Herausforderungen » alspro.com/cardinals-paul-dejong-j

CHICAGO -- Tom Sermanni coached the U.S. womens soccer team to a 2-0 win over China in Colorado in the afternoon. By evening, he was out of a job. Sermanni was fired by the U.S. Soccer Federation on Sunday after a disappointing finish last month at the Algarve Cup. The surprising move came just 16 months after he was put in charge. The dismissal was announced hours after Lauren Holiday and substitute Megan Rapinoe scored in the exhibition victory over China in Commerce City, Colo. "We felt that we needed to go in a different direction at this time," USSF President Sunil Gulati said. He said the federation will begin looking for a new coach immediately, with the team looking toward qualifying for the 2015 Womens World Cup. On Monday, a message on goalkeeper Hope Solos Twitter account addressed the firing: "Its a sombre day for us all today. Tom is simply a classy man in every way, and he will certainly be missed." Jill Ellis, the USSFs director of development, will serve as interim coach. She went 5-0-2 in that role in 2012. The womens team faces China again on Thursday in San Diego. "I was completely blindsided," Sermanni told SI.com on Sunday night. "Maybe Im losing my intuitive and perception skills, but I didnt sense a real unease in the team. But I could be wrong in that regard." Sermanni said he assumes there was "some degree of dissatisfaction among the players, otherwise we wouldnt have gotten to this point so quickly now." He added that the players did what he asked and he has "no qualms with them in the sense of having poor relations with them." He was hired in October 2012, but Ellis served as interim coach until he took over that January. Sermanni made his debut in a 4-1 win over his native Scotland on Feb. 10, 2013. He spent the previous eight years coaching Australias womens team, leading the Matildas to the quarterfinals of the last two World Cups. Sermanni helped the U.S. to a 13-0-3 record last year, but the Americans went 1-2-1 at the Algarve Cup, the last major tournament for the U.S. before qualifying for next years World Cup. The seventh-place finish included a 1-0 defeat to Sweden and former U.S. coach Pia Sundhage, ending a two-year, 43-game unbeaten streak. That was the first loss following a 16-0-4 start under Sermanni. "To put it in a nutshell, they just felt that the way I was managing the team wasnt working," Sermanni told SI.com. "It could be the U.S. team is a unique team that has certain demands that perhaps my management style or my philosophy didnt quite jell with." His firing came about six months before North and Central American and Caribbean World Cup qualifying, which takes place from Oct. 16-26 at Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Mexico. On Sunday, Sermanni experimented with a 4-3-3 alignment (four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards) and talked about the team making the most of its offensive opportunities. "I thought our movement was good, thought our passing was quite incisive," Sermanni said. "What we shouldve done better is finish the game off a lot earlier. We really need to be finishing these games off when were creating chances." The U.S. outshot China 23-1 and ran its unbeaten streak on home turf to 81 games (71-0-10). Holiday was back in the lineup after missing the Algarve Cup because of a family commitment. She scored in the 39th minute -- the U.S. finally solving goalkeeper Zhang Yue after a flurry of shots. Holiday nearly had another goal early in the second half, only to have it deflected near the goal line. The defence allowed only one scoring chance to China, which played defensively even after falling behind. "The most important thing is coming together now and figuring out what works and what doesnt," forward Sydney Leroux said. "Were getting better every single day." Any further improvement will come under a new coach. Bob Gibson Jersey . The Brad Jacobs team from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., advanced to Fridays championship game with a 10-6 win over Chinas Rui Liu in the semifinal. Brett Cecil Cardinals Jersey . -- Jake Peavy arrived at Bostons spring training complex on Monday with a large white bandage covering his left index finger, the result of a weekend accident. http://www.authenticcardinalspro.com/car...-dejong-jersey/. -- The Oakland Athletics and free agent right-hander Bartolo Colon have agreed to terms on a US$2 million, one-year contract, bolstering their depleted starting rotation. Adam Wainwright Cardinals Jersey . -- LeGarrette Blount made one last big splash into a soggy end zone. Whitey Herzog Jersey . A lovely summer day in England with abundant sunshine and minimal wind allowed him to attack Royal Liverpool. HARRISON, N.J. -- Maximiliano Urruti scored in each half to rally Portland to a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night, extending the Timbers unbeaten streak to five with only their second win of the season. Urruti tied it just before halftime and added the winner in the 74th to help Portland improve to 2-3-7 and move out of last place in Major League Soccers Western Conference. The Red Bulls (3-5-5) have lost three straight and two in a row at home. The win was the first for Portland in five meetings between the clubs. The Timbers only other victory this season came May 3 at home, 3-2 over D.C. United. After Bradley Wright-Phillips put New York ahead in the 36th, Urruti scored his fourth and fifth goals to lead Portland. "If youve seen us play this season, we wait until we get punched before we react," Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts said. "It was a nice response from the team." With less than a minute remaining in the first half, Steve Zakuani sent a simple pass to Urruti just outside the penalty area. The Argentine, who joined Portland in September, had time and space to turn and hit a shot that deflected off of New York defender Armandos shoulder and skip past keeper Luis Robles. "The first goal was key because we were kind of spread out throughout the pitch," Urruti said through a translator. "It kind of brought us back together again. It was good. We had to go into the locker room and come out more aggressive in the second half." UUrruti added the winner when Jorge Villafanas cross through the 6-yard box deflected off Armando and bounced to the far corner of the goal area.dddddddddddd Urruti ran in and drove the free ball into the far side netting. "Ive been getting used to the league. Getting more minutes has been key," Urruti said. "Getting more playing time being on the pitch, thats been moulding me into the player that Ive become and moulding me to the league itself." The Red Bulls started quickly, getting an Eric Alexander header from the edge of the six that went just high in the third minute. Wright-Phillips hit the inside of the right post from the middle of the penalty area six minutes later but the ball caromed back into the area. Wright-Phillips had a second chance seconds later when he put in a rebound of teammate Lloyd Sams shot, but he was offside. "Ive been in this league long enough, and Ive been through a hell of a lot longer and worse spells than were in right now," Red Bulls coach Mike Petke said. "Part of its mental. We did enough to win this game. It just didnt fall." Wright-Phillips put New York ahead in the 36th converting a penalty kick after Pa Mouda Kah was called for bringing down Lloyd Sam. Sam took a pass from Thierry Henry on the edge of the six and, with Kah on his back, the two jostled. Kah fell backward, pulling Sam on top of him. It was Wright-Phillips 10th of the season, giving him a share of the league lead with Kansas Citys Dom Dwyer. ' ' '