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PORTLAND, Ore. -- It seems like everything is going right for the Portland Thorns heading into the National Womens Soccer League playoffs.The Thorns finished out the regular season with a four-game winning streak and claimed the NWSL Shield for the team with the best record. They also clinched home-field advantage for the first time. They face the Western New York Flash in a semifinal game Sunday.Forward Christine Sinclair credited first-year coach Mark Parsons. The Thorns (12-3-5) always had talent, she said, but that didnt always translate into wins.The difference is this year were a team from the top down, Sinclair said. I thought when Mark came on board it changed a lot. He stressed being a team -- you know, hanging out outside of soccer practice -- and I think youre starting to see that on the field. Were willing to do anything for each other.Sinclair also recognized the players who were with the team all season while their teammates were in and out in preparation for the Olympics. Sinclair won the bronze medal in Rio with the Canadian national team. The Thorns roster also includes U.S. Olympians Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Meghan Klingenberg, Allie Long and alternate Emily Sonnett. Additionally, Amandine Henry played for France in Brazil.In a pre-match conference call Thursday, Klingenberg unexpectedly took over to sing Happy Birthday, even though it was no ones birthday, and Sinclair dissolved into giggles. Parsons deadpanned: I have no way to explain.Former Thorns coach Paul Riley took over the Flash in February. He said hard work led his young team to the playoffs.We didnt set any goals. Our goal wasnt to make the playoffs, our goal wasnt to make the final. Our goal was to win the first game of the season, Riley said. Thats really the way weve approached every game. Weve set no goals for the group, we just wanted each player to get a little bit better each game and believe in the process -- and things will happen if we do everything right to the best of our abilities.The atmosphere at Providence Park could be hostile to the visitors. The Thorns boast the best home attendance in the league with an average of 16,945 fans per game this season.While Portland is the third team in league history to allow an average of less than one goal a game over the course of the season, the Flash (9-6-5) are just the third team to average at least two goals a game. The Flash are paced by league Golden Boot winner Lynn Williams with 11 goals and five assists.The Chicago Red Stars (9-5-6) play the Washington Spirit (12-5-3) in the other semifinal match on Friday night at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Neither team has ever played for the league championship.The two teams met just last weekend with the Red Stars earning the No. 3 seed in the playoffs with a 3-1 victory. It was the Spirits second straight lost and denied the team the NWSL Shield.The goal is to win a championship, Spirit coach Jim Gabarra said. If you dont make the playoffs youre obviously not going to win the championship. If you make the playoffs and win the Shield and you dont win a championship then you still havent achieved your ultimate goal.Chicago finished the season tied with the Seattle Reign with eight total shutouts. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher had six clean sheets.FC Kansas City won the 2015 NWSL title.Clearance Air Max Black Friday . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Cheap Air Max Black Friday . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. http://www.blackfridayairmax.com/ . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Air Max Black Friday Online . PAUL, Minn. Air Max Black Friday Deals . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services.LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears had their coach back on Thursday.Although the quarterback and running back remained an entirely different matter.A day after missing practice because of a stomach virus, coach John Fox returned to Halas Hall and said quarterback Jay Cutler is not up to playing in a game at this point.So Cutler sat out of practice Thursday because of a sprained right thumb.I think we just didnt want to aggravate it more, Fox said. Again, a thumb on a throwing hand of a quarterback is a delicate situation. So we just figured we wouldnt go out there and have any stress on it.Cutler, who missed Sunday nights 31-17 loss at Dallas, had practiced Wednesday on a limited basis for the first time since his injury occurred Sept. 19 in a 29-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.Fox said it wasnt a case where Cutlers thumb worsened after Wednesdays practice.No setbacks, just healing, Fox said.However, Cutler hadnt really done much throwing in Wednesdays practice as the winless Bears (0-3) prepared to host Detroit (1-2) Sunday.A clearer situation could present itself Friday, but backup Brian Hoyer continues to lead the offense while Cutler watches.Right now hes really not able, Fox said about Cutler. He can go out there and take snaps, but to be able to throw the ball into tight windows and the things youve got to do in this league to perform at a high level, if we feel good about that tomorrow (Friday) or we feel good about that Saturday, then (we) wouldnt hesitate to put him in.Right now its hard for me to say, until those days hit.Hoyer continues to operate under the uncertainty of whether hell start, but said its merely the life of an NFL backup.For me Im every day trying to prepare to play whatever his status is, Hoyer said. Until someone tells me different Im just preparing like Im going to play and thats if he was playing I would prepare the same way.Hoyer completed 30 of 49 for 317 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against Dallas, but was just 8-for-12 for 71 yards at halftime. Thee Bears managed only four first-half first downs and trailed 24-3.ddddddddddddIts possible Hoyers job would be easier with the other positions on offense more settled, but running back remains an issue.Starter Jeremy Langford has been out since suffering an ankle injury in Sundays game and backup KaDeem Carey remains out of practice after missing Sundays game entirely with a pulled hamstring.As a result, rookie Jordan Howard has taken first-team snaps and is the likely starter. Howard has 67 rushing yards on 12 attempts this season, but the fifth-round draft pick from Indiana has to display improvement in the passing game as a blocker.Hes getting there, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. Hes getting closer.In the NFL, its a little bit different than college football with all the different fronts and with all the different personnel packages. Hes working really hard to get caught up to speed with that, but hes doing a nice job as a runner.The Bears rank 30th in the league in rushing and last in time of possession, so the running game has to show drastic improvement.Earlier this week, the Bears signed former Lions running back Joique Bell and hope to have him available after only a few practices for backup duty against his old team.Picking up the offense in such a short time will be a challenge.Asked if Bears coaches were picking his brain for information on the Lions, Bell said, Right now, I think theyre just trying to feed my brain.Game notesGuard Kyle Long (shoulder) went through a full practice after being limited Wednesday. Guard Josh Sitton (shoulder) practiced on a limited basis. ... Defensive end Mitch Unrein (knee) went through a full practice Thursday after being limited Wednesday. ... Safety Harold Jones-Quartey, who had suffered a concussion, was able to practice Thursday on a limited basis.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '