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A22 SPORTS
Thursday 5 OcTOber 2017
MLS playoffs taking shape in the East. West? Not so much

By ANNE M. PETERSON Jose. Now they’re knotted
AP Sports Writer with rival Seattle and Sport-
There’s just one more play- ing KC for second place
off spot left to claim in Ma- as teams jostle for posi-
jor League Soccer’s East- tion down the stretch.In a
ern Conference, while the scheduling twist, both the
West remains rather wild. Timbers and the Sounders
Toronto reigns above the have their final two games
entire league at 19-5-8 at home.
(65 points) this season. The “It’s massive. I think if you
Reds claimed the Support- look at the schedule at the
ers’ Shield last weekend start of the season, seeing
with a 4-2 victory over the two home games toward
New York Red Bulls. the end of the season,
Toronto has already se- we’ll take that,” Portland
cured the top seed in the defender Liam Ridgewell
East, along with home-field said.Sporting is in an inter-
advantage throughout the esting position because
playoffs. they have four matches
“From a traditional stand- left in the season — but
point we are proud to win three of those games are
the trophy, proud to win on the road.Overall in the
it for fans who have been West, playoff position is
through a lot over the Toronto FC’s Justin Morrow, (2) scores against New York Red Bulls’ goalkeeper Luis Robles during still a long way from being
years,” coach Greg Van- the first half of an MLS soccer game, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, in Toronto. decided. Of the teams still
ney said. “We also know back for the team’s next treal Impact, who join three beaten streak at home with in the race, the situation
that we have one big one game on Oct. 15 against other teams clustered at 39 a 1-0 victory on Saturday to looks bleakest for the ex-
still in front of us and that is Montreal.The other teams points and a mathemati- clinch the spot.“We have a pansion Minnesota United,
the biggest one.”That big- that have clinched play- cal chance of making the team with grit and charac- who would need help to
gest one? The MLS Cup. off sports in the East are playoffs.DC United has ter that this city can really make it with three games
Toronto fell in the league’s NYCFC, the Chicago Fire been eliminated in the East. get behind and be proud left.
championship game last and the Columbus Crew. In the West, both the Colo- of, and we’re going to GAME OF THE WEEK: There
season to the Seattle Atlanta became the first rado Rapids and LA Gal- need everyone behind us are just three league
Sounders.The Reds are expansion club since the axy are already out of the to make this season some- games this weekend be-
about to get a big boost in Sounders in 2009 to earn postseason, but the rest of thing special,” Whitecaps cause of the international
that quest for the Cup. Se- a playoff spot.The Red the conference is still up for President Bob Lenarduzzi break for World Cup quali-
bastian Giovinco, who has Bulls are above the line in grabs, with only Vancouver said.The Portland Timbers fying. The Red Bulls host
missed the team’s last four the standings with three clinching a spot.The White- missed a chance to clinch the Whitecaps, Minnesota
games with a quadriceps matches remaining, ahead caps snapped Sporting last week with a 2-1 loss hosts Sporting KC, and the
injury, is expected to be of the seventh-place Mon- Kansas City’s 24-match un- to the Earthquakes in San Rapids host FC Dallas. q
Dan Hughes new coach

of the Seattle Storm

By DOUG FEINBERG honest,” Hughes said. “I
AP Basketball Writer was able to watch my
NEW YORK (AP) — Dan son, Bryce. I had a new
Hughes missed coaching grandchild — a little girl.
basketball. My daughter and son-in-
A year after he stepped law live in Florida and I was
away from the WNBA, he’s able to go down there.
back as the coach of the From a basketball stand-
Seattle Storm, the team an- point, I’m a lifer. I set out to
nounced Wednesday. do different things this year.
“It was kind of meant Accept things I wanted to
to be,” Hughes said in a do. Did a bunch of broad-
phone interview with The casting and had a lot of
Associated Press. “I don’t fun with that.”
know where the true inspi- And then came the job of-
ration came from. When fer. Before he accepted it,
we talked, it was just a kind he wanted to talk his wife,
of a mutual kind of meet- Mary.“She said, ‘You have
ing. I missed the teaching. to do this,’” the 62-year-old
Nothing filled that. Nothing Hughes said. “I then went
was like that. I noticed that to my son and daughter In this Aug. 30, 2016, file photo, San Antonio Stars coach Dan Hughes watches the team’s WNBA
a little bit.” and they said, ‘You got to basketball game against the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
Hughes spent 11 years as do this.’ It just fit. It became Associated Press
coach and general man- something that wasn’t a re- WNBA games (524) than Coach of the Year twice, He told the AP in 2016 that
ager of the San Antonio ally hard decision. I had the anyone in league history garnering the honor in 2001 he was retiring to spend
Stars before retiring after backing of the people who and is 237-287 in his career. when he was with Cleve- more time with his family
the 2016 season. mattered to me.” That’s the third most wins in land and then again in and to watch his son play
“I had a good year to be Hughes has coached more the league. He won WNBA 2007 in San Antonio. basketball for Air Force. q