TORONTO -- Danny Koevermans no longer wears the jersey but he still bleeds Toronto FC red. Vince Wilfork Red Jersey . A goal machine for the MLS team when healthy, the former striker is back in his native Netherlands these days. As in Toronto, his 35-year-old body let him down when he tried one last time to take the field with FC Utrecht earlier this year. Now coaching with the Dutch club, Koevermans, his wife and two daughters are back in the family home in Helmond they left behind to come in Toronto. And the former Dutch international is happy and at peace. "I am good. I am excellent," he said over the phone. "I miss Toronto but for the rest, Im just doing fine." He has been closely following Toronto FCs new-look -- and winning -- lineup. He watched the first two games live online and has followed every outing since. "First thing I do in the morning is check out what theyve done," he said. "Im happy for you all. Its crazy. Three away games, only one home game, nine points already, maybe this will be the season for the playoffs. I hope so." Sadly Koevermans presence in Toronto these days is limited to a photo of him applauding the fans. It is portrayed prominently on a wall in the foyer of the teams north Toronto training centre. "It was an amazing time," Koevermans said. "I miss Toronto every single day." A serious knee injury -- he tore his anterior cruciate ligament -- and a string of ensuing calf problems in the same left leg limited his MLS career. While he signed a 2 1/2-year deal, essentially his TFC playing time lasted one calendar year, from July 2011 to July 2012, with 17 goals in 21 starts and 26 appearances. The six-foot-three Koevermans, whose contract expired at the end of 2013, returned to the Netherlands with his family on Dec. 14. He wanted to try one last comeback back home and signed with Utrecht, with both sides knowing that he was one injury away from retiring. "I was hoping to give them some goals, but it never came to that point," said Koevermans, who saw just 29 minutes action in three appearances. His calf gave out less than a month after he arrived. He returned to training one more time only to pull his calf muscle two weeks later. "I said enough is enough, its over. Im going to quit," he said. The eventual decision to retire as a player was not difficult. "I saw it coming," he said. Utrecht asked him to stay with the team until the end of the season, which he agreed to. "Its a good group of guys and I feel comfortable over there," he said. "I feel appreciated." Then the team asked him to work with the strikers, which he has agreed to do through the end of the season. The Utrecht strike force includes Colombian Juan Agudelo, Zambian Jacob Mulenga and Belgian Steve De Ridder. "I like it," Koevermans said. "I never had the ambition to be a head coach but something like this would be perfect. Im hoping they will keep me next year." Utrecht is only an hours drive from his home in Helmond so the job is attractive from all fronts. Toronto FC introduced Koevermans and former German international midfielder Torsten Frings as designated players on June 29, 2011, with both making their MLS debut July 20. Frings may have had the name but Koevermans had the moves. He collected eight goals in 10 games in 2011, scoring from all angles and with every part of his body. While some strikers celebrate highlight-reel finishes, the no-nonsense Koevermans didnt care how his goals went in as long as the goalie had to pick the ball out of the net. He was a straight-shooter off the pitch as well, making headlines during the disastrous start to the 2102 season after Toronto slipped to 0-9-0. "Were setting a record for the worst team in the world, man, and its painful," Koevermans said at the time. "What can I say more? Its just the worst ever." The Dutchman took matters in his own hands when he came off the bench the next game. He beat Chris Konopka (now a Toronto FC player) to score in the 88th minute and end the record slump with a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union. Koevermans was troubled by minor injuries at the start of the 2012 campaign but, when he regained his health, he went on a roll and had nine of the teams 19 goals when he went down. According to Opta, which tracks statistics, Toronto scored every 65.9 minutes during the 2012 season with the big Dutchman on the field. Over the same stretch of the season when he hadnt played, they scored every 130.8 minutes. Koevermans says his career ended July 14, 2012, when he wrecked his knee on the artificial turf at New Englands Gillette Stadium. After surgery and 11 months of painstaking rehab, he returned in July 2013 but only saw 78 minutes of action spread over four games as his calf kept on giving out. As the 2013 season wore down, Koevermans was a forgotten man at Toronto FC. Pro soccer can be a cruel game -- out of sight, out of mind when it comes to injured players. He was distraught as his career in Toronto fizzled. His family liked the city and he had hoped to play one more season if healthy. It was not to be. But today he says he is OK with his fate. "I know I had a good career. Its unlucky that basically it ended on this July 14 (2012). ... The moment I tore my ACL, I never really got back to full fitness, full game fitness. Which is a shame. But I tried, I tried really hard." He never got a medical explanation why his surgically repaired knee resulted in so many calf issues. He puts it down to age and a lot of soccer miles under his belt. "Maybe at the end, when I look back at it, my body was kind of fit but not fit any more for the highest level. I couldnt train any more really really hard like you have to do." Stevan Ridley Womens Jersey . The All-Star point guard, sidelined for the past six months with a knee injury, was set to return to the Oklahoma City Thunder lineup for Sunday nights home game against the Phoenix Suns, weeks earlier than expected. Vince Wilfork Blue Jersey . Even the longest of tenures with the Twins, though, dont last forever. Versatile veteran Michael Cuddyer, voted by local beat writers as the teams most valuable player in 2011, is gone. He will be with the Colorado Rockies next season. MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins postponed their series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday because of inclement weather, the second straight game they had washed out at Target Field. The Twins announced the decision in the early afternoon, more than six hours before the scheduled first pitch, and slotted the makeup for Thursday as part of a day-night doubleheader. The Twins had a day off on Monday, meaning they havent played since Saturday afternoon. Coaches and players came to the ballpark to work out a little bit and try to stay limber, while a cold, wet system stayed stuck over Minnesota with a forecast to linger well into the week. Temperatures have been in the high 30s and low 40s, with steady rain falling since Saturday night and a bit of snow mixed in at times, too. "They feel like they havent been out there in a year, and its only been a few days," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, adding: "Mother Natures winning right now." The predicted high for Wednesday was 45 degrees, with the chance of precipitation pegged at 70 per cent, so that game could be in trouble, too. "Mother Nature is what Mother Nature is. Thats one of those many aspects of life and baseball that you cant do anything about," said right-hander Kyle Gibson, who was supposed to start on Sunday, and on Tuesday, and will now take the mound on Wednesday opposite Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke. Maybe. "You hope that we can step right back into it and get into a flow," Gardenhire said. Well, if the weather wont relent, theres always an NHL playoff game to watch. The Wild will play at Colorado in Game 7 of their first-round series on Wednesday night. "Im going to challenge something early and get thrown out of the game and come in here and watch hockey," Gardenhire joked in his office. The Dodgers, who were to begin a nine-game road trip, werent available for comment. They were scheduled to startt Dan Haren on Wednesday and Josh Beckett on Thursday, but their rotation for the reshuffled series was yet to be determined. Stevan Ridley Jersey. The Twins picked Mike Pelfrey for the original game on Thursday afternoon, but Gardenhire said they hadnt determined the starter for the makeup game on Thursday night. Ricky Nolascos turn would be next, but teams are allowed to call up a 26th player for doubleheaders. So a Triple-A pitcher could make a spot start if either or both teams wanted to avoid using Greinke and/or Gibson on short rest this Sunday. This was the 11th postponed game for the Twins in five seasons at Target Field, six of which have been over the past two Aprils. Their scheduled series finale on Sunday against the Tigers was pushed to either August or September when the Tigers make their return trips. Rescheduling the Dodgers would be far more difficult, because this is their only planned visit. The next common day off for the teams is May 19, when the Dodgers would have to make a one-day stop between series in Arizona and New York. There are only two other mutual openings on the 2014 schedule outside of the All-Star break, but those would require the Dodgers (July 28) and Twins (August 25) to play 24 straight days. The collective bargaining agreement prohibits teams from being scheduled to play more than 20 straight days. If the Dodgers are forced to make a return trip, theyll probably have Clayton Kershaw with them. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, who has been on the disabled list for the first time in his career with a back muscle injury since winning the teams season opener, will make his second minor league rehabilitation start on Wednesday for Double-A Chattanooga, the Dodgers announced on Monday. Kershaw said over the weekend he felt ready to return, but the team preferred to be cautious with their $215 million ace. Kershaw pitched five innings on Saturday for Class A Rancho Cucamonga. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '
