TORONTO -- Needing a win to assure an MLS playoff berth without the assistance of others, the Montreal Impact were wretched Saturday. Corey Knebel Jersey . Again. The victim of a woeful first-half performance, the Impact were beaten 1-0 by a Toronto team that started the day 23 points behind its Canadian rival. Robert Earnshaw scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season in the 16th minute for Toronto (6-17-11), which could have led by three after the first 45 minutes of the regular-season finale for both clubs. Earnshaw celebrated with his trademark somersault, followed by a matador salute. Once a force in the East, the Impact have collected four of a possible 24 points available over their last eight games (1-6-1). "The first half, we werent very good," said Impact coach Marco Schallibaum. "A lot of mistakes, a lot of tension. There were errors. "The second half was better. Not much better, but better. There were also chances to score, maybe (make it) 1-1. But it was not good enough to win this game today. And thats a pity" Just how much of a pity will become clear Sunday. Montreal (14-13-7, 49 points) will be out if Houston beats D.C. United, New England defeats Columbus and Chicago beats or ties New York. It could be worse, but the Impact could have rendered Sundays results meaningless had they shown up Saturday. Asked if he is confident he will get the results he needs, Schallibaum replied: "Thats not up to us. we must now wait for the last game. And then we make the calculation." With just Toronto, D.C. United and the Columbus Crew eliminated from playoff contention and New York and Sporting Kansas City already in, it made for a complicated final weekend in the East with Montreal, Chicago, New England, Houston and Philadelphia vying for the final three playoff berths. Philadelphia was ousted after losing 2-1 to Sporting Kansas City earlier in the day. The Union had needed a win and help from other teams. Chicago (49 points), Houston (48) and New England (48) all get their chance Sunday. The Impact went into the weekend in the best position, tied with Chicago on points but well ahead in the next tiebreaker (goals for). There was little on the line for Toronto other than pride -- and the chance to pick up a sixth win, one more than last season when the team went 5-21-8. For rookie manager Ryan Nelsen, it was a performance that showed a taste of things to come after a bumpy season. "This team, from the first day I came in, we were in a black hole -- we were in a monster black hole," he said. "So big I didnt think we were going to be able to get out of it in just a year. I thought it would take two or three, to tell you the truth." Nelsen said he was prepared to take the criticism this season while building for the future. "All I wanted to do this year is produce exciting young players, develop them. Get away our (salary cap) debut as a club, which weve done. And now weve laid a nice foundation where we can move forward. Which I dont think weve really had in the past." Nelsen said there is still a huge job ahead. But he likes what he sees. "Weve evolved as a young team, weve matured," he said. It was a "win and youre in" game for Montreal but there was little sense of urgency from the visitors despite the cheers of a phalanx of Impact supporters squeezed in the corner of the east stand of BMO Field. After a sluggish start by both teams, Toronto began to take control. At times Toronto players were queuing up to take a shot. Outshot 10-5 in the first half (5-0 in shots on target), the Impact managed 10 shots in the second but only three were on target. Montreal made changes in the second half and began to finally test the Toronto defence. The Impact outshot Toronto 10-6 in the second half but only put three shots on target to Torontos two. When Montreal did find its aim, Toronto goalkeeper Joe Bendik was equal to the task. He stopped Davey Arnaud at point-blank range in the 53rd minute. And he robbed Andres Romero in the 88th minute. Montreal misfired the rest of the time. A 62nd-minute goal by Marco Di Vaio was called off due to apparent handball. Three minutes later, substitute Andrea Pisanu headed just wide. Andrew Wenger shot wide from in front of the net in the 72nd minute. Torontos goal had a hint of luck about it but was nevertheless deserved as the home side began to launch attacks with rookie Canadian midfielders Jonathan Osorio and Kyle Bekker pulling the strings while dominating Montreals Hernan Bernadello and Felipe. Toronto striker Bright Dikes physical presence also disrupted the Montreal defence. The bull-like forward set the table for the Earnshaw goal. After Dike tormented a pair of Montreal defenders, the ball squibbed free to Osorio whose right-footed shot was redirected in by Earnshaw, catching goalie Troy Perkins going the wrong way. Earnshaw had a fine chance in the 33rd when he and Dike broke in side-by-side down the middle during a defensive breakdown. Perkins saved the day, making a fine point-blank save. The Impact goalie was forced to make a fingertip save off Osorio seconds later as Montreals defence -- missing the injured Alessandro Nesta -- continued to crumble. Bekker hit the crossbar in the 38th minute from outside the penalty box. Perkins then had to tip an Earnshaw shot over the bar in the 43rd minute. Toronto came close early in the second half with a header from skipper Steven Caldwell deflecting off the bar. Caldwell had another chance in the 82nd minute off a corner but a Montreal defender made a goal-line clearance. "The only thing that disappointed me was we didnt get that second goal," said Nelsen. Toronto was coming off a 1-0 loss in Chicago, a defeat that stretched its league road scoring drought to six hours 45 minutes. Toronto has failed to make the playoffs since entering the league in 2007. While it has been another long season for TFC supporters, there may be light at the end of the tunnel. Nelsen will be less constrained by the salary cap next season and the team says it is willing to spend big on marquee strikers in the January transfer window. The club can also point to a corps of talented youngsters. Saturdays starting 11 featured seven players 25 or younger. A black cat ran across the north goal prior to the game. Perhaps coincidentally that goal needed some repair work prior to kickoff, resulting in a kickoff delay of about five minutes. A tuque giveaway was doubtless appreciated by the fans on a chilly overcast, seven-degree afternoon at the Toronto lakefront. The sun eventually came out but it was still a raw day for the announced crowd of 13,211. Milwaukee Brewers Jerseys . - Mike Zimmer has brought a demanding style to the Minnesota Vikings. Custom Milwaukee Brewers Jerseys . The three Calgary natives will compete after the sport was skipped by the Vancouver Games in 2010 but later included on the program for Sochi, Russia. The fight to include womens ski jumping prior to Vancouver went to the courts only to have the Supreme Court of Canada rule against the athletes appeal in 2009. http://www.baseballbrewersofficial.com/orlando-arcia-jersey-c-19/ . -- Aaron Rodgers isnt out for revenge in Green Bays season opener.NEWARK, N.J. -- With the New Jersey Devils fighting for a playoff spot, Jon Merrill picked the perfect time to score his first NHL goal. The rookie defenceman connected 2:34 into overtime, and the Devils snapped a two-game skid with a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night. "You always dream of this kind of stuff when youre a little kid," the 22-year-old Merrill said. "After 20 games went by and I hadnt scored, I think those dreams went away a little bit. I knew it would come when it came. Tonight was a good opportunity." The goal came in Merrills 31st NHL game and was set up by Adam Henrique winning a battle in the corner and Michael Ryder getting the puck and finding Merrill all alone above the left circle for an uncontested shot against Ilya Bryzgalov. "I saw that four guys kind of collapsed on Ryds," Merrill said. "I was calling for it and he made a great play. I was walking in all alone and fortunately it went in." The win was the second in six games for New Jersey (2-2-2), and it ended a slide that saw the Devils lose the last two games in overtime after giving up the lead late in the third period. "It was awesome for him to get his first goal in overtime," said Henrique, who might have gotten away with a holding-the-stick penalty just before the goal. "Its such an important win for the team. Thats one hes going to remember for the rest of his career." Cory Schneider made 19 saves and Andrei Loktionov scored in regulation for the Devils, who play Saturday night at Washington in their final game before the Olympic break. Taylor Hall had the goal for the Oilers, who lost for only the second time in seven games (5-1-1). Ilya Bryzgalov made 22 saves for Edmonton, which wont play again until Feb. 27. "We found different ways to get points in this stretch," defenceman Justin Schultz said. "We got some solid goaltending. Weve improved our game against these teams that are battling for playoff spots." The Devils hit three posts in tthe game, with Ryder clanging a shot off the crossbar with 9:20 to play. Scooter Gennett Jersey. Both teams went for the win in the final minutes of regulation. Henrique had two chances in close with just more than 4 minutes to go, and defenceman Andrew Ference and Matt Hendricks had chances for Edmonton a minute later. Schneider stopped a chance in close by Jordan Eberle early in overtime. With the Devils struggling to score, coach Pete DeBoer shook up his lines for the game and that led to the teams first goal. Loktionov, who was put at centre on Jaromir Jagrs line, opened the scoring at 11:01 with his first goal since Dec. 4. Jagr and defenceman Bryce Salvador set up the goal. Jagr carried the puck into the Oilers zone and found Salvador on the other side of the ice. He skated toward Bryzgalov and sent a cross-ice pass to a wide-open Loktionov for a shot into an open net. Jagrs assist was the 1,039th of his career, putting him one behind Marcel Dionne for ninth in NHL history. The public address announcer had not finished giving out the assists when Edmonton tied the game 29 seconds later. Hall skated the puck into the Devils end and worked a perfect give-and-go with Nail Yakupov for his 20th goal of the season. Schneider never had a chance to stop the shot into an open net. New Jersey had plenty of opportunities to take the lead in the second period. Devils defenceman Marek Zidlicky hit the post on a power-play shot and Ryane Clowe hit a post on a breakaway after an Oilers turnover. Mark Faynes shot from the point was past Bryzgalov and heading into the net when Ference swept it away from the crease. NOTES: Schultz played in his 100th NHL game. ... Martin Brodeur has been the Devils backup goalie the past five games. He has not played since giving up six goals in two periods during the outdoor game against the New York Rangers at Yankee Stadium. ... Devils D Anton Volchenkov missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. ... Russian Olympian Anton Belov did not play on the road trip. Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys ' ' '