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    Guest
    Some people, likely those with far more Twitter followers than me, will tell you the Gold Cup means little. That it’s a second or third tier tournament, that it should only be played once every four years, and that you should not spend much time watching or caring about it.
    They are largely correct. However, it’s worth reminding that this tournament does offer a half-ticket to the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia (the winner of the 2013 Gold Cup will play the winner of the 2015 one in a playoff) Furthermore, the relative importance of this tournament remains in the eye of the beholder. For Spanish-language media in the U.S. (not to mention in Mexico and Central America) it’s a big deal.
    ESPN Deportes is already devoting countless hours to the topic on its 24/7 sports radio networks. In the U.S., TV audience figures for the latter stages of the Gold Cup number in the low single-digit millions, roughly comparable to what the Stanley Cup Finals would draw in the U.S. on over-the-air broadcasts. Roughly 50 million Hispanic descended people call the U.S. home, many of them don’t give a shit about this tournament, but a great many of them do. The point is, if you’re committed to expending emotional and intellectual energy on the Gold Cup, you’re far from alone.
    On to Los Catrachos...
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The biggest question surrounding Honduras on the eve of the Gold Cup is whether the coaching staff can assemble a roster of 23 players with the proper documents to legally enter the U.S.
    Last week, three players were pulled from squad because they couldn't get U.S. visas. The trio - Efraín López, Walter Williams y Omar Elvir - all play club football in Honduras and bring a grand total of zero international caps to the table, so their loss is more of a numbers issue than anything else. More pressing is the woeful story around striker Jerry Palacios, who plays his club football for Alajuelense in Costa Rica. The 31-year-old has 16 caps and four goals for Honduras, one more than the next highest international total of anyone on this Gold Cup roster. This week, Jerry was running late for his flight out of San Jose when he realized he’d left his wallet at home. Rushing back in a taxi, he managed to misplace his passport. As of Friday morning, Palacios had finally made it back to Honduras, and is waiting for officials there to sort him out with a new passport and visa so he can link up with the squad early next week.
    But even with Palacios, this is a team that will struggle to score. The Hondurans have scored zero goals away from home in the six road games they have played thus far in the last two rounds of World Cup qualifying. Granted, they scored 18 goals in six games at home, but eight of those came in one match. I don’t have many of the details but their opponent must have been truly, truly awful.
    The Catrachos have opted to battle test players that aren't being used in the ongoing World Cup qualifying campaing. That means no Carlos Costly, no Emilio Izaguirre, no Víctor Bernárdez, no Maynor Figueroa, no Jerry Bengtson, no Wilson Palacios and no Roger Espinoza. The absence of Costly and Bengston will be felt most intensely, as they appear to be two of the only Honduran internationals scoring on a regular basis.
    It's so dire that prior to naming the final 23-man list, rumours floated that 40-year-old Milton "Tyson" Núñez, who plays his club football in Guatemala, would be called into the side to shore up the striking options. He wasn't, which is regrettable given the comedic material his presence would offer. At striker, the Hondurans will go with Palacios (aforementioned situation pending) and domestic-based youngsters Rony Martínez (Real Sociedad) Roger Rojas (Olimpia), who have a combined 34 caps and seven national team goals between all three.
    The best-known players to North American audiences might be Anderlecht midfielder Andy Najar (who had options to represent the U.S. internationally) and the Seattle Sounders’ Mario Martinez. Defenders Osman Chavez (who boasts 47 caps and a career with Wisla Krakow in Poland) and Juan Garcia are the only other players who have seen much time so far in World Cup qualifying. The two centrebacks will offer a sturdy defensive spine to a team that will desperately need one.
    And ooh! On that front, remember goalkeeper Donis Escober? He achieved minor notoriety last year after leaving the pitch in the middle of a Honduran league match to take a crap. He brings 21 caps and a measure of World Cup qualifying experience to the team.
    Honduras doesn't go in much for the creative midfielder type, but their regular first team does feature two guys -- Wilson Palacios and Roger Espinoza -- who ply the the defensive part of the game reasonable well in the English Premier League. In the absence of that duo, Martinez will be the most experienced midfielder. He was expected to get a boost from compatriot Luis Garrido, who as of this writing has gone down with a leg injury in training and will likely miss the tournament.
    The usual chest-thumping comments about "representing the shirt" aside, Honduran manager Luis Suarez has been clear that this tournament will be used as a measuring stick for players who could move into the A-team for the remainder of World Cup qualifying. In that context, the player I’d watch is the young striker Rony ‘The Pony’ Martinez. The only Honduran national team action he’s seen are 60 minutes in a friendly against Israel earlier this year, but he finished the 2013 Honduran Clausura as league scoring leader with 13 goals. Honduras needs fresh meat to sizzle as Costly toughens and Martinez could be that steak.
    Predictions? Honduras will niggle and dink their way to the top of Group B, setting up a likely quarterfinal match up with the second-place team in Group C, let's say Costa Rica. But given their longstanding inability to score away from home that’s where Honduras' Gold Cup participation is likely to come to an uninspiring end.
    Guest
    So why would a 61-year-old Spaniard, who's coached over a dozen club teams on five different continents over the past 30 years, decide to take the helm of the national program of a relative footballing backwater that was bounced from World Cup qualifying in the most ignominious way imaginable and is clearly embarking on a long and difficult transition process?
    "Why not?"
    That, essentially, was the answer given by Benito Floro, the new head coach of the men's national team, during his introduction to the media on Friday morning. But he did elaborate slightly, repeatedly coming back (either in his own words or through a translator) to one word to describe his new assignment: "project".
    It appears, at least, Floro has a decent idea of what he's gotten himself into.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    In return, let's get a decent idea of what we're getting into with Floro, shall we?

    Floro will assume official duties as head of the men's national team program on Aug. 1. He'll travel to the Gold Cup to observe, but won't have any direct interaction/influence on the team -- it will still be interim head coach Colin Miller's show.
    His son, Antonio Floro Esteve, will be one of his assistant coaches. We don't really know much (read: anything) about the younger Floro, though surely some long-time Canadian fans have their own theories about what he's doing here. #nepotism
    Yes, I just used a hash-tag in an article. It's 2013, get over it.
    CSA president Victor Montagliani wouldn't specify the precise term of Floro's contract, saying that his deal should run through the next cycle of World Cup qualifying (which, for Canada, will likely begin in 2015 and hopefully won't end until 2017), but that it includes "options" (i.e. if the team crashes out early, bye bye Benito).
    As to the concerns about whether Floro speaks Canada's official languages... His English and French skills are listed as "intermediate" on the CSA's press material, and those would seem like reasonable evaluations, based on his first appearance. He used a translator at times, but for the most part conversed in reasonably good English.
    Montagliani made several allusions to what Floro's vast coaching experience could bring to the Canadian system -- he referred to Floro, technical director Tony Fonseca and women's national team head coach John Herdman as the country's "technical leadership" -- but didn't elaborate on what roles Floro may play outside of coaching the senior national and U23 teams.

    As for Floro himself, he seemed affable and confident -- not that those necessarily reflect on what he'll be able to do with the team. And as you'd expect with a new coach, he called the Canada appointment a "great honour" and said he "hopes to fulfill all the dreams of the country". He referred to playing a possession-oriented, attacking style (which will surely delight many Canadian fans) but, again, the proof will be in the pudding, as it were.
    The attitude amongst most in the Canadian soccer community -- based on the conversations I've had and the reaction on social media so far -- is cautious optimism about Floro's appointment. I consider myself part of that camp, but as I wrote on Thursday, many of his positive attributes appear to come with caveats -- and ultimately, it is utterly pointless to judge the success or failure of this hire until we actually see the results that he is able/unable to produce.
    Even so, there are a few elements of Floro's presence that may not get the most attention, but could eventually prove to be the main determinants of his legacy with Canadian soccer:
    Sharing experience. Any involvement that Floro has with the Canadian soccer infrastructure beyond simply his duties with the senior national team can be nothing but a positive. Yes, it was 20 years ago that he coached Real Madrid -- but when's the last time Canadian soccer could pick the brain of someone who's coached Real Madrid? (Hint: Never.) The sort of knowledge -- in terms of coaching techniques, player identification aptitude and so on -- that one accumulates over 30+ years of coaching at a high level simply cannot be faked or replicated. If his knowledge and experience is used wisely, Floro could pay dividends to the Canadian system for a long time after his tenure with the program is done.
    Connections. Same deal. We know how hard it can be for young Canadians to get their feet in the door of professional clubs abroad. As a reminder: Floro has been coaching for three decades, on five different continents. The connections he's made -- and will surely utilize, in service of his new team -- will prove invaluable not just in creating opportunities for teenagers to get their careers started, but to help ensure members of the national-team player pool are consistently getting chances to play for a club that isn't Unattached FC.
    Credibility. Without knowing who was available, who was interested, what the CSA's budget was and how the circumstances played out, we'll never know whether Floro was the "best" possible hire (especially since "best" is subjective in this case). And yes, there are some concerns with his coaching resume (he hasn't had especially long tenures anywhere he's been, and hasn't coached consistently at a very high level in the past decade or so). Even so, the headlines on this story all read in a similar way: "Former Real Madrid head coach takes charge of Canadian team".
    It doesn't matter that he was there back in the early '90s. Being able to create any link in the general sports public's mind between a massive club like Real Madrid and the Canadian men's national team is good PR. Period. That's not to say that personnel decisions should be based entirely on what sort of reaction they'll generate, but for a team that's in desperate need of good press to wash away the "humiliation in Honduras", hiring a guy who used to be with one of the world's biggest clubs certainly creates the impression that the CSA is serious about turning things around.
    Now, whether or not any of these supposed benefits will come to fruition remains to be seen. Whether Floro can take a young team and mold them into a reasonable competitor in CONCACAF remains to be seen. Come to think of it, pretty much everything about this situation remains to be seen.
    So whatever you think of Floro's assignment, let's all just take a minute, breathe and relax. The search for a full-time head coach is over. We know who it is. We know when he'll take over. And now everyone involved in this year's Gold Cup (from the coach and players, to the supporters) knows exactly what the situation is.
    How will Floro's tenure turn out? No one knows. Stop trying to guess. We will see what happens. Based on precedent, well, the CSA's recent history with hiring foreign coaches for national teams has been decidedly mixed. Floro could be the next Holger Osieck (the part at the beginning when they did well and everyone liked him, I mean) or he could be the next Carolina Morace (the part at the end when they did poorly and everyone disliked her, I mean). Or he could fall somewhere in the middle.
    The Benito Floro Era officially begins on Aug. 1, and anyone who pretends that they know exactly what it will hold is kidding themselves. The only evidence worth a damn will be presented to us over the next few years.
    But as for now... we remain cautiously optimistic. Over to you, Senor Florio.
    .
    Guest
    "Caps Countdown" is our Vancouver Whitecaps player rankings with a twist. The starting eleven is ranked from eleven to one, from worst to first. Who was the 'man of the match' and who had a game to forget against Sporting KC?
    Aaron will be back doing these at the weekend, so here's how I feel the Caps starters performed in Kansas City and Christopher's mocked up a squad photo for us. As always, we look forward to your thoughts.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    11 - Jordan Harvey
    - Another poor defensive display but this time he didn't get a goal to bail him out. Two mistakes on KC's goal and caught out of position several times.
    10 - Corey Hertzog
    - I'm a fan of Hertzog and feel he has some good qualities to enhance the team, just not playing as a right winger, where he looked lost. He was ineffectual and lost possession several times. His talents as a poacher were unable to be utilised.
    9 - Matt Watson
    - He seemed a little goosed from his exertions on Saturday and just didn't have any real effect in kickstarting the midfield. He was invisible out there at times.
    8 - Daigo Kobayashi
    - A better game than his recent efforts, with some good passes, but the Caps are not getting bang for their buck and he continues to be a big let down. Successful passes that don't bring goal threats are not what is needed from his midfield role. There are enough of those from elsewhere on the pitch.
    7 - Kenny Miller
    - Not one of his most impactful games and he gave the ball away a lot more than usual. Seemed a tired performance and the Caps risk the danger of running him into the ground.
    6 - Brad Knighton
    - Didn't have a lot to do but did what he did have to do well, including one big save which I'm still not entirely sure he knew too much about. There is a still a lack of cohesion with his back four at times.
    5 - Jun Marques Davidson
    - Davidson has an unglamouress role, which bring it's critics, but he had one of his stronger games in KC. Gave good support to an unfamiliar central defensive pairing.
    4 - Brad Rusin
    - I had concerns with him coming back in to the team and trying to quickly build a centreback wall, but it worked. A couple of shaky moments, including one horrible clearance that led to the goal, but on the whole pretty solid.
    3 - Nigel Reo-Coker
    - Doesn't look out of place back there but his presence is missed in the middle. Had a couple of nice forays forward and his poise on the ball at the back helps calm things down. Not a spectacular game, but gritty one.
    2 - Camilo Sanvezzo
    - Another goal and another performance where he caused a lot of trouble. Sublime free kick and his heatmap shows the workrate he put in.
    1 - Johnny Leveron
    - An absolute beast out there and leader at the back. Looked a player beyond his years, comfortably mopping up what KC could throw at him. Has the confidence with the ball at his feet, which can lead to a little bit of playing out of position, but he's looking stronger every game.
    <p>
    Guest
    Spirits and expectations – amongst the fan base, if not in camp - may be low heading into the Gold Cup.
    But, in yesterday’s Part One - an examination of the eight members of the squad from MLS clubs - it emerged that several of those who ply their trade in MLS have been, as one commentator accurately remarked, difference makers for their respective clubs, laying the foundations for a solid eleven.
    But what of those who were left off the roster?[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Fitness, age, and a lack of first team playing time – in the case of the young fringe element, who will feature in Part Three - have been mentioned as reasons for their exclusion, but is it really that straight-forward?
    There were four major omissions of MLS stock from the National Team: Dejan Jakovic, Kyle Porter, Dwayne De Rosario, and Patrice Bernier.
    Dejan Jakovic
    Jakovic would definitely have definitely been a part of this squad was it not for a nagging adductor strain – alternatively reported as a groin issue in some places.
    Interim boss, Colin Miller, went so far as to say - on a the conference call when the initial camp roster was announced - that Jakovic was very keen to join the side and was very disappointed he would have to miss out.
    The centre-back started all ten of DC United matches prior to picking up the injury, despite the tinkering of coach, Ben Olsen, which saw the side chopped and changed in search of a winning combination throughout their struggles.
    It is a measure of the club’s opinion of Jakovic that he remained in the lineup throughout that rocky spell.
    While still guilty of the occasional mental mistake and never the fleetest of foot – his awareness more than makes up for any deficiency - Jakovic has matured into a very reliable defender, one who is also comfortable on the ball.
    A very limited (which is to say, brief) example of his composure moving forward can be seen in the build up to Perry Kitchen’s goal below. Notice how, rather than pass sideways or make the easy play outside or back, Jakovic strides forward confidently before dishing to Lionard Pajoy who picks out Dwayne De Rosario to set up Kitchen for the strike.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ua7SpSvXilI?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Earlier in that same match, he succumbed to one of those mental mistakes, being a little too casual with his passing, allowing Philadelphia a quick break, resulting in Jack McInerney goal.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/01YNzwabClA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    His presence will be missed, as he figures to be a key member of the central defense in the coming years.
    On the aforementioned conference call, Miller said that Jakovic would be out for another six weeks, which struck as a little odd – ten days earlier, on June 15, he was named as a substitute on DC’s bench for their match against Toronto FC, though he did not feature.
    It was reported on June 10 that Jakovic had returned to full training and his status was upgraded to ‘Questionable’ on the injury report dated June 14, but he had regressed to ‘Out’ on the subsequent report (June 21) without the explicit indication of any setback.
    Not to make a mountain out of a molehill here, players suffer recurrences in training all the time as they return, but it will be interesting to keep an eye on exactly when he does return to action for DC.
    Kyle Porter
    Porter, like Will Johnson, Russell Teibert, and Jonathan Osorio, can be considered as one of the breakout performers of this MLS season.
    Acquired by DC at the end of February, shipping a second-round pick in the 2014 supplemental draft to Vancouver, who held his MLS rights, Porter has been one of the few bright spots at the struggling outfit.
    After seeing limited action from the bench through the first month of the season, subbing into four matches, he was granted his chance following an injury to Nick DeLeon.
    Porter seized the opportunity and hasn’t looked back; starting eleven of the next twelve league matches – he missed the Toronto match with a calf strain - scoring his first goal in the league and adding an assist.
    A rather tidy finish at the back-post, his assist, on De Rosario’s free kick is below.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zu0H99_qRn4?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    What is not evident on simple stat lines is his tireless energy or the willingness to try to create, an asset that has been in short supply in DC, and something that Canada has also struggled with in recent times.
    Surely with those assets an in-form Porter could be of some use at the tournament and would relish the chance to represent Canada once more, having gotten a small taste in the January camp.
    The is a glut of midfielders available to Canada at the moment – eleven of the 23 named – but underlying his non-selection is the fact that it could be detrimental to his development, taking him away from his club just as he is starting to find his feet.
    Could this factor into the decision to leave him out of the National Team?
    Unlike Teibert, Osorio, or Doneil Henry - who were called – Porter’s position at DC is much less stable; they count as homegrown players and come with domestic and salary perks to quell any fears about a place in the side.
    In contrast, Porter’s status as an international makes him much more costly – taking up one of the limited international roster spots at the club - and a Canadian kid does not garner the emotional attraction – despite DC having a good history with players of the Northern persuasion – that would compensate for that extra expense.
    If so, Porter would not be the only player who will miss out in order to focus on their club careers, both Atiba Hutchinson and Andre Hainault, one possibly on the move, the other looking for a club, made the decision to not be involved this time around.
    The risk of a potential move being quashed by picking up an injury is as threatening as losing one’s hard-earned place in a side.
    These players give a lot to the country and if, on occasion – rare occasion, preferably - they need to take care of themselves first, it is understandable and should not be overly scrutinized or criticized.
    Dwayne De Rosario
    One could make a valid case that coming off a significant knee injury – suffered while on international duty with Canada in Panama last September, having his preseason disrupted by a suspension – for head-butting Danny Cruz, and then succumbing to an early muscle injury, has impacted De Rosario’s ability to gear up to match fitness, but the vital signs have begun to rise – just in time for the Gold Cup.
    His absence from the roster drew the most attention.
    Dwayne missed DC’s first two matches – serving that suspension, then returned for two games before picking up an adductor strain that saw him rested for a match and a half.
    Such disruptions are not a good way to return to playing after several months off and the older one gets - De Rosario turned 35 in May – the longer and more difficult it will be to reach the necessary match fitness required to excel and this level.
    He started a run of five matches – scoring his first goal of the season in his seventh appearance (it was assisted by Porter) against Dallas – but then fell victim to Olsen’s desperation-scrambled rotations.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-lTN4y4Dp8U?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Like the determined individual that he is, De Rosario, after exchanging a few passionate words about tactics in the media, responded in the best way a player can – on the pitch, notching a hat-trick in the Open Cup, adding a second in the league – from the spot, though he would miss out on the match – a win over San Jose - that ended their long winless streak, nursing a hip flexor injury.
    Whether or not De Rosario has any more to offer the National Team has been a matter of impassioned debate.
    One side argues that he, and many others, have had their time in the sun and should now make way for the next generation.
    The other states the case that there is a value to experience and a calmness or mentorship that elder players can bring to youthful squads that may get a little nervous or overwhelmed on the big occasion.
    Since suffering the ignominy of a three-team season – that slap moderated by winning the league MVP that year – and landing with a young DC United, there has been a change in De Rosario.
    He is still a dominant personality – a trait that could have encouraged deference from the young squad, who may well be more free to take the match into their own hands without him on the pitch – but having some body who is familiar with the opposition, to drive the side forward and not be intimidated by lofty opponents such as Mexico or Panama, could definitely have been an asset in this tough group that awaits Canada.
    Coach Miller, when queried regarding his absence, stated that this was not the end of his career with the National Team, indicating that he would be considered when qualification rolls around – whether circumstances (read: age) comes to pass by then, will only be realized with time.
    Miller went on to say they spoke at length about whether he would join the squad and that Dwayne was disappointed to not be coming in, but was supportive nonetheless.
    It is interesting that all three of DC’s Canadians were not selected for this summer’s tournament.
    Fostering relationships with the professional clubs - despite what TFC thinks - has been a focus of the National Program in recent months, tracing that treacherous line between what is best for them and what is best for the players.
    That DC lost De Rosario for the end of last season as a result of an injury he suffered with Canada in September should be remembered.
    DC are currently struggling, firmly at the bottom of the league with Olsen’s job at risk, and to be shorn of three potential starters for the duration of the tournament – three or four matches, depending on how long Canada lasts – could be very detrimental to the club’s fortunes.
    With Canada’s aims reaching far beyond this tournament, perhaps the time was right to concede to them on this occasion and call in favours when more necessary.
    Patrice Bernier
    While De Rosario’s absence grabbed most of the attention, more surprising – to those who watch MLS regularly, at least – was the exclusion of one of the most impressive midfielders in the league, Montreal’s Bernier.
    Returning from a career in Europe to assist his hometown club in their expansion season last year, Bernier earned plaudits from all, including Thierry Henry, who called him the key to the team as the Impact defeated New York 3-1 last July.
    The midfielder, though a year older at 34, has been involved in each of Montreal’s sixteen matches, starting fourteen – he was rested, appearing from the bench, around the time of the Voyageurs Cup series with Toronto.
    His offensive production has dropped considerably; to be expected given the more defensive role he has assumed in coach, Marco Schallibaum’s style.
    As the sole holding midfielder, having played much of last season with Collen Warner alongside him in Jesse Marsch’s 4-2-3-1, Bernier has not been permitted the free reign to glide forward, tallying only one goal – from the spot against Toronto – and five assists, compared to the nine goals and eight assists he accumulated in 2012.
    That said, he has not lost his ability to pick as pass, as this wonderful effort played in Felipe against Houston.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3dtRceaMro8?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    If there was one mistake made in this squad selection, it was the decision to leave out Bernier.
    Yes, he doesn’t run that much, but given the absence of Hutchinson in particular, it would be advantageous to have a man who can manage a game like no other in the middle of the pitch.
    A partnership between Bernier and Johnson would be a joy to watch for MLS enthusiasts and it is a shame that they will be denied such viewing pleasures.
    So why the decision to not bring him in?
    Some have speculated that his time with the team is over, but at a similar age to De Rosario, who as mentioned will be considered again in the future, why wouldn’t an impressive Bernier warrant inclusion?
    One factor, a the moment at least is that Bernier, has played every league match - plus four in the Voyageurs Cup - for Montreal and, if his tired looking performance against Toronto on Wednesday is any indication, may not have the legs for a Gold Cup, the rigours of an MLS season and impending Champions League commitments as the Impact go in search of their first MLS title.
    _______
    Whenever one assembles a squad, injury, as in the case of Jakovic, will always be a limiting factor, and sometimes players – Porter, Hutchinson, and Hainault - will be unavailable as they focus on the betterment of their careers, solidifying their tenuous holds at clubs.
    While knowing when to turn the page on the previous generation – De Rosario and Bernier - is a delicate art.
    But looking at this summer’s Gold Cup in isolation, Canada will miss the talents of these four players, given the ability they have shown this season in MLS.
    Will Johnson, Russell Teibert, Jonathan Osorio, Kyle Porter, Dwayne De Rosario, Patrice Bernier, Dejan Jakovic, Nana Attakora, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan, Kyle Bekker, and Simon Thomas; not a bad little collection of MLS-based talent with which to create a National Team.
    Granted, one a little shy on strikers and keepers, but hey, this is Canada.
    _______
    This third, and final, installment of this examination of Canadian talent in MLS with an eye towards the Gold Cup will conclude tomorrow (Saturday) with a shorter post looking at the young players on the fringes of their respective clubs and therefore not in the National Team picture.
    Guest
    Luck -- both bad and good -- is a reality in sport. The cliche is to say that good teams make their luck, but the truth is that good teams are just good.
    Luck, by its very nature, is not controllable. It has nothing to do with skill, neither good or bad.
    It's impossible to look at TFC's string of collapses and not understand that there is a degree of luck (in TFC's case the bad kind) involved.
    Yes, a lack of skill contributes to the result. If the Reds had more skill in finishing they have more goals, more often and the randomness plays less of a factor.
    That said, it is Duane from Belleville stuff to blame all of the problems on players not trying, or M£$€ not caring, or what have you.
    The players tried hard enough yesterday and management would be insane not to care. It was a perfect night out with a big crowd that desperately wanted to celebrate. Instead they walked away frustrated and, last night anyway, it largely came down to crap luck.
    A tired and seemingly distracted Impact team were badly outplayed for 70 minutes. Yet 45 seconds of incomprehensible play by TFC was punished. More often than not, with more teams than not, at least one of the errors isn't punished.
    A post, a slip, a mistake of their own -- something. But, that didn't happen. Instead, Montreal gained a point it didn't likely deserve and TFC fans went home disappointed again.
    Let's be clear: a lack of skill plays a big role too. You don't go a year without a league win at BMO Field just on the back of bad luck. But, you don't go a year without a league win at BMO Field without a lot of crap luck along the way.
    Although it may seem like it at the moment, luck is random. TFC will catch a break at home eventually. Until that happens, feel free to lament just how absurd the last year had been.
    It has been, after all. TFC just doesn't make sense. I wish I could point to something and say "fix it and it will be better" but the truth is I can't. Neither can you. Nor, anyone.
    All we can do is wait and hope.
    Onward?
    Guest
    Generally speaking, there's not much a manager can say three days ahead of a continental championship. The squad has been picked, they're in the middle of training and all you can really do is hope that no one gets injured or wanders off into the woods before the tournament gets underway.
    So it was on Thursday, as interim head coach Colin Miller (who we now pretty much know won't be in that role for much longer) spoke to the media about Canada's upcoming run at the Gold Cup, which gets underway with a group-stage match against Martinique on Sunday.
    "The attitude has been terrific at training," said Miller. "And I'm very excited to be preparing now for what should be a big challenge for us."
    Indeed, Colin. Indeed.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Miller noted that some of the team's youngsters -- Jonathan Osorio, Keven Aleman, Kyle Bekker -- have been showing well in training, but "as you can imagine, it's another step when you throw them into a fixture." As for 22-year-old defender Adam Straith -- currently unattached, but who Miller worked with during his time with the Whitecaps -- Miller says he has "no concerns about throwing him into the mix" and "we're hoping that if he gets a chance to play, he puts himself in the shop window."
    A number of players will be hoping to shop themselves at this tournament, but that plan has been slightly derailed for striker Randy Edwini-Bonsu, who picked up a minor knee injury in training. Specifically, he "sort of whacked his knee on the hard training surface". Miller said REB would be doubtful for the Martinique game, which doesn't bode well for a team that will struggle to score goals even with a full squad available.
    For instance, they only scored once against PDL side Ventura County Fusion in a warm-up match on Tuesday! That's a cause for alarm, right?
    "If anyone reads too much into (the result of that match), I think it would be foolish," said Miller.
    Oh. Alright then.
    "I've played in (that kind of) fixture before... It's like the first team playing against the reserve team; for the most part, the reserve team (in this case, the PDL team) will beat the first team (in this case, the Canadian national team... although it was a 1-1 draw), just because there's so much to play for."
    He noted that the idea was to give every player on the squad 45 minutes of playing time (which he did, aside from the three goalkeepers, who each played 30 minutes) -- "that's all the exercise was for."
    Phew, faith restored! So if we expunge that result, we can go back to saying Canada's scored one goal in five matches this year. Wait a minute.
    On that note, Miller said it would be important for the players (particularly some of the youngsters) to be aware of, and fulfill, their defensive responsibilities. That'll be especially important in what Miller admits is a "tough" group -- one that also includes Panama and Mexico.
    "We're not in a position to under-estimate anyone," he said. "We have to respect the opposition, and it's down to what we do, rather than (what the opponent does)."
    While Miller declined to comment on the manufactured controversy by TFC's Ryan Nelsen and Kevin Payne over Canada's player selection, he wasn't shy in heaping praise on his squad's new captain, Will Johnson.
    "I've certainly admired will for some time," he said. "From day one of my involvement with the men's national team [in his current stint, presumably], Will would have been my captain.
    "He brings a winning mentality, he brings a fierce competitiveness to his play, he's a leader within the group. He's a natural leader. ... For a Canadian to be a captain on an American team (Portland Timbers), that's a real testament (to him)."
    The 26-year-old will be the young captain of a young team. But that doesn't mean Miller will throw all of his inexperienced charges to the wolves: "To put a full team of young players out on Sunday (against Martinique) wouldn't be the right way to do it."
    Still, it will be reassuring to some Canadian fans that the CSA has confirmed that the match against Martinique does count for cap-tying purposes (despite the fact Martinique is a non-FIFA team). All a player needs to do is set foot on the pitch for 10 seconds of that match to be permanently cap-tied to Canada.
    Some fans will get very excited about that. 'Cause hey, we've all got to get excited about something.
    Canada's first match of the Gold Cup is against Martinique on Sunday, July 7 at 2:30 pm PT / 5:30 pm ET on Sportsnet World.
    .
    Guest
    This man is 61-year-old Spaniard Benito Floro, whose coaching credits include Real Madrid, Villarreal and Monterrey.
    And according to a report in Marca on Thursday morning, he's going to be named as the new full-time head coach of the Canadian men's national team.
    Conveniently enough, the Canadian Soccer Association is set to make a "major announcement" at a press conference at 10 a.m. ET on Friday. Both the CSA president and general-secretary will be in attendance.
    It stands to reason that Floro will probably be there as well.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Now, if this move is confirmed, the big question will of course be "is he the right man for the job?" There is literally no accurate way to answer this question at this point. If, in four years' time, Canada is making a serious push to qualify for the World Cup, then we can retrospectively say this was a "good hire". If, in three years' time, Canada has prematurely and ignominiously crashed out of World Cup qualifying once again, then the CSA will be retrospectively chided for a "bad hire".
    We can, of course, make wild assumptions about how Floro will do, based on his history... even better, we can frame it like Homer Simpson talking to the weird old guy in the novelty shop about frozen yogurt (or "frogurt"):
    He won the Copa del Rey in his first year managing Real Madrid.
    That's good!
    But that was over 20 years ago.
    That's bad.
    He spent three years coaching in Mexico, so he's got some small degree of CONCACAF experience.
    That's good!
    His team, Monterrey, didn't do especially well in any of those three seasons.
    That's bad.
    He's been coaching pro teams at a decent level for more or less consistently for the last 30+ seasons.
    That's good!
    Except for a five-year gap last decade... and he's never coached at the national-team level.
    ...
    That could be bad.
    Can I go now?
    Anyway, if this report is accurate, presumably Floro will be checking out the Gold Cup from the sidelines, getting an idea of the player pool he's working with, seeing the team first-hand and potentially asking himself, "what the hell have I gotten into?" According to the Marca story, Floro would be the man all the way till the next World Cup (or Canada's exit from qualifying for it), so he'd have the next three years to mold the team as he saw fit before things get really serious for the team (with all due respect to the 2015 Gold Cup, of course).
    Was Floro worth the nine-month wait? We'll see. And that's not a "we'll see" in the way parents tell kids "we'll see", as a less-painful substitute for "no". In this case it really does mean we'll see. We don't know. No judgment can be passed until we actually see what he's able to do with the Canadian squad.
    It's worth noting, though, that the last two foreign head coaches who helmed the national team for any significant amount of time were Tony Waiters and Holger Osieck. One took us to the World Cup; the other took us to a Gold Cup championship.
    And after the CSA said they would conduct a thorough, international search for a full-time gaffer, it's encouraging that they actually did follow through, so that we can finally put a name and a face to the man who will lead Les Rouges through a challenging transitional period...
    ... presuming, of course, that the move is actually confirmed.
    (Update, 12:05 pm ET: John Molinaro of Sportsnet has reported via Twitter that he has confirmed, through his sources, that Floro will be named Canada's new head coach. The chances of Marca and Molinaro both being wrong are exceptionally low.)
    .
    Guest
    It's amazing what a little confidence can do.
    After three wins on the bounce against some of the weaker opposition in Major League Soccer, Vancouver Whitecaps headed into Sporting Park on Wednesday evening to take on a dangerous Kansas City side in a far tougher test of their new found form.
    A stunning Camilo free kick on the stroke of half time cancelled out an Aurelien Collin strike, as a weakened Caps side offered little in attack but comfortably held on for a point.
    It wasn't a particularly spectacular performance, but it was a team one full of grit and continued to show the credentials this team could have once all the pieces are in place.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    With Carlyle Mitchell and Russell Teibert away on Gold Cup duty, Vancouver were forced into two changes to the starting eleven from Saturday's win over DC. Brad Rusin came in at the back, with Corey Hertzog the surprise choice on the right wing, having not featured even as a sub of late.
    It was a lively start by both sides but KC were first to test the opposition keeper, forcing Brad Knighton to parry a Graham Zusi shot four minutes in.
    Sporting were enjoying the great possession and Kei Kamara was looking particularly dangerous. He nearly combined with Claudio Bieler in the 16th minute, lofting a deep ball to the back post but the Argentine's outstretched leg guided the ball past.
    The home side came their closest yet to opening the scoring in the 24th minute and poor defending was nearly the Whitecaps' undoing once again.
    Brad Rusin made a horrible attempt at clearing a corner and Kansas City kept the pressure on, playing the ball to Oriol Rosell at the corner of the box. The Spaniard's fierce strike brought an acrobatic stop out of Knighton but with the goal beckoning, KC couldn't bury the rebound.
    Vancouver had a couple of ventures forward, without causing any real danger to Jimmy Neilson in the home goal.
    It was no surprise when KC opened the scoring with ten minutes of the half remaining.
    Rosell floated a cross into the back of the box and Chance Myers headed it down into the path of Aurelien Collin. Johnny Leveron managed to get a block in on his first shot but the Frenchman was not to be denied and managed to drill his second effort through Leveron and Jordan Harvey and past Knighton for the opening goal.
    It was starting to look like a long night for Vancouver, but they stunned Sporting Park, and no doubt most people watching at home, when they got themselves back level in the final minute of the half.
    Leveron was bumped to the ground by Soony Saad 20 yards from goal for a free kick. It was dangerous territory for Camilo and so it proved when the Brazilian stepped up and curled an inch perfect kick up and over the wall and into the postage stamp corner.
    It was Camilo's 10th goal of the season and 7th in the last five games, for one of MLS' most in-form strikers.
    The referee blew his whistle for half time seconds later and Vancouver headed in on surprisingly level terms.
    The goal gave the Caps a lift and they looked a different team as they came out to start the second half, with both sides exchanging possession and attacks.
    Matt Watson fired a wild shot wide five minutes in, as Vancouver grew in confidence.
    Kansas City soon started to look the more dangerous of the two once again, but without really threatening the Caps goal as the game entered a period of lull and both sides made substitutions.
    The home side nearly went back in front from nowhere in the 76th minute, when Zusi made the most of nothing but a little time and space to drill a low shot off the left hand post.
    KC kept the pressure on forcing a corner, which Myers headed over, as they desperately tried to raise the tempo.
    Vancouver seemed happy just to see out time, soaking up the Kansas pressure and looking fairly untroubled.
    As the game entered stoppage time, Vancouver kept most of the play in the Sporting half and apart from one chance for Kamara, the Whitecaps held tight.
    KC showed some flashes but it was likely to be one of the easiest second halfs that Vancouver will face on the road this year.
    There are still concerns at the back, and there were several opportunities that you usually see KC punish, and the midfield was pretty much posted missing once again, but the Whitecaps played as a unit and put in a team performance that saw them through in the end.
    Four points out of two away games is more than many would have realistically hoped for and as the season now reaches their halfway stage, they have set themselves up for a second half push.
    That push couldn't get underway in more exciting fashion than with the visit of Seattle on Saturday and that will be another test of just what credentials the Caps currently have.
    FINAL SCORE: Sporting KC 1 - 1 Vancouver Whitecaps
    ATT: 20,137
    KANSAS CITY: Jimmy Nielsen; Chance Myers, Aurelien Collin, Matt Besler, Kevin Ellis (Josh Gardner 86); Lawrence Olum (Benny Feilhaber 53), Oriol Rosell, Graham Zusi; Kai Kamara, Claudio Bieler (Dom Dwyer 58), Soony Saad [subs Not Used: Eric Kronberg, Ike Opara, Jacob Peterson, Teal Bunbury]
    VANCOUVER: Brad Knighton; Nigel Reo-Coker, Brad Rusin, Johnny Leveron, Jordan Harvey; Jun Marques Davidson, Matt Watson (Gershon Koffie 63), Daigo Kobayashi; Corey Hertzog (Tommy Heinemann 82), Camilo Sanvezzo, Kenny Miller [subs Not Used: Joe Cannon, Greg Klazura, Darren Mattocks, Kekuta Manneh]
    <p>
    Guest
    The top priority of any team entering any tournament, ostensibly, is doing everything in their power to win it.
    Of course, sometimes a team needs to adopt different priorities when winning the tournament simply isn't within the realm of possibility (see: Tahiti at the Confederations Cup). Now, despite the pessimistic wailings of some fans, Canada does have a significantly better chance of winning this year's Gold Cup than the spirited Tahitians did of doing any real damage down in Brazil.
    Even so, looking at the circumstances -- and the young, development-focused roster named by interim head coach Colin Miller -- the reality is that if you're banking on seeing Canada hoist the Gold Cup as champions, well, you're almost certainly going to be disappointed.
    For the rest of us, then, here are what are/should be Canada's top five priorities at this year's tournament. These aren't listed in any particular order of importance, nor can they necessary all be achieved (considering a few of them contradict each other, somewhat). But consider this a handy guide as to how to answer the question of "why am I doing this, again?" as you soak in Canada's group-stage matches:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Cap-tie anyone who's young, promising and has options. If this seems overly paranoid and cynical to you, allow me to make an introduction: Hello. I'm a Canadian soccer fan. Paranoid and cynical is what I do. Anyone with a cursory knowledge of the Canadian soccer landscape knows the men's national team has been painfully and publicly burned on quite a few occasions over the past decade or so, when it comes to once-promising Canadians who spurned Les Rouges for supposedly greener pastures.
    Now, to be absolutely and unequivocally clear: We've seen no evidence that the as-yet-uncapped youngsters-with-promise are anything but committed to playing for Canada. And perhaps I'm just being overly paranoid with a few of them, since I'm not even sure if they actually are eligible for any other nations. All the same, we'll breathe a little easier once Keven Aleman, Randy Edwini-Bonsu and Jonathan Osorio set foot on the pitch in an official FIFA tournament, thus permanently cap-tying them to Canada (unless FIFA screws us over by changing the rules again).
    Score a few freaking goals. The CSA has made much hay about the fact that the CanMNT has held the big, bad United States to 0-0 draws in both 2012 and 2013. And while those are decent enough results, the reality is that there's no visceral explosion quite like scoring an unexpected goal in an important game against a strong opponent (hell, the only thing I remember from those 180 minutes of play against the Yanks is Nik Ledgerwood's disallowed goal last June).
    Now, I'm not saying we go into the tournament with a Tahitian "just happy to be here, and a goal would be amazing" mindset. But the grim fact is that Canada has only scored TWO goals in six games this year (
    ) and is without the likes of Dwayne DeRosario, Ali Gerba, Josh Simpson, Iain Hume, Patrice Bernier and others who've found the back of the net in recent years.So if they can just put some balls in the back of the net (the opponent's net, that is), even if they are in a losing cause, it will at least give the weary supporters something to hang their hats on. (And give the team a bit of a boost too, you'd reckon.)
    Beat Martinique. Beating Panama would be good too, and beating Mexico would be outstanding (albeit unlikely). But defeating this tiny overseas territory of France, with a population of just over 400,000, is crucial not just to the team's hopes of advancing to the knockout round, but for the public perception of the team.
    It doesn't matter if the Martinique side includes a few players of quality, or that it's difficult to adequately prepare for a team when you don't have video of them playing, or that they might be better acclimated to the gameday conditions in California, or that Guadeloupe has taught us that tiny, non-FIFA French protectorates can have some measure of success in this competition.
    The team's public reputation took a catastrophic hit with the 8-1 result against Honduras (a country that most non-CONCACAF fans/non-geography geeks probably don't know a damned thing about). But failing to beat a non-FIFA-ranked, non-sovereign Caribbean island with fewer residents than Kitchener-Waterloo... well... that would be whatever comes after "catastrophic" in the Big List of Negative Hyperbole Words.
    So for God's sake, beat Martinique.
    Show a little bit of style. Oh, we were all tasting the soup for the past few years, convinced that tight structure and organization was the way to win in CONCACAF. And to Stephen Hart's credit, he did get the team closer to the Hex than they had been in the previous few cycles. But the games were, at times, excruciating -- sure, moving the ball laterally and backwards ad infinitum keeps the other team from getting it, but it also keeps your team from doing anything interesting with it.
    The squad does feature some players (Aleman, Teibert, Osorio, REB) who can show a "what the hell, let's give it a go" attitude, and new captain Will Johnson has demonstrated some offensive flair for the Portland Timbers this year. So what the hell, let's give it a go. If this tournament is a showcase for what the youngsters can do, let's see what they can do.
    We harp on about how LTPD is supposed to give players a chance to try new things without fear of reprisal; let's take the same approach to the Gold Cup! You wanna take on three defenders, getting past two of them before coughing the ball up? Well, it's counterproductive to the team, but it's fun to watch, at least! We're already going to be stressing about the results and about Canada's place in the soccer universe no matter what; at least give us a few moments of inspiration and excitement.
    Troll Ryan Nelsen. Hard. Toronto FC head coach Ryan Nelsen has spent the better part of the past week complaining about the fact the CSA supposedly wouldn't "do them a favour" by allowing two of the four TFC players on the Canada roster to stick around for the mid-week league game against Montreal. Oddly enough, Nelsen's remarks had a way of uniting both fans and haters of TFC, none of whom seemed to have much sympathy for him.
    Even after a few days to cool off and think about the efficacy (or lack thereof) of his original comments, Nelsen was back at it again this week, moaning about the Canadian team's player selection process. For their part, the CSA hasn't offered any comment on the situation, though you'd have to imagine Nelsen's continued outbursts have chafed some hides on Metcalfe Street.
    So, what better way to burn Nelsen than to instruct Miller to keep Osorio, Henry, Bekker and Morgan on the bench for the entire tournament? Just, zero minutes of playing time. Even if injuries mean Canada has to play short-handed, whatever, keep them there.
    It would be unnecessarily petty and vindictive, and a prime example of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. But hey, this is Canadian soccer we're talking about! What else is new?
    Anyway, did I miss something? What are you (realistically) looking for from Canada at this year's Gold Cup?
    Guest
    Canadian expectations heading into this summer’s Gold Cup are low.
    Rightfully so, with the disappointments of another failed World Cup Qualification in the rear view – 8-1 still rankles immensely – and a squad comprised largely of young and inexperienced players; not to mention the
    , as a warm-up. But perhaps there lies a glimmer of hope in the selection of several MLS-based players who have been turning heads this season.
    One could make an argument for several of the Canadian MLS contingent as candidates for awards come season’s end or at least a round of hearty applause as surprise performers of the season.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Will Johnson
    Most people were aware of how solid of a player Johnson was, a hardworking piece of the dominant force that was Real Salt Lake, since joining the club in 2008, helping them rise from expansion strugglers to perennial performers.
    His trade to Portland in the off-season, with an unknown amount of allocation money going in the other direction, was interesting, but nobody could have predicted how integral to their success he has been under Caleb Porter.
    Portland had an underwhelming expansion season in 2012, finishing at the foot of the Western Conference on 34 points, good enough for eighth place – in front of only Chivas.
    In 2013 they have rocketed to the upper reaches of the Western Conference, having already collected 30 points – through 17 matches – while progressing to the Semifinals of the US Open Cup, a year removed from that dramatic loss to amateur club from the fifth tier, Cal FC, in the Third Round (the first in which MLS clubs were involved).
    Johnson has been integral to that success, playing every minute in the league and sitting out only one Cup match – against Tampa Bay Rowdies.
    Named captain by Porter prior to the start of the season, Johnson has taken that role to heart and – alongside Diego Chara at the base of the midfield – has been the driving force for their success this season.
    He has already surpassed his career best in goals (currently on six, having previously scored three in 2009 and 2012) and equaled his tally of three assists (again in ’09 and ’12); one could easily make that argument that he has been the most valuable player in the league this season and will likely factor in the consideration for that award comes season’s end, unless of course the wheels come off.
    It should come as no surprise that Johnson was named the captain of this Canadian squad – a position he will likely hold for years to come – and his inclusion will ensure that, however deficient they may be in other areas, they will not lack for heart and determination. It will be a good chance for him to pass on his experiences to the younger members of the squad in preparation for future endeavours.
    And he hits a pretty fierce free-kick.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aHMV-zPqccc?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Russell Teibert
    Nearly as impressive as Johnson’s rise has been the meteoric coming of age for Vancouver’s Teibert.
    After spending two seasons glued to the Whitecaps bench, amassing barely more than six hundred minutes – most of which came under Teitur Thordarson at the start of 2011 – Teibert was given a fresh start after the first month of the season and he hasn’t looked back.
    Since then he has appeared in all bar one of Vancouver last twelve league matches, racking up two goals – his first as a professional; a brace against Los Angeles, no less – and six assists, encapsulating a run of helpers in four straight matches.
    Part of his emergence must be credited to his deployment as an inverted winger in coach Martin Rennie’s 4-3-3 style formation, where he can use the threat of pace to force defenders onto their heels before cutting onto his preferred left foot to deliver quality service, such as this cross against New York finished off by Kenny Miller.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/j9p64357DlQ?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    If his blistering form continues, he will undoubtedly be in consideration for this season’s MLS Breakout Player of the Year award come season’s end.
    Jonathan Osorio
    Osorio, who joined the Toronto FC preseason roster for a February trip to Florida as one of three academy players called up to the first team with little fanfare, has turned himself into such an integral part of the side over these four months that his absence was part of the reason for Ryan Nelsen’s anti-CSA tirade.
    First as a regular substitute (making an appearance in all but one of Toronto’s MLS matches) and now as a starter (in the last four), Osorio has been one of the few bright spots in this current rebuild of the struggling franchise.
    A tenacious two-way midfielder who rightly treats the ball as a precious thing, rarely misplacing a pass or turning over possession, Osorio has contributed three goals – good enough for second in club scoring behind only Robert Earnshaw.
    Admittedly, he has looked better as a substitute, where he enters unfettered with defensive duty, called upon to inject life into a sputtering attack.
    Each of his goals gave TFC a chance at the points, twice putting them in winning positions – the other drawing the side level - only to cruelly be cancelled out by late strikes from the opponents.
    His interplay in the midfield, in particular with Luis Silva, has breathed a measure of life into the stodgy, predictably direct Toronto attack, and the thought of him linking up with Johnson, Teibert, Julian de Guzman, and Samuel Piette at the Gold Cup, not to mention the likes of Atiba Hutchinson in the future, bodes well for the future of the National Team’s midfield.
    Plus he is capable of moments of sheer class, such as this lovely finish against New York, tucking this loose ball in just under the bar.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0vYttYpZuhA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Quietly he has made a case for himself as a definite Rookie of the Year candidate, though without the fanfare of many competitors.
    Nana Attakora
    Returning to the league after a year spent abroad – with FC Haka in Finland – Nana, though thought of mainly as a third-string centre-back for San Jose, has been integral to their limited success.
    Quietly he has been a dominant force, filling in for either Victor Bernardez or Jason Hernandez whenever injury, suspension, or international duty made space for his inclusion.
    In fact, in the seven matches he has started for the Earthquakes, they have only lost one, amassing a record of three wins and three draws versus two wins, six losses, and three draws without him starting – they lost the one match he subbed into.
    He has looked big and physical - going blow for blow in an entertaining battle with Canadian National Team-mate, Doneil Henry, though it ended with Attakora concussed after a clash of heads – while equally fast – snuffing out Chris Pontius and the breakaway speed of Colorado’s forwards – and tactically aware – stifling Montreal’s Marco Di Vaio, limiting him to one shot (he averages nearly four per match).
    Attakora has even looked supremely confident on the ball, striding out of the back, getting on the end of set-piece deliveries, and picking up an assist.
    He will have a battle on his hands to win back a starting position when he returns to his club after the tournament, what with American International, Clarence Goodson, joining and Bernadez and Hernandez fit and raring to go.
    But the prospects of his lining up alongside David Edgar or Toronto’s Henry is mouthwatering; they will not be beat in the air. Though there is some concern that those concussion issues have resurfaced, as he was placed back on the injured list for this past Saturday’s match.

    Doneil Henry
    Henry, recent red cards aside, has blossomed into a very sturdy centre-back in his fourth season with Toronto, rendering Danny Califf, heralded in the off-season as a key acquisition, redundant, and pushing Darren O’Dea over to left-back.
    His call-up – and absence from Toronto’s match against Montreal - alongside that of Osorio, has inspired this silly and bizarre deflective rant from Coach Nelsen and President Kevin Payne regarding the National Team’s flexibility with the whims of the clubs.
    All six of the young defender’s starts have come in Toronto’s last seven matches – he missed one with a red card suspension – ensuring he is match fit and ready to go, if called upon, at the Gold Cup.
    He is dominant in the air and unexpectedly tidy on the ball, racking up pass completion figures that have some questioning the veracity of the statistics compiled for the league offices.
    Still just twenty years of age and with a lot of improvement still ahead of him, he will be a contributor to the National Team for years to come, on both sides of the ball.
    No one can forget his powerful game-winning header in the surprise U-20 win over the Americans in CONCACAF Qualification back in March of 2012, while his sweeping finish in the first leg of Toronto’s series with Montreal in the Voyageurs Cup showed a talent in front of goal that none could have projected.
    Ashtone Morgan
    Morgan has found his third year as a professional a trying one, after a very impressive campaign the previous season.
    Limited to a mere five starts - and two further substitute appearances, some could argue that he has suffered a set-back in his development, but it could also be seen as a learning experience.
    When he dashed onto the scene under Aron Winter at the end of 2011, it was as a flying wing-back, whose sole responsibility was to push up field, providing width and energy to that side of the pitch – a role he flourished in.
    Under Nelsen, he has been tasked with a more defensive role – never the stronger side of his game – and suffered moments of indecision, fighting his natural instincts to get forward and finding himself targeted as the weak side of the Toronto defense.
    The lack of playing time is an issue, but he looked good in Canada’s friendly against Costa Rica – and his partnership with Teibert on the left against Denmark was one of the few encouraging signs from that horrible, horrible day.

    Kyle Bekker
    After drawing the plaudits from around the league for his displays at the MLS Combine and being selected third-overall in the draft by Toronto, Bekker has struggled to make the transition from the college to the professional game.
    He has not featured in the league for TFC since the end of March, making his only start in their first game of the season and subbing in at the end of the next two matches.
    Struggling to get up to the pace in the hustle and bustle of MLS midfielder, perhaps the Gold Cup, with its potentially less physical and slightly slower rhythms may be the perfect place for him to kick start his career.
    It can’t hurt for a player such as him to spend some time with Johnson and de Guzman and TFC could definitely use a creative, calming influence in their midfield.
    Simon Thomas
    Vancouver’s third (now, fourth) string keeper has not seen any action in the league, though he has reportedly looked solid in reserve and U-23 matches.
    He was loaned out to FC Edmonton, but will remain in Vancouver to train, only travelling east when necessary.
    Thomas was impressive enough in those January matches to earn himself at spot at the Whitecaps and on this National Team roster, and though he is the youngest and least experienced of the trio in camp, Colin Miller has expressed that the spot is up for grabs to whoever looks best in training.
    Those eight players – the first five in particular – are the beginning of a fairly decent MLS starting eleven.
    Part Two, looking in a similar fashion at those left off the squad will be out tomorrow.
    Watch Canada's 1-1 draw against Ventura County


    Guest

    Show me the (allocation) Money

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    When Kevin Payne took over at TFC he held two significant assets -- the No 1 pick in the MLS Superdraft and the No 1 ranking for returning MLS players and US internationals in the allocation order.
    Typically, those two assets have both yielded starting players in the past. So, it was reasonable to hope for TFC to receive the same now.
    The early returns are...incomplete. They are incomplete because of what Payne has done with the assets. Rather than go with what was available at the time, he essentially deferred things by swapping the current assets for assets that will be used later.
    Namely, allocation money and, in the case of the returning player allocation, a 2015 draft pick and an international spot.
    The claim made by Payne was that the deferring was needed to allow him to clean up the sins of past management. It's a convenient claim as it is next to impossible to evaluate how teams use allocation money. We can only guess by looking at the players that he brings in with discovery signings.
    Those evaluations will come in the next couple weeks as the MLS summer transfer window opens and if that allocation gets used to bring in new blood.
    At least that has better happen because so far Toronto's yield from the draft -- Kyle Bekker and Emery Welshman -- is below standard even it what was clearly a weak draft class.
    Combined the two players have just four appearances for the Reds. When you factor in the fact that TFC left regular starters like Andrew Farrell, Carlos Alvarez and Deshorn Brown on the table (they very likely could have had two of them) the draft isn't looking good for TFC.
    That said, the entire first round has yielded just a four appearance median league-wide, with no player taken between No 10 and No 19 having more than four appearances.
    All drafts are a crapshoot. MLS' draft is particularly dangerous to rely upon.
    That appears to be the thinking Payne had when he traded down to get a chance to cash in later.
    Later is now though. How he performs over the next month will go a long way to determining his final grade in his first year in charge.
    NOTES: Interestingly, this season might mark the time when the homegrown philosophy for building a MLS club caught up with the drafting philosophy.
    In past years, the impact of the incoming draft class was clearly better than the impact of the homegrown class.
    In 2013 it's close to even. Both the draft and the homegrown classes have contributed about 5-6 regular starters.
    Although there are far more homegrown players that have not made a single appearance (13 vs 3), the average age of a homegrown signing is about two years younger than a first round pick.
    The draft is clearly becoming less and less important.
    Guest
    KEY PLAYERS
    Attacking
    The Whitecaps have struggled in controlling the midfield in their recent games and are hoping the return of Gershon Koffie from injury will help with that. He saw some action against D.C. United on the weekend and will most likely start and try to play an attacking role. Koffie will be needed to be the connection between the defenders and the strike force of Miller and Camilo.
    It will be a tough test for the Whitecaps in facing Claudio Bieler who is the running for the golden boot with eight goals scored so far this season. Sporting KC may have finally found the clinical finisher they have been looking for in the striker and he surely will be able to surpass the eleven goal mark that has been the team high over the last five seasons.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Defence
    As the season goes on Johnny Leveron is getting better with each game and is becoming a solid defensive player. He is getting better at tracking opposing strikers as well as being able to clear the ball out of the box. In addition to that he has been asked to apply pressure on a higher line and be a distributor from the backline, which was a major factor in the match against Chivas USA but not needed on the weekend. The unfamiliarity in playing alongside Brad Rusin will need to see the young Honduran step up as a leader at the back and not play a secondary role.
    One of the top defenders in MLS, Aurelien Collin has led the backline in becoming a top defence in MLS. The French defender, who has played all over Europe, is both a physical and technical defender and comfortable on the ball. In addition to his stellar defensive play, Collin is also a threat on set pieces already scoring two goals this season.
    WHO’S ON FORM
    The recent dynamic attack of the Whitecaps has been revitalized by Kenny Miller who been the focal point. He has scored three goals in the month of June including two game winners and was named 'Player of the Week' after his game against New England. Even though he doesn’t have an assist to his name, his work rate and high pressure has led to multitude number of chances.
    After impressing in the EPL in his part time role with Norwich City, Kei Kamara returned to MLS and Sporting KC continuing his scoring ways. He has averaged ten goals over the last three seasons and is well on his way to matching this, scoring four goals in his last four appearances. While he plays on the wing for the most part Kamara will make runs into the middle where he can utilize his size and do some damage.
    PROJECTED LINEUP

    Vancouver Whitecaps (4-3-3) R to L - Brad Knighton; Nigel Reo-Coker, Brad Rusin, Johnny Leveron, Jordan Harvey; Jun Marques Davidson, Matt Watson, Gershon Koffie; Kekuta Manneh, Kenny Miller, Camilo Sanvezzo
    Sporting Kansas City (4-3-3) R to L - Jimmy Nielsen; Chance Myers, Aurelien Collin, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic; Lawrence Olum, Oriol Rosell, Graham Zusi; Soony Saad, Claudio Bieler, Kei Kamara
    2013 RECORD
    Vancouver Whitecaps:
    7W-4D-5L-25P
    4th in Western Conference
    Last Match: 1-0 Win at D.C. United
    Sporting Kansas City:
    7W-5D-5L-26P
    4th in Eastern Conference
    Last Match: 3-2 Win vs Columbus Crew
    OVERVIEW
    The Vancouver Whitecaps are coming off a successful June (12 points in 5 games) and continue their trip through the Eastern conference to face Sporting Kansas City. While the Caps have yet to beat them in three MLS meetings (2L, 1D) their first meeting in 2011 almost felt like a win when Vancouver came back from three down late in the match to earn a point.
    Once again there will be shuffling in the lineup as the Caps welcome back a couple of injured players and see two go off for international duty. Coming off his first cleansheet, Brad Knighton continues as the number one keeper and will have a new partnership in front of him as Johnny Leveron combines with Brad Rusin while Jordan Harvey and Nigel Reo-Coker continue at fullback.
    The midfield will see the return of the Gershon Koffie and he should join Matt Watson and Jun Marques Davidson in the middle of the pitch. Support for Kenny Miller and Camilo in the forward ranks could come from the likes of Corey Hertzog, Kekuta Manneh or Darren Mattocks.
    After the win against United the Caps are coming into this match with the hope that they will be able to extend their win streak to four which will be their longest since joining MLS. They will be hurt both up top and on the backline with the loss of Russell Teibert and Carlyle Mitchell to the Gold Cup, but should be stronger in the midfield with Koffie returning to the starting eleven.
    Against Sporting KC, the Caps will be facing one of the best backlines in the league and a top five defence. The central defenders are especially strong with Aurelien Collin and Matt Besler forming one of the best partnerships in MLS.
    Their attack is also strong with their new designated player Claudio Bieler leading the team with eight goals and it has gotten even stronger since Kei Kamara returned from Norwich City of the EPL. While he is off his pace of the 15 assists he picked up last season, Graham Zusi is still a threat as a playmaker and is capable of scoring from distance as well.
    The Whitecaps have had better luck finishing in recent games but in order to continue that trend they need to include the midfield in the buildup of the play. There have been too few touches by whoever starts in the three man mid as the Caps seem to be using their wide players to move the ball up the field.
    The biggest worry defensively will have to be the newly formed partnership of Rusin and Leveron. Both players normally play on the left side of the backline. Because of this, the Whitecaps might employ a two holding midfielders to protect the defenders behind them.
    For the last few games the Whitecaps have not started well and were dominated in possession and gave up quality chances. The three games before the D.C. United one this weekend saw the Caps give up the first goal.
    It almost happened this weekend as well if it were not for a big save by Knighton and a follow up block by Carlyle Mitchell. Against a top team like KC the Whitecaps will need to come out strong and avoid falling behind if they have any chance to escape with any points.
    It will be a tough task for the Whitecaps to continue to their win streak with the combination of playing on a short week and the Wednesday match being played in the City of Fountains. However if they can get a positive result it will mean they will be able to carry over the momentum from June to July.
    <p>
    Guest
    An extension to Canadian Soccer News’ MLS Week in Review, this article provides a closer look at the performances of the Canadian players who saw the pitch this week.
    With no goals or assists and only six players seeing action this weekend, it is a little more difficult to separate a top three. So this week’s nominations – Dwayne De Rosario, Kyle Porter, and Patrice Bernier - are a less to do with on-field achievement and more regarding their being left out of the squad for the upcoming Gold Cup.
    Find out what they got up to this round and who else earned their keep this week.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Dwayne De Rosario
    De Rosario returned to the starting lineup, making his tenth start of the season (and thirteenth appearance), in DC United’s 0-1 loss to Vancouver on Saturday.
    Rested last week in a 1-0 win over San Jose, with concerns over a hip flexor injury picked up against Toronto, De Rosario was fit enough to start Wednesday’s Open Cup match against New England, where he scored the decisive - second and go-ahead - goal in a 3-1 win, allowing DC to progress to the Semifinals in August where they will face Chicago.
    The Scarborough-native’s exclusion from the National Team for this summer’s tournament has divided opinion – some argue that though he may still be able to contribute now, he will not be of use when the next cycle of World Cup Qualifying comes around, while others find a different type of value in his experience and determination, assets not easily replaced at any level.
    Regardless of where public opinion falls, Dwayne has slowly been rounding into form this year.
    Playing as a second striker, in the hole, behind Chris Pontius, De Rosario was lively on Saturday, taking four shots – one on, two off, and a further blocked.
    The first came very early, redirecting a Porter corner kick just wide of the right-post in only the second minute.
    He bookended his night with a low right-footed drive from distance after making space by juking past Johnny Leveron just before he was removed – in the 69th minute, replaced by Lionard Pajoy.
    In between, Dwayne was very busy, completing 24 of 32 passes, making four recoveries and winning a foul, while only conceding possession eleven times – which is virtually immaculate for him.
    He was darting out wide – a great cross from the left-side, bound for Pontius, was cut out by Leveron; following up chances – his attempt after Porter was denied led to a DC corner; and in all likelihood would have scored, if Chris Korb had picked the correct pass on this break – Korb mysteriously cut the ball back to Pontius at the top of the box rather than square to the wide open De Ro in the middle.
    De Rosario was cleaned out by a Matt Watson challenge in midfield and prior to being substituted showed his extreme displeasure at the referee by violently spiking the ball into the ground – for which he was lucky to not see yellow.
    Kyle Porter
    Porter also started DC United’s match, making his second-consecutive start – after missing the Toronto match with an injury; it was his tenth start of the season (and fourteenth appearance).
    From the left-side of midfield, Porter was once more extremely active, completing fourteen of twenty passes and three of five crosses, taking two shots – one on and one off – and making five recoveries, while only losing possession eight times.
    The Toronto-native had an excellent chance denied by Vancouver keeper, Brad Knighton in the seventh minute, after taking down a cross from John Thorrington and snapping a drive on goal; he would keep the play alive, hustling to collect the ball near the end-line before laying off to De Rosario, whose shot was blocked by Carlyle Mitchell.
    Having been crunched by an earlier Nigel Reo-Coker challenge, Porter skipped past the combative Englishman down the left and played a ball to Pontius, who had strayed offside.
    He was removed in the 60th minute, replaced by forward Casey Townsend.
    Porter’s omission from the young Canadian Gold Cup squad was nearly as shocking as the decisions to leave out De Rosario and Bernier, though given the glut of midfielders, perhaps not wholly unreasonable.

    Patrice Bernier
    Bernier is, simply put, one of the most dominant – in his own subtle way – midfielders in MLS.
    What he does seldom is obvious in the highlights, but the intelligence with which he strolls around the pitch, rarely forced into any unnecessary waste of energy or erroneous movement, is a joy to watch.
    Making his seventh straight start for Montreal – his thirteenth of the season (and fifteenth appearance) – in their surprising 3-4 loss to Colorado, he completed 44 of 55 passes, won all three of his tackles, made an impressive fifteen recoveries, three interceptions, two clearances, and one block, winning a pair of fouls to the one he conceded and losing possession fourteen times – which is quite a few for him.
    Early in the match, hanging out in his defensive midfield position, he could be seen directing the flow of the game, pointing out where the ball should go, and throughout constantly moving towards any potential danger before it came to light; generally being a force without being obvious.
    The Brossard-native, an enthusiastic hockey player in his youth – and in the off-season - took a pretty heavy body check from a Rapid’s player in the midfield and moments later delivered a strong response, stepping into the next Rapid that came near him.
    Sporting the Captain’s armband, with Davy Arnaud on the bench still recovering from a concussion, he was partially to blame for Colorado’s game-tying goal – the second one - scored by Deshorn Brown in the 77th minute. Bernier was beside the young attacker at the top of the box, but failed to track his run.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/59WVc-mPxFY?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Bernier failed to properly address that threat, but later, an indication of his excellent positioning and tactical nous was shown in how he handles the late break that ended in the winning goal.
    Arnaud is stripped and the last man back for the Impact is Bernier. Despite being at risk of seriously being outpaced by both Chris Klute and Brown, Bernier takes a page out of the hockey defenseman’s playbook, keeping himself between the two, playing the pass and leaving the shooter for the keeper, while trying to force him to a slightly wider angle than he’d like.
    Klute, a left-back moving up the right, opts to pass rather than take the attempt on his wrong foot, and Bernier neatly blocks the pass, snuffing out the danger. But, neither of the recovering Montreal defenders recognized the trailing man and Tony Cascio was completely free to pick up the loose ball and strike a shot on goal.
    Bernier was extremely unlucky that his sliding block attempt saw the ball kick up off his bottom leg and lift over Troy Perkins in goal for the winner.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fSZ8WB_ybME?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Russell Teibert
    Teibert made his sixth-straight start for Vancouver in the 0-1 win over DC on Saturday – his tenth start of the season (and eleventh appearance) before joining up with the National Team on Sunday.
    Once more on the right-side of a three-man attack, Teibert was unable to extend his assist streak to a fifth-straight match.
    He did nearly add to his goal-scoring tally, which currently stands at two, smacking a low shot from an extremely tight angle off the near-post.
    And later had a near sure goal denied by a fantastic save from Bill Hamid – Kenny Miller laid a square ball across the top of the box where Teibert lashed a left-footer that looked destined for the top of the net.
    The Niagara Falls-native had a good battle going against former teammate, Alain Rochat, early in the match – Rochat, well aware of Russell’s left-foot, would not let him cutback, forcing him to go around the outside then muscling Teibert to the ground.
    Russell took a majority of the corner kicks, once taking the second of a series very quickly, nearly catching DC off guard – Daigo Kobayashi’s shot whistled wide of the near-post.
    He completed 22 of 33 passes and five of ten crosses, took four shots – one on and three off (include one that squirreled well wide – no need to see that), made six recoveries, four interceptions and lost possession sixteen times.
    Bound for the Gold Cup, the young Canadian put in an excellent defensive shift as well, tracking deep and clogging the midfield, though he was once made to look foolish by Rochat, who moved past him leaving Teibert lying prone, only to take a heavy touch and see the ball slip over the end-line.

    Jonathan Osorio
    Osorio made his fourth-straight start for Toronto in their 0-1 loss to Salt Lake on Saturday – it was his fifth start of the season (and fifteenth appearance).
    Starting on the right-side of midfield, he manufactured a great chance for himself inside the first two minutes, moving in-field, winning a tackle and taking a left-footed shot from the top of the box that dragged just wide of the right-post.
    Minutes later he intercepted a Yordany Alvarez pass, beginning a dangerous counterattack that allowed Bobby Convey a sight at goal.
    The Toronto-native completed 25 of 33 passes, took two shots – one off, the other blocked, won all three of his tackles, and made five recoveries, as well as that one interception.
    He did lose possession thirteen times, but won a pair of fouls, conceding only one in a very combative match.
    Osorio mixed it up a little with Aaron Maund in the handbag session that led to the red cards, before nearly getting a boot on the last chance seconds before the final whistle.
    His post-match interview can be found here.
    Doneil Henry
    Henry started a second-consecutive match for Toronto, making his sixth start of the season (and seventh appearance).
    He was having another impressive match – completing twenty of 26 passes, making five each of interceptions and clearances (though only two headers – Salt Lake keeps the ball on the mat), winning both his tackles and only losing possession six times through 79 minutes of play – only to be dismissed for his first – and only – foul of the match, though it was warranted.
    Tony Beltran left a lazy boot in on a Luis Silva pass, to which Silva responded by kicking out at the Salt Lake right-back. Beltran shoved over Silva and Henry came in, shoving over Beltran in kind, to draw more players into the scuffle.
    Some argued that had Doneil not come in the defense of his teammate, Beltran alone would have gone off – highly doubtable, more likely the ref chickens out with a mere yellow – but restraint is always a good skill to see in a young player; he was very angry walking down the tunnel.
    With the dismissal, the Brampton-native became the first player in MLS this season to see a second red card - it was his second in three appearances no less, having only recently returned from suspension for a pair of yellows against Philadelphia.
    Toronto needs him on the pitch, as Ryan Nelsen’s anti-CSA tirade indicates.
    Doneil is a big boy; he barely flinches when Robbie Findley puts the entirety of his effort into a shove on the TFC defender.
    The Rest
    Will Johnson and Portland Timbers had the weekend off after winning their US Open Cup Quarterfinal 2-3 in Dallas. Will went the entire match – again – and will face his former team, Salt Lake, in the Semifinals on August 7th. That homecoming – of sorts - should be worth a watch.
    Nana Attakora was neither in the starting lineup, nor on the bench for San Jose and was back to being listed as PROBABLE on the injury report with his concussion. There has been no news on whether he suffered a set-back and he was not obviously visible in this clip from National Team training on Sunday.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TEVdptImEy4?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Also of concern is that San Jose acquired US National Team defender, Clarence Goodson, last week, likely pushing Nana down on the depth chart, after he did so well to force himself into consideration.
    Dejan Jakovic was once more listed as OUT due to a pesky left adductor strain.
    Ashtone Morgan and Quillan Roberts were on the bench for Toronto; Wandrille Lefevre was on Montreal’s.
    Mark Watson picked up his second win as Earthquakes manager, 3-2 over Los Angeles, on Saturday night in dramatic fashion.
    Prior to the match he had this to say on his home debut as coach, “It’s great, it’s a big occasion. To be honest, I don’t really focus on that. I am focused on the game and the fact that we need three points. It’s great it’s a big showcase game and it’s a chance for a lot of Bay Area fans to come out and get a chance to see the team and see the game played at the highest level in this country. From our perspective it’s another game and we are preparing the best way we can to get three points.”
    And after the win, he added, “I don’t think those things are supposed to happen, really. It’s one thing to be down a couple of goals, but to be down a player as well – I mean, it’s a very difficult situation. … So many things happened, I can’t really remember everything. But our guys kept pushing until the end. It was amazing to see, but I’m not surprised, because I know the kind of guys we have in the locker room.”
    In honour – note the ‘U’ - of Canada Day, MLSsoccer.com’s Top Five looks at the best Canadians in MLS History. Any room for debate here?
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XPmx-VSP6dg?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    And finally, as Bernier tweeted – happy Canada Day, hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend.

    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Bonne fête du Canada. Happy Canada Day.</p>— Patrice Bernier (@pbernier10) <a href="
    ">July 1, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

    Each week James takes a look at the contributions of Canadians in the league and the league as a whole.
    You can follow James on twitter @grawsee or read more of his writing at Partially Obstructed View

    Guest

    Pair of TO moves

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Toronto announced the expected signing of defender Steven Caldwell this morning and also announced they had added depth midfielder Michael Thomas from Kansas City in exchange for a 2015 second round SuperDraft pick.
    Caldwell, 32, has started in six matches for Toronto FC since joining on loan from Birmingham City F.C.. He made 90 appearances at Birmingham and scored two goals in all competitions.
    Thomas, 25, has only played in nine matches - league and cup - for Sporting KC. His guaranteed salary is $60,713.
    What do you think of these moves? Do they make Toronto better at either position?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    Balancing the modern era of football whilst still making a nod to the past NASL glory days can be a tricky job at times for the Whitecaps.
    Many would still like to see a return of the hoop on the jersey, which I’m pretty certain we will see some version of on the away strip next year as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations.
    One blast from the past that the Whitecaps have reintroduced this season is the playing of the classic <b><i>"White Is The Colour"</i></b> song before matches, complete with retro record player and vinyl and some guest vocalists featuring some of the most off key singing you’ll hear at BC Place (and that’s saying something if you’ve ever stood in beside some of the Southsiders).
    <i>"White Is The Colour"</i> has been in and around Vancouver and the Whitecaps since 1978, when the first team recorded a version for the NASL season.
    There are probably many here in BC that still think that the song is a Caps composition and don’t know the origins of the track.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The song is a Chelsea song and was originally released in the UK six years earlier, on February 26th 1972. Called <i>"Blue Is The Colour Of Champions"</i>, the 7" single was released on Penny Farthing Records ahead of Chelsea’s League Cup final appearance against Stoke City, which they lost 2-1.
    The song was recorded by the full Chelsea first team squad, which featured a number of players who went on to ply their trade in the old NASL, including the Whitecaps’ very own Steve Kember, who it looks like featured on the recordings of both singles. There's a quiz question for you down the road.
    The release of the Chelsea single is part of what is a UK tradition of crappy club songs sung by out of tune players. I’m not sure how familiar people are here with them but there have been many, many records released by clubs and national teams over the years, usually to celebrate an achievement like reaching the FA Cup final or the World Cup finals.
    I grew up listening to the songs. You couldn’t miss them really. It was always just part of the teams' pre final/tournament routine. They mostly charted quite high. Chelsea’s version reached number 5. It also usually saw an appearances on <i>'Top of the Pops'</i> (a UK music chart TV show back in the day) and they are usually so memorable because they were so bad. <i>"White Is The Colour"</i> is actually a pretty good version of such a single. It doesn't really have a lot of stellar competition mind you.
    Although not as popular or as high profile these days, they’re still being recorded and released. We’ll be featuring some of the 'best' ones from through the years in this series down the line.
    <i>"White Is The Colour"</i> is a simple song, nearly all of that genre are, and the great thing about it is that you can switch the colour and make it identify with other teams. Football chant perfection, as you can tell from the number of unoriginal songs heard throughout MLS these days.
    That’s just what the Whitecaps did and that’s also what many others have done with it before and after them.
    The song has been used by the Danish national team at the 1972 Olympics (Red and white) and even crossed sports to be used in the CFL by the Saskatchewan Roughriders (Green). Translated variants of the song have also been used in what was Czechoslovakia, Finland, Japan and Norway amongst others.
    It’s definitely a love it or hate it song, but for many, it evokes many memories of bygone days of the Whitecaps’ past. It’s certainly one of my first memories of watching the Caps when I moved over, hearing it blasting out at Swangard Stadium before and after games in the D2 days.
    I have to admit I originally fell into the hate camp and thought "what the hell is this", but that is because I associate it with Chelsea and always will in part. It also seemed so dated, like you were watching a football team stuck in the past. it didn't feel like you were at modern day football, not necessarily a bad thing in hindsight.
    Now I’ve mellowed and see it for the quaint piece of history that it is. It helps that I’ve also become a bitter and twisted old fashioned football fan that sits in my rocking chair on the porch muttering about how football was much better in the good old days..
    It’s nice to have your </i>"own"</i> club song/anthem to blast over the PA. East Fife have 60's instrumental <i>"Telstar"</i>, West Ham are <i>"Forever Blowing Bubbles"</i>, Everton have the old TV show <i>"Z Cars"</i> theme, and Vancouver have <i>"White Is The Colour"</i>. Chelsea still play their version all these years later before every home game.
    There are so many other such songs we could have listed. None of them are exactly classics but all of them capture that spirit of the past and connect the old days with modern football. With all that the modern game brings with it that I hate, it’s kind of nice to have this quaintness.
    <i>"White Is The Colour"</i> got a more modern update in 2002.
    Fife twins, and Hibernian supporters, The Proclaimers re-recorded the song as part of a season ticket promotion by the Whitecaps. Obviously the marketing department back then were thinking ahead to the current Scottish invasion under Martin Rennie.
    A limited edition run of 1000 copies of a CD were produced as a free giveaway to season tickets holders, who back then numbered in just the three figures.
    I’ve been trying like mad to get hold of a copy so if anyone has one to spare or would like to sell a copy, then please get in touch. Same goes with the original 7".
    The 3 track CD came with b-sides <i>"There's A Touch"</i> and <i>"Slowburner"</i>, both taken from their flop 2001 album <i>"Persevere"</i>. The Proclaimers version of the song comes in at 1 minute and 46 seconds. The original Whitecaps version comes in at 2 minutes and 25 seconds, and the Chelsea original was 2 minutes and 21 seconds.
    The CD wasn’t all that Caps season ticket holders could get as an incentive that season.
    With every pair of season tickets bought, they were able to buy tickets for a special intimate acoustic show with the Proclaimers at <i>Richard’s On Richards</i>, a venue I miss dearly.
    Two days after the show, the Whitecaps kicked off their 2002 regular season against Minnesota Thunder on May 3rd and the Proclaimers made a special appearance to play <i>”White Is The Colour”</i>. If anyone has any memories of that, or photos, then let us know.
    As for their version of the song, the band knew it was all just a bit of fun and not exactly going to win them any awards or accolades.
    <i>"It’s a soccer record, it’s not necessarily going to win a Grammy, but it’s a track to vibe the team up, which is what we serve to do."</i> was singer Charlie Reid’s thoughts on the recording at the time.
    Even all these years later, this seems to be the same feeling in the Caps marketing department and it seems to have gone down well in the main.
    The Proclaimers are coming back to Vancouver on Wednesday August 28th for a date at the PNE. With their song <i>"500 miles"</i> already being in the Caps supporters’ songbook, can we get them to play it live again? We’ve already put out feelers to their management! Maybe they can even hang around Vancouver for four days and perform it at BC Place when the Caps take on Chivas.
    So let’s leave you with a good old sing song and since you’re all very familiar with the Caps’ original these days, let’s leave you with the Proclaimers version to make me feel at home with the brogue and you can all sing along with the words underneath.
    <center>

    </center><center><i>White is the Colour, Soccer is the Game,
    We're all together, and winning is our aim.
    So cheer us on through the sun and rain,
    'Cause Whitecaps, Whitecaps is our name.
    Come to the park and we'll welcome you,
    Wear our white, and see us through,
    Sing loud and clear till the day is done,
    Sing "Whitecaps" everyone.
    White is the Colour, Soccer is the Game,
    We're all together, and winning is our aim.
    So cheer us on through the sun and rain,
    'Cause Whitecaps, Whitecaps is our name.
    Cheer us on whether rain or fine,
    We can shine, all the time.
    Home or away come and see us play,
    You're welcome any day. HEY!
    White is the Colour, Soccer is the Game,
    We're all together, and winning is our aim.
    So cheer us on through the sun and rain,
    'Cause Whitecaps, Whitecaps is our name.
    White is the Colour, Soccer is the Game,
    We're all together, and winning is our aim.
    So cheer us on through the sun and rain,
    'Cause Whitecaps, Whitecaps is our name. </i></center>
    <p>
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