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There was a moment during Fridays training session in Obetz, Ohio, where Whitecaps players were doing their “2 in the middle” drill, a fun warm-up exercise they would have performed hundreds of times. As me and some other stragglers were chatting informally with Caps Coach Carl Robinson, an explosive roar came from the group, some of whom were now on the ground laughing. I said to the coach, “Thats a good sound." "Brilliant” he replied. Something special is happening within a group that has representation from all over the world and that varies in age from 20 to 34. Theres a togetherness, despite a language barrier that could easily divide the locker room between the Latin-based players, the younger Americans and the senior pros. Midfield maestro and Designated Player Pedro Morales was in the hotel lobby with a few teammates having a coffee when he remarked on how this might be the best team spirit hes experienced in his career. This is a 10-year pro who was playing in La Liga only a few months ago with Malaga. Prior to Wednesdays Amway Canadian Championships, a game which featured a very young, Canadian heavy squad, all the senior players remained in the locker room right up until kick-off to offer support and encouragement for the youngsters who are likely to replace them one day. Nigel Reo Coker, a veteran of the Barclays Premier League, who played in the Toronto game, teased the armband-wearing Russell Teibert as the Niagara Falls, Ontario native gave his first captains speech in the huddle. “Speak up, Russ. I cant hear you.” More laughter. More calming of nerves before a team of kids was about to battle a line-up that featured Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley and Gilberto. The Whitecaps more senior group then followed up the Toronto performance with a solid, cohesive and monstrous away win at Columbus, where 23-year-old Eric Hurtado, in only his fifth MLS start, scored his first MLS goal. It was a moment of individual brilliance, as the sophomore took an ousted clearance off his chest and rolled his defender before turning and unleashing a left-footed blast into the top corner. His celebration was oddly muted, as if hed scored that type of goal a hundred times. But the occasion wasnt lost on his teammates who gathered quickly to mob him. When asked about the goal after, Hurtado immediately acknowledged his colleagues role in the goal and the win. It might be overly simplistic to compare team-building with cooking a dish - you follow a recipe that you think will work and then add certain missing ingredients until it tastes just right. Only, there is no recipe for team-building. While the 2014 edition of the Whitecaps is nowhere near ready to put on top of the table, what is simmering on the stove has a wonderful aroma. Its also creating a healthy appetite for hungry Whitecaps fans. Shin-Soo Choo Jersey . Ronaldo failed to connect on an ample number of opportunities at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. But Karim Benzema and Jese Rodriguez scored in each half for Madrid to come out of the first leg with the firm advantage. Drew Robinson Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . http://www.officialrangersgearshop.com/Rangers-Bartolo-Colon-Kids-Jersey/ . "Its way better than running gassers, thats for sure," the inside linebacker said Monday, when the Chargers started their third and final week of organized team activities, which are practices in shorts, jerseys and helmets. Darwin Barney Jersey . They know how difficult it is to beat the San Antonio Spurs. George scored 28 points and Indiana defeated San Antonio 111-100 on Saturday night, snapping an 11-game skid against the Spurs. Adrian Beltre Jersey . On Sunday, head coach Patrick Roy said the teams leading scorer will skate at Mondays morning practice and the club will make a decision on his status for Game 6 at that point.ASHBURN, Va. -- London Fletcher says he gets his bell rung perhaps twice a game. Hes played in 240 games in a row, not counting preseason and playoffs. Do the math, and it adds up. The Washington Redskins linebacker has seen a lot of stars. "I play inside linebacker and I like to play it physical," Fletcher said Thursday. "So, I dont know, it can happen a couple of times a game, but I wouldnt classify them as concussions; theyre just, you know, bell-ringing. Youll see stars for a second, and then youre back to normal in two, three seconds, whatever the case may be. Thats just the way the game is." The 38-year-old Fletcher, who has never missed a game in 16 NFL seasons, is decidedly old-school. In a profile in this weeks issue of Sports Illustrated, he reveals that he suffered a concussion last preseason that he and the team kept secret from the public. "Im not going to tell an opponent about anything that Ive got going on, so its just the way I am," Fletcher told reporters in the Redskins locker room. "You play football, you have things that bother you all the time. If I go around telling you all everything thats bothering me, youd be writing a story every day." So what was suspected was true. When coach Mike Shanahan said Fletcher was "not feeling right" and kept evading follow-up questions, it turned out that the linebacker did get a concussion when he was hit by a teammate while defending a pass in the preseason opener in August 2012 against the Buffalo Bills. Fletcher stayed in the game a few more plays before telling trainers he was feeling dizzy, and he missed the next preseason game. Asked why he didnt reveal Fletchers concussion, Shanahan said: "I dont remember, to be honest with you. Ive got a hard enough time thinking about what it was last week with injuries, yet a year ago." Teams are not required to issue regular injury reports during preseason. Still, had the injury occurred in September instead of August, Fletcher wouldnt now hold the longest active consecutive games streak in the league. "If I had suffered the concussion in a regular season game, I would not have been able to play that following week," he said. What Fletcher didnt tell the trainers was that he was dealing with a byproduct from the concussion well into the regular season. He was over the actual concussion, but something still wasnt right with his head. "It wasnt a situation where I was all wobbly or anything like that," Fletcher said. &"Its just every now and then I would maybe have a little sway.dddddddddddd. I would notice it. Nobody else would notice it. So I never told the team about that." It wasnt until he had a hamstring injury in October that Fletcher told the team about his "balance" issues. It turned out to be problem in his neck that was resolved easily. Fletcher hadnt been his usual self up until then, and once the problem was treated he had a strong second half and was named second-team All-Pro. "I think players sometimes go running to the training room too much," Fletcher said. "You get a hangnail, you go run to the trainer. You get a sprained finger, you go running to the trainer, things like that. For me, Im just of the mentality, if you can go out and play, you dont need to run to the training room about every little thing thats going on. "Obviously, looking back, I shouldve told the team about that part of it a lot sooner because it was something that was taken care of immediately. Thats the only regret I have about the situation." Fletchers comments about regular "bell-ringing" are sure to add the growing debate surrounding football safety. Experts have tried to educate coaches and players that "getting your bell rung" is not something to be ignored. That only works, however, if the player reports it or a coach or teammate notices it. "I remember a number of quarterbacks come to the sideline, and you knew there was something wrong," Shanahan said. "And you give the old 1-2-3 finger test and they go back out there. Times have changed, and education has changed for the right reason." Fletcher said he hasnt "taken the time" to count all of his concussions, including maybe one or two hes had while playing pickup basketball. Hes fully aware of concussion-related lawsuits filed by former NFL players, so he knows what hes up against once hes retired. "I signed up for this," he said. "Nobody makes me play this game." Notes: Robert Griffin III (right knee surgery) had his second full practice in a row, still progressing toward a target of playing in the regular season opener Sept. 9. "He was able to get a lot more reps," offensive co-ordinator Kyle Shanahan said. "And do some that werent totally scripted." ... With QB Kirk Cousins recovering from a sprained right foot, Mike Shanahan said Rex Grossman and Pat White will probably each play a half Saturday against the Bills. ' ' '