m that had just enjoyed a bye round.GWS played Geelong in Round 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Central defenders John Brooks, Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez all were in the starting lineup for the United States World Cup qualifier against Mexico on Friday night.Coach Jurgen Klinsmann appeared to switch to a 3-5-2 formation that included Timmy Chandler and Fabian Johnson on the wings of a midfield with Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley and Christian Pulisic. Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood were up front.Tim Howard was in goal, regaining the No. 1 job after Brad Guzan was benched by Middlesbrough.The match was the opener of the final round of qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean.Three players didnt dress for the U.S.: goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, defender Cameron Carter-Vickers and midfielder Caleb Stanko.Mexico started an offense-minded 4-5-1 formation with Alfredo Talavera in goal; Diego Reyes at right back; Rafa Marquez and Hector Moreno in central defense; Miguel Layun at left back; Hector Herrera and Andres Guardado in defensive midfield; Carlos Vela, Giovani dos Santos and Jesus Corona in advanced midfield; and Javier Hernandez up front.The U.S. entered with four straight 2-0 wins over Mexico in home World Cup qualifiers, all at home.Vans Schuhe Schweiz Online . Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Clearance Vans Schuhe Schweiz . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. http://www.vansschweiz.ch/ . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Vans Schuhe Schweiz Outlet .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. Kaufen Vans Schuhe Schweiz . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames.Long-time feud finally finishes One of footballs longest cold wars finally thawed this week when, after 14 years, North Melbournes football boss Geoff Walsh broke bread again with Kangaroos former dual premiership coach, Denis Pagan.The pair, who guided the Kangaroos to the 1996 and 1999 premierships and were once great friends, had not spoken since late 2002. That all changed on Tuesday at OConnells pub in South Melbourne.The source of their angst revolved, of course, around money.Walsh, as CEO at the time, put a revised contract to Pagan in 2002 but it was considerably less than the coach felt he deserved. The club was in a precarious financial position at the time and Pagan was being handsomely remunerated as it was, so Walsh suggested a revamped deal that was more performance-based and involved a smaller base salary.Their last conversation was at the Hilton Hotel at the end of that season when Walsh said to Pagan: So what are you doing: are you staying or going?Pagan knocked back the deal, and shortly afterwards accepted an offer from Carlton president John Elliott to coach the Blues, causing a massive rift with not just the Roos but his old mate Walshy.These days a successful real estate agent in Moonee Ponds, Pagan, at 68, was philosophical when discussing the get-together with Walsh, and veteran football journalist Mike Sheahan, and how age mellowed even the fieriest of temperaments.You get older and a bit more mature, Pagan told ESPN this week. And I realised Id been shooting the messenger, which is unfair.We had a great lunch together talking about some of the funny things that happened in our time at North - and there were plenty. You forget what a good bloke he is ...!The pair will catch up again at Norths 20-year premiership anniversary gala ball on Friday night, and then again at a players reunion at a pub on Saturday, when they will have the even bigger job of reconciling the clubs captain and vice-captain from that era, Wayne Carey and Anthony Stevens.Ross as ruthless as ever Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has proved he is as ruthless as ever, even though his team is languishing near the bottom of the ladder with a 3-11 win-loss record.Following the Dockers lacklustre 48-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG on Friday night, Lyon refused to allow his Victorian-raised players to stay in Melbourne ahead of the clubs bye weekend.Ten players took to the field in the Round 14 loss who were recruited from Victoria - David Mundy, Zac Dawson, Hayden Crozier, Nick Suban, Zach Clarke, Michael Barlow, Matthew Taberner, Darcy Tucker, Tom Sheridan and Sam Collins.Instead, they were forced to return to Perth for three days of recovery and review, before being allowed to fly back home.Players are traditionally allowed to return to, or remain in, their home state immediately after their last match leading into the bye round.But the notoriously hard-nosed Lyon decided his players hadnt earned that privilege, as last years minor premiers endure a season from hell. Their only wins have come against lowly-ranked Essendon, Brisbane and Port Adelaide.MCC search begins All eyes now turn to the Melbourne Cricket Club, which is seeking a new chief executive for the first time in 17 years following the retirement of Stephen Gough.Goughy as everyone knows him, had a fair old innings. He started out as a teacher and part-time scout at Carlton before joining the Blues full-time as recruiting manager.From there he became football manager and then chief executive, before taking the job with the MCC, one of the plum assignments in Australian sport.Gough was the first MCC CEO (before he started the quaint job title was secretary) with a football background and with former Melbourne ruckman Stephen Smith now the club president, it is the first time the winter game has delivered the two most powerful positions at the MCC.Some would say, given the revenue the winter game delivers to the MCC, it was about time.The MCC has promised a global search to find Goughs replacement, but youd have to think it is the sort of position to be filled by a local. Brit Paul Serjeant replaced Ian Collins as the head of Etihad Stadium and his failure to understand the role and the importance of the AFL is one reason why he didnt last all that long.The shame is that Brian Cook recently signed a contract extension to remain as chief executive of Geelong, because to run the MCG would be the crowning achievement of what has been a brilliant career in sports administration.ddddddddddddPerhaps an administrator with a background in cricket will take charge once again.Whoever gets the job at the MCC will come well credentialed and well prepared. It is hard to think of a peak Australian sports organisation that goes about its business with as little fuss and controversy.Mosquito fleet? Continuing a long tradition of exotic names in Australian football, Vic Country last week fielded a youngster in the under-16s carnival called Irving Mosquito.Joining the likes of Nakia Cockatoo and Che Cockatoo-Collins, Mosquito is an indigenous player who hails from Maffra in Gippsland.A small forward-flanker type with plenty of skill, he played in Vic Countrys under-16 team last weekend, alongside (among others) Bill Brownless son Oscar, against Vic Metro.And the word is he goes all right, making newspaper headline writers around the country positively rub their hands together with glee.Ex-VFL star saunters over the ditch One of the greatest players to never play AFL has been poached to lead a rugby fortress across the ditch.VFL legend Nick Sautner has been appointed general manager of New Zealands Eden Park - the countrys largest stadium.Sautner, a nine-time Ian Frosty Miller medallist as the VFLs leading goalkicker, was previously chief commercial operator and general manager at Melbournes Etihad Stadium, where he was being groomed to be the heir to outgoing chief executive Ian Collins.But he was sensationally sacked in June 2013 after it was revealed he traded lucrative Medallion Club tickets for goods and services, including meat from a butcher, a car battery, and flowers for his girlfriend.The Sandringham Zebras champion later became chief commercial officer of the West Australian Football Commission.The flamboyant Saunter, who booted 873 goals in an outstanding 260-game VFL career, is considered one of the unluckiest players to never make it onto an AFL list after more than a decade dominating the goal square in second-tier leagues.His most recent appointment could prove a coup for St Kilda. Sautner, a Saints fan, should be in the ideal position to help the club achieve its goal of playing regular games in New Zealand.The fix is in The anomalies in the dogs breakfast known as the annual AFL fixture are many and varied.There are so many non-negotiables that have to be factored into the draw - blockbusters between the biggest-drawing Melbourne teams, two derbies in the four AFL states outside Victoria, Anzac Day, Queens Birthday and Dreamtime games, and so on - that the end result becomes a contrived, compromised mess.This means that North Melbourne have more consecutive six-day breaks (six) in 2016 than any other team. Yet four of their likely top-eight opponents (Geelong, Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, GWS) have precisely zero consecutive six-day breaks.Its the first time in a couple of years any club has had more than two consecutive six-day breaks in a season. Little wonder the Roos were looking a little tired and bedraggled against Adelaide last Thursday, having come off two straight six-day breaks, against a team that had just enjoyed a bye round.GWS played Geelong in Round 2 and Round 11, and cross-town rivals Sydney in Round 3 and Round 12, but dont play North Melbourne at all until Round 23. Then, if both teams have shored up places in the top-eight and cant improve their finals position, its possible itll be dead rubber anyway.As we say, a contrived, compromised mess.RANDOM STATS OF THE WEEK:218 - The number of games Geelongs Joel Selwood has played before reaching 50 losses. Which is a heck of a record, but still some way behind Harry Collier who played 231 games in Collingwoods all-conquering era of the 1920s and 30s before experiencing his 50th defeat.435 - Most disposals by a Brownlow Medallist after 14 rounds - St Kildas Robert Harvey in 1998. Funnily enough, the same number as Paddy Dangerfield has racked up at the same stage this year.212 - ESPNs very own Nick Riewoldt is set to join Ted Whitten in third spot on the all-time VFL/AFL captains ladder when he leads St Kilda out in his 212th game this weekend. Stephen Kernahan (Carl) leads the way as the most capped captain with 226 games, followed by Dick Reynolds (Ess) on 224 and now Riewoldt and Whitten on 212. ' ' '