Das Feller-Forum » ing streak. The Ducks have yielded 10 goals over th

As weve sat down in record numbers in front of our TVs or at our favourite soccer pubs and cafes to take in a thoroughly absorbing World Cup Finals it once again reminds us that soccer is in the midst of a unprecedented growth spurt right across the country. Over the last four weeks as Ive circumnavigated the Montreal soccer streets I have taken in matches from a variety of establishments. From the official England Supporters pub through to more unorthodox venues like an Iranian car wash for the crucial group stage game against Argentina. Early on it became abundantly clear that in comparison with South Africa 2010 there has not only been a considerable rise in the number of soccer fanatics in Montreal, but vitally their connection to the beautiful game has become more deeply rooted. Jersey apparel manufacturers and car flag distributors have never had it so good in La Belle Ville. If social media is any barometer then the worlds game is now firmly embedded within Montreals more traditional sporting and cultural landscapes. As a long term advocate for all things Montreal soccer - in all forms and at all levels - Id like to think our local soccer cause is the World Cup effect were currently witnessing. Id be a fool, though, not to admit it is the growing legions of Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League aficionados who are its foundation pillars. With this in mind, Montreals local soccer stakeholders need to feed off this frenzy. From players working as TV analysts, organizing a highly popular player FIFA2014 tournament right on through to the multicultural theme of the June 29 home match against the Houston Dynamo - the Impact have certainly done their part over this past month in successfully connecting and fusing their brand with the Brazil 2014 masses. When in attendance at the Burgundy Lion, the official England Supporters Club in Montreal, for the Uruguay game quite remarkably the language was less Anglo Saxon and far more French “Canadien”. It was wonderful to observe so many Francophones resplendent In England jerseys speaking their native tongue in amongst a backdrop of framed photos and artefacts eulogising all things 1966, the BPL, Johnny Rotten and Cool Britannia. It was more entertaining than the action on the large screens. The highly diverse and growing Montreal soccer base is certainly not lost on Mayor Denis Coderre. On the eve of MLSs Brazil 2014 sabbatical word came from City Hall that as part of Montreals 375th Anniversary celebrations a highly-positive meeting had taken place with Don Garber regarding Montreal hosting 2017s MLS All Star game. More recently Coderre guested on TSN 690 and discussed his deep and lengthy connection to soccer. As a politician this goes all the way back to 1999, when he was a member of the cabinet for the Federal Government as Minister for Amateur Sport. In his time Coderre has not only visited Clairefontaine, the home of French soccer, he has also held meetings with the two most influential figures in world football: Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter. Montreals civic connection to soccer is expected to kick off as early as next year. Coderre disclosing: “We are working to have a Mayors Cup between two cities from MLS. We are working towards 2015 or 2016, where well play one game there and they will come here.” Not content with developing relationships with an enriched MLS family, Coderre is well aware of the highly valuable market for international friendlies. “The other thing is by 2017, what we are looking for is to get some European teams to come. Well work through Spain or Paris St-Germain. We will work towards getting some of the teams here. Im working with Joey Saputo” “With Joey we are working for what we will do through soccer for 2017. We already have the Under 20s this year and the Womens World Cup Finals next year. What we are building, is that mood for soccer.” “This is clearly a soccer city. Because of our diversity we can score big.” Coderre gave short shrift to the idea that two European powerhouses would suit up and face each other. Referring to the match at Olympic Stadium in the direct run up to South Africa 2010 between seven-time European Champions AC Milan and the Impact, Coderre stated: “I do recall when AC Milan came the stadium was packed.” “Id like to see my hometown team to play against these teams. The City of Montreal is willing to play its part” Fresh from co-signing a significant contract extension with Bernie Ecclestone, which will see Montreal stage the Canadian Grand Prix through 2024, Coderre knows full well of the substantial benefits and international exposure Montreal would reap by having PSG, Real Madrid or even Chelsea in town. The Mayor is a massive supporter for Canada staging a World Cup Finals, and even went so far as to question Qatars World Cup. “The bottom line is what will happen to the World Cup in Qatar in 2022? But clearly I am aiming at 2026. So we have two options.” “Remember in 2002 when the World Cup between South Korea and Japan was split? We could do the same thing with the States. We could have five cities from eastern Canada and five cities from the US. With the people that I spoke with it is truly feasible” As Montrealers take in Sunday afternoons World Cup Final the two football and soccer solitudes will come together in a significant outdoor viewing party at Parc Jean Drapeau - a venue more synonymous with rock shows and music festivals. Players from the Impact, representatives of the local committee for the FIFA U20s Womens World Cup and the Quebec Soccer Federation will mingle with thousands of Brazil 2014 hipsters. Theres nothing cooler though than supporting local soccer. Noel Butler can be reached at: Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Catch Argentina vs. Germany in Sundays World Cup Final live on the TSN and TEAM Radio Network. Pre-Game show starts at 2pm et/11am pt with Kick Off at 3pm et/Noon pt. Quenton Nelson Youth Jersey . - The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent centre Brian de la Puente. Peyton Manning Womens Jersey . Duhamel, from Lively, Ont., and Radford, from Balmertown, Ont., were second with 77.01 points, just behind Olympic bronze medallists Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany. The four-time world champs lead at 79. http://www.coltsofficialstore.us/authentic-pat-mcafee-colts-jersey/ . -- Kenneth Faried made a turnaround hook shot over Draymond Green with a half-second remaining, and the Denver Nuggets made Golden State wait at least one more game to secure a playoff berth with a stunning 100-99 win over the Warriors on Thursday night. Rock Ya-Sin Youth Jersey . - Free agent defensive end Will Smith has signed with the New England Patriots. Darius Leonard Colts Jersey . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins (5) – He had a brilliant game; it was a huge response for his average games before.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Boston Bruins will begin another month without captain Zdeno Chara, as they kick off a four-game road trip in Mondays clash against the Anaheim Ducks. Chara has been sidelined since suffering a torn ligament in his left knee on Oct. 23 against the New York Islanders. The star defenseman has resumed skating, but wont join the team for the road trip, which also features stops in Los Angeles, San Jose and Arizona. So far, Boston has fared well during Charas absence, going 10-4-1 in 15 games without their leader. The Bruins are 4-1-1 over their past six games and halted a modest two-game slide by earning Fridays 2-1 win over Winnipeg. Dougie Hamilton scored 3:39 into overtime to help Boston down the visiting Jets and Tuukka Rask made 35 saves for the victory. Late in OT, the Bruins skated in on a 3-on-2 rush with Carl Soderberg leading the charge. He slid a pass to Hamilton trailing the play, and the former first round pick beat Michael Hutchinson high stick-side. I dont know if Ive ever scored an OT goal before, so a pretty good feeling to get the win after the start that we had, Hamilton said. Hamilton also assisted on Milan Lucics fifth goal of the season early in the third period. Soderberg recorded an assist on both markers. In addition to dealing with Charas absence, the Bruins have played four straight and 10 of the past 12 games without top centerman David Krejci, who is sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Krejci also isnt making the trip out West for the Bruins, who are 5-4-0 as the road team this season. With Boston also playing tomorrow against the Kings, backup goaltender Niklas Svedberg could get his seventh startt of the season over the next two days.dddddddddddd Rask is 1-2-0 with a 3.59 goals against average against the Ducks in his career and 1-1-0 with a 2.20 GAA versus L.A. Svedberg has never faced either team. Anaheim is hoping to get back on track tonight after losing two straight on the heels of a three-game winning streak. The Ducks have yielded 10 goals over the two setbacks, dropping Fridays 4-1 home decision against Chicago before losing the following night in San Jose by a 6-4 score. The Sharks jumped all over the Ducks on Saturday, outshooting Anaheim by a 14-5 margin in the opening period while taking a 3-1 lead. San Jose extended that cushion to 5-1 early in the second before the Ducks began to pick away at the lead. Unfortunately for Anaheim, the bad start doomed the club to a loss as the Ducks were only able to cut the deficit to 5-4 before Matt Nieto sealed San Joses win with an empty-net goal in the final minute of play. We tried to do things right, but we had some bad breaks, Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau said. Then we got mad and showed how we can play. Corey Perry posted two goals and an assist in the loss, while Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and two assists. Matt Beleskey also scored for the Ducks. Frederik Andersen allowed five goals on 19 shots before being pulled over six minutes into the second period. Jason LaBarbera turned aside all 15 shots the rest of the way. Andersen has never faced the Bruins, while LaBarbera suffered an overtime loss in his only career start against Boston. Anaheim owns a 4-1-1 record in the last six meetings with the Bruins. Boston has lost in three of its last four trips to Orange County. ' ' '