Die Macht » d. Vermette had his 10-game point streak snapped, wh

TORONTO -- Danny Koevermans no longer wears the jersey but he still bleeds Toronto FC red. 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." Toronto Blue Jays Store . - The infectious smile was missing from Nam Nguyen last week. Cheap Blue Jays Jerseys . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/ . The Union looked to have grabbed a big win in the 88th minute when Amobi Okugo finally put the hosts in front. But a terrible giveaway by Union goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi handed Earnshaw the equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time, keeping the Union two points back of fifth-place Red Bull New York for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Stitched Blue Jays Jerseys . The Professional Referee Organization, which manages game officials for the U.S. Soccer Federation and MLS, notified the Professional Soccer Referee Association of the lockout and said replacement officials will be used. Blue Jays Jerseys China . -- Shanshan Feng was alone in her opinion about the pin positions in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.It was a night where all the teams in the playoff chase in the Western Conference picked up points with the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 shootout win over the Phoenix Coyotes being a three-pointer. With the win, the Jets improve to 10-3-1 under coach Paul Maurice and 5-1 at home since the coaching change. With 21 games remaining, the Jets are now on 64 points and just two out of the final playoff spot. The team plays another divisional game Saturday afternoon in Nashville (You can catch the action live on TSN Jets or listen on TSN 1290.) The Predators sit two points back of the Jets. Thursday marked the Jets 35th one-goal game this season, the second highest in the league. Oliver Ekman-Larsson opened the scoring as he did January 13 when these two teams met at MTS Centre. On that night his goal came at 12:16. In this game it was 12:17 in. In the first meeting, Olli Jokinen tied the game 36 seconds later. Thursday, Blake Wheeler tied it 2:38 later. It was Wheelers team-leading 23rd of the year. Shots in the first were 11-9 for Phoenix. The only goal of the second came on a Jets power play, as Bryan Little beat Mike Smith off of a turnover. It was his 19th of the year and sixth powerplay goal of the season. Little now has 48 points on the season, three shy of his tying his career single season high. The shots in the second were 10-7 for the Jets. Phoenix tied the game on a third period power play following a very weak hooking call on Jim Slater. Both teams had reason to question some of the calls and non-calls in this game. Martin Hanzal buried a rebound for his 155th of the year to send the game to overtime.ddddddddddddShots in the third favoured Phoenix 13-9. The Coyotes were the better team in overtime and only a number of great saves by Ondrej Pavelec took the game to a shootout. The shots in overtime were 5-1 for Phoenix and 39-29 Coyotes in the game.Antoine Vermettes shootout marker for the Coyotes was cancelled out by Devin Setoguchi and Olli Jokinens for Winnipeg as the Jets prevailed. Vermette had his 10-game point streak snapped, while Andrew Ladd had his five-game point streak snapped. Wheeler has points in 13 of his last 17 games. In the two games against Phoenix, Pavelec has stopped 52 of 55 shots, is 2-0 and has a save percentage of .945. Jacob Trouba led the Jets in ice time at 26:39, while Little took a team high 24 face-offs, winning 13. Jim Slater and Evander Kane both returned to the line-up, Slater has been out since mid-October, while Kane missed the last six before the break."It was a slugfest for the puck, but the game was better than I thought it would be after the layoff," commented Maurice post-game. "Teams generated good looks, there were good saves. I liked our goaltending and in the end he delivered two points. We were a little uptight after the 2-2 goal. But I dont complain about getting two points. That team (Phoenix) played pretty well." The coach was also impressed by his goalie, Pavelec. "They had three prime chances in overtime," said Maurice. "He wins the game with the saves in overtime and the shootout. He really competed." ' ' '