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VANCOUVER - After a short break during the group stages of the World Cup, the Major League Soccer season gets back underway on Wednesday night with an all-Canadian clash at BC Place as Vancouver Whitecaps host Montreal Impact (live on TSN and TSN 690 at 9:30pm et/6:30pm pt). The Whitecaps will look to pick up where they left off and cement a place in the Western Conference playoff places, while Montreal will be hoping for a much different story after an extremely disappointing start to the MLS season. Winning the Canadian Championship was the bright spot so far this year for an Impact team that sits bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Form: The Whitecaps enter the match unbeaten in their last seven matches (Won 3, Tied 4) while the Impact have won just twice all season and have only picked up two points from their previous six matches on the road. Vancouver needed a late penalty from Pedro Morales to rescue a point at Philadelphia in their last match, despite leading the game 2-0 at PPL Park. The Whitecaps have been having no trouble scoring goals, but will need to tighten up defensively if they are to build on their excellent start to the year. The Caps havent lost in MLS since April 12 when they were beaten 1-0 by LA Galaxy in California. Vancouver are unbeaten against Eastern Conference opposition so far this season. After beating Toronto FC to be crowned Canadian champions, and winning at home to high flying New England, Montreals revival came to a crashing halt with a 4-2 loss at home to DC United two weeks ago. Things have improved for the Impact since they started the season by taking just three points from a possible 21 through their first seven matches, but they will need to be consistently strong between now and the end of the year if they are to have any chance of getting into the playoff race. The Impact are currently eight points outside the playoff places. With only 13 goals in 13 matches, the Impact are the lowest scoring team in MLS, but the signing of Jack McInerney has proved to be an excellent addition. The Big Question: Will Montreals defence be able to cope with Vancouvers speedsters? The Whitecaps have caused plenty of problems for their opponents this year with lots of attacking options, and Chilean midfielder Pedro Morales proving to be the perfect set-up man. Striker Erik Hurtado has been leading the way in recent games with five goals in his last five matches in all competitions. Hurtado has shown the ability to cause defenders all kinds of problems with his strength and speed, and the Whitecaps can also call upon the pace of Kekuta Manneh and Darren Mattocks. In their last match before the break, Montreal defended poorly and conceded four goals at home to DC United, however, in their previous game, they managed to keep a clean sheet against a strong New England team. If the Impact defence isnt switched on from minute one, the Whitecaps young guns could take advantage. Montreal coach Frank Klopas has the chance to make changes in defence if he chooses, with the recent additions of Futty Danso from Portland, and former Sporting KC man Mechack Jerome. The Lineup: There are a few decisions for Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson to make with regards to his starting lineup. Captain Jay DeMerit came off injured in the tie at Philadelphia and is sidelined for six weeks. Robinson will choose from Andy OBrien, Carlyle Mitchell, Johnny Leveron and Christian Dean to fill the two central defensive places. At the other end of the pitch, it is possible the Caps could start with Mattocks and Manneh supporting Hurtado. Robinson has said he would love to see the three players start together at some stage and it is possible that this could be the occasion to try it. If not, one of the Whitecaps two Uruguayans, Sebastien Fernandez or Nicolas Mezquida, could get the start. With Marco Di Vaio and Justin Mapp expected to miss the match through injury, the Impact will be relying on McInerney and Andres Romero to provide a goal scoring edge. Both players have been in good form of late. McInerney has four goals in eight MLS appearances since joining the Impact from Philadelphia, and Romero had scored in his last three MLS matches. The most interesting decision for Montreal will be who Klopas decides to play in defence, and whether or not either Danso or Jerome will be handed an Impact debut. In midfield, Klopas could give a debut to 30-year-old Spaniard Gorka Larrea who played 90 minutes in the reserves against Harrisburg City Islanders last Friday. The Odds: This is only the third meeting between the two sides in Major League Soccer, with the Whitecaps having won both of the previous encounters. Montreal havent played a league match in Vancouver since losing 2-0 in the clubs inaugural MLS game in March 2012, but the Impact were celebrating after their last match at BC Place. A 2-2 tie last spring in the second leg of the Amway Canadian Championship saw Montreal lift the Voyageurs Cup. With Vancouvers strong home form and Montreals difficulties on the road the Whitecaps will be strong favourites heading in. Carl Robinsons team has lost just once at BC Place this season, while the Impact are yet to win away. Where to Watch: Join me along with Jason de Vos and Perry Solkowski for all of the action from BC Place. We are live on TSN with the pre-match show starting at 9:30pm et/6:30pm pt. There will be features on Carl Robinson, Kekuta Manneh, and Montreals Canadian international winger Issey Nakajima-Farran. Greg Monroe Jersey . Granlund scored 2:04 into the first period. Max Reinhart, on his first NHL shift of the season, neatly stripped the puck from Zack Smith at the Senators blue-line. As he moved in, his attempted shot deflected into the slot where Granlund buried a shot past Craig Anderson. Boston Celtics Gear . The NFL announced Friday that the Texans sixth-year veteran offensive lineman will replace Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jason Peters in the Jan. http://www.authenticcelticsproshop.com/Bob-Cousy-Jersey/. Both sides of the deal have formally announced acquisitions: TFC introduced Jozy Altidore as a designated player on Friday, while their counterparts announced a three-and-a-half-year deal with Jermain Defoe. Danny Ainge Jersey . The Spanish champions decision not to sign a defender during the January transfer window may have backfired after Valencia took advantage of a lethargic, uninspired effort by its hosts at the Camp Nou, where former Spain coach Luis Aragones -- who previously coached the Catalan side -- was honoured after his death on Saturday. Al Horford Jersey . Toronto (11-12) gave up leads in 10-8 and 11-4 losses to the Baltimore Orioles this week. It was never close Friday as the Boston Red Sox got to Mark Buehrle early en route to an 8-1 win.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Rory McIlroy hit wedge into 5 feet for birdie on the 18th hole for a 2-under 70 to regain the outright lead in the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday. The chief challenge for McIlroy came from an American -- but it wasnt Tiger Woods. Brooks Koepka, who earned his European Tour card last year by winning three times on the Challenge Tour, made seven birdies against no bogeys for a 65 that left him one shot behind McIlroy going into the weekend. Woods, meanwhile, hit only four fairways and had to rely on some key putts to salvage a 73. He was in a tie for 44th, eight shots out of the lead. McIlroy was at 11-under 133. He appeared to be in control at Emirates Golf Club, leading by three shots after his birdie at No. 10. But he drove wildly into the waste area on the par-5 13th and the par-4 16th holes, both leading to bogeys, before recovering on the 18th. "It was nice to birdie the last and at least give myself a one-shot lead going into tomorrow," McIlroy said. "I will just go back tonight and sort of regroup and realize I am still leading the tournament. I was more frustrated on the back nine, as the back nine is where you want to build your score after playing the harder front nine." Danny Willett of England, who began his week by jumping out of a plane at 4,000 metres (13,000 feet), had a 65 and shared third place with Damien McGrane of Ireland (70) and Julien Quesne of France (70). Henrik Stenson, who won the Race to Dubai and the FedEx Cup last year, had a 67 and was four shots behind. Woods, trying to join Ernie Els as the only three-time winners of the Dubai Desert Classic, opened with a birdie on his third hole and the highlights were few after that. His only other birdie was on the par-3 11th, with a shot into 2 feet. Instead of going to the practice range after his round, he conducted a clinic with Mark OMeara. "I was on so many parts of the golf course today that I got to meet so many people, signed so many autographs out there and gave a lot of balls away," Woods joked with the crowd. "Seriously, I was just hitting iit sideways.dddddddddddd" He even joked about the 79 he shot last week at Torrey Pines to miss the 54-hole cut on a course where he had won eight times previously, including a U.S. Open. "I have to tell everyone here I never made a 10-footer for not shooting 80," Woods said. As for his round on Friday, he said he putted well, but had too many putts from 40 and 50 feet, which is "not exactly the best thing." "I just didnt hit it close enough and didnt hit it well," Woods said. "I struggled with it and had a bad warm-up, as well. Just one of those days." Koepka is in his first full season on the European Tour. He came close to winning the Frys.com Open last autumn in America before struggling on the back nine. He is roommates in Florida with another American on the European Tour, Peter Uihlein, who bogeyed his last hole to miss the cut. "Winning is winning," said Koepka, who has four Challenge Tour wins. "Ive been able to do it on the Challenge Tour, so hopefully I can get it done with week." It should be more difficult with McIlroy, a two-time major champion, starting to regain his form. McIlroy ended a year without winning in December when he edged Adam Scott at the Australian Open. He finished one shot behind in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago. "Im leading the golf tournament. Ive been in this position before and Ive went on to win," McIlroy said. "Ive led from the front quite well in tournaments that I have won. I feel like I am still playing well and I know the course just as well as anyone else. Im now expecting to go out there and shoot two good scores over the weekend and hopefully lift the trophy." Willett, along with his wife and caddie, began the week with an assisted sky dive on Monday in a charity event. He feels it might have helped with his golf. "If you stand on the first tee, trying to hit a drive into the fairway seemed a little bit less nerve-racking than jumping out of a plane at 13,000 feet," Willett said. "You never know, might have prepared us quite well." ' ' '