Reiseplan » day. The Thunder waited a month. Th

HARRISON, N.J. -- The mood in the Montreal Impacts locker room on Saturday was as candid as it was unforgiving. It is time for thorough introspection. "I think weve tossed enough (games) out already," said goalkeeper Troy Perkins after the Montreal Impact lost 4-0 to the New York Red Bulls. Montreal, which is 1-3-2 in its last six games, fell to 9-5-4 overall. The Impact and Red Bulls (9-7-7) have the most points in the Eastern Conference with 31 points apiece. However, Montreal is still first overall in the conference because it has played two fewer games than New York. The Red Bulls also have two more losses than the Impact. "When youre afraid like this -- we (knew) we had to score some goals and (earn) some points here -- but when you dont believe in something, you dont have a chance," said Impact manager Marco Schallibaum. "The team that comes from far away to be in first place is good. But to stay there is very difficult because everybody wants to beat you. "We must be stronger on the field. Thats why I say they (were) too afraid. When youre (in) first (place), you must play like a top team and in the first half we werent a top team." Facing a New York team that had entered the game having lost three of four, the Impact had eight shot attempts on goal and Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles only had to make four saves. His most difficult saves were diving stops in the 49th and 71st minutes. "We didnt score tonight," said Montreal midfielder Justin Mapp. That was somewhat problematic as New York spent the majority of the match dictating play. The Red Bulls finished the game with 11 shots on goal. "At some point it is probably frustrating," Perkins said of the New York attack. "Over the past four games its been like that." Thierry Henry, Eric Alexander, Tim Cahill and Peguy Lyuindula scored for New York. Henry also added two assists. Henry was directly responsible for New Yorks first three goals. He set up Alexanders game-opening goal at the 10 minute mark with a quick pass. Alexander split three defenders in the box before driving a shot past Perkins to the far left corner to give New York a 1-0 lead. Five minutes later, Henry doubled the advantage when he tapped Fabian Espindolas crossing feed into the net. New York midfielder Tim Cahill headed Henrys corner kick in the 63rd minute past Perkins to increase the Red Bulls lead to 3-0. "Hes a good player," Schallibaum said of Henry. "Hes been showing us for 20 years hes a good player. We know the quality (of) Thierry Henry and he (showed) us again tonight. Congratulations." Lyuindula ended the scoring with a penalty kick goal in the 87th minute. The forward was taken down in the box and he converted for his first goal in the MLS. "Peguy has a vision of the game thats better than most people," said New York coach Mike Petke. "He sees things, his control is great; hes a setup man he hasnt been able to find the back of the net. As a forward thats frustrating. "I think its very important that Peguy stepped up and took that shot and converted it. Its all about (scoring streaks) and its all about confidence for forwards specifically. So now hopefully we could count on one more (forward) thats going to get on a roll. That would be great." Midfielder Davy Arnaud (45th minute) and Defender Matteo Ferrari (61st minute) were assessed yellow cards. The announced attendance was 17,235 included a small but energetic Impact cheering section in the upper deck. Omar Gonzalez USA Jersey . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. Matt Miazga USA Jersey . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. http://www.soccerusateamonline.com/Andrija-Novakovich-America-Jersey/ . Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine months. Zack Steffen Jersey . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. Antonee Robinson USA Jersey . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. OKLAHOMA CITY -- Flanked by Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams, Russell Westbrook stood central, holding the ball -- and a smile.Its the picture Westbrook has taken before each season over the past eight years, the visual representation of the Oklahoma City Thunders present and future. Except this time, he was the only thing that seemed the same. Gone is Kevin Durant. Gone is Serge Ibaka. Westbrook is the only starter that remains from the Thunder team that went to the NBA Finals in 2012. Other than Nick Collison, hes the only player from the inaugural team that relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008.This was the Thunders ninth media day in Oklahoma City, but the first of a whole new unknown world -- one without Durant. It wasnt as awkward as some anticipated, and Durants name wasnt on the tip of everyones tongue in the building. There were a handful of questions, but the theme of the day was clearly set on the future, not the past. The photo shoots and interviews proceeded with ample amounts of energy, with positivity and optimism reverberating off everything.At the heart of all that was Westbrook, who bounced around from station to station, shaking hands, photobombing everyone in sight, grinning ear-to-ear and cracking jokes with teammates and staff members.Last season, Westbrook made it an individual policy of sorts to turn down every one-on-one interview request. Even the most harmless requests were brushed off, like one to set up Russell Westbrook Night at UCLA, where he was having a practice court named after him. On Friday, Westbrook, whose curt and concise relationship with the media is well-documented, accepted every single request. Even one from a local radio host who relentlessly blasted Westbrook earlier in his career for not being a point guard. He didnt balk at questions. He didnt blow off reporters. He took everything completely head-on.It was clear: Westbrook was setting a tone.For the past eight years, Westbrook has relished the ability to share the responsibility of a franchise with Durant. Media days were where that was often most evident, with the affable and charming Durant taking the bulk of the requests, while Westbrook slunk back into the shadows, protected by the shield of his terse answers. Durant was the one everybody wanted. And Westbrook didnt mind that one bit.That baton has been passed to Westbrook, one that he has picked up and is running with full steam ahead. It started with him signing an extension in August -- stabilizing the franchise going forward -- and continued into media day, where he slapped a smile on his face and embraced the full burden of being the franchise flag bearer.Westbrook is the unquestioned leader now. Every player on the roster is fully aware of that and seems quite comfortable with it.He was our leader last year too, Enes Kanter said, the shade involved very apparent.Westbrooks leadership style is different from Durants, based a lot off of show and not tell, with the accountability of teammates coming from his unwavering competitive spirit and relentless work ethic. If you cant keep up with Russ, then you dont belong.Ronnie Price, a former teammate of Kobe Bryant, compared the two in a favorable way.dddddddddddd. But its hard not to wonder if Westbrook unfettered will turn the Thunder into a monarchy in the way Bryant did in the post-Shaq era. Theres a fine line between inspiring and inhibiting. Will free agents be drawn to a Westbrook-led team? Will a young roster grow and develop under his guidance? So far, all signs point to yes, but then again, the Thunder?havent played a game yet.Before I started working out with Russ, I think I kind of went into workouts just working out, said Oladipo, who spent a couple of weeks exercising with Westbrook in Los Angeles this summer. And after being with Russ for a few weeks, I realized that theres a purpose for everything that he does. Theres a purpose for every drill. Theres a purpose for every move. And Ive learned that those moves can translate to the game, if, and only if, you let them translate.After working with Russ, Oladipo said, I can see the intensity in how serious he was about his craft.Westbrook and the Thunder have spent the past three months licking their wounds. Mentally, the organization moved on rather quickly, pragmatically approaching next steps after Durant departed. That started with Westbrook asking the front office, Whats next? within hours of Durants announcement.Emotionally, though, there have been challenges because of the investment in the Westbrook and Durant tandem. The roster was surgically crafted to fit their styles, to complement the way they complement each other. The strategic planning, set up to align with the primes of their core, was finally coming into view. Then Durant left, and a gutted franchise had to look for a path forward.The Thunders rebuild was brief, a 30-day purgatory of unknowns until Westbrook re-upped. Most franchises that experience the kind of loss the Thunder did spend three or four years waiting for that kind of day. The Thunder waited a month. That carried over to media day, where there was a signal the organization is turning a page from those hard feelings. Durant wasnt the theme of the day; the future was.There arent delusions of grandeur inside the organization that the Thunder will pick up where they left off. Theres a clear and present understanding of their new situation. They have to restructure and retool, and while Westbrook said his expectation is to win this season, the prosperity of the past six years in OKC isnt likely to continue. At least not immediately.But they arent wiping the slate clean to start over. Theres no tanking for OKC. Because theres no need. Aside from Westbrook, theres already a roster full of under-25s, all with potential waiting to be realized.The Thunder felt good on Friday. But theyre a month away from a competitive game. They dont know what this team is going to look like. They dont know whos filling the two empty starting spots vacated by Durant and Ibaka. But they do know they have Russell Westbrook, fully committed and invested -- and ready to take it all head-on.And thats a pretty good start. ' ' '