The Braves optioned outfielder Jose Constanza to Triple-A
Posté: Lun Oct 31, 2016 10:22 amShe stands 5 feet 9 inches tall but plays 6 feet plus. Christine Sinclair was named the BMO Female Soccer Player for 2011 on Thursday, the seventh straight time shes captured this significant accolade. On Wednesday, when Dwayne de Rosario won the BMO Male Player award, he spoke of his weird year. How then to describe Sinclairs? A national team fall-out with the governing ......., a Cyprus Cup, World Cup capitulation, a well-liked coach departed, a WPS Playoff Championship, a first-ever Pan Am Gold for a Canadian soccer team. Highs and lows; troughs and ceilings; Sinclair has seen it all in 2011, including scoring one of the greatest ever goals in a World Cup Finals with a rapier-like free kick that would have graced any football pitch. Have I mentioned that broken nose? Now with 2012 in mind, starting with Olympic qualifiers in Vancouver that kick off January 19th the womens national team has just concluded a 10-day camp in Fullerton, California. From there, Sinclair spoke at length to TSN.ca in a conversation that ranged from when she first kicked a ball, through to and with all due respect to Chelseas Petra Cech, the actual whereabouts today of the most famous mask in all of world football, her plans for the holidays, the ambition and desire to win that still burns deep, next summers London Olympics, the FIFA Womens World Cup Canada 2015, life after eventually hanging up those boots that have helped Sinclair to a phenomenal 119 goals for her country and who she will be cheering for at EURO2012. An enduring year ironically ended with a test of endurance. "We worked on our physical fitness a lot. (Coach) John (Heardman) sort of used this camp as our last physical camp just because players right now obviously arent in professional clubs in season right now," said Sinclair. "He used some of this time to build up our fitness for qualifying." For the on-field aspect, the squad focused on the opponents goal. In previous camps with Heardman, the team had worked on defence but with a number of countries Canada will play against in Vancouver next month likely to sit back in the hope of catching the ninth ranked team in the world on the counter attack they used the time exploring goal scoring options. "A lot of attacking; it was a very attacking orientated camp," said Sinclair. "Different things, different ways to break teams down and how he expects us to play in the oppositions half." Sinclair lost a much-admired and respected coach in 2011 but could not have spoken in more glowing terms about John Heardman. "Hes just incredible. I dont even know how to say it because the team that he acquired was a broken team following the World Cup and in a matter of a few months, he has completely changed us to where, I think we believe we can take on the world now. That has changed so quickly." Thats down to Heardman instilling a confidence back in his players that had so clearly drained out of them come their final group game following the demoralizing defeat dished out by France. "He believes in us. He believes in us as people and as players. He has a vision for us. He doesnt care if youre the worst player on the team or the best player on the team. He sees you improving and he wants you to improve and he will push you towards that." His arrival back on September 1 could not have been better timed. "Hes exactly what this team has needed" added Sinclair. "There is like myself, veteran players on this team that I felt stagnated and were not developing and learning. Hes completely changed that." Most World Cups are defined by a sensational goal, 90 minutes of enthralling football. Not Canadas. Not this time. For the captain and nearly a full six months on, painful memories are etched to the surface. The anguish clearly evident, even down a phone line thousands of kilometers and three time zones away. "Its a World Cup, its still bitter for me, its still hard to think about. I definitely learned and have grown as a result of it but Im still not quite over it." You could feel the strain in her voice as through the pauses those harrowing memories reappear uppermost in her thoughts. And what of that mask, the one that started so many conversations from coast to coast, many from people who had never even watched a game of football before, let alone amongst the million or so across the nation who play the beautiful game? Or from that one enterprising soul, so soccer obsessed for his nation and completely taken aback by her courage, the lady in the mask began trending on Twitter? "Its in my closet at home and Im hoping never to have to see it again. Ive seen it enough in pictures," said Sinclair. Ever the consummate professional, following Canadas shock-filled early exit and the tearful hugs goodbye, Sinclairs thoughts immediately turned to her club duties and she jumped on a plane. "I went into season. I landed in Philadelphia and seriously played a game the next day." In late August, Sinclair helped her club side, Western New York Flash win the WPS Playoff Championship. Sinclair scored the teams only goal of the game, converted a penalty and was named MVP of the Final. Another day at the office then! In a career that started back in 1994 when, as an 11-year old, Sinclair was selected for the British Columbia U-14 All Stars, Thursday was all about yet another accolade. Her teammate Karina LeBlanc whose heroics in goal during the penalty shootout of this falls Pan-Am Games Final puts it best about Sinclair. Saying on Twitter a good 24 hours prior to Thursdays official announcement. "Lets be honest, @sincy12 is in a special league of her own. Just honored to be in the category." Sinclair scored Canadas very late equalizer in the final that magical late October night in Guadalajara when she played a pivotal role in delivering Canada its first-ever soccer gold medal at the Pan-American Games. This in a tournament that began for her as Canadas flag bearer, Sinclair has become without doubt our soccer standard bearer. Are you watching Bobbie Rosenfeld, Executive Committee? In Part 2 next Thursday, December 22nd Sinclair discusses her plans for the holidays, reveals the mystery of Secret Santa, recollects her first childhood soccer memories, discloses who her greatest soccer mentor is, her unfinished World Cup and Olympic business, WPS sanctioning, what she would like her playing legacy to be, what her plans are after professional football, who her favorite club side is, her thoughts on Ronaldo or Messi? And in her spare time, reveals which nation shell be cheering for at EURO 2012. 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The Braves optioned outfielder Jose Constanza to Triple-A Gwinnett. As expected, the Braves also called up right-hander Julio Teheran from Gwinnett to start Sundays game and optioned backup catcher J.Pavel Datsyuk will be the man to don the "C" for the Russian Olympic hockey team when they play on home ice in Sochi. Speaking with R-Sport on Wednesday, Russias head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov said the coaching staff had decided on Datsyuk as the teams captain. "We have a candidate for the teams captain who was agreed upon unanimously by the coaching staff - it is Pavel Datsyuk." Datsyuk later confirmed the news via Twitter. "I am honoured to be named a captain. Our team embraces the opportunity and responsibility of representing our country on the home ice." The Red Wings forward - and alternate captain - has appeared in three previous Olympic Games for Russia, winning one medal - a bronze at Salt Lake City in 2002. The 35-year-old has 15 goals and 17 assists in 35 games with the Red Wings this season. Datsyuk will take the placce of Aleksey Morozov, who captained the team in 2010 but was not named to the Sochi roster.dddddddddddd Other candidates for the captaincy included Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and Ilya Kovalchuk, formerly of the New Jersey Devils. Ovechkin had voiced support for Datsyuk as captain when the Olympic roster was announced. According to R-Sport, Kovalchuk did not believe the captaincy meant more than a letter. "A patch on your chest means nothing. To win at the Olympics, everyone in our team must be a captain." Datsyuk is the second Red Wing to be named a captain at the 2014 Games, Henrik Zetterberg was named captain of the Swedish team. Teammate Daniel Alfredsson will serve as one alternate while Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin will serve as the other. In total, ten Red Wings will travel to the Sochi Games. Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '