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SEATTLE -- Everything that Clint Dempsey hoped would happen last year after his splashy signing with the Seattle Sounders is happening now. Dempsey scored twice in a five-minute span early in the second half and set up Lamar Neagles first-half goal to help the Seattle Sounders beat the Colorado Rapids 4-1 on Saturday. Dempsey leads MLS with eight goals. He has at least a goal or an assist in each of Seattles last six games. It is the second time in his career that Dempsey has had a six-game scoring streak in MLS, having done it previously in 2005 while with the New England Revolution. "The year I scored 23 with Fulham, I was on a pretty good run there, but it feels good," Dempsey said. "Were in a good rhythm as a team, we have a good locker room, and it think that shows on the field in our play." After Dempsey joined the Sounders last August, expectations for him and the team soared. But in nine games, he scored only one goal, and Seattles late-season swoon ended with another early playoff exit. Now, the Sounders have won three straight to improve to 5-2-1, thanks in large part to Dempsey. "When I first came, I felt like there werent too many games where I could look back and say, You know what? I had a lot of chances, I should have scored," Dempsey said. "I feel like in games now, Im getting good looks and looks that are allowing me to put the ball into the back of the net. I have to compliment my teammates on that. I feel like were playing better right now than we were toward the end of last season." Added Sounders coach Sigi Schmid, "I dont know what the records are for so many goals in so many games, but he might be setting some of those." Obafemi Martins added a 75th-minute goal for Seattle. Dillon Serna scored in the 62nd minute for the Rapids (3-2-2). Dempsey and Martins (who tallied his third) have accounted for 11 of the Sounders 17 goals. "Whether it six against six or eight against eight in practice, we try to put them on the same team where they look for each other and find each other," Schmid said, "and you see it showing now in games." Neagles blast 2 yards in front of a wide-open net gave the Sounders a 1-0 lead 15 seconds into the only minute of first-half stoppage time, and was his third goal of the year. Dempsey made it 2-0 at the outset of the 47th minute, running onto a loose ball at the top of 6-yard box that Colorado goalkeeper Clint Irwin had slapped away, but couldnt latch onto. Early in the 52nd minute, Chad Marshall headed Gonzalo Pinedas corner kick toward Dempsey, and Dempsey headed it in just over Irwins reach. Neagle assisted on the goal by Martins, which was his third goal of the season. Colorado came in with back-to-back shutouts and had allowed just five goals all season until yielding the four on Saturday. The Sounders outshot the Rapids, 20-10. "The two guys up top (Dempsey and Martins) really made a difference," Rapids coach Pablo Mastoeni said. "Dempsey caused us a bit of grief. And again, if youre not good with the ball, youre going to end up defending. Against a team like this, you definitely dont want to be defending deep in your half as we found ourselves for the majority of the game. "With the type of players they have, it just puts a lot of pressure on our defence and forced a lot of errors that led to the dismantling of the team," Mastoeni added. Jets Jerseys Cheap . -- When Steve Blake checked in at the scorers table with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter, Stephen Curry shook his head and shouted across the court, asking Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson not to take him out. Juston Burris Jersey .J. -- John Elway says Peyton Manning cannot stamp himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history even if he wins the Super Bowl on Sunday. Inter Milan ended its five-match winless streak in all competitions by beating 10-man Bologna 3-1 on new manager Claudio Ranieris debut, while injury-plagued AC Milan edged Cesena 1-0 with an early goal from Clarence Seedorf. James Carpenter Jersey . Grilli hasnt pitched since straining his left oblique in late April. Manager Clint Hurdle says the right-hander will make a couple of appearances in middle relief before the team determines whether to return Grilli to the back end of the bullpen. Marcus Maye Jersey . The 55th-ranked Istomin saved 11 of 14 break points to win in just over two hours, setting up a second round meeting with Australian Marinko Matosevic. It was the Uzbeks third win in three matches against fifth-seeded Kohlschreiber, the 2007 and 2012 tournament winner.The lines on Joe (Diesel) Riggs face hint of more than a few stories. Not all good.The veteran fighter has battled drug addiction, demons and himself in the past. In 2006, Riggs and Nick Diaz infamously continued their UFC 57 fight at the hospital afterwards with Riggs firing punches undeterred by the IV in his arm.Eight years to the day since his last UFC bout, the 32-year-old Riggs returns to the Octagon to face welterweight Ben (Killa B) Saunders on a televised UFC Fight Night card Saturday in Phoenix.Im really excited, Im ready to fight, man. Im in the best shape of my life and Im going to knock it out, for sure, Riggs said in an interview.Riggs road back to the UFC has been typically complicated. He was due to fight Set. 13 on a card in Brazil, stepping in for the injured Mike Rhodes against Paulo Thiago. But instead he found himself fighting for his life after his gun accidentally discharged in late July at his Arizona home.Im a man thats handled guns my entire life and a brand new gun that should never malfunction malfunctioned, he explained.A live round was stuck in the chamber. The safety was off but as he tried to dismantle the gun, the hammer dropped and Riggs was shot in the hand and thigh.I didnt think I was going to die, I knew I was going to die ... I accepted I was dead, he said.Lying on the floor in a pool of blood, Riggs prepared for the worst.I said goodbye to my boy, who means everything to me. Who Id die for at the drop of a hat. Saying goodbye to him was really really hard for me. Picturing my son having to grow up without a father, it changes you.He called his wife, who summoned an ambulance. Because a gun was involved, police had to secure the area first. Riggs says it was 40 minutes before he made it to a medevac helicopterRiggs was fortunate in the way the bullet struck his leg. It was pinched in the right way that I didnt bleed out.Doctors told him he would never fight again.I wouldnt accept it, said Riggs. To think I went through all this for nothing, I finally got to where nobody thought I would be and this happens. I wouldnt accept it.My life has been horrible. Ive had a horrible live and Ive had a great life. But everything that I went through in mmy life I overcame and Ive gotten through.dddddddddddd So I just tried to put this toward that and push through and I did. Today, Riggs says hes happy and in a great place.He used to fear thinking about losing. Now he understands anything can happen in mixed martial arts.Now I can go out and fight with a clear mind and know that whatever happens Im OK with it. I just want to fight to the best of my ability. And Im one of the best in the world so I think every time I fight its going to turn out good.The UFC lists Riggs record at 40-14. Riggs himself says he has 65 wins and 14 losses, one of which came in a K-1 fight.Riggs, who made his pro debut in 2001, acknowledges that in the past he had become jaded in the sport. Then he started training at the MMA Lab in Glendale, Ariz., determined to see how far he could go.Riggs points to newly crowned welterweight champion (Ruthless) Robbie Lawler, another veteran who has made the most of his skills and reaped the rewards of hard work and dedication.Riggs, whose nose is clear proof he doesnt work behind a desk, has been around so long that he has a tattoo that reads NHB, for no holds barred. Its a reminder of his early days fighting when there were few rules.Not many, Riggs said. I couldnt bite a mans nipple off, thats about it.With four years at the MMA Lab under his belt, Riggs says he trains smarter these days. I havent lost since.Still, just making it to the Octagon again given his past is an accomplishment.I think the fact that Im even fighting again and alive, the fact that Im doing something that nobody thought I would ever do again is a huge win for me, Riggs said. Beating Saunders is the icing on the cake.Saunders (17-6-2) is 5-3 in the UFC, returning to the promotion in August to submit Chris Heatherly in the first round after a four-year absence. The six-foot-three Saunders is a graduate of Season 6 of The Ultimate Fighter.Former champion Junior Dos Santos, currently ranked second among heavyweight contenders, takes on No. 4 Stipe Miocic in the main event at US Airways Center. No. 14 lightweight Nate Diaz, Nicks younger brother, faces No. 3 Rafael Dos Anjos in the co-main event. 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