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    Guest
    Vancouver Whitecaps head off to the sunny climes of Charleston on Wednesday, but for some currently in the training camp it's a trip they won't be making.
    With 26 players currently signed, and a couple of new additions seemingly imminent, places on the Caps final 30 man MLS squad are already at a premium. Even some of those already on it can't get too settled in their Vancouver surroundings quite yet, with trades expected to happen shortly.
    It's quickly getting to make or break time for many involved with the Caps' preseason camp.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Whitecaps' six supplemental draft picks have already left the camp but the Caps retain their rights for two years and will be keeping a close eye on them. Bringing them back in for PDL play is one option they can look at.
    Whilst the first team regulars trained as normal this morning, there was a 90 minute scrimmage featuring mostly reserve players and trialists against Trinity Western University Spartans.
    A few may make the trip east for further evaluation, with squad numbers depleted due to Canadian U20 duty and injuries, but for some it will have been their last chance to impress the coaching staff before the expected cuts come. Others will maybe get the chance to hang around and train in Vancouver over the coming weeks, whilst some will no doubt find their way onto the Caps PDL side.
    Despite going a goal down early on (and it really should have been two if TWU had buried their chance two minutes in after a bad mistake by Jacob Lensky), the Caps ran out easy 5-1 winners in the end with a brace from Dever Orgill, one from Evan James, a wonderfully placed penalty from Crispin Olando and a fifth from Paulo Jr. There were also a couple of disallowed Caps goals.
    The line up was as follows:
    Simon Thomas (Sean Melvin 46); Andres Fresenga (Carlyle Mitchell 46), Ethen Sampson, Jacob Lensky, Emmanuel Adjetey; Jaime Peters, Crispin Olando, Aminu Abdallah, Evan James; Tom Heinemann (Paulo Jr 46), Dever Orgill.
    So who impressed? And who should be fearing their next one to one chat with Martin Rennie?
    It's harsh to be too judgemental on ninety minutes of football, especially considering that this was the first time that these players have played together as a team. As such, timing was off to start with and the defence looked a bit all at sea in the early portion of the match (Jacob Lensky is not a centrehalf!).
    As the game went on, the Caps took control and it was one way traffic in the second half with Trinity Western finding it hard to even get out of their own half for most of it.
    The stand out player was two goal Dever Orgill. The former Residency product, and Jamaican international, took the full opportunity to showcase his talent, backflips and all, and was dangerous in front of goal throughout the ninety. He was just a few inches away from nabbing at least four, hitting the post on one occasion.
    He will have done himself no harm at all today, although Martin Rennie cautioned afterwards not to read too much into one game against Trinity Western. We <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?4190-Dever-Orgill-back-in-Vancouver-with-a-bang-and-a-backflip-or-two" target="_blank"><b>spoke with him after the game</b></a> and got his thoughts on his chance of making a Caps return and what he's been up to since he's been away.
    Whilst Orgill covered himself in glory, his strike partner Tom Heinemann didn't impress me much at all. He had a couple of chances but looked a step off the pace as he still recovers from an injury.
    It you were picking only one between the two based solely on today, it was Orgill all the way, but Heinemann is the one with a MLS contract right now. From what I've seen of Orgill in the past, I'm rooting for him to get one as well.
    Evan James had a slow start in left midfield but soon came on to a good game, taking his goal well after a nice pass from Jaime Peters. He looked good going forward, with some nice touches, but whether he can offer anything better than what we already have at MLS level, I don't know, but at this point, I would say no.
    That is the case with pretty much all of these guys.
    Peters himself also came to the fore as the game went on and did well playing right midfield. He moves well, plays some nice passes and is hard to get off the ball with his stocky build. I think he is a player that the Caps will keep around if they move others on in trades or loan deals. He would definitely be a good squad player to have around.
    Kenyan trialist Crispin Olando was patchy. He had some nice moves but also gave the ball away quite cheaply in the first half. The trouble Olando has is that his blond hair makes him stand out, so every little thing he does right or wrong is picked up on more than some of the others.
    What did impress me was the confidence he showed at the penalty kick. With no player designated to take it, Paul Ritchie, who was coaching the team today, told the players to sort it out amongst themselves. With a couple of players wanting to take the kick, Olando picked up the ball right away and no-one was getting it off him. He then struck it with aplomb into the postage stamp corner.
    Another player who seems to have a pretty sweet strike is Ghanaian trialist Emmanuel Adjetey. Playing at left back he liked to get forward, not so good tracking back, and wasn't afraid to have a shot.
    His fellow Ghanaian, midfielder Aminu Abdallah, didn't really impress at all and looks a little clumsy on the ball due to his height. I would definitely need to see more of him.
    Of the others, Paulo Jr looked pretty lively when he came on at the half, but overall there was little out there to really impress or disappoint. Even Andres Fresenga didn't really stand out one way or the other.
    From all that we've seen so far, and what we know of them before, Orgill and Peters are really the only two players I would say would be worth a MLS shot right now. Possibly Fresenga too, but I would need to see him more challenged so the Charleston trip may let us see that.
    Some, like James, are worth watching but they're not going to be anywhere near the first team reckoning any time soon, so bringing them in now at the expense of who is already there or who may be coming would seem pointless.
    The Whitecaps wrap up training in Burnaby tomorrow before flying off for four games in Charleston and a further friendly in South Carolina against the RailHawks.
    <center>[Christopher Vose's photos of today's training game can be seen <a href="
    " target="_blank">HERE</a>]</center><p>
    Guest
    (Updated February 12, 2013 to include revsied clarification from CSA. Updates are in italics.)
    Clearly, FIFA is trying to send a message to Canadian players: When you get jobbed by dubious refereeing decisions, keep your mouths shut.
    First, we had the four-game suspension levied against women's team captain Christine Sinclair (of which she has one game left to serve) for her remarks following last year's Olympic semifinal against the U.S. Now, FIFA has slapped striker Oliver Occean with a six-game suspension (yes, you read that correctly), for his reaction to being inexplicably sent off during Canada's World Cup qualifier against Cuba last October.
    Occean's suspension must be served in "official" matches (World Cup qualifiers or the Gold Cup) -- and with the 31-year-old having five games left to serve, his future with the men's national team is suddenly in question.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So, what could Occean have possibly done to warrant missing six games? It's tough to say -- though, according to the arcane regulations of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, Occean was found to be guilty of unsporting behaviour towards both the match official(s) and people other than the match officials.
    Of course players need to keep their cool and be in control. And since none of us knows for sure what Occean said or did to "earn" the punishment, it's impossible to objectively say whether the punishment fits the supposed crime (although the egregious nature of the suspension is more than enough to activate our Canadian sense of injustice).
    Perhaps, in retrospect, Occean's red card was not for the minor shoving match that erupted in the goal area, but for something he said to the match official. But why? Why would be randomly decide to say something so horrendous, so abusive to the referee -- after his team had just scored a goal -- that it'd earn him a six-game suspension? It doesn't make any sense.
    Then again, this is FIFA. Things rarely do.
    We don't know whether Occean would have figured into Canada's Gold Cup plans (heck, we don't even know who'll be making that decision yet), but given the team's shifting priorities and emphasis on the future, this could be the end of the road for Occean with the national team. He still has five games left to serve, which could be wiped out if Canada makes a deep run at this summer's Gold Cup. If not, Occean will still have as many as two games left to serve by the time Canada's next "official" matches roll around in 2015 -- by which time Occean will be 33.
    Some want to throw all of the babies out with the bathwater of the failed 2014 qualifying campaign, and wouldn't mind seeing Occean go. But for a nation that's as traditionally goal-starved as they come, it would be pretty dangerous to summarily dismiss a man who still earns his living as a forward in the Bundesliga.
    FIFA's decision is, supposedly, not yet final and binding -- but I have a sneaking suspicion they won't change their minds just because of the profane complaints of some embittered Canadian fans (though you may want to leave some in the comments section, just in case).
    The Canadian Soccer Association provided information on the suspension to CSN on Monday which has since been revised. CSN has reached out to senior CSA officials for further comment; if any is forthcoming, we will let you know.
    Guest
    On Feb 1, Kevin Payne met with members of the TFC media. On that day he talked about a wide range of issues, including roster needs for 2013.
    To that end he indicated that the club was working on “three different deals involving attacking players.” He went on to say that he expected a new player signing in the “next week or two.”
    It’s now been 11 days. The only significant roster move made in that time was to ship out Eric Hassli. So, Toronto is actually down an attacking player.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    All of this comes on the heels of Payne making several moves that were all designed to bring in allocation money (along with the salary dump of Hassli). This supposedly frees up cap space so the Reds can start to fix their multitude of problems.
    Yet, we still wait. And fans may need to wait longer still. Just four days ago he was already backpedalling from the Feb 1 statement when talking to Sportsnet.ca.
    “We have spent a lot of time in the off-season looking at forward options and hopefully we can pull the trigger on something relatively soon,” he said.
    No longer was the number three thrown around, nor was a specific time frame given. “Relatively soon,” was likely purposely vague.
    Whereas most MLS teams have several players on trial right now, it appears that TFC has just one -- Argentine Nicolas Cabrera, who might be the attacking player that Payne talked about. However, the fact there is just the one in camp might mean that those other two attacking players are no longer interested/available.
    Payne doesn’t seem concerned. In fact, he all but told Sportsnet.ca not to expect a full line-up on March 2.
    “Nobody (wins) a championship in the first week of the season. So we would prefer to have our full team together when we open the season, but that probably will not be the case.”
    He’s right, of course – championships aren’t won in the first week of the season. They can be lost then, however. So, it’s also a little bit convenient to suggest that it’s normal for teams to be bringing in the bulk of their discovery signings after the season has started. Here in Toronto we are used to bad management. As such, it seems normal to us that Dan Gargan is putting his boots on in a cab on the way to Crew Stadium (something that, sadly, happened in 2010).
    Good teams don’t do that, however. Good teams use the pre-season to build familiarity and good teams don’t have to rush a full-back in from the airport to fill out the roster.
    There are many fans right now that view criticism of Payne as being part of a vendetta by those who supposedly “supported” Paul Mariner and were angry about his firing. Some fans go so far as to suggest that writers such as myself were in Mariner’s pocket and are actively trying to discredit Payne as revenge. There is little point trying to argue with those who feel that way. Their minds are made up.
    However, the majority of fans have taken a sensible wait and see approach with Payne. That’s the view of this space. It’s not even close to time to be actively asking for his removal. As fans of TFC we should give him a little benefit of the doubt.
    But, that doesn’t mean we can’t critically evaluate the moves (or lack of moves) that have already happened.
    So far, Payne has taken several known assets (the No 3 SuperDraft pick, Milos Kocic, Ryan Johnson and Eric Hassli) and made them into either gambles (Emery Welshman) or promises (future draft picks, allocation, cap space or roster/DP/international spots).
    Payne has talked a lot about what he’s going to do with these new, future assets. But, he’s yet to actually deliver on any of that talk.
    Reds fans may recall a previous manager of TFC that made a lot of trades, talked a lot of talk and consistently failed to deliver. I’m not suggesting Payne is Mo 2.0. just yet, but I am suggesting that the 2013 off-season has a lot in common with the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 TFC off-seasons.
    I’m also suggesting that evidence that Johnston wasn’t up to the task was already there by the end of 2007 and that MLSE doesn’t have a great track record in identifying bad management (at least until said management has driven the Raptors/Leafs/TFC into the ground).
    Maybe it’s not fair to Payne that he doesn’t get a honeymoon period. He can blame ownership for that. Regardless, he needs to stop telling fans what he’s going to do and actually start delivering it.
    Guest

    Simon Thomas ready for Vancouver return

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    Last year the first two goalkeeper spots on the Whitecaps depth chart were set in stone, with both players getting the chance to be the number one. By the end of the season it was clear that the club were losing faith in their third choice keeper, Brian Sylvestre, after a couple of bad performances in reserve games.
    The American U20 international was unsurprisingly released in November and this preseason they've turned to a familiar face to fill that third keeper role with the return of Simon Thomas, former Residency alum and backup in the Caps' Division 2 days.
    Thomas first returned in the summer, just to train, and made an impression right away on the new coaching team, even if the thought of returning to Vancouver was not on his mind.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <i>"It was more of a training thing, keeping myself fit for trials back over in Europe and North America but coming back to the old club was great as they were very welcoming by training with the coaches and staff."</i>
    A lot has changed in Vancouver since he's been gone and Thomas has definitely noticed the differences between his days with the USL Whitecaps and the current team in MLS.
    <i>"There are many more resources available to the boys. With all the staff around everything is monitored and every single player throughout the roster is looked after. It's a bit different training wise but every coach has different ways on how he wants to conduct practice. There is a better quality of player and a lot of emphasis has been put on being better athletes and taking care of your body."</i>
    Coming out of the Residency program in 2008, Simon Thomas spent most of the time behind Jay Nolly on the bench, only appearing for 12 minutes as a late game sub against Crystal Palace Baltimore in 2010. Despite not getting much game time, the young keeper felt he learned a lot behind Nolly in his early days as a professional.
    <i>"He was a good keeper to learn from because it gave both of us something to strive for. He was older but I felt like I learned the game with him because he was still learning the game as well and we were both hungry for the spot.
    He was a class act with me, always pushing me on and having so much support for me. When I came on (as a sub) he told someone on the bench 'It has been a long time coming for me to get on the field.' It was just the way Jay was."</i>
    Going into MLS for the 2011 season, the Whitecaps decided to go with the athletic but raw Brian Sylvestre, which meant that Thomas had to find a new club. It was a decision which surprised many.
    In the winter of 2011 he signed with English League One side Huddersfield Town, a move which proved to be a great learning experience for the player.
    <i>"It was the best thing for me as I couldn't have asked for a better experience from them. The speed of the play, the way the players think the game through. There was no choice but to adapt and you had to continue to learn which helped you pick up the different things about the game like defending and organization. Just the little tricks which helped change my game massively."</i>
    There was no single person that helped Thomas in his year and a half in England, but more a group that supported him in his education of the keeper position.
    <i>"The goalkeeper coach was good for me but we had two older keepers who had played in the Premier League in Ian Bennett and Nick Colgan. They were able to pass on wisdom as they were both veterans but had two different styles of goalkeeping, so it was great to learn from as you can see how both conducted themselves in training everyday. In addition Alex Smithies, being an English U21, it was great to work with him because we played a similar style which allowed me to put myself in situations he was in and learn from it."</i>
    His return to Canada seems to have put Simon in a better position with the national team. The young keeper earned himself his first senior international cap when he recently came on at the half for an injured Lars Hirschfeld. An exciting time for any young footballer.
    <i>"The Denmark match was brilliant. There wasn't much pressure coming in at halftime as a sub. It gave me a lot of confidence going into the game with the United States."</i>
    With Hirschfeld still injured, Thomas moved up the roster and started the next game where he picked up a cleansheet against a dangerous, MLS filled United States side. Thomas felt the game against the Danes helped them in preparing for the Americans.
    <i>"Denmark are a very skilled side but I think we relaxed defensively on a couple of the goals. They had decent finishers and it seemed they were able to find the net on that day. The match against the Danes made us young players realize that this was a higher level of movement out there. We knew we needed to be sharper defensively for the next match against the States."</i>
    Some have felt that the move back to North America will not only help his pro career but also his international one, making him more visible to the national coaches. This will not be a factor for Thomas however if he decides to sign with the Whitecaps.
    <i>"I would assume it would help with being over here with a MLS side, being the top league in North America. I hadn't given it too much thought as it was more about finding the right fit with a club for me."</i>
    While there hasn't been any official announcement the Caps look interested in signing Thomas, especially when you consider the only other keeper in camp besides Cannon and Knighton is Residency keeper Sean Melvin and there were no keepers selected from college.
    After a year and a half it seems like the club will fix the error they made and bring the Canadian keeper home. In return they will be getting a more experienced player and one that will certainly push to not just be seen as the number three at the club. It's a great position for the Whitecaps to be in.
    <p>
    Guest
    TFC opened its 2013 preseason yesterday. It was a familiar result. They lost to Columbus.
    An anecdote: Late in the second half I watched Matt Stinson put a nice little ball into the box. The Reds couldn’t convert the chance, but it was a skilled bit of work by Stinson and it gave hope that the young Canadian may be ready to bounce back from an injury riddled 2012.
    As I watched the pass sail in I thought to myself that Stinson was having a “great game.” I found myself getting excited by the possibility of Stinson becoming a regular starter -- hell a MLS all-star -- in 2013.
    Then I slapped myself.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The truth was I was watching a mediocre web stream with bad camera angles. It was also the first time I noticed Stinson. Although I saw a few more good things from him after that play, I hardly could say that my analysis of his game was overly sophisticated. I couldn’t watch his positioning, his work rate off the ball, or the more mundane, workmanlike aspects of his game.
    But, I could see a nice pass. And, I could get excited by that pass. Which, in turn, could make me excited about his potential.
    You see I want Stinson to be successful. I also believe he could be a dark horse to breakout for the Reds in 2013. Therefore, his good plays stood out, were exaggerated in my mind.
    It’s called confirmation bias – the tendency of people to favor information that confirms their beliefs or hypotheses.
    TFC fans (all fans, really) struggle to see confirmation bias in themselves.
    Here in Toronto that confirmation bias is as often expressed negatively as it is positively. You don’t have to look hard to find people that are willing to write off 2013 for TFC because they allowed on a set-piece, Richard Eckersly was sending hopeful long-balls straight to the Crew and because Ryan Nelsen wore shorts yesterday.
    The truth is yesterday taught us nothing. It was the first game of pre-season and, unless you were in Orlando, you didn’t really see it all that well. Any conclusions you drew from the game are assumptions based on your preconditioned belief about the team.
    Those assumptions might turn out to be right. There is a lot of history with TFC to point to, after all.
    However, it’s way, way, way, way, way too early to tell.
    Way.
    Guest

    A DeMeritorious Stance on a Meretricious State

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    The Whitecaps returned to Vancouver on Thursday, boasting an impressive preseason record of three wins in three games in Arizona, with seven goals scored, and only two conceded. Returning strikers Darren Mattocks (four) and Kenny Miller (one); as well as new signees Corey Hertzog and Paulo Araujo (one apiece), have supplied the goals.
    Brad Knighton and Joe Cannon have each played ninety minutes, and allowed one goal apiece. Simon Thomas, still a trialist, managed to put together back to back clean sheets against the United States (for Canada) and Arizona Sahuros (for Vancouver). So far, 2013 has been a good year for the club, but these are still only early days.
    Their stop in Vancouver will be a brief one. It’s just enough time to see the family and get a couple of days of training in at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West before flying out to Charleston on Wednesday.
    Whitecaps Captain Jay DeMerit sees this time of year as essential to the upcoming campaign, for it is in the here and now that the team is reformed after the long winter break.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <i>"I think it’s healthy anytime a team can get together and use competition in the right way. We’re starting to create that here. These days are especially fun to be able to do that, or at least to start to set that foundation of competition during training. Guys have been at it and of course having a lot of fun. We’ve had a physio competition as well to see who’s fastest. So, all those types of things brings a team together."</i>
    He also likes the way the team is headed. The bar has been raised, in terms of the abilities and personalities of the players coming to Vancouver.
    <i>"In the draft, and over the past couple of years, we’ve added some really good athletes, guys that are quick, guys that are fast, guys that can hit you dynamically. I think anytime you can add a skill guy it helps us."</i>
    At halftime of the friendly against Houston, DeMerit came off and Kobayashi came on. Confident and composed, he took control of the centre of the park, forcing Houston to play wider than they would have liked. Although he didn’t see much of the ball, he did manage three scoring chances, distributed the ball well, and most importantly, made Houston change their style. From the sidelines, DeMerit got to watch his new teammate, and he's liked what he's seen so far.
    <i>"Sometimes I think we’ve missed a little bit of that finishing touch, those playmaking skills that only certain guys have, and I think Kobayashi brings that to our team. Ultimately, he brings a different element. So if Martin needs to change things up, to play a different competition, he’ll give us something different."</i>
    Joining Kobayashi in the second half was centre back Brad Rusin, who has now completed 90 minutes for the club. After having trained with him in Vancouver and Arizona, and seen him play alongside Andy O’Brien and Carlyle Mitchell, we asked Jay what he thought of the latest addition to our growing list of ex-RailHawks.
    <i>"He’s good. Like I talked about, it’s about a squad that gives you something else and Brad gives us something else at the centre half position. He’s a big physical guy, he brings a lot of height, and so if you look at some of the big forwards in our league, he’d be able to wrestle with them a little bit more I think than some of us smaller guys like to."</i>
    Although Rusin’s been officially listed at 6'4" and 210 lbs, statements like this only add to the growing belief that his measurements have been undervalued. It’s not often that the 6'1", 180 lbs. DeMerit refers to himself as a "smaller guy".
    <i>"He brings some experience at many different levels, and ultimately he brings a good attitude. He already knows a couple of the guys from Carolina when he played there, so that helps him integrate early. I think he’ll be a good addition for us."</i>
    With trialists Andrés Fresenga (Canada), Jaime Peters (Canada), Adam Clement (United States), and Beto Navarro (United States) joining Rusin and the rest of the defence, DeMerit is looking forward to maintaining and even improving on the 15 goals they shed from their conceded column last year.
    <i>"It’s just about making sure as a back unit, we continue to learn each other’s tendencies, we continue to learn how to communicate, and especially get the guys in front of us to help us."</i>
    But defence is not solely the responsibility of the back four. DeMerit believes in a team effort. They can succeed as one, or lose as individuals.
    <i>"Nobody can do things alone and as a back four you can’t do it just as a four, you need the guys in front of you in the midfield to help you out defensively."</i>
    Fortunately, this year there is a lot of speed and versatility in the squad. Mattocks, Hurtado, and Manneh will combine for some fantastic goals on the counter-attack, but they’ll also have to do their part defensively.
    <i>"Guys down the wings need to track back after they make forward runs, but as long as you get guys behind the ball, you keep a lot of clean sheets. And thankfully last year we were able to keep a lot and hopefully we can do the same this year."</i>
    The results have been encouraging. Morale is high in the squad. There are some returning players who are older and wiser for last year’s experiences. These veterans are joined by some energetic new faces, fresh from the youth ranks, or journeymen with something to prove.
    They still have the College of Charleston, a rematch with Houston Dynamo, and games with Chicago Fire and Carolina RailHawks to come. But in the end, none of that matters. It all starts again on March 2nd, and it looms large in the mind of Captain Jay DeMerit.
    <i>"That’s what we’re ultimately here for: To perform well when it matters."</i>
    And it's now just three weeks and counting till that time that matters comes around once again.
    <p>
    Guest

    Time to put the hay in the barn

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    Vancouver Whitecaps are fortunate to have Dr. Mike Young, Ph.D. as their strength and conditioning coach. His pedigree includes the USA Track and Field team, United States Olympic Training Centre (all three locations), Carolina RailHawks, as well as teaching stints at Ohio University, Louisiana State University, and the University of North Carolina. But that won’t help you spot him walking down Robson Street.
    He’s the short – by comparison to the players – guy in a black jumpsuit that puts the substitutes through their paces every fifteen minutes, keeping them active during the match, and ready to make an immediate impact at a moment’s notice. The rest of the time, he’s working behind the scenes.
    As someone who has such a key, and close, hands on role with the team, Young proved an ideal person to ask what to expect from players returning for preseason training:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <i>"It really depends on how much work they put in. A lot of guys come back, actually better. In the season, they can’t train their physical capacities to the full extent, because they’re always playing games. But during the offseason they have the opportunity if they put in the work to do that.
    We saw a handful of guys come in better than they were, especially in their speed power values, than we out processed them a couple of months ago. We have a very, very athletic team right now; a handful of guys in the low fours over thirties, a couple of guys approaching sub-four; A lot of guys over thirty inches in the vertical jump, so it’s very impressive this year to see what we’re dealing with."</i>
    Just to put some of that into perspective, Usain Bolt – the 100 Metre, 200 Metre, and 4 x 100 Metre Relay World Record holder – managed 30 Metres in 3.78 seconds back in 2009, and Gerald Sensabaugh of the Dallas Cowboys, managed a verified 46" standing vertical jump back in 2005.
    <i>"Obviously you can never be too fast, in this game or any other, and we still need to do a little bit of strength work. It’s good both for speed and power, as well as injury prevention. And we’ll always need to work on overall fitness, especially aerobic fitness. Right now is the time to put the hay in the barn as I like to say."</i>
    To measure the speed of their players, the Whitecaps set up a series of lasers that record when the beam is broken. They do this for short bursts of straight line running, and for relays, where they must run a zigzag pattern. For vertical jumps, they use a force platform that measures the time in air, allowing them to calculate their vertical leap result.
    <i>"We do this battery of tests a couple of times a year, as well as one other test for repeat sprint ability, and another test for their aerobic capacity, and we’ll be doing those in Arizona."</i>
    Here, he is referring to the Multi-Stage Fitness Test, or "Beep Test" for short. In it, players must run between lines spaced 20 metres apart, before a "beep" noise is sounded. The time between each bleep gets progressively shorter, making it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the bleeps. In every such test I’ve witnessed, it’s been a race for who will finish second to Russell Teibert.
    And if you think an injury is enough to get you off the hook, think again. Just as they tailor expectations to the individual, so too do they the testing.
    <i>"Generally we wouldn’t test a guy unless he’s at full capacity, but some tests we’ll allow for people to do here and there. We had a couple of guys who were injured do vertical jump test and so forth, or maybe even a ten metre, maybe guys that have a hamstring pull could do a yo-yo test, but not a sprint test.
    But we’re pretty careful about that. We want the test to be indicative of what the person is capable of, so if they’re injured we generally wait till they’re ready to test."</i>
    Although this is the time to put the hay in the barn, Mike Young is a mainstay at practice, usually the first one on the training pitch, and often the last one to leave. He works with all the players before they’re handed off to the coaching staff, helping those working through injuries, and the young players after practice, all while observing throughout.
    <i>"On a weekly basis, I’m putting the guys through two to three strength sessions, usually two in the weight room, and maybe one on the pitch. Following a technical session, we’re doing speed work two to three times a week, incorporating the ball quite often.
    And the metabolic or overall fitness training we’re doing in concert with their tactical technical training through small sided games, and drills with the ball, trying to make it as game specific as possible, try to do that two to three times a week."</i>
    It is through these tests that they assess their squad. They know exactly how capable a player is, physically, at any given time, and use it to adjust their program. Some players may need a rest, while others haven’t worked hard enough.
    It’s a report card of sorts, and so far, the parents are very happy.
    <p>
    Guest

    Morality and matchfixing

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    Editors Note: Since the matchfixing news broke last week, the two questions that have been asked time and again are how bad will this get and what can be done to stop it?
    The first is fairly simple: this isn't going away any time soon and it's safe to expect more games to come under suspicion - at home and abroad - in the near future. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
    The second is more complex and the majority of the discussion has - rightfully so - focused on what FIFA, law enforcement agencies can do to clean up the mess they've ignored for a generation. What is clear is that it's not a situation that is going to be solved overnight. This mess has grown to the scale it has because of willful ignorance, on multiple levels. With time and thorough commitment from the FA's and international police agencies, the beautiful game can be brought back to respectability.
    But while it will take a massive global effort to tackle the criminal element of this discussion, there is a moral conversation to be had as well. CSN has asked a friend - a soccer fan, intellectual and aspiring doctor - to write about that side of the matchfixing mess.
    So much attention has been paid towards what can be done about the fixers and the incompetence of FIFA in allowing this to grow to the state its in, but both miss a larger discussion point.
    But there is another participant in the scandal that has so far escaped scrutiny and one who is, perhaps, the most to blame of anyone - the players.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    By: Aleks Thornton
    The problem:
    The football media frenzy over match-fixing scandals in recent days started with Europol surprising football authorities this week with a "sensational press conference, declaring 380 cases under suspicion in Europe and 300 more around the world." Europol stresses the economic consequences of these 380 matches in Europe: more than €8m was generated in betting profits and more than €2m paid in bribes to those involved in fixing the matches. The problem also reaches closer to home. "According to CSA and CONCACAF sources, Interpol [claim] that nearly $100 million had passed through legitimate betting houses, to be placed on Canadian Soccer League matches, the past three seasons."
    Paul Put, Burkina Faso's head coach, who served a three-year ban in Belgium after being found guilty of fixing two matches, said that "Match-fixing has always existed in football. That is reality but what can you do about that?"
    What can be done about this? Well, FIFA pressured law makers and "called for longer prison sentences for criminals involved in match-fixing." However, the problem of match-fixing is more than just an economic and legal issue. It falls in the realm of morality.
    One needs only to look at the wider consequences in the sport of cycling, as a result of the catastrophic doping scandal, to see what can happen when ethics takes a back seat to the desire for financial and personal gain.
    Morality:
    Morality is difficult to discuss, but it is necessary if we wish to keep the integrity of the beautiful game. Although morality and ethics are complex subjects, there are some inherent notions that all of us posses about them: living morally means conducting oneself in a way that, if faced with an opportunity to cheat, one will take the step into the correct direction. Making the right choice can be difficult, but in the aftermath, one will be easily able to tell the truth about how he or she acted, and a persistent feeling of guilt will be absent. Certainly, we intuitively know that taking bribes and throwing matches is not the correct moral choice to make.
    The moral failings of footballers as individuals have contributed to this growing match-fixing problem. The footballers involved are not taking personal responsibility for their particular role as ambassadorial exemplars in the footballing community. If they are going to be moral, they have to accept themselves, their actions and their responsibility with an appropriate level of gravitas.
    Footballers and the community around them would do well to understand the notion that they are actually networked with other people and not merely a little dot among seven billion: they are part of a "causal network" and all of their actions matter.
    In those 680 Europol cases under investigation, there are at least 680 individual footballers (allegedly) who made the wrong choice and have contributed to the decaying integrity of the game. Those players who do end up cheating certainly justify it to themselves; similarly to the way Lance Armstong justified his cheating, by saying ‘everyone does it’.
    Interestingly, studies suggest that this is human nature. Humans tend to cheat, at least "just a little", as long as they can rationalize it in their head. For example, a Footballer in the CSL who may only earn $5,000 a season, can easily defend the taking of an additional illicit pay-cheque to feed his family. That is why making the right choice can be incredibly difficult.
    Footballers and its community need to reestablish that their actions have wider consequences. That puts a big burden on them, which many players (especially ones with lower annual salaries) are unwilling to bear. Their lives may be difficult, after all they train 2 or 3 times during the week, work second jobs and play on the weekends, but footballers will have to accept this burden, if football is to be saved
    Starting to solve the problem:
    Attacking this match-fixing issue from purely an economic and legal perspective won’t effectively resolve it. Merely attempting to control criminal activity is very ineffective - notwithstanding how tough the laws, large criminal networks tend to actively bypass them as a matter of course.
    Alternatively, the focus can be put on the players. Ultimately, they are the individuals who are not taking their responsibility (albeit in difficult times) as footballers in a footballing community. There are innovative ways to deal with this. One way is for clubs to consistently remind players of their responsibility to the greater cause. This can be done by instituting a moral code or honour code.
    Studies show that reminding people of their natural duties by way of an honour code leaves them with a sense of self-respect, and can deter them from cheating, at least in the short term.
    However, thinking that teaching players about an honor code one time and thinking it will be good for several years is a bit naive. Clubs, governing bodies and the greater community really need to remind their players of these ideas continuously and with a long term commitment of vigilience in mind.
    Guest

    Emotional Ramblings: Not Quite Convinced

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    The second season under the Martin Rennie regime is now underway, and there can no longer be any excuses about inherited personnel problems or having a dressing room filled with someone else’s vision. Many players were sent packing immediately, and others were given another year to earn their spot. There were even a few of his own signings unceremoniously axed, including one exceptionally expressive Scotsman.
    There is no confusion any more. This is now Martin Rennie’s Whitecaps, from top to bottom. Any players who have remained have earned a spot under Rennie. And the rest of the players are his own signings; his own successes and failures.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Many of those successes appear to be arriving. The Blue & White are 3-0 in preseason friendlies. In their first preseason action, 2012 Rookie of the Year finalist Darren Mattocks torched the three quarters of the starting New England backline for 3 goals in 15 minutes. 2013 Draftees Erik Hurtado and Kekuta Manneh have impressed and do not look out of place. Praise of Daigo Kobayashi is being touted by many, and YP Lee, who is surely the club’s best player, has agreed to return for a final year in which nothing less than another All-Star calibre season could be expected from classy ol’ <i>Bright Eyes</i>.
    But let me remind you of the series of events that took place almost exactly a year ago from now. Even after a strong year from Eric Hassli, and a phenomenal one from Camilo, the Whitecaps added another 10+ goal scorer and MLS All-Star, Sebastien Le Toux. They turfed their lazy and ineffective Designated Player and sent him back to the country he came from. They lined up some more and better players to come in, some depth players, and even another Designated Player. Some of these new signings would be from outside the MLS to help bring experience and class of the world leagues like the English Championship and the Uruguayan Primera Division. An undefeated preseason only elevated hopes.
    It seemed as if the Whitecap’s biggest concern would be where to find the money they would have to spend on replacing the netting behind the opposing keepers goal after it got so much work. In the end, a woeful 35 goals would be all that supporters would get to enjoy, and questions persisted all season about creativity.
    All offseason, every casual fan, rabid supporter, lonely blogger, and club employee pointed to the gaping hole in the middle of the park. It was no secret. Rennie commented about a lack of creativity in the middle of the park. Lenarduzzi went on radio shows and conceded that they may have tinkered too much and that the squad would be ready to compete on day one. Everything was pointing towards a winter stockpiling creative, experienced players to open up the game.
    And with half the preseason gone, and with only 4 roster spots left, time and opportunity are fading as we approach First Kick. One of the roster spots is almost certain to be Simon Thomas as the third keeper. Jaime Peters, Jacob Lensky, Andres Fresenga, and rumoured arrival Johnny Leveron are all real possibilities to be signed.
    That means if the Whitecaps want to go out and find another creative midfielder, they will either do it at the expense of one of the players mentioned, or they will cut a player who was already signed. There’s time. There is almost a full month until the season starts. And a trade within the MLS is still a possibility.
    But after all the talk of chemistry, and a full preseason, and strengthening the midfield, and increasing our creativity, we’re going to hope that Daigo Kobayashi, a first time MLS player answers all our prayers? One could expect Gershon Koffie to take another step forward, but he will never be confused with a number 10. Matt Watson showed glimpses of his athleticism and energy towards the end of the season, but he isn’t expected to carve apart a top MLS midfield.
    So what are we left with? Fast rookies on the wing. Fast, talented, strong kids. But call me a pessimist if you want, I wouldn’t be comfortable if I’m Martin Rennie and I’m expecting Erik Hurtado and Omar Salgado to carry the load in the event Kobayashi is hurt, or tired, or suspended, or if he is just a plain old flop. And if that happens, we’re back to what we saw last year. Alain Rochat doing his best to lump balls somewhere in the vicinity of one our blazing fast forwards to latch on to.
    Maybe I’m overly negative, but I was hoping for a little more this season; a little more diversity and a little more depth of creativity.
    For what it’s worth, I am encouraged by the signing of Kobayashi but it’s too early to really tell, as I’ve seen a total of 45 minutes of preseason soccer on a web stream out of him. And there is still time for some shuffling to still happen. Lensky would certainly provide the type of creative ability if he could get on board with the club and manager and keep his focus on the game. Or there could be another completely unknown at this time player on the horizon which could make this entire rambling moot, but for now, we’re still thin in the most obviously undermanned position.
    It became painfully evident by the end of last year that you can’t blow up a roster midseason and change the chemistry of your dressing room so deep in to the year. It also became clear that a single creative player to drive your team doesn’t exactly leave for much room for error. So let’s hope Rennie pulls the trigger on his final additions soon, because far too many games last season sapped most of the beauty out of the beautiful game.
    <p>
    Guest

    Impact president delivers on his promise

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    Eleven days ago following the trade that sent Lamar Neagle to Seattle for an international roster spot, Impact president Joey Saputo suggested on his personal Twitter account that his club would next turn to South America to pick up its next player.
    Make that players.
    On Thursday, two guys rather than one joined the team as it arrived for a three-week spell in Florida in preparation for Year 2 in MLS.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Both are in their twenties, coming straight from Brazil, although the first is an Argentine with a loan deal in place for the next year.
    Andrès Fabricio Romero, a 23 year-old striker jumped the gun early writing on his personal Facebook page he was coming to Montreal, a few hours before the club made the move official. He comes from Brazilian Serie A side Nautico where he played 96 minutes in six games as a sub.
    Romero also played 349 minutes in nine games, including two as a starter with Criciuma in the Santa Catarina State Championship. He previously came from Argentinos Juniors where he scored four goals in 49 games. His latest competitive goal goes back to October 29, 2008.
    Romero also represented Argentina internationally, playing 226 minutes in cinq games, including two starts at the U-20 level, but did not score.
    The other player is 20 year-old midfielder Eber Henrique Ferreira de Bessa (just call him Eber) who is trying out with the team in Floride, fighting to pick up one of the last three international roster spots left with the Impact.
    Eber played for Nacional MG a D4 side also competing in the Minas Gerais State Championship. Last year, he scored a goal in 562 minutes of play in eight starts.
    Guest

    Y-P Lee: The Whitecaps' leading man

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    <center><i>"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself"</i></center>
    In 2012, 35-year old left back Lee Young-Pyo was the Whitecaps' Player of the Year. He did this while playing in 33 of their 34 league matches, and while playing the entire season out of position. He would have played the entire year, if not for the forced vacation that came as the result of a training ground bust up. Even at 35, the passion still burns brightly for the mild mannered Korean.
    Ever the teacher, he can be seen speaking with teammates at training, assuming the role of player-coach without the title, or the compensation. Eric Hassli, Sebastien Le Toux, Davide Chiumiento, Darren Mattocks, Greg Klazura, and Jun Marques Davidson are just some of the players he’s had one-to-ones with. They weren’t the first, and they certainly won’t be the last.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <i>"Sometimes I want to share my experience, in how to do on the pitch and off the pitch. But everyone is different, on the pitch especially. I like to play simple. Simple is the best all the time. But young players want to show some specialty to others, and then sometimes make mistakes deciding when to dribble or to pass. I’m talking about it all the time to my teammates."</i>
    At training, he often holds back. But unlike others in his profession, it does not stem from laziness, a lack of drive, or even age. He does what is required, and no more. It is only on rare occasions, when his teammates might learn from it, or in a bit of fun, that he goes all out, as he did recently against Andy O’Brien.
    Now, Andy O’Brien is an international with almost three hundred Premier League games to his credit. It is no easy feat to make him look disorganised. But in a recent one-on-one at the end of practice, Lee and O’Brien were paired together.
    Andy O’Brien, Jackson Farmer, Gerard Pique, it would have made no difference. Lee might as well have had the ball tethered to his boots. No matter what O’Brien did, Lee kept the ball, going left, right, or even through the Englishman. In the end, O’Brien won the ball, but even he must be wondering did he win it, or did Lee let him have it?
    <i>"The skills I achieved when I was young, I still practice all of the time. I attribute it to this. These skills as you know, I’ve never lost them, because I want the skills I learned when I was young, to still keep them."</i>
    As he enters the twilight of his career, the transition to a staffing role has already begun. He already acts as a coach on the field, but if not that, a scout is certainly a possibility.
    <i>"The club has inquired to me about several players. I’m still looking to the young players of Korea, and if I find good players, I introduce them to the club."</i>
    Although it hasn’t born fruit quite yet, Korea is the 34th ranked association according to FIFA, and have qualified for the last seven world cups. There is talent to be sure. But it must be difficult scouting it from the pitch at BC Place.
    Regarding his time in Vancouver, he had this to offer:
    <i>"Last year, I was really satisfied to play with the Whitecaps, with the fans, teammates, city, everyone. Personally, it was difficult to decide whether to play one year more because the Whitecaps are a very good team for me. But I’ve already informed many people that this is my last season."</i>
    When asked what it would take to stay on for 2014, he hesitated, but he didn’t close the door entirely, <i>"I’m just entering that decision now."</i>
    So whether it’s for 2013 or beyond, savour every moment, record every dribble, immortalise every step over, and most of all, enjoy him while he lasts.
    <p>
    Guest

    The story of Jesse Marsch and the Impact

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Patrick Leduc of La Presse has published a remarkable story today looking at the circumstances surrounding Jesse Marsch’s firing.
    It’s best you read it in French if you can, but a brief English summery of what was reported is below the jump.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Leduc reported:

    The Impact were willing to bring Marsch back in 2013, but only if he met certain ultimatums from ownership.
    Ultimately it was Marsch that decided he could not work in that environment.
    In 2012, based on the overall league trend, the Impact decided that it was best to hire a MLS experienced manager.
    At that time, they liked a lot about Marsch – especially his charisma and how he embraced the culture of Quebec and Montreal.
    However, Marsch was stubborn and not much interested in taking advice from above.
    Regardless, based on a combination of naivety and insecurity, the Impact gave Marsch carte blanche to start the year.
    It was Marsch’s decision to draft Brian Ching. The Impact were not happy with how that situation played out.
    Management was also disappointed with the Eddie Johnson and Donovan Ricketts signings and with Marsch’s resistance to playing Patrice Bernier early in the year.
    As a result of those concerns, management took control of all player signings in mid-season.
    Nick De Santis then became the person most responsible for shaping the Impact’s roster. It was at this point that the Impact focused more on Serie A veterans and less on established MLS players.
    The final straw may have came following the season, when management replaced the fitness and goalkeeping coaches that Marsch hired.
    In a meeting following the season Marsch gave the Impact an ultimatum – full authority, or he would quit.
    The decision was made at that time to part ways and a press conference was called for the next day to announce that the two sides had agreed it was in their best interest to move on.

    Guest
    An interesting tidbit for CSN readers on the opening day of the final round of Concacaf’s World Cup qualifying. Back at the beginning of January, media outlets in Central America cited official sources in reporting that Fifa had designating one of today’s matches -- Panama against Costa Rica at the Rommel Fernández stadium in Panama City -- “high-risk” from a security standpoint and appointed a special envoy (David Sabir from Bermuda) to monitor the match.
    At the time, Pedro Chaluja, president of Federación Panameña de Fútbol (roughly, the Panamanian version of the CSA) said Fifa hadn’t even told him about the match being a security risk, nevermind the reasons behind why. You can read up on what such a designation involves here, but basically it means extra precautions will be taken to ensure everything proceeds safely on and off the pitch. Generally it's invoked to deal with matches where there's a high likelihood of violence between rival fan groups.
    This isn’t totally unusual in Concacaf. Last year World Cup qualifying matches involving Costa Rica and El Salvador received a similar designation. But because Fifa didn't address why the match in Panama is considered a risk, and given that local authorities aren't expecting widespread fan violence, the reasoning behind Fifa's decision is somewhat mysterious. That is, until we consider a possible Canadian connection.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    On the January 11 episode of the weekly ESPN Deportes podcast “Destino Brasil*,” Concacaf secretary general Enrique Sanz said the high-risk designation stemmed from an official complaint Canada made to Fifa regarding incidents during the World Cup qualifier the men's team played at Rommel Fernández last September. He didn't elaborate, but the show’s hosts said in a later segment that the complaint was related to objects being thrown on the pitch.
    I contacted the CSA on January 14 in an attempt to get more information on this supposed complaint. A spokesperson responded but I’m still waiting for any kind of confirmation as to whether Canada actually made this complaint. Inquiries to Concacaf media officials have so far gone unanswered.
    I would have guessed any complaint from the CSA surrounding that ill-fated Panama match would be related to all the noise making outside the Canada’s team’s hotel the night prior to the match. What are the long-term ramifications of all this? Probably very little, although it could signal that the CSA will be more aggressive in ensuring our national teams compete in the best conditions possible when travelling to Central America. I'll update the story when I hear something from the CSA.
    *Unfortunately ESPN seems to remove their podcasts about two weeks after the broadcast date. I was unable to pull it up in either iTunes or TuneIn Radio, although a version of the show still exists on my phone and I can send the audio file if anyone is interested in listening to it.
    Guest

    What the Hex should CSN do?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Four inches.
    The length of your smart phone. Your morning razor. A little shorter than your remote control.
    That’s the difference between hope and despair when it comes to Canadian soccer in 2013.
    Had only Kevin McKenna’s header gone four inches to the right at BMO Field last June…
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Then Canada would have captured six of six points in the first two games of World Cup qualifying. It would have went on to capture all nine points at home and there would have been a glorious celebration following the 3-0 win over Cuba.
    Sure, the 8-1 would have been embarrassing, but we’d be in the hex. We’d have spent the last two months staring at the schedule and debating about what venues made the most sense to host our games in 2013.
    Today, there would be a nervous buzz across the Canadian soccer community. We’d possibly be just a day away from hosting a game. At worse, we’d be busy preparing viewing parties across the country.
    Instead, the CSA held a u20 conference call today and talked about the importance of building for the future.
    It might as well have been four miles.
    Tomorrow the final round of CONCACAF qualifying starts. For the six countries involved – Mexico, Costa Rica, USA, Honduras, Panama and Jamaica – dreams of Brazil are now realistic. There is a good chance four of those countries will be there.
    The rest of us might watch. They are games that will be difficult to watch, but they will hold lessons for the next generation of Canadian fans and players.
    Yet, we want to turn away. Should we?
    Let us know how much coverage of the final round you’d like to see on CSN. It doesn’t directly involve Canada, but it is relevant to it. So, we’ll follow your lead. If you want us to fall back and only focus on Canadian teams, we’ll do that. If you want in-depth coverage, we’ll try and provide it. And, if a middle ground is appropriate we’ll try that too.
    Let us know in the comments.
    Guest

    Canadian MLS television schedule

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    TSN announced its national broadcast schedule for MLS games in 2013.
    Below the jump -
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    MARCH
    Saturday, Mar. 2 Toronto at Vancouver 6:30pm et/3:30pm pt TSN
    Saturday, Mar. 9 Kansas City at Toronto 1:30pm et/10:30am pt TSN
    Saturday, Macrh 16 Toronto at Montreal 4pm et/1pm pt TSN
    Saturday, Mar. 30 Los Angeles at Toronto 2pm et/11am pt TSN
    APRIL
    Saturday, Apr. 6 Dallas at Toronto 4pm et/1pm pt TSN2
    Saturday, Apr. 13 Columbus at Montreal 2pm et/11am pt TSN
    Saturday, Apr. 13 Salt Lake at Vancouver 4pm et/1pm pt TSN
    Saturday, Apr. 20 Houston at Toronto 4pm et/1pm pt TSN
    Saturday, Apr. 27 New York at Toronto 2pm et/11am pt TSN
    Saturday, Apr. 27 Chicago at Montreal 4pm et/1pm pt TSN
    MAY
    Saturday, May 18 Columbus at Toronto 5pm et/2pm pt TSN
    JUNE
    Saturday, June 1 Philadelphia at Toronto 6pm et/3pm pt TSN2
    Saturday, June 8 Vancouver at Seattle 4pm et/1pm pt TSN
    Saturday, June 15 Toronto at D.C. 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2
    Wednesday, June 19 Houston at Montreal 8pm et/5pm pt TSN
    Wednesday, June 19 Chivas USA at Vancouver 10pm et/7pm pt TSN
    Saturday, June 22 Toronto at Houston 9pm et/6pm pt TSN
    Saturday, June 29 Salt Lake at Toronto 1pm et/10am pt TSN2
    JULY
    Wednesday, July 3 Montreal at Toronto 7pm et/4pm pt TSN
    Wednesday, July 3 Vancouver at Kansas City 9pm et/6pm pt TSN
    Saturday, July 6 Seattle at Vancouver 11pm et/8pm pt TSN
    Saturday, July 13 Montreal at New York 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2
    Wednesday, July 17 Toronto at Chivas USA 10:30pm et/7:30pm pt TSN
    Saturday, July 20 New York at Toronto 4pm et/1pm pt TSN
    Saturday, July 27 Columbus at Toronto 2pm et/11am pt TSN
    Saturday, July 27 Kansas City at Montreal 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2
    AUGUST
    Saturday, Aug. 10 San Jose at Vancouver 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt TSN
    Saturday, Aug. 17 D.C. at Montreal 7pm et/4pm pt TSN
    Saturday, Aug. 24 Houston at Montreal 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2
    Saturday, Aug. 24 Los Angeles at Vancouver 9pm et/6pm pt TSN2
    SEPTEMBER
    Saturday, Sept. 7 Toronto at Portland 11pm et/8pm pt TSN2
    Wednesday, Sept. 11 Chicago at Toronto 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt TSN
    Saturday, Sept. 14 Toronto at New York 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2
    Saturday, Sept. 21 Vancouver at Montreal 2pm et/11am pt TSN
    Saturday, Sept. 28 D.C. at Toronto 1pm et/10am pt TSN
    Saturday, Sept. 28 Salt Lake at Vancouver 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2
    OCTOBER
    Saturday, Oct. 5 Toronto at Philadelphia 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt TSN2
    Wednesday, Oct. 9 Vancouver at Seattle 10pm et/7pm pt TSN
    Saturday, Oct. 12 New England at Montreal 2:30pm et/11:30am pt TSN
    Saturday, Oct. 19 Toronto at Chicago 8:30ppm et/5:30pm pt TSN2
    Saturday, Oct. 26 Montreal at Toronto 2pm et/11am pt TSN
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