Allgemeines » Brandon routinely stated the NFL club was merely broade

CURITIBA, Brazil -- A little under a year after the sudden death of star striker Christian Benitez, Ecuador has unearthed a new goal-scoring dynamo. Enner Valencias two calmly-taken goals that secured a 2-1 comeback win over Honduras on Friday took his tournament tally to three and put the team in second spot in a group that is likely to be won by France. Valencia, who plays for Mexican club Pachuca, only consolidated his position in the Ecuador starting lineup after Benitez died from a heart problem last July. "He hasnt even celebrated a year with us, I think hes grown a lot, improved a lot," Ecuadors coach Reinaldo Rueda said of his new star forward. Valencia, who is no relation to his captain Antonio Valencia, hopes the "joy" that the win has generated will help inspire the team in its crucial final Group E match against France, which has tallied eight goals and conceded two in a pair of dominating wins. Ecuador has three competition points, level with Switzerland but ahead on goal difference after the Swiss lost 5-2 to France earlier Friday. Honduras, which has never won a World Cup match, isnt completely out of contention despite its two losses but it faces an uphill battle ahead of its last group game against Switzerland. "We still have that possibility, though it is remote and we will fight for it," Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez said. Rueda praised the Honduras team for its tenacity and expressed the hope that his former charges could do Ecuador a favour by beating the Swiss. Rueda steered Honduras at the last World Cup in South Africa. Should Honduras beat Switzerland, Ecuador would only need a draw against France to progress to the knockout rounds of the World Cup for only the second time. The first time Ecuador qualified for the second round was in 2006 and, coincidentally, the team was then was managed by current Honduras coach Suarez. Rueda conceded it was difficult to meet his former team in such a crucial match. "For me, its a mix of emotions, professional and personal," he said. Honduras took the lead in the 31st minute with its first World Cup goal in 32 years when Carlo Costly latched onto a long ball following a misjudgment from Ecuador defender Jorge Guagua. The goal ended a 511-minute drought that stretched back to the 1982 World Cup. Valencia equalized three minutes later, tapping in with his left foot from close range after sloppy Honduran defending failed to stop a cross in from the right. Honduras applied more of the pressure leading up to halftime and nearly took the lead. A fierce free kick in injury time from Victor Bernardez forced a good save from Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez. Honduras got the ball in the Ecuador net seconds before the break when a Costly header rebounded off the post into the path of Jerry Bengtson, but it was disallowed -- apparently for a hand ball. The second half was far less frenzied than the opening 45 minutes and Valencias winner came in the 65th minute when he out-jumped the Honduras defence to head home a left-sided free kick from Walter Ayovi. "These are goals in the World Cup, this is something you dream of when you are a young kid and thank God that this dream is becoming a reality," said Valencia. Charlotte Hornets Jerseys . At times during a solid but not spectacular season, they looked all three. Still the defending AFC champions persevered, riding their top-ranked defence and key contributions from younger players to a 12-4 record and their eighth playoff appearance since 2000, remarkable consistency in a league where change is the only constant. PJ Washington Hornets Jersey ." The game can be seen live on TSN starting with Monday Night Countdown at 6:30 p.m et/3:30 p.m. pt. The Patriots, who had a bye in Week 10, will look to continue the offensive success they had a week earlier when New England scored 55 points and racked up 610 yards of total offense in a 55-31 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers. https://www.hornetslockerroom.com/Kemba-Walker-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Paul George and Darren Collison each scored 17 points and Roy Hibbert added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers (9-3), who won their third straight. Nicolas Batum Hornets Jersey . Cavaliers shooting guard Craig Ehlo makes a solid play on the ball, but still Jordan hits the amazing shot. Devonte Graham Jersey . However, Jim Popp isnt sure how long hell be able to admire wide receiver Duron Carter.The Buffalo Bills wont be coming north this season. The NFL club and Rogers Communications announced Wednesday theyve put the beleaguered Bills Toronto Series -- which features Buffalo playing exhibition and regular-season games at Rogers Centre -- on hold for at least a year. That means the team will play eight home games at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., for the first time since 2007. "The plan is to postpone it for one year, regroup and determine whats the next best step," said Keith Pelley, the president of Rogers Communications media division. "Its not nullified right now, we have an agreement in place. "Anything is possible but thats not the plan. The plan is to take a step back and say, OK, the Series is having some challenges, the NFL is still big in Toronto, its still important to the Bills so whats the best way to move forward?" The decision comes a little more than a year after the Bills and Rogers agreed to renew the series for five years, though 2017 after the original five-year deal expired. A series-low gathering of 38,969 watched the Atlanta Falcons nip Buffalo 34-31 in overtime Dec. 1 at Rogers Centre, which can seat 54,000 spectators for football. The loss dropped the Bills regular-season record in Toronto to a dismal 1-5 -- and 0-4 in December -- since the start of the series in 08. Buffalo also sports the NFLs longest active post-season drought at 14 straight seasons. Bills president Russ Brandon said the atmosphere at Rogers Centre versus Atlanta figured in the clubs decision to take a step back. "I think thats a fair comment," Brandon told reporters in Orchard Park. "Obviously were trying to build a fan base north of the border and this year I would say it was a neutral crowd. "Some of that had to do with how we played over the last six years, (that) has really not been conducive to building a lot of fans that were NFL fans, but were trying to make them Bills fans. Were going to continue to try to do that through a variety of initiatives that we will be working with Rogers over the next year in a very robust sponsorship and partnership that we will have that will cater to fans above the border." Following the loss to Atlanta, Brandon publicly questioned whether his club loses its competitive edge playing in Toronto. Buffalo has often battled neutral crowds at its home away from home. Bills games at Rogers Centre routinely attract a mix of NFL fans who proudly don their team colours and cheer as loudly -- or sometimes louder -- for Buffalos opponent than the home team. In fact, several Falcons players were surprised at the support they received at Rogers Centre. "It didnt feel like we were in Canada," said Atlanta safety William Moore. "I even saw a No. 25 jersey (Moores number) out there." Whats more, playing in a domed facility robs the Bills of their biggest home advantage: The cold, windy conditions that are the norm in December at Ralph Wilson Stadium. "Were going to go through a detailed full analysis," Brandon said. "Were going to look at every aspect that if we do come back we have a more robust fan experience and try to create more of a home field advantage for us.dddddddddddd "Right now that was not the situation. That was one of the reasons we want to get in to a lot of detail with our partners up there and see if that is viable moving forward." Brandons statement "if we do come back," prompted a followup question regarding whether the Bills mightve played their final game in Toronto. "What I said is that were going through a full evaluation process and well work with our partners," Brandon responded. The Bills Toronto Series was unveiled as an attempt to showcase Toronto as a viable NFL city. Rogers Communications Inc. paid US$78 million to stage eight games -- five regular season, three exhibition -- expecting southern Ontario fans to flock to Rogers Centre. But high-priced tickets -- initially averaging over $180 each, compared to roughly US$51 at Orchard Park --and struggling Bills teams combined to make it a tough sell. Tickets were reduced to roughly an average price of $99 to make the game more affordable but even that didnt result in a sellout. "Its always very difficult to change public opinion midway through a project," Pelley said. "Theres no hiding the fact the series did not get off to a rosy start. "It tough midway through to change that perception, hence the reason why we thought it would be a best to take a year off then re-launch it once weve thought that through." Series organizers have also struggled to find the right formula to re-create the NFL experience here. A huge attraction for many American football fans is arriving at the stadium hours before kickoff, setting up the barbecue to cook a variety of foods while throwing a football around in the parking lot or breaking down the upcoming game with friends over a cold beer. However, provincial laws make that impossible in Toronto. The creation of the series also fuelled speculation Toronto would be the landing spot for the Bills upon the death of Ralph Wilson Jr., the clubs 95-year-old owner. However, Brandon routinely stated the NFL club was merely broadening its regional base to include Canadas largest city and generate additional revenue. Brandon said the Bills must take ownership for their role in the series struggles. "I think its been a roller-coaster from the standpoint of just the losses," he said. "Thats on us. "Some of the initiatives Rogers has worked through on their end have improved, but obviously this past year was disappointing with that neutral crowd that we had there, to say the least. I think there have been positives. As I mentioned earlier, the biggest positive has been the influx of fans back here at Ralph Wilson Stadium." Now the question remains whether the Bills can sell out eight home games in 2014. "Obviously last year we had to really work for our sellouts, understandably so," Brandon said. "Thats something that were willing to take on, that challenge. "We have very passionate fans and tremendous fans, but we have to really work to sell tickets here as weve discussed in the past. Were not satisfied until every seat in this building is sold. Thats always the No. 1 initiative and really the foundation of how we run our business." ' ' '