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    MLS Week in Review – Round 17

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Tired of the truncated fixture lists due to international action? Not enough football, what with only the Confederations Cup and the U-20 World Cup in swing?
    Fret not, MLS returned with a massive double game week to satisfy all those cravings and more.
    Round seventeen of MLS featured twelve matches – four on Wednesday, five on Saturday, and three on Sunday – providing 26 goals – four from the spot (with a further attempt missed by Houston’s Giles Barnes – possibly still rising) and a single own-goal (off of Dallas’ Je-Vaughan Watson).
    A mere three draws, two of which were scoreless affairs, and only two away wins – and Los Angeles’ “away” win over Chivas at the newly christened StubHub Center hardly counts.
    The referees were back in the spotlight with five penalty kicks called – some justly and some in a questionable manner, while 28 yellow cards and a pair of reds were flashed. Of note, the issue of player safety, particularly as pertains to clashes of heads, will be front of mind this week – more on that shortly.
    Before the results, some candidates for the goal of the round. Tell us who you think deserves to win
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Candidate the First – Kyle Beckerman’s precise half-volley from the back-post for Real Salt Lake
    Javi Morales’ free-kick from above the left side of the box is partially blocked by the wall, but squirrels towards the back-post where Beckerman lies in wait. He sizes up the situation and puts just enough on the right-footed shot to keep it down, knocking it in off the underside of the bar.

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    Candidate the Second – Will Johnson’s pop and volley for Portland Timbers
    A long Donovan Ricketts goal-kick is flicked into the path of Rodney Wallace on the left by Frederic Piquionne. Wallace cuts back inside and touches the ball in-field for the surging run of Johnson arriving from deep. Will lifts the ball over the leg of one defender with his right-foot and smashes a low left-footer through Clint Irwin to double Portland’s advantage.

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    Who has your vote? Beckerman or Johnson?
    Midweek Extreme Briefs

    Montreal started like a shot, while Houston struggled to shake the rust of nearly three weeks without a match.
    Goals from Felipe – after a defense-splitting ball from Patrice Bernier – and Marco Di Vaio – racing onto a poorly placed back-pass from Corey Ashe for his tenth of the season – in the first thirty minutes decided the outcome, but had Giles Barnes not missed his penalty attempt, it may have been a closer affair.

    Chicago – and specifically, Mike Magee – continue their strong run of form stretching their unbeaten run to four with Magee scoring in each of the five matches – all competitions – he has played for the Fire.
    Colorado took the lead when Deshorn Brown forced a turnover out of Austin Berry, but Magee converted from the spot – via a Panenka - and Berry made amends for his earlier transgression nodding home the winner from a Jeff Larentowicz cross.

    New Chivas coach, Jose Luis Real, taking charge of his first match for the club, will have liked how his side started – with Tristan Bowen’s thunderbolt of a shot – but an 82 second spell in first half stoppage-time doomed the Ameri-Goats to a sixth consecutive loss.
    Goals from Jordan Harvey – his third in the last four matches – and a brace from Camilo erased the Chivas lead and then put the Whitecaps out of reach.

    Despite the busy fixture list – seven games in 29 days – and a reconstituted backline, Portland extended their unbeaten streak to an impressive fourteen matches – the longest ever such run for a first-year MLS coach.
    LA snapped a two-game losing streak and will be thankful for the strong defensive performance – and subsequent clean-sheet – having conceded eight goals in their prior two matches.
    Results in Brief
    DC 1 – San Jose 0
    105 days was all it took for DC to pick up their second win of the season, ending their long winless streak at thirteen matches.
    Chris Pontius scored his first goal of the season - from the penalty spot in the eleventh minute - after Chris Korb was tripped up by Justin Morrow in the San Jose box. At first the referee appeared to waive for the right-back to get up, but his assistant raised his flag and eventually the call was made.
    Pontius struck his right-footed attempt low to the keeper’s left and United held onto that precious one goal led for the remaining 79 minutes – their longest spell in front of the season – having only held the advantage for forty-odd minutes previously.
    Ben Olsen had this to say, on the trying times, “We’ve all been tested and we’ll continue to be tested the rest of this year and for the next busy two weeks. It’s been brutal. It’s been brutal for the staff, the players. It’s been brutal for the organization. It’s been brutal for our fans. But what I’m most proud of is that we kept things moving forward. We had some bumps, but the loyalty the organization, the owners and the fans have had – all that stuff means a lot to these players and my staff. We’re doing the best we can and sometimes when you get into a spiral, a downward spiral, it’s tough to get out of. We were in an upward spiral last year, and we got every break. We didn’t have injury issues. Things went our way, and we had confidence. Things haven’t gone our way this year, and it’s no excuse to be in the situation we’re in, but I’m proud of the guys. They stayed together and continue to fight,” and will look to carry that momentum into Wednesday’s US Open Cup Quarterfinal with New England.
    Mark Watson, in his second match in charge, will be disappointed to have not collected points away to the league’s worst team, even if it was without Chris Wondolowski (foot) and Steven Lenhart (knee inflammation).

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    Columbus 1 – Chicago 2
    Mere days removed from their Open Cup meeting, Chicago refrained the score-line from that victory, but this time away from home and it was the off-season trade between clubs that proved the decisive factor.
    Chicago sent Dominic Oduro to the Crew in exchange for Dilly Duka and the right to Robbie Rogers, which in turn brought Mike Magee to the club.
    Oduro created the first goal, pressuring Austin Berry in possession, who, as he did midweek, relinquished to a speedy opponent. Oduro bore down on goal only to be upended by Sean Johnson drawing a yellow card and penalty kick in the sixth minute of play.
    Federico Higuain converted the opportunity – his third this year from the spot, having once been denied – but Duka found a measure of revenge against his former employers, stretching his right-leg to get a touch on a Joel Lindpere ball swung to the back-post from the left in the 52nd minute.
    And it was Magee, who has now scored in each of the six matches (all competitions) he has played for the Fire, who took the lead, directing another inviting left-sided ball from the Estonian, Lindpere, into the goal two minutes later with his chest.
    Crew boss, Robert Warzycha will lament dropping more points at home, having only recently snapped a three-game losing streak at Crew Stadium, while Frank Klopas’ Fire are flying, unbeaten in five with four wins and a draw over that spell.

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    Dallas 2 – Kansas City 2
    Kansas City burst in front after the first hour, but, after losing CJ Sapong to a silly red card, could not hold off Dallas - who scored twice in the final two minutes, and were lucky to escape with a point in the end.
    Kei Kamara opened the scoring in the 43rd minute from the spot, sending his attempt low to the keeper’s right after Aurelien Collin was hauled down in the box by Andrew Jacobson. The awarding was messy once more, as the ball was turned in shortly after the foul, but it was disallowed, leaving Kamara to make amends from twelve paces.
    Sporting doubled their advantage in the 57th minute, when a left-side Graham Zusi corner kick skipped in the box and struck Je-Vaughan Watson in the middle of the six-yard box, bounding into the Dallas goal.
    But Sapong saw red for directing a ball into the face Jacobson, lying prone on the ground after an aerial collision, before Jacobson found revenge – and salvation for conceding the penalty – when he flicked a cross from debutant Ramon Nunez past Jimmy Nielsen in the 88th minute, breathing life into the home side.
    Walker Zimmerman, a highly-touted defensive prospect from this year’s draft, scored the first goal of his professional career in the final minute of regulation, getting on the end of a right-sided David Ferreira free-kick from near the corner flag, directing his powerful header in to draw the clubs level.
    Schellas Hyndman praised his side’s uncompromising attitude in their come-from-behind display in an impromptu on-field talk, while Peter Vermes will be forced to stew on dropped points, ruing a four-match winless spell that has stalled their season.

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    Houston 0 – Toronto 0
    Two teams struggling for goals played out a score-less draw in the heat and humidity of Houston, a result that one will be more grateful for than the other.
    The Dynamo have now been shutout in two straight matches – and three of their last five – as their winless run, since witnessing their long home unbeaten streak was snapped by Sporting last month, stretches to five matches.
    Toronto, having ended their own long winless run at eleven games last weekend, picked up a valuable road point and are now unbeaten in three.
    Dominic Kinnear will ensure his side spends some time working on finish in training this week, with Will Bruin in particular wasting several good chances to break the deadlock, while Ryan Nelsen will find hope in the turnaround of his club, who face a difficult stretch of matches over the next month that could define their season.

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    Salt Lake 2 – Seattle 0
    When two of the hottest teams in the league met on Saturday night, the home side emerged victorious, striking on either side of half-time and stifling the opposition.
    Salt Lake entered the match winners of six of their eight and threatening the top of the Western Conference. Seattle, unbeaten in four, had won six of their last nine, rapidly making up ground after a woeful start to the season.
    But Kyle Beckerman opened the scoring with his quality half-volley and Robbie Findley made it two in the opening stages of the second half, when his initial attempt was saved, but Alvaro Saborio’s follow up got stuck in the American’s feet, before he adroitly turned and hit a low right-footed shot through the Seattle keeper.
    Jason Kreis’ Salt Lake move into joint first-place in the Conference – alongside Portland, a point ahead of Dallas – and their admitted rebuilding season looks as though it will not be accompanied by a drop in quality. Sigi Schmid will look to put this match behind them, as they did with a dreadful night in Los Angeles, and chalk it up to experience, though the trend of falling on their faces against quality opposition on the road is troubling.

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    Philadelphia 3 – New York 0
    Sunday’s opening match pitted two fierce Eastern Conference foes against one another, and it was Philadelphia who emerged victorious, snapping New York’s domination of the series – they had won the previous five matches.
    Conor Casey, who had an earlier goal ruled offside, opened the scoring in the 7th minute, with a header from the end of a Sheanon Williams left-side cross to the back-post.
    Then misfortune struck New York, as Dax McCarty’s equalizer was ruled out, before Lloyd Sam was sent off for an unnecessary two-footed challenge on Danny Cruz in the 28th minute.
    Casey completed his brace in the 64th minute, collecting the rebound from a Keon Daniel shot and finishing low past Luis Robles, before Antoine Hoppenot capped the scoring in the 88th arriving late in the box from deep to finish a Sebastien Le Toux cutback – the Frenchman’s seventh assist of the season.
    New York’s Mike Petke has seen his side’s seven-match unbeaten run crumble into two straight losses in the league and an early exit from the Open Cup, a stall he must address. Conversely, Philadelphia’s John Hackworth has seen his side reap the benefits of shoring up defensively, keeping a fourth clean-sheet in their last seven matches, winning each of the four.

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    Portland 3 – Colorado 0
    Portland’s impressive unbeaten run continues, stretching to a whopping fifteen matches, while keeping a third consecutive clean-sheet in the process.
    Rodney Wallace, who returned from international duty with Costa Rica, had a hand in all three goals - first, when Will Johnson hit a clever quick free-kick towards the left end-line for Wallace to cross into the middle where Frederic Piquionne headed in off the underside of the bar; then when Piquionne flicked a Timbers’ goal-kick out to the wide attacker who then played in to the streaking Canadian, who popped and volleyed their second of the afternoon; and finally, squaring to the other Johnson, Ryan, to cap off a penetrative passing play between himself and Ben Zemanski down the left in the 84th minute of play.
    Caleb Porter’s Timbers move into joint top spot in the league – though Montreal trails by only a point with three games in hand. Meanwhile, the formerly rising Rapids, led by Oscar Pareja, have now lost three-straight matches, conceding three goals in each.

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    Chivas 0 – Los Angeles 1
    The not-so-Super-Clasico late on Sunday evening was a drab, low energy affair, decided by a single goal at the end of the first half.
    The outspoken Gyasi Zardes outmuscled Mario de Luna to a right-sided Landon Donovan free-kick near the penalty spot in the 44th minute of play, directing his header past Dan Kennedy in goal.
    The Galaxy had an earlier Robbie Rogers tally cancelled, when the officials correctly ruled that Robbie Keane was interfering with play by obstructing the view of Kennedy.
    Jose Luis Real’s first home match ended in a seventh-straight loss – now winless in ten – that sees the Goats drop below even Toronto FC in the standings, ahead of only DC, now by a mere two points.
    Bruce Arena’s Galaxy, who welcomed back Omar Gonzalez and Keane from international duty and Todd Dunivant from injury, snapped a three-game winless streak and continued their domination of the LA derby with a ninth win in the last eleven meetings.

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    CanCon
    As usual, the extended look at the Canadian contributions will be post midday tomorrow (Tuesday) featuring a masterful performance from Will Johnson, Russell Teibert continuing his excellent form, and a glorious ball from Patrice Bernier.
    Overheard
    Sporting’s Frenchman, Collin, tore a strip off his Danish keeper, Nielsen, absolutely barking at him after he only watched a dangerous free-kick that hit off the post and then again when he was slow off his line, before showing him some love when he rushed out to smother a ball before Fabian Castillo could get onto it shortly thereafter.
    Neilsen later gave an earful to Jacob Peterson – or so it appeared – for not closing down a shooter as KC clung to a point, he was booked for time-wasting after his rant.
    Clearly emotions are running high at a struggling side.
    Head coach, Peter Vermes could be heard to ask “How did he not see that?” when the referee wrongly awarded a goal-kick rather than a corner. Frustration comes from the top.
    LA’s Donovan added a warning to the linesman who denied Rogers first goal back in MLS – and the subsequent headlines – with his offside flag, “that’s a big call.”
    See It Live
    MLS launched their latest project,
    , a weekly half-hour show featuring some of the stories around the game – this week saw segments on Tim Cahill, Robbie Rogers, and the Sons of Ben.Jordan Harvey’s goal on Wednesday was the 10 000th in MLS history.
    Khari Stephenson sombrero on Seattle’s Zach Scott was enjoyable, but the contrast of sun and shadow at the RioT are unbearable.
    Will Johnson’s log slice broke in half; surely that is bad luck – does that mean they have to cut another one?
    While the hug between Piquionne and Porter when the former came off was another sign of how much fun is being had in Portland.
    Controversy
    Three controversial moments to weigh in on:
    Sapong’s red card – was it deserved, or would a yellow have been more just?
    Servando Carrasco’s “Foul” on Saborio that led to Salt Lake’s opening goal – savvy CONCACAF gamesmanship or the wrong call?
    Will Johnson’s screamer – should it have been blown dead
    that left Piquionne and Moor lying on the ground?Opinion Poll
    Speaking of head clashes, Ethan White was forced to play on with an apparent head injury for nearly twenty minutes before he was replaced in DC.
    The league will undoubtedly tighten up its protocols, but where does the responsibility lie? On the referee? On the player – should he have gone down? Or on the club, who could have gotten a replacement ready more quickly and made more of an issue of their player needing treatment?
    Late goals have been a major talking point in Toronto, but in reality it is a league wide susceptibility – as evidenced by Kansas City’s collapse in Dallas. Why are a disproportionate number of goals scored in the final fifteen minutes of matches? Is it the disparity of quality between defense and attack? Is it the desperation of the attackers? Or just dumb luck?
    Upcoming Fixtures
    The Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup take place on Wednesday with DC hosting New England, Chicago-Orlando City, Dallas-Portland – in a tasty clash – and Salt Lake-Carolina.
    Saturday: Toronto-Salt Lake; Philadelphia-Dallas; DC-Vancouver; Montreal-Colorado; Kansas City-Columbus; San Jose-Los Angeles (at Stanford Stadium); Chivas-New England. Sunday: New York-Houston.
    Until next weekend.
    -----
    Each week James takes a look at the league as a whole.
    You can follow James on twitter @grawsee or read more of his writing at Partially Obstructed View
    Steve Pandher
    One of the hot topics amongst fans at Residency games is always which players do we think can go on and become professional footballers, either with the Whitecaps MLS squad or somewhere else in the world.
    Last year we put together a Top 20 countdown of who we felt were the top prospects in the Whitecaps Residency program and how we would rank them, looking at only the then current U16s and U18s (who had not signed a MLS contract).
    We're going to make this a yearly list and have tweaked it a little this year, bringing you a Top Ten 'Ones To Watch' countdown, along with a special note to those just bubbling under and missing the cut. Part one today takes a look at those players along with those taking the 6 to 10 spots in the countdown.
    The following rankings are a snapshot of where the players are in their development combined with the potential they show to develop into professional footballers.
    Because potential is so hard to predict, it is not an even measurable with the player’s current status. Included in this review is an independent coach/scout who has seen the Residency players in action on a number of occasions. We feel there is no reason for any of the lower ranked or unranked players couldn’t develop into future professionals.
    10 - Sean Melvin
    POS: GK
    HT: 6'4"
    YR: 1994
    HOMETOWN: Victoria, BC
    STATS: 14GP, 14GS, 6CS
    ANALYSIS: Coming into this year Melvin was returning from an injury that cost him the entire 2011-12 season. As he worked his way back this season he has split duties with Nolan Wirth but has also made appearances for the Whitecaps U23 squad in PDL and been a regular at training with the MLS team. The starting keeper for the U18s has excellent length and athletic ability as well as good command of the box on crosses.
    OUTLOOK: Melvin will be graduating this season from the Residency and we have heard he may be heading to the college ranks with North Carolina Tar Heels in NCAA Division 1.
    SCOUT’S TAKE: "Melvin is an excellent keeper prospect who had his development slow down due to an unfortunate injury. He needs to find a place next season where he can play full time and continue to learn the position because he has the athletic ability."
    9 - Kianz Gonzalez-Froese
    POS: CM
    HT:
    YR: 1996
    HOMETOWN: Brunkilo, MB
    STATS: 16GP, 11GS, 2G
    ANALYSIS: While still eligible for the U16 program Froese started the season one level up with the U18s after playing PDL the year before. It’s been a difficult season for the central midfielder as he has had to deal with injuries and fitness issues that saw miss games and a trip to the U17 World Cup qualifiers in Panama with Canada. Froese is capable of playing as a holding midfielder or an attacking one. He is strong on the ball and has the vision to play both positions.
    OUTLOOK: The Manitoba native should return to Residency where he will be a key player for the U18 team next year.
    SCOUT’S TAKE: "He looked to be on an upswing after the way he burst onto the scene last year but injuries and inconsistency has derailed him. Kianz is still an exciting young player and he has the ability to be one of the best players to come out of the Residency program."
    8 - Jordan Haynes
    POS: MF/DF
    HT: 5'10"
    YR: 1996
    HOMETOWN: Peterborough, ON
    STATS: 7GP, 3GS, 1G (U18) / 18GP, 17GS, 2G (U16)
    ANALYSIS: Having started the season with the U16 Haynes has also spent time with the U18 playing either the fullback or wing position. He was a vital piece in the U17 Canadian side that qualified for the World Cup and finished third, especially with his goal in 119th minute against Honduras in the third place match. Haynes has pace on the wing and is capable of scoring as well as playing the role of provider from the left side.
    OUTLOOK: He will return next year to be a full time starter on the U18 team where he will most likely play on the wing as a replacement for DeBoice.
    SCOUT’S TAKE: "A quality young player who has really taken a big step forward this season especially with his performances for the national team. The big question for him is what will be his best position. Will he play as a fullback or as an attacking player in the midfield?"
    7 - Yassin Essa
    POS: MF/ST
    HT: 5'7"
    YR: 1994
    HOMETOWN: Surrey, BC
    STATS: 27GP, 25GS, 18G
    ANALYSIS: In his final season with the Residency, Essa saw himself take a leadership role with a youthful U18 side. During the season he would sometimes move inside to a striker role where he was able to take advantage of his ability to play in tight spaces as well as his finishing ability. Essa continues to show the speed and technical ability that makes him an intriguing prospect for the Whitecaps and has impressed playing PDL so far this season.
    OUTLOOK: It will be highly unlikely that Essa will be going the college route so look for him to go pro either in North America or Europe, with continued development minutes a must.
    SCOUT’S TAKE: "As usual one of the more exciting players on the pitch when you watch the Residency team especially when he takes players on in open space. All Yassin needs to do is improve his consistency and strength so he can continue to grow in his career."
    6 - Marco Carducci
    POS: GK
    HT: 6'0"
    YR: 1996
    HOMETOWN: Calgary, AB
    STATS: 4GP, 3GS, 2CS (U18) / 17GP, 16GS, 4CS (U16)
    ANALYSIS: The reigning Canadian U17 'player of the year' has spent most the season as the leader of a very young U16 side that struggled this season. Carducci played a couple of games for the U18s earning two clean sheets in three starts as well as captaining the U17 Canadian team to a World Cup berth. He reads the play very well, is a good organizer of the backline and is an excellent shot stopper as he proved in the penalty shootout against Honduras.
    OUTLOOK: Next season should see Carducci move up to the U18 side where he will compete with Nolan Wirth for the number one keeper duties.
    SCOUT’S TAKE: "He’s still very young for a goalkeeper but what he has done so far shows what he is capable of becoming in the future. Very mature for his age and a leader on the pitch it’s difficult to imagine he won’t be a professional keeper."
    Just Missing The Cut:
    There were a number of players who just missed making the Top Ten list for Whitecaps Residency players this season. Injuries cost Carlos Marquez almost half the season and the striker was limited when he did return but the attacking player will be joining Langara College for a season where he'll look to continue his progress. Calgary native Mitch Piraux was the regular starter at holding mid where he plays a solid game and started contributing late in the season with some timely goals. A very athletic prospect Quinton Duncan is like most defender prospects who needs time to learn the particulars of the position and might be doing next year at an undisclosed NCAA college.
    [Part Two of the countdown, featuring our top five, will be revealed on Saturday, but get an early sneak peak by listening to our latest podcast on Wednesday]
    Guest
    I did something new this weekend. For the first time in my life, I was a part of a youth soccer festival.
    Now, this a game of semantics I'm playing. I've been a part of many tournaments in the past 20+ years, either as a player, referee, coach or organizer. But this was my first full-on festival -- largely similar to most tournaments I've ever been to, except there was no "knockout" format.
    Instead, all the teams involved (which ranged in age from U6 to U9) played a set number of games in which -- just like during their regular-season recreational campaign -- scores were not officially recorded or distributed. This is all part of a grandfathered-in transition by the Ontario Soccer Association -- as part of the Canadian Soccer Association's long-term player development (LTPD) plan -- to prioritize skill development over competition at the youngest ages.
    So what did I see at this festival? Contrary to the hysterical ramblings of the pseudonymous keyboard warriors commenting on mainstream-media columns about LTPD, I didn't see evidence of a socialist plot to bubble-wrap and sanitize children's lives, or shield them from the terrors of the "real world".
    No, what I saw was hundreds of children, between the ages of six and nine, having fun in a soccer context. And almost as important as what I saw is what I didn't see.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I didn't see any youngsters crying uncontrollably because they were terrified of taking part in a penalty shootout, the sort of thing that's mandated to break ties in a tournament format.
    I didn't see any adults foaming at the mouth and nearly needing to be physically restrained as they hurled verbal abuse at a teenage referee.
    I didn't hear entire sidelines' worth of adults screaming and gesticulating desperately as six-year-olds scrambled to do something -- anything -- with the ball at their feet.
    I didn't encounter any referees saying they wanted nothing more to do with the game because of the pressure, intensity and abuse that went hand-in-hand with the elevated blood pressure that tournaments created.
    None of those are hypothetical, composite examples. Those are all actual, real-life situations I personally have encountered. And I've got more. Lots more.
    But instead, I'd like to focus on another observation I've made. Over the past four years, the no-scores/no-standings/festival format has been gradually introduced in the club with which I'm affiliated. In 2010, it started at U6, while everyone U7 and above still kept score, did playoffs and so on. In 2011, it bumped up to U6 and U7. Last year, U6-U8 did the festival format, while this year the U9s were added too.
    From 2010 to 2012, the club would have a hybrid "finals weekend" for these age divisions, in which some kids were taking part in a festival while others had full-on playoffs, all at the same park. If you dropped someone who'd never seen the game before into the middle of that environment, they could have very easily guessed which games were which, based on the reactions from the adults.
    This year was the first time the U6-U9 divisions all used the festival format, in which no playoffs were taking place, no shootouts would happen and everyone was getting the same prize at the end of it. And I can say with complete honesty that aside from some dodgy weather, it was the calmest and most enjoyable weekend of youth soccer in which I've ever taken part. It's not even close.
    That's not to say there wasn't excitement. Parents and coaches don't become completely docile just because there isn't a trophy on the line (nor should they). But there's a difference between the normal, healthy noise generated by parents watching their kids play a game, and the sort of vicious groupthink antagonism that can take hold of a crowd that's lost sight of what's really important.
    At this festival, no children were left crying about shootouts, because there were none. No parents chased referees because of decisions they'd made, because there was no point. No one on the organizing side came close to feeling as though this was the straw that broke the camel's back for them (though we could have done without the thunderstorms, thank you very much).
    Instead, hundreds of six-to-nine-year-old children got the chance to play a few games of soccer, eat some hot dogs and a slice of pizza, get their faces painted, maybe snag a balloon animal or some thundersticks, and generally just be part of a positive, sport-oriented community environment for at least a few hours.
    If that really, honestly sounds like an irredeemably bad thing to you, you probably need to seriously re-evaluate your connection to youth soccer and/or reality.
    Now, sure, I heard kids asking each other "what was the score?" and "did you win that game?" And yeah, the players had those answers ready to go. But that's something that some critics don't seem to understand -- the idea that "kids will keep score anyway" isn't an effective argument against LTPD, because nobody denies this fact... and because there's nothing wrong with it!
    Of course kids are going to keep score. But it's not the kids we're worried about.
    Whether or not the kids keep score in their own heads, and whether or not their team wins, and whether or not they finish the weekend with a prize that's different than everyone else (based on how their team did) or exactly the same as everyone else's, the ultimate goal should be to create an atmosphere where those young players feel that the game of soccer is an enjoyable experience, and something that they want to continue learning about and being a part of.
    When a seven-year-old associates soccer with "standing on the field and getting frantically yelled at from all sides when the ball comes near me", that's not something they want to keep doing (or, they want to boot that ball away from them as fast as humanly possible). When they see adults yelling and even swearing at one another on the sidelines during or after a game, that's not a particularly healthy connection for them to make with what is supposed to be a recreational endeavour.
    The idea of LTPD isn't -- nor was it ever -- to eliminate competition at all ages. Playoff formats and competitive tournaments still exist for older age divisions, although the festival format is being phased in to even higher divisions starting next year.
    The idea is that by the time things get "serious" for these players, they are old enough and have developed a strong enough relationship to the game of soccer that they are better equipped to handle the idea of eliminations, uneven prize distribution and yes... even shootouts.
    Some of the keyboard warriors will insist that "kids need to learn how to lose", before scattering off to expel their rage in the comments section of a different story, probably about a politician about whose election they are still bitter. Yeah, "learn how to lose" indeed.
    Even in a soccer context, the "learn how to lose" argument is bogus, based on my personal experience. Now, despite what you may believe, based on the impeccable analysis of the sport that I provide via this website, I'm actually rather mediocre at playing the game of soccer. And by mediocre I mean bad.
    I was part of a lot of bad teams growing up. In 15 years of recreational play, I accumulated exactly zero trophies. If there was anyone who should have "learned how to lose" via youth recreational soccer, it would have been me.
    And yet here I am, as an adult... still kicking, swearing and pulling out what little hair I have left after every disappointing result from Toronto FC or a Canadian national team. No, I've never learned how to lose (even though the teams I stubbornly support seem to be quite adept at it).
    Sure, there's something for kids to learn from playing youth recreational soccer. But it's not "learning how to lose"... it's "learning to love the game".
    And from everything that I've seen and experienced, a festival does a much better job of teaching a seven-year-old to love the game than a "high-stakes" tournament ever could.
    Other attempts to make the case for LTPD:
    How the advocates can win the messaging war
    The OSA's president weighs in
    What's going on in Alberta?
    .
    Guest
    Bad joke: What do you call a draw in MLS?
    A TFC win.
    Toronto FC won in Houston Saturday night!
    It's easy to be cynics with this team, but the truth is that it's important to look at the bottom line sometimes. The Reds got back-to-back points on the road for the first time in about a year and did it in a place where it isn't very easy to play.
    Sure, Houston is struggling right now, but they are still the two time defending Eastern Conference champions and a team that went nearly a year without losing at home.
    Win at home, draw on the road. It's a tried and true formula the world over. So, Reds fans should take Saturday's 0-0 and run.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    That's especially the case in that it represents just the second clean sheet of the year and first in league play for TFC. It was also Joe Bendik's first shut-out of his Reds career (Stefan Frei was in goal for the ACC clean sheet earlier this year).
    All good things.
    As was another stat on the night: Seven.
    That is to say that of TFC's starting XI, seven players were born in 1988 or later. An astounding three were born after Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit hit No 1 on the Billboard charts.
    This space has been critical of Kevin Payne for not always doing what he says he is doing, but it will give credit where it's due -- the Reds promised to start building a young core and all evidence suggests that they are doing just that.
    In soccer terms TFC is mostly still in diapers.
    Which is why there is still the odd puddle or two left on the pitch in critical situations.
    Everyone stayed dry at the end of the game Saturday. And, that's the thing we should celebrate most of all. Tobias is still lurking, but he's mostly stayed away the last two weeks.
    However, this is still a team with just two wins. All can't be that rosy. They weren't perfect at the end -- they play way too deep and give up possession way too easily for my liking.
    Additionally, the club still doesn't produce much of anything going forward. The only good scoring chance TFC had was off a corner in the first half. Houston wasn't really troubled otherwise.
    As much as the attention has consistently been focused on the defence the attack has pretty much been kick it towards Earnshaw and hope. You're not going to win many games that way.
    So, to finish with one more positive, a slightly longer appearance from Danny Korvermans might have been the most exciting this of all. If it hasn't been 300F in the shade (approximately) it's likely the Dutchman gets a longer run out. And, if there is any chance at getting into the playoff conversation (they are 11 points back with 19 games to play - it's not likely, but not impossible they could at least play a game that matters in September) they need Koevermans to catch fire.
    Therein lies a bit of a dilemma -- do you play a kid less time to make room for one more vet on the line-up? It's easy to say they shouldn't from the sidelines, when you're not staring at increasingly more and more empty seats and a fan base that is no longer paying enough attention to appreciate a short term pain for long term gain approach.
    Guest
    Gordon Forrest arrived in Vancouver to take over as the head coach of Vancouver Whitecaps' Residency program at the start of November last year.
    He headed down to Seattle the day after he arrived to watch the team go down to a 4-2 loss to the Sounders at Starfire. It was their third defeat in their first five games and there appeared to be a lot of work to do to turn last year's USSDA Championship game runners-up into contenders once again this year.
    Forrest quickly got to work, promoted some of the top talent from the U16s and officially took charge of his first game away to De Anza Force on November 17th. The Caps won 4-2 and it was a sign of things to come.
    Under Forrest's management the U18s have played 23 games, winning 18, drawing 2 and losing only 3. They have lost only one game in 2013 and head into the playoffs as the highest scorers at that USSDA age range and as one of the most in-form teams in 'playoffs week', being unbeaten in 12.
    We caught up with Gordon before he headed off to Dallas to ask him about the playoffs, the opposition the Whitecaps will face there and what the expectations are for the week.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It's a tough looking draw, but equally as tough will be the hot and humid Texan conditions, with temperatures expected to be in the mid to high 30's but feeling in the mid to high 40's.
    At the training session we watched last Monday, it was in the low 20s in Burnaby and the players were all wearing layers of extra gear to try and simulate what they are going to be facing in Dallas the best that they can. It was tiring just watching them.
    So how well does this acclimatise them for the conditions that they're going to be playing in and just how does Gordon and his team prepare the players for such heat?
    <i>"I think the good thing that we've got is that some of the guys have been there last year, so it's not going to be unexpected to them. We prepare them with the thought in their head that it's going to be hot. We go into little bits of detail and doing whatever we can to try and mentally prepare the guys and then we're the support mechanism around them.
    "We've thought, it's been hot a few days in Vancouver let's train with more training gear on just to get that feeling of how your mental side goes when you're feeling tired, fatigued and too hot, so again, whether this helps or not, it's something a little extra that we've done with the guys. As I say, some will know what this is all about playing in this heat."</i>
    And will the conditions dictate how Vancouver will have to play these games?
    <i>"We're going to review how we play potentially. We can't be all attack all the time or all pressing all the time, so we've got to be tactically right in the game and how we see the game going and that will be the same for the opposition as well.
    "We've got to make sure that physically and on the medical side of things that we're ready with our water breaks, our ice towels. Every little bit of detail we'll do our best to make sure that the guys have got every piece of equipment and every little piece of knowledge and preparation that we can.
    "We've obviously done these sessions. It's been quite warm in Vancouver, but it's not going to be to that extent. We've got a day's training when we first arrive. We can't push them in the training but at least they'll get a feel for being out in the field and what the temperature is going to be like.
    "It's just a technical and tactical preparation. We've got to just try to think of all these little different techniques for how we can get these guys ready, so there's been a great deal of effort put in to that."</i>
    The playoffs mostly throw up unknown opposition and this is the case for the Whitecaps this year as they face two other MLS academies in Chicago and Houston and the team with the best defensive record in the playoffs, PA Classics (you can read out full comprehensive playoff preview <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?4665-Whitecaps-U18s-2013-USSDA-playoffs-preview" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
    So what do the Caps know of these teams going into the games and do they have much chance to fully scout and prepare for them?
    <i>"In terms of preparation, this is the next phase of development for these guys in their program and their development. We use the games we've had and the games we've played in as good preparation to keep progressing and keep taking it in to the playoffs.
    "We obviously know our opposition now. Like any form of football it's good to get as much information as you can on who you're going to play against. We've done preparation with the guys in our regular season with match footage of the opposition. We break it down before we go into training, before we go into games. We use our match analysis tool to do that and to deliver it to the players.
    "This is potentially a little bit different as we've not got as much footage but we do our best to try and find what we can and we'll break down the opposition if we can and then we'll just look at certain stats and certain results. Every little bit of detail sort of helps but I think the main point of the thing is that we really focus on ourselves and our belief and our ethos and our style of play.
    "When the guys are on form, they're really good. They've had some really good team and some really good individual performances over the season. I think most of all we keep our strength and we focus on our belief but we do look into the opposition and see what we can find out."</i>
    With the U18s making 'Finals Week' last year and eventually losing out in the Championship game, what are the expectations this year.
    Are they focussed on going one better, is it take every game as it comes or is it still more just about player development at this stage?
    <i>"I think you chuck everything in there. We've obviously got to focus on developing young players. For me, this next phase, if you want to call it phase two before phase three if we get through, is good for them in terms of their development.
    "It's a different environment. There's added pressures. There's going to be a little more emphasis on the winning of the match. We always focus on the performance and the effort that we put in to games. We'll go to these playoffs putting in that maximum performance, that maximum effort and I know the guys are in a good space."</i>
    What is the mood like amongst the players. Nervous, excited, both?
    <i>"They're really hungry for this. They're really looking forward to getting to the playoffs, especially the few that were in the 16s last year. They were unfortunate, they never lost a game and they never got through to the last phase, which was gutting for these guys. They want to go there and they want to do well.
    "From our preparation, we've prepared them the best that we can and we'll still stick to our beliefs and ethos and our style of play. We want to go and represent the Club the best that we can, so fingers crossed that the guys can perform on the day.
    "It's a mental challenge as well, especially this group, and again the group that we've got is a little bit different from last year's group. We've got four or five 1996 borns in this squad for the 18s which is great. So they're potentially going to get another few years at attending playoffs hopefully.
    "So it's all very good for the Club. This phase is all very good for their development as young players."</i>
    All very encouraging and hopefully we can continue to see the Residency program grow and go from strength to strength in the next few years.
    Many thanks to Gordon for taking the time to chat with us before he headed off to Dallas and opening up training to let us talk with a number of the guys.
    We wish everyone all the very best and look forward to following the results as the week goes on.
    The first group game kicks off at 5pm PST on Monday, with the young Caps taking on Chicago Fire Academy.
    Stay tuned to our <a href="https://twitter.com/aftncanada" target="_blank"><u>Twitter</u></a> account for all the latest news and updates.
    Good luck guys.
    <p>
    Guest
    Vancouver Whitecaps U18s are heading in to the United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) playoffs on the back of a 12 match unbeaten streak, winning ten of their last eleven and having lost only one game in 2013.
    There is no doubt that the Caps are heading into the playoffs as one of the most in-form teams and that's just as well because they have been placed in a tough Group 1 with two other MLS academy teams and the team with the best U18 defensive record (and second best in both of the age ranges).
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    When the USSDA originally made the draw the Caps were grouped with two 'playoff pool' sides, 11th ranked Chicago Fire affiliate, Indiana Fire Academy, and 19th ranked Kendall SC out of Miami, along with 10th ranked wildcarders, and old foes, Pateadores.
    There was an error in the pot placements and Points Per Game (PPG) stats however and it all had to be redrawn!
    The result was that Vancouver are now placed with only one 'playoff pool' team and two 'wildcard' sides, and one of their opponents will be very used to the Texas heat and humidity.
    The U18 playoff group games are being played over four days, from Monday 24th to Thursday 27th, and the Caps will face two evening kick offs and an early morning one.
    First up are <b>Chicago Fire</b> tomorrow evening at 7pm CDT (5pm PST).
    The Fire Academy play in the Mid-America Division of the Central Conference, where they finished in 5th place, eleven points behind divisional winners Shattuck-Saint Mary's Soccer Academy. It was a performance that sees them ranked 7th in the 'wildcard pool'.
    Chicago finished the season with a record of 14 wins, 6 draws and 7 losses from their 27 games for a 1.78 PPG average. They scored 52 goals and conceded 26, keeping eight clean sheets in the process.
    The Fire's top scorer is Jeffrey Farina, with 17 goals from 25 appearances and he has already committed to Notre Dame University to continue his footballing career.
    Chicago are heading in to the playoffs unbeaten in three, with four wins out of their last five and three clean sheets.
    On paper, they look to be the easiest of the three games for Vancouver, so it's nice to kick off the week with that. But as we learned last year, you can't take anything for granted in these playoff games, with the Caps losing their first match against Pateadores 3-2, after visibly tiring in the latter stages due to the unfamiliarity with the heat and conditions.
    They still managed to win their group thankfully but it's a lesson that the Caps don't want to repeat and the team went through rigorous preparation before they left Vancouver, playing in added kit and long sleeves to try and simulate some of the conditions. At least it was hot here before they left.
    The conditions will undoubtedly be a factor, with highs expected of around 37 degrees but feeling like 45. It's crazy, and as we said last year, there is no way that they should be playing games in those conditions. There has to be a better option.
    The team next up for Vancouver, at 7.15pm (5.15pm PST) on Tuesday, will be very familiar with the hot and humid Texan conditions.
    The 16th ranked <b>Houston Dynamo Academy</b> side are the only team the Caps will face from the 'playoff pool'.
    Houston play in the Frontier Division of the Central Conference, where they finished third this season, one point behind second placed Solar Chelsea SC and four back of divisional winners, and last year's U18 USSDA Champions, FC Dallas.
    The Dynamo finished the season with a record of 15 wins, 7 draws and 5 losses from their 27 games for a 1.93 PPG average. They scored 52 goals and conceded 34, with Bryan Salazar grabbing 12 of them. Salazar is a dangerman for the Caps to watch, having become the Dynamo's fifth homegrown player to come onto their MLS roster in February of this year.
    Houston kept eight clean sheets all season and are coming in to the playoffs with two wins in their last three games, the last of which being a 1-0 away win in Dallas.
    The young Caps will at least get a day to recover from the conditions on Wednesday, having the day off before getting back to action bright and early on Thursday morning to face East Petersburg, Pennsylvania side <b>PA Classics</b> at 9.00am CDT (7.00am PST).
    Although officially a 'wildcard' team, PA Classics are very highly rated and are affiliates of Philadelphia Union.
    The game is set to be a battle between the highest scoring side in the U18s, and indeed in all of USSDA (Vancouver Whitecaps - 87 goals), and the U18 team which has conceded the least goals over the course of the season (PA Classics - 15 goals).
    The highest goals for v the lowest goals against. Something's got to give and hopefully it's going to be wearing a Pennsylvania jersey. They will be a very hard team for the Whitecaps to breakdown and will really test their attacking firepower. Whether the Caps can find a way through or not in this one could be the key to their playoff success.
    With it coming in the last game of the group at least they'll know what they need to do and who knows, the job might already be done by then. If they need to get a result and are struggling to find a way through then it will be a really good test of this team's character.
    PA play in the highly competitive Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, where they finished fourth this season behind three of the top ten ranked playoff teams, including divisional champs Baltimore Bays Chelsea.
    PA Classics finished the season with a record of 14 wins, 7 draws and just 4 losses from their 25 games, for a 1.96 PPG average, which is higher than five of the 'playoff pool' ranked teams. They scored 42 goals and, as mentioned above,
    conceded just an amazing 15 goals (0.6 per game) over the season, which included 12 clean sheets.
    PA's top scorer is Joseph Julius, who grabbed 16 goals in 25 games in his first season after moving up from U16 level and has already committed to NCAA Division 2 school, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE Cougars), as well as being an Union prospect.
    PA Classics are heading in to the playoffs unbeaten in five, winning three of those and recording a 6-0 win over Richmond Strikers to round off their regular season on June 2nd.
    The Caps U18s flew out of Vancouver on a direct flight to Dallas earlier this afternoon and will have a day of light training on Sunday to try and get a quick acclimatisation to the conditions. The U16s showcase runs from Tuesday to Friday and they will fly out on Sunday.
    It's going to be a tough week, but there is no doubt that the Whitecaps are ready for it and we'll find out more about their thoughts on the week and their preparations when we catch up with coach Gordon Forrest tomorrow.
    <p>
    Guest
    It's <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/tags.php?tag=residency+week" target="_blank"><i>"Residency Week"</i> once again here on AFTN.
    Last year's <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/tags.php?tag=residency+week" target="_blank"><i><u>Residency Week</u></i></a> proved to be very popular and it's one of the features we most enjoy putting together, showcasing the success of the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency program. So much so that we're going to all Beatles on you and have <i>eights days a week</i>.
    The Caps U18s are going to be our main focus on AFTN these next eight days and we have a lot planned for you once again, but don't worry, we'll still be bringing you any breaking news about the MLS Caps as well.
    So what do we have in store?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Coming up this week are interviews with Residency players, and Canadian U17 heroes, <b>Marco Bustos</b> and <b>Jordan Haynes</b>. We'll be running interviews with them on the site about the Caps' season, the playoffs and their World Cup qualifying exploits back in April.
    We'll have a special Residency themed podcast on Wednesday where we'll hear from two of the key players for the U18s in their quest to land a national championship before they head off to further their development in NCAA, <b>Brody Huitema</b> and <b>Spencer DeBoice</b>.
    Back to the written pieces and with the Residency program moving their base to be out of UBC from the fall, we chat with <b>Bobby Lenarduzzi</b> about the importance of that move to the Caps and what it will mean for the young players to be using the same facilities as the first team.
    One of the Residency products come good of course is Russell Teibert and we'll have a look back on his rise from the program to the first team.
    We're also going to run our in-depth, two part 2013 "Ones To Watch" top ten countdown of the best young Caps talent at the moment, and possibly a couple of other surprises too, as we aim to bring you unparalleled coverage of the Whitecaps Residency program.
    But let's kick things off with the first of two articles today as we look back at the 2012/13 United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) season and how the Caps U18s reached the playoffs once again.
    Check back later tonight for our look at the challenges that they will face now that they're there, in our preview of the group games. And coming up tomorrow we get the playoff thoughts of Head Coach <b>Gordon Forrest</b>.
    The 2011/12 season was a tremendous debut in the USSDA for the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency teams.
    As the first Canadian sides to enter the system, they set a high standard for others to follow and for the current crop to continue the legacy.
    Both the Caps U18s and the U16s won their 'West Conference - Northwest Division' Championships, and they did so in some style. In the playoffs, the U18s made 'Finals Week' after a tough battle in the Texas heat and losing their first group game, before eventually losing out 3-2 in the Championship game against Dallas in July. The U16s nearly joined them in 'Final Week', agonisingly losing their playoff group by a goal difference of two.
    Last season was the end of an era in many ways. A lot of the U18s we'd watched grow moved on to college and other pastures new. Two of them, Caleb Clarke and Bryce Alderson were added to the MLS squad as homegrown players. Many U16s made the step up to the next level and a new crop of talent came through the ranks.
    The 2012/13 season has been a rebuilding one for the U16s. Craig Dalrymple dropped down an age group to coach the team and after losing so much talent at the end of the previous season and the promotion of some of the top current talent to the U18s for this one, the decision was made to blood a lot of the 97s and 98s. The result has been a challenging season, which saw the guys miss out on the playoffs, finishing sixth in their Division with a record of 8 wins, 3 draws and 17 losses from their 28 games.
    The most goals they scored in a game was six, when they beat Sporting Kansas City 6-3 in the Florida showcase on December 2nd. The most goals they conceded in a game was four. They did that on four occasions, going down 4-1 to Strikers FC and in their biggest losses of the season, losing 4-0 away to Seattle and Portland and at home to Crossfire Premier in the last game of the season. Their biggest win of the season came on May 5th when they beat Santa Cruz Breakers Academy 5-0 at home.
    It may have been a tough season but it has also been a great learning one for the team. They have shown improvements and finished the season strongly with two wins from their last four games. The group will be better for it all and more competitive next season and will also head to Dallas for 'playoff week' to take part in the USSDA showcase.
    There are a number of exciting players to keep your development eye on from this 96 to 98 group, amongst them Canadian U17 player of the year, goalkeeper Marco Carducci (pictured); fellow Canadian U17 stars Marco Bustos, Matthew Chow, Alex Comsia and Jordan Haynes; eight goal striker Dario Zanetta; and midfielders Thomas Gardner and David Norman Jr.
    This season has been another banner one for the U18s. A second consecutive West Conference - Northwest Division Championship was secured by six points in the end, but it wasn't all plain sailing for the guys and they struggled a little in the early stages of the season, as the new look side tried to gel and find their groove.
    They only won one and lost three of their first five matches before the appointment of new Head Coach <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?3836-Gordon-Forrest-chats-with-AFTN" target="_blank"><u>Gordon Forrest</u></a>. He officially took over for the mid November game against De Anza Force, kicked off with a win and the team hasn't looked back since under his tenure and coaching methods, bringing a number of the top U16s into the mix early on with one eye already on the future, and suffering only three further losses in their remaining 23 matches.
    The team are heading in to the playoffs on the back of a 12 match unbeaten streak, winning ten of their last eleven and they have only lost one game in 2013.
    They eventually finished with a record of 19 wins, 3 draws and 6 losses from their 28 games, scoring 87 goals and conceding 38, averaging 2.14 points from their games played (PPG). They kept nine clean sheets and only failed to score once all season.
    The PPG stat is the key in determining playoff placings and it was good enough to give the Caps a top group seeding in 8th position.
    That phenomenal 87 goals for total was the highest of any side in the USSDA, at any age range. From that total 44 of the goals were provided by star strikers Brody Huitema and Yassin Essa.
    Brody was only able to play in 22 of the games due to a wrist injury he suffered, but he still managed to bang in 26 goals for a 1.18 goals per game average. Last season, Caleb Clarke set the regular season alive with 24 goals in 23 appearances and a 1.04 average.
    Everyone was waiting to see how Brody would do in moving up another age level and he was really on fire, finishing as the highest scorer in the whole of the USSDA and making his MLS Reserves debut for the Caps.
    Yassin contributed 18 goals and saw impressive minutes for the Caps in Reserve and PDL action and it will be interesting to see where his next development stage takes him.
    The most goals they scored in a game was nine in a huge 9-0 away romp over San Juan SC on January 19th. This was unsurprisingly also their biggest win of the season, although it was closely followed by an 8-0 hammering of Santa Cruz Breakers Academy at UBC on May 5th.
    The most goals they conceded in a game was six when they lost a horrible game 6-3 to Portland Timbers at South Surrey Athletic Park on December 16th. It really was the nightmare before Christmas, especially as they had been 2-0 up after 21 minutes. That three goal defeat was also their biggest loss along with a 3-0 defeat at Strikers FC in the second game of the season.
    Like last season, a number of Residency stalwarts have reached the end of the youth development line and are moving on to pastures new.
    Spencer DeBoice has impressed many, coming in to a rich vein of form since the turn of the year and also impressing at PDL level. He will be moving to NCAA Division 2 action with Simon Fraser University, as the Clan look to go better than their 'Final Four' spot last year and bring home the Championship.
    Teammate Brody Huitema is heading east for NCAA Division 1 action with Duke Blue Devils, whilst goalkeeper Sean Melvin is heading to North Carolina Tar Heels. Carlos Marques is staying local with Langara we're led to believe.
    Highly rated defender Sam Adekugbe (pictured) has another year with the U18s, but after impressing with the Reserves, I wouldn't be surprised to see him get the chance of a full MLS contract, although we are likely to still see him in USSDA action as well.
    As always, we wish all the departees well and we'll be keeping a close eye on their footballing futures.
    For now though, all of the attention turns to playoff action and everyone is looking to see if the Whitecaps can go one better than last year's U18 Championship game.
    They're in a tough group and the pressure will be on in the heat and humidity of Dallas. We'll bring you all the details of what lies ahead for them tomorrow.
    <p>
    Guest
    As the season changes from spring to summer Toronto FC roll into Houston coming off something they hadn’t had in the league since the last weeks of winter: a win. And, shock of shocks, it’s actually the normally consistent Dynamo who are currently mired in a five-game winless streak that extends back to May 8th.
    In fact, the last MLS team the Dynamo proved capable of beating was the same as Toronto: lowly DC United. Since then, their league record 36 game home unbeaten streak came to an end and, after having never lost at BBVA Compass stadium since it opened, they’ve actually gone down to defeat in their last two home games.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Even the US Open Cup provided little joy as Houston was bounced from the competition by Texan rivals FC Dallas in their only match against MLS competition.
    Their most recent match saw them soundly defeated away to Conference leading Montreal in mid-week in a game that seemed to solidify the Impact’s position as the team to beat in the East in 2013.
    It’s hardly panic stations on the Gulf coast of Texas but, for a club expected to be title challengers, the late spring dip in form is a concern as the Eastern Conference playoff race begins to coalesce into something meaningful.
    The good news for Houston, beyond facing Toronto FC, is that Brad Davis will be available for selection again after a number of weeks away on U.S. national team duty. Davis had a somewhat bumpy international break, being singled out for criticism by American journalists on more than one occasion, but, in MLS, he’s still an elite player with an acknowledged ability to change the outcome of games. In his absence, the offense for Houston has dried up and they’ve only managed two goals during the course of their winless run.
    The status of Houston’s other major internationalist, Honduran Oscar Boniek Garcia, remains somewhat in doubt. Garcia picked up a hamstring strain while away with his national side that rendered him doubtful for the Tuesday evening match against the USA. In the end he ended up making an appearance as a late second half substitute but, as a consequence, may now be unavailable for the Dynamo.
    From Toronto’s perspective the possibility of a full return for Danny Koevermans is the major roster consideration confronting TFC head coach Ryan Nelsen. The talismanic Dutch striker made a cameo appearance three weeks ago at home to Philadelphia, his first match action in nearly a year, just in time to see the Reds concede a late equalizer to the Union, but was subsequently limited to the substitutes’ bench during TFC’s win in DC.
    A player of Koevermans’ calibre (and pay grade) can only be protected for so long and, at some point, Nelsen will have to risk exposing him to the rigours of actual game action. Whether or not that’s right from the start or a second, longer substitute appearance is likely the question.
    Notwithstanding considerations of Koevermans’ fitness and durability the other consideration for Nelsen will be messing with a formula that, after so many fits, nearlies, and false starts, finally managed to produce a win. Taken into consideration with the team’s solid performance against Philadelphia it’s possible that Nelsen has happened upon a group of starters he’s mostly happy with and might be disinclined to shuffle.
    On the other hand, Doniel Henry is available again after serving his suspension for the red card he picked up against the Union and, prior to that enforced absence, had been preferred to Gale Agbossoumonde in central defence.
    And, on the offensive side of the ball, it should not be ignored that, while Toronto may have scored two goals in a league game for the first time since early April, they only managed one shot on goal against a DC defense that is amongst the worst in the league. One goal was from a speculative “hoof ball” of the most agricultural variety, that somehow Robert Earnshaw managed to get on the end of, and the other an own goal. From open play Toronto is continuing to create very little.
    That’s something that a (hopefully) fit and predatory Danny Koevermans could help with but who makes way for him – Silva, Earnshaw, or one of the midfielders? – is hard to predict and whether Nelsen’s willing to take the risk an open question.
    Guest
    Let's say it right off the top: If you haven't been rooting for Tahiti in this year's Confederations Cup, you've got no soul.
    The prospect of a super-minnow like Tahiti taking the field against some of the global superpowers, in a showcase FIFA tournament, should be enough to send the "warm and fuzzy" instincts of any sports fan into overdrive.
    How minnowy is Tahiti? When they look up in the FIFA rankings, they see the backsides of such local juggernauts as St. Vincent and the Grenadies. Yes, the country that brought us the sweet treats of Philip's Bakery is watching Tahiti get smoked 10-0 on the grand stage and thinking, "that could have been us!"
    But then, surely there are Canadian fans thinking the same thing. Hell, that's our mindset during most men's FIFA tournaments -- most of all, during the World Cup. That'll be the case at Brazil 2014, and the more pessimistic among CanMNT supporters are already convinced it'll also be the case in 2018 and even 2022.
    Let's say, though, that we live long enough to see Canada get back to the men's World Cup. What, precisely, is our ambition once we get there?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Tahiti reached their lofty ambition of scoring a goal early in the second half against Nigeria. Even though their goal differential is -15 after two games (and will surely balloon further by the time the weekend's over), Jonathan Tehau gave an entire nation a moment to remember forever -- and ensured that nine months from now, a lot of kids in Tahiti will bear the name Jonathan.
    That tally, by the way, means Tahiti now has one more all-time goal in men's senior FIFA competitions than Canada does.* Nothing at Mexico 1986 (except a crossbar), and nothing at the 2001 Confederations Cup.
    That's not news to most followers of the men's national team. Indeed, while qualifying for the World Cup would be the culmination of years (and years and years) of emotional investment (and, by and large, subsequent heartbreak), the main task at hand would be to see Canada score its first-ever goal at the men's World Cup.
    Whatever happens in the rest of the tournament, many Canadians would be entirely satisfied with simply witnessing that once-in-a-lifetime moment, a breakthrough that can never be replicated... and would, nine months later, name their children accordingly (depending on who Canada's goal-scorer is).
    But is that enough?
    Anyone not rooting for Tahiti in this competition isn't soulless because of some inherent virtue of the Tahitian team (though their daring, attacking approach has been a pleasant surprise). No, you have to root for Tahiti because the foibles of the Confederations Cup qualifying process, the years-old move of Australia to the Asian qualifying zone and what was surely an anomalous slip-up by New Zealand in last year's Oceania Cup of Nations all conspired to create a situation where a hopelessly, comedically over-matched team of amateurs finds itself playing the world champions in a 60,000-seat stadium.
    They are, as some of the promotional material has suggested, the "ultimate underdog".
    For a team in their position, simply being there should be enough. And as for scoring a goal -- well, as the on-field, in-stadium and post-game reaction from all involved showed, that truly was a dream come true.
    It's a heart-warming tale because of the circumstances. But should Canadian fans aspire to more?
    It'll be at least another five years (at the very, very least) before we even get to contemplate what it will be like to see a team of 11 Canadians take the field at the World Cup. Plenty can change between then and now, both in terms of the team and each individual fan's sense of connection to them. Me included. So we can't pretend to know how we'll really feel and react if and when that day comes.
    But seeing the pat-on-the-head, aren't-you-guys-cute excitement over Tahiti's quest in the Confederations Cup makes me think maybe we need to aim higher.
    Sure, Canada qualifying for the World Cup could herald the long-awaited "breakthrough moment", when the men's national team crosses over from an esoteric novelty into a fully-accepted and supported element of the national sporting consciousness.
    But while making the big show in "just happy to be there" mode would be sweet satisfaction to long-suffering Voyageurs, if the team finds itself clearly outgunned and in complete survival mode for 270 minutes -- that could actually have a negative impact on the perception of the team. Finally, at long last, soccer fans in Canada see the national team in the World Cup and... what? They're delirious just to score one goal, scattered among three ignominious losses?
    Don't get me wrong: This is not a prediction of what will happen.
    We have absolutely no clue how the landscape of the national team and CONCACAF will change in the years ahead. We have no clue who will take the field for Canada in that amazing tournament (hell, some of those men may be in elementary school right now... or in diapers.) And we have no clue how they'll do -- maybe, in that magical day off in the future, an appearance in the knockout stages will be a totally realistic and attainable achievement for Les Rouges.
    When Tahiti takes the field in its final Confederations Cup match this Sunday, I'll be sending my footie goodwill in their direction, just like most other fans across the world.
    But I won't be sighing "that could be us". I don't want that to be us.
    I don't want Canada's next appearance in the World Cup to be a quirky one-off, the product of a strange confluence of circumstances and luck. I want them to have earned their place, and be ready to have us celebrating not just their first World Cup goal, but their second, third and beyond.
    * To appease one Canadian soccer history aficionado who may be reading this -- for privacy reasons, we'll just call him Richard W... no, that's too obvious; I mean R. Whittall -- I believe I'm obligated to mention that Ontario-based Galt F.C. scored 11 goals at the 1904 Olympics.
    .
    Guest
    It hasn't been the best week for the Canadian women's national team. They lost 1-0 to Germany in a game they were badly out played, dropped a spot in the FIFA rankings and, on an individual level, watched Abby Wambach win the "race" to break the all-time women's scoring record.
    More concerning was the lack of any breakout performance by the younger players -- save Kadeisha Buchanan --against Germany. Sure, some didn't fall on their face, but we need players that are doing more than just surviving.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]The bronze buzz may have worn off. Will Edmonton be able to match the excitement we saw in Toronto and draw more than 20,000? Not sure how, with the team close to invisible and the Oilers taking most of the attention by the time the game rolls around
    That invisibility makes the peripheral things talked about off the top more important. Not a lot of media talked about the Germany game ( especially before the game) but many will pick up that they slipped a spot in the ranking. And they'll do so completely out of context.
    With Sinclair it's more of an opportunity lost. Wambach isn't being talked about in Canada today, but if the roles had been reversed Sinclair would have lead off the sportscasts today
    Beyond the trivial, the way Wambach pulled away from Sinclair ( it was tied a year ago, it's 160-145 now) illustrates a major issue with Canada right now-- no one else can score for the team and because of that Sinclair can't find space.
    Which brings us back to the lack of a breakout player.
    Less than 2-years until the 2015 World Cup kicks off...
    Guest
    Well, here we go. I guess. Canada is set to try and rescue its 2013 Gold Cup against Mexico.
    No problem then.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Forget that the players don't seem to care and that there is no one on the team that can score. Instead, focus on the positives!
    No, not that we are one day closer to death and thus closer from being spared the burden of cheering for this team. That would be negative. Try, instead, to imagine the possibilities. Mexico is young, this isn't their World Cup team. They looked vulnerable against Panama.
    Maybe the loss to Martinique lit a fire under the ass of a few of Canada's players. Mexico has been known to completely self-destruct from time to time. And Canada's all time record is better against them then it really should be.
    Hell, if Canada wins and Panama beats Martinique WE COULD STILL WIN THE GROUP!!!
    The west coast Voyageurs are in Seattle ready and willing to do what it takes. Far be it from me to suggest that they find out where the referee is for the match and remind him that we come from a country where our national sports both involve players hitting other players with heavy wooden objects.
    That would be wrong.
    Convincing the Mexicans that Richard "El Gol de Oro" Hastings is making a comeback! Well, that would just be smart. (Actually, does anyone know what Richard is up to? We could use the warm body).
    I'm coming around. This is going to be glorious! VICTORY!!! I can taste it.
    It will be an inspired performance, the first of five straight wins ending with a 5-0 win over Martinique in the final. It's going to be awesome.
    Or, more likely we'll lose by three, but the beer will still be cold. So, try and enjoy the game. I mean it could be worse, right?
    We could be watching TFC.
    Guest
    <i>Following our original story on June 14th about David Ousted joining Vancouver Whitecaps, the club confirmed the announcement today. He is eligible to play when the international transfer window opens on July 9th. Below is our original article on Ousted, which we've bumped up to today's date in case you missed it. Basically an everything you need to know about the Danish keeper. We even have the size of carrot thrown at him earlier this year!</i>
    <center>********************</center>
    Scandinavian websites are reporting that 28 year old Danish goalkeeper David Ousted is set to join Vancouver Whitecaps in the summer transfer window in a move that will surprise many.
    With three fairly strong goalkeepers already on the books, albeit each with particular weaknesses, strengthening between the sticks wasn't really top of everyone's agenda at this very moment in time.
    That said, the Caps would be picking up a highly rated keeper back in his native Denmark and it is a position that needs to be upgraded in the future, so why not now if the opportunity arises?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Martin Rennie ramped up speculation and internet sleuthing when he eluded to an imminent transfer earlier this week on Team Radio's Whitecaps Daily show, saying <i>"There's two or three really key positions that we have to fill, that we have to get right, and we think that we've managed to fill one of those"</i>, before adding <i>"Soon we will make an announcement.....we believe we've made an acquisition that will be a really key piece for us, not just right now this season, although we really hope they can make an impact this season, but also going forward for years to come"</i>.
    David Ousted certainly seems to fit that bill and he would have a friendly fellow Scandinavian face in the squad right away with Norwegian goalkeeping coach Marius Røvde.
    The Danish football website <a href="http://www.bold.dk/nyt/David-Ousted-paa-vej-til-MLS" target="_blank">'Bold'</a> (Danish for 'Ball') first reported that negotiations were taking place between Ousted and the Caps on May 27th and revealed that the keeper had been recommended to Vancouver by his American international teammate Charlie Davies. The Norwegian website <a href="http://www.siste.no/fotball/eliteserien/article6680832.ece" target="_blank">Siste</a> confirmed the deal two days later.
    Ousted has played his last three seasons with Danish Superliga club Randers FC, having previously played for fellow Danish sides Brøndby, Hellerup IK and SønderjyskE. He also has international experience and has been involved in Denmark's U21, U20 and U19 camps whilst at Brøndby, and was capped at youth levels before that. He made one appearance for the Danish U19 side in a friendly against the Czech Republic in 2003.
    Prior to joining Randers, Ousted spent three seasons with SønderjyskE and despite the South Jutland club finishing one place higher in the 2009-10 Danish Superliga, the keeper decided to make the switch to Randers in a swap deal, lured in part by the opportunity to play Europa League football, which his new team had qualified for via the nonsense that is the "Fair Play" entry.
    Randers' coach Jacob Nielsen said of Ousted at the time of the transfer that he felt that the keeper had all the aspects that he was looking for in his number one goalkeeper.
    Ousted made his debut for Randers in their Europa League First Qualifying Round home leg against Luxemburg side F91 Dudelange and played in all six of Randers' qualifiers in the competition, conceding 8 goals and keeping one clean sheet, before they bowed out to Swiss side Lausanne in the final qualifying round.
    He went on to make 103 total appearances for the Hestene over three years in all competitions, keeping 35 cleans sheets (one every three games) and conceding 117 goals (1.14 per game).
    Now those stats are pretty impressive on their own, but when you consider than in amongst all of that, Randers were relegated in Ousted's first season with the club, before bouncing back with a second place promotion the following season, they look even better.
    Ousted's 14 clean sheets last season helped Randers to a third placed finish in the Danish Superliga, Europa League qualification on merit and a Danish Cup final loss to Esbjerg. His performances saw him named to the Superliga 'Team of the Week' on five occasions last season.
    He was involved in a rather bizarre incident at his former club Brøndby in March this year, when the home fans pelted him with a number of lighters and "a carrot of approx 16cm and diameter of 4 cm at thickest point". No flying carrots reported in MLS so far, so he should be ok here.
    The 6 foot 3 inch keeper's contract expired at the end of the season and with no agreement reached on an extension, and with a new overseas adventure beckoning, it seems that Ousted has decided to make the move to Major League Soccer. As you can see from the picture above, the initials VW were already ingrained on his mind!
    There will be the obvious comparisons made to Sporting Kansas City's Danish keeper Jimmy Nielsen. If he's anywhere near as good as him, or half as crazy, then that will do for me!
    So if the reports are correct and Ousted will be joining Vancouver in a few weeks, the big question now is what would this transfer mean to the Caps three current keepers? All of them have their strengths, but they also all have their weaknesses as well. Morph them all together and we could be looking at a killer keeper.
    At 38, MLS legend Joe Cannon isn't getting any younger, with perhaps some niggling injuries, and after recently losing his starting place to Brad Knighton, you have to wonder if he's maybe ready to hang up the boots a little earlier than planned. Under MLS rules, his $189,916 salary isn't all that easy to get off the books.
    Whenever Joe does leave the Caps as a player, you have to think (and hope) that the club will be keen to offer him some kind of coaching or front office role. That's if he wants to stay in Vancouver. He's been a great servant to Major League Soccer and would be a great ambassador and role model for the Whitecaps. I just hope that whenever he does finally end his playing career that it's on his terms and that he gets the proper send off he deserves.
    Current number one keeper Brad Knighton hasn't done much wrong in his seven League and Cup appearances so far this season. Whilst Cannon is the better shot stopper and comes up with the big, game winning saves time and again, Knighton gives more comfort when coming off his line at crosses and general distribution of the ball.
    Knighton's $66,000 salary is a bargain in the grand scheme of things and much easier to work around in the cap, but he hasn't hidden the fact that he misses living the US and that the weather gets him down here at times. After working himself into the starting spot both this season and last, he's not going to be happy playing second fiddle to a new arrival. You know that he is a player that will work his hardest to retain his number one jersey, no matter who may be coming in, but if he were given the chance of a move to somewhere else, he may also consider it.
    Third keeper, Canadian Simon Thomas, is bringing home $35,125 and is kind of on an on-call season loan to NASL side Edmonton, whilst playing for the Caps U23s in the PDL. He's one for the future and isn't going anywhere anytime soon, well perhaps apart from to the Gold Cup with Canada. He probably isn't ready to be thrust in as a MLS starter just yet, but that will come and I trust him as a back up.
    Thomas will be here next season, possibly as the number two keeper, the other two, I'm not so sure about. As for what will happen now if/when Ousted comes in, you have to think a Cannon retiral just shades a Knighton trade for the time being.
    It may not be the exciting signing that Caps fans are looking for right this minute or one that immediately strikes you as being a squad strengthener or in a much needed position, but David Ousted looks like he could be an upgrade with an eye to the long term future and that can only be good.
    We just have to sit back now and wait for an official announcement and see how this transfer will play out in the big overall Caps plan for the summer. You can be sure it won't be the last.
    I wonder if he can play centreback as well.
    <p>
    Guest
    <i>"The Caps Countdown" is our newest post-game feature here on AFTN. Every game we'll be doing player rankings with a slight 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 for Vancouver against Chivas?</i>
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <b>11 - Matt Watson</b>
    - Was very shaky on the ball. Had chances to extend scoreline and made critical mistakes with the ball. Second straight very shaky game.
    <b>10 - Daigo Kobayashi</b>
    - He was sucking wind by the 60th minute. Only second game back from injury but didn't look like he was comfortable on the pitch.
    <b>9 - YP Lee</b>
    - Was out of position on the wing numerous time. Defending teams are learning how to defend his crosses into the box.
    <b>8 - Jordan Harvey</b>
    - Another shaky 15-20 minutes to start the game. Bad luck on goal that bounced of his hip. Settled down a lot in the final 60 minutes. Third goal of the season gets some criticism off his back.
    <b>7 - Brad Knighton</b>
    - Was not forced into a save all game long. Was very calm with the ball and had good communication with his central defenders.
    <b>6 - Carlyle Mitchell</b>
    - Very strong game on the ball. Did not make any big mistakes and played his part of the pitch very well.
    <b>5 - Johnny Leveron</b>
    - Played a great game, especially considering all the recent travel. Was strong on the ball when he had to be. Didn't get caught out of position and had great communication with Knighton.
    <b>4 - Kenny Miller</b>
    - Was a force attacking the ball. Had Chivas defenders on their heels all game long. Didn't get on the official score sheet but played a great game.
    <b>3 - Nigel Reo-Coker</b>
    - Really took charge after the Chivas goal. Demanded players be in the right spots on the pitch. Played strong and commanded the centre of the pitch.
    <b>2 - Russell Teibert</b>
    - Single handedly took the ball and set up Camilo's first goal to give the Caps a 2-1 halftime lead. Another two assists gives him seven in all games this season and his six in the past four League games sees him jointly leading MLS.
    <b>1 - Camilo</b>
    - Two goals and one assist. Man of the match. Almost notched the hat trick in the 90th minute. Barring an amazing performance elsewhere, this should be enough to give him MLS Player of the Week honours.
    <p>
    Guest

    Leroux's claims of racism

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    By Duane Rollins and Ben Rycroft
    Let's start with an obvious fact.
    No matter what you think of Sydney Leroux, she does not deserve to be racially abused.
    Taunted, booed, made to feel uncomfortable during a game, sure. But not racially abused, ever.
    Now, let's state another fact that should be obvious. No one should be denied the opportunity to defend themselves against a charge of racism. That charge was raised again on Wednesday and there are some fairly loose arguments being used to point fingers. The Sun has written this. Michael Crampton has written this in response.
    Leroux's is far too serious of an accusation to let float away in the wind. Especially in today's football world where FIFA is finally putting teeth behind its words when it comes to fighting the cowards that stand in crowds and sling their cowardly words.
    So, when Leroux claimed that she was the victim of racist chants in BC Place during the Canada vs USA game last year, CSN tried to get some answers.
    CSN spoke to people that were at the game, supporters groups and leaders, security from BC Place and pulled video of the game to review a few times over.
    Feel free to watch it too. First half. Second half.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    After viewing it three times, we were at a loss to hear any kind of chants coming from the crowd, or witness any reaction from Leroux on the field that would suggest she had heard something unnerving. If our ears have failed us, let us know. All Canadian fans should want to know. There is no need to hide anything.
    When reviewing the tape you can skip ahead to the 63rd minute, when Leroux enters the game. The booing is clearly audible, as it is every time she touches the ball. A few organized chants can be heard, but they are not distinguishable from the white noise that mostly is apparent.
    At the 73rd minute you can hear something that sounds like "Judas", and there is a clear chant a few minutes later that appears to be directed at Leroux. It can't really be made out, but evidence found on both the Voyageurs and Southsiders boards suggests that it might have been the now infamous "Who's your father?" chant.
    Is chanting "who's your father?" at Leroux racist? It's in poor taste, but for it to be racist there would need to be an assumption: that it's because she has African-American heritage that she doesn't know her father.
    Nowhere is it suggested on the message boards, where the chant was distributed, that race was the intent. But it does explicitly detail how frustrating it is to see a player leave a country, to represent another, where the parent's origin is not the one who has an active part in their lives. Again, debate the taste if you like, but there is no trace of racist intent in the motives of those who started or participated in the threads. Nor is there anything to be found from watching that game tape.
    Without any evidence, and given Leroux's lack of willingness to provide more detail (USSF has turned down several requests for an interview with Leroux), it is unfair to accuse the crowd at BC Place of being racist.
    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>When you chant racial slurs, taunt me and talk about my family don't be mad when I shush you and show pride in what I represent. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23america">#america</a></p>— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) <a href="
    ">June 3, 2013</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Following her comments on Twitter, that left many assuming she had been the subject of racial abuse at BMO Field, Leroux back tracked (or clarified through the USSF) and said that when she tweeted racist slurs, she was referring to a game between the USA and Canada during Olympic qualifying (Jan. 29, 2012).
    Stadium security in Canada is more thorough than it used to be. If you've ever had five beers at a game and gotten a little belligerent, it is a good bet there is a security note on you in that stadium. So, CSN contacted BC Place security and asked them if they'd ever received a complaint from either the USSF, Sydney Leroux or anybody in the stadium on Jan. 29, 2012, or throughout the tournament. Additionally, security was asked if they had made any notes, at all, about racist taunts being hurled from the crowd at the game now in question or throughout the tournament.
    It took a couple days and going through a few channels but BC Place finally agreed to go back and look over their security notes from Olympic qualifying. What they found was exactly nothing.
    "Sorry to disappoint, but we went back through our stuff from that game and I didn't find anything from our staff that would suggest there were any racist taunts on that night," Duncan Blomfield, Communications Manager of BC Place said. "And no, we have never received a complaint from U.S. Soccer or any players about racist chants."
    Blomfield explained there were procedures in place for dealing with such fan behaviour, if it were ever to arise.
    "Security either deals with it directly at the moment or takes notes and meets with the group leaders after to have it dealt with," he said.
    Blomfield would like it made clear that this should not be taken as conclusive evidence either way.
    Another incident, one that required followup, did occur during Olympic qualifying, though. A few of the Southsiders were confronted about a chant involving Hope Solo and her posterior. BC Place takes a pretty aggressive approach when it comes to their family environment and even swearing is met with a swift response.
    "I got called into a meeting with BC Place and organizing committee staff," said Brett Graham, Southsiders president. "It was earlier in the tournament. One of the USA's earlier games."
    They were essentially told to tone it down.
    And on the night of the Canada vs USA game, BC Place security continued that hyper-vigilant approach and security did intervene on another matter involving Leroux.
    This flag was confiscated by BC Place security:

    So, BC Place security weren't allowing loose biblical references on that night -- and Solo's behind wasn't fair game earlier in the tournament -- but security were supposedly allowing racist chants to go on in the stadium?
    To recap, the USSF has never filed an official complaint to the CSA about racism in Canadian stadiums.
    Leroux has never filed an official complaint with the USSF, the CSA or BC Place about racism.
    BC Place has no record in their security files of racist chants throughout Olympic qualifying.
    And neither the Southsiders, nor any other fans, have never been called in by BC Place security to answer for racist chants.
    While there is ample evidence to show Leroux has received racial abuse on Twitter, from any number of people -- which, as an act, remains as deplorable and disgusting as any -- there is also convincing, cumulative evidence to suggest Leroux's claims of racism in Canadian stadiums are, at the least, an exaggeration, or at the worst, a simple fabrication.
    Guest
    <i>Match report and post-game reaction from the Caps locker room on Vancouver's 3-1 win over Chivas USA in MLS</i>
    <b>Report:</b>
    Vancouver Whitecaps made hard work of it at times but came through a harder than expected game against Chivas USA 3-1 at BC Place on Wednesday evening.
    After falling behind to an excellent early strike from Tristan Bowen, the Caps hit two deadly blows in first half stoppage time to go in at the half with an unexpected lead. Camilo added a third late in the second half, his second of the game, to seal Vancouver’s victory and they now move up into the playoff positions in the west.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    In what is a rarity for Vancouver these days, Martin Rennie kept an unchanged starting line-up to the one which begun the rollercoaster of a game against New England on Saturday.
    Vancouver enjoyed the better possession in the opening minutes but were stunned when Chivas opened the scoring in the 7th minute.
    Carlos Alvarez was allowed to power through the middle and played the ball out right to Tristan Bowen in acres of space. Jordan Harvey failed to close him down and he had time to compose himself and fire off a rocket into the top left hand corner which left Caps keeper Brad Knighton flat footed and he should have done better.
    Vancouver went back to having possession but were unable to do much with it, but Chivas now had a bit more confidence and were coming forward more themselves.
    The Whitecaps finally had their first chance of the game with the clock on 17 minutes. YP Lee took a short throw in on the right to Kenny Miller and the Scotsman played a great ball into the box and on to the head of Camilo, but the in-form striker couldn’t get his header on target and it went narrowly wide.
    Chivas were happy to sit back and let Vancouver have the ball, trying to move forward when they could.
    They had a great chance to add to their tally in the 26th minute. Jorge Villafana turned Carlyle Mitchell inside and out but his shot was blocked by the back of Johnny Leveron.
    The visitors kept the pressure on and Oswaldo Minda blasted high and over from the edge of the box seconds later.
    The Whitecaps were looking frustrated and finding it hard to break down the Goats’ defence.
    They got a chance in the 33rd minute when Camilo backheeled the ball to Miller who shot wide.
    There was a worrying moment for an already defensively short handed Vancouver in the 39th minute when Leveron went down with an injury after a clash with Alvarez.
    The Chivas player was booked for the challenge and Leveron had to have his head bandaged up but was able to continue.
    It was looking like Chivas would be heading into the half with a shock lead but Vancouver hit two killer blows in first half stoppage time.
    Teibert’s cross was sliced by Camilo and into the path of Harvey at the back of the box and the defender made up for his earlier defensive lapse when his shot was turned in by Carlos Borja for the equaliser.
    Vancouver smelt blood and they took the lead 82 seconds later.
    Again Teibert was pivotal in the move and showed great tenacity to come away with the ball on the right wing at the halfway line before playing in Camilo easily got the better of Mario de Luna and buried the ball low past Dan Kennedy.
    It was an amazingly sudden turnaround and changed the whole complex of the second half.
    Chivas had a go early on in the second but looked like a broken team, although neither side were carving out any clear cut chances and the game fell into something of a non event with a few flashes of skill here and there.
    Miller came within inches of getting his foot on the end of Camilo cross in the 73rd minute, which would have put the game beyond doubt, but that was about it as far as the goalmouth action had been concerned.
    Vancouver finally eased the tension in the 81st minute.
    Teibert showed more great work on the wing but his overhit cross came out to Harvey who played a give and go and headed into the box. He cut the ball across to Camilo and the Brazilian got his second of the night when his ten yard shot flew into the net with the aid of a failed block from Walter Vilchez.
    The Whitecaps nearly struck again in stoppage time but Chivas defender de Luna made two brilliant goal-line saves to first keep out a Camilo backheel and then the rebound from substitute Erik Hurtado.
    It might not have been pretty to watch at times and there is still a lot for the team to work on but back to back home win and three wins out of their last four in MLS has given Vancouver a huge confidence boost.
    They are not back in the playoff positions and with ten days off they need to work hard on their inadequacies to make sure that they stay there.
    FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 3 - 1 Chivas USA
    ATT: 16,130
    VANCOUVER: Brad Knighton; Young-Pyo Lee, Johnny Leveron, Carlyle Mitchell, Jordan Harvey; Nigel Reo-Coker, Matt Watson, Daigo Kobayashi (Jun Marques Davidson 79); Russell Teibert, Kenny Miller (Tommy Heinemann 90), Camilo Sanvezzo (Erik Hurtado 88) [subs Not Used: Joe Cannon, Adam Clement, Darren Mattocks, Corey Hertzog]
    CHIVAS: Dan Kennedy; Mario de Luna, Carlos Borja, Walter Vilchez, Gabriel Farfan; Jose Manuel Rivera (Aaron Ponce 69), Carlos Alvarez, Oswaldo Minda, Jorge Villafana (Marky Delgado 63), Tristan Bowen (Marvin Iraheta 75) [subs Not Used: Patrick McLain, Bobby Burling, Joaquin Velazquez, Steve Purdy]
    <p>
    <b>Reaction:</b>
    <b>Martin Rennie on the game overall:</b>
    "I thought as the game went on we improved a lot. The last fifteen minutes of the first half we were really on top. It was the 44th minute and I was thinking I wish half time wasn't coming. I wish we could just keep playing and suddenly we got two goals and that obviously turned the game.
    "I think in the second half we were very comfortable, kept great possession, created some chances, scored another goal....In the end we had a great chance to score four or five."
    <b>Martin Rennie on the Cap's fighting spirit:</b>
    "We got off to a bad start. It was a little bit of a freak goal....but again we showed excellent character to stay composed and fight back. A lot of teams when they lose the first goal, the game is over, and that's never been the case with us, especially this season. So that's an encouraging sign."
    <b>Martin Rennie on the unknown of how Chivas would line up and how the Caps had to adapt:</b>
    "If you're not sure what the opposition will do, you have to have a plan B and I think plan B worked well for us."
    <b>Martin Rennie on what Caps need to do now to win on the road:</b>
    "We have to keep tightening up defensively. We're hoping that players will all be back available for us so that gives us good options to strengthen the line up if we decide we want to do that. But we need to keep playing with good energy and keep attacking teams and putting them under pressure because when we're creating chances and going forward we're dangerous and scoring goals."
    <b>Camilo on form of team:</b>
    "Our confidence is back and we won four games out of six. At the start of the season we didn't play well, like we didn't win in seven games, but now we're back we have to continue like it is to make a good season for us."
    <b>Camilo on whether this is the best form of his career:</b>
    "No, I think in Malta I had that. 22 games and scored 24 goals. But I feel very confident here now. Every game, even if I don't score I think I play well and this is good."
    <b>Camilo on success of partnership with Miller and Teibert:</b>
    "We work together and their movement makes it much easier for me."
    "Two players on top makes it much easier to play against poor defenders. If you play with one striker it's hard. You need one, two and with Kenny we work hard."
    <b>Camilo on whether he wants to lead the scoring charts:</b>
    "I don't look for this. I just have to continue to play and I don't care if I make top scorer or Kenny, I just want the Whitecaps to win the games."
    <b>Kenny Miller on the overall game:</b>
    "We set out on Saturday to pick up maximum points from these two home games and we came through it. We've come through it with six tonight. Tonight, again, not a great start but we fought back again. That's four games in a row we've went one down or two down and we've fought back to take the lead in each of the games. "
    <b>Kenny Miller on importance of having two strikers scoring regularly:</b>
    "I'll take us alternating each game getting a couple of goals each every other game. Again, Camilo was superb tonight."
    <b>Russell Teibert on coming back to win again:</b>
    "I think it shows our character. The first 20 minutes didn't really go our way, but towards the end of the first half we bury two goals and we come into the half feeling very confident."
    <b>Russell Teibert on how much he's enjoying his play at the moment:</b>
    "It's fantastic. I feel good and I feel confident on the field."
    <b>Russell Teibert on the importance of the home fans:</b>
    "Every time we come to our stadium we have an advantage because of the fans, all over the stadium. They drive us on, even when things aren't going our way. Even when we get a goal scored on us in the first ten minutes of the game. They're the ones that are driving us one and I think we build of them."
    <b>Jordan Harvey on becoming a goalscoring sensation:</b>
    "I don't even know how to explain it. The chances just seem to fall right to me and I've been fortunate to put them in.
    "It's kind of just how we've been playing and putting pressure on teams and I've been able to capitalise from it."
    <b>Jordan Harvey on need for team to defend better:</b>
    "When you give up a goal the first five, ten minutes it's not good."
    <b>Jordan Harvey on what team needs to work on the most to stay in playoff spot:</b>
    "We have a few injuries, so we're going to have a few days off now which is huge and hopefully we're going to get some guys back that have been injured. We're going to get some rest for a few days then get back and work on I think defensive shape, and just defending as a team and really being able to start off the way we've been finishing games."
    <b>Erik Hurtado on what getting his first MLS goal will do for his confidence:</b>
    "It would take a big weight off my shoulders. It would do the world to get that first goal. I can't wait to get it. It's coming. I feel it coming soon."
    <b>Erik Hurtado on goal-line save that prevented that first goal:</b>
    "It came right to my feet but it was a great save by the defender. I'm just going to imagine that going in. I'm not going to mourn on it. I'm going to pretend that it went in so next time I don't imagine myself missing, I imagine myself making that."
    <p>
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