KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen announced his retirement Monday night, two days after he made a pair of dramatic saves in a penalty kick shootout against Real Salt Lake to secure his club its first MLS Cup in more than a decade. Nielsen made the announcement during a title celebration at Union Station. "I want to thank the ownership group, my teammates, my coaches and the entire organization for the opportunity to have four of the best years of my life, not only mine but my family as well, here in Kansas City," Nielsen said. "I will remember these years forever." Nielsen kept Sporting KC tied with Real Salt Lake through regulation and overtime Saturday night before making two saves in the penalty kick shootout. Sporting KC eventually prevailed 7-6 in frigid weather to win its first league championship since the 2000 season. Nielsen was so overcome with emotion following the game that he retreated from the clubs locker room to a back room, away from reporters and TV cameras. "To the best soccer fans: Since Day 1 they have always been behind me and I want to thank them for all the support," Nielsen said. "It was the perfect timing, finishing with a great championship that the entire city deserves." Nielsen began his career in England and played the majority of it in his native Denmark, but said he was at a crossroads in his career when Sporting KC sought him out several years ago. He wound up agreeing to a contract with the MLS club, even though he barely knew where Kansas was on a map, and instantly became a hit with fans. Nielsen played every minute of Sporting KCs last 100 matches, made two All-Star game appearances and was voted the leagues top goalkeeper a year ago. It wasnt just his play that endeared Nielsen to fans, though. It was his personality. He became known for stopping his car at local parks when hed be driving by and joining in games with random children. Often, Nielsen would pull kids out of the crowd and have them kick balls at him as part of his pre-game warm-up. The recent release of his autobiography, "Welcome to the Blue Heaven: Dont Bet Against the Goalkeeper," chronicled the way he overcame an addiction to gambling. All of it resonated with Sporting KC fans who nicknamed Nielsen the "White Puma," and who would often show up at games with their own version of his bleach-blonde hair. "What an incredible way to end a career," Sporting Club chief executive Rob Heineman said in a statement. "Jimmy Nielsen is so important to this organization on and off the field, and we look forward to the next phase of our relationship." He retires with club records for regular-season games played (128), games started (128), minutes played (11,497), wins (57), ties (32), winning percentage (.575) and shutouts (45). Nielsens career goals-against average of 0.99 is the best in MLS history among goalkeepers with a minimum of 1,000 regular-season minutes played. "He has been instrumental to the success of this organization over the last four years," Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said. "And as much as Im sad to see him go, I am delighted that he leaves the game as a champion based on the fact that he is a true winner." Dan Hamhuis Predators Jersey . Watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO at 9pm et/6pm pt. Serge Ibaka returned to the Thunder lineup from a calf injury that was supposed to sideline him for the remainder of the postseason and the results were sparkling. Miikka Salomaki Predators Jersey .Y. - Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby captured his second career Art Ross trophy on Sunday after leading the NHL in scoring this season. http://www.authenticpredatorspro.com/Fil...edators-jersey/. 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World No. 18 Kei Nishikori defeated Peter Polansky in the opening match, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Kobe Bryant took over the Los Angeles Lakers offence and tried to take over the game, digging back into his famed history and carrying his undermanned team to the brink of its first victory.The Phoenix Suns answered with all the balance and big shots that Kobe and the Lakers lacked.Gerald Green scored 26 points off the bench, Markieff Morris had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and the Suns overcame Bryants 39-point performance to keep the Lakers winless with a 112-106 victory on Tuesday night.Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points in a reserve role for Phoenix, which survived a dicey fourth quarter to beat the Lakers for the second time in seven days. While the Suns respected the five-time NBA champions game-deciding ability, they proved better than the supporting cast currently assembled around Bryant.The difference down the stretch was the fact that we picked up our intensity, Green said. Once we started seeing that they were making a run, then we were fighting for our lives. When weve got teams down, weve got to keep stepping on their throats and keep it up. We didnt do that tonight, but we got a win.Bryant went 14 for 37 for the Lakers, who are off to their first 0-5 start since the 1957-58 Minneapolis Lakers lost their first seven games.With a four-day break before the Lakers next game, coach Byron Scott gave 44 minutes to Bryant, who played the entire second half. In his fifth game back from injury, Bryant earned 12 free throws and launched 23 shots in the second half alone.I was just being aggressive, Bryant said. I played with a lot of energy today. Its easy to look at it and say 37 shots, but you dont see how hard I was working to get easy opportunities, offensive rebounds and transition shots. Some of the easy ones I missed, but if you play with a lot of energy and are relentless, youll get a lot of opportunities.Bryants third 3-pointer trimmed Phoenixs lead to 106-104, but Eric Bledsoe hit two free throws before P.J. Tucker punctuated his season debut with the deecisive 3-pointer in front of the Lakers bench with 19 seconds left.ddddddddddddWhen Kobe is out there, you never know whats going to happen, Phoenix coach Jeff Hornacek said. He can get it going, and he made some big plays at the end. But we made some free throws, and Tuck hit the big 3 in the corner. They played pretty decent, and we were lucky to win that game.Scott sees frustration in his winless team, and Bryant hopes the youngsters and castoffs populating Los Angeles roster will follow his lead in effort, if not shot volume.Just get a damn win, Bryant said. You cant listen to what everybody says. You cant listen to people. Youve got to be stubborn as a mule. Youve got to keep chipping away. Got to keep competing and going after it, and this thing will turn around. Just as easily as we lost five in a row, we can turn around and win five in a row.___TIP-INSSuns: Tucker returned from his three-game suspension for an off-season DUI conviction. His last-minute 3-pointer was his only basket in 20 minutes. ... Phoenix has won six of seven in its series with the Lakers.Lakers: Ryan Kelly made his season debut, playing seven minutes. He was out with hamstring injuries. ... Rookie Julius Randle was at Staples Center for the first time since breaking his leg on opening night. He is on crutches, but in relatively little pain. The seventh overall pick will miss the entire season, but hopes to use the time to become an extreme student of the game.HIGH JUMPER: Bryant decided to hurdle the entire front row of courtside seats in pursuit of a loose ball in the third quarter, landing safely with the flair and foolishness of a player half his 36 years. I try not to do it, but I didnt have much of a choice on that one, he said.ONE HAND: Thomas continued his scoring binge off the Suns bench, and he also threw a jaw-dropping, one-handed alley-oop pass to Green in the second quarter.UP NEXTSuns: Host Memphis on Wednesday to open a five-game homestand.Lakers: Host Charlotte on Sunday. ' ' '