Chat-World » es, Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., and Eric Banks

Sydney FC deserve to be top of the A-League but owe a lot of their success this season to sheer luck, according to Brisbane Roar defender Jade North.Riding high on the back of a six-game winning streak, the Sky Blues take on the Roar - who are unbeaten in their last four games - at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.A win for the visitors will equal the best-ever start to an A-League season by any team, while third-placed Brisbane can reduce the margin between the sides to five points if they can produce an upset.However, as impressive as theyve been, North believes Sydney have been quite fortunate not to have let in more goals.Obviously Sydney are flying at the moment but having said that, theyve been quite lucky as well, not conceding as many as I thought they maybe should have, North told reporters on Tuesday.They deserve to be where they are but Perth were a little bit unlucky on the weekend with a couple of chances.But youve got to ride your luck sometimes. Theyve been quite dominant in the front third.Both sides should be at full strength, with Brisbane to regain striker Jamie Maclaren, who made his competitive debut for the Socceroos in Tuesday nights 2-2 draw with Thailand.Sydney has won just three times in 17 attempts at Suncorp Stadium but wont be taking any notice of history after setting two new records - the longest winning sequence in club history, and the most goals (17) scored by any team in the first six rounds of a season.Asked if the Sky Blues would be Brisbanes biggest test this season, North said: To this point in time, it will be.Weve got some great players all over the park and I feel we can really hurt them as well.Defensively weve been quite solid over the last month and when we start hitting teams and getting some confidence and getting goals, were not too far away from giving a team a good hiding. Wholesale Phillies Jerseys . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. Dave Hollins Jersey . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. http://www.cheapphilliesjerseyschina.com/ .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. Nick Williams Jersey . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames. Richie Ashburn Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable.OAKVILLE, Ont. -- National opens always put pressure on the home-grown players, but the expectations are particularly high this week at Glen Abbey Golf Club. There are 18 Canadians in the field for the 2013 RBC Canadian Open -- one of the largest home-country turnouts in the modern history of the tournament -- and theyre all looking to end a 59-year drought. No Canadian has won the event since Pat Fletcher of Vancouver in 1954. If anyone can understand the high expectations its former Masters champion Mike Weir. "There is that added feel and pressure, no question," Brights Grove, Ont., native said Wednesday. "It can be a good thing though to get the crowd behind you," he added. "Get some momentum going, and you can feed off the crowd." Weir is joined by fellow Ontarians David Hearn from Brantford, Mackenzie Hughes from Dundas, Torontos Albin Choi, Ottawas Brad Fritsch, Peter Laws from Milton, Brian Hadley from Sarnia and amateur Corey Conners of Listowel. British Columbia is also well represented at Glen Abbey with Abbotsfords Adam Hadwin, Victorias Kevin Carrigan, Merritts Roger Sloan, Comoxs Riley Wheeldon, as well as North Vancouvers Bryn Parry and Eugene Wong and amateur Adam Svensson from Surrey in the field. Calgarys Stephen Ames, Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., and Eric Banks of Truro, N.S., will also tee off Thursday on the 7,253-yard, par-72 course. The added burden on the 18 Canadians has not gone unnoticed by others in the 156-player field. Hunter Mahan, from Dallas, feels that Canadians are under more pressure to win the Canadian Open than Americans are to win the U.S. Open, one of golfs major tournaments. "I dont feel like there is a pride factor (in the U.S.) like there is in Canada . . . I mean, being an American, you want to win the U.S. Open. Its obviously a great tournament -- but I dont think there is that same connection between the Canadian Open and Canada," said Mahan. "You know, when you have a drought that long, I think you have to start really wanting it and start hoping. It becomes a focus of everyone this week, so I think they have a great chance." Englands Luke Donald compared the experience to playing in another major: the British Open, where he missed the cut last week. "The one tournament I would love to win the most would be the Open Championship, the British Open," said Donald. "Growing up there, having watched it, watched some of my idols throughout the years, (Nick) Faldo, and Seve (Ballesteros) win that great tournament, Id dearly love to hold the Claret Jug one of these days, not just because its a major, but because it is your home event in a way. "I think there is a little bit more pressure that comess with that.dddddddddddd The expectation and almost the pressure you put on yourself wanting to win it. Youre thinking too much results oriented instead of just going through the process of playing each hole as it comes." Added Donald: "I think sometimes it can make it more difficult when it is your national open, but its also fun. Its great to enjoy the home support, the crowd, the family support, all that goes along with that makes the event special." Mahan compared the pressure of playing in your home country to that of being one of the biggest names in golf. "I guess you would feel like Tiger (Woods) every single week when you have so many people following you and critiquing every single shot you have," said Mahan, laughing. "But its probably different because I think you can see the support that all the Canadians get when theyre here is great." "I remember playing on the Canadian Tour and this is pretty much the lone PGA Tour event I would play," said Weir. "Its a big purse, and youre used to playing for this amount of money and all of a sudden I make the cut, I can really make some headway, so youre thinking about all those kind of things when youre a young man out here." That focus on money is something that frustrates Northern Irelands Graeme McDowell, who believes that national opens are prestigious events that should be held with higher regard. "We play for so much money around the world, events kind of lose their identity and their prestige," said McDowell. The purse for the Canadian Open is US$5.6 million with the winner taking home a cool million. Scott Piercy was the big winner last year. National opens have been good to McDowell though, so he could be walking away with some cash Sunday. "I won the Scottish Open, the Welsh Open, the Italian Open, the U.S. Open, the Korean Open, the French Open a few weeks ago," he said. "National championships are very, very special and we should never forget the prestige . . . and history and tradition, names on a