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SAINT-ETIENNE, France -- Saint-Etienne made up ground in the race for a Champions League spot by defeating third-place Lille 2-0 Friday in the French league. Brazilian striker Brandao opened the scoring with a header in the 55th minute before winger Franck Tabanou volleyed home from close range to double the lead in the 61st. Lille was down to 10 men in the 62nd when midfielder Florent Balmont was red-carded for dissent. Saint-Etienne bounced back from a French Cup elimination against fourth-division side Cannes on Tuesday to pull within three points of Lille. "The team that wanted it the most tonight won the match," Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier said. "We showed courage to make things happen. My players were rewarded for their efforts." The hosts struggled to provide some decent service to Brandao in a tactical first half. Lille centre back David Rozehnal cleared dangerous crosses from Saint-Etienne wingers Romain Hamouma in the 27th and Tabanou in the 33rd. The visitors did not create much either but were more threatening from set pieces. Lille defender Simon Kjaer headed a corner over the bar in the third minute before Salomon Kalou connected with a free kick from Balmont in the ninth for a header that Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier palmed away. One accurate final ball made the difference in the second half. A cross from Saint-Etienne leftback Faouzi Ghoulam eluded the Lille defence, but Brandao beat the offside trap to head in at the far post. Six minutes later, Tabanou converted a rebound after Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama parried a volley from Hamouma. Balmont spotted a foul from Tabanou in the build-up to the goal and argued with the referee, who sent off the Lille midfielder. "I told him there was a foul and that it was a disgrace," Balmont said. "In the heat of the discussion, I told him he was rubbish. To me, thats not an insult, thats what is frustrating. But he took it as an insult." Saint-Etienne could have added a third goal in the 78th but Tabanou failed to convert from six yards a low cross from Hamouma. Ruffier kept a clean sheet by saving a close-range effort from Lille substitute Ryan Mendes in the 86th. "We played for about an hour and then we faded after conceding that goal," Lille coach Rene Girard said. "We gave up. We will sort out those problems together. Its in the heads. We will have to put a few heads in the fridge. We must get back to things that are more down to earth." On Saturday, its: Marseille vs. Valenciennes; Bastia vs. Bordeaux; Lorient vs. Guingamp: Nice vs. Ajaccio; Rennes vs. Evian; and Sochaux vs. Montpellier. On Sunday, leader Paris Saint-Germain hosts Nantes, Monaco visits Toulouse and Lyon faces Reims. Ryan Kalil Jersey .com) - One point guard will return, while another will sit when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Cam Newton Womens Jersey . Tensions rose in the first period when Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik hit Bruins forward Loui Eriksson with what appeared to be a clean hit. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panthers-greg-olsen-blue-jersey/ . The (14-15-5) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 33 points. They trail sixth place Nashville and fifth place Dallas by two points. Christian Miller Womens Jersey . -- Jack Del Rio only wanted to talk about the Cowboys, not the Trojans. Sam Mills Jersey .C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes used a strong third period to extend their winning streak to three games.Here are five thoughts on the Toronto Raptors seven-game loss to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. 1. JOE JOHNSON (Nets): If I had to pick the guy that was the MVP on this Series, No doubt in my mind it was him. Forget his numbers for a second which were impressive to say the least. It had more to do with his presence and the inability for the Raptors to find a viable/consistent solution to overcome his vast talents. Bottom line, hes a very difficult cover and his strength, post skills, passing ability, creativity off the bounce and distance shooting make him a fascinating and gifted offensive player. Give him credit, He took on all the challenges and made the adjustments and was the difference in this series. 2. STATEMENT: Thanks again! You - the fans have made a wonderful statement across the North American sports landscape and in the NBA community that Toronto and the country of Canada is a growing and vibrant hoops hotbed and will be heard from for generations to come. Cant tell you the impression its made on folks all across the NBA. Utterly remarkable to say the least. Great Opportunity for Raptors President and GM, Masai Ujiri, to now build from a position of strength in his retention and recruitment efforts as he formulates his vision for the long term success of the franchise. A step forward. Long way to go though - yet you can start to see the light. 3. KYLE LOWRY: No idea what will happen with him regarding his future with the Raptors. Im hopeful they can work something out. Ill say this though, the man has really impressed me this season. Every day he left everything out there on the floor for you and competed like few players ever have in a Raptors uniform. For that, we should be grateful and impressed at the same time. Hes been a joy to watch this season and an inspiration to so many young players that can learn from his sheer will and effort that you can overcome a whole lot if you give it your all. He came up short but the man is a winner. Fingers crossed it all comes together and hes back in Toronto. 4. MARCUS THORNTON (Nets): In a Game 7, many times you need that guy that just comes out of left field that gets you over the hump particularly when youre the road team.dddddddddddd Give coach Jason Kidd credit, he played a great hunch and it paid off huge dividends for him. His perimeter shooting, creativity, rebounding and overall explosiveness were the edge the Nets sorely needed to pull off the road win in a deciding game. He was lousy in the early part of the series after playing quite well since being acquired from Sacramento but Coach Kidd showed renewed faith in him and was justly rewarded for it. Joe Johnson was the MVP but he was the difference. 5. DWANE CASEY: Actions speak louder than words. Three years and each year his teams have gotten better and he has grown each year as a head coach. As good a coach as he is - and hes a very good one - hes an even better man. Class act. He did an outstanding job this year and when I reflect over the three year period he has been consistent and stayed true to his core beliefs which I truly respect. He led a team this year that had many limitations (as we could all plainly see in this Series) to 48 wins, an Atlantic Division title and came up a bit short to a much more experienced, talented and deeper Nets team. Yes - Were all bitterly disappointed in the loss of this series yet when you take time to reflect, this organization has a true leader who is bright, steady and wont be out-worked by anyone. When I evaluate a coach, I always point to year three as my barometer of where you truly judge them. Theyve had more than enough time to get things the way they want and now you want to see that vision unfold before you. He has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in my mind that hes more than deserving of being the head coach of the Raptors and when I evaluate him against his peers Im quite impressed. As a former coach, I think I have a pretty decent feel when I compare/contrast coaches strengths/weaknesses and when I look at coach Casey I see a man who has rolled up his sleeves, paid his dues and is truly a right fit for the task of the challenges that lie ahead for the organization. Hes a coachs coach and I can tell you flat out that the men in his profession not only truly like him but all respect him tremendously. Happy for his success. Good man. Good things do truly happen for good people. ' ' '