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    MLS Week in Review - Round 1

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The first weekend of MLS has come and gone, nine matches spread over two days featuring some entertaining contests. There was a bit of rust on display, the occasional errant pass, glaring miss, or heavy breathing.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Before we breakdown the results, Canadian Soccer News’ ‘Goal of the Round’ is awarded to Columbus defender Josh Williams, who earns the plaudits with his audacious flick against Chivas in Los Angeles. Williams was dangerous from set pieces all last season, but seemed snake bit, at least twice having legitimate goals ruled out with incorrect offside calls. He made amends with style on Saturday.
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    Results in Brief
    Philadelphia 1 - Kansas City 3
    The Union dominated the first half, Sebastien Le Toux scored his first goal of the season, back in front of the home crowd that so adored him for previous exploits, controlling a Keon Daniel cross and squeezing a shot past Jimmy Nielsen, though he later squandered an opportunity to put his side ahead by two.
    Kansas City showed their class in the second with three unanswered replies from Graham Zusi – smashing the rebound from a Benny Feilhaber attempt after Claudio Bieler had knocked down a Bobby Convey cross, Oriol Rosell – a flicked header from a Zusi free-kick, and designated player, Bieler on his debut, on a tidy cut-back from Chance Myers after Zusi cross found the right-back on the far-side of the box.
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    Vancouver 1 – Toronto 0
    Though Toronto fought valiantly in the first half, they could not stem the tide of the Vancouver surge at the start of the second, precipitated by the inclusion of Nigel Reo-Coker. Gershon Koffie scored the lone goal after some brilliant ball movement involving six different Whitecaps ended with his lashing a right-footed shot past TFC keeper Joe Bendik.
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    Houston 2 – DC United 0
    Houston continued their dominant home form – now unbeaten in twenty-six straight – with a win over DC United. The first refereeing gaff of the season saw Baldomero Toldeo award a penalty kick for a Chris Korb tackle on Ricardo Clark that was clearly outside the box and likely should have instead been a red card.
    Brad Davis’ attempt was saved by Bill Hamid, who made an outstanding double save from a corner kick at the end of the first half, but was helpless when in the second half, a Davis corner landed on the head of DC defender James Riley to open the scoring.
    Clark capped the night in the final minute of regulation with a short-angled blast after some fine work from Warren Creavalle to keep the ball in play on the end-line and cut a pass back to his teammate above the near-post area.
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    Dallas 1 – Colorado 0
    A rematch of the 2010 MLS Cup, played in Toronto, featured two teams barely recognizable from that final a little more than two years earlier.
    A dreadful error from second-string Colorado keeper Stewart Ceus led to the only goal of the game. The Haitian misread the bounce of a floating David Ferreira ball, from inside his own half no less, charged out only to run out of box, pulled his hands down and watch in agony as it bound over his head, where Jackson collected and slotted it into the unguarded net.
    Rapids captain, Pablo Mastroeni returned from nearly a year on the sidelines due to concussion symptoms to lead his side, shorn of four would-be starters, in a losing effort.
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    Seattle 0 – Montreal 1
    Montreal survived six minutes of stoppage time and their inability to hold possession as the clock ticked down, aided by some lenient refereeing from Silviu Petrescu, to survive a late barrage from Seattle and pick up their first road win of the season. Results away from home were a primary focus of the club having only collected two wins and a meager nine points on their travels last year.
    Davy Arnaud latched onto a ball over the top from Felipe, instinctively looping his finish over the towering but stranded Michael Gspurning, before putting a later header off the bar. Brad Evans and Eddie Johnson struck the woodwork themselves, but could not breach the Impact goal.
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    Chivas 0 – Columbus 3
    Chivas’ Latin Revolution under El Chelis stalled in the second half when Federico Higuain. Spotted in space above the arc by strike-mate, Jairo Arrieta, the Argentine opened the scoring with a sweetly-struck right-footed effort from range, it caromed off the inside of the right-post past a helpless Chivas keeper, Dan Kennedy.
    Right-back Josh Williams added a second with an acrobatic side-volley on an Eddie Gaven corner kick before Dominic Oduro rounded out the scoring in the final seconds. An individual effort by the Ghanaian having collected a failed Chivas free-kick atop his own box, he then exploded with a lung-busting run the length of the pitch, before rounding the keeper and slotting in the third.
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    Los Angeles 4 – Chicago 0
    Los Angeles, having celebrated their MLS Cup win last December with the presentation of rings and a Championship banner, put on a show against a surprisingly poor Chicago side shorn of two experienced defenders, Arne Friedrich and Logan Pause, absent through injury.
    Mike Magee scored the first three, all with his left boot. First, when a Steven Kinney clearance deflected off Todd Dunivant to fall kindly for a volley, then collecting a diagonal through-ball from Robbie Keane and placing a shot across Sean Johnson in the Chicago goal, before finishing the trick by controlling the rebound from a Keane shot on his chest and volleying into the net.
    Keane rounded out the scoring with a strike of his own in the final ten minutes, swiveling sharply after a short corner led to a Michael Stephens cross to the back-post that was headed down by Omar Gonzalez.
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    Portland 3 - New York 3
    An early miscommunication between Portland’s Donovan Ricketts and Mikael Silvestre - the French defender laid a back-pass to his keeper, who was rushing out to collect - led to a loose ball, which Fabian Espindola turned into the open net. Diego Valeri leveled with a sublime individual sequence, collecting a pass from Kalif Alhassan, juggling past Jamison Olave and stabbing a finish past Luis Robles in the New York goal.
    Silvestre’s tough debut continued when he whiffed on a harmless Kosuke Kimura long ball, allowing Espindola in alone for a tidy finish across the keeper. Olave made it three for New York minutes later forcing a goalmouth cross from Heath Pearce over the line at the back-post.
    Portland came out of halftime a determined side, Darlington Nagbe got the first back, pouncing on the rebound from a rasping Valeri shot, before Olave was charged with an own goal, when Jose Adolfo Valencia’s low cross into the box, struck his leg and snuck into the goal to tie the match at threes. Ryan Johnson, former Toronto FC striker, nearly made a dream debut with a speculative bicycle kick in the final throes of the affair, but his attempt went agonizingly wide.
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    San Jose 0 - Salt Lake 2
    The two marquee sides met in the final match of the round, each depleted by a multitude of injuries. Chris Wondolowski, 2012 Golden Boot winner, unaccompanied by either Steven Lenhart or Alan Gordon, squandered several chances throughout the match, allowing Salt Lake to hang until the night turned with the inclusion of the diminutive Joao Plata.
    Plata broke the deadlock with a pinpoint looping ball into the path of the streaking Alvaro Saborio who calmly finished past San Jose’s Jon Busch. Kyle Beckerman, making his three-hundredth league appearance, created some insurance when he poked a pass into the box with five minutes remaining for Saborio, The Costa Rican striker turned and fired across the keeper to seal the result.
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    Canadian Content
    Montreal’s Patrice Bernier put in an excellent match stationed in front of the back-line. He was conservative in getting forward, but moved the ball well and helped his side to a well-earned road victory.
    Will Johnson captained Portland in their dramatic six-goal thriller against New York. Paired with Diego Chara in the centre of midfield, he faced a troublesome trio of Juninho, Tim Cahill, and Dax McCarty, not to mention Thierry Henry and Espindola. Johnson did an admirable job of tightening up the match after they fell behind, while getting forward to urge his side back from a two-goal deficit.
    DC centre-back Dejan Jakovic put in a solid ninety minutes in a losing effort; an excellent, well-timed scything tackle on Giles Barnes just inside the DC box helped keep the score at zero before Houston finally broke the deadlock.
    Third-overall draft pick Kyle Bekker made a promising debut in Toronto’s loss to Vancouver. At times he looked timid, such as when he was talked off a free kick by Robert Earnshaw, but he handled himself competently, navigating his first ninety as a professional.
    Ashtone Morgan also went the entire match in Vancouver playing a conservative match, presumably under coach’s orders.
    Terry Dunfield returned home with Toronto, picked up a yellow card before leaving the pitch with a quarter-hour remaining. Dunfield displayed his usual determination and boundless energy with a dash of veteran gamesmanship, attempting to slow down the match after the tables had turned and Vancouver was in the ascendency, but to no avail.
    Kyle Porter replaced Marcelo Saragosa with seven minutes remaining to make his debut for DC United. He brought good energy to the side, but had little time to make an impact.
    Emory Welshman made his professional debut for Toronto, replacing Robert Earnshaw with five minutes to play; he made one penetrative run and did not look out of place.
    Jonathan Osorio nearly came on in the final few seconds of Toronto’s match, but time ran out before he could be included, or so the broadcast stated.
    Quillan Roberts (Toronto), Drew Beckie (Columbus) and Nana Attakora (San Jose) were all left on bench for their respective sides.
    See It Live
    Colorado’s Ceus rushing off his line but completely missing the ball was undoubtedly the gaff of the weekend, but clips of that abound, however, not readily available was Montreal’s Sanna Nyassi running into the back of Silviu Petrescu, blocked off by the posterior of the referee, he crumbled to the ground in a mixture of shock and embarrassment.
    Honourable mentions: Will Johnson’s face in a behind-the-goal angled replay when New York scored their third goal within the opening half hour, it could cut diamonds, and NBC lingering on a banner in Portland that read ‘MLS Cascadia Cup’ stamped with ‘Cancelled’ across it, was a touch controversial, if only a bit of banter.
    Overheard
    Of interest, with what one can only assume to be typical Viennese hilarity, Seattle’s Austrian goalkeeper Gspurning requested a white goalkeeping kit “because it is the colour of clean sheets”. He’s actually from Graz; there was no demonym for people from Graz readily available.
    But the best quip of the round goes to FC Dallas coach, Schellas Hyndman, who remarked “They can have 95 percent possession; if we win 1-0, we’ll take it.”
    Then there was the announcer who insisted on recounting every available stat for each player on the pitch, as a professional and in college; perhaps it is a good thing that they don’t keep score in house league, lest future audiences be subjected to a recounting of those figures as well.
    Upcoming Matches
    Saturday: Vancouver-Columbus; Toronto-Kansas City; Colorado-Philadelphia; DC-Salt Lake; Chicago-New England; Portland-Montreal. Sunday: Chivas-Dallas; San Jose-New York.
    Three notable omissions from next weekend’s program are Houston – who host Club Santos Laguna on Tuesday, Seattle – who travel to Tigres UANL on Wednesday, and Los Angeles – who make the journey to Costa Rica to face C.S. Herediano.
    Santos Laguna has struggled in both the completed Torneo Apertura - failing to make the Liguilla (playoffs) - and the on-going Torneo Clausera, while fellow Mexican club Tigres currently lead the standings in that same Clausera. Herediano lost the finals of the Torneo de Invierno to L.D. Alajuelense and currently sit fifth in the Torneo de Verano.
    With three MLS representatives taking part in the first legs of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal ties midweek, is this the year that another MLS club goes deep into the competition?
    Parting Thoughts
    Does Montreal’s newfound toughness on the road carryover to Portland? Can Vancouver make it two in a row against Columbus? Will another week give Ryan Nelsen the time to start sorting out some of the problems facing Toronto before facing Kansas City on Saturday?
    The last time Columbus missed the playoffs they won the MLS Cup the following season; was the three-goal performance against Chivas a portent of things to come? Graham Zusi stepped up to ensure Kansas City did not miss a beat despite the departures of Roger Espinoza and Kei Kamara, can he keep up this pace all season? Chivas, Toronto, Colorado, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Chicago all struggled out of the gate, with the race to the bottom underway, who will earn the wooden spoon? Los Angeles, however, looked imperious, are they destined for a third-straight MLS Cup title? What to make of the barn-burner between New York and Portland in the Pacific Northwest; entertaining or atrocious? And finally, given what was a lacklustre closing match – at least until Joao Plata took to the pitch - between San Jose and Salt Lake, two of the more heralded sides in the league, are the comeback kids set up for a fall this year and can Jason Kreis’ rebuilt Salt Lake reach the heights of the previous incarnation?
    So many questions, in a mere ten months all the answers will become clear.
    What were the surprises for you during the opening round of the 2013 MLS season?
    This is the debut of a new feature and writer on CSN. Each week James will take 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
    The Montreal Impact turned the page on its tumultuous first MLS season with a bang on Saturday, defeating one of the stalwarts of the Western Conference on its turf.
    In this show you will hear post game comments from Impact captain and goal scorer Davy Arnaud, as well as from Sounders coach Sigi Schmidt.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    We also go over the individual performance of each Montreal player and on what happened elsewhere in the league on Saturday.
    Click here to listen to this show: SoccerPlus - March 3, 2013
    Guest
    We preview the Impact's 2013 season with Montreal reporters who made the trip to Seattle for the team's first game against the Sounders and we set up the table for the nine first game of the year.
    With Dave Levesque (Journal de Montréal), Patrick Friolet (RDS), Vincent Destouches (98,5FM) and Nick Sabetti (Sportsnet) and comments from Patrice Bernier and Marco Schallibaum.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to listen: March 2nd Show
    Guest
    Another MLS season, another opening day Vancouver Whitecaps victory, although the Caps were made to work hard to secure a 1-0 victory over a resolute Toronto side.
    Gershon Koffie was the match winner with a strike on the hour mark, whilst Nigel Reo-Coker looked like a real difference maker when he came on for the second half.
    The end result was never in too much doubt. Toronto understandably struggled after a week of late transition and Vancouver’s new pieces took a little bit of time to fit into place, but from the second half kick off, there only looked to be one winner.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Despite the narrow scoreline, Martin Rennie was happy with what he saw out there.
    <i>"The first game of the season is always a little bit of a nervy affair. I thought in the first half we were a little bit scratchy in our passing and our technique, but in the second half we changed the system, we changed the way that we played and I thought we dominated the second half, created quite a lot of chances, had quite a lot of pressure and managed the ball well at the end of the game when we were winning 1-0. Didn't give up a lot of chances, so overall I'm very, very happy about that.
    It's an important win for us. It's a clean sheet and it starts the season off very well and it hopefully sends the fans home happy."</i>
    Toronto had the best of the opening minutes, forcing Joe Cannon into a couple of punches to clear the danger, but this was really as good as it got for them.
    Vancouver soon started to take control and their pace was showing signs that it could trouble the visitors, with Richard Eckersley having a torrid time on the right initially before settling.
    With four minutes gone, Alain Rochat delivered a beautiful curling through ball that left the visitor’s defence flat and allowed Kenny Miller to get in behind. He sent over a dangerous cross but Daigo Kobayashi just couldn’t get into position in time.
    The Caps kept pressing and Rochat again nearly played in Miller in the sixth minute, but Toronto keeper Joe Bendik was quick out to collect the ball.
    After the build up of whether he would be fit to play, Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit hit the floor in the seventh minute and soon went off injured and was replaced by Brad Rusin.
    The home side were looking the more threatening, but with the game mostly being played in the middle of the park, Toronto were holding their own.
    Manneh tried a long range speculative effort in the 32nd minute, which Bendik got down to with ease, but he had to act quick to recover the loose ball as Kobayashi bore down.
    Toronto went up the pitch and Miller showed just how much of the field he covers in a game as he sprinted from the centre circle to the right back spot to snuff out a chance.
    TFC were starting to grow in confidence and Jun Marques Davidson did well to cut out a dangerous ball into the six yard box with Terry Dunfield ready to pounce.
    Nigel Reo-Coker came on at the break for Manneh. The young Gambian had some nice touches but looked a little bit lost out there at times, but showed enough glimpses that he will be a handful for defences once he gets more comfortable with the step up in class.
    Vancouver had a great chance to take the lead in the 51st minute.
    Rochat whipped in a free kick from the right and Miller was just inches away from getting his head on it. As the ball ricocheted off a surprised Bendik, the ball broke to Rusin who just failed to connect and divert the ball him with his outstretched leg.
    Vancouver’s pressure finally got its reward on the hour mark.
    An Andy O’Brien long ball started a neat passing move that ended with a well-read Kobayashi ball into the path of Gershon Koffie and the Ghanaian buried the ball past Bednik from the edge of the box.
    The Whitecaps kept pushing and Reo-Coker broke quickly with Miller to his left and Mattocks to his right. Miller looked the better option but he chose to play in the Jamaican and Mattocks rocket took a deflection off the boot of Eckersley.
    The goal left Toronto a little bit flat and they never really looked like coming back into the game.
    Vancouver had a few half chances as they closed the game out. It was a nervy performance, but one in which they looked in control and have many positives to take from the game.
    Toronto can also be pleased with their performance. For a team that has had such a turbulent offseason, they showed signs today that there are some bright spots to build upon, but they need to get Robert Earnshaw some help up front.
    In the end, it’s another winning start for Vancouver. With Columbus coming to town next week, six points out of six will set the Caps season up nicely.
    FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 1 - 0 Toronto FC
    ATT: 21,000 (sell out)
    VANCOUVER: Joe Cannon; Young-Pyo Lee, Jay DeMerit (Brad Rusin 8), Andy O’Brien, Alain Rochat; Jun Marques Davidson, Gershon Koffie, Daigo Kobayashi (Erik Hurtado 76), Kekuta Manneh (Nigel Reo-Coker 46); Kenny Miller, Darren Mattocks [subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, Jordan Harvey, Camilo Sanvezzo, Corey Hertzog]
    TORONTO: Joe Bednik; Richard Eckersley, Ashtone Morgan, Danny Califf, Darren O'Dea; Jeremy Hall, Hogan Ephraim, Terry Dunfield (Taylor Morgan 75), Reggie Lambe; Kyle Bekker, Robert Earnshaw (Emery Welshman 85) [subs Not Used: Quillan Roberts, Gale Agbossoumonde, Jonathan Osorio, Darel Russell, Andrew Wiedeman].
    <p>
    Guest

    2013 MLS preview -- the details

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The 2013 season is upon us. As we do every year, CSN is rolling out a season preview starting today.
    However, it’s a little different this year. We are asking readers to help support the site by making a donation to receive the exhaustive, league-wide preview we are offering. In it, all 19 teams are previewed as well as the 2013 Voyageurs Cup competition.
    The money raised will not make anyone rich. The reality is it’s a lot of work putting together a preview like this. This is just an opportunity for those who wish to say thnk you to do so.
    We are recommending a donation of $5.95 (the average cost of a magazine), but will accept any amount. There will be a PDF download with a link available to PayPal later. For now, a PayPal donation to dgrollins@gmail.com, or an EMT to duanegrollins@gmail.com (make password MLS2013) will see us email you the file.
    We want to stress that this is not an effort to take advantage of you. Rather, it’s an effort to provide readers with value in exchange for a small donation to the site. As such, we will provide the document for free to anyone who truly cannot afford it and who requests it by sending an e-mail to duanegrollins@gmail.com.
    You will also receive some material free on the site – later this morning the three Canadian teams will be previewed, as well as our overall rankings of the 19 MLS teams.
    I hope you understand this decision and I ensure you that CSN will continue to be (now 99%) free for the foreseeable future.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    By Mike Crampton
    In the context of MLS, and possibly North American sports more generally, there may be no more overly discussed notion than the concept of parity.
    Hang out in an online message forum dedicated to some aspect of the league for any length of time and you’ll quickly learn how much of a hot button issue it is for many fans: some cherish it, others begrudgingly accept it, while still others revile it with the sort of white hot passion normally reserved for opposing teams.
    Through all of the discussion there is one central notion that goes virtually unchallenged: that MLS is a league designed for parity. What parity means in practice – is it more of a year-to-year thing or closer to visionary NFL commissioner Bert Bell’s famous concept of “any given Sunday”? – may not even be agreed upon but virtually no one disputes the central premise.
    Draft picks, a uniform salary budget, allocation order, weighted lotteries, allocation dollars for finishing out of the playoffs... it sometimes seems like the league has more pages of rules design to induce parity amongst its members than there are actual Laws of the Game of football.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Of course TFC fans learned a lesson in 2012 previously reserved for fans of teams like D.C. United in 2010 or the New York Red Bulls in 2009: while the rules of MLS might make it harder to be a truly great team for a sustained period of time they certainly can’t prevent you from being terrible in the short term.
    Bone-achingly, excruciatingly, grindingly terrible.
    Toronto FC’s 23 points from 34 games is the sort of form that would see any team “relegated by Christmas” in one of Western Europe’s top leagues.
    Yet through it all, one of the biggest sources of parity, the most obvious really, is so easily overlooked and taken for granted: the game itself.
    In the end, in a game of football, both teams get to start with 11 players, the score begins at 0-0, they’re each playing by the same rules, and the referee is (theoretically) not favouring either side.
    It’s how, even with a difference in resources that dwarfs anything imaginable in MLS, Freddy Eastman can become a legend at Southend United by scoring the goal that eliminated Manchester United from the League Cup in 2006. Or, more locally, how a tiny island nation like St. Kitts and Nevis, with a population smaller than North Bay, Ontario, can tie a G7 country like Canada in a game that was officially part of the FIFA World Cup.
    British football even has an expression, “it’s a funny old game”, to sum up these sort of incongruous results. It’s a sport where you can dominate for 89 and a half minutes, fail to score, and lose because your goalkeeper let the ball roll over his foot on a back pass.
    So TFC fans take heart; your team still has a chance. It even looks like they’ll be able to field 11 players in red at the start of the match. It’s not likely that we’ll get to see what new coach Ryan Nelsen means by “defend to attack” as a philosophy in practice or really get to see how Kevin Payne has started to rebuild this team but they’ll still have a chance.
    With the late news, courtesy of the Toronto Sun’s Kurtis Larson, that, in addition to goalkeeper Stefan Frei, three presumed opening day starters – midfielder Julio Cesar and attackers Luis Silva and Justin Braun – are not even with the team, and with the club waiting on the papers to clear on at least one new signing, projecting a formation or starting line-up for TFC is a effort in futility.
    You can add to that questions over the fitness of centre back Danny Califf, who seemed as though he was being protected during the club’s few preseason matches.
    In fact, one suspects that it is only the domed roof of BC Place that is preventing TFC from considering literally parachuting a player in ahead of the opening kickoff of the season. Based on the time difference between the west coast of North America and the UK it’s even possible that Ryan Nelsen is actually in a helicopter circling over London’s lower league grounds desperately looking for another player or two on the morning of matchday.
    Watch out Brentford! That cup performance at home against Chelsea turned heads and Toronto is a club on the move!
    But, for all that, they’ve still got a chance.
    Guest
    After what feels like more than just three months, MLS First Kick gets underway this weekend and Commissioner Don Garber is spending the opening of the 2013 season in Vancouver, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Jose.
    As part of his whistle-stop tour of the west coast, Garber held a round table with Vancouver media on Friday afternoon at BC Place, and since he was in Cascadia it was only fitting to quiz the commissioner on the whole Cascadia Cup trademark debacle, and that's just what Bob Mackin, Marc Weber and myself did.
    For the first time publically, Garber indicated that the trademark issue would be settled in a way which would not only be acceptable to all parties, as he already stated in his <i>"March To Soccer"</i> address on Wednesday, but with a resolution that would see the fans as the holders of the trademark of the trophy.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    To get the full feel of the conversation, and with the importance of the comments made, we need to bring you the exchanges in full:
    <b>Bob: Why did MLS take the approach it did regarding the supporters here in the west coast, in Vancouver, Seattle and Portland, with the trademark issue? Why not approach them first and what is the latest on that?</b>
    <b>Don:</b> We should have. I don't know if you guys saw, we did a unique You Tube preseason address two days ago, where rather than the teleconference that we had for years we did it on Google plus. It's called a Google hang out. One of the first questions was from a fan in Seattle.
    The first thing I said was we didn't get it right. No business, no company, is perfect. We're going to try to make good decisions. Not all of them will be executed the way they should be and in that case we should have reached out to the supporters groups in this region to talk about our desire to do something that we still believe is important, which is to protect the Cascadia Cup as a tournament and ensure that it's being managed in the best interests of the fans but also our clubs and the League.
    We've had two lengthy conference calls with a group that came together called the Cascadia Cup Council. We were not able to reach resolution yet. I'm very confident that we will reach an agreement that will be good for the Cascadia Cup Council and all the fans up here, but also good for the League, and I'm just encouraged that we'll be able to reach an agreement that will make sense.
    We should have gone about it in a different way.
    <b>Marc: Does that agreement, Don, have to include a sponsor in your eyes?</b>
    <b>Don:</b> Look, you could imagine how much time we spent thinking about this both when it broke and over the last four to five weeks. This was not about sponsorship. It was not about licensing. It was about ensuring that if it was going to be commercialised, it was commercialised properly.
    If it turns out that that group decides they never want to commercialise it, we'll be fine with that.
    The League was not looking to register it so that we could commercialise it. We just wanted to make sure that it wasn't used by others and when you don't have a trademark registered it basically is free for anybody to do what they wanted to do with it, and that's something we believe wasn't in the best interest of our fans and certainly wasn't in the best interest of our League and the clubs that were involved.
    And I think right now they will manage it, the Cup Council will manage it in a way that will be in their best interest and I think we'll work with them to make ensure that the League or the clubs are able to have a voice in what's done so that it makes sense for us as well.
    <b>Michael: So would the League be happy with a resolution where the fans own the trademark?</b>
    <b>Don:</b> Yes. Yes. We would be. We would be.
    This is so unique. You have a situation where that Cup existed before MLS existed, but it does exist today in a platform that involves our teams, so it is a unique situation.
    Just the other day the Independent Supporters Council came up with a plan for how they wanted to manage the Supporters' Shield, and their comments I think were very supportive of working with the League in a way that would make sense for the League and the Independent Supporters Council.
    So this is new ground. This is not something that other leagues in North America are dealing with, it's certainly not something that leagues in Europe are dealing with. So as a new league, with emerging issues, you got to try to deal with those issues as they come up.
    Probably need to take a step back at times and think about this new dynamic as opposed to what we did in this case, which was just to go out to see how we could properly protect it without thinking about the interest the supporters, the Cascadia Cup Council, had for the Cup on their own.
    I'm very confident that we'll reach an agreement that will make sense for the fans, the clubs and the League.
    <center>**********</center>
    More encouraging signs that the battle may soon be won and good will prevail.
    You do get the feeling from listening to Garber that he just wants this issue to now go away and for media to stop talking about and concentrate on matters such as First Kick.
    Until everything is signed, sealed and delivered, that can't happen and myself, and many others, will remain cautious with an air of scepticism.
    He knows what he needs to do, so let's hope for a speedy resolution. The signs are at least a lot more promising that they appeared in January.
    MORE READING:
    <b>"Lenarduzzi and Garber discuss Cascadia Cup trademark batte"</b> -
    <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?4244-Lenarduzzi-and-Garber-discuss-Cascadia-Cup-trademark-battle" target="_blank"><u>http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?4244-Lenarduzzi-and-Garber-discuss-Cascadia-Cup-trademark-battle</u></a>
    <b>"Cascadia Cup trademark battle needs to remain at forefront of our minds"</b> -
    <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?4225-Cascadia-Cup-trademark-battle-needs-to-remain-at-forefront-of-our-minds" target="_blank"><u>http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?4225-Cascadia-Cup-trademark-battle-needs-to-remain-at-forefront-of-our-minds</u></a>
    <p>
    Guest
    <b>KEY PLAYERS :</b>
    ATTACKING
    Brought in to be the creative force in the midfield, <b>Daigo Kobayashi</b> will be important to the Whitecaps attack, especially if TFC decides to play more defensive. While he may be more effective in a central role it looks as though Rennie will have Kobayashi start on the right side where he could provide service into the box.
    Having just joined TFC this week <b>Robert Earnshaw</b> may not be available to play on Saturday due to his paperwork not being completed. If he does become available Toronto will have the experience and finishing they desperately need at the striker position.
    DEFENCE
    As arguably Vancouver's most versatile player, <b>Alain Rochat</b> could start in three different positions but it looks as though he will be at his most natural left back spot this weekend. He will provide his normal physical defending to the left side but more importantly will be a threat going forward.
    Brought in during last summer's transfer window central defender <b>Darren O'Dea</b> will be looked upon by TFC to be the leader of their backline. He will have to deal with the pace of the Whitecaps especially from Mattocks up top, and if Manneh also plays, he may struggle to cope.
    <b>WHO'S ON FORM :</b>
    The preseason couldn't have started faster for <b>Darren Mattocks</b> as he scored three goals in the fifteen minutes in their first match. There is no doubt that the young striker is capable of scoring in the double digits if he can stay healthy and away from the referees.
    One of the more impressive players this preseason for TFC is their second pick from this last draft <b>Emery Welshman</b>. The Canadian looks like he will start on the left side of the midfield where he will provide pace, athleticism as well as the ability to score.
    <b>2012 RECORD :</b>
    Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    11W-10D-13L
    43PTS
    5th in Western Conference
    Toronto FC
    5W-8D-21L
    23PTS
    10th in Eastern Conference
    <b>PROJECTED LINEUP :</b>
    Vancouver Whitecaps (4-2-3-1)
    Joe Canon; YP Lee, Andy O'Brien, Jay DeMerit, Alain Rochat; Nigel Reo-Coker, Gershon Koffie; Daigo Kobayashi, Kenny Miller, Kekuta Manneh; Darren Mattocks
    We can't even begin to have a go at predicting Toronto's full lineup, as we simply do not know how ready the new signings are for first team action. They had 22 players running around at Friday's training, so that's a start.
    <b>ANALYSIS :</b>
    Vancouver Whitecaps kick off their third MLS season against Canadian rivals Toronto FC on Saturday in what can be said is a role reversal. In their first season the expansion Caps defeated the established side 4-2, but now Toronto is more in expansion mode with so many changes occurring in the offseason.
    The lineup for the Caps will see a few changes from last season but Rennie still looks like he will employ a 4-2-3-1 formation. In what could be considered a surprise, Joe Cannon has wrestled the number one keeper spot back from Brad Knighton this preseason, after working hard in training and impressing in game action.
    The backline will have four starters from last year as YP Lee, Andy O'Brien and Jay Demerit start on the backline while Alain Rochat returns to his natural left back position. The two holding midfielder spots on the pitch will likely go to newly acquired Nigel Reo-Coker and Gershon Koffie.
    The wide spots in the midfield should have two new starters, with Daigo Kobayashi on the right side and teenager Kekuta Manneh on the left. The attacking midfield/withdrawn striker role will be given to Kenny Miller while Darren Mattocks will try to break free with his pace up top.
    Whether these are the starters or not the most important key for the Whitecaps is to get off to a quick start, as the longer they allow TFC to remain in the game, the more confidence the underdogs will acquire. The Caps have been assembled with speed in mind but they will need more, especially if Toronto plays behind the ball.
    The visitors are expected to park the bus like this primarily because of the lack of quality attackers they have either signed or who are match fit. In order to break down these defensive tactics, the Caps will need to play with some movement in order to keep TFC off guard. If they can drag the backline away from goal and create space then the pace of Mattocks and Manneh will help create opportunities for goals.
    Toronto have a lot of unknowns but Martin Rennie has said he is very familiar with those on the TFC squad, including the new arrivals, and the Caps have done their homework and are well prepared.
    The majority of the North American soccer community has already written off TFC in this opener which could be dangerous, especially if the players mistakenly view this as a walk in the park. Martin Rennie, however, will not allow the players to take Toronto lightly and he feels that is anything is possible on the soccer pitch.
    <i>"For us, it doesn't matter to me if they have 30 players on the roster or they have 18 players on the roster. When it comes down to the game it's going to be 11 against 11. You have to respect your opponent all the time, but you also have to respect the game of soccer and if you decide not to do that then it can back to hurt you and back to bite you."</i>
    This message will need to expressed to the starting eleven if the Whitecaps look to start this season like they did the first two. Luckily for them they still have enough leaders from last season, when they lost the Voyageurs Cup to the <i>"worst club in the world."</i> In fact since the opening game in 2011 the Whitecaps have yet to beat Toronto in six games in all competitions.
    There are high expectations for the Caps coming into their third season which is why this first game against TFC is vital to build that confidence going forward. A negative result, which includes a draw, will start the questions being asked by the experts, even if it will only be one game into the season.
    <p>
    Guest
    Sick of the season preview pieces yet? Well we've one last one for you.
    We got all the AFTN writers to rank how they think the Western Conference will finish, and don't forget you can read our Whitecaps preview of the season ahead here.
    So many difference of opinions!
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Just shows what a tight Conference it's going to be this year, with a lot up for grabs. I still feel that we're going to see a three groupings split in the West, with the top three of LA, Seattle and San Jose, battling for the title in a close race. Salt Lake, Vancouver, Dallas and Portland will battle for the remaining two play-off spots, and Chivas and Colorado will be the also-rans.
    Here's where we place everyone in the West.
    At the end of the season, we can see who gets the bragging rights and you can leave your predictions in the comments and we'll revisit it in November.
    So, standings decided, once the season is over, who will be battling to lift the MLS Cup in December?
    MICHAEL: Los Angeles Galaxy over DC United
    STEVE: San Jose Earthquakes over Sporting KC
    JAY: Sporting KC over Los Angeles Galaxy
    CHRISTOPHER: DC United over San Jose Earthquakes
    So what does all this tell us? The season is there for the taking, we can't agree on anything and we only seem to think four teams have a real chance of lifting the silverware.
    It's going to be an interesting season.
    Guest
    Martin Rennie has put together a 2013 squad which promises more excitement, more creativity, more goals and more depth.
    Despite all of the players at his disposal, there appears to be a pretty general consensus as to who should fill the majority of the positions, but there are still a few questions and disagreements around who should play in some areas of the park.
    Who will be the starting goalkeeper? Who will cover for YP Lee when he doesn't travel? Will Nigel Reo-Coker be used as a defensive midfielder or a central one? How much starting time will Rennie's young rockets see? And just where will Kenny Miller and Camilo Sanvezzo fit into the plans?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    We polled AFTN writers Steve Pandher and Jay Duke for their views, along with my own, on who their preferred choice of Whitecaps starting eleven would be if Martin Rennie has a fully fit squad available and at his disposal.
    Here's what we came up with:

    Jay and myself are basically in agreement, apart from the goalkeeping position, but I feel that Rennie will want to go for the experience and for me, Cannon is the better shot stopper and big save specialist, although Knighton perhaps has more stamina and is the better distributer of the ball.
    I personally think that Martin Rennie will go with a home starting eleven, full of youth and speed, and a slightly different away side, more set out to sit deeper and try and grind out what they can.
    Kekuta Manneh and Erik Hurtado may split game time, but if Kenny Miller doesn't start the season contributing what he is expected to, both may end up starting at his expense. Camilo Sanvezzo could find himself used as a starter on the road, where some more experience is needed in there, although Jay feels that Rennie may give him the nod as the regular starter with the left wing spot being his to lose.
    Although Steve would rather see Salgado and Hurtado in there as starters, he does feel that Rennie will go with Manneh and Miller instead.
    So what are your thoughts on that?
    The great aspect of the current squad is that there should be strong competition for starting places week in and week out, a fact that many of the veterans like Kenny Miller and Jay DeMerit have already addressed this week.
    And that can only be good for the team's chances.
    <p>
    Guest

    SoccerPlus in Cascadia (March 1)

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    Stuck in Vancouver on the opening of our 10-day road trip in the Pacific Northwest.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    We set the table for the Montreal vs Seattle match on Saturday with both colour commentators on Montreal's French and English radio broadcasts, newcomer Vincent Destouches (98,5 FM) and former Impact and Canadian National Team player Grant Needham (CJAD 800).
    Click here to listen to our 15-minute chat : SoccerPlus - March 1st, 2013
    Guest

    Reds add another

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Toronto FC continues to add players a day before the regular season starts.
    They announced this afternoon that midfielder Darel Russell, 32, most recently of League One bottom-dwellers Pompey, has signed with the club.
    He made 18 appearances with Portsmouth this season. He's been on trial with TFC all preseason.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    The day before the MLS season gets underway, Toronto FC has officially added four more names to its roster.
    Striker Robert Earnshaw let slip via Twitter on Thursday that he'd be joining the Reds this season, and on Friday, the team made it official. The 31-year-old comes over from Cardiff City, and will be in Toronto on a permanent deal rather than a loan, Sportsnet's John Molinaro reported.

    The other three signings all earned sports based on their pre-season play: Strikers Ashton Bennett and Taylor Morgan, along with midfielder Jonathan Osorio. Bennett and Morgan were both supplemental draft picks this year, while Osorio is a product of the TFC Academy.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Whether any of the four will play a role in Saturday's season opener against Vancouver remains to be seen, but seeing as the team's attacking options looked severely limited prior to these signings, it would not come as a major shock to see one or more of them play (or possibly even start).
    Guest
    Below the jump CSN ranks the "top 19" MLS teams going into 2013.
    From worst to first.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    No 19 - Toronto FC
    It's a mess and history suggests it won't get better.
    No 18 - Chivas USA
    The Mexican experiment didn't work in 2005, it's not clear why it will now
    No 17 - Colorado
    The stripped it apart in off-season.
    No 16 - New England
    The club has never adjusted to MLS 2.0 and it looks to be another poor year in Boston.
    No 15 - Philly
    They are still cleaning up from the mess created last year.
    No 14 - Portland
    Improvements made, but until evidence of turn around is made it's hard to rank higher.
    No 13 - Columbus
    The Crew were one of the hardest teams to peg. We wouldn't be surprised if things went either way.
    No 12 - Dallas
    Team mediocre will continue to be, well, mediocre.
    No 11 -- Montreal
    CSN sees the Impact just on the outside of the playoffs, but is fascinated to see how they get there.
    No 10 - Vancouver
    The Whitecaps appear to be holding steady. Another playoff appearance?
    No 9 - RSL
    RSL is ranked this high largely based on strong management and a great history of playing as more than a sum of parts. On paper, they are probably worse.
    No 8 - DC United
    CSN sees a slight slip back in 2013
    No 7 - Chicago
    Perhaps the biggest darkhorse of 2013. Solid from top to bottom. Need a game breaker.
    No 6 - Houston
    They just know how to win and a full season playing in their new park should see a better regular season
    No 5 -- Seattle
    Is this the year they finally break through to thew truly elite from the simply very good?
    No 4 -- New York
    The change in management has pople daring to suggest that a trophy could finally be in the cards.
    No 3 - San Jose
    It's hard to see a repeat of 2012, but this is a team build for the grind of a MLS regular season
    No 2 - LA Galaxy
    An historic threepeat is not out of the question
    No 1 - Kansas City
    But, KC is our preseason pick for the most likely to be standing in confetti next December.
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