TORONTO - It took just seconds for the Portland Timbers to lose their captain Saturday. Custom Football Jerseys Throwback .Will Johnson was stretchered off in the first minute of an MLS game against Toronto FC. He broke the fibula and tibia in his right leg after going shin-on-shin in a 50-50 challenge with Toronto fullback Mark Bloom that saw both players sliding to get at the ball near midfield and close to the Portland bench.The 27-year-old Canadian international midfielder, curled on the ground, immediately grabbed his leg just below the knee and motioned to be substituted. He remained in Toronto after the game to have surgery.Players know, Toronto coach Greg Vanney said later. Players know and he knew immediately (he was hurt).That was for me, the moment, the second I knew he was in trouble. It was a sad moment because I think hes a great player for this league ... I hope he recovers well and quickly.Johnson, a no-nonsense midfielder in his own right, was taken off the field after a lengthy delay. Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley, a close friend of Johnsons, stood by as the Portland player was treated before leaving on a stretcher and taken to hospital.I didnt get a great view, not sure if Ill watch it again. said Portland coach Caleb Porter. It was a tackle, two guys went in and he got the wrong end of it.It was unfortunate and tough but I was really pleased with the way the guys responded, sometimes you lose your captain and it sends your group into a funk but I thought we responded really well.Portland scored in the 13th and 16th minutes to go ahead 2-0 but gave up three goals in the second half, including the 89th-minute winner via a Bradley free kick to lose 3-2.Bloom also went down in the collision with the Toronto-born Johnson but was able to continue.For me it was just a matter of getting up and walking it off, Bloom said later. Unfortunately for him, it was more intense.There was no call on the play.They both went down just a little bit late for me, Vanney said of the collision. And what happens is theres so much force into the challenge when guys go down a little bit late. Neither guy was going after each other. The ball was just there and they were both going for it.Its a matter of inches and millimetres, one guy getting a broken leg and one guy being able to walk away. Its a sad moment.Growing up in Chicago, Bradley played youth soccer with Johnson and the two have also been teammates in Europe. They were both in each others weddings.As a player and as a competitor you hate to see anybody get hurt. But when its one of your closest friends its not nice at all, said Bradley. They both went in very hard. On the one hand you expected that they were both going to pop right up and on the other hand that play had a harder tone to it.If you were close to it, you could hear a€” the way they crashed into each other a€” you kind of knew that that was a hard one. I thought the medical staff and everybody did a good job. More than anything, at that moment, youre just trying to let him know youre there for him and make sure hes as calm and comfortable as possible.After the game, Bloom said his leg was throbbing but he was grateful it was nothing worse.It was just a situation where he took a bad touch, (the ball) got away from him. And at the beginning of the game you want to set a tone. So we both went in for the tackle. I thought we both went in clean, no one went in dirty. Its just unfortunate that someone had to come out like that.And Bloom tweeted: Good luck @WillJohnson04 in your recovery. Hope you get better quickly. God bless.The injury led to eight extra minutes at the end of the first half.More reaction was quick to follow via Twitter.Stay strong, @WillJohnson04 ... know you will be back better than ever, said Timbers owner Merritt Paulson.My thoughts and prayers to you @WillJohnson04, said Ben Zemanski, the Timber player who came on for Johnson.Wishing you a quick and healthy recovery, added Real Salt Lake goalie Nick Rimando. The five-foot-10, 160 pound Johnson was playing in his 29th game of the season and 177th of his MLS career. He has six goals this year.The injury and defeat overshadowed several Portland marks:a€” The Timbers tied their club MLS single-season record in goals (54).a€” The two goals in 16 minutes were the fastest to begin a match in the teams MLS history.a€” Midfielder Diego Chara became the first Timbers MLS player to surpass the 10,000 minutes played milestone in his Portland career.___Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter Discount Football Jerseys Throwback . Scotlands Greg Laidlaw made one of two penalty kicks and all three conversions, and Stuart Hogg added a try in the second half. "The most important thing to come out of the game is that we did not get scored against," Laidlaw said. Sale Football Jerseys Throwback . Crawford hit his slam off Pirates starter Edinson Volquez to give San Francisco a four run lead in the fourth and they never looked back. Brandon Belt had three runs batted in as well. Bumgarner pitched all nine innings and allowed just four hits. http://www.cheapfootballthrowback.com/ . -- John Fox will coach the Denver Broncos from the sideline and not the booth upon his return Sunday five weeks after heart surgery.BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Argentinas national team was welcomed home Monday by thousands of fans celebrating its gutsy performance in the World Cup final. The team arrived in Buenos Aires on a plane painted with images of the players and a large sign reading: "Thank you Argentina." A river of emotional fans wearing the white and sky-blue striped jerseys of the national team, among them a group of Argentine gauchos on horses, flooded the road leading from the airport to the football association complex. "You showed that through courage, passion and bringing everything you have and more to the field you can triumph," President Cristina Fernandez said after greeting all members of the team at the complex with a hug and a pat on the back. "Youve given us values that Argentines, surrounded by so much triumphalism, thought were lost. Not only does the one in first place win; you also win when you show quality and manage to unite with others to go forward," Fernandez said. "Thats why I wanted to greet you today and thank you on behalf of 40 million proud Argentines." The two-time world champion entered the title match as the clear underdog after Germanys 7-1 thrashing of host Brazil. But despite complaints about lacklustre play earlier in the tournament, the team led by captain Lionel Messi showed grit throughout the 1-0 overtime loss to Germany, creating several opportunities to score in the first 90 minutes. "Im thankful to everyone. I would have liked to bring you back the Cup and to be able to enjoy it. We tried, we gave it our all but we couldnt achieve it," said Messi, who won the trophy for the tournaments best player. "Despite that, I think we gave a great joy to the country by reachhing this final and facing our rivals without giving anything away. Wholesale Football Jerseys Throwback. quot; Argentina last played in a World Cup final in 1990, when it lost to West Germany. Four years earlier, it became world champion for the second time, led by captain Diego Maradona, also in a final against the Germans. After Sundays final, thousands of saddened but proud Argentines gathered peacefully at the iconic Obelisk in downtown Buenos Aires to applaud their teams best World Cup performance in 24 years. Cars honked staccato rhythms, firecrackers were tossed into the air and fans of all ages jumped in place shouting, "Argentina! Argentina! Argentina!" "We have nothing to regret, we played first rate," said 53-year-old Horacio Laseiras, carrying his 6-year-old daughter on his shoulders. Violence broke out later Sunday night, forcing riot police to use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse vandals who threw rocks, destroyed store fronts, tore down street lights and even broke into a theatre. Parents with small children fled in fear. National security secretary Sergio Berni said 120 people were arrested. The Buenos Aires emergency medical service reported on Monday that 70 people were treated for injuries, including 15 police officers. The shot at the title united Argentines otherwise exasperated by one of the worlds highest inflation rates, an encroaching debt crisis and a corruption scandal that has penetrated deep into the presidents inner circle. Fernandez, whose approval rating has plunged in recent months, kept a low profile during the tournament. She declined an invitation to attend the final, preferring instead to rest ahead of a summit Tuesday, also in Brazil, with leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China. ' ' '