D.C. United might be playing its best soccer of the season as it fights for a spot in the playoffs, with the latest challenge coming Thursday when it travels to Yankee Stadium for a crucial match with New York City FC.D.C United comes into the match on a six-game undefeated streak that was punctuated with a 6-2 victory on Aug. 27 at home over Chicago behind a Patrick Mullins first professional hat trick and three-assist performance from Luciano Acosta.D.C. United (7-8-11, 32 points in 26 matches) is a point ahead of Orlando City SC for the sixth and final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference.Were a tough team to beat, D.C. United coach Ben Olsen said. But now weve got to be a team that can go on the road and get three points.New York City FC (11-8-8, 41 points in 27 games) returns to Yankee Stadium, where it has won its last four games and is 4-1-1 in its last six in the Bronx. NYCFC had its four-game undefeated streak end Aug. 28, losing for the first time in more than a month at Orlando City SC.New York City is second in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Toronto FC but just one point ahead of the New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union. David Villa leads New York City FC with 16 goals, which is tied for the league lead.Thanks to the hat trick, Mullins paces D.C. United with just five goals, but Fabian Espndola, Alvaro Saborio, Patrick Nyarko and Lamar Neagle have four each.The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Villa and Khiry Shelton scored goals four minutes apart early in the second half as NYCFC claimed a 2-0 victory on May 8 at RFK Stadium.Both teams are at break-even in goal differential, with New York City scoring 45 and allowing the same and D.C. United scoring 33 and conceding 33. Custom Hornets Jerseys . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. Cheap Custom Hornets Jersey . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4. http://www.customhornetsjersey.com/ . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Custom Hornets T-shirts .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. Wholesale Custom Hornets Shirts .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Marcus Marshall scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half and Nevada rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to beat Oakland 82-78 on Wednesday night in the Great Alaska Shootout.Nevada (4-1) scored on its first four possessions of the second half -- on two 3-pointers, a dunk and two free throws -- to pull to 47-38. It was tied at 58-all midway through the half after Lindsey Drew scored on two straight fast breaks.Cameron Oliver, who finished with 22 points, hit a corner 3-pointer to give Nevada its fiirst lead of the game at 64-62.dddddddddddd His 3 with 1:16 remaining extended the Wolf Packs lead to 80-75 lead but Sherron Dorsey-Walker answered with a 3 with 28.4 seconds left. Marshall sealed it with two free throws.Oakland (4-1) scored the first nine points of the game and Isaiah Brocks dunk gave them a 44-28 halftime lead. Dorsey-Walker scored 16 of his career-high 23 points in the first half. ' ' '