Seattles Osvaldo Alonso elbowed Will Johnson and was sent off two minutes later with a red card. Alonso had to be pulled away from the officials by teammate Steve Zakuani before he left the field. Schmid also vociferously argued the ejection. Zakuanis had a shot that hit the crossbar in stoppage time, and defender Jack Jewsbury helped to stop and clear a rebound. "We hit the crossbar in the first half, we hit the crossbar again in the second half, even playing a man down. I didnt think we deserved to lose this game at all," Schmid said. " We deserved to come away with at least a tie." It was the third meeting this season between the two teams, but first in Portland. The first ended in a 1-1 draw and Seattle claimed the second 1-0. The Timbers have not earned a playoff berth since joining MLS in 2011. Josh Harding Authentic Jersey . "Our level of work has to go up," said Carlyle on Thursday. "Weve stated that and weve (told) our players that the message is going to start to be delivered in a different manner if were not going to get the results that were looking for. Josh Harding Jersey . Victoria now has a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series for Canadas senior indoor lacrosse championship. Jeff Shattler had a pair of goals and four assists for the Shamrocks, while Scott Ranger, Karsen Leung and Mitch Jones chipped in as well.The Toronto Raptors Northern Uprising continues to inspire fans across the country, as overnight data from BBM Canada confirms that Sunday nights Game 4 against the Brooklyn Nets attracted an average audience of 885,000 viewers, making it the second most-watched Raptors game ever, just behind the Raptors Game 7 loss to Philadelphia in 2001. Audience levels peaked at 1.46 million late in the fourth quarter as the Raptors secured the 87-79 victory. The game is the most-watched First Round game in the history of the NBA Playoffs on Canadian television. Confirming the Raptors popularity in their hometown, Game 4 was the most-watched sports broadcast of the week in the Greater Toronto Area, delivering more viewers than any hockey game, and reached 20.5% of viewers. Overall, the Raptors First Round NBA PLAYOFFS series against the Brooklyn Nets on TSN has attracted a total reeach audience of 6 million unique viewers through the first four games. Christian Folin Authentic Jersey. . The Raptors on TSNCanadians can continue to follow the Raptors on Canadas Sports Leader throughout the First Round of the NBA PLAYOFFS. Live coverage continues Wednesday (April 30) with Game 2: Brooklyn @ Toronto on TSN, TSN GO, and TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto. The broadcast schedule for Games 5-7 is as follows**:• Game 5: Brooklyn @ Toronto – Wednesday, April 30 at TBD • Game 6: Toronto @ Brooklyn – Friday, May 2 at TBD • Game 7: Brooklyn @ Toronto – Sunday, May 4 at TBD (if necessary) TSNs complete NBA post-season coverage, which includes the NBA FINALS, is available for live streaming on TSN GO. *Audiences prior to August 31, 2009 are based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters.**Schedule subject to change cheap jerseyscheap jerseys from china ' ' '
