There was a moment during Fridays training session in Obetz, Ohio, where Whitecaps players were doing their “2 in the middle” drill, a fun warm-up exercise they would have performed hundreds of times. As me and some other stragglers were chatting informally with Caps Coach Carl Robinson, an explosive roar came from the group, some of whom were now on the ground laughing. I said to the coach, “Thats a good sound." "Brilliant” he replied. Something special is happening within a group that has representation from all over the world and that varies in age from 20 to 34. Theres a togetherness, despite a language barrier that could easily divide the locker room between the Latin-based players, the younger Americans and the senior pros. Midfield maestro and Designated Player Pedro Morales was in the hotel lobby with a few teammates having a coffee when he remarked on how this might be the best team spirit hes experienced in his career. This is a 10-year pro who was playing in La Liga only a few months ago with Malaga. Prior to Wednesdays Amway Canadian Championships, a game which featured a very young, Canadian heavy squad, all the senior players remained in the locker room right up until kick-off to offer support and encouragement for the youngsters who are likely to replace them one day. Nigel Reo Coker, a veteran of the Barclays Premier League, who played in the Toronto game, teased the armband-wearing Russell Teibert as the Niagara Falls, Ontario native gave his first captains speech in the huddle. “Speak up, Russ. I cant hear you.” More laughter. More calming of nerves before a team of kids was about to battle a line-up that featured Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley and Gilberto. The Whitecaps more senior group then followed up the Toronto performance with a solid, cohesive and monstrous away win at Columbus, where 23-year-old Eric Hurtado, in only his fifth MLS start, scored his first MLS goal. It was a moment of individual brilliance, as the sophomore took an ousted clearance off his chest and rolled his defender before turning and unleashing a left-footed blast into the top corner. His celebration was oddly muted, as if hed scored that type of goal a hundred times. But the occasion wasnt lost on his teammates who gathered quickly to mob him. When asked about the goal after, Hurtado immediately acknowledged his colleagues role in the goal and the win. It might be overly simplistic to compare team-building with cooking a dish - you follow a recipe that you think will work and then add certain missing ingredients until it tastes just right. Only, there is no recipe for team-building. While the 2014 edition of the Whitecaps is nowhere near ready to put on top of the table, what is simmering on the stove has a wonderful aroma. Its also creating a healthy appetite for hungry Whitecaps fans. Air Max 270 Pas Cher Chine .J. 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The agreement calls for a minimum of 17 regular-season games as well as the East and West Division finals being broadcast annually on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNEWS.PARIS -- Canadas Eugenie Bouchard played like someone who belonged in the final four of a Grand Slam on Thursday. She gave Maria Sharapova a stiff challenge at the French Open before the Russian veteran pulled away late for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory, derailing Bouchards attempt to become the first Canadian to reach a major singles final in the Open era. As painful as the defeat was for the 20-year-old from Westmount, Que., it will go down as another valuable learning experience on the heels of her first Grand Slam semifinal appearance at this years Australian Open. A look of dejection was etched on her face as she left the court after the nearly 2 1/2-hour long match. It was clear Bouchard wasnt just happy to be on the big stage. She wanted the victory and was crushed when it didnt happen. "She was actually very, very disappointed," Canadian Fed Cup team captain Sylvain Bruneau said on a conference call. "She was not speaking much and I think it shows how much she believes in herself. Sometimes those tough losses are painful but sometimes theyre good. "Sometimes you learn from it and they hurt a little bit and the next time youre in this position, you do a couple things differently and the outcome is different." Sharapova, the No. 7 seed, lost the first set for the third straight match, but again managed to turn things around. "It was a tough battle, it was what I expected," said Bouchard. "I didnt play as well as I had earlier in the tournament. Its always disappointing to be a bit off. I needed to be aggressive and go for my shots." Sharapova won eight of the last 10 games, and has now won 19 straight three-set matches on clay. "I would love to win those matches in two sets, but I always feel like I put in the work to be ready to play whatever it takes," she said. "If it takes three hours to win the match in three sets, I will be ready for that." Sharapova completed a career Grand Slam by winning the title at Roland Garros in 2012, but lost to Serena Williams in last years final. Bouchard, the No. 18 seed, was playing at the French Open for the only second time. Last year, she lost to Sharapova in the second round. "Im always disappointed with a loss," Bouchard said. "I expect a lot from myself. You know, I felt like I was close today and just came up a bit short. That happens sometimes. I feel like I played a lot of good matches the past two weeks, three weeks even, and so its sad to see it come to an end. "But it just motivates me ... I was still so close. That just gives me extra motivation to work hard in practice and get ready for the next one and have that belief that I can do it." Fourth-seeded Simona Halep of Romania defeated 28th-seeded Andrea Petkovic of Germany 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the other semifinal. The final is scheduled for Saturday. Sharapova struggled a bit with her serve, double-faulting nine times and getting broken four times. But she made up for it with solid groundstrokes, either going for winners or waiting out errors from Bouchard. Bouchard took the early lead with her first break in the third game of the match, smacking a forehand winner to give herself a 2-1 eddge.dddddddddddd She quickly made it 3-1 by completing a run of winning 12 of 17 points. The pair traded breaks early in the second set, and then again later. But Sharapova managed to stay ahead and broke Bouchard for the third time in the set to even the match at one set apiece. "I dont feel that I played my best tennis, but to be in the semifinals of a Grand Slam and winning a match where I felt my opponent played extremely well, exceptional tennis, and I didnt feel that I was playing my best, I fought, I scrambled, and I found a way to win," Sharapova said. The Russian served first in the third set, and made her move in the fourth game, converting her third break point to take a 3-1 lead that she held onto until the end. "I constructed the points well but I didnt finish them as well as I could," Bouchard said. "In the third set, I didnt feel tired, but she does put so much pressure on you. She elevated her game later in the match, I tried to do my thing and I had a couple of chances but I didnt take my opportunities. "Maybe I let off a bit on my shots in the second and third sets." Bouchard, who lost to eventual champion Li Na at the Australian Open in January, saved four match points before Sharapova won it with a forehand that Bouchard missed on the other end. Bouchard and Carling Bassett-Seguso, who lost in the US Open semifinal in 1984, are the only Canadian singles players who have made the final four at a Grand Slam in the Open era. "The semis of a Grand Slam are always exciting," Bouchard said. "I felt good on the court. I enjoyed it on the big stage. I tried to compete (and gave it) my best. I love playing tennis so I enjoyed being out there. I actually felt better on court than I did in Australia." Sharapova won her first Grand Slam title 10 years ago at Wimbledon. She followed that with major titles at the U.S. Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008. But since she recovered from having right shoulder surgery in 2008, she has vastly improved her clay-court game and has won six of her last eight titles on the red surface. This year, Sharapova has already won clay-court titles in Stuttgart and Rome, and her six wins so far at Roland Garros give her an 18-1 record on the dirt this season. And like against Bouchard, its been tough to beat her in three sets on the surface. The last time Sharapova lost a three-set match on clay was at Roland Garros in 2010, when Justine Henin beat her in the third round. The loss ended a 10-match winning streak on clay for Bouchard, who came to Paris after winning a warmup event in Germany. Sharapova owns a 3-0 career record against the Canadian. She also beat the former Wimbledon junior champion last year in Miami. In the late semifinal, Halep played aggressive tennis from the outset. She finished the first set with 12 winners and seven unforced errors, while Petkovic had only three winners and 14 unforced errors. The second set was much closer as Petkovic played with more consistency, but the 22-year-old Romanian was able to close it out in the tiebreaker with a forehand winner. Both Halep and Petkovic were playing in a major semifinal for the first time. ' ' '