VANCOUVER - The salsa music was cranked up loud in the Vancouver Whitecaps dressing room prior to a training session this week. You can catch the action live on TSN2 at 10pm et/7pm pt. The players looked relaxed and smiled as they filed out for practice. There was little evidence the teams confidence had been shaken by a pair of subpar performances and its first loss in eight Major League Soccer games. There was even talk about how the Seattle Sounders, Vancouvers Cascadia rival with the best record in MLS, are the right medicine to cure whatever ails the Whitecaps. "Its the perfect test to bounce back," forward Nigel Reo-Coker said about Saturdays game at BC Place Stadium. "Its a great test for the team. No one expects us to win this game. They are the most experienced team, I would say, in the league. For us, as an emerging young team, its a great time for us to prove to people we should be taken seriously as a team." The Whitecaps had a franchise record eight-game unbeaten streak (3-0-5) snapped in a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids last week. Vancouver had also played poorly in a 0-0 draw to the Montreal Impact the previous game. A Vancouver team that had gone six of seven games scoring two or more goals has suddenly had problems putting the ball in the net. "The last couple of games I dont think our team has produced the same amount of opportunities they have in the past," said forward Erik Hurtado. "That is going to affect us scoring goals." Coach Carl Robinson doesnt see any big problems with the Whitecaps game, just areas that need little fixes. "Good teams are able to do the crappy jobs very well," said Robinson. "Weve done that the first part of the season. In the last two games I think we went away from that. "Our transition play needs to be a little bit better. Its the little details that make the big differences. If we get back to that, then everyone will put a smile on their face." Seattle leads the MLS standings with 35 points from a 11-3-2 record. One of those ties came against Vancouver last month. The Sounders have also scored 33 goals, more than any other team in the league. Vancouver is fifth in the Western Conference, 13 points behind Seattle with a 5-3-7 record. Steven Beitashour, who is returning to the Whitecaps lineup after playing for Iran at the World Cup, said the last two results are a minor bump in a long season. "We were on a nice streak," said the 27-year-old right back. "The guys did well during that. "The league is going to have runs, good runs, bad runs. I dont think two is bad at all. Im confident this weekend we will have a good result, then we will start a new winning streak." The last time the teams met Seattle salvaged the tie on a late penalty kick after a controversial call. Sounders coach Sigi Schmid doesnt expect things to be any easier in the rematch. "They are going to be a team that is motivated," Schmid said on the Sounders website. "Im sure they havent been happy with their last two games they played, they havent scored any goals. "Coach Robinson will be under them and motivating them. That team is going to be hungry when they play us." One reason the Whitecaps have had problems scoring goals is teams are dropping back defenders to counter Vancouvers speed. Robinson said his team must be smarter with the ball when they have possession. "We have to get back to maintaining possession, dictating possession, but also being a threat in the final third," he said. "We know we have quick players, but have we got players with an understanding how to move (opposition) players out of position? Seattle is a very organized team. They like to get eight, nine men behind the ball. We are going to have to be open and expansive but also a little bit creative in our final third play." Vancouver could also improve its set plays. The Whitecaps have been unable to take advantage of some good deliveries from midfielder Pedro Morales. "I think the service has been there," said Robinson. "Now its the challenge for the players to get in the right position. Its about movement in the box." The Whitecaps have been guilty of giving up leads. Robinson said thats a result of his team still learning how to deal with certain game situations. "The top teams are able to grind out results," he said. "I havent got an experienced core. I have a young group. "When we bend we might break at the moment. Its important we learn from scenarios like that. At the moment we have broken but we will learn form certain things." One player thrilled to be back in the Whitecaps lineup is Medhi Ballouchy. The 31-year-old midfielder from Morocco spent 11 months recovering from anterior cruciate ligament surgeries on both knees. During that time he also lost his father to cancer. Ballouchy played 20 minutes against Colorado and called the experience "amazing." "Taking something from a soccer player ... its always hard," he said about his long recovery. "Im just happy (and) at this point dont even want to think about it. "I hope I can stay in this phase for a long time." Evgenii Dadonov Panthers Jersey .com) - New England Patriots starting center Bryan Stork will not play in Sundays AFC Championship against Indianapolis due to a knee injury the rookie sustained last week. Aaron Ekblad Panthers Jersey . You can watch the game live on TSN2 and TSN Mobile TV at 9pm et/6pm pt. Jonathan Huberdeau and Quinton Howden are expected to make their debuts for Team Canada. http://www.hockeypanthersofficialonline.com/customized/ . - Olympic champion Marielle Thompson accomplished her mission of defending her skicross World Cup title at Nakiska Ski Area on Saturday. Ian McCoshen Panthers Jersey . Cruz set the tone with a two-run homer in the first inning, and Baltimore scored eight times in the eighth to pull away for a 12-3 victory in Game 1. The major league leader with 40 homers during the regular season, Cruz added an RBI single to his early blast off Max Scherzer. Florida Panthers Jerseys . Jeff Carter had two goals and an assist as the Kings stretched their streak to seven wins in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders got some good news in free agency Thursday, one day after voiding top target Rodger Saffolds contract because of a bad shoulder. The Raiders signed defensive end Justin Tuck and linebacker LaMarr Woodley to two-year deals in an effort to bolster their pass rush. ESPN reported that Tuck will be paid $11 million and Woodleys deal is worth up to $12 million. The two pass rushers have combined for 117.5 career sacks, reached double figures in a season seven times and have won three Super Bowl titles in their careers. Tuck joins the Raiders following nine seasons with the New York Giants during which he helped the team win two Super Bowl titles. Tuck has made two Pro Bowls and has 60.5 career sacks, 20 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries in 127 career games with New York. "Last week, I absolutely did not see it coming," Tuck said. "It wasnt necessarily on my radar at that point in time, but everything accelerated pretty quickly, and Im excited. I really am. I like the direction that this team is talking about going in, and I just want to be a part of it." Woodley, 29, had 57 sacks in seven seasons in Pittsburgh and helped the Steelers win it all following the 2008 season. Woodley struggled with injuries the past three seasons but was still an effective rusher when healthy. He ended last season on injured reserve with a calf injury and the Steelers released him because of his high salary. After averaging 11 sacks per season from 2008-11, Woodley has only nine sacks in 24 games the past two years. He did have eight quarterback hits and 24 hurries and was one of the most efficient pass rushers last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Woodley played linebacker in Pittsburghs 3-4 defence but is also able to play defensive end in Oaklands four-man front. The Raiders need help on their pass rush after losing last years leading sacker and most consistent defender, LaMarr Houston, to Chicago in free agency. The other three starting defensive linemen -- Pat Sims, Vance Walker and Jason Hunter -- are also free agents. Tuck, who turns 31 this month, was rated as the ninth best pass rushing defensive eend by Pro Football Focus last season when he had 11 sacks, 12 quarterback hits and 44 hurries.dddddddddddd Oakland has not had a player reach double figures in sacks since Derrick Burgess and Warren Sapp both did it in 2006. "Everyone talks about once you turn 30, its all downhill," Tuck said. "I dont believe in that. I dont look at myself in that regard. I feel like I have a lot of great football left in me." The Raiders have now made three free-agent additions this week, having previously signed right tackle Austin Howard to a five-year, $30 million deal. Running back Darren McFadden also agreed to re-sign with the Raiders on a one-year deal worth up to $4 million. Saffold was expected to be in the mix before the Raiders were scared off because of a shoulder injury and voided the five-year, $42.5 million contract that included $21.5 million in guarantees. Howard and Saffold were supposed to help anchor a rebuilt offensive line but now Oakland still needs to look for a left tackle to replace the departed Jared Veldheer. "We were excited about maybe getting the chance to play together," Howard said. "But thats the way this business works. Hes a tremendous guy, a tremendous athlete. I believe he really would have fit in well here and we would have been really excited to play together. Thats how it goes. Its very unfortunate." Oakland was burned last off-season by the acquisition of two players with existing injuries. Quarterback Matt Flynn was acquired despite a shoulder injury and he lacked arm strength before being released early in the season. Oakland used a first-round pick on cornerback D.J. Hayden, who had a near-fatal heart injury in college. Hayden missed the entire off-season and was limited in training camp because of the injury and struggled his rookie year before a sports hernia injury sidelined him for the season in November. The Raiders could fill the left tackle void with last years second-round pick, Menelik Watson, who played sparingly as a rookie because of injuries, a draft pick or with a second-tier free agent after most of the top available left tackles have signed elsewhere. ' ' '