Clan-Members » l like its not where I want to be, so at that p

Wellington Phoenix coach Ernie Merricks resignation has kick-started a frantic early-season hunt for his replacement with former Sydney FC captain Mark Rudan among the frontrunners.Merrick told players of his decision after Sundays 2-0 loss to Adelaide United left them bottom of the table with two wins and six losses from eight games this A-League season.With a run of home games looming, beginning on Saturday against Central Coast in Hamilton, Merrick said the time was right for him to step aside.I think this will give my successor the best opportunity to take the team forward, said the 63-year-old Merrick.Assistant coach Chris Greenacre and goalkeeping coach Des Buckingham have been appointed joint head coaches until Merricks replacement is found.Greenacre, a former Phoenix striker, filled a similar role for five games after Ricki Herberts resignation in 2012.A statement from the Phoenix on Monday said a thorough process was underway to find a new head coach.Wellington Phoenix chairman Rob Morrison and Merrick will front a media conference on Tuesday at midday in Wellington, with no comment available from the club before then.Among the candidates for Merricks job is Rudan, who has just completed a four-year stint at Sydney United culminating in their National Premier League title win.He is currently assistant coach for Australias under-20 side.Auckland City coach Ramon Tribulietx, linked with Brisbane Roar ahead of the 2015/16 season, is also among the candidates.Tribulietx is in Japan, as Auckland prepare for their Club World Cup playoff against Kashima Antlers on Thursday.Former Phoenix assistant coach Luciano Trani, who has also spent time at Melbourne City, Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United, and foundation Phoenix captain Ross Aloisi - currently assistant coach at the Roar - are also in the mix.Merrick said in a statement that he had taken the team as far as he could.I take full responsibility for position the team is currently in.I feel that I have not performed well enough as head coach, as we have a very strong squad that should be higher up the table.Merrick, who led Melbourne Victory to A-League titles in 2007 and 2009, took over from Herbert in May 2013, and his initial two-year contract was renewed in March 2015 for another three years.A Wellington Phoenix statement said Merrick, 63, had been a consummate professional during his time at the club.He had been instrumental in overhauling the way the team performed on the field and how it conducted itself off the field.Merrick had also played a significant role in developing young players through the Phoenix academy, with many now breaking into the first team and representing New Zealand at international level.The club understands the decision and thanks Merrick for the hard work and dedication he has put in during the past three years. Adidas Superstar Cheap . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness. Buy Adidas Superstar . The nimble-footed quarterback got his wish, dashing through the snow and a weary defence all the way into the NCAA record book. http://www.cheapadidassuperstar.com/ . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. Discount Adidas Superstar . 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. Cheap Adidas Superstar . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. NEW YORK -- Latvian tennis player Anastasija Sevastova wore a Yankees cap to her news conference after she reached her first major quarterfinal.She bought it in Europe, not because shes a baseball fan, but simply because she likes the interlocking NY logo. Turns out, though, that New York is proving a very special place for an athlete who was retired at this time two years ago.In her second big upset of this U.S. Open, Sevastova beat 13th-seeded Johanna Konta 6-4, 7-5 on Sunday to become the first Latvian woman to make the final eight at a Grand Slam since Larisa Savchenko in 1994.I still cannot believe it, she said. Mentally Im spent. Totally spent. But its amazing.Sevastovas previous best showing at a major was the round of 16 in the 2011 Australian Open. But after a series of injuries that drained the fun out of tennis, she retired in 2013.During her break of nearly two years, Sevastova took classes in Austria in leisure management -- studying accounting and marketing in hopes of perhaps going into sports management.When her health improved, she came out of retirement at the start of last season, never expecting shed be making a deep run at a Grand Slam so soon.Im playing better in my second career right now, she said. Im handling pressure sometimes better than before.Shes more mature, both mentally and physically, Sevastova said. And it also helped that I saw that there is life without tennis.As in her second-round upset of third-seeded Garbine Muguruza, Sevastova wobbled under the pressure at first, failing to serve out the match. But as in that victory over the French Open champ, she finally closed out the win with a service break.Sevastova broke Konta seven times in 11 service games.In the end I just stop thinking and I just try to play tennis, Sevastova said.In Kontas second-round match, the Australian Open semifinalist had collapsed to the court with trouble breathing, but she said there werent any significant lingering issues Sunday. Fatigue was a bigger factor -- shes played 18 matches since the end of Wimbledon.Sevastova, whos ranked 48th, was such an unknown coming into the U.S. Open that initially her pictture wasnt included in the official tournament app.ddddddddddddShe said she wasnt upset because she didnt like the old photo that would have been used. The situation has now been remedied with an updated shot.She describes herself as a C- or D-list celebrity even back home in Latvia, saying Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis is the closest thing to an A-lister there. Perhaps a Knicks cap or one for the Mets -- the baseball team that plays across the street from the U.S. Open -- might have been a more obvious choice, but Sevastova is sticking with the navy and white of the Yankees.Shell next face two-time U.S. Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki, on a resurgent run with two wins over top-10 players here after Sundays 6-3, 6-4 victory against eighth-seeded American Madison Keys.Wozniacki, her ranking down to 74th following a series of injuries, hadnt won four matches in a row since March 2015.I know it sounds bad, but honestly, at this point Im like, I really dont care what my ranking is, she said. Because if Im not in the top five, I feel like its not where I want to be, so at that point, whether Im 20 in the world or 100 in the world, it doesnt matter because Im going to play the same people anyway.The main thing is that when Im on court I have to believe in myself. Thats what I care about, that I know that I can do it. I know I can beat anyone. I think it just sucks for some of the other players who have to play me early.Another past U.S. Open finalist, Roberta Vinci, also moved on Sunday. The seventh-seeded Italian topped 99th-ranked Lesia Tsurenko 7-6 (5), 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for the fourth time in five years.Shell face second-seeded Angelique Kerber, who beat two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova 6-3, 7-5. Kerber was content to run Kvitova around the court and wait for her to make mistakes. The Australian Open champ had only eight winners, but that was just fine in light of Kvitovas 43 unforced errors. She also had seven doubles-faults -- the last on match point. ' ' '