to try and help MLS con

NEW YORK -- David Villa of Spain has signed a three-year contract with New York City FC, becoming the first player on the expansion Major League Soccer team that starts play next season at Yankee Stadium. Nike Air Max Thea Uomo . "Throughout my career, Ive always tried to keep pushing myself to achieve new targets, and this represents another important goal for me," Villa said in a statement Monday. "I want to try and help MLS continue to grow, through playing, working hard, scoring goals and at the same time try to make New York City FC become the best team in the league." NYCFC starts play in March, and the team plans to loan him to an unspecified club to keep him in shape until training starts in the third week of January. Claudio Reyna, the teams director of football, said loaning Villa to NYCFC parent Manchester City was not an option. The 32-year-old forward helped Spain win the 2008 European Championship and the 2010 World Cup. He is a member of his countrys roster for next months tournament. He missed the 2012 Euros, which Spain also won, after breaking his left leg while playing for Barcelona in the Club World Cup. He holds Spains record with 56 international goals. MLS said Villa was acquired on a free transfer from Spanish league champion Atletico Madrid, where he scored 15 goals in 47 games in all competitions last season. He previously played for Sporting Gijon (2001-03), Zaragoza (2003-05), Valencia (2005-10) and Barcelona (2010-13). He helped Barcelona win the 2011 Champions League title. Reyna wouldnt say whether NYCFC is interested in signing English midfielder Frank Lampard, who has been with Chelsea since the 2001-02 season. Nike Air Max 2015 Prezzo . The 25-year-old Spaniard, who joined United from Chelsea in January, scored twice, including directly from a free kick, to take his tally to three goals in his last two games. "I think he has made us better," United manager David Moyes said. Adidas ZX 700 Uomo .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres are shuffling their roster by promoting forward Phil Varone from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. MILWAUKEE -- A little veteran leadership got the young Milwaukee Bucks back on the winning track. Caron Butler scored 22 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out four assists in his return to the lineup after missing 12 games with a swollen left knee, leading the Bucks to a 106-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night. "The thing this team has desperately missed from him is his leadership," Milwaukee coach Larry Drew said of the 12-year NBA veteran. "Throughout the game he was on the court talking, pumping his teammates up. We had a couple of bad stretches, but he kept the guys positive. Thats something weve missed with him being gone." The hot-shooting Bucks recovered from consecutive overtime losses to pick up just their sixth win of the season. Khris Middleton scored 27 points and Brandon Knight added 21 points and six assists for the Bucks (6-21). Butler played nearly 40 minutes in his return, something that Drew said wasnt part of the game plan for the chronically short-handed Bucks. "Coach stayed in my ear consistently the whole game asking me how I felt," Butler said. "I got a rhythm early. We had the game under control from the beginning." Milwaukee, owner of the leagues worst record, led most of the game and built a 19-point cushion early in the fourth quarter, matching its largest lead in any game this season. The 76ers pulled within seven with about one minute remaining, but the Bucks converted 10 consecutive free throws to secure the win. Butler praised Middleton, a second-year player, and rookies Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Miroslav Raduljica, who contributed a season-high 14 points. "(Middleton) did a great job of loosening up everything. He was finding pockets and getting in the paint and hitting floaters. I thought Giannis did a great job continuing to run the floor. (Raduljica) was huge. He was banging down there and making good decisions and keeping the ball high and not turning it over." The injury-depleted Bucks played without starting centre John Henson, who bruised his knee in a collision with the Cavaliers Anderson Varejao in the loss at Cleveland Friday night. Hensons absence left Middleton as the lone Milwaukee player to appear in all 27 games this season. Raduljica, who has played sparingly at times this season, ffilled in nicely in Hensons absence. Nike Free Run 2 Prezzo. "Im here to help and I think Im doing that every time I get a chance," Raduljica said. "We had two really unlucky losses and we had Caron back with great energy and he gathered us around him and everybody took part of his energy and that allowed us to win." Thaddeus Young had 30 points and 10 rebounds to lead Philadelphia. Spencer Hawes added 25 points and 11 rebounds. Both teams were coming off overtime games Friday. The Bucks lost 114-111 at Cleveland, their fifth consecutive defeat, while the 76ers nipped the Brooklyn Nets 121-120 at home. "As a group, our only hope to play some semblance of NBA defence is by committee," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "When different pieces go missing, or it is not a collective toughness and focus, then we are vulnerable. At times we were vulnerable tonight. In general, trying to find 48 minutes worth of defence has been a problem." The Bucks shot 52 per cent from the field for the game, compared with 41 per cent for the 76ers. "You are not going to win a whole lot of games giving up that kind of efficiency to the other team," Hawes said. After trailing by 10 at the half, the 76ers opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run. The Bucks regained control with a 15-4 run midway through the quarter and held an 85-72 heading into the fourth. Middleton led the Bucks with 10 points in the quarter. The Bucks held a double-digit lead for nearly the entire second quarter, growing their margin to as many as 15 with two minutes remaining. Milwaukee, bolstered by 51 per cent shooting over the first two quarters, held a 59-49 lead at halftime. Knight had 17 first-half points, while Butler added 13 points and seven rebounds. Young had 15 points and eight rebounds in the first half for Philadelphia, which shot just 40 per cent. The Bucks grabbed a 29-23 lead after the first quarter, paced by Middletons seven points. NOTES: Philadelphia has lost 12 consecutive road games. . Former MLB star and one-time Milwaukee Brewers executive Sal Bando visited Bucks coach Larry Drew before the game. "Sal played in Kansas City, which is where Im from. He was one of my heroes. I came up playing baseball. It was my passion. Basketball was secondary," Drew said. . The Bucks used their 15th different starting lineup in 27 games this season. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' '