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BARCELONA, Spain - Tito Vilanova, the coach who succeeded Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and won the Spanish league title in his only season in charge, died Friday following a long battle with throat cancer. He was 45. Vilanova, who has battled a recurring tumour in a saliva gland, was admitted to a local hospital in Barcelona last week. He reportedly had emergency surgery on Thursday. "It is with sadness that Barcelona must announce that Francesc Tito Vilanova has died today at the age of 45," Barcelona said in a statement on its website. "The death of our former coach occurred this afternoon when he could not overcome this disease which he had battled since 2011." Vilanovas death prompted an outpouring of condolences from players and coaches across Europe. Barcelona star Lionel Messi posted a photograph of himself with Vilanova on his Facebook page with the message: "We will always remember you. All my sympathy goes to Titos family." Former Barcelona defender Eric Abidal, who recovered from liver cancer and a liver transplant to help hoist the 2012-13 league trophy with Vilanova, wrote on Twitter: "For everything we went through together, I will always remember you, my friend. Thanks for fighting." Spains royal family and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also sent telegrams to Vilanovas family and Barcelona, according to the Europa Press news agency. Vilanova first became ill in November 2011, while still an assistant to Guardiola, and took a leave of absence after undergoing surgery. The soft-spoken Vilanova returned and took over from Guardiola the next season, when he led Barcelona to the Spanish league title with a record-tying 100 points. Vilanova had a second tumour removed in December 2012 and travelled to New York several times during the season to receive further treatment before returning to the sidelines. In April 2013, Vilanova said he felt fine and "had never thought about quitting." He finished the season before suddenly being forced to resign following a relapse in July. As an assistant, Vilanova helped Guardiola propel Barcelona into its most successful period and transform a team led by Messi into the worlds best. With a team that also included several of the players that led Spain to the World Cup title in 2010, Barcelona won 14 of a possible 19 major trophies from 2008-12 under Guardiola before adding the league title with Vilanova in 2013. Despite the impressive league display, Vilanova was unable to win another Champions League title last season. Barcelona lost to eventual champion Bayern Munich 7-0 on aggregate in the semifinals, one of its most humbling results of the last decade. As Guardiolas assistant, Vilanova provided the tactical know-how that helped the coach build one of the best teams in the history of the sport — winning two Champions League titles in its impressive haul. Vilanova will also be remembered for his role in a brawl in the 2010 Spanish Super Cup won by Barcelona, when Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho poked him in the eye. Mourinho, who is now at Chelsea, also sent his condolences "at this most difficult time." "Tito Vilanovas passing is a sad day for football, for Barcelona and most importantly for his family and friends," Mourinho said. Born in the Catalan village of Bellcaire dEmporda, Vilanova began his career as a player at Barcelonas training academy from 1984-89 but never made it to the first team. Instead, he went on to play for clubs such as Celta Vigo and Mallorca before his career was cut short by a serious knee injury. Vilanova then went into coaching and got a job in Barcelonas youth system, tutoring current players Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas and Messi. Vilanova left to work as sport director at third-division club Terrassa before returning to Barcelona to take over the clubs "Barca B" feeder team. His funeral will be on Monday at Barcelonas cathedral. Vilanova is survived by his wife, Montse Chaure, and two children. His son Adrian is currently in Barcelonas youth academy. AP Sports Writer Paul Logothetis contributed to this report from Madrid. Larry Johnson Chiefs Jersey .5 million, two-year contract that runs through 2015. Venable, the son of former big leaguer Max Venable, will make $4. Anthony Sherman Womens Jersey . Luke Wileman and I stood in the corridor outside of the Vancouver Whitecaps dressing room at BC Place in Vancouver. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth...-Chiefs-Jersey/. Some teams got significantly better, some teams divested themselves of talent and some teams had quiet afternoons, keeping the status quo. Darwin Thompson Youth Jersey . Portland won Game 4 Sunday night at the Moda Center and are now up 3-1. The last time the Blazers won a playoff series came in the 2000 Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz. Derrick Thomas Chiefs Jersey . -- At the beginning of training camp, Andrew Bogut set a goal to play all 82 regular-season games and regain his place among the NBAs best centres.VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Whitecaps arent mathematically in must-win territory a€” its just starting to feel that way. With five games to go in Major League Soccers regular season, the club sits two points behind the Portland Timbers for the final Western Conference playoff spot after a demoralizing 3-0 road loss to their Pacific Northwest rivals last weekend. The Whitecaps have slid down the standings in dramatic fashion thanks to a stretch of just three wins in their last 17 games. Heading into Saturdays matchup with Real Salt Lake, they know time is starting to run out on a season that began with such promise. You can watch the game live at 7pm et/4pm pt.on TSN2 and TSN GO. You can listen to the match on TSN 1410 and tsnradiovancouver.ca, with pregame coverage beginning at 5pm et/2pm pt. You can also catch the post-match show immediately following the game live from Doolins Irish pub live on TSN 1410. The last month, month and a half have been must wins and weve let ourselves down, said defender Jordan Harvey. We have to go back to fundamentals, go back to what were good at a€” at home in particular a€” and get three points. Apart from Vancouvers eye-popping run of form since June, the Whitecaps have scored just two goals from open play in their last nine games, a well-documented trend that must be reversed. What weve been talking about this whole week is getting the intensity back a€” that hunger, that desire a€” to go and play and to give (your) best effort, said Canadian midfielder Russell Teibert. We cant say that were going to win, but we can say that were going to be the hardest working team on that day. The Timbers play an early start at Toronto FC on Saturday so the Whitecaps should know where they stand by the time their game kicks off at 4 p.m. local time. Maybe (Toronto striker Jermain) Defoes back and he can bang in four goals, quipped Vancouver head coach Carl Robinson, who played three seasons at TFC. But the Welshman added the result at BMO Field wont matter much if the Whitecaps (8-8-13) dont keep up their end of the bargain against Real Salt Lake (13-6-10), which is 10 points ahead of Vancouver in the West. Listen, weve got to take care of our own business. We didnt take care of our own business (last week) because we werent at the levels we need to be, said Robinson. They get bigger and bigger as you get into the final few games of the season. Theres no room for error at all now. Against Portland we were disappointed with the performance, as well as the result. We cant be disappointed Saturday because its a game we need to win. The lack of goals from Vancouvers young sstrikers a€” namely Darren Mattocks, Erik Hurtado, Kekuta Manneh and Sebastian Fernandez a€” has been compounded by the fact that the Whitecaps seem to sag when theyre scored against, as was the case last weekend.dddddddddddd You cant always score the first goal. I think when we do were a different team, but if we concede weve got to have strong mental characters, said Robinson, in first season at the helm. Even though were a young group, it doesnt matter. Weve got to deal with disappointment better. We havent done that enough this year. Its been mentioned a couple of times in the meetings weve had that we need to deal with it. Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted said given the situation, his team must play its remaining games as if the playoffs have already started. We need to get into that mentality. At home against a good team, we need to see if we can grind out a win, said Ousted. We all got together and we know what has to happen these next five games. Its upping the intensity, upping the discipline, (and) doing all the little things right. The Whitecaps and Real Salt Lake have played to a pair of hard-fought draws in Utah this season and Teibert said Saturdays encounter shouldnt be any different. We have a great rivalry with this team and its been growing each time that weve played against them, said the Niagara Falls, Ont., native. I know they try to get in our heads and were trying to get in theirs. Its going to be not only a physical battle, but a mental battle as well. Real Salt Lake comes in needing a point to clinch a playoff spot and boasts a lineup that includes striker Joao Platas 13 goals and a midfield anchored by veteran U.S. international Kyle Beckerman. Theyre obviously a quality team. Theyve shown that here in B.C. Place, said Harvey. We have to be aware of their good players and their attacking threat. (But) at home, its usually all about us. If we come with the right mentality, score early and play fluid ... I think well get three points. Real Salt Lake head coach Jeff Cassar, who hinted this week he might not play all of his starters because of the artificial surface, expects the Whitecaps to come out flying in a game they need. Theyre not going to sit back, Cassar told his clubs official website. They need points. Theyre at home. They have to get three points. Vancouver doesnt sit back too much. Well, they tend to sit back a little bit, but their front thre