sakura

Trailing 2-0 at halftime, their record winning streak in jeopardy, the Americans never panicked. Frank Robinson Jersey . There was no need to, not with Jozy Altidore on their team. Altidore led an impressive comeback Wednesday, scoring a hat trick and adding an assist on the other goal as the U.S. rallied to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-3 in an exhibition in Sarajevo and extend its record winning streak to 12 games. It was the first come-from-behind win on European soil for the Americans. „We came in (at halftime) and said, Listen we can beat this team,“ said Altidore, who has scored in five straight games, a first for a U.S. player. „We came in and said, We have more weapons, were just as confident as they are. We just have to put more passes together and be more confident. And you saw that in the second half.“ The 12-game winning streak is the longest in the world right now, and three shy of the record set by Spain in 2009. The win over 13th-ranked Bosnia was the second over a top-15 team during the run, following a 4-3 victory over No. 2 Germany on June 2 that started the streak. Edin Dzeko scored his second goal in the 90th minute. But it wasnt enough for the Dragons, who lost for the first time in 10 games. „We absolutely deserved the win,“ U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. „This is good for the guys to see that were going to come to Europe and play eye to eye. Were not here to defend or counterbreak. Were here to play.“ The U.S. winning streak, the longest currently in the world, appeared to be jeopardy after the Americans fell behind 2-0 before halftime. The Bosnians quickly pounced on a Johnson turnover in the eighth minute and fed it to Dzeko. His first shot, from just inside the penalty area, deflected off Tim Howard, but Dzeko was right there to collect the rebound and put it in the net for a 1-0 lead. Vedad Ibisevic, who spent part of his childhood in St. Louis and still has immediate family there, doubled Bosnias lead in the 30th on a header. But the U.S. was beginning to create chances even before the half, and Klinsmann told his players in the locker room that the game was still very much up for grabs. „Jurgen has always said, even if we go down a goal, keep responding,“ Altidore said. Respond they did. Resoundingly. Altidore set up Johnsons goal in the 55th minute, controlling a long chip shot from Michael Bradley with a slight touch of his left foot. The ball fell right at Johnsons feet and, with goalkeeper Asmir Begovic out of the net to block Altidore, Johnson neatly tapped the ball into the empty net to cut Bosnias lead to 2-1. Four minutes later, Altidore evened things up. Fabian Johnson slalomed through a crowd of Bosnian defenders, chipping the ball to Altidore. He took one shot and buried a left-footed shot from 16 yards that the diving Begovic had no chance to stop. It was Altidores fifth goal in as many games, breaking the previous mark hed shared with Eddie Johnson, William Looby, Eric Wynalda, Brian McBride and Landon Donovan. He wasnt finished, either. The Americans were awarded a free kick in the 84th minute when Edgar Castillo was tripped by Miroslav Stevanovic. Altidore lifted the ball over the wall of Bosnians and into the back of the net. Two minutes later, he finished off his second career hat trick with a shot from about 8 yards out. „We see a Jozy that is enjoying himself,“ Klinsmann said of his striker, who has seven goals in the last five games. „He went through a lot of maturing elements over last couple of years … But he really understands now how to zoom in when it counts. He makes everyone around him a better player. Its real enjoyable, its really fun.“ The win is sure to be a boost for the Americans when they resume World Cup qualifying next month. The U.S. travels to Costa Rica on Sept. 6, then returns home to face archrival Mexico four days later in Columbus, Ohio, in a game that could secure the Americans a spot in next years World Cup in Brazil. Bosnia, meanwhile, is looking to earn its first trip to the World Cup. The Dragons sit atop Europes Group G with a three-point lead over Greece. „We still have to raise the bar,“ Altidore said. „At this level, we cant afford to make mistakes like that in group stages of World Cups because you cant come back from that. We have to learn how to iron those out. But still, we take the positives away from tonight and you move forward with your head held high.“ Kiki Cuyler Jersey .com) – Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is set to return Tuesday against Nashville after sitting out the past two games because of a minor upper body injury. Gary Redus Jersey . 1 status and was unable to prevent a late season collapse, James Reimer said he wants to put the past behind him and is looking forward to spending the next two years in a Maple Leaf uniform. SEATTLE — Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma added to his dominant streak against the AL Central. The All-Star right-hander struck out seven and walked none in eight innings to run his scoreless streak against division teams to 48 2-3 innings in the Mariners 1-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night. It is the second-longest streak by any pitcher against one division dating to 1974. Orel Hershiser tossed 55 straight scoreless innings against NL West opponents in 1988. „Hes got a good two-seamer and his split was pretty much unhittable today,“ Kansas Citys Billy Butler said. „He was mixing a slider in there and had all three pitches working at any time. He was throwing them all for strikes.“ Iwakuma (2-0) scattered four singles and allowed only one baserunner to reach second in his second start of the season. Iwakuma, who began the year on the disabled list with a strained tendon on the middle finger of his pitching hand, bolsters a strong pitching staff that has helped the team win 11 times in the last 14 games since losing eight straight from April 15-22. „Hes getting better each and every time out,“ Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. „I think if you asked him, theres a lot more in there. Theres a lot of room for improvement, but that just goes to show how good he really is.“ Despite limiting the Mariners to just two hits and one run in six-plus innings, Danny Duffy (1-3) was the hard-luck loser for Kansas City. He has allowed two hits and a run in each of his first two starts this season after pitching out of the bullpen to begin the year. Both times he has been stuck with the loss. The Mariners pushed across the lone run in the third. Mike Zunino led off with a double for Seattles first hit and moved to third on a sacrrifice bunt. Kevin Mitchell Jersey. After a strikeout, Duffy intentionally walked Robinson Cano. Corey Hart followed with a run-scoring single up the middle that proved to be the difference. Seattle hitters have driven in runs three out of the six times opposing teams have intentionally walked Cano this season. „Offense didnt win the game, Kuma obviously was dominant,“ Hart said. „Any time a pitcher throws like that, you try to scrap any run you can get across, and one was enough. A guy throws like that, you hate to lose.“ Kansas City managed just four singles and advanced a runner to second base only once during the first eight innings. The Royals had their best opportunity to score in the ninth when Fernando Rodney walked two, but the closer struck out Butler and induced a game-ending groundout. Rodneys 10th save in 11 chances kept the Royals off the board for the 27th straight inning, a streak that dates to September 2013. „Our guys are grinders,“ McClendon said. „I think theyve proven that they know how to get back up off the mat, so to speak. This has been a tough month and a half for us in a lot of different ways, but I think when its all said and done, maybe were not as bad as people thought we were going to be.“ NOTES: Seattle LHP James Paxton, on the DL with a strained left lat muscle, played catch and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday. … Mariners RHP Taijuan Walker is scheduled to toss in the bullpen Sunday after playing catch on Thursday. Walker is on the 15-day DL with right shoulder inflammation. … Royals 2B Omar Infante was not in the lineup for the second consecutive day due to back spasms. Manager Ned Yost said the team doesnt think Infante will have to go on the DL. Infante is day to day. ‚ ‚ ‚