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PORTLAND, Ore. -- It seems like everything is going right for the Portland Thorns heading into the National Womens Soccer League playoffs.The Thorns finished out the regular season with a four-game winning streak and claimed the NWSL Shield for the team with the best record. They also clinched home-field advantage for the first time. They face the Western New York Flash in a semifinal game Sunday.Forward Christine Sinclair credited first-year coach Mark Parsons. The Thorns (12-3-5) always had talent, she said, but that didnt always translate into wins.The difference is this year were a team from the top down, Sinclair said. I thought when Mark came on board it changed a lot. He stressed being a team -- you know, hanging out outside of soccer practice -- and I think youre starting to see that on the field. Were willing to do anything for each other.Sinclair also recognized the players who were with the team all season while their teammates were in and out in preparation for the Olympics. Sinclair won the bronze medal in Rio with the Canadian national team. The Thorns roster also includes U.S. Olympians Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Meghan Klingenberg, Allie Long and alternate Emily Sonnett. Additionally, Amandine Henry played for France in Brazil.In a pre-match conference call Thursday, Klingenberg unexpectedly took over to sing Happy Birthday, even though it was no ones birthday, and Sinclair dissolved into giggles. Parsons deadpanned: I have no way to explain.Former Thorns coach Paul Riley took over the Flash in February. He said hard work led his young team to the playoffs.We didnt set any goals. Our goal wasnt to make the playoffs, our goal wasnt to make the final. Our goal was to win the first game of the season, Riley said. Thats really the way weve approached every game. Weve set no goals for the group, we just wanted each player to get a little bit better each game and believe in the process -- and things will happen if we do everything right to the best of our abilities.The atmosphere at Providence Park could be hostile to the visitors. The Thorns boast the best home attendance in the league with an average of 16,945 fans per game this season.While Portland is the third team in league history to allow an average of less than one goal a game over the course of the season, the Flash (9-6-5) are just the third team to average at least two goals a game. The Flash are paced by league Golden Boot winner Lynn Williams with 11 goals and five assists.The Chicago Red Stars (9-5-6) play the Washington Spirit (12-5-3) in the other semifinal match on Friday night at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Neither team has ever played for the league championship.The two teams met just last weekend with the Red Stars earning the No. 3 seed in the playoffs with a 3-1 victory. It was the Spirits second straight lost and denied the team the NWSL Shield.The goal is to win a championship, Spirit coach Jim Gabarra said. If you dont make the playoffs youre obviously not going to win the championship. If you make the playoffs and win the Shield and you dont win a championship then you still havent achieved your ultimate goal.Chicago finished the season tied with the Seattle Reign with eight total shutouts. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher had six clean sheets.FC Kansas City won the 2015 NWSL title. Corey Linsley Super Bowl Jersey . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Dexter Williams Super Bowl Jersey . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation. http://www.shoptheofficialpackers.com/Elite-Marquez-Valdes-Scantling-Packers-Jersey/ . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. Jamaal Williams Super Bowl Jersey .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Kenny Clark Super Bowl Jersey . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue junior forward Basil Smotherman has been suspended for the opener against McNeese State, an exhibition game against Southern Indiana and a closed scrimmage with West Virginia.We have suspended Basil for our first three competitions for a violation of team rules, coach Matt Painter said in statement Wednesday. We hold our players to high standards and when they dont meet those standards, there will be consequences. Basil knnows he made a mistake and will learn from it.ddddddddddddNo details of the reason for the suspension were disclosed and Painter said he wouldnt comment further.Smotherman, from Indianapolis, redshirted last season after playing every game his first two years. He has career averages of 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 66 games. ' ' '