HOUSTON -- Sporting Kansas Citys Jimmy Nielsen made three saves, and Houstons Tally Hall had two stops as Kansas City and the Dynamo played to a 0-0 tie in the first leg of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday. Sami Khedira Germany . The second leg will be Nov. 23 in Kansas City after a two-week break for FIFA international games. Houston appeared to take a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute as Kofi Sarkodie got a pass in the right box and sent one across into the net, but Sarkodie was called offside. Nielsen kept the game scoreless in the 29th minute, making a diving save to his right on Boniek Garcias free kick from 30 yards out. Teal Bunbury had a shot from 10 yards out stopped in the 39th minute. On the counterattack, Will Bruin had a shot from 35 yards out in the middle sail just above the crossbar. Nielsen stopped another Houston opportunity in the 57th minute, saving Cam Weavers header from 8 yards out. Per Mertesacker Germany Jersey . PAUL, Minn. Mario Gotze Jersey . So on Friday, they went to work. The two-time Eastern Conference runner-ups announced they had signed three free agents -- backup big man Lavoy Allen, swingman C.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The way Ramon Foster figures it, the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line deserved a little bit of good karma. Heck, probably more than a little bit.Every spring over the last five years it seemed the Steelers would make retooling and rebuilding the offensive line a top priority. And every fall the five guys penciled in to start would either get hurt or get shuffled around to cover up a leak.It was frustrating and, at times, borderline cruelly comic:—Centre Maurkice Pounceys ankle injury that kept him out of the 2011 Super Bowl;—The busted knee for guard David DeCastro that hampered his rookie season in 2012;—Tackle Marcus Gilberts various nicks and scrapes;—The shredded knee that limited Pouncey to all of eight plays in 2013.So calling the line patchwork would be an insult to patches.Finally, mercifully, those days appear to be over. The backbone of Pittsburghs first division title since 2010 — and the most productive offence in franchise history — is the jelling of a line that has come of age now that its found a way to stay out of the trainers room. Pouncey, DeCastro and left tackle Kelvin Beachum didnt miss a start, while minor injuries forced Foster and Gilbert to sit a handful of games combined.Maybe we were owed one by the football gods, Foster said with a laugh.Either way, the group that takes the field Saturday night when the Steelers (11-5) host Baltimore (10-6) in the wild-card round is thriving. All five are young — ranging in age from 24-28 — but have each started at least 33 games. It goes from perennial All-Pro Pouncey to Beachum, a sixth-round flier in 2012 who has blossomed into an undersized but competent revelation protecting Ben Roethlisbergers blind side.The line — with more than a little help from tight ends Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, fullback Will Johnson and tailback LeVeon Bell — kept Roethlisberger upright and the Steelers rolling. Roethlisberger took every snap and was sacked just 33 times, easily the fewest in a season in which hes played every game — even though he set a career high with 608 passes. His protection got better as the season went along. Roethlisberger hit the ground just twice during the four-game winning streak that propelled the Steelers back to the post-season afterr a two-year absence. Erik Durm Germany. The results were scoreboard stretching. Pittsburghs 436 points were the most in the franchises 82-year history. Antonio Brown broke every significant team single-season receiving record, and Bell found enough room to finish second in the AFC in yards rushing and second in the league in yards from scrimmage.The season included a 43-23 v. domination of the Ravens on No2. While Baltimore managed to get to Roethlisberger three times, he still lit up the Ravens depleted secondary for 340 yards and six touchdowns.Hell likely need to be just as effective on Saturday with Bells status uncertain. The running back is dealing with a hyperextended right knee that forced him to miss practice again Thursday.Pittsburgh won the last meeting even with Bell being limited to 20 yards on 10 carries. If hes unable to go, it puts more pressure on the line to give Roethlisberger time to work against a defence that finished with 49 sacks, second most in the league. Baltimores front seven will be bolstered by the return of nose tackle Haloti Ngata, who sat the last four games after violating the NFLs policy on performance enhancing drugs.We know theyre going to be coming, Beachum said. Theyve got some great players, but were playing with a lot of confidence.A feeling that trickles from the top down.The Steelers hired Hall of Famer Mike Munchak as their third offensive line coach in as many years. Munchaks calming presence simplified the blocking scheme. It also worked in lockstep with offensive co-ordinator Todd Haleys commitment to a creative scheme that requires Roethlisberger to get the ball out of his hands quickly.Foster calls Munchak by far one of the best coaches Ive been around, one who isnt prone to wild mood swings.If you have a bad play, hes not going to make it seem like youre the worst player in the world, Foster said. He wants you to build on top of that.The foundation set over the last four years is at last paying dividends the Steelers believe will extend into Saturday night and beyond.Weve got to put it on our shoulders, Foster said. Its like Ben said, this team goes as far as the offensive line goes and weve got to be good.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL cheap nfl jerseyscheap jerseys ' ' '
