could play in the NFL, Ebner said: Theyd be great, look at them.They invaded the contact area, and if they picked up the rules, Im sure theyd be great -- just like some of those American football

PASADENA, Calif. -- Colin Millers tenure as head coach of the Canadian mens soccer team is coming to an end, and he wants at least one victory before he makes way for his successor. His best shot may come Sunday when Canada opens the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Martinique. "I dont want to say I was desperate but Im as close to desperate as you can imagine. Weve played some very good games during my time as the interim head coach," said Miller, who will stay on until Benito Floro takes over in August. "Personally, Id love to get that first win under my belt because its very important to me. I care very much about what were doing as an association and Im excited about it." Miller has been in charge of three of Canadas four international friendlies in 2013. Combined with his previous stint as interim boss in 2003-04, Miller is still winless. Its now seven international games without a win and Miller doesnt want it to reach eight. Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani let Miller know on Wednesday about Floros hiring. But, despite the impending regime change for the team, Miller was informed that for the next month hes still the man in charge. "Montagliani gave me a call just before training and said it was absolutely status quo," said Miller before the teams final training session at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. "Its my show throughout the whole process. Mr. Floro will be in attendance and watching the whole team and I will just continue to do the best job that I can possibly do along with my entire staff. Nothing has changed." Canada first faces Martinique, taking on a team thats not a FIFA member since its still a French territory, before more difficult tasks in Mexico and Panama. But while Martinique may present the best chance of a win, the fact that they remain something of a mystery is their biggest advantage. "Obviously the Panamanians and the Mexicans are great teams, but theyre known quantities. With Martinique we dont really know what to expect," said captain Will Johnson. "Im not sure what any game is easier than the other, to be quite honest with you." Most of the Martinique players play domestically and are noticeable by their size. After their own training session ended, the group was remarkable by their abundance of players who stand over six feet. Johnson, who is also the captain of the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer, does have one familiar face on the opposing side. Veteran player Frederic Piquionne also calls Portland home. In the press conference prior to the Martinique training session, a wide grin spread across Piquionnes face when he was asked about the prospect of playing his club-mate. Johnson says pride will be on the line between the two club teammates. "I said I was just going to tackle him and make sure we got the win because it would be tough to go back without three points," Johnson said with a grin. "It will help me credibility-wise with the guys if I go back with the three points." Martinique is making a return to the Gold Cup for the first time since 2002 when they reached the quarter-finals only to be knocked out by the Canadians on penalty kicks. Only goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld and Julian de Guzman remain from that team as Canada goes through a changing of the guard after last years elimination from World Cup qualifying. With the likes of Dwayne De Rosario left off the roster and midfielder Atiba Hutchinson still sorting out his club future, the next generation of talent has an opportunity to prove itself and Canada will likely be fielding a mix of a veteran core with some youth sprinkled in. "Weve got a young group thats probably a little bit naive of what to expect but thats a good thing," Johnson said. "Its something Im excited about to see how those guys react, how theyre going to perform in front of big crowds and intense pressures. Either way were going to learn a lot about ourselves in a short amount of time so I think theres a lot of positives to be gained from that regardless of the results." Notes: D.C. United midfielder Kyle Porter was added to Canadas 23-man list, replacing injured Nana Attakora. However, he will not report to training camp unless the coaching staff calls on him. Porter has been capped twice for Canada. Cheap Johnny Townsend Jersey . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . Oakland Raiders Jerseys . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. http://www.raidersjerseyscheap.com/ . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Cheap Marcell Ateman Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Cheap Nick Nelson Jersey .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Nate Ebners Olympic journey is over, and while he isnt returning to the New England Patriots with a medal, he feels he has learned important lessons from his time in rugby sevens.Ebner and his U.S mens rugby teammates came to Rio targeting a spot on the podium, but those dreams ended on Day 2, leaving the team with a ninth-place finish. Ebner, who won a Super Bowl with the Patriots, now returns to his franchise with a new outlook on pressure situations and with added tackling techniques he is eager to try in the NFL. He said it will be a little strange returning to the Patriots but that it is also second nature, as he has been with the team since 2012.He said he believes his time in rugby has had an impact both on him and on his friends and family, who told him they have enjoyed watching him in rugby as much as football. Ebner will return to the United States with plenty of stories, though it will take time for the whole experience to sink in.From his time in rugby, Ebner learned that he can be very focused, and he has developed an increased mental resilience in the face of mistakes.The biggest thing I take from rugby is that its so relatable to life, as in so many things can go wrong quickly, but you cant dwell on it, and the quicker you put it behind you and get on to the next task, you have a better chance of succeeding, Ebner said.It teaches you not to dwell on things which have gone bad. No one has ever played a perfect sevens game, and you have to go with the punches. And when things dont go your own way, you have to go to the next task.Football is a little different as turnovers are ttwo a game, and while you want those back, rugby is really that way -- you have to get back up and play again later in the day.ddddddddddddThere are a lot of things to learn about rugby as a sport and what its taught me in my life from a character standpoint and the camaraderie with my teammates. Theyre friends Ill have for the rest of my life, and I could talk about rugby forever.On the field, Ebner adapted to rugbys different tackling techniques and sees similarities with the open-field tackles he has to make in the NFL. He will look into those intricacies further when he returns to America, and he hopes to see some of the athletes he faced here in Rio give the NFL a crack in the future.Talking about Olympic favorite Fijis players and whether they could play in the NFL, Ebner said: Theyd be great, look at them.They invaded the contact area, and if they picked up the rules, Im sure theyd be great -- just like some of those American football boys, if they grew up with rugby, Im sure theyd be great too. Hopefully we can get guys like that in the USA playing rugby.The whole experience of the Olympics left Ebner with no regrets, despite the U.S. teams ninth-place finish. He will hang his U.S. shirt proudly on the walls of his house alongside his Patriots jerseys.Its been a once-in-a-lifetime amazing experience that Ill remember forever for what it is individually, and I remember the Super Bowl in the same way, Ebner said. Its been awesome and Im lucky that Ive got to experience both. 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