MONTREAL -- Patrice Berniers tough start to the season has turned around quite nicely. The Montreal Impact midfielder scored from the penalty spot and added another goal late in the second half Saturday to help defeat D.C. United 3-0 in MLS play. The victory extended the Impacts (12-13-3) winning streak to five and moved the club to within a point of fifth-place United (12-9-4) for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. "Over the last month or so, weve been very good and weve worked hard. Weve earned the success weve got right now," Impact captain Davy Arnaud said. D.C., which hasnt won back-to-back games since late May, still has three games in hand. Leading 1-0 at halftime on a goal by Marco Di Vaio, Bernier put the sold-out crowd at Saputo Stadium into a frenzy when he converted a penalty kick in the 50th minute for his eighth goal of the season. The kick was awarded when Impact midfielder Collen Warner was fouled. With the goal, the Brossard, Que., native became the first player since Jamie Moreno in 2009 to score six goals on penalty kicks in a single season. It was also the Impacts ninth penalty kick goal in as many attempts this season. "Ive never seen a season like this where one team has had so many penalty kicks. As long as were winning, Im happy," Bernier said. After spending the last 10 seasons playing in Europe, Bernier returned to Montreal and the Impact (where he played from 2000 to 2002) for the clubs inaugural MLS season. But his return hit a rocky road early on. He started the first four games before going five matches without a start. In four of those, he was an unused sub. Since May 26, hes started 12 of 14 games and played a full 90 minutes on 10 occasions. Despite the rough go, Bernier never complained. "I do my talking on the field," he said. "Everybody will go through some times where theyre not happy, not playing or whatever but Patrice kept pushing forward," Arnaud said. "Hes been very good and we hope he keeps it going that way, just as we hope the team does." Bernier added his second goal of the game in injury time on a slick finish past United goalkeeper Bill Hamid. The Impact took some time to find their legs and their lungs as sunny skies and 30-degree temperature blazed on the field. "We wanted a high-tempo game but we almost werent able to dictate that because we were tired. You cant replicate the heat, no matter how fit you are. It takes a while to adjust," said Impact coach Jesse Marsch. "I think Marcos goal settled the game down a bit and helped us get our second wind." Awarded three free kicks in the opening nine minutes, D.C. had its chances to take the lead but was denied by Montreal keeper Troy Perkins. Playing its third game in seven days, the Washington club had weary legs in its starting rotation and on the bench. But coach Ben Olsen was pleased with his team, in spite of the rough schedule. "I was very happy with the effort and the mentality from the group. You dont get a break," he said. "Its tough on two days rest." In the first half, Di Vaio was caught offside several times early on but finally got his chance in the 24th minute when Bernier found him behind the D.C. defence. The Italian patiently outwaited Bill Hamid and beat him to the far corner for his third of the season. Montreal had chances to add to its lead in the second half, including several from Di Vaio. He got a perfect setup from Bernier at 63rd minute, but sailed the ball over the net. Di Vaio had another chance for his second of the match in the 81st minute but his shot went wide. Perkins preserved his teams two-goal lead in the 78th minute with a diving save to deny D.C. midfielder Marcelo Saragosa. The 31-year-old has been a steady presence in net for the Impact, giving up just one goal -- a penalty kick conversion last week against San Jose -- in his three games since joining the club. The team has also proven to be strong defensively during its current winning streak, recording three shutouts and allowing just one goal in the other two matches. "With every win, our confidence grows and with every win the next game becomes bigger and bigger. Were up for the challenge," Arnaud. "We knew coming into this last stretch of the season we were in a tough spot and needed to put some wins together. I think weve done well and were going to keep pressing forward."
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nfl jerseys china. Fresh off a bronze medal performance at the Olympics, Shved signed in Minnesota to provide depth to the Timberwolves backcourt. He has done so much more than that.MONTREAL -- Aleksandra Wozniak finally made it to the third round of the womens draw at the Rogers Cup, but 18-year-old Eugenie Bouchard will have to try again next year. The 25-year-old Wozniak, from Blainville, Que., downed former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday to go farther than ever before at the US$2.168-million hardcourt tournament once known as the Canadian Open. "It was about time, eh?" Wozniak said after scoring her first win in five meetings with Jankovic. "When I knew I would play Jelena I really wanted to win. "Ive lost tough matches against her. I wanted to be focused on what I have to do and not how she played, to stay on my game plan. I succeeded today and Im happy about that." Bouchard, on a roll since winning both the junior singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon, posted her best WTA Tour win yet in the opening round against Shahar Peer, but lost 6-4, 6-4 to 10th-seeded Na Li in the second round. "Its disappointing I couldnt go another round, but Ive learned a lot this week," said Bouchard, who lost in the first round of her Rogers Cup debut last year in Toronto. "I just want to keep playing players of this level. Thats how Ill move forward." Wozniak will next face Christina McHale, who posted a rain-delayed 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Galina Voskoboeva, the lucky loser" who got into the main draw when third-seeded Maria Sharapova pulled out with a stomach bug. They are 1-1 in head-to-head matchups. Li takes on eighth-seeded Sara Errani. Rain descended on Uniprix Stadium after Wozniaks afternoon win, stalling other matches in their third sets. Play did not resume until three hours after the evening session was scheduled to start. When it did, second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska pulled out a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over 37th-ranked Mona Barthel after trailing 2-4 in the third and Varvara Lepchenko upset No. 12 Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 6-4. Wozniak, currently ranked 55th in the world, dominated the baseline duel from the outset. Jankovic was once among of the best in the sport, but she has struggled mightily of late. The 13th seed lost in the first round for the fifth time in her last six tournaments and for the 13th timme this year.dddddddddddd It seemed Wozniak had only to keep returning balls and Jankovic would hit long, wide or into the net. "There were a lot of things I could have done better," Jankovic said. "I didnt serve well. "I got broke so many times (four). I made a lot of double faults (six). There was a lot in my control that I didnt do and she took advantage of that." Bouchard looked outclassed as Li took a 3-1 first-set lead, but gathered herself and made a match of it with aggressive shot-making and some impressive winners. She broke serve to tie it 4-4 in the second, but then botched a smash at the net to hand service back to Li to close out the match. Bouchard said the rain delay was not a factor. "Its not the best, but its the same for both players. You just lie on the couch and listen to music and wait," she said. Bouchards next stop is a tournament in Dallas in two weeks, then the U.S. Open junior tournament. It was a tough day for Serbs on centre court. Just before Jankovic fell, the 2006 Rogers Cup champion and current No. 11 seed Ana Ivanovic was blanked 6-0, 6-0 in only 45 minutes by Italys Roberta Vinci. Jankovic and Ivanovic each held the No. 1 ranking twice in 2008. Vinci, the French Open doubles champion with compatriot Sara Errani, had barely survived her first-round match, saving a match point while trailing 1-5 in the third set against Yanina Wickmayer. Another seed fell as Carla Suarez Navarro downed No. 15 Sabine Lisicki 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Ninth-seeded Marion Bartoli advanced with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Shuai Peng. After a month on grass at Wimbledon and the London Olympics, many top players look to being having trouble finding the lines while making the abrupt switch to hardcourt play. Wozniak reached the second round of both events, and had at least a few days to work on hardcourts before the Rogers Cup. "It was question of adapting to the time change, and the balls are different, the surface," she said. "For sure, physically and mentally, its tough on the players, but we do it 10 months out of 12 and we have to adapt quickly. "We always put ourselves into challenges at this level. You do the best you can."
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