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It was 10:35am on March 9, 2012. Luke Wileman and I stood in the corridor outside of the Vancouver Whitecaps dressing room at BC Place in Vancouver. Wed been there for a few minutes already. We were early (as we usually are) for the Whitecaps practice, which was scheduled to begin at 11am. There wasnt a soul to be seen outside the dressing room, as all of the players and coaches were already inside preparing for training. The time is etched in my memory because it was then, at 10:35am, that Darren Mattocks came strolling down the hallway. Big headphones blaring, he didnt look like he had a care in the world. He certainly didnt look like a rookie who was late for the last practice before his first game as a professional soccer player. He bowled on by and walked into the dressing room - the last player to arrive by a wide margin. I turned to Luke, completely bewildered by what I had just witnessed, and asked him, "Is he having a laugh?" (Im paraphrasing - my choice of words were far more industrial than that.) "That would NEVER happen in Europe. No chance. The senior players would crucify him for that. And the manager would have him banished to train with the youth team." I couldnt believe what Id seen. In 18 years as a professional player in Canada and the UK, Id never seen a young player show such blatant disrespect for the rules and hierarchy of a football club. First to arrive, last to leave is a principle that all rookies (apart from Mattocks, clearly) adhere to religiously. They do so because they know that they not only have to impress their manager, but more importantly, they have to impress their teammates. They have to earn the respect of the senior players if they are ever going to be considered one of them. You see, experienced players can suss out a fraud in less than one training session, and it doesnt take long for them to figure out if a young player comes with an ego. Those egos dont last very long though, because the senior players simply dont tolerate them. They chip away at the arrogance of youth, exposing flaws until the young player sees the light; that they arent the finished article and that they have to work hard if they are ever going to fulfill their potential. It is a humbling that involves brutal honesty, but it teaches young players humility and mental resiliency - two vital ingredients in having a lengthy professional career. That humbling clearly hasnt happened for Darren Mattocks. He has been allowed to live in the bubble that he has created for himself - one in which he thinks hes already the finished article. Mattocks spoke on a Jamaican football program this week, where he revealed that he "carried Vancouver to the playoffs last year" and that "every team in MLS wants me". On former head coach Martin Rennie, Mattocks said this, "If me can do successful [sic] with my first season, and in my second season, you will try to jeopardize my career, Im not naive and Im not gonna stay (in Vancouver)." His responses were as brazen and as arrogant as Ive ever seen. You could write Mattocks attitude off to his youth, but he is 23-years old. Its not like he is a baby in the world of football. Hes a grown man, at an age where his European counterparts will have already amassed 150+ first team games. You could also argue that someone has been filling his head with ideas of grandeur, leading him to believe that he really is the world-class striker that he imagines himself to be. But these arguments are nothing more than excuses. They wont help Darren Mattocks. What he needs is some tough love. What he needs is for someone to hold a mirror in front of his game, so that he can see himself for the player that he really is. So here goes. Darren, you have exceptional athletic ability, and you are arguably one of the finest athletes in Major League Soccer. But you were voted the top prospect in MLS under the age of 24 last year because of your potential, not because you are the finished article. You are a 23-year old man, but you have the football intelligence of a 15-year-old boy. You are reactive, rather than proactive, and you use your pace and athleticism to make up for the fact that you are often in the wrong position to begin with. The timing of your runs is poor, your finishing is poor, and you do not retain possession of the ball nearly well enough to be considered amongst the leagues best. You did not play a starring role this season because you simply didnt earn the right to do so. You are judged on everything you do - in training, in games, in your demeanour on and off the field - not just on your statistics. Unless you realize this, you will never be in a position to fulfill your undoubted potential. Unless you realize this, you will become just another player who failed to live up to his potential. The choice is yours, Darren. You can carry on believing that it was Martin Rennies fault that you had a poor season. But youd be wrong. You are the only reason you struggled this year. If anything, Martin tried to protect you from the things Ive just told you, because Im not alone in my assessment of your game. Many of the senior players in your dressing room think the exact same things. And I suspect that now that Martin is gone, youll be hearing it from them very soon. For your sake, I hope you listen to them. Wholesalle Nike Sb China . About seven hours before facing Washington in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second round series, team officials said the oft-injured Bynum would miss the rest of the playoffs and would not even be with the team for the rest of the post-season. Wholesale Nike SB . 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The Force had two men, including former Wallabies No. 8 Ben McCalman, in the sin-bin in the dying minutes of the match, but were able to resist a late Highlanders surge to post a four-try, bonus point win.NICE, France -- Real Sociedad winger Antoine Griezmann staked his claim for a World Cup starting spot with his first international goal for France, only for midfielder Victor Caceres to do likewise and earn Paraguay a 1-1 draw with an 89th-minute header Sunday in Les Bleus penultimate warm-up game before heading to Brazil. Griezmann has impressed since recently breaking into the team and the substitute put the hosts ahead in the 82nd minute with an assured finish, curling the ball into the right corner after collecting it on the left side of the penalty area. France had the majority of possession but Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud missed several chances and failed to add to his international tally after scoring twice against Norway in a 4-0 win on Tuesday night. "Were not going to win all of our games 4-0," Deschamps said. "We made the breakthrough after creating a lot of chances against a team defending deep in numbers. We dropped too deep and they equalized." Deschamps rested striker Karim Benzema and winger Franck Ribery, who has a back injury. French media have reported that he could be doubtful for the World Cup. "We will do everything we can for him to be ready for the Jamaica game next Sunday," Deschamps said, referring to Frances last friendly before going to Brazil. Deschamps made three changes from the NNorway game, with Loic Remy replacing Griezmann on the left wing, Bacary Sagna taking Mathieu Debuchys slot at right back and Hugo Lloris returning in goal.dddddddddddd Remy had Frances first chance, side-footing wide after Mathieu Valbuena had played him in down the left side of the penalty area. Giroud had the next chance, using his body well to shield the ball, before spinning and hitting a low shot that was blocked. Lloris was called into action midway through the first half when he gathered a low shot from veteran striker Roque Santa Cruz. France hit back moments later and midfielder Paul Pogba drilled a shot just wide, and then Giroud held the ball up down the right before floating a cross over to Remy, whose scissor-kick volley flew wide. Remy and Giroud combined well throughout the match, and Giroud headed wide from Remys cross at the start of the second half. Giroud then crossed from the right only for Valbuena to nod the ball wide. Valbuena had set up Giroud for a headed goal against Norway, and almost did so again only for goalkeeper Anthony Silva to tip the forwards looping header over the crossbar. From Valbuenas corner, Silva saved yet another Giroud header. After Caceres scored with his first goal in 55 appearances for Paraguay, Giroud almost netted the winner right at the end as his astute chip went just over. ' ' '