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BERLIN -- Eintracht Frankfurts latest win has got the rest of the Bundesliga sitting up and taking notice of Niko Kovac. Cheap Evan Longoria Jersey .The former Croatia midfielder, who took over as coach last March when Frankfurt was in the relegation zone, has revitalized the unheralded club, guiding it through a relegation playoff and quietly steering the side to fourth place in the league after its best start in 23 years.The latest victory was a 2-1 win over a formidable Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.Im happy and proud. I also told the team that, said Kovac, who coached Croatias national team at the 2014 World Cup. Im a realist. Everyone can dream, I wont dream. We were nearly relegated last year. Now we are where we are and I dont want to overrate it. We should all be reasonable and not start taking off.Frankfurt -- perhaps most famous for its 7-3 loss to Real Madrid in the 1960 European Cup final -- trails another surprising team, third-place Hertha Berlin, on goals scored.After beating Bayern Munich the weekend before and following that up with an 8-4 rout of Legia Warsaw in the Champions League, Dortmund was brought back to the reality of the Bundesliga by Frankfurts compact defense and hard-working midfielders. Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel was so frustrated he made his three changes all at once before an hour was played.It would have been easy for Frankfurt to panic when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalized after Szabolcs Husztis opener, but Huszti set up Haris Seferovic to score what proved the winner just two minutes later. Seferovic had been on the field for less than 10 minutes, proving Kovacs instincts were right again.The Frankfurt coach sent his side out in a 3-4-2-1 formation with captain Alexander Meier up front supported by offensive midfielders Marco Fabian and Mijat Gacinovic. Without the ball, however, Frankfurt drew back into a 5-4-1 formation, making it hard for Dortmunds speedy players to find space.Dortmund enjoyed more possession while Frankfurt waited to catch the visitors with counterattacks, a ploy that paid off when Huszti made the breakthrough right after the interval.Kovacs side is based on a solid defense -- only Bayern and Cologne have conceded less in the league -- but the Frankfurt coach knows that key to the clubs success is the ability to strike at the other end.If we only concentrate on defending it will be difficult. We have to find our salvation also in attack, said Kovac, whose side has conceded only 10 goals after 12 games -- a club record.Financial constraints meant Kovac only had 2.5 million euros ($2.65 million) available for transfers in the offseason, but with sporting director Fredi Bobic, he invested in good young players from abroad that have deepened the pool of talent available.The side is no longer as reliant on Football God Meier to lead the side to victory. Under Kovac, the 33-year-old forward is often benched with Seferovic, Fabian, Gacinovic or Branimir Hrgota providing alternatives.Every player brings something from their own culture into the collective. So its an enrichment for all. Were versatile, Kovac said.Spanish defender Jesus Vallejo, who arrived on loan from Real Madrid, has praised the working environment that Kovac provides.We have a great team spirit from the start, the 19-year-old Vallejo said. The coach always tells that when we work as a team each individual gets stronger through the process.Kovacs side tends to do just enough to win. Saturdays victory over Dortmund was the 10th by one goal in 12 competitive victories.Frankfurt is unbeaten in six games at home this season, having hosted both Dortmund and Bayern at the Waldstadion already, and the side is unbeaten in six straight games, its best run in more than four years.Twenty-four points are already cool, Bobic said.Hard work and modest expectations have served Frankfurt well so far, even if Seferovic joked about joining the title chase.Third is good, huh? Of course theres still room for improvement there, the Switzerland striker said after Saturdays game, before Herthas win over Mainz on Sunday. But of course weve got to keep both feet on the ground. Cheap Rays Jerseys Authentic . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rookie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead. Cheap Rays Jerseys . Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net. http://www.cheapraysjerseys.com/ . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a two-year contract with free agent center Festus Ezeli worth $15 million, a person familiar with the deal said Thursday.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hadnt been announced by the team. It was first reported by Yahoo Sports.His agent, David Mondress, did not immediately respond to messages left by the AP seeking comment.Ezeli, a 6-foot-11 native of Nigeria, was drafted with the 30th pick in the 2012 draft by the Golden State Warriors. Last season he averaged 7.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in 64 games, including 13 starts.Ezeli missed 31 games this season after having arthroscopic surgery in February to remove debris from his left knee.After starting 41 games for the Warriors his rookie year, he missed the entire 2013-14 season after surgery to reinforce the ligaments in his right knee.The Blazers announced earlier Thursday they had acquired guard Shabazz Napier in a trade with the Orlando Magic for cash considerations.Napier was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2014 draft out of Connecticut. He was traded to Orlando a year ago, and averaged 3.7 points and 1.8 assists in 55 games last season.Shabazz is a talented young player that we are pleased to add to our program. He fits the model we instituted last year and we look forward to helping him grow as a player in our system, said Neil Olshey, Portlands president of basketball operations.The Blazers also formally signed forward Jake Laymann, acquired in a draft-day trade, as well as free agent Evan Turner, who was introduced at a news conference Thursday. Cheap Wade Boggs Jersey. Layman was selected with the 47th overall pick in this years draft by Orlando before he was traded to the Blazers. He averaged 10.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in four years at Maryland.Portland and Turner agreed on a four-year, $70 million contract at the start of the NBAs free agency period.Turner, who was drafted No. 2 overall by the 76ers in 2010 out of Ohio State, spent the last two seasons with the Boston Celtics. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists as Bostons sixth man last season, his best since 2013-14.Turner spent his first three seasons in Philadelphia before one with the Pacers. Hes averaged 10.7 points, 3.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game over his career.He is a really good, alert defender, both on and off the ball, coach Terry Stotts said. He fits into our culture in how we want to play, both on and off the ball.Turner told reporters he had admired former Blazer Brandon Roy.I was a big B-Roy fan back in the day in college, Turner said. If it worked for him, itll work for me.Portland was one of the biggest surprises of last season, advancing to the second round of the playoffs with one of the youngest rosters in the league after losing four starters in the offseason.---AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report. ' ' '