TORONTO -- No Jermain Defoe. Cheap Soccer Jerseys China . Two key defenders out with injury. And Dwayne De Rosario and two young squad players away with the Canadian national team. The Greg Vanney era as manager of Toronto FC is starting with more than a few challenges. Vanney, the MLS clubs former assistant general manager and still academy director, braved grey skies and rain Tuesday in his second practice since Ryan Nelsen and five assistant coaches were fired Sunday in a bid to stop the slide of a big-ticket team that has gone 3-5-5 in its last 13 games. At 9-9-6 with 10 games to go, Toronto currently stands fourth in the Eastern Conference with 33 points, in the thick of the playoff picture but also just five points above the ninth-place team. The top five in the conference make the playoffs. Vanney, a former assistant coach at Chivas USA, jumps into the deep end Wednesday night as Toronto visits seventh-place Philadelphia, which at 7-9-9 is just three points behind. The two teams meet again Saturday in Toronto. Vanney exuded calm, however, as he met the media after practice. The same feeling was translated to his players. "In a crazy two or three days, Greg has come in and handled it tremendously," said star midfielder Michael Bradley. "He has a strong but calm way of leading." "When youre at a club that is going through some crazy times and some crazy days, its important that the leaders within that club are strong. And I think Greg has done an incredible job of that." Vanney, a 40-year-old American, played professionally for 13 years, winning three MLS Cups, the U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup with the Los Angeles Galaxy. After the 2001 season, he moved to SC Bastia in France before returning to MLS in 2005 with FC Dallas. The all-star defender went on to play for the Colorado Rapids, D.C. United and the Galaxy again before retiring at the end of the 2008 season. He won 36 caps for the U.S. national side. Like Nelsen in weeks gone by, Vanney does not have a full hand to play with as the team takes on Philadelphia. Defoe is back home in England dealing with a groin injury while pundits debate whether he really wants to continue in Major League Soccer. Captain Steven Caldwell (quad) and fellow defender Justin Morrow are still out while midfielder-defender Warren Creavalle (hamstring) is probably a game away. Defenders Doneil Henry and Ashtone Morgan are back from the national team camp, but De Rosario, young goalie Quillan Roberts and midfielder Kyle Bekker are still preparing for an international friendly next Tuesday against Jamaica. The depleted roster will mean changes, although Vanney was understandably cagey about the kind of formation he will use. Anything will be better than the lackadaisical display Saturday in a 3-0 loss to the visiting New England Revolution. "Whats important for me is that we bring a high level of energy to the field and that we bring a confidence level to the field that were going to try and get three points, that were not going to try to survive," Vanney said. "I really want us to feel that we can let loose and play with some freedom, but with our tactics in mind the whole game." "We have a plan," he added, "but its a short-put-together plan. But Im confident in the group we have because we have some special players." Vanney said his preferred style is to "dictate the game, on both sides of the ball." That is at odds to the counter-attacking style employed by Nelsen, although the former manager looked to combine that with possession as the game and opposition dictated. "I dont like waiting and letting the other team dictate what we do," said Vanney. "I want to try to put the game in our vision of the game, not wait and see what the oppositions vision of the game is. And that requires us to be proactive through the course of the match. I like to be possession-oriented and I like to be attacking-minded." He cautioned that such an evolution will take time, but added: "This group is built to be dynamic." Bradley will be getting a new role, dispatched further up the field. Under Nelsen, Bradleys role seemed all-encompassing with the American international often taking the ball from the centre back to trigger an attack with his pinpoint passing. "I think Michaels strengths are to play forward and to feel the freedom to move forward and drive the team," said Vanney. "Hes a great final passer, hes great at arriving into the (penalty) box late and driving into attacks late. Hes outstanding at closing people down. "We just have to make sure were all doing it together. It doesnt make sense if one guys closing people down and four guys, five guys around him are dropping back. Its making sure that were all on the same page." Jason Bent, the lone holdover among Nelsens assistant coaches, was joined at practice by academy head goalie coach Jon Conway, under-14 coach Nick Theslof and Jim Liston, the academys director of sports science. While praising each one, Vanney said it was an interim staff while everything is being assessed. "This has all happened so fast, were going to evaluate," he said. "I want to make sure theyre all comfortable in the roles and the positions that we see for them." The change has been so fast that Nelsens parking space and sign was still in place Tuesday, a lone empty stall in the lot outside the clubs north Toronto practice facility. There was one immediate change under the new regime. Reporters were allowed to watch practice from the edge of the field. Under Nelsen, the Hubble telescope was needed to see what was going on with drills held far away. Asked what his message to fans was, Bradley replied: "Keep the faith. "I dont pretend to know everything thats gone on at this club since Day 1. I know that theres been promises, heartbreak, disappointment. "But its only going to mean that the people who are with us and the people who are going to be there when we do get this right and when we do have success, its only going to make it that much better." Fake Soccer Jerseys For Sale .com) - The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings are ready to put all the talk and hype surrounding their meeting at Dodger Stadium behind them. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys . -- A year ago, Flavia Pennetta was close to retiring from tennis. https://www.fakesoccerjerseys.com/ .com) - Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, Detroit Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar and New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo were named the NHLs players of the week on Monday.ST. LOUIS -- Rookie Kolten Wong gave the St. Louis Cardinals their second straight game-winning ninth-inning home run, connecting off Ernesto Frieri with two outs for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. Frieri (1-1) got two routine outs before Wong, batting eighth, hit his third homer on a full count. The drive over the right-field wall, which was estimated at 420 feet, was the first game-winning homer of Wongs career and it came a night after Matt Adams hit his first winner off Justin Wilson in a 2-0 victory. The Cardinals last had consecutive game-winning homers when Albert Pujols twice beat the Cubs on June 4 and 5, 2011. Wong also gave the Cardinals the early lead with a two-run double in the second. Trevor Rosenthal (1-4) struck out Starling Marte on three pitches with two on to end the ninth. Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen hit two-run homers off Carlos Martinez, in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, and McCutchens 14th of the season put them up 4-2. Alvarez has 100 career homers with 14 homers and 47 RBIs against St. Louis, most of any opponent. Matt Holliday had beenn 2 for 14 on the homestand before tying it with a two-run double off Vance Worley in the fifth. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Authentic. . He batted second the previous 14 games while battling a slump and returned to his usual third slot Wednesday, taking a called third strike and bouncing out before the double. Martinez allowed four runs in six innings, the longest of his five starts this season. Worley lasted five innings, the shortest of his five starts this season with Pittsburgh. NOTES: Rookie Gregory Polanco singled his first three trips for Pittsburgh. ... The Pirates are expected to recall Brandon Cumpton (3-0, 4.61) from Triple-A Indianapolis Wednesday to start in place of Gerrit Cole against the Cardinals Lance Lynn (9-6, 3.17). Cole will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a tight lat muscle. Cumpton beat the Cardinals in his major league debut last season, throwing seven scoreless innings. The Pirates consider Coles injury minor and he was due to play catch Tuesday. ... Pirates manager Clint Hurdle unsuccessfully challenged after Neil Walker tripled in the fifth, but was then picked off by catcher Yadier Molina in the fifth. ' ' '