31-of-36 shots in a losiSEATTLE -- Brad Evans made sure not to get too far ahead of himself -- and moments later it paid off. Cheap Air Max 1 Sale . Evans blasted in a hard shot late in the 28th minute on Wednesday night, and Eddie Johnson added an insurance goal during second-half stoppage time to give the Seattle Sounders a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the MLS Western Conference knockout playoff game on Wednesday night. The No. 4 seeded Sounders (16-12-7) limped into the post-season on a seven-game winless streak, but advanced to face the No. 1 Portland Timbers in the two-leg, aggregate-goals West semifinals. The first game will be Saturday in Seattle. The No. 5-seeded Rapids finished the season 14-12-9. Colorado lost its last four road games of the year, all by shutout. Evans got his scoring chance when Colorados German Mera headed a cross out of the penalty area. Evans settled it at the top right of the box, took two dribbles in and ripped a hard shot to the back left corner. It was his fifth goal of the season and his second career playoff goal. "It was just the right place at the right time," Evans said. "In some cases, I tend to over-run things a little bit. But this time, I kind of held back and put the brakes on and waited for the play to develop a little bit. Thats why I was able to get in a good position and get a good touch and a good strike on goal." Evans previous post-season goal came in 2008 when he and Sounders coach Sigi Schmid helped Columbus win the MLS Cup before both migrated to the then-expansion Sounders in 2009. Johnson sealed it midway through the third of five minutes of stoppage time when he deked around Mera and beat Colorado goalkeeper Clint Irwin to the back left corner for his 10th goal of the year. The Sounders played the final three minutes of regulation and five minutes of stoppage time a man down after goalkeeper Michael Gspurning was red-carded for handling the ball outside the penalty area. Colorados Drew Moor had sent a long ball toward the box, and Gspurning was at least a yard outside when he reached out and caught it. "He wanted to come out and head the ball, and realized it bounced too high for him to head it," Schmid said. "He thought he had jumped back into the box, then caught the ball outside the box. The referee (Silviu Petrescu) decided it was a red card." Gspurning, facing a one-game suspension, will be replaced by former U.S. national team and English Premier League star Marcus Hahnemann for Saturdays first leg against Portland. Hahnemann played the final few minutes Wednesday. Seattle had not won since a 2-0 shutout against Real Salt Lake in Seattle on Sept. 13, going 0-4-3 in its final seven regular-season games. "For us to win a game is just a good feeling," Schmid said. "Its a win over a team that embarrassed us last time (5-1 in Colorado on Oct. 5). Its not just a win, its the way we played. I thought we played well. Its not where we were hanging on and scrapping to get by. From that standpoint, it means a little more than just a win." Colorados best chance came late in the 57th minute when Deshorn Brown sent a shot from just inside the box on the left side curling toward the far post. Gspurning came out to knock it away and preserve the shutout. "It was disappointing, but Im certainly proud of the boys for leaving it all out on the field," Moor said. "I wish we would have started off a little brighter. (It was) a playoff game -- its different. If we start the game the way we finish the second half, I think we give ourselves a little better chance." Air Max 1 Wholesale . Edmonton opened the season with 14 straight victories before falling Friday night 10-8 to the host Colorado Mammoth in National Lacrosse League action. Cheap Air Max 1 Ireland . Tepesch, back from the minor leagues, earned his first major league victory in more than 10 months and the Rangers edged the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Wednesday. http://www.cheapairmax1ireland.com/ . Jose Bautista homered for the fifth straight game in the sixth inning, following a two-out solo homer by Melky Cabrera. Edwin Encarnacion led off the seventh with a homer to tie the game 3-3 and, with two out in the seventh, Munenori Kawasaki came through with the two-out single to score pinch-runner Steve Tolleson with what proved to be the winning run.Manchester City want to sign Athletic Bilbaos Aymeric Laporte this summer, according to Sky sources. The French defender looks a good fit for Pep Guardiolas Etihad Stadium revolution, writes Nick Wright. Pep Guardiola counts Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa as one of his biggest influences so perhaps it is not surprising that he shares his idols admiration for Aymeric Laporte. The French centre-back was schooled by Bielsa as a teenager at Athletic Bilbao, and Guardiola is eager to continue his education at Manchester City next season.Sundays 2-2 draw with Arsenal showed why the incoming manager has identified central defence as Citys most pressing area in need of attention. This season they have conceded more Premier League goals (40) than in any of the previous five, with Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala struggling to meet expectations and Vincent Kompany repeatedly falling victim to injuries. Major changes are required, and while Evertons John Stones is among the names to have been talked up, Laporte appears to be the priority for Guardiola. Citys sporting director Txiki Bergiristain has already flown to Bilbao to discuss the deal with Athletic, and reports in Spain suggest City are ready and willing to pay his £39m buy-out clause. Laporte on City rumours Aymeric Laporte denies he has agreed to join City but Sky sources confirm he is a target. It is a huge sum for a 21-year-old still recovering from a broken leg suffered playing for Frances U21s in March, but he is due to return in August and the feeling in Spain is that he is worth the investment. Laporte has developed a burgeoning reputation over the course of four seasons in Athletics first team and has already amassed over 100 La Liga appearances despite his tender age.Basque journalist Endika Río has followed his progress from the start. He is a central defender with the profile that Pep Guardiola likes, he tells Sky Sports. Hes strong, tall and powerful but what characterises him most is playing out from the back. He makes the central midfielders jobs easier. He has good distribution and he has quality with the ball at his feet. Watch some of Aymeric Laportes best moments for Athletic Bilbao That technical ability is invaluable to Guardiola, whose attacking philosophy requires modern, ball-playing centre-backs who can build quickly and fluently from the back. The role was fulfilled by Gerard Pique at Barcelona and David Alaba at Bayern Munich, and Laporte, it seems, will be the man for the job at Manchester City.A money-spinning transfer to the Etihad would cap a rapid rise for Laporte, who was only 18 when Bielsa promoted him to Athletic Bilbaos first team in November 2012. It was quite a difficult year for Athletic, recalls Río. Javi Martinez had left and they were having trouble renewing Fernando Amorebietas contract, so Bielsa promoted Laporte even though he had hardly played for the reserves. A City ready for Pep The appetite for Pep Guardiola in Manchester will be greater than it ever was in Munich. Air Max 1 Ireland. Laporte was thrust into the heart of a struggling side, but the 6ft 2ins teenager swiftly established himself as a regular starter in central defence. Bielsa saw characteristics in him that fit with his style of football, says Río. He soon filled the gap left by Amorebieta. He was a boom.Bielsa loved Laporte - I dont remember a single fault I could tell you about, he said in 2015 - and he made 17 appearances before the 60-year-old was replaced by Ernesto Valverde in the summer of 2013. Bielsas gruelling training methods had taken a heavy toll as Athletic finished 12th in 2012/13 but the squad were reinvigorated by Valverde. Laporte, in particular, went from strength to strength. Laporte battles for the ball with Barcelonas Luis Suarez and Marc Bartra Laportes second year in the first team was Valverdes first in charge, says Río. The team finished fourth in La Liga and qualified for the Champions League. Laporte was part of the spine of the team and became the líder of the defence. He was still 19 but no one disputed it despite his age. Bit by bit, he has improved a lot in very little time.Laporte has come out on top in duels with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo since breaking into the Athletic team. He helped them reach the final of last years Copa del Rey and played every minute of their historic 5-1 aggregate win over Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup in August. Laporte is a great player with every quality. I don’t remember a single fault that I could tell you about. He’s fast, he has character, he is competitive, he has very good technique and he is very intelligent. Marcelo Bielsa on Aymeric Laporte in 2015 Laporte is an accomplished one-on-one defender who doesnt shy away from physical challenges, but he prefers to rely on his fine reading of the game and intelligent positioning rather than gung-ho tackling. He has an excellent range of passing and averages more per game than any other Athletic player with the exception of central midfielder Beñat, while he is also a goal threat, having scored five times this season alone before he was injured in March.As for weaknesses, there is little to cause alarm. In some games you can still see his youth and inexperience, says Río. There have been some errors and he has been sent off for inexperienced fouls, but with time he has got better. You can see that he learns very fast for a player so young, and its not surprising that some of the biggest clubs in Europe want him. Laporte in action for Athletic Bilbao against Espanyol Like Bielsa before him, Valverde is a huge admirer. Hes young and he has to improve some things but hes already the real deal, he said in October. He is a player who is mature, despite his youth. On the pitch you see that because he takes responsibility for his position. Experience is always important, but if you already have that experience when you are 22, then imagine…Laportes rare combination of technical ability, physical prowess and youthful experience has thrust him to the forefront of Manchester Citys plans. Their defensive problems have been costly this season, but as they prepare to usher in a new era at the Etihad Stadium, Bielsas pupil looks ready to make his next step up with Guardiola. Also See: Sagna: Failure would be our fault Who gets into Europe? Has Pellegrni improved City? Kompany facing long spell out Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '