start after leaving Wednesdays game with a strained hamstring

It was billed as "The Rematch". True vitriol is a rarity in womens soccer. The hard feelings between Canada and the United States are about as heated as it gets. Canada hosting their rivals was an opportunity for some closure after the injustice of the controversial loss to the Americans in the semi-final match at the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games. This time out, the Canadian Womens National Soccer team hardly lived up to their lofty billing, coming out flat and unable to keep the ball in a 3-0 loss to the US. Canada was taught a lesson in build-up play and ball possession. There is work to be done ahead of the FIFA World Cup in 2015. The result in a stand-alone friendly hardly matters. Sure, a win would have played well with the patriotic home crowd. But bigger picture, the importance the match was treated with and corresponding electric vibe made clear Canada against the United States in womens soccer is a marquee event. The most prestigious of all Canada versus US in womens competition used to come on the ice. With a lack of genuine other competition in womens hockey, Canada/US is basically all there is. The budding soccer rivalry between cross border nations is now the most compelling in Canadian womens team competition, and worthy of the special feel the spectacle had on the Lakeshore in Toronto. The true sporting rivalry got spicier when Canadian-born American player, Sydney Leroux scored in stoppage time and promptly mocked the crowd and paid homage to the American badge on her jersey. An act as such is an absolute no-no in soccer. You dont pay homage to the badge against your former team, let alone the country of your birth. The Leroux storyline line will further galvanize support of our women and what it means to be a Canadian National team player. It was an incredible scene at BMO Field, otherwise known as our National Soccer Stadium. Kids, families, Canadian soccer supporters and the curious lot captivated by Canadas run in London formed a sea of red and white, engaged from start to finish in 90 plus minutes of football. The match was played in front of 22,453, the most ever to take in a game at BMO Field. And despite a disappointing 3-0 loss, the team did a lap of honour as adoring Canadian fans showed their affection for their soccer heroes. Its a true injustice Toronto is not a host city for the 2015 FIFA Womens World Cup. How the City of Toronto can let arguably the worlds biggest event for womens team sport not come to Canadas biggest and most prominent city is beyond me. Spending taxpayers dollars on the largely irrelevant Pan Am Games instead of the moneymaker of hosting World Cup matches will never make sense. That story has been told, and still upsets me to this day. And on a wonderful afternoon as Sunday, it digs a little deeper. The brimming cultural attachment to Canadas finest womens players makes Torontos decision to not host that much more exasperating. Womens soccer holds a special place among Canadians. It came to the forefront in the build up to the 2003 FIFA Womens World Cup, culminating in an unexpected 4th place finish. It was an unlikely run by a group who were either at the end or the beginning of their international career. With growing television and media exposure, the Canadian women captured the hearts of soccer families coast-to-coast, giving young girls playing the game something bigger to aspire to. Since that time, Canadian womens soccer has matured and mattered. But its never mattered as much as now. The 2012 Summer Olympic Games was a defining moment. Through adversity came a new developed culture; a culture where results matter. Strangely enough, the womens game in this country is where the mens game wants to be: culturally relevant and taken seriously. Its both quite spectacular and equally sad the womens national team has become more popular than the Canadian mens team. No other womens team sport I can think of is more popular than their male counterparts in any other country. Mens national teams, not womens, define footballing nations. Thats not the case in Canada. Christine Sinclair is the most recognizable player, man or woman. While the womens team is praised and revered, the mens team is mocked. Its a remarkable achievement by our womens players and also an indictment on our mens program. Success has something to do with it. But its inaccurate to say thats the only reason. No offence, but Cyprus Cup and Olympic qualifying victories are resume builders, not widely celebrated accomplishments. Some may not acknowledge as much, but preferential treatment towards the womens game started years ago at the club level. Its much more difficult to produce top-level Canadian mens players than womens. The global mens game is incredibly competitive at all levels and Canada continues to play catch-up. Creating a clear path for mens players to become true professionals is a difficult one to make. The emerging professional club structure in Canada is hoping to bridge the gap. But theres a ways to go. The womens game is still growing and Canada has been progressive in providing opportunity. The goal for most soccer clubs has been traditionally to put their players in a position to get scholarships to American universities. Its proven to be much easier to promise your young girl a legit shot at a scholarship than to assure your young boy the same. Sheer numbers dictate that. It became lucrative for clubs across the country to back the emerging womens game where Canada could be leaders, rather than minnows. Well-regarded club coaches switched from coaching boys to girls. Not only could coaches avoid the never-ending politics of boys soccer, but also it sure looks good on a resume helping so many young girls get free education at American schools. College coaches and scouts were regularly brought across the border to scout Canadian girls players and clubs did a good business. Many boys players were forced to fend for themselves, leaving their local clubs where the womens game was priority in search of another. Scholarships were still the goal, unless your boy was fortunate enough to have a proper visa to allow the player to pursue a spot at a European based soccer academy where professional ambition could be met. The scholarship route is still the preferred road to International success in the womens game. Conversely, very few Canadian players coming out of the University system are deemed good enough for the Mens National team. But because girls soccer remains profitable at a micro level, clubs continue to feed the system and the womens game continues to benefit. The fact remains from a National team perspective, the potential monies to be made in the mens game trumps the women by a significant margin. The mens team qualifying for a World Cup would make the Canadian Soccer Association more money than ever can be made in the womens game. The purpose of this commentary isnt meant to create a mens versus womens game argument. Both programs can thrive. And truthfully, Canadas womens team finding success benefits the men, and vice-versa. Its more a testament to how the positive narrative surrounding Canadas womens program has come through grassroots development. The program hasnt been built through some elaborate marketing campaign, selling the team and players as something they are not. The players are likeable and the team is relatable. They are fun to cheer for, and likewise enjoyable seeing the passion the players have for the game. They are real. Its not contrived. They wear the Maple Leaf with pride. They play for each other and country. They represent what sport at its finest and purest level is all about. The build towards 2015 is going to be a whole lot of fun. If Sunday is any indication, the team is nowhere near ready. But judging by the crowd and atmosphere, Canadian soccer fans certainly are. You can reach Gareth at gareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca or follow him on Twitter, @WheelerTSN Cody Barton Youth Jersey .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Chris Carson Seahawks Jersey . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. http://www.seahawksfansofficial.com/phil-haynes-jersey/ .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. Russell Wilson Seahawks Jersey . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. Custom Seattle Seahawks Jerseys . JOHNS, N. DETROIT -- Tyler Collins knows the clock is ticking on his stay in the major leagues.With J.D Martinez nearing a return from a fractured elbow, Collins is trying to find ways to extend his stay beyond the next few days.Friday, he hit a three-run homer in the second inning, then tripled and scored in the fifth as the Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros 14-6.Thats what you dream about at night -- having a big game and getting the offense off and rolling, he said. Its good to be part of it.Collins started the season with the Tigers after Cameron Maybin broke his wrist, but was sent down in disgrace in late April. Not only was he hitting .100 with one extra-base hit, he made an obscene gesture at the fans after misplaying a fly ball.He didnt help himself by going to Triple-A Toledo and hitting .214, but when Martinez got hurt and Steven Moya couldnt handle the defensive responsibilities of right field, he got the call.Since his return, hes hitting .276 with three homers and eight RBI in nine games.The better he plays, the more we have to think about keeping him, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. Hes learning to slow the game down a little bit.Justin Upton and James McCann also homered, while Cameron Maybin had three hits and scored three times for the Tigers, who were coming off a three-game sweep at Fenway Park. Detroit moved a half-game behind Houston, with both chasing Boston for the second AL wild-card spot.The hot streak could turn the Tigers into buyers at the trade deadline.Lets put it this way -- it certainly doesnt help if we keep winning, Ausmus said. Theres no question about that.Houston got homers from Jose Altuve and Jake Marisnek, but lost for the third time in four games.Matt Boyd (2-2) picked up the win, allowing three runs on four hits in five innings. He walked one while striking out six. Boyd is 2-0 in his last three starts after going 0-2 in his first six.It was awesome to get that kind of offense, Boyd said. I was all over the place in the first two innings, but I ironed out the issues and got things fixed.Collin McHugh (7-7) went to the mound with a 2-0 lead, but didnt make it out of the second inning. He allowed eight runs on 10 hits while only retiring five batters.Thats obviously not a great way to start the game, said Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. We got the quick 2-0 lead, and then were down seven after the second.dddddddddddd We battled all night, but thats a big hole.Boyd struck out George Springer to start the game, but Marwin Gonzalez doubled and Altuve lined his 18th homer into the right-field stands. Detroit, though, tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Miguel Cabrera and an RBI single from Nick Castellanos.Maybins two-run double put the Tigers ahead 4-2 in the second, and Cabrera followed with a run-scoring single. Castellanos beat out a two-out infield single to score Cabrera with Detroits sixth run.They just never let me up for air, McHugh said. If I made a good pitch, they got a bat on it, and if I missed my spot at all, they hit it hard. That wasnt how I envisioned this game going.Chris Devenski replaced McHugh after Uptons single, and immediately allowed a three-run homer to Collins.The Tigers led 13-3 after seven, but the Astros scored three runs off Tigers mop-up relievers Mark Lowe and Dustin Molleken.TRAINERS ROOMAstros: 1B Gonzalez left the game with a sore right hand, but it isnt considered serious. ... Houston placed INF Luis Valbuena on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring and recalled INF Tyler White from Triple-A Fresno. ... CF Carlos Gomez did not start after leaving Wednesdays game with a strained hamstring. Hes expected to miss the entire weekend series in Detroit.Tigers: Martinez and RHP Jordan Zimmermann (neck) were both on rehab duty Friday with Triple-A Toledo. The Tigers are hoping to have both players back before the end of the current nine-game homestand.PATERNITY LEAVEAstros starting pitcher Doug Fister isnt with the team this weekend, as his wife is expected to give birth to the couples first child. Fister pitched for the Tigers from 2011-13.HOT STREAK ENDSMcHugh came into the night having posted a 2.49 ERA in his last seven starts, with the Astros going 6-1 in those games. The eight runs allowed tied a career record, last done on June 13, 2015 against Seattle.UP NEXTThe teams continue their three-game series Saturday evening, with Justin Verlander (10-6, 3.64) facing Mike Fiers (7-4, 4.69). Verlander is 3-0 in six career starts against Houston with a 2.06 ERA. ' ' '