Jump to content

  • Articles

    Manage articles
    Show all categories
    Guest

    MLS Musings - Week Two

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    Our weekly, sometimes offbeat, look at the best and worst of the week's MLS action. We took your suggestions on board and either embedded videos of our best/worst selections or included links. So what did week two of the 2013 season throw up for us and what just made us want to throw up?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <b><u>Games This Week:</u></b>
    It wasn't exactly a week of standout games, but we're going to say the best was saved till last and give our 'Game of the Week' nomination to the SAN JOSE - NEW YORK game. It wasn't a classic, but we do love a bit of late drama. Remind me never to let anyone from New York Red Bulls take my dog out for a walk. They just can't hold on to a lead. They were in control of the game but San Jose were back in full late late show mode with two goals in the last eight minutes of the game and, of course, stoppage time, to snatch an undeserved win. It's a good job Wondo popped up to score the winning penalty because I was starting to think we were going see him appearing on California milk cartons any day now. Roy Miller's nightmare couple of minutes might be one of those moments that the Red Bulls look back on at the end of the season and rue the point(s) thrown away. Horrible for the Whitecaps too, who could have had a six point lead over the current Supporters' Shield champs.
    We're staying at home for our runner-up and VANCOUVER's win over COLUMBUS. You'll have read enough about how that came about elsewhere on the site and if you haven't then you really should. The quality of the goals scored and the goalmouth action, especially in the first half, which was lacking in the other games, sees the game rise to top in our eyes. If someone wanted to make a decent argument for one of the other games, then we would listen!
    I'm sure some reading this would nominate TORONTO kicking the week off with a 2-1 win for their long suffering fans, their first since July 18th last year. That's 15 games if anyone was counting. It was a mixed performance from TFC, who started lively, but like last week against Vancouver, they tired considerably as the game went on. SPORTING KC's goal looked like it was coming and they will feel a little aggrieved that they couldn't turn up the pressure and come away with at least a point. As we've been saying to anyone who wants to listen, Robert Earnshaw will do very well in MLS and his first goal is a fine example of what an experienced striker can add to your team. Toronto's latest addition though, John Bostock, seems to already want to start a new job as a turf inspector, the amount of times he spent hitting the deck. I already hate the guy and I'm pretty sure it won't be long before a lot of others in MLS are rallying to that cause. Overall, there were hopeful signs for Toronto. How they move this forward and build upon it is what will shape just how disappointing the season will be for them. KC will definitely be there or there abouts at the top of the East and I simply love their two tone blue kit and hope that the Caps go down that particular colour scheme road for their new one next season.
    My tip for the East was DC UNITED and I've really liked what I've seen from them in their first two games, even though they're just 1 & 1. It looks a narrow 1-0 victory for them over REAL SALT LAKE on paper, but in reality they were seldom troubled and Nick Rimando had a couple of good saves that kept it at the solitary goal. That's not to say that RSL didn't threaten. They did, and had some really nice build up play in the process, but their finishing was either poor or thwarted by Bill Hamid in the DC goal, who I think is having a really strong season so far. DC's goal came after a delightful chip from ex-Cap John Thorrington, which Rimando produced a great save to keep out before Lionard Pajoy struck the rebound. 'Sicknote' looked a lot stronger and faster for DC, but sadly for him, his nickname came back to the fore and he went off injured with a possible MCL injury in the 75th minute. Poor guy. RSL looked like a different side from the one that dismantled San Jose last week and never looked like doing too much damage. Something for Vancouver to keep in mind was the fact that they lost their discipline quite easily through frustration, picking up four bookings, and if the Caps can push the right buttons in their three encounters, this could certainly be used to their advantage.
    CHICAGO were taken apart by a ruthless LA side last week, whilst NEW ENGLAND had a bye to kick off their season. Neither side looked world beaters in the first half, but Matt Reis' fine one hand save from a 25 yard Dilly Duka rocket may have been the game's turning point. The Revolution turned up the heat in the second and left the Fire still looking for their first points of 2013. New England were well worth their win and played nice football, with some neat interchanges between ex Cap Lee Nguyen and Columbian Juan Toja in particular. They played enough entertaining football to show that if they can keep it going then they may be a surprise package in the East this year. Chicago may also keep surprising, but not in a good way considering how bad they've looked in two games now. It was the 92nd minute before the home side had a shot of any note in the second half.
    The final game of Saturday saw PORTLAND hosting MONTREAL. It's been a long and lonely start for the Impact to kick off the season, with two away games in Cascadia and a long time away from home. Hasn't seemed to have hampered them mind you, as they sit top of the East with six points and lead the race to the Supporters' Shield. They've equalled their away wins tally from last season in two weeks after their 2-1 win over the Timbers, and they've been worthy of it. The Impact have been playing some nice football and continued that in Portland, who have now dropped five points from their first two home games and considering their road form in MLS, that could prove very costly to their playoffs hopes, which is great news for Vancouver. Not so great is the Impact's form and at the moment, I have to have them as favourites for the Voyageurs Cup. Still plenty of football to be played before that though.
    Sunday saw COLORADO finally get to host PHILADELPHIA after the blizzards went away. Wimps. What's wrong with using an orange ball? In my day, blah, blah, blah. Anyhoo, there may have been three goals, but it was a pretty dull affair, albeit one with three well taken goals. Philly did what they needed to do to get the win and didn't look in any real trouble, even when the Rapids tied things up. It was basically an ideal away win tactically and will be the kind of display that I'm sure Martin Rennie will look for the Whitecaps to emulate this season. Jack McInerney had a quiet game but had probably the two big game turning moments - a goal-line clearance in the 19th minute and the game winning goal in the 79th minute. I can live with my striker doing that on the road and not much else. The Union's win was again good news for Vancouver, with another Western team pointless, not that we expect Colorado to be anywhere but the bottom two come the end of October.
    Where they'll be battling CHIVAS. Maybe.
    Some mocked us for not having Chivas as bottom of the West but if nothing else this season, they're going to be entertainingly unpredictable and they currently have more points in the West than four other teams. Unlikely to last! Sunday's win over DALLAS was another strange affair. At least they buried their 3 on 1 chance this week, after blowing last week's 3 on 0 one. Chivas seem to have players that are good at beating the offside and getting in behind the last defender, only to then completely waste the chance and letting the defence recover to snuff out the danger. Both last week and this, they could have had a lot more goals. On the flip side, they're looking very susceptible to being ripped apart by pace, especially if they continue with three at the back, which will be good news when Vancouver head there at the end of the month. What the Caps will really have to watch out for is just how dirty a team the Goats are this season. Eight bookings in two games and for the second week in a row, they were lucky not to have a man sent of after Mario De Luna's wild challenge on Kenny Cooper. They also seemed to have adopted a rotational kicking system against David Ferreira, not that that's a bad thing of course. Who will Vancouver face is another question, with Chelis making four changes to the starting line up from last week.
    Dallas had their chances to put Chivas away, starting with Cooper's first chance just 16 seconds in, but for all their firepower at their disposal, they looked a disjointed team of talented individuals. It's also strange to see not only Eric Hassli in a different strip of blue and white, but also with hair and doing some kind of weird dance moves. As much as I hate him, I have to admit that when Ferreira is in full flow, he can be a joy to watch. His goal came at the end of a neat passing move and he took it well. Still a diving bastard though that deserves all the attention he gets.
    After all the strange results these first two weeks, rivalry week is shaping up to go who knows what way.
    <b><u>Outfield Player of the Week:</u></b>
    There are times when 'Players of the Week' should not just be judged on goals and name alone. This is one of those times. Now this is no anti-TFC vibe going on here, but Robert Earnshaw did not deserve to be player of the week. Yes he scored two goals, but one was a penalty. For the rest of the match, he did hee-haw. Three successful passes and four unsuccessful passes do not an accolade make. He faded out of the game and it was hard to know he was playing by the end. Lazy voting! Anyway, rant over.
    All that said, there weren't exactly a host of standout candidates this week, so I'm giving it to JACK MCINERNEY of Philadelphia. He was another player who didn't do loads in his match but he did more than Earnshaw all round, and his crucial goal-line clearance and match winning goal provided the pivotal moments in the Union's match against Colorado.
    <b><u>Goalkeeper of the Week:</u></b>
    Again not a host of top candidates. New England's Matt Reis had some nice saves and kept a clean sheet, and to a lesser extent, so did DC's Bill Hamid. My winner this week though goes to Real Salt Lake's NICK RIMANDO. Five saves in total, some excellent ones, and the goal he did let in only came after a fantastic stop to keep out a John Thorrington chip, before the rebound was put away.
    <b><u>Goal of the Week:</u></b>
    I almost want to give it to David Ferreira for his goal against Chivas, because I love to see good team goals with nice passing play, and it was a composed finish. But it's the Colombian submarine, so I can't.
    So we cannot look any further than DAIGO KOBAYASHI's wonderstrike for Vancouver against Columbus. Yes, it's a homer decision but it was a sweet strike. It was also set up nicely from dispossessing a Columbus attack in a key position of the pitch. And to think, when he hit it, I was thinking "no, don't take a shot from there"! But he knew exactly what he was doing. Take a bow son. Take a bow.
    East coasters may want to go with Hassoun Camara's bicycle kick for Montreal against Portland, but I feel this was more a hit and hope and could have gone anywhere effort. As it turned out, it was a cracking goal, but I think Kobayashi's took more execution.
    <center>

    </center><b><u>Miss of the Week:</u></b>
    "I missed it. I mean there’s nothing more to say, I missed it." That was NIGEL REO-COKER in the dressing room after his howler against Columbus on Saturday. With an open goal gaping, he should have buried it, but thankfully it didn't come back to cost or haunt Vancouver. Good job he isn't on his DP money yet. Some of the fans would have been crucifying him! (WATCH: http://p.mlssoccer.com/SAu5a/video/1637820/mls_2013-03-09-202520.640hq.mp4)
    <b><u>Save of the Week:</u></b>
    MATT REIS' superb one handed save from Dilly Duka's long range effort in the first half of the Chicago v New England game gets my honours this week. It was a great strike but the veteran Reis produced an acrobatic stop to keep the scores level, in what proved to be a pivotal moment in the match.
    Nick Rimando had a couple of nice stops for Real Salt Lake against DC United that are worth a mention, including a first half one at his near post from a Chris Pontius shot and an acrobatic stop to keep out a John Thorrington chip before Lionard Pajoy pounced to head home the rebound.
    (WATCH: http://p.mlssoccer.com/SAu5a/video/1637832/mls_2013-03-09-203032.640hq.mp4)
    <b><u>Cock Up of the Week:</u></b>
    Got a few to pick from this week, all quickly pounced upon and leading to vital opportunistic goals. Third place was George John's slip for Dallas to let Chivas take the lead but the top two were close. Runner up was Matt Besler's short pass along the edge of the box that allowed Robert Earnshaw to grab his first MLS goal. The fact that the slip came due to KC being put under a lot of TFC pressure saw it finish second, with winner taking the plaudits for it just coming so out of the blue. Step forward Columbus' Brazilian blunderer GLAUBER, who simply lost control of his feet for a split second after receiving a pass from goalie Gruenebaum, allowing Kenny Miller to pounce and grab the winning goal.
    <center>

    </center><b><u>Knob of the Week:</u></b>
    Just when we thought we wouldn't put forward a nomination in this category this week, up steps New York's ROY MILLER. Oh Roy, Roy, Roy. What happened to you in those closing minutes? Not only do you jump with your arm up where it should never be as a defender and give away a penalty, you then negate your keepers' great save by going for a Sunday evening stroll in the box. Long flight back to New Jersey for you.
    <center>

    </center><b><u>Tackle of the Week:</u></b>
    This was wild and could easily have seen red. Chivas' Mario de Luna could really have done some serious damage to Kenny Cooper with his reckless tackle in the 67th minute of the game against Dallas. Cooper was class and didn't get up and punch his lights out, simply walking away with a stare.
    (WATCH: http://p.mlssoccer.com/SAu5a/video/1638550/mls_2013-03-10-184250.640hq.mp4)
    <b><u>Stat Attack:</u></b>
    <b>Total goals in week</b> - 21 (45 this season)
    <b>Average goals per game</b> - 2.63 (2.64 ave this season)
    <b>Highest scoring team</b> - Chivas (no really), with 3 goals
    <b>Penalties awarded</b> - 2 (3 this season)
    <b>Clean sheets</b> - 2 (9 this season)
    <b>Unbeaten teams</b> - 5 (Houston, Los Angeles, Montreal, New England, Vancouver)
    <b>Winless teams</b> - 5 (Chicago, Colorado, New York, Portland, Seattle)
    <b>Pointless teams</b> - 3 (Chicago, Colorado, and obviously Seattle, who are always pointless)
    <b>Biggest win this season</b> - LA 4-0 v Chicago (2/3/13)
    <b>Sending offs</b> - 0 (0 this season)
    <b>Bookings</b> - 27, nine more than last week in one less game (45 this season)
    <b>Total attendance</b> - 127,505 (302,201 this season)
    <b>Average attendance</b> - 15,938 (17,777 this season)
    <b>Highest attendance this week</b> - 25,991 Toronto v Sporting KC
    <b>Highest attendance this season</b> - 38,998 Seattle v Montreal (2/3/13)
    <b>Lowest attendance this week</b> - 6,801 Chivas v Dallas
    <b>Lowest attendance this season</b> - 6,801 Chivas v Dallas (10/3/13)
    <b><u>Fantasy Football Highs and Lows (after Week 2):</u></b>
    This is mainly my attempt to keep my interest in the competition going beyond the first few weeks this season, which has been my downfall in the past!
    <b>Highest Scoring Goalkeeper</b> - Bill Hamid (DC United - 16 points)
    <b>Week's Highest Scoring Goalkeeper</b> - Matt Reis (New England - 10 points)
    <b>Highest Scoring Defender</b> - Hassoun Camara (Montreal - 18 points)
    <b>Week's Highest Scoring Defender</b> - Hassoun Camara (Montreal - 9 points)
    <b>Highest Scoring Midfielder</b> - Graham Zusi (Sporting KC - 23 points)
    <b>Week's Highest Scoring Midfielder</b> - Various (9 points)
    <b>Highest Scoring Forward</b> -Fabian Espindola (New York Red Bulls - 15 points)
    <b>Week's Highest Scoring Forward</b> - Robert Earnshaw (Toronto - 12 points)
    <b>Overall Highest Scoring Club</b> - Montreal Impact (124 points)
    <b>Overall Lowest Scoring Club</b> - Seattle Sounders (38 points)
    <b>Week's Highest Scoring Club</b> - DC United (67 points)
    <b>Week's Lowest Scoring Club</b> - Columbus Crew (31 points)
    <p>
    Guest
    Undefeated. Six points out of six. Top of the Western Conference. Can things get any better?
    Actually, yes. They can.
    The Whitecaps have looked good in some areas so far this season, a bit dodgy in others and with work to do all round. Nobody should be getting too carried away. The Caps haven't faced any really tough opponents yet. They haven't faced any adversity. They haven't played away from home or in heat and humidity. We still have to see them up against our Western Conference rivals.
    Yet there are some great signs already there. Some key blocks to build upon. And you can't help but imagine just how good this team could be once they get into full flow. It is a genuinely exciting prospect.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Caution is paramount. As is keeping our feet on the ground. We started last season with maximum points from our first two games and ended up crawling over the finish line.
    There are no guarantees in football, but you have to think the same mistake is not going to be made this time around, aided by no ridiculously long runs of away matches dominating the summer months.
    The Caps first real test comes in two week's time when they head to Houston. MLS Cup finalists for the last two seasons, and very strong on home soil. How strong? Well they haven't lost a match since they moved into their new BBVA Compass Stadium in May last year. That's 20 games, 14 wins and 6 draws, and Toronto managed two of those draws when they were woeful last year.
    If Vancouver can go there and take anything, I'll be happy. Having shared the spoils in their two pre-season encounters, I wouldn't put it past them this season. Six points out of nine would still leave me happy.
    To do that they need to iron out some kinks, the main one being a little bit more cohesion at the back, prevent their opponents getting so many chances (better opponents will make them pay), make their wing play and speed count for something, and somehow manage to get Darren Mattocks back involved in games.
    Mattocks is looking a little lost out there at times. We mentioned this last week, but he was even more so against Columbus.
    Kenny Miller is taking all the forward plaudits from the weekend, and rightly so, although there were still some missed opportunities. He ran himself into the ground and played a true captain's role. He was back defending again, creating, scoring and helping to kill the game off. These are not all things that Mattocks bring to the table just yet, and with Miller now missing against Houston, it is something that the team is going to miss.
    It took a while for Mattocks to get going last season, but he wasn't seeing starts immediately either. He is clearly not yet comfortable in the playing style of the Caps this season, without those opportunities to chase down long balls and test defences to the max as he runs at them. He's not getting those chances, at least not at home, but may get them on the road, as the Caps will no doubt look to play more defensive and less gung ho.
    Mattocks will no doubt work hard in training to try and bring out the new part of his game that is now required, but after putting the added pressure on himself preseason with his 20 goal target, the more games where he doesn't perform you will have to start asking the question of how many more games does he get as a starter? And more importantly, who then takes that spot, as the Caps are getting much more out of Miller in his withdrawn role that I think they will get out of him as an out and out striker.
    This may be Camilo's chance to shine and we could even see that in Houston, with Mattocks playing in behind in and looking to run on to the Brazilian's hold ups and passes, assuming he does pass!
    Last season's defensive play by the Caps away from home was hard to watch at times and the big problem was that if they fell behind, which they invariably did, and especially early on in the game, they simply did not seem to have the players or ability to make the tactical change to be more offensive and get themselves back into matches.
    This season that looks to be very different, with the likes of Nigel Reo-Coker and Gershon Koffie having the ability to work together and change from defensive mode to attacking. Having the raw rookies on the bench waiting to come on and tear up the wings will now also bring an added dimension to what Martin Rennie can bring to the table in away games.
    Kekuta Manneh didn't see game time on Saturday, which I thought would be the case this week, but Erik Hurtado did get some more valuable minutes on what will be a key learning curve these first few months of their MLS career.
    What both of these players will offer the team as the season wears on, and far beyond, is mouthwatering, but again you want to temper expectations so as not to heap too much pressure on the guys.
    If they have a season where they both just mainly play secondary roles, coming on to liven up the attack and/or to entertain the crowd towards the end of matches, that's just fine by me and will allow them to both star and learn at a less pressured pace. If either can develop into regular, and performing, starter by the time we enter the season run-in then that would not just be an added bonus, but a major weapon in making the Whitecaps a playoff team to be reckoned with. And I think both of them have the ability to do just that and maybe even sooner than we think.
    The player I'm most looking forward to seeing how he performs, and develops, as the season ticks on is Daigo Kobayashi.
    He was my 'man of the match' last week and scored an absolutely beauty this week. He also contributed well, if a little more quietly than last week, elsewhere on the pitch.
    Such performances bring hype and expectations. We already saw with Davide Chiumiento in 2011 a flair player who catches MLS by surprise, plays excellently at the start of the season, but is then worked out and fades away as the creative force he needs to be, only showing it in stops and starts for the remainder of the season.
    I'm not for one minute saying that I expect Kobayashi to go down this path, but it's certainly one worth monitoring.
    It's no secret that I'm a fan of what Jun Marques Davidson can offer the team in his DM role, covering the back and allowing the wingbacks to tear forward, and I thought he had another excellent game on Saturday. 57 successful passes and a dominance in the middle of the park. Fantastic stuff and he is going to be a key piece to the Caps jigsaw this year.
    I know he offers little to no attacking option but it's a small price to pay and we have many others around him this year that can now offer that instead.
    At the back, we looked a little less solid without Jay DeMerit and I thought Brad Rusin and Andy O'Brien had a couple of shaky moments between them, but the key thing we have to work on in that regard is to stop our opponents getting off so many shots.
    Toronto had nine in week one and Columbus peppered us with 15 on Saturday. That just seems like a lot for an away side to get off and at some point, if we keep letting that continue, we will pay the price. Our first two opponents only got seven of those shots on target. A LA, Seattle or DC side will surely not be so wasteful.
    On the flip side, we are creating chances. It feels like a lot more than last season, although the stats aren't clearly backing that up right now with actual attempts on goal. We are looking way more dangerous with nearly every attack though, but again, if we don't start to get more of them on target, and hopefully in the back of the net, better teams will make us pay.
    And a word on YP Lee. The guy has started the season like a beast and covered so much turf running up and down and up and down that right wing on Saturday. It's like having a second right winger out there. 69 successful passes. Immense.
    There's two final very pleasing aspects that I want to touch on from what we've seen in the first two games.
    We're seeing games out, and with little panic. Despite holding narrow leads, we're not letting opponents put us under the cosh and are still in command of possession and managing the clock well.
    Secondly, one of the most pleasing aspects of this season so far is how well our discipline has improved. There's been 27 bookings in the first two weeks of the new MLS season and not one of them has gone the way of a Whitecap player. Even Darren Mattocks has gone card free in 157 minutes!
    Long may it continue, as the way some of our rivals are going, they're going to pay a heavy price as the season goes on.
    So after all that, going back to the original question, just how good can this Whitecaps team be when they get into firing on all cylinders and more used to playing with each other week in and week out? Pretty damn good by the looks of it. But we've been here before, haven't we?!
    Bring on the next test.
    'Mon the Caps.
    <center>**********</center>
    <b><u>AFTN 3-2-1:</u></b>
    Had a real tough time choosing between the top two this week and went back and forth a few times before settling upon...
    3 POINTS - YOUNG-PYO LEE (The guy is playing like a beast once again and just covers so much ground up and down that right wing)
    2 POINTS - KENNY MILLER (Played a true captain's role. Ran his heart out and got his reward with an opportunistic goal that an experienced striker thrives upon)
    1 POINT - JUN MARQUES DAVIDSON (Giving him a point because a lot of what he does in a game goes unnoticed a lot of the time. Dominant in the area between the Caps box and the halfway line)
    <p>
    Guest
    A great team is one that can not only get results when it matters, but when it doesn't.
    If that phrase seems unfamiliar or nonsensical, it's because I'm fairly sure I just made it up. But then, that's sort of the theme of our 2013 Cyprus Cup post-match coverage, what with there being no way to follow Canada's games live, aside from tweets by the CSA's official account.
    Either way, Canada's final round-robin contest on Monday morning was little more than a kickaround for both teams, and an opportunity to rotate the rosters a bit, as Canada had already advanced to Wednesday morning's final and the Dutch knew their tournament was 90 minutes away from being over.
    Still, plenty of exciting things happened! Well, probably. Maybe. Who knows, really.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Head coach John Herdman continued switching things up in his starting XI, rolling out Erin McLeod in goal, Robyn Gayle, Carmelina Moscato, Emily Zurrer and Chelsea Stewart on defence, Desiree Scott, Diana Matheson and Kaylyn Kyle in midfield, and the Cerberus-like triad of Jonelle Filigno, Adriana Leon and Christine Sinclair up front.
    The Dutch came out full of fire, clearly buoyed by the excitement of their national honkbal heroes' triumph earlier in the day. A few (something van der something were their names, I think) were a bit too enthusiastic, bringing actual baseball bats onto the field of play -- though Desiree Scott quickly went
    to nullify that potential threat.But Scott went a bit too far with the theme in the 15th minute,
    , leading to a rather easy penalty call for the referee. Only a vaguely-threatening "back breaking over my knee, like so" hand motion by Scott, directed at the referee, saved her from being sent off.And speaking of saves...... McLeod stepped up to the plate (sorry, no more honkbal references) and made a diving stop on the ensuing penalty. Kyle then decided to bring some more physicality to the affair, going
    on the Dutch women's soccer equivalent of Ray Fosse (hopefully without the career-damaging injury) in the 30th minute. Wait, that was another honkbal reference, wasn't it? Dammit!Filigno -- who has the ability to see the future, and was already getting annoyed by my usage of the word "honkbal" in this article -- decided to then take matters into her own hands (err, feet) and put the focus back on soccer, stealing a wayward Dutch ball and feeding Sinclair who coolly converted her 145th pineapple for Canada. Of course when I say "pineapple" I mean "goal" -- just checking if you're still paying attention.
    The second half, as was to be expected, saw another substitution parade for the Canadians, as youngsters Oduro, Lawrence and Buchanan got some more national-team time under their belts (note: none of them wear belts on the field). Sophie Schmidt also made her 52nd consecutive appearance for Canada, as a trio of grizzly bears in the crowd applauded her remarkable recovery from the "armband shivers".
    The ladies in red (note: they may have been wearing white) managed to close things out, ensuring a perfect record through three round-robin games and plenty of momentum heading into the Cyprus Cup final, a place Canada has been during every single edition of this tournament that's ever happened (all six of them). Big Red's opponent on Wednesday morning will be England, who got past New Zealand 3-1 on Monday to finish atop Group A.
    It'll be interesting to see (err, read tweets about) what sort of starting lineup Herdman goes with, given that he's seen a wide variety of players thus far. Despite the fact that last year's Cyprus Cup final between Canada and France found its way onto our screens, I've been told it's very unlikely that a similar arrangement can be struck for this year.
    Which means, like it or not, we've probably got one more mostly fabricated synopsis left before Canada finally gets over the Cyprus hill (lolololololo).


    .
    Guest

    MLS Week in Review – Round 2

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The second weekend of MLS fixtures has come and gone, eight matches spread over the two days and still, nary a nil-nil in sight.
    As per usual, before the results, the Canadian Soccer News ‘Goal of the Round’.
    Now, most folks go in for the glamourous bits of individual talent or a laser-beam from distance and there were some beauties this weekend - Daigo Kobayashi’s blast from range; Hassoun Camara’s big-man bicycle kick; and Jamie’s Smith’s swerving rocket, to name a few.
    Or perhaps a brilliant bit of teamwork strikes the fancy – Chivas’ three-man passing break and Philadelphia’s movement and interplay between Jack McInerney and Antoine Hoppenot, come to mind.
    In the spirit of something a little different – last weekend’s nominee, Josh Williams, didn’t even crack the top five in the league’s award – homage to the cross.
    There is no sight as sweet as a well-hit cross laying bare the inadequacies of the defense, one need look no further than Ben Zemanski’s service on Portland’s goal against Montreal.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]<iframe width="533" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q17mjg4Njo4?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Diego Chara spotted Zemanski in space on the right, picked out his teammate spraying the ball wide. Zemanski then pinged an inch-perfect delivery to the back-post where Ryan Johnson was on hand, having got goal-side of Camara, for a sliding finish to set up a possible comeback.
    It was the first goal Montreal’s stoic road defending had allowed this season. Sometimes it takes only a single well-craft ball to ruin a night’s worth of hard-work.
    San Jose’s late equalizer was similarly pleasing; fret not, all the other goals mentioned are contained within the embedded highlights below.
    Results in Brief
    Toronto 2 – Kansas City 1
    Toronto FC ended all talk of zero-and early with a victory over Sporting KC. A Robert Earnshaw brace – first, stealing onto a weak pass from Matt Besler, then a second from the spot after debutant John Bostock had won a penalty – was enough to earn Ryan Nelsen his first win with the club and their first since July of last season.
    A late consolation goal from designated player Claudio Bieler – spawned by a quickly taken free-kick from Jimmy Nielsen, flicked on by CJ Sapong to cut open the Toronto back-line - led to a nervy final twenty minutes, but TFC held strong to upset Peter Vermes’ charges; one of the sides, projected to be top in the East.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jzhcJvTnVzE?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    DC United 1 – Salt Lake 0
    A cagey affair pitting two former-players-turned-coaches – and snappily dressed ones at that – Ben Olsen and Jason Kreis, was decided by a single goal.
    Much-maligned work-horse Lionard Pajoy reacted quickest when Nick Rimando clawed away a half-cleared corner kick that was lofted goal-ward by John Thorrington to pounce onto the rebound with a diving header into the unguarded goal.
    Howls of offside rang out, but Sebastian Velasquez was slow to push out the line, keeping Pajoy onside and continuing both United’s unbeaten run at home – which now stands at nineteen – and their dominance over Salt Lake at RFK – who are yet to win in eight visits to the venerable old ground.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5XDz5O2vdqM?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Chicago 0 – New England 1
    New England, the final team to start 2013 after a bye week in round one, got off to a solid start, extending Chicago’s miserable opening and stealing a vital three points on the road.
    First-overall draft pick Andrew Farrell was impressive on debut at right-back, but it was last year’s rookie sensation Kelyn Rowe that created the game’s lone goal by heading down a poorly cleared corner kick atop the left-side of the box to Juan Toja before receiving the return ball and lifting a beautiful cross to the back-post for a diving Jerry Bengtson to force over the line.
    Matt Reis earned the nod in goal for the Revolution, put in a strong performance, and for a spell, ended the controversy as to who would be Jay Heaps’ number one. Frank Klopas’ Chicago falls to a second straight loss and have yet to score a goal.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0D-hRfwf5Nk?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Vancouver 2 – Columbus 1
    Vancouver made it two wins from two home matches with a strong performance against Columbus. Daigo Kobayashi opened his account in style with a right-footed blast from some thirty-five-plus yards that nestled gracefully in the top left corner of the goal inside of six minutes.
    Jairo Arrieta drew the Crew level seconds into the second half through a nice bit of interplay with Ben Speas down the right, beating Joe Cannon to the short-side, but Kenny Miller, in need of a goal, took advantage of a poor pass from goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum to Glauber, dispossessed the centre-back and raced in on goal to score his first of the season.
    Eric Hurtado had a goal inconclusively ruled offside, but Martin Rennie’s side weathered the late pressure and head into a bye week with six points, while Robert Warzycha’s crew will lament defensive miscues and wasteful finishing.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PplFYnOH7xA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Portland 1 – Montreal 2
    Montreal also made it two wins from two matches, however impressively, did so away from home and in the Pacific Northwest no less.
    Another strong defensive performance aided by right-back Hassoun Camara’s bicycle kick and a silky counterattack – Patrice Bernier laid debutant Andres Romero down the right and Felipe finished his cut-back at the near-post – out maneuvered Portland, who fail to win in two matches at home.
    Ryan Johnson grabbed a consolation – and CSN Goal of the Round honours – to set up a tense ending, but coach Caleb Porter will be disappointed his side was out-matched tactically by Marco Schallibaum’s defense-first blockade.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xP6Euxvq14c?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Colorado 1 – Philadelphia 2
    Pushed back a day to Sunday after a blizzard swept through the area, Colorado’s home opener ended much as their season opener had, with a disappointing defeat.
    Oscar Pareja’s side saw captain, Pablo Mastroeni, forced off after eight minutes – with an apparent hamstring injury – and despite bossing possession, another goalkeeping misstep proved costly in the end.
    Amobi Okugo capitalized on a hesitant Matt Pickens and some slack marking from Marvell Wynne to head in a Sebastien Le Toux corner kick before Jamie Smith leveled the affair with a beautiful left-footed strike. Jack McInerney put John Hackworth’s Philadelphia back in front, finishing off a wonderful individual effort from Antoine Hoppenot, who reprised his role as super-sub by fending off a Hendry Thomas challenge and laying in his teammate for the game-winner.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ILQ9HyUQXlc?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Chivas 3 – Dallas 1
    El Chelis’ Chivas made amends for their late collapse in round one with an impressive victory over a lacklustre Dallas. David Ferreira gave Schellas Hyndman’s eleven the lead, tiptoeing down the left touch-line, muscling past a falling Joaquin Velazquez to squeeze a tight-angled shot under Dan Kennedy in goal.
    But three unanswered replies – Juan Agudelo collecting a long pass from Walter Vilchez before twisting up Matt Hedges, Oswaldo Minda stealing the ball off the boot of George John to break in alone, and Giovani Casillas finishing off a three-man counterattack – were more than enough to earn the Goats their first win and quiet some of their detractors.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XIYXNXL9AQ0?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    San Jose 2 – New York 1
    Just as scribes across the continent – and a few beyond – were contemplating laments for the expiration of the Cardiac Kids in San Jose following over one-hundred and seventy minutes of scoreless soccer, they strike again with two goals in the final ten minutes to erase an early New York lead.
    Eric Alexander put Mike Petke’s Red Bulls in front when Thierry Henry’s hopeful left-sided cross, skewed off the head of Jason Hernandez into the path of Alexander attacking the back-post for a simple finish, only for rookie Adam Jahn, making his second substitute appearance, scored the first – with a sliding back-post touch from a dangerous left-sided Sam Cronin cross – before winning a penalty for the second when Roy Miller handled his header in the final minute of regulation.
    Chris Wondolowski’s attempt from the spot was saved by Luis Robles, but Miller, compounding his nightmare, encroached, giving the golden-boot winner another chance, which he duly finished, sparring Frank Yallop any early season blushes.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kGjlxsFyv2c?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Canadian Content
    Patrice Bernier put in another complete, tidy match as the one-man shield in front of the Montreal back-four. It was a reserved display, in tune with the Impact’s conservative away performances, though he did pick up the second assist on their second – and eventual game-winning – goal, as described above. And where, one may ask, was Portland’s Diego Valeri, the man who so caught the attention of MLS watchers in Round One? He was in Bernier’s back-pocket all match, as he picked up MLSsoccer.com Man of the Match.
    Will Johnson, Bernier’s opponent that night, and put in another solid ninety in the middle of the park for the Timbers. His surging runs through the middle of the park - and occasionally on the overlap – added impetus to the Portland attack. He made a vital clearance after a goal-mouth pile, though it was his pass that was intercepted, leading to Montreal’s second goal. As with last week, he found himself with the ball on his boot in the box as the final minutes of extra time ticked down, but could not swivel cleanly and only got off a weak shot on goal.
    Dejan Jakovic too put in another solid ninety in the middle of the DC back-line. He cut out a key pass destined for Kyle Beckerman in the box and made an excellent read of another threatening pass, ending the danger with a scything challenge. Jakovic negated the threat of Alvaro Saborio for much of the match, stifling the attacker so much so that in the later stages, he was forced to switch sides in hope of finding more joy against Brandon McDonald. He committed a couple of possible hand-balls; one in the box, but neither were called, nor warranted a penalty. Ben Olsen called him sharp in his post-match comments.
    Ashtone Morgan was again part of a solid Toronto defensive unit – don’t get a chance to use that combination of words too often – managing the full match at left-back. He was again conservative, though he did make a few more forays forward than in Vancouver. Once he delivered a lovely, threatening ball, the other getting it tangled in his feet on the turf and losing possession for a throw-in.
    Kyle Porter joined Jakovic on the pitch for DC after fifty-eight minutes replacing Marcos Sanchez in the midfield. He started on the left-side, had a few good battles with Salt Lake right-back Tony Beltran, took a heavy body-check from centre-back Kwame Watson-Siriboe, and even got a weak shot on target, before moving to the centre. He played a slightly over-hit through-ball for Carlos Ruiz, that forced Nick Rimando off his line in a hurry and nearly set up Ruiz for some insurance in the final minute of added time with a clever cut-back, but Rimando stayed big to thwart the chance.
    Porter earned praise from Olsen post-match: “it’s a physical league and there [are] times when he [Marcos Sanchez] got caught on the ball that could’ve cost us, but he’ll clean it up and as this team moves along he’ll understand, that in this league, of what he can get away with and what he can’t. Same with [Kyle] Porter. You didn’t see Porter’s true strengths tonight because he’s an offensive guy and he gets after you. But I give him a lot of credit because he dug in there defensively and helped.”
    Terry Dunfield again started for Toronto, paired in midfield with Jeremy Hall, as part of a two-man shield in front of the back-four. He was his usual tenacious and effective self before again coming off in the final ten minutes.
    Jonathan Osorio made his MLS debut replacing Dunfield in the eighty-second minutes and helping TFC see out the result, while Kyle Bekker – having recovered from a midweek bout of flu – joined with three minutes of regulation remaining.
    Emery Welshman, Russell Teibert, and Drew Beckie were all on the bench for their respective sides – Toronto, Vancouver, and Columbus.
    Babayele Sodade was officially released – waived - by Seattle on Thursday after having tweeted his goodbye to fans a week earlier.
    Wherefore art though Ante Jazic? Not a part of El Chelis’ plans – or three-man back-line - at Chivas, will the Canadian veteran find a new home sometime soon?
    See It Live
    Sunday’s night cap between San Jose and New York provided some images truly worthy of the occasion.
    Victor Bernardez and Fabian Espindola holding hands as they ran away from a battle near the end-line was candid, Ty Harden putting his hands all over Thierry Henry was a touch awkward, and Steven Lenhart’s hipster glasses and now-freshly manicured curly mop-top was.. um, anyways. But Chris Wondolowski nearly being sick on the edge of the New York penalty box trying to shake off a whack to the throat – unintentional, surely – from Johnny Steele was downright unpleasant; no way anyone bothers to include that in the highlights.
    Runners-up: El Chelis’ screaming exchange with a fan at the end of the Chivas match and Kenny Mansally’s head-butt into the chest of Perry Kitchen, somebody will take a look at that.
    Both can likely be found somewhere on the internet and it would come as no surprise should the first in-season disciplinary committee action be taken – against Mansally, not Chelis.
    Overheard
    On a weekend in which Toronto, New England, Philadelphia, and Chivas pick up wins to, at the very least, put a smile on the faces of their beleaguered fans these words from Jose Luis Sanchez Sola – El Chelis - seem fitting:
    “Thank God because this gives us credibility. Any athlete who competes needs these results. It makes you feel alive. We have a lot of faults, but the only one I don’t allow is for us to stop fighting. We can’t hang our heads for anything. It was another demonstration, with us down a goal on our own pitch and the time constricted, we raised our heads from the dead.”
    There is always hope; even for Toronto fans.
    Runners-up: Alexi Lalas nearly calling himself an “MLS Sl—“, before catching himself and saying “Snob”; one must love and appreciate Mr. Lalas, whether for his grizzled 1994-era ginger goatee, or his modern day bombastic enthusiasm. Guess everyone is still in early season form.
    Danny Califf’s comments about Sporting getting upset in the second half were priceless, Graham Zusi’s impedance as the match worn on was startling, at least the referee managed a cheerful smile throughout the match.
    Upcoming Matches
    Be prepared, next weekend is MLS Rivalry Week, should be interesting; very interesting.
    Saturday: New York v DC; Kansas City v Chicago; Montreal v Toronto; Philadelphia v New England; Columbus v San Jose; Salt Lake v Colorado; Seattle v Portland. Sunday: Dallas v Houston; Los Angeles v Chivas.
    One of those matches really doesn’t belong.
    Midweek fixtures will determine the fates of the three MLS clubs involved in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.
    Seattle hosts Mexican-side Tigres on Tuesday trailing by a single controversial header having held strong for the majority of the match. Houston faces the difficult task of an away trip to Torreon with only a one-goal advantage over Santos Laguna, thanks to Brad Davis’ late strike on Tuesday, while LA welcomes Herediano to Southern California with the series knotted at zeros, despite conceding a late penalty kick – it struck the bar – and having a legitimate goal from Mike Magee ruled offside, that same night.
    Parting Thoughts
    Montreal’s two road wins in the Pacific Northwest have them looking formidable, but how will they play at home? And Vancouver, unbeaten in two at home to start the season on the right foot, how will they fair on their travels after a bye week this weekend? And how good will this year’s Voyageur’s Cup be with all three Canadian sides looking strong – or at least sturdy in Toronto’s case? Excited?
    Will New York learn to protect a lead or face a similar fate when they host DC in the Atlantic Cup next weekend? Can Sporting rebound from a disappointing defeat to Toronto or will their first half struggles continue to haunt them? And Chicago, what has gone wrong with the Fire? Is Jay Heaps rebuild of the Revolution ready to contend this season? How about John Hackworth’s Union, are they mature enough to build on a good result in Colorado? Will San Jose’s win over New York spark that lust to win that served them well in 2012? What fate awaits Seattle, Houston and LA, who return to league play against heated rivals after CONCACAF commitments midweek? Is El Chelis changing Chivas, or will the Goats revert to being, well, goats?
    What did you think of round two?
    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
    Guest
    So, Toronto FC fans, now that you've had a little bit of time to think about it... how does it feel?
    That sensation of having reached the end of a league match with your team's goal total superior to that of the opponent -- that rare, bizarre feeling that, according to some quick Wikipedia research, is called a "win".
    Feels nice, right? Creates a feeling of optimism, of hope, of satisfaction in the emotional-investment choices you've made in your life? Heck, after being starved of such emotions for so long, the unexpected victory over Kansas City might be filling you with big dreams about TFC's chances this season; in fact, this one result in early March may have you thinking this is the year Toronto finally qualifies for the pl---
    Stop. Go slap yourself right now. Move away from the screen for a moment and do it. I'll wait here.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Alright then. Now that the temporary euphoric wave of sporting triumph (and the subsequent alcoholic haze) has presumably worn off, we can return to reality.
    In reality, this is a team that began last season with a record-breaking losing streak and finished it with a 14-game winless streak -- under two different managers.
    "Ah ha!" you're unlikely to be saying, but go with me anyway here, "But those managers are both gone! Most of those players are gone! This is a new regime, a new head coach, a new set of players -- this, clearly, is the time it all works!"
    Whichever cheek you didn't slap the first time? Slap that one now.
    If regime change, or a new head coach, or a new set of on-field troops were the can't-miss keys to on-field success, TFC would be an MLS dynasty, rather than a punchline both at home and abroad.
    Let's be honest, though -- the victory over SKC was marvelously gratifying for the long-suffering TFC faithful. Despite the characteristically nervy conclusion, Toronto held onto a deserved three points, powered by a new instant Hogtown hero by the name of Robert Earnshaw.
    It's remarkable, in fact, that barely a week after TFC fans were nervously wringing their hands about the team's attacking options -- and legitimately wondering if there was anyone worthy of being the team's opening-day starting striker -- some TFC fans are already salivating at the prospect of Earnshaw combining with Danny Koevermans in the not-too-distant future for the Reds.
    And when it comes to combinations, some (myself included) are cautiously optimistic that Darren O'Dea and Danny Califf could finally be the solution to Toronto's six-year-long troubles in the centre of defence. Having a former centreback as a head coach certainly helps keep things organized -- as does pairing O'Dea with another experienced CB, which certainly wasn't the case during his first season with Toronto in 2012.
    Stefan Frei will be back soon, though Joe Bendik has looked solid in his two regular-season starts. Kyle Bekker and Luis Silva are full of promise, while Julio Cesar is sure to bolster the squad's midfield and John Bostock electrified the Toronto crowd in his debut, just one day after officially signing with the team.
    Oh yeah, and the team has two designated player spots and some cash to play around with.
    So yes, it's alright to have hope. It's alright to believe there is promise in Kevin Payne's plan, or in Nelsen's capabilities as a head coach, or in the potential of this team to gel into a solid MLS squad over the course of the season. Unyielding pessimism never really gets anyone much of anything, after all.
    But let's all remember what we're talking about here. After all, this is Toronto FC.
    And it was one game.
    One game.
    Sure, the Reds now have as many points through two league games as they did through 10 league games last season. You're allowed to be happy about that. You're allowed to believe this team might be the one to finally put it together and drag soccer back into the Toronto spotlight, in a positive fashion. Because you know what? They might be.
    But if you're banking on a breakthrough, after this one result... or if you're already convinced Earnshaw will break MLS scoring records... or you're sure that the days of late-game defensive breakdowns are gone forever...
    Well then, you know what to do.
    .
    Guest
    I wrote this yesterday for CBC, entitled: Pro Soccer Pained by Pill-Popping Players. A great headline that I had nothing to do with.
    In the story, three Canadian club doctors spoke out on the abuse of over-the-counter painkillers by soccer players in Canada.
    Two talked about how the practice – which can lead to severe health issues later in life - is common among veteran players. They all spoke about better education of youth players who were taking them en masse without knowing the risks.
    The story garnered less reaction than I had expected.
    The Internet could have been to blame. The Blue Jays just won the World Series yesterday – or so is my understanding. And David Beckham vs Lionel Messi was taking up the remaining virtual head space.
    The other option - and probably the likely one - is that this issue just isn’t that sexy. It didn’t have players getting busted. It didn’t have the words 'steroids' or 'performance enhancing drugs' in the headline. This certainly wasn’t a Lance Armstrong-like undoing.
    In fact, it is all pretty innocuous. Which, in my view, makes it all the more dangerous.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I spoke to a number of players – current and former professionals – as I prepared this piece. None of them wanted to speak on the record, for which I can’t blame them. Even admitting to abuse of something like Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) is still, potentially, putting your career and breading winning at risk. Not to mention the stigma that can go along with such a thing.
    But while they didn’t want to cop to their own indiscretions – something that, according to those club doctors, a large percentage of veterans are doing – they unequivocally admitted that it is going on. And many more added that the abuse and self-prescribing, or in their words ‘maintenance,’ is worse among college students. Those, who are trying to push past an injury to get noticed by scouts, or those who are trying to make it through the grueling preseason camps.
    In all likelihood, the current veterans are taking as much, if not more, than they took in college (wear and tear and all that) but by deflecting to the college years, it certainly seems to indicate that is where the habits are forming.
    I knew a number of guys through school who would think nothing of popping 7-10 a day to help cope with the pain that comes with the preseason boot camps. For some of them, who were carrying injuries but didn’t want to risk getting cut, it was what they did to help get around after practice was finished.
    My wife, who is now a physiotherapist, and played for York during the Paul James era tells similar stories of players regularly self-prescribing just to get by. His camps – for the men and women – were notoriously intense. (For the sake of clarity, and to avoid legal headaches, James had nothing to do with their self-prescribing)
    Even if you didn’t play the college game, or at a high level, I realize there will still be some weekend warriors saying, ‘So what? I take painkillers all the time and I’m fine.”
    I can admit to having done the same. You don’t think much of it because they’re so readily available and seemingly harmless but the risks (liver, kidney, stomach problems) are real.
    What this new research is showing is that not only are the NSAIDs capable of long term harm, they actually prevent the injury from healing properly. According to the club doctors I spoke to in that piece, you want a certain amount of inflammation to assist the healing. These drugs - which are sold on curing minor aches and pains - can realistically extend it if the injury doesn't heal properly.
    So strip away the once perceived medical benefits of taking an NSAID – reducing inflammation to help the injury heal – and what you have is players, across many age groups in the sport, self prescribing pain medication for themselves.
    That still might not be enough for some to warrant that big, sexy headline but given the context, and the apparent widespread nature of the problem, it should.
    Guest
    <i>We've decided to change up our gameday coverage from just the boring old match report, so starting this week we're going to have the report and post-game reaction for all home games and some away. This means that reports won't be up as quickly at the final whistle but will be there as soon as we can get everything typed up, and our "The Story In Pictures" slideshow will follow as soon as possible after that.</i>
    <center>**********</center>
    <CENTER><b>Caps cut down Crew to remain undefeated</b></CENTER>
    Vancouver Whitecaps made it six points out of six to kick off the 2013 MLS season, after a hard fought 2-1 win over Columbus Crew at BC Place this afternoon.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Whitecaps had, and wasted, chance after chance in the first half but only had a Daigo Kobayashi wonderstrike to show for their efforts. They were made to pay just after the interval, before captain Kenny Miller saved the day with an opportunistic goal to give the Caps the win.
    The scoreline belies how well Vancouver played but what was important was that they fought together as a unit to bring home the three points and created the chances that seemed to elude them last season.
    Joe Cannon was the first keeper called into action when he had to get down to a long range Dominic Oduro shot two minutes in.
    Vancouver came close to getting their first chance moments later when Kenny Miller held off his man well and nearly slotted a neat ball through to Darren Mattocks but Columbus snuffed out the danger.
    The Whitecaps were playing some nice passing football and got their reward early and in fairly dramatic style.
    The Caps hit the Crew quickly after dispossessing them at the halfway line six minutes in. Mattocks slipped the ball inside to Daigo Kobayashi who hit a 30 yards screamer over Andy Gruenebaum and into the top left hand corner of the net. It was a thing of beauty.
    Columbus were stunned but soon settled and started to control possession, with Oduro blasting over from a good position in the 10th minute.
    The Crew’s Glauber saw the first card of the game in the 19th minute when he cynically pulled back Miller as he was about to break free and bare down on goal. It was very close to being a last man red, but there was enough doubt that another Crew defender could have made it back. I’m not so sure.
    Vancouver wasted the free kick and Columbus went up the pitch and had a chance of their own when Jairo Arrieta got on the end of a Tyson Wahl cross and forced Cannon into a goal-line save.
    Cannon had to have quick reflexes to get down to a Federico Higuain free kick that eluded everyone and skipped through off the turf in front of him in the 34th minute. Moments later Higuain whipped in another dangerous free-kick which Cannon punched clear.
    Darren Mattocks, who was having another tough time of it out there, finally got a chance to run at the Columbus defence in the 38th minute and played a perfect cross into the six yard box which Miller just couldn’t connect with and he ended up in the net instead of the ball.
    Vancouver had their best chance to made it two with five minutes of the half remaining.
    Alain Rochat broke on the left and cut the ball back from the bye line to Miller. The Caps captain saw his shot parried by Gruenebaum straight into the path of Nigel Reo-Coker but the Englishman blasted his shot over from eight yards out with the goal gaping.
    Miller had another chance to double the Caps lead in the 43rd minute but YP Lee’s cross took a bounce and hit him on the chest. He did well to control it but it allowed Oduro to get in with a last ditch challenge and concede a corner.
    Kobayashi sent the corner dangerously into the box and Brad Rusin could only look on in disbelief as his powerful header first crashed off the right hand post, onto Gruenebaum, then back onto the post, then cleared.
    It was the last action of the half and the Whitecaps had to go in hoping that they wouldn’t be forced to regret their slew of missed opportunities.
    They were, and it only Columbus 41 seconds after the restart to punish them.
    Arrieta and Brad Rusin went up for a ball and the Crew man won it with ease, heading it down to Ben Speas. The Costa Rican continued his run and the through ball was played back to him from Speas and he buried it past a wrong footed Cannon.
    The goal seemed to stun both teams and both soon struggled to carve out any clear cut chances.
    From out of nowhere, the Caps retook the lead in the 57th minute.
    Gruenebaum played a sloppy short ball out to Glauber, who had trouble controlling it. Miller saw the opportunity to pounce, dispossessed the Brazilian and coolly hit home to restore the Whitecaps’ advantage.
    It was nearly three on the hour mark. Miller whipped in a great cross from the left but Mattocks could only direct his header straight into the arms of Gruenebaum.
    Columbus went up the pitch immediately and Arrieta nearly got on the end of a cross into the box but Cannon was out quick to smother the danger.
    Vancouver had the ball in the net in the 79th minute but it was ruled out for offside.
    Miller ran past the Columbus backline and onto a great through ball. He bore down on goal and with just the keeper to beat, he looked up saw substitute Erik Hurtado in the clear and unselfishly played in the rookie for what he thought was his first professional goal.
    Hurtado was deemed to have been offside when the first ball was played through but was clearly on in the second phase of play.
    The Whitecaps were furious but they kept pushing and Camilo saw his header shoot inches wide.
    Columbus tried to push to find a way back into the game but the Whitecaps did what they failed to do so often in their MLS era, and shut the game out with little to trouble them.
    The win gives Vancouver six points out of six and sets them up nicely for their three game road trip coming up after next week’s free weekend.
    The team is looking exciting and creating chances, but they will need to start finishing more of them if they are to do some damage on the road. Only three shots on target from eight attempts, compared to 15 attempts from Columbus is a tale in itself.
    This week it didn’t matter and they got the win. You feel it will be a different story against the more dangerous sides in MLS.
    FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 - 1 Columbus Crew
    ATT: 18,078
    VANCOUVER: Joe Cannon; Young-Pyo Lee, Brad Rusin, Andy O’Brien, Alain Rochat; Jun Marques Davidson, Nigel Reo-Coker, Gershon Koffie, Daigo Kobayashi (Erik Hurtado 77); Kenny Miller, Darren Mattocks (Camilo Sanvezzo 67) [subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, Jordan Harvey, Russell Teibert, Kekuta Manneh, Corey Hertzog]
    COLUMBUS: Andy Gruenebaum; Josh Williams, Chad Marshall, Glauber (Ryan Finley 89), Tyson Wahl; Dominic Oduro, Agustin Viana (Tony Tchani 70), Ben Speas, Danny O’Rourke (Matias Sanchez 70); Jairo Arrieta, Federico Higuain [subs Not Used: Justin Meram, Matt Lampson, Ethan Finlay, Drew Beckie]
    <br>
    <b><u>POST GAME REACTION:</u></b>
    <b>Martin Rennie on the game:</b>
    “I thought it was a very entertaining game. Maybe one of the most exciting games since I’ve been here as a coach.”
    “Definitely we created more chances today in the game than I think we have in any game since I’ve been here. So that’s encouraging. We had that one let down for the goal, so that’s disappointing, but overall our play was very strong today. We scored two goals but created enough chances to score more and looked very comfortable in possession at times and I thought we managed the game against a team that I think are a very strong team.”
    “It’s nice for us to start the season with two wins and also to play really well today. I was happy with that.”
    <b>Rennie on Kenny Miller’s play and goal:</b>
    “He was fantastic again today. Scored a goal from closing down and chasing someone, which he definitely deserved as he was running back to the left back area all day, and worked really hard for the team and showed again how good player he is.”
    <b>Rennie on Daigo Kobayashi’s goal:</b>
    “I thought it was fantastic. As soon as he hit it I thought it was in. I don’t know if I’ve jumped so high in a while when I saw that go in. At that spell of the game we were playing really well and I thought that the movement that we got from Daigo got him on the ball a lot in dangerous areas and they backed off a little bit and he couldn’t have struck it any better.”
    <b>Columbus Coach Robert Warzycha on the game:</b>
    “It’s tough to play on the turf. I think Vancouver, the local team obviously, adjusted to the surface a little bit quicker than us. We made some mistakes and that probably cost us the game.
    In the first half they had a couple of opportunities that they didn’t score but we were fortunate not to give up the goal. Second half I felt we controlled the game. We made a mistake and then we paid for it.”
    <b>Erik Hurtado on disallowed goal:</b>
    “I don’t think it was offside. I’m young, the referee makes the decision and you’ve got to adapt to that. I just got to keep firing throughout the game and hopefully next time it won’t be offside, with the call at least.”
    <b>Hurtado on Miller’s unselfishness on that play:</b>
    “It was very unselfish. I just got a whole more respect for him for doing that. He could have obviously slipped that in, he did it the last time one v one. He just tried to get me involved in the game, you can’t ask for more than that from a vet.”
    <b>Kenny Miller on that unselfishness:</b>
    “I should have just shot then if he was offside. (laughs)
    When you see a team-mate in a position where it’s a guaranteed goal, and I could shoot and the keeper could save it, or I could miss the target, or if I lay the ball and it’s a guaranteed goal, that was the best play I think. Unfortunately it was offside.”
    <b>Nigel Reo-Coker on his open goal miss:</b>
    “I missed it. I mean there’s nothing more to say, I missed it. I tried to get over the ball but it is a difficult surface. It is completely different from playing on grass, but I’m not going to make any excuses, I should have scored.”
    <b>Has Brad Rusin ever had an effort hit the post twice before?</b>
    “Not really. Can’t remember the last time, if it’s even happened. We created many chances today. Unfortunately it wasn’t our time to score three or four goals. We could have in the first half, but ultimately we got the win and that was the most important thing.”
    <b>Joe Cannon on the team unity:</b>
    “I really just want this team to win. It’s such a great group of individuals we have here, that I’d like to do something special with them, like winning something. I think whether I’m out there or not, I think creating that kind of memory would be great, but not just for but for the guys in this organisation.”
    <p>
    Guest

    SoccerPlus in Portland (March 9)

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    The Montreal Impact will face the Portland Timbers Saturday night at JeldWen Field, and talks all week has been about the return of Troy Perkins and the first match for Donovan Ricketts against his previous team.
    In the final daily show of our series on the West Coast, we talk with both teams head coach, with former French international Mickael Silvestre who made his MLS debut against New York last week and we discuss the Ricketts-Perkins trade with former Montreal and Toronto as well as current Portland goalkeeper coach Mike Toshack and repoter Michael Orr from NASN Portland.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to listing to this 35 minutes show: SoccerPlus - March 9
    Guest
    As Toronto FC supporters prepare to “occupy” Rogers Centre for the Reds’ 2013 home opener the ever present danger of Southern Ontario sports fandom – hope, with maybe even an inkling of expectation – has started to once again creep into the discussion around TFC. In many ways it’s probably not unjustified.
    A better than expected performance, more organized if offensively tepid, against the Vancouver Whitecaps last weekend was achieved with a patchwork line-up, parts of which were still seemingly being introduced to each other in the locker room pre-game. If that group, with an actual week of training together under new head coach Ryan Nelsen, can be reinforced by the return of a few expected regulars who were unavailable for the season opener it starts to be possible to see the outlines of a Reds’ side capable of hanging around in Major League Soccer.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    While fitness doubts remain for Luis Silva, Julio Cesar, Justin Braun, and now rookie Kyle Bekker – who missed some practice in the week due to flu – there are some things that Toronto supporters can be fairly certain they won’t see: Eric Avila, Torsten Frings, Adrian Cann, Milos Kocic, Ryan Johnson, Eric Hassli, Quincy Amarikwa, Aaron Maund, and Freddy Hall. Every single one of those players started in 2012 in one TFC’s three losses to Saturday’s opponent Sporting Kansas City. Add to that Richard Eckersley as a centre back, Andrew Wiedeman on both wings, and the injured Danny Koevermans amongst players still on Toronto’s roster and you’ve got more than a complete 11.
    The scale of the rebuild in Toronto, which management insists is far from done, should be clear from just that list. As has so often been the case in the past, opening day in Toronto will be an exercise in learning to recognize all the new players in red.
    Sporting heads to Toronto on the back of a 3-1 away win in Philadelphia but, if you’re inclined towards looking for positives, showed an unexpected defensive vulnerability in the first half against the Union. While SKC’s domination of the second half ultimately paced them to victory on opening day it was, once again, a reminder that no team, particularly no MLS team, is invincible.
    That said, away victories are never automatic and it’s important to remember that Sporting were the consensus pick of both the contributors to Canadian Soccer News and editors of mlssoccer.com to win the Supporters’ Shield in 2013.
    Peter Vermes’ side retains the high-pressing, athletic 4-3-3 style that has seen them push into the elite of MLS over the last two seasons but have been forced into a degree of turnover themselves. Reds’ fans will of course be aware of the departure of midfielder Julio Cesar but Kansas City are also now without the services of Honduran Roger Espinoza. Between the two of them Cesar and Espinoza formed the combative central pairing of KC’s midfield in 2012 and it may take a while for Sporting to adjust to the duo's absence.
    While the addition of American international Benny Feilhaber and elevation of Spanish midfielder Oriol Rosell to a regular starting position possibly provides a more creative dynamic it is not hard to imagine that the defensive balance of the midfield has been compromised.
    Up front, the story has been Kansas City’s inability to prevent the loan of forward Kei Kamara to Norwich City of the English Premier League. Sporting had already recruited Argentine Claudio Bieler from LDU Quito of Ecuador as their new Designated Player but the loss of Kamara did not seem planned.
    The long term injury forced absences of regular forward Teal Bunbury and former TFCer Jacob Peterson mean that Vermes is actually fairly limited in his options. While C.J. Sapong remains available, as in Philadelphia, expect to see Bobby Convey on the left and Graham Zusi employed as a right winger. Zusi’s influence on the game in Philadelphia was decisive and whoever Ryan Nelsen pairs with Ashtone Morgan on the left of Toronto’s formation will have to be prepared to help the Canadian left back deal with one of MLS’s most dangerous players.
    Guest
    Much like the comic-book-adaptation TV show Arrow, the premise of this "mostly fabricated synopsis" is so convoluted that it requires a clumsy explanation off the top every single time. So, here goes.
    Canada really did play its second game of the Cyprus Cup on Friday, against Finland. The final score really was 2-1. But as there was no way to watch the game -- the only live information coming courtesy of the CSA's Twitter feed -- there's no real way to do any kind of match report.
    So, the next best (?) thing: The limited live information gets lumped in with a bunch of made-up nonsense (and then, eventually, the CSA uploads a video highlight package). Sound good? No? Well, too bad, here it is anyway.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    As expected, head coach John Herdman made some changes to his starting XI from the tournament opener against Switzerland. Lining up against Finland were goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, defenders Rhian Wilkinson, Kadeisha Buchanan, Carmelina Moscato, Lauren Sesselmann, midfielders Kaylyn Kyle, Sophie Schmidt and Diana Matheson, and forwards Jonelle Filigno, Adriana Leon and OMG OMG SHE'S BACK OMG EVERYBODY LOOK Christine Sinclair.
    While the rest of the players entered the field via the normal means (that is, walking), Sinclair descended from above, carried on a floating chariot of gold and persimmons, adorned in a technicolour dreamcoat that would make Ric Flair circa 1988 blush. While her awed teammates held Sinclair in due deference, the Finnish squad was too busy pony-trekking, camping or just watching TV.
    When the match got underway, a still-jonesing Schmidt lunged at Sinclair, desperate to get just one more hit of that sweet captain's armband. It took the combined strength of the remaining Canadian players -- as well as three well-trained grizzly bears, who happened to be serving as ball boys -- to separate the two. Meanwhile, the shocked Finns managed to comically bumble the ball into the Canadian goal, for a 1-0 lead in just the fifth minute.
    With Schmidt finally subdued (thanks, grizzly bears!) the Canadian team was able to assert better control of the game, earning several chances in the subsequent minutes thanks in part to the work of Sinclair. But it was ultimately Jonelle Filigno who equalized, heroically bellowing "Sun of righteousness, shine upon the west also!!!" before blasting an 85-yard drive (give or take a few yards) into the Finnish goal.
    The Finns, suddenly realizing who it was they were playing against, began giddily asking Sinclair for autographs -- including one who decided to pick up a ball for her to sign. Unfortunately for her team, the ball was in play, and inside their own penalty area; so, rather than scribbling her name, Sinclair instead placed the ball on the spot and slotted home a goal in the same way we all brush our teeth -- calmly, routinely and with a fresh minty aftertaste.
    The second half was a cagey affair (Schmidt literally being held behind bars on the sideline, carefully watched by her bear guards), but a few Canadian goal-line clearances were necessary. Stephanie Labbe made her long-awaited return to the WNT, while Christina "Corky" Julien earned her 50th cap for the senior national team after coming on as a sub -- I've leave it up to you to figure out whether that's her actual nickname, or merely fabricated for the sake of this post. Compelling mystery, that.
    There was no insurance goal that would have really... wait for it... wait for it... finished off the opponent, but Big Red did enough to hold on for the victory and a guaranteed berth in the Cyprus Cup final (for the sixth year running), against either England or New Zealand, who play each other on Monday. The winner books their own spot in the final, the loser gets catapulted into the sun. So, plenty at stake there.
    Canada finishes off group play against the Netherlands on Monday, and then looks to earn their fourth Cyprus Cup crown in the championship final on Wednesday. There won't be any live stream of the game, and yes, as you suspected, it's all a massive conspiracy.


    .
    Guest

    Reds add midfielder on loan

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Toronto FC added midfielder John Bostock on loan today.
    The 21-year-old is a Spurs property, but was most recently with Swindon Town in League One.
    Since joining Tottenham in the sumer of 2008, Bostock has gone on four different loan spells in England with: Brentford F.C. (2009-10), Hull City A.F.C. (2010-11), Sheffield Wednesday (2011-12), and Swindon Town (2012-13).
    He was part of the Swindon Town’s League Two Championship winning side in 2012. He was returned to Tottenham in January.
    He is awaiting his ITC.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    SoccerPlus in Portland (March 8)

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    On the eve of the Montreal-Portland match, Impact striker and DP Marco Di Vaio states his goal total objective for 2013.
    Canadian international Patrice Bernier tells us what advantage (if such advantage exists) Les Bleus will benefit from playing against former team mate and current Timbers' No. 1 keeper Donovan Ricketts on Saturday.
    We also sat down to have a long chat with Montreal's GK coach Youssef Dahha.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to listen to our 23 minutes show: SoccerPlus - March 8
    Guest
    <b>KEY PLAYERS :</b>
    ATTACKING
    There were some doubts going into the opener as to how <b>Kenny Miller</b> would fit into the lineup but the Scot, through his high work rate, showed that he has potential to be very valuable to the club. There were a couple of instances where Miller found himself in a dangerous position but the service to him was lacking.
    The engine that makes the Crew's attack run is Argentine <b>Federico Higuain</b>, who sits right behind the striker. With six goals and seven assists in his twelve starts, he is a threat as both a playmaker and a finisher and will have to be closely marked.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    DEFENCE
    With his appearance in the second half <b>Nigel Reo Coker</b> changed the tempo of the match and improved the play of the midfield. He is expected to start against the Crew and will need to track Higuain as well as push the ball into the attack.
    The key piece to the Crew’s backline is <b>Chad Marshall</b> who may not be the fleetest of foot but possesses size and intelligence. The two time MLS defender of the year is one of the best centrebacks in the league and now has better support with Brazilian Glauber partnering with him on the backline.
    <b>WHO'S ON FORM :</b>
    Against Toronto FC, <b>Daigo Kobayashi</b> showed the technical skill that the Whitecaps saw when they were thinking of signing him prior to the season. The Japanese international especially showed his skill as a playmaker with his one touch pass to Koffie on the only goal of the game.
    Having been given the number one keeper spot in the offseason, <b>Andy Gruenebaum</b> came up with a cleansheet to start the year. He didn’t have to make too many his saves, two in total, but it was the one around the thirty minute mark that kept the game scoreless going into the half.
    <b>PROJECTED LINEUP :</b>
    Vancouver Whitecaps (4-2-3-1)
    R to L- Joe Cannon; Y.P. Lee, Andy O’Brien, Brad Rusin, Alain Rochat; Nigel Reo-Coker, Gershon Koffie; Daigo Kobayashi, Kenny Miller, Kekuta Manneh; Darren Mattocks
    Columbus Crew (4-5-1)
    R to L - Andy Gruenebaum; Josh Williams, Chad Marshall, Glauber, Tyson Wahl; Dominic Oduro, Danny O’Rourke, Federico Higuain, Agustin Viana, Eddie Gaven; Jairo Arrieta
    <b>INJURED/MISSING :</b>
    Vancouver Whitecaps
    Out: MF Bryce Alderson (knee), FW Omar Salgado (foot), DF Jay DeMerit (Achilles)
    Questionable: MF Matt Watson (knee)
    Columbus Crew
    None
    <b>2013 RECORD :</b>
    Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    1W-0D-0L
    3 points
    4th in Western Conference
    Last Match: 1-0 Win at home to Toronto FC
    Columbus Crew
    1W-0D-0L
    3 points
    1st in Eastern Conference
    Last Match: 3-0 Win at Chivas USA
    <b>OVERVIEW :</b>
    Vancouver Whitecaps enter their second match of the season hoping to put together a full 90 minute performance against Columbus Crew. They may have picked up three points against TFC but it was far from an ideal show, especially in the first half.
    There will be a few changes to the lineup with Brad Rusin taking over for injured captain Jay DeMerit. He will partner with Andy O’Brien on the backline while Alain Rochat and YP Lee will be the full backs. In addition to those veterans, Rusin will have the leadership and organizational skills of Joe Cannon in the net.
    In front of the backline the Caps will have Nigel Reo Coker replacing Jun Marques Davidson while Gershon Koffie will be the other holding mid. The attack will have Darren Mattocks as the striker while Kenny Miller, Daigo Kobayashi and either Kekuta Manneh or Erik Hurtado will line up behind him.
    There is a chance that Davidson will remain in the lineup and neither rookie will start, but the Caps will need pace in the wide areas against the Crew and will want to be more attacking as they are at home. The visitors have a large backline who lack mobility which is where the Whitecaps can take advantage of in the attack.
    In addition to the obvious danger of Higuain, the Whitecaps will have to be aware of the pace from the wide midfielders. Offseason addition Dominic Oduro and Eddie Gaven are threats if given space and time to attack.
    In the first half of their opening match the Whitecaps were very sloppy with their passes, as well as being unable to win second balls. The second half was a different story with the inclusion of Reo-Coker into the eleven as the midfielder was able to push the ball up the field.
    In his media scrum at training Martin Rennie felt they didn’t need to change but just improve what they already had.
    <i>"What we did in the second half was good. We want to build on that performance and overall we have got ourselves off to a good start."</i>
    This will be a bigger test for the Whitecaps considering the Crew have been training together for most of the preseason, unlike TFC. However, if they can repeat their second half performance from last week then another three points should be there for the taking.
    <p>
    Guest
    Aller guten dinge sind drei. All good things come in threes.
    That is one of the few phrases that I actually remember from my four years of high school German. And things do come better in threes, or so I've been trying to convince the wife.
    Our show this week must be doubly good then, because we have two of them, as it's Episode 33 of our West Coast Soccer podcast.
    Our main guest this week is <b>Adam Jardy</b> from <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/covering-the-crew" target="_blank"><u>The Columbus Dispatch</u></a>, as we look ahead to the Whitecaps meeting with Columbus Crew on Saturday.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    There's also some good snippets from brief chats I had this past week with MLS Commissioner <b>Don Garber</b> and new Whitecap <b>Nigel Reo-Coker</b>.
    Pierce and me are also on hand to look at what's been going on in Whitecapsland and there's still time for our latest <b>Sweet Ride "Brain Freeze of the Week"</b>.
    Have a listen. Better sound this week too (just!).
    You can listen to this week's podcast (and the previous ones) on iTunes <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/westcoastsoccerweekly/id491781299" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> or download it for your later listening delight <a href="http://westcoastsoccerweekly.podbean.com/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> or have a listen on one of the players below.
    <div>
    <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="210" height="25" id="mp3playerlightsmallv3" align="middle">
    <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"/>
    <param name="movie" value="http://playlist.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerlightsmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://westcoastsoccerweekly.podbean.com/mf/play/fnwu5t/Season2ep2.mp3&autoStart=no"/>
    <param name="quality" value="high"/><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/>
    <embed src="http://playlist.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerlightsmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://westcoastsoccerweekly.podbean.com/mf/play/fnwu5t/Season2ep2.mp3&autoStart=no" quality="high" width="210" height="25" name="mp3playerlightsmallv3" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"/></embed>
    </object>
    <br/><a style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; padding-left: 41px; color: #2DA274; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: none;" href="http://www.podbean.com">Podcast Powered By Podbean</a>
    </div>
    <div>
    <audio controls="controls" id="auidoplayerhtml5podbean6b9f0e9331829b1482d1242be736057d">
    <source src="http://westcoastsoccerweekly.podbean.com/mf/play/fnwu5t/Season2ep2.mp3" type="audio/mpeg" autoplay="no">
    Your browser does not support the audio element.
    </audio>
    <script type="text/javascript">
    var audioTag = document.createElement('audio');
    if (!(!!(audioTag.canPlayType) && ("no" != audioTag.canPlayType("audio/mpeg")) && ("" != audioTag.canPlayType("audio/mpeg")))) {
    document.getElementById('auidoplayerhtml5podbean6b9f0e9331829b1482d1242be736057d').parentNode.removeChild(document.getElementById('auidoplayerhtml5podbean6b9f0e9331829b1482d1242be736057d'));
    document.write('<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="210" height="25" id="mp3playerlightsmallv3" align="middle"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /><param name="movie" value="http://playlist.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerlightsmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://westcoastsoccerweekly.podbean.com/mf/play/fnwu5t/Season2ep2.mp3&autoStart=no" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed src="http://playlist.podbean.com/podcast-audio-video-blog-player/mp3playerlightsmallv3.swf?audioPath=http://westcoastsoccerweekly.podbean.com/mf/play/fnwu5t/Season2ep2.mp3&autoStart=no" quality="high" width="210" height="25" name="mp3playerlightsmallv3" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed></object>');
    }
    </script>
    <br/>
    <a style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; padding-left: 41px; color: #2DA274; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: none;" href="http://www.podbean.com">Podcast Powered By Podbean</a>
    </div>
    Guest

    Last Man Standing 2013: Week Two

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    Thanks to everyone who is taking part in this year's <i>"Last Man Standing"</i> competition.
    47 entered. 36 remain.
    Who will be AFTN's 2013 Last Man Standing?
    Here's who's left in:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Ben D.O.W. / Bill Ault / Brenton / captainkroek / Carnifex 2005 / CasualSoccerFan / Chad B / chauchi09 / Daniel Olson / Drew Shaw / Duane Rollins / Hamilton Steelers / Initial B / Jay Duke / johnyb / lazlo_80 / leftcoastkicks / Lindimac99 / Lucas / Michael McColl / Murray / Number 4 / Old Style Pilsner / Peter Czimmerman / Peter Tse / peter3 / Registrado / Robchester_2000 / Russell Berrisford / Saber1989 / Squizz / Starting Eleven / TFCfan4life / Trillium / Tuscan / Wayne Carrigan
    So just to confirm, no-one else can take part this season.
    We saw 20 people go with Vancouver last weekend. Six people went for Columbus, advancing with one of the League's weaker teams, so that may serve them well down the road. San Jose and Seattle cost eight people their chance.
    For those still in, here's a recap of the basic rules....
    <b><u>COMPETITION RULES:</u></b>
    - Every week we will list the eligible fixtures and you pick one of the teams involved that you think will win.
    - If that team wins, you are through to the next round. If they lose or draw, then you are out of the competition. If a game is abandoned or postponed and not played that same weekend, you will luck out and go through!
    - You will only be able to pick a team once, until you have selected all 19 teams, so choose your weekly selection wisely. You don’t want to be left with the crappy teams playing the top ones if you can help it! He who dares, wins.
    - The exception to the "pick only once" rule will be towards the end of the first 19 week cycle when you might only have a selection(s) left that have bye weeks. In such a scenario, you are free to pick a team you have already selected for that week only, but that team cannot be selected for a third time later.
    - We will be keeping a running tally of who has picked what team.
    - You have to have entered the competition in Week One and still be in it to continue to participate.
    - Selections must be made before the first game of that week kicks off. This time will be clearly laid out.
    - Anyone posting their entry after the first kick off time any week will automatically be knocked out.
    - The thread will be closed for new posts and amendments after the first game has kicked off.
    - Anyone selecting a team they have already selected in a previous week will be disqualified. If you notice you have selected a team you've already picked, you have until the first game kicks off to change it.
    - If you fail to make a selection in time one week, you are automatically eliminated.
    - The competition will run up until we have crowned the winner. In the unlikely event that we are still going at the end of the regular season, we will carry it on into the playoffs on a knockout basis. If there are only a handful remaining we may give prizes to all. This will be entirely up to our discretion, but we will keep you posted.
    - The winner will be the last man/woman/alien standing, who will then have the crown until next season. (Note – there is no actual crown, although if I end up winning I will buy myself one).
    - Prizes are football related memorabilia from over the years, some, but not all, will be of a Whitecaps nature, so if you don’t want that either don’t enter or sell it on ebay!
    Long winded, but hopefully that will explain all you need to know for those of you unfamiliar with such a competition.
    <center>**********</center>
    So, with all that out of the way, here are the eight eligible fixtures for this second weekend. Three teams have bye weeks, so pick wisely, and remember you can't select a team you've already picked:
    Toronto FC v Sporting KC
    Colorado Rapids v Philadelphia Union
    D.C. United v Real Salt Lake
    Chicago Fire v New England Revolution
    Vancouver Whitecaps v Columbus Crew
    Portland Timbers v Montreal Impact
    Chivas USA v FC Dallas
    San Jose Earthquakes v New York Red Bulls
    <b>The first game kicks off on Saturday at 10.30am PDT / 1.30pm EST, so you have until then to enter the competition and make your first pick.</b>
    So just sign in and leave the name of the team you are picking below. And if you're still having log-in problems, we will take your entry if you leave your user name.
    Good luck!
    <p>
×
×
  • Create New...