MONTREAL - The Montreal Impact want to turn the page on the first half of their season. Vita Vea Buccaneers Jersey . After 17 games — the midway point of Montreals third season in Major League Soccer — the Impact are dead last in the standings with a league-worst 3-9-5 record. The team will be looking to start anew when it takes on the Columbus Crew on the road on Saturday. "Its a brand-new season," said an optimistic Hassoun Camara. "We didnt do so well in the first part. We were expecting a lot better. We have to do everything to reverse the trend, and we have the players to do so. "Were technically sound, even more so than many teams in the league. What we need now is to meet those other teams intensity." Montreal is tied with the Chicago Fire for fewest wins on the season (3), and only the San Jose Earthquakes have scored fewer times than the Impact (17). The teams minus-12 goal differential is second worst in MLS behind only the Houston Dynamo. Despite their poor start to the season, the Impact are far from admitting defeat. "That wasnt an easy half of the year for us," said assistant coach Mauro Biello. "There are still a lot of games, and theres a lot of parity in this league. If we can string together a few good games, well be in a good position. We have to work hard, focus on the positive, and go from there." Though theyve picked up just 14 points from 17 games, Frank Klopas men are still only nine points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Playing in a league where streaking teams can quickly climb in the standings, the Impact are hoping a few positive results will finally get the ball rolling. "Were only halfway through the season," said striker Jack McInerney, whos scored six goals in 12 games for Montreal. "Weve played good soccer lately; we just havent gotten the results. There are still plenty of points on the table. Going forward, were going to have to do everything right." The Impact will start the second half of their season at Columbus Crew Stadium facing a side going through a lengthy rough patch of their own. After starting the season with three wins in a row, the Crew (4-7-8) have only won once in their last 16 MLS matches, and are winless in their last seven. Columbus, a club known this season for its successful passing and long spells of possession, is coming off a tough midweek loss against Kansas City. On Wednesday, a stoppage-time goal by Sportings Benny Feilhaber handed the Crew their second loss in a row. With Saturdays opponents on just two days rest, McInerney is calling the game against Columbus a perfect matchup for the Impact. "Theyre struggling also," he said. "Going in there, were really going to have to defend, play on the counter, and see what we can get on the break. Its a winnable game, so we have to go into it looking for the three points." Like the Crew, Montreal wants to move on from a heartbreaking loss against Kansas City. Last Saturday, a defensive mistake gifted all three points to Sporting when defender Heath Pearce and goalie Troy Perkins got their wires crossed and failed to clear a harmless ball away from the penalty box in the 89th minute. The week before, the Impact conceded a stoppage-time goal to Chivas USA for its first loss since returning from the World Cup break. The Impact had not dropped back-to-back contests since losing its first three to start the season. On Saturday, Montreal will look to take advantage of a depleted Columbus lineup that lost two of its players to injury in the last couple of weeks. Crew forward Jairo Arrieta left a July 12 game against the New York Red Bulls with a left hamstring strain, and has not played since. Hector Jimenez, an offensive-minded midfielder for Columbus, sprained his knee on July 4. Both have been ruled out for the game versus Montreal. Arrietas and Jimenezs absence will make things easier for an Impact backline that has been showing signs of improvement lately, despite consecutive losses. Montreal has conceded just three times in four games, and has recorded four clean sheets in its last seven in all competitions. "Were on the right track," said Biello, whose team is the only one in MLS without a road win this season (0-5-3). "Look at our last few games, the team is playing better. If we can do that on the road, along with the quality we have up front, we can get a result. A few draws and victories on the road will give us a good chance to make the playoffs." That will depend largely on the Impacts offence, which has been stale all season. Montreal has scored more than two goals just once this year — a 3-0 victory against Houston at the end of June. Goals have been especially hard to come by away from home, where the Impact have scored just five times in eight games. McInerney says Montreal has to start getting more players forward. "Weve put in a lot of work defending, because we had some struggles keeping the ball out of the net," said the 21-year-old. "But too many people are sitting back now. We have to get numbers in the box; its the only way were going to create opportunities for the team and create chances." The Impact and Crew will play each other twice more after Saturdays contest — on Aug. 30 in Montreal, and on Sept. 27 in Columbus. Notes: Marco Di Vaio, who has found the back of the net twice in his last three games, has three career tallies versus Columbus. The Italian striker celebrated his 38th birthday on Tuesday. … The Crews last MLS win came on May 24 versus the Chicago Fire. … On Tuesday, defender Adrian Lopez suffered a second ACL tear in his right knee. Lopez, who played just 44 minutes with the Impact since being acquired last July, will be out for the rest of the season. … After missing two games due to a groin injury, Justin Mapp now has two assists in his last three games. Chandler Catanzaro Buccaneers Jersey . (AP) -- The head of the committee that developed Major League Baseballs plan to expand instant replay says he is optimistic the system will be in place this season, even though owners and unions for players and umpires have yet to approve. M.J. Stewart Jersey . -- Jim Furyk was 10 shots worse and right where he wanted to be Saturday in the BMW Championship. http://www.shoptheofficialbuccaneers.com/Elite-Ryan-Jensen-Buccaneers-Jersey/ . Under the deal, the Vikings will donate an undisclosed sum of money to five gay rights-related charities over the next five years. Kluwe said he wont receive any money as part of the settlement. "This will help a lot of people that really do need that help," Kluwe said.GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Josh Boyd isnt into making a fashion statement, and he doesnt think he needs to go sleeveless to show off his toughness. All the Packers defensive lineman wants is to stay warm in the subzero weather when Green Bay hosts the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC wild-card showdown that could be one of the coldest playoff games in NFL history. So many intriguing story lines between these two NFC powers, and yet the arctic cold may trump them all. "Yeah, Im definitely going sleeves," said Boyd, a rookie from Mississippi. "I mean, I dont see it as a tough guy thing. I just see it as being comfortable." The National Weather Service forecast called for a high temperature in Green Bay on Sunday of 2 degrees, with north-northwest winds making it feel more like minus-15 to minus-20. The coldest NFL game on record is the 1967 championship game, known as the "Ice Bowl" won by the Packers 21-17 over the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field on New Years Eve. The temperature dipped to minus-13, and the wind chill that day was minus-48. This might be little consolation to Boyd, for whom cold games in college meant playing in 30- or 40-degree weather. "Im from Mississippi, so this is a whole other animal," Boyd said. "Ive never seen negatives until I got here." Linemen are renowned for toughing out inclement weather without sleeves under jerseys. Dont want to give the opponent even the slightest idea that youre soft, the line of thinking goes. Well, 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith is as tough as they come, and even he might wear sleeves for what he estimates would be just the second or third time in his 13-year career. "Youre not going to have an advantage having no sleeves. Youre not going to scare the opponent," said Smith, who has 6 1/2 sacks. Across the line of scrimmage, centre Jonathan Goodwin said he had no problem wearing sleeves. "I gave up on the dont wear sleeves to look tough a long time ago," he said. In some ways, players might be warmer than the 80,000 fans expected to pack frigid Lambeau. Once they get to the sideline, players can take a break on heated beenches. John Lynch Jersey. . Theyll likely wear long, heavy coats while not in the game. "This is not the norm. Anytime you get outside the norm for whatever your occupation, its obviously challenging mentally and physically," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "Thats definitely going to be the case Sunday." Footing on the field will be a key issue. Lambeau does have a heating system buried beneath the turf, encompassing 30 miles of pipes. There was supposed to be a brief "break" in the cold snap with temperatures rising into the upper 20s on Saturday, which McCarthy said would give groundskeepers a key day to work on the field. "It could be just a normal game thats played at a little slower pace. Or it could be where theres a lot of slipping and sliding going on, then you have to adjust a little bit," 49ers defensive co-ordinator Vic Fangio said. "You need to wait to see Sunday exactly see how the field affects the game." Another key for players will be to stay hydrated, though McCarthy jokingly put his index finger to his lips as if to tell a reporter to not let out the secret when asked the question Friday. "Weve seen it in past games where guys do cramp, so yes, its all part of our preparation," McCarthy said. If not for the arctic front marching into Wisconsin, more of the attention before Sundays game might be focused on 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernicks mastery of Green Bay in the teams last two meetings. Or quarterback Aaron Rodgers triumphant return from a left collarbone injury to help the resurgent Packers get back into the playoffs. Instead, San Francisco and Green Bay will have to deal with an unwelcome extra opponent: the bitter cold. Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels seems to subscribe to the sleeves-are-soft philosophy. He doesnt like wearing them and plans to just play through the big chill and block out the conditions. And dont get him started on hand warmers. "I see offensive linemen with hand warmers, that tells me about them, man," Daniels said. "A defensive line coach in college said that, so I kind of kept that mentality." Cheap Heat Jerseys Cheap Bucks Jerseys Cheap Timberwolves Jerseys Cheap Pelicans Jerseys Cheap Knicks Jerseys Cheap Thunder Jerseys Cheap Magic Jerseys Cheap 76ers Jerseys Cheap Suns Jerseys Cheap Blazers Jerseys Cheap Sacramento Kings Jerseys Cheap Spurs Jerseys Cheap Raptors Jerseys Cheap Jazz Jerseys Cheap Wizards Jerseys ' ' '