Hunde-Tagebuch » s the defensive side of his game down.

MONTREAL -- It will be up to Frank Klopas to salvage something from an all-but lost 2014 season and try to build the Montreal Impact into a winning team. Club president Joey Saputo removed his friend and long-time Impact player, coach and manager Nick De Santis from his job as sporting director on Wednesday and handed control of the Major League Soccer team to Klopas, the head coach and director of player personnel. "Nick will have an administrative role, but will not be involved in the management of the technical team," said Saputo. Pressure from fans and the media had been building since the end of last season to replace De Santis, who seemed to be out of answers for a free fall that began with a 1-6-1 finish to the 2013 regular season and a 3-12-5 start to the 2014 campaign. De Santiss failure to make off-season changes other than replacing coach Marco Schallibaum with Klopas was his undoing, as the same weaknesses on defence and in the midfield that were exposed late last summer carried into this season. Now Klopas will have full control to decide who will play and who will sit out, and what trades or signings will be made. "He will have the responsibility to tweak this team according to what he feels he needs to be more competitive for the remainder of this season, the 2014 CONCACAF champions league and the 2015 season," said Saputo. The Impact have already made a handful of player moves since April, shipping out defender Jeb Brovsky, midfielders Collen Warner and Sanna Nyassi and forward Andrew Wenger. Midfielder Hernan Bernardello left in midseason to sign with a Mexican club. None of the moves made much difference as the Impact, now on a five-game losing run, sank further into the MLS basement. Saputo hopes to eliminate confusion over who is in charge, particularly among the players brought in by De Santis and those acquired by Klopas. "I want the message passed to the players that the person on top is Frank Klopas and not Nick De Santis. Its Frank who is the players boss," he said. Klopas is the Impacts third head coach in as many seasons in MLS, following Jesse Marsch for the expansion season in 2012 and Schallibaum last year. Saputo said he has assured Klopas, who signed in December for two years plus an option year, that he will have his job at least until the end of the 2015 campaign. "He has the security regardless of what happens this year, so if Frank decides tomorrow that he wants to start playing some of the younger players, I give him full responsibility, knowing that his job is not on the line," said Saputo. "Its obvious we need to change." The 47-year-old Klopas has extensive MLS experience as a player and as a former technical director and head coach of the Chicago Fire. It was De Santis who pushed for him to be hired. While reaching the MLS playoffs will be a long shot with only 14 regular season games left to play, the Impact can save face with a strong showing in the Champions League. They begin CONCACAF play Tuesday at home against FAS of El Salvador. One of the clubs high points came in 2009 when they drew more than 50,000 fans to Olympic Stadium for a quarter-final against Santos Laguna of Mexico. They also expect to have a second designated player, Argentine midfielder Ignacio Piatti, in camp starting next week. More player signings, although not a new DP, are planned for the off-season. Saputo did not say what De Santiss new duties will be. Montreal native De Santis has been part of the Impact since the team was formed from the ashes of the defunct Montreal Supra in 1993. The 46-year-old won an APSL championship as a player in 1994, won the A-League title as coach in 2004 and got a USL First Division championship as a manager in 2009. "He was a key element and architect of this organization and one of the reasons we are in MLS today," Saputo said of De Santis. "He is a friend, however, we are in a results-driven business and unfortunately, since July 2013, our results have not been what we expected them to be and hes paying the price for it." The Impacts next game is at home Saturday against Toronto FC. Eric Lichaj Jersey .In a statement released Friday, the Catalan club said the Brazil stars recovery would be monitored to determine when he can begin training again. Walker Zimmerman Jersey .ca. Hi Kerry, Welcome back! Im sure you heard Peter Forsbergs comments last week regarding Canadian referees in the gold medal game. Seems to me that he was questioning the integrity and impartiality. http://www.usasoccerauthority.com/jordan-morris-usa-jersey/. -- Andy Dorman and Kelyn Rowe scored in the second half to lead the New England Revolution to a 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Saturday night. Matt Hedges Jersey . Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres came to an agreement on a big trade that may only offer incremental improvement to the Blues in their quest for a Stanley Cup. Antonee Robinson Jersey .com) - Nate Buss 3-pointer with 5.When the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Frederik Gauthier in the first round in 2013, they knew they were getting a big, strong centreman. When they drafted William Nylander in the first round this year, they knew they were getting a speedy, playmaking forward.Now the Leafs want to see Gauthier and Nylander round out their games. Next up in that process is the world junior championship, with Gauthier playing for Canada and Nylander for Sweden.What were hoping to see from Frederik is to take that next step now and play on offence against (top) guys and drive play into the other teams zone, Leafs assistant general manager Kyle Dubas said. Get up the ice, make the other teams best players defend him. Hes a very large human being, and when he has the puck with his ability, I dont know theres many guys that are going to be able to get it from him.Gauthier is the fourth-line centre for Canada, which opens the tournament Friday against Slovakia. The 19-year-old from St-Lin-Laurentides, Que., showed off good forechecking skills in exhibition action.That fits in with what coach Benoit Groulx wants out of him.Hes got to skate, hes got to get involved, Groulx said. We dont want him to only be a checker or a penalty killer. We want him to be his own player. He has to have a presence on (the) forecheck, he has to have presence in the corners, in front of their net, not only in our zone.Dubas and the Leafs would love for Gauthier to hone his offensive game. At six foot four and 215 pounds, hes quite the handful on the ice and has improved his skating drastically since being taken 21st overall in 2013.Gauthier, who plays for Rimouski Oceanic in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, has got the message from his NHL organization loud and clear.They talk to me about my offensive skills, like try to be more offensive without giving up my defensive side, Gauthier said. Just being more offensive, part of the rush, part of the scoresheet. More create some scoring chances.Gauthier said he has the defensive side of his game down. Hes adept at taking faceoffs and will be counted on to win important, defensive-zone draws.Hockey Canada director of player personnel Ryan Jankowski said Gauthier proved during a recent exhibition game that he can complement offensive linemates. But Jankowski sees the Leafs prospect as more of a defensive, shutdown centre.I think the offensive component is by chipping pucks, by getting first to pucks, by making simple, little plays, Jankowski said. I think hes only a centreman. I think hes a guyy that is limited in his versatility but still has the presence, the size, the determination, the character to be a real good player for any team because of how he approaches the game.ddddddddddddNylander is almost the total opposite of Gauthier in that he has flashy offensive skill but lacks a lot in the defensive end and without the puck. Taken eighth overall in June, the five-foot-eleven son of former NHL centre Michael Nylander spent all of training camp with Toronto but didnt have the physical strength or polish to his game to stick.Since going back home to play for MODO of the Swedish Hockey League, Nylander has eight goals and 11 assists. Former Leafs captain Mats Sundin has watched Nylander play and believes hes going to be great.Hes a very talented young man. Very young still, 18, but hes got all the tools to become a great player in the National Hockey League, Sundin said. I thought it was a really smart move to let him go back and play in the Swedish Hockey League. Hes not physically there yet, but hes still playing against men over there at a high level and hes going to keep developing.Dubas said Steve Staios, Jim Hughes and Dave Morrison from the Leafs scouting and player development departments have watched him play there and have received strong reports on Nylander.Hes showing signs, as every 18- and 19-year-old does, now hes starting to show better ability to check and get the puck back and go back on offence, which is what we want from him to do when he comes over to North America, Dubas said.This world junior tournament is another test of that as Nylander goes up against the best players his age in group play in Toronto. Sweden is in Group B at Air Canada Centre with Russia (which has Leafs defensive prospect Rinat Valiev), the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark.Im excited to see Willie, Dubas said. Hes shifted and played centre with MODO. In the games in November with the national team, he was between wing and centre. Wherever he plays, its going to be exciting to see him come for Toronto and play for Team Sweden.Gauthier, who played an exhibition in what could be his future home rink last week when Canada faced Russia at Air Canada Centre, will start at Bell Centre in Montreal. Canada is in Group A with Slovakia, the United States, Finland and Germany.This is Gauthiers second time in this tournament. 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