VANCOUVER - Andy OBrien sat out seven straight games because of injury and coaching decisions earlier this season for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Markus Golden Jersey .Fellow defender Kendall Waston wasnt even a member of the Major League Soccer club until August.What a difference a couple of months has made for both players.OBrien and Waston form an unlikely partnership in the centre of defence for the Whitecaps, who are riding a four-game shutout streak heading into Wednesdays winner-take-all first-round playoff matchup against FC Dallas.Like most great pairs, they differ in many ways.The 35-year-old OBrien is a no-nonsense veteran of 300 games in the English Premier League, while the 26-year-old Waston was a relative unknown in these parts until arriving in Vancouver from a club in his native Costa Rica.Theyre two opposites, said fellow defender Jordan Harvey. Kendalls that aggressive one and Andys that calming influence. Andys the communication guy in the back and really keeps that backline solid, and Kendall really raises the level of intensity and gets guys up for it.OBrien said things have worked with Waston largely because of how well they compliment each other on the pitch.I think hes playing very well. I suppose Im just Steady Eddy and thats how Ive played my career, said the former Irish international. Kendalls aggressive, very dominant, on the front foot. I think when you play with somebody and you know what theyre going to do, its easy to adjust around that player.In terms of what youd expect from a big centre back, he does what it says on the tin.It often takes time for new teammates to jell and Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson said before the team left for Dallas on Monday hes surprised how quickly OBrien and Waston have meshed together.Kendall coming in has obviously been a massive hit for the club and for himself, but hes settled in off the field as well. They boys have welcomed him in, said Robinson. Him and Andy have been fantastic over the last couple of weeks.Waston scored the goal that clinched Vancouvers second playoff berth in three years on Saturday, flinging himself at a corner kick and powering the ball over the line in a dramatic 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids in the regular-season finale.Waston always has a smile on his face — at least off the field — and said he used to watch MLS games on television back home.Now hes in the middle of the action for a squad that went an impressive 4-0-1 over its final five games just to qualify for the post-season.Its very good that I could come here because this is one of my dreams coming true, said Waston. I try to enjoy it every day.He added that hes learned a lot from OBrien in their short time together with the Whitecaps.Andy OBrien is a guy I want to copy a lot of things from because hes very professional, said Waston. The success hes had in life is because of that.I have a good relationship with him.Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted has had an outstanding season for Vancouver with an MLS-leading 13 shutouts. But hes quick to share the credit with the rest of his team, including the two players who line up right in front of him.I think theyve been fantastic, said Ousted. Youve seen Kendall, the things hes done just scoring goals and being strong defensively, and Andy has been rock solid the whole season.Robinson said over the weekend he initially thought Waston would be a good addition for the 2015 campaign, but former captain Jay DeMerits injury and subsequent retirement forced his hand. OBrien, meanwhile, got hurt and then fell out of favour in mid-season before battling back to regain his spot ahead of Carlyle Mitchell and Johnny Leveron.Age is just a number and I think you need to judged by what you do on the pitch, said OBrien, who started 11 of Vancouvers 13 clean sheets. Statistically Im happy with the games that Ive played, the results that weve had.The defence faces a tough test against Dallas, and OBrien, Waston and Harvey will be without usual right back Steven Beitashour, who limped off with a hamstring injury against Colorado.Robinson could opt to go with 19-year-old Sam Adekugbe — who was subbed on in the first half against the Rapids — or 20-year-old Ethen Sampson to fill the void.The Whitecaps have struggled to score for long stretches this season — they went the equivalent of five straight games without a goal at one point — but the defence has been resolute the last month and was the main factor into the Western Conferences top-5.We can talk about that wed like to score more goals, but its imperative that you keep a strong backline, said OBrien. I think collectively as a team weve done that very well.Notes: The winner of the Dallas-Vancouver one-game playoff will meet the Seattle Sounders in a two-leg semfinal. ... After Vancouver clinched its playoff spot Saturday night, the players were back on the practice field at 11 a.m. Sunday morning.Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter Pat Tillman Jersey . A question that was repeatedly posed last season, and the season before that and in the 2011 campaign before that. David Johnson Jersey . Then youve got to worry about the other up and coming teams in the two weaker divisions in the "Junior Circuit". http://www.officialarizonacardinalsfootball.com/authentic-jermaine-gresham-jersey-womens .com) - The University of Montana named Bob Stitt as its new head football coach on Tuesday.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Now, this is the kind of defence Jack Del Rio wishes he could have taken into the Super Bowl. In the 3 1/2 months since Denvers 43-8 shellacking at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, the Broncos have added DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward and Bradley Roby, fulfilling general manager John Elways wishes to inject more toughness into his roster. Plus, Von Miller, Kevin Vickerson, Chris Harris Jr., Rahim Moore and Derek Wolfe are all on the mend after spending that miserable night at the Meadowlands on the sideline with Del Rio. "The way we looked at it, and the way I always looked at it: When were in the moment, were going to compete with the guys we have. Next man up. Lets go, lets go get it done," Del Rio said. "We carried that motto all the way through and had a shot to win a world title. And it didnt happen. And what you do is you go back and you retool and regroup and reload and go after it again." As he did his post-mortem on Denvers season, Elway came to realize that for the Broncos to become the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to win the Super Bowl a year after losing it, theyd have to toughen up. His first order of business, however, was to sign Del Rio to a two-year contract to keep him in Denver though 2015. Del Rio, who went 3-1 as interim coach last season when John Fox underwent heart surgery, was Denvers seventh defensive co-ordinator in seven seasons when he joined the Broncos in 2012 after serving as Jacksonvilles head coach from 2003-11. The Broncos ranked first in the league in several defensive categories his first season. But the injury epidemic contributed to a free-fall last year when the Broncos surrendered a whopping 24.9 points a game -- 25.3 if you count the playoffs -- which sent Elway on another off-season spending spree to plug holes. "Look, were just moving on, you know?" Del Rio said. &qquot;Two years ago we finished in the top of the league and last year, we . A.Q. Shipley Jersey. we didnt. We like being at the top. So well work our way back. Weve got good players, good design. Were going to work hard. And we expect to be good." Del Rio was thrilled last week when Roby, the Ohio State cornerback who was ranked 14th on the Broncos draft board, slipped to them at No. 31. Hes another hard-nosed, tough-minded player who can add that edge Elways looking for. After watching him at the Broncos rookie minicamp over the weekend, Del Rio said Robys "very bright." "Hes a good communicator in the meetings and all that and then coming out on the field," he added. "And hes gifted physically. You know hes got a lot of work to do, as most rookies do. But hes got a lot of great tools." The selection of Roby and the additions of linebackers Lamin Barrow and Corey Nelson in the later rounds followed another fruitful free agency run by Elway. Ware, the former Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher, will team with Miller to give the Broncos another 1-2 punch -- as long as both are healthy after off-season surgeries: Ware (elbow) and Miller (ACL). Ware also can serve as a stabilizing force for Miller, who ran into some off-field trouble last season after Elvis Dumervils departure in free agency. "Hes got great leadership," Del Rio said of Ware. "Hes very explosive. I mean, in our drill work, the guys got some juice to be able to harass the quarterback. So thatll be welcome." Ward can move from strong safety on first and second down to middle linebacker on third down as he did in Cleveland. Talib is a player the Broncos snared from rival New England who gives them another thumper in the secondary. "Weve gone against him," Del Rio said, "and anytime hes got the respect of your better players, then you know youve got a real good football player." 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