HOUSTON -- Less than a month ago, the Montreal Impact were sitting comfortably in playoff position looking like a team destined to make the post-season. Following Friday nights 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo, Montreal is in jeopardy of missing the playoffs altogether. Ricardo Clark scored in the sixth minute and the Dynamo defeated Montreal 1-0 to extend the Impacts winless streak to four games. The loss stings even more for Montreal (13-10-7, 46 points), who fell to fourth in the Eastern Conference, as Houston (13-10-8, 47 points) jumped past the Impact into third place. The Dynamo are now unbeaten in their last four games. With four games left, including one game in hand on almost every team in the Eastern Conference, the Impact have time to right the ship, but Montreal goalkeeper Troy Perkins says there has to be a sense of urgency. "I certainly hope the guys know what this means now," Perkins said. "We are close to falling out of the pot now. We got to pick ourselves up and get back to it." Clark gave Houston an early lead going back to his right in the middle of the field and sending a blast that both Clark and Perkins said grazed off of Matteo Ferrari and inside the near post from 25 yards out. Davy Arnaud said the Impact knew the game would be tough, but the goal made it that much tougher. Montreal head coach Marco Schallibaum said giving up a goal in the first six minutes changed the game plan. "We were too shy (in the first half)," Schallibaum said. "We let Houston dominate in the first half and do what they wanted. The second half was OK. It looked like we might get one point here, but the luck was not on our side." Montreal had two chances midway through the second half to tie the game, with the first chance in the 68th minute coming with controversy. With Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall off his line, Arnaud sent a blast from 14 yards out in the middle that was blocked by Houston defender Bobby Boswell, who was moving his body to avoid being hit in the front. The ball appeared to hit him in the left elbow. Schallibaum and Arnaud both said the play should have been a penalty as Boswell committed a handball, but referee Drew Fischer did not blow his whistle even as the Impact cried out for a penalty kick. "For me, its a penalty," Arnaud said. "I think when everyone reacts like that, its pretty clear. For me its a penalty. Things happen quickly. Maybe he didnt see it." Montreal had another chance to tie it a couple minutes later, but Andrew Wenger sent a shot from the penalty area wide left. "I thought we more than deserved to get the equalizers," said Impact midfielder Justin Mapp said. "I thought we were just as good as them on the night. (Its) very frustrating because we know how tight the races are. They were close to us, now (they are) ahead of us." Perkins echoed Mapps thoughts. "I think we played well to at least get a point," Perkins said. "Little mistakes, little decisions come back and bite us in the end. We need to be able to get a point on the road this late in the season." In less than four weeks, the Impact have gone from a 4-2 win at New England and sitting atop the East to dropping three of their last four. The Impact play two of the last four games at home, and will be looking for a better outcome from their next match, Oct. 12 against New England. "We know we go back home for a big game," Arnaud said. "As much as we dont want to put this behind us, we need to. We are still in a good position. We have a game in hand on a lot of teams, but now going back home, we know we need to get three points." Mapp added: "Each game will have to be like a playoff game. Two games remaining at home, and at this point they are must-win. No other way around it. We have to protect our home field the next two games." Fake Adidas NHL Jerseys . Second-seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States made lighter work of her day as she beat 2009 champion and Swiss wild card Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-3. Two seeds fell: No. 4 Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium lost to Katarzyna Piter of Poland 6-4, 6-2, and No. Stitched NHL Jerseys . The world No. 1 had one of the most dominating performances in a final and was on his way to a possible shutout on Sunday until the third-seeded Berdych broke the super Serbs serve in the 12th game of the match. http://www.cheapnhlcustomjerseys.com/ . UEFA said Wednesday that the champions of England and France only have to include five home-trained players in their 21-man squads next season instead of the expected eight. Only one of the five players needs to be trained by the club itself. Authentic NHL Jerseys Cheap . Her return engagement begins tonight as TSN presents Day 1 coverage of the 2015 event from Melbourne. Watch Eugenie Bouchards opening round match at the Australian Open live tonight on TSN5 at 3am et/Midnight pt. NHL Jerseys From China . Vargas (8-3) allowed four singles and two walks while striking out five, allowing only two runners from a diluted Twins lineup to reach second base. Mike Moustakas and Jarrod Dyson hit RBI singles in the second inning against Kevin Correia (4-10), and that was all Vargas needed.AUSTIN, Texas -- A Texas appeals court has rejected Lance Armstrongs attempts to block an arbitration panel from reviewing $12 million in bonuses paid to him by a company that wants its money back, a setback for the cyclist who is fighting multiple legal battles that could strip him of his personal fortune. The Dallas-based Fifth Court of Appeals temporarily halted the case at Armstrongs request in March, but ruled on Thursday it doesnt have jurisdiction at this stage of an arbitration matter. A spokesman for SCA Promotions said the ruling will allow the arbitration to proceed. The ruling was a defeat for Armstrong but not a final one. State law will allow him to appeal any final judgment if the panel rules against him. SCA Promotions wants to reopen a 2006 settlement it paid to Armstrong, and sued the cyclist after his 2013 admission to doping during his career to win the Tour de France. The arbitration panel that first approved the settlement agreed to reconsider the case, prompting Armstrong to ask the state courts to intervene. Armstrong attorney Tim Herman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursdays ruling. SCA and Armstrong have been battling since 2005, when the company first tried to withhold the bonus money and sought to prove he doped. Despite producing some of the most serious doping allegations at the time, SCA ultimately agreed too pay Armstrong.dddddddddddd Armstrongs attorneys insist state law doesnt allow SCA to reopen the original settlement, which included a clause that said "no party may challenge, appeal or attempt to set aside" the payment and that it was "fully and forever binding." But given Armstrongs doping admission and SCAs claims that it reached the settlement only because of fraudulent efforts by Armstrong, the arbitration panel agreed to consider the companys case for repayment. The appeals court said it cant step in until there is a final judgment from the arbitration panel. "As a general matter, an arbitration must be complete before appellate review is appropriate," the court wrote in its opinion. Armstrong has faced several lawsuits since admitting last year that he used steroids and other performance-enhancers to win the Tour de France every year from 1999-2005. He has settled cases with the London-based Sunday Times and Nebraska-based Acceptance Insurance. Armstrong settled with Acceptance, which paid him $3 million in bonuses similar to SCA, hours before he was scheduled to be questioned under oath. He also is facing a federal whistleblower lawsuit, as the government wants to recover more than $30 million the U.S. Postal Service paid to Armstrongs teams. Potential penalties in that case could be as high as $100 million. ' ' '