Carl Robinson has accomplished quite a bit in his first nine Major League Soccer games at the helm of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Kieran Trippier Hotspur Jersey . After a rocky off-season that saw star striker Camilo Sanvezzo force his way out of town, the energetic and enthusiastic rookie head coach retooled his roster and has Vancouver off to a 3-2-4 start, including a 3-1-1 mark at B.C. Place Stadium. Robinson then admittedly took a risk this week by selecting a "younger than young" starting 11 in a hard-fought 2-1 road defeat to Toronto FC in the first leg of Amway Canadian Championship semifinal that resulted in the Whitecaps escaping with a valuable away goal. But like so many teams in MLS, picking up wins on the road has been elusive, and Robinson will be looking for his first on Saturday when the Whitecaps visit the Columbus Crew. You can see all the action on TSN beginning at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. "Were hungry. Part of the reason I left some of the senior guys out on Wednesday was to rest them for Saturday," said the Welshman. "Theyve got to go in now and give me everything theyve got for the weekend." Vancouver is 0-1-3 on the road so far in 2014, but played tough in a loss to the L.A. Galaxy and a draw against to Real Salt Lake — two teams considered to be among the Western Conferences best. Robinson said its his job to find a way to get his players on the front foot when they are the visitors, something that comes much easier at home. "Once I find that solution its going to be a lot easier because it wont put us under as much pressure at B.C. Place in getting results," said Robinson. "Its known throughout MLS that teams, when they go on the road, do struggle. But I think that if youre able to win four or five games away from home and take care of your home business then youre going to be there in the playoffs. "MLS brings up funny results. You lose two or three games and youre down at the bottom of the conference. You win two or three games and youre at the top of the conference. Thats the way Major League Soccer is set up and I think its an exciting way to go." Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted said its up to the squad to trust themselves and their abilities in tough environments. "I think its a mentality thing — going away from home and still believing fully that you can go win, even against good teams," he said. "Believing in the team and believing in your own ability and going away from home and trying to win every game is an important thing." Ousted and the Whitecaps other regulars saw some of that fight from the sidelines on Wednesday as Vancouvers kids battled a Toronto roster that boasted high-priced talent like Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley. "The senior players were there and rooted them on and tried to support them as best as possible," said Ousted. "The young guys did brilliantly. It was a chance for them to show the coaches what they can do and they did really well." The Crew (3-3-3) won their first three games of the season but have failed to record a victory in the last six, including a 1-0 road loss to the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday. "They are a little bit of a wounded animal. Theyre a good team and teams like that will do anything to get back to winning ways," said Ousted. "Were going to their place, were going away from home and they probably are going to come out and give all they can to get the win. We need to be ready for both a battle and a soccer match. "The start of the game will probably be a battle and be about finding the edge. After that we can hopefully get our game going and keep the ball and get chances." Columbus, meanwhile, will be hoping to get back in the win column for the first time since March 29. "Well be coming home, so well have a little more energy, hopefully, that were playing in front of our home fans," Crew midfielder Ethan Finlay told the clubs official website. "(The Whitecaps) are a really good team ... theyre a team that you have to watch for, they have a lot of pieces going forward, and it will be a tough test." One of those pieces in Vancouvers attack is Pedro Morales, who has three goals and two assists in six games this season, including two in last weekends 3-2 home victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. The Chilean is one of the pieces Robinson brought in after Sanvezzos departure and his presence in midfield has been a big part of the Whitecaps early success as the team looks to return to the post-season after missing out in 2013. On the other side, Columbus boasts the equally dangerous Federico Higuain, a striker who has four goals and two assists so far in this campaign. "Hes a special player," Robinson said of the Argentine. "Ive got one in Pedro Morales. He makes things happen in games. "Its going to be interesting. Theres two playmaking players (who are) going to be on the field on Saturday and whichever one probably has the biggest influence will win the game." Notes: Vancouver is 2-2-0 all-time against Columbus, including a 2-1 home victory last season. ... Robinson said he was pleased with striker Omar Salgados performance on Wednesday. The 20-year-old started the season with the second-tier Charleston Battery, but was recalled after the Whitecaps parted ways with Kenny Miller. And with Darren Mattocks out injured, Robinson said the first overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft will remain with Vancouver for the foreseeable future. ... The second leg of the Amway Canadian Championship tie between Toronto and Vancouver goes Wednesday at B.C. Place. The winner of the two-game, total-goals series will meet either the Montreal Impact or FC Edmonton in the final. Jan Vertonghen Jersey . Chelsea took until the second half to trouble the leagues bottom team, but Schuerrle then ripped through the defence with ease at Craven Cottage to keep Jose Mourinhos side on track for the title. Moussa Sissoko Jersey . The club was unable to retain hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, who is bound for Atlanta. Seitzer replaces Greg Walker, who was assisted by Scott Fletcher this season as the Braves finished 79-83. http://www.footballhotspurstore.com/Women-Moussa-Sissoko-Tottenham-Hotspur-Jersey/ . Ontario Superior Court Case Management Master Ronald Dash released the decision on Monday, saying John McCaw Jr. must testify in front of a jury by live video conference. Moores lawyer, Tim Danson, asked the court to compel McCaw - who is based in Seattle - to testify in the case back on February 27.BORDEAUX, France - World championships runner-up Tatsuki Machida of Japan and Ashley Wagner of the United States hope to clinch spots for the Grand Prix Final when they compete at the Trophee Bompard, which starts Friday.Machida won Skate America last month in Chicago and will face his main competition from Olympic bronze medallist Denis Ten of Kazakhstan and Russian champion Maxim Kovtun, who finished first at the Cup of China two weeks ago.Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu skipped the French event to compete at the NHK Trophy next week in Japan. Javier Fernandez of Spain, who tops the standings, has already qualified for the GP Final, which will feature the top six skaters or pairs or dance couples in each category.Meanwhile, Wagner looks to become the first American since Michelle Kwan in 2001 to qualify for three straight GP Finals. Last year, she beat Adelina Sotnikova of Russia to claim the Trophee Bompard.Sotnikova went on to win the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics.Wagner, the runner-up at Skate Canada three weeks ago, will be under pressure from Russias Julia Lipnitskaia, another star of the Sochi Games, and Elena Radionova. Worlds silver medallist Lipniitskaia placed second at the Cup of China, while two-time junior world champion Radionova won Skate America. Juan Foyth Hotspur Jersey. Russias Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and Anna Pogorilaya have already earned their spots at the GP Final with top two finishes at other events. Sotnikova skipped the Grand Prix series because of an ankle injury.In pairs, Olympic silver medallists Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia are the favourites after winning the Rostelecom Cup last week in Moscow. They could be challenged by Chinas Wenjing Sui and Cong Han, the runners-up at Skate Canada.In ice dance, world champions Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy have pulled out of the Trophee Bompard. Frances Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, and Canadas Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are the main contenders. The French duo won the Cup of China, while the Canadians claimed the silver medal at their home event.The Trophee Bompard is the fifth event of the Grand Prix series. It begins Friday with short programs and short dance.The NHK Trophy next week in Osaka, Japan, will be the last chance for skaters to qualify for the GP Final from Dec.11-14 in Barcelona, Spain. ' ' '