METAIRIE, La. -- As the Saints began their pre-practice stretch on Wednesday, receiver Lance Moore hopped up, looked over at linebacker Jonathan Vilma, and hollered, "Glad youre back! We missed you!" while the entire team offered a round of applause. "Hello!" Vilma responded with a smile, still seated on the field, one leg pulled over another. Vilma then did something he had yet to do in 2012: practice. And it was obvious the Saints were pulling for him to be ready to play this Sunday in Tampa Bay, which might be his only chance to get back on the field this season if his bounty suspension, currently on appeal, winds up going back into effect in a week or so. "Vilma continues to fight for whats right and a fair process which I think is extremely justified," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. "The fact that he was out there practicing today, it just kind of puts a smile on everybodys face knowing what hes been through and having the opportunity to get him back." Vilma did not work with the first team, but also did not wear any kind of brace or sleeve on his surgically repaired left knee, which has been another obstacle to his return. "Hes back," safety Malcolm Jenkins said. "Hes doing a bunch of extra stuff, too, to make sure hes ready as far as conditioning and things like that. But hes ready to play. I know hes been champing at the bit and this is his opportunity this week and I know hell be ready." Vilma had several off-season procedures done on his knee, which had slowed him last season and sidelined him five games. He even travelled to Germany to see a specialist in platelet rich plasma therapy, a relatively new blood-spinning technique also used by Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Vilmas initial season-long suspension was handed down in May and went into effect in July after his initial appeal was rejected. That suspension lasted through training camp before being vacated by a three-member appeal panel that instructed Commissioner Roger Goodell to start the disciplinary process again and clarify his reasons for suspending Vilma and three others -- Saints defensive end Will Smith, free-agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita -- in connection with New Orleans cash-for-hits bounty pool. Because of his rehabilitation, Vilma was placed on the Saints physically unable to perform list when his initial suspension was lifted, a move that saved the Saints a roster spot and also prevented Vilma from practicing or playing during the first six weeks of the regular season. The suspensions were reissued last week and promptly appealed by all four players, with appeal hearings set for next Tuesday at NFL headquarters in New York. Vilma remains suspended for the season and Smith for four games. Hargroves was reduced from eight to seven games and Fujita from three to one. Vilma did not make himself available for comment while the locker room at Saints headquarters was opened to reporters on Wednesday afternoon. However, his teammates had plenty to say about how he looked and what it would mean to get him back on the field. "Having him on the sideline when he wasnt suited up was one thing," linebacker Jonathan Casillas said. "Now, suited up, ready to go, maybe get some plays here and there ... Its definitely good to have him out there. Hes always been that energy on the defensive side of the ball that we needed." For the past four seasons, Vilma was a defensive captain and starting middle linebacker, making all the defensive calls on the field. Now the Saints have a new defence under first-year co-ordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Vilma has now practiced in the scheme only once, although he has been numerous defensive meetings. "Its Jonathan Vilma. Hes one of best football players in the National Football League. Hes an instinctive player and hes been in all the meetings for the entire time hes been on PUP, allowing him to see whats going on, understand the schemes," interim head coach Aaron Kromer said. "All we can do as see as it goes on, but I would expect Jon would come back quickly because hes Jon Vilma. ... He does look healthy." Kromer and Spagnuolo have said they can find a spot for Vilma, even if Curtis Lofton remains at starting middle linebacker. Lofton said he also is confident he and Vilma will have good chemistry on the field. "You cant have too many great football players out on the football field," Lofton said. "You cant have too many leaders and too many communicators on the field at once. "Hes been the leader of the defence," Lofton added. "Having him back out there, seeing his face, seeing him in pads knowing everything hes been through and is going through and worked so hard to come back on the football field, it adds extra energy. Guys are excited and Im excited to play with him." Notes: Three players missed practice on Wednesday, including two linebackers, David Hawthorne (right hamstring) and Scott Shanle (illness). TE Jimmy Graham (right ankle) also was out. ... CB Jabari Greer (right groin) and RG Jahri Evans (left big toe) were limited. nfl jerseys china . Ben Street and Krys Kolanos had the other goals for Abbotsford (16-8-6), while Danny Taylor made 25 saves for the win. Darren Archibald and Zach Miskovic replied for Chicago (13-11-4), while Matt Climie stopped 24 shots in net. cheap jerseys from china . And there was no shortage of talk Tuesday as Toronto FC paraded out 19 players as well as its manager and director of team and player operations at the clubs $21-million training centre. http://www.wholesalejerseysamerica... . And there was no shortage of talk Tuesday as Toronto FC paraded out 19 players as well as its manager and director of team and player operations at the clubs $21-million training centre. [url=http://www.wholesalejerseysamerican.com/]wholesale jerseys china . Thirty-one players remain in camp, including four goaltenders, 10 defencemen and 17 forwards. "Youre just sitting there waiting, hoping you dont get that phone call. Its pretty touch, nerve-wracking,” said Pouliot, the Pittsburgh Penguins eighth overall pick from this past summers NHL Draft. "Theres a lot of good D-men at this camp and the coaches had to make the decisions and unfortunately I was one of the guys who got let go. wholesale jerseys . Mathews was injured on his first carry of the preseason in the first quarter and did not return to the game. He is expected to have surgery Friday morning and coach Norv Turner said hell be out four to six weeks. TORONTO -- Even in defeat, Paul Mariner appreciates a good show. The Toronto FC coach had just watched his team concede two late goals Tuesday to fall 3-1 to Mexican giants Santos Laguna in a crucial CONCACAF Champions League match at BMO Field. But he couldnt conceal his admiration for the slick visitors. "Theyve got top, top players," Mariner said. "If you dont learn from looking at the Santos players, what they do, and how simple it is to play high-level football ... thats what I want our young boys to take away from it." After weathering some early Toronto attacks, the Mexicans asserted their class by dominating possession and linking together long passing sequences to slice apart the home side. But TFC still looked good for a point until the 90th minute, when Santos midfielder Daniel Luduena scored to spoil Torontos comeback and help his team take the outright lead in the group. Candido Ramirez then killed the game off in the 92nd minute, slotting home a left-footed finish past goalkeeper Freddy Hall after Toronto had started pushing numbers forward in desperation. Santos substitute Darwin Quintero opened the scoring in the 49th minute, while Torontos Quincy Amarikwa replied in the 68th. Mariner said it was tough watching his team overcome a second-half deficit only throw the game away late. "From my viewpoint its just annoying and frustrating," he said. "The game is never over and 2-1 is not a done deal. At 2-1 you can still get something ... I just wanted us to keep playing the same way we played for 89 minutes, which wasnt bad." Halfway through the four-game group stage, Santos sits atop the three-team pool with six points, three better than Toronto. But the Reds still face a visit to El Salvador and a difficult trip to Santos Estadio Corona in Torreon, Mexico, where they suffered a 6-2 thrashing in April. Only the group winners advance to the next round. Much of the pre-match hype centred around the teams last encounter at BMO Field, when the sides played to a 1-1 tie in the first leg in the semifinal of last seasons competition. That game featured an on-field melee after the final whistle that saw Quintero earn Santos second red card of the night. A week later in Torreon, the Mexicans ran out 7-3 on aggregate. This time around, Toronto was devastated to lose what players had been calling a must-win game. But the Reds were lucky not to concede any more goals against a superior Santos side. Edgar Leon was lively on the right wing while Oribe Peralta, fresh off an Olympic gold medal with the Mexican national team, gave Torontos defenders fits all night. "I know Im coaching against them, but as an ex-forward it was an absolute joy to see their movement,"t; Mariner said.dddddddddddd Peralta scored four goals at the London Games, including two against Brazil in the final, but couldnt bury his teams best chance early on. After his teammates sliced Toronto apart with a succession of backheels and short passes, Peralta was alone in front of a gaping net but couldnt connect with a simple pass in front of a yawning TFC goal in the 23rd minute. Mariner cut a frustrated figure on the sideline, pacing and gesticulating as Santos set up camp in the Toronto half. But the match was still scoreless when the halftime whistle blew. Quintero entered the game to start the second half and didnt take long to make his mark, blasting in a powerful shot from a narrow angle past Hall only four minutes after coming onto the pitch. Torontos Ryan Johnson had made an important tackle seconds earlier, but was immediately caught in possession just 20 yards from his own goal. Johnson could only watch as Santos Marc Crosas split Torontos defence with a delightful scoop pass to Quintero. Amarikwa responded in the 68th minute, smashing in a right-footed shot from 10 yards through a maze of legs after Sanchez punched away a high ball. The crowd of 10,951 at BMO Field found its voice after Amarikwas goal, but they should have seen the warning signs when a black cat streaked across the field and past Halls net in the 83rd minute. Within hours of the final whistle, a (at)BMOBLACKCAT Twitter account was up and running with over 30 followers. As time ran out, Luduena picked up the ball, skipped past lunging TFC captain Torsten Frings and played a spectacular give-and-go with striker Peralta before beating Hall. After the game, Mariner didnt hesitate to criticize Frings for the miscue. "I dont like people diving in because if I dive in then I make a problem for my teammate and thats irresponsible," Mariner said. "I know what hes trying to do, but if you just keep him in front of you." With the result, Toronto will be hard-pressed to advance the quarter-finals. The Reds had opened with a 5-1 win over Club Deportivo Aguila at BMO Field on Aug. 1, while Santos thumped the El Salvadoran side 5-0 in Torreon last week. While both TFC and Santos visit Aguila in September, the group will likely be decided when they meet on Oct. 24 in Mexico. TFC forward Andrew Wiedeman was visibly dejected after the game, admitting he was thinking about stealing a win after Amarikwas equalizer. "We came in tonight wanting three points and not really wanting to settle for anything less," he said. "But when you get down to the 89th minute and youre tied 1-1, at that point you take it ... but it didnt come off that way, so we really put ourselves in a deep hole now." ' ' '