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SEATTLE -- Snubbed from a World Cup camp invite by Nigeria, Obafemi Martins was determined not to sulk about missing out on a trip to Brazil. Martins said earlier this week his World Cup is the next two months playing for the Seattle Sounders. And it started with his finest goal since joining Major League Soccer. "I just want to score goals," Martins said. "Thats what I did and Im glad." Martins scored in the eighth minute to give the Sounders a 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night as both teams began a possible two-month stretch with some of the top players in the league off competing at the World Cup. Martins goal will be in the discussion for best of the season as the year progresses. His goal came from a shallow angle just 4 yards off the end line. Instead of settling Gonzalo Pinedas pass, Martins chipped the one-hopper with his left foot over San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch and just inside the far post. It was the fifth goal of the season for Martins. Instead of the usual backflip that has accompanied his previous goals, Martins simply shook his head possibly a little surprised his difficult attempt found the net. "Its an athletic ability. You cant teach that. Its something that somebody has," Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. "Its definitely as good a goal thats been scored here." Busch said shots from that shallow an angle usually end up coming at the near post or end up on top of the net. "So now he finds the back post. Tip your hat to him. Nothing you can do," Busch said. "Doesnt matter who you are or where you play, thats a good goal." The Sounders (8-3-1), who remained the MLS points leader, opened the whole stadium for the first time this year and drew 49,746, the largest crowd for any MLS game this season. Seattle was without three U.S. World Cup hopefuls, while the Earthquakes were minus two. Clint Dempsey, Brad Evans and DeAndre Yedlin were gone for Seattle and San Jose (2-4-4) played without Chris Wondolowski and Clarence Goodson. Also gone for the Earthquakes was Honduran hopeful Victor Bernardez. The Sounders could have been without Martins as well, but he was not selected to join Nigeria for its World Cup camp. Teaming with Dempsey at the top of Seattles attack, Martins has a resume this season that would have been worthy of a call. Instead hes being asked to be the offensive catalyst for Seattle with Dempsey gone. Seattle controlled the match and likely should have scored two or three more times if not for stellar goalkeeping by Busch. He stopped attempts from Lamar Neagle twice in a seven-minute span of the second half and turned away Osvaldo Alonsos attempt in the 84th minute. "My job is to make saves and keep us in the game. I did my job," Busch said. All the shots being peppered toward Busch made for a quiet night at the other end for Seattles Stefan Frei. With Wondolowski and Bernardez gone, the Earthquakes were missing seven of the 11 goals they have scored this season. The only player in San Joses starting lineup with a goal was midfielder Cordell Cato. San Joses only official shot on goal came on a free kick in the 90th minute from Khari Stephenson that Frei smothered. It was the second shutout of the season for Seattle and important after giving up five goals last Sunday to New England. "The commitment of the team this week after last week was playing to zero," Schmid said. Marlins Jerseys 2019 . CSKA received the heavier punishment of playing its next European home game behind closed doors, after its supporters displayed racist and far-right symbols in the Czech Republic during a 2-1 loss to Viktoria Plzen on Dec. Miami Marlins Gear . Watch the action live on TSN and listen on TSN 1050 Radio beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. The Raptors maintained their spot atop the Atlantic Friday after defeating the Wizards, 96-88, for their second win in a row. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/.J. Ward appeared in court Friday on misdemeanour charges that he threw a glass mug at a bartender at a Denver strip club. Marlins Jerseys 2020 .com) - On a night the Bulls played without Derrick Rose, it was time for Pau Gasol to take charge. Cheap Marlins Jerseys . Joining him in this years class were Switzerlands Patrick Huerlimann and Norways Eigil Ramsfjell. The announcement was made at the world mens curling championship at Capital Indoor Stadium in China.PHILADELPHIA -- Darrun Hilliard watched intently Saturday night as the Philadelphia 76ers retired Allen Iversons number at the Wells Fargo Center. Less than 24 hours later, in the same arena, he tried to recreate the magic of his all-time favourite player. Hilliard scored a career-high 26 points and No. 8 Villanova set a school record for regular-season wins with a 73-56 victory over Marquette on Sunday. "AI was the man," Hilliard said. "That was my favourite player. Seeing him go out and be the smallest guy on the court and doing what he did with everything against him, it was something I looked up to. So its pretty cool to be in this building." Josh Hart added 13 points and JayVaughn Pinkston had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Wildcats (26-3, 14-2 Big East), who have won four straight and 10 of 11. The Wildcats had never won 26 regular-season games in the 95-year history of the program. Villanova won 25 games four previous times, most recently in 2008-09, a season it reached the Final Four. Deonte Burton scored 13 points for Marquette (17-12, 9-7) and Todd Mayo finished with 11 points and five rebounds. "I was proud of that effort," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "I know Marquettes a good, hungry team and they play hard. Its hard to match that level." Playing in the home of the 76ers Hilliard almost looked like an NBA guard with the kind of show he put on for the fans. The 6-foot-6 junior guard had 18 points in first half, shot 5 for 8 from 3-point range for the game and set his career high with a dazzling drive that put the Wildcats up 66-47 with 4:58 left. Hilliards previous career high of 25 points came in an upset win over Syracuse last season -- also at the Wells Fargo Center. "Darrun was on fire today," Hart said. "When you have someone whos 5 for 8 from 3s, the defence is really focusing in on him so that allowed me to get open shots." Villanova was 12 of 29 from 3-point range. Trying to make a late push to get into the NCAA tournament for the ninth straight year, Marquette came in having won five of six, including an important two-point victory over Georgetown on Thursday. But the Golden Eagles never threatened to upset the Wildcats, shooting just 4 for 15 from 3-point range and 16 for 25 from the free throw line. They committedd 15 turnovers.dddddddddddd "I would say the number one disappointment is we didnt play as hard as we have to play on the road to beat a team as good as Villanova," Marquette coach Buzz Williams said. After falling behind by 11 points at halftime, Marquette made just one field goal through the first 5 minutes of the second half to allow Villanova to open a 48-29 lead. Villanova led by double digits the rest of the way to move one full game ahead of No. 9 Creighton for first place in the Big East. The Wildcats only two conference losses have come to Creighton, which fell out of first place after losing to Xavier on Saturday. "I dont think theyre going to win our league or theyre eighth in the country based on one number," Williams said. "I think theyre really good in each phase of the game but I also think they play for one another. I think they play incredibly hard and I think they play with great spirit." Hilliard and Hart combined to score Villanovas first 20 points, before Pinkston and Tony Chennault scored the next nine for the Wildcats. Daniel Ochefu then forced a steal, ran ahead of the pack and had a transition dunk to cap a 17-4 run and send Villanova to a 31-18 lead with 3:18 left in the first half. The Golden Eagles cut the deficit to six points a couple of minutes later, but Hilliard scored five straight points to close the half, hitting two free throws after Williams was called for a technical foul and drilling a 3-pointer with 2 seconds remaining. "I thought that series was important for us," Wright said. "We were struggling a little and they were coming back." The Wildcats led 36-25 at halftime despite foul-plagued starting guards Ryan Arcidiacono and James Bell playing just 6 and 5 minutes, respectively. Neither scored in the first half and Bell, the teams leading scorer, didnt score at all and remains six points shy of 1,000 points for his career. "In the first half, when we were playing without James Bell and Ryan Arch, I thought our energy level actually went up," Wright said. "I thought we were actually a quicker team. And then those guys were really fresh in the second half. "Weve been trying to build our depth throughout the season and that was really important to have that first half like that." ' ' '