Fragen und Antworten » o potential starting power forwards and is co

SEATTLE -- Snubbed from a World Cup camp invite by Nigeria, Obafemi Martins was determined not to sulk about missing out on a trip to Brazil. Martins said earlier this week his World Cup is the next two months playing for the Seattle Sounders. And it started with his finest goal since joining Major League Soccer. "I just want to score goals," Martins said. "Thats what I did and Im glad." Martins scored in the eighth minute to give the Sounders a 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night as both teams began a possible two-month stretch with some of the top players in the league off competing at the World Cup. Martins goal will be in the discussion for best of the season as the year progresses. His goal came from a shallow angle just 4 yards off the end line. Instead of settling Gonzalo Pinedas pass, Martins chipped the one-hopper with his left foot over San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch and just inside the far post. It was the fifth goal of the season for Martins. Instead of the usual backflip that has accompanied his previous goals, Martins simply shook his head possibly a little surprised his difficult attempt found the net. "Its an athletic ability. You cant teach that. Its something that somebody has," Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. "Its definitely as good a goal thats been scored here." Busch said shots from that shallow an angle usually end up coming at the near post or end up on top of the net. "So now he finds the back post. Tip your hat to him. Nothing you can do," Busch said. "Doesnt matter who you are or where you play, thats a good goal." The Sounders (8-3-1), who remained the MLS points leader, opened the whole stadium for the first time this year and drew 49,746, the largest crowd for any MLS game this season. Seattle was without three U.S. World Cup hopefuls, while the Earthquakes were minus two. Clint Dempsey, Brad Evans and DeAndre Yedlin were gone for Seattle and San Jose (2-4-4) played without Chris Wondolowski and Clarence Goodson. Also gone for the Earthquakes was Honduran hopeful Victor Bernardez. The Sounders could have been without Martins as well, but he was not selected to join Nigeria for its World Cup camp. Teaming with Dempsey at the top of Seattles attack, Martins has a resume this season that would have been worthy of a call. Instead hes being asked to be the offensive catalyst for Seattle with Dempsey gone. Seattle controlled the match and likely should have scored two or three more times if not for stellar goalkeeping by Busch. He stopped attempts from Lamar Neagle twice in a seven-minute span of the second half and turned away Osvaldo Alonsos attempt in the 84th minute. "My job is to make saves and keep us in the game. I did my job," Busch said. All the shots being peppered toward Busch made for a quiet night at the other end for Seattles Stefan Frei. With Wondolowski and Bernardez gone, the Earthquakes were missing seven of the 11 goals they have scored this season. The only player in San Joses starting lineup with a goal was midfielder Cordell Cato. San Joses only official shot on goal came on a free kick in the 90th minute from Khari Stephenson that Frei smothered. It was the second shutout of the season for Seattle and important after giving up five goals last Sunday to New England. "The commitment of the team this week after last week was playing to zero," Schmid said. Kerryon Johnson Womens Jersey . 5 Trade Deadline isnt that far away and teams will be making decisions on whether to buy, sell and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Calvin Johnson Womens Jersey . With the team he supported as a child on the verge of reaching the Champions League semifinals for the first time in 19 years, Ba instead scored the goal that knocked them out. http://www.shopdetroitlionsnfl.com/lions-austin-bryant-black-jersey/ . Next week, hell try to add to the list. A Stanley Cup champion as a rookie, Seguin followed that up by becoming the youngest player to lead the Boston Bruins in scoring. Marvin Jones Jr Youth Jersey . The Cubs made the moves before Thursdays game against Arizona. They promoted left-hander Zac Rosscup and right-hander Neil Ramirez from Triple-A Iowa and optioned righty Blake Parker to their top minor league team. T.J. Hockenson Lions Jersey . -- Damian Lillard couldnt believe when he got a clear look at the rim. INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Anthony Bennett wasnt really all that interested in playing basketball. Yeah, it was cool dunking on guys, and a great way to make new friends after moving from Toronto to the citys suburbs. Then, he decided to get serious about six or seven years ago. His future was calling. "I just started growing," Bennett said, flashing a smile while talking about his unique path to the NBA. "And everyone said, You should probably play basketball. So I said, All right. Ill give it a shot. Look where it got me now." Look indeed. Bennett was formally introduced Friday by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who shocked the draft by selecting the UNLV power forward with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday night. Although he wasnt regarded by many draft experts as the best player available, Bennett was always at the top of Clevelands board. They scouted the 6-foot-7, 240-pounder extensively all season, fell in love with his game and after getting rave reviews about his character, chose him over Kentucky centre Nerlens Noel, Kansas guard Ben McLemore, Georgetown forward Otto Porter Jr. in a flawed draft. "As we did our evaluations throughout the entire year, we just kept coming back to his ability and his talent and how it fit with our guys," Cavs general manager Chris Grant said. "A lot of times, like last year, its just clear-cut. But for us, through the year, we always had him very high in our rankings and as we went back and reviewed the film and went on campus and visited everybody, we came away saying hes a great kid. Hes willing to work and do the right things and hes got a bunch of talent." From almost the moment they won the lottery until they had to call the league with their pick, the Cavs listened to multiple trade offers before taking Bennett, who averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in his one season with the Runnin Rebels. Bennett didnt find basketball as much as the sport discovered him. After his family moved from the rough Jane and Finch area of inner Toronto to Brampton, Ontario, Bennett enjoyed playing hoops, but it wasnt his passion. "I was just playing around and just wasting time," he said. His mother, Edith, was encouraged to get him on an organized team, but as she watched her boy clumsily run up and down the floor, she never dreamed it would one day become his profession. "At first, people were saying, Oh, he cant play," she said. "But a few of the coaches stuck with him and gave him a chance. See what a chance will get you?" Bennetts arrival didnt come without some risks for the Cavs. He recently underwent shoulder surgery to rrepair a torn rotator cuff and has reportedly struggled with his weight while recovering.dddddddddddd Grant, though, sees him as the next piece -- along with Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters -- to help turn around a franchise that has gone 64-166 in the three seasons since LeBron James left. "A lot of guys in this draft were out for medical reasons, but at the end of the day we just felt like this was the right guy to add with all the talent he has," Grant said. "You put him in a pick and roll with Dion or Kyrie, hes going to be pretty difficult to guard because he can shoot the ball and is athletic and can handle the ball and get to the rim." Theres a strong possibility Bennett wont even start as a rookie next season. He could wind up as a backup to fellow Canadian Tristan Thompson, who was taken by the Cavs in the first round in 2011. Like Bennett, Thompson grew up in Brampton. "I feel like me and Tristan will become best friends," Bennett said. "Hes going to be my go-to guy just because hes from Canada. Im sure there are lot more guys on that team I can go to, but just because even if Im here in Cleveland or back home in Brampton, I can talk to him anywhere I am." Some questioned why the Cavs would take another power forward with Thompson on the roster and other pressing needs like a shooter or small forward. Cavs coach Mike Brown isnt concerned about having two potential starting power forwards and is confident playing time will begin to get sorted out in training camp. "They have to go out and compete," Brown said. "They may be buddies, but once they cross that line, I think theyll get after each other. Theyll want to make themselves better, as well as the team. Its great to have depth in all areas. Anthony is definitely a guy that has added that to us. He is versatile. Hes different than the bigs we have. "He can be used in a lot of different ways." As his skills developed and his game blossomed, Bennett kept a list of players he dunked over. A dunking diary, so to speak. "I thought it was pretty fun to do," he said with laugh. "It was between me and my friends growing up in Canada. I thought, Why not? I think I gave it a year and a half. When I got to 100, I stopped." Hes already made history as the first player from his country to be taken first overall, and Bennett says theres plenty more talent north of the U.S. border. And now that the Cavs have two Canadians, is he expecting to hear "O Canada" played before games in Cleveland? "If it happens, man, Ill be happy," he said. ' ' '