Jump to content

  • Articles

    Manage articles
    Show all categories
    Guest
    Thursday will see Vancouver Whitecaps take part in their third MLS SuperDraft, and the second under Martin Rennie. They once again will select early, 5th overall, with this year's pick coming courtesy of a trade for their allocation spot with Philadelphia.
    With many teams rumoured to be keen on trading up, including Cascadian rivals Seattle and Portland, will the Whitecaps keep this selection and go for a raw, future prospect? Or will Martin Rennie decide that a more experienced head is needed, particularly in midfield, and be keen to do some trading?
    The last two drafts have had mixed results for the Caps, with good choices at the top of the draft but an inability to find a hidden gem in the later picks.
    We take a look back at what's gone before and look ahead to what the Caps' needs are this time around and who might be there to fill them:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <b>2011 DRAFT</b>
    The Whitecaps may have surprised others in MLS but after a training stint in the summer before the draft, the expansion side knew they wanted Omar Salgado as their first selection. He had limited opportunities in his rookie year but a move to left wing seemed to spark an awakening before an injury with the US U20 team ended his season prematurely.
    With an additional first round pick, the Whitecaps also selected Akron product Michael Nanchoff, who, as a left sided midfielder, seemed to fill a desperate need. Unfortunately for him, the promise he showed in preseason games and training never translated with the first team and he is now looking for a new start.
    The second and third rounds saw them select a couple of Notre Dame players who both lasted only year. Jeb Brovsky was taken in the expansion draft by the Impact and Bilal Duckett moved on to the lower leagues.
    Vancouver also selected defender Michael Boxall in the Supplemental Draft. The Kiwi international started a number of games in his rookie season but was relegated to the press box and released last summer.
    Midfielder Joe Anderson and defender Santiago Bedoya were the Caps short lived and soon forgotten other Supplemental Draft picks.
    <b>2012 DRAFT</b>
    A surprising first selection by the Impact at the SuperDraft allowed Darren Mattocks to fall into Rennie's lap and if it were not for a freak injury, Vancouver's leading scorer may have hit double digits in goals. There should be no doubt the Jamaican international will have a spot in the starting eleven from day one against TFC.
    With YP Lee penciled in as the starter the Caps were looking to have a young RB behind the vet so they drafted Chris Estridge. However the defender was released when he was out performed by Supplemental draft pick Greg Klazura.
    The other supplemental picks, goalkeeper Andrew Fontein and defender Mark Fetrow, never made it out of training camp, whilst their first Supplemental Draft pick of Mexican Gienir Garcia was soon traded to Montreal for the MLS rights to Etienne Barbara. Garcia made no appearances for Montreal and was soon back in Mexico.
    <b>SOME CAPS' NEEDS THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED</b>
    If the Whitecaps are looking to contend for a playoff spot and trophies then anyone they draft shouldn't be expected to start from day one. The players they acquire should be considered rotational players who could develop into starters in a year or two.
    CENTREBACK - This may seem like a position of strength, especially with the recent signing of Brad Rusin, but the two starters are on the north side of 30 and it seems like Bonjour might be moved so a young central defender, who would be fourth on the depth chart, that can learn from the vets before taking over in a year as a starter would be ideal.
    LEFT BACK - The Caps currently have Rochat and Harvey on the depth chart but Rochat is getting older and may be moved to a holding midfield role, while Harvey has yet to prove that he can be an everyday starter. Greg Klazura is another existing option. There are limited options for this position at the top of the draft but a pickup in the second round, assuming they can acquire one, or in the Supplemental Draft could work for them.
    RIGHT MIDFIELD - With Dane Richards moving on this preseason, the Caps need to replace significant speed on the right side. It would be a bonus if the player can also slide into a central attacking role and play multiple positions.
    FORWARD - The Caps have the pace with Mattocks but need a physical forward as a change of pace to score those 'garbage' goals in the box. If Rennie decides to play more 4-4-2 this season then they will need more depth at forward.
    <b>A POSSIBLE SCENARIO</b>
    'Mock drafts' are overdone and basically pointless. The whole thing can be a lottery and as we saw last year, anything can happen with those early picks.
    That said, I wouldn't be too upset if we were to see the following play out.
    <b>Caps 1st pick (5th Overall) - Eriq Zavaleta DF/Indiana :</b>
    The son of an El Savador pro soccer player, Zavaleta is capable of playing a number of positions similar to last year's top pick Andrew Wenger. In addition to other positions, his two main spots are forward and center back because of his ability to read the game and dominate the game in the air. While he will see the pitch due to his versatility, joining the Caps would see him spend most of his first MLS season learning from a number of veterans like DeMerit and O'Brien.
    Other options worth considering would be MF Mikey Lopez, DF Walker Zimmerman, and MF Kyle Bekker.
    <b>Caps 2nd pick (10th Overall) Kyle Bekker MF/Boston College :</b>
    One of the top performers at the MLS Combine the Canadian has moved up the draft boards so much that some have suggested that he could be a top 5 pick. There are however a couple of things working against him. One is that he didn't sign a GA contract and will count against the cap, and secondly he is Canadian, which would make him count as an international player for American clubs. The only way he doesn't last is if TFC trades down or Montreal makes him their pick which is too sensible for them to do.
    UPDATE:
    <b>Caps 2nd pick (10th Overall) John Stertzer MF/Maryland :</b>
    Originally had Kyle Bekker in this spot but it looks like the Canadian midfielder is moving up the board since his combine and the TFC trade. It also looks like the Caps are shopping this pick for a veteran MLS midfielder but if they keep the pick then Stertzer might be the selection. A player with size, Stertzer could play as an attacker or in a holding role in the central role. The Maryland grad is comfortable with the ball at his feet, reads the play well and has the ability to score from the midfield.
    Other options would be MF Erik Hurtado, MF Dillon Powers, MF Emery Welshman.
    <center>**********</center>
    Rennie has <a href=" http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?4087-Keep-Calm-and-Carry-On" target="_blank">already told AFTN</a> that he is looking for players who can help and compliment the current squad and can either come in, or be close to being ready to come in, and do a job in Vancouver.
    Is there anyone in the 2013 draft that fits the bill? Or will we be seeing Vancouver's best outcome from the draft coming from a trade elsewhere?
    We'll soon find out.
    <p>
    Guest

    What to make of Hassli

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Apparently Eric Hassli wants out.
    That’s the rumour, anyway – reported by Soccer by Ives, who seems to have had his red Batphone re-installed in the TFC front office. So, it’s probably true that Hassli asked to be moved.
    It’s even possible that TFC leaked the request itself to allow it to stay ahead of the story.
    It’s widely thought that the tail wags the dog at TFC and this is a perfect opportunity for Kevin Payne to make it known that the culture is changing. He’s in charge, he is saying, and a player like Hassli can’t boss them around.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The truth is that Hassli doesn’t have a lot of power here. MLS doesn’t allow a lot of movement and when he agreed the contract extension he gave up control of where he can play in 2013. If he wants to move from TFC, TFC needs to give him permission. Sure, he can pout and play terrible, but that’s not a great way to get another contract and he doesn’t want to retire.
    So, if he wants to play in 2014 and beyond, for a wage that is close to what he gets now, then he needs to play well in 2013. He’s hardly the first player to have to suck it up and play for a club he’s not fully invested in.
    TFC could also accommodate him, of course. But, the power is in their hands.
    There is a bit of a misunderstanding about the Hassli situation. It has been incorrectly suggested that by agreeing to the option year of his contract, TFC was stuck with Hassli’s contract and DP status for all of 2013. That’s simply not the case.
    By agreeing to the extension, TFC only re-gained their rights to him – their control. Although, it’s highly likely that Paul Mariner had Hassli in his plans for 2013 when he extended him, the truth was they didn’t have much option but to agree to the option year. If they were to have let him walk away in November they would have got nothing back for him. Now, they can go about deciding what to do with him.
    Yes, they would have freed up a DP slot and salary cap room, but that’s still an option now.
    Under the CBA teams can buy out one guaranteed contract per year without a cap hit. DP players are considered the same as non-DPs for the purpose of that rule. So, TFC still has the option of walking away from Hassli – they would just need to give him some MLSE money.
    There is no argument that can be made that says that it makes more sense to let a player walk away for nothing when there is a possibility of getting something back. That something could be in production (he may yet play for TFC), an MLS asset or allocation in the form of a European transfer. And, make no mistake, Hassli would generate a transfer fee in a mid-level European league (Switzerland would seem to be a fit as he came from there to Vancouver).
    Ultimately, this is as likely to be nothing, as it is to be a problem. Hassli is an emotional guy and he could just be reacting to losing a coach in Mariner that he trusted and who believed in him. It's quite possible he'll show up in Toronto's camp next week and this will all be forgotten.
    Time will tell, but at least it's never dull in TFC-land...
    Guest
    Up until the start of the 2012-13 European season, Canadian soccer fans were lucky. Although we lived far from the playing pitches of the world's top leagues, we could watch multiple live games a week from the comfort of our living room -- often in glourious HD.
    GolTV had the Bundesliga and La Liga, theScore Serie A and the EPL was on Sportsnet and TSN.
    The English Championship and French league was also available as well as CONCACAF and CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. Every big game was on TV. There was no doubt, it was only a matter of where.
    Then Al Jazeera got involved.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Middle Eastern television network wanted to break into the American (read USA) market and purchased the Italian, Spanish, French, English Championship (along with the English League Cup) and North and South America World Cup qualifying rights in an effort to do just that. Under the banner of beIN Sport, they started to provide Americans with exclusive coverage of those leagues.
    Unfortunately for Canadians, the Canadian rights were also sold as part of the Al Jazeera purchase -- they were "North American" rights, not USA rights. And, Al Jazeera doesn't have a broadcast partner to show beIN Sport here in Canada.
    If you wanted to watch the last half of Lionel Messi's remarkable year, Atletico Madrid's challenge to break into the top two of Spain, PSG's attempts to make the money count, or Juve's remarkable two season run on top of Serie A you were out of luck -- or had to go the illegal route (and fight pop-up ads/computer viruses at a streaming site).
    Attempts to get details from beIN Sport have been frustrating. All they can ever say is that they are "working on" getting the games shown in Canada and that they expect a breakthrough "soon."
    If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that harassing beIN about this has become a hobby of mine (I want to watch Atleti, damnit). For the last few months I send them several messages a week reminding them that Canadian fans are getting screwed over by the lack of action, whether it is from them of by the cable/satellite companies.
    Today, they responded:
    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-in-reply-to="291226094898651136"><p>@<a href="https://twitter.com/24thminute">24thminute</a> Working on this. Very soon, every tweet gets forwarded for added pressure. Thank you for your patience.</p>— beIN SPORT (@beINSPORTUSA) <a href="
    " data-datetime="2013-01-15T17:05:27+00:00">January 15, 2013</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
    The message I get from that is that public pressure might help get this done.
    So, if you want to watch Italian, Spanish, French, English Championship, or World Cup qualifiers on television this year let beIN know. They are best reached on Twitter at @beINSportUSA. Additionally, they tell Canadians to put pressure on their local satellite and cable providers.
    You know what to do...
    Guest

    Frings likely done after 2013

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Torsten Frings didn't outright announce his retirement in this German interview from earlier this month. However, he came pretty close.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Using Google translate and some German 101 that basically translates to "I had surgery. I'm fine now. I want to play one more year, but that's it."
    The rest of the interview deals with his perspective of the level of MLS (good teams would be lower Bundesliga sides, bad teams would be mid-table B2), his love of Toronto sports (MLSE helps him get tickets), MLS travel (much worse than he thought it would be), Toronto (loves it) and the team (loves feeling part of a close group).
    Guest

    He came, he saw...he will conquer?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Oh, wait it's Cesar...
    ​Toronto FC made the signing of Julio Cesar, 34, official today. It was reported yesterday by Soccer by Ives that the former Sporting KC man was coming to Toronto.
    It seems that Cesar will play a holding role in the midfield for TFC, although he can play at the back if needed as well. With Torsten Frings coming off surgery the Cesar signing can be seen as security against the possibility that the German cannot fully recover.
    It will also take the burden off Terry Dunfield, who will be freed up to play a utility midfield role where he is likely better suited.
    It's also a veteran player inserted into a clubhouse that was the league's youngest by median age in 2012.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    How much does BMO Field rake in?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Last week, Canadian Soccer News uncovered documents revealing that MLSE had withheld nearly $500,000 from the Canadian Soccer Association for allegedly not fulfilling their contractual obligations.
    When BMO Field was originally approved for construction, it was done under the provision that the CSA agreed to host to a minimum of six national team games a year.
    Although the CSA met that requirement in the first year of the stadium's operation (based largely on the 2007 FIFA U20s) it did not in 2008 or 2009. As a result, MLSE withheld payments to the CSA that normally would have been made under the original Letter of Intent.
    Signing such an agreement appeared to show a level of naivety on the part of the CSA. And last week, we told you about the extent of that naivety and how former CSA COO Kevan Pipe made the deal with MLSE without the CSA board of director's awareness. Shortly after he was fired he found employment with three companies associated with MLSE.
    Today, as a sidebar to those stories, CSN has secured a copy of the June 2012 BMO Field Management report. Created by MLSE, to be presented to the Exhibition Place Board of Governors, the document details the breakdown of how much BMO Field takes in during a month, as well as the year to date. We are using the June 2012 report as an example of just how much money BMO Field pulls in. Why? Well, aside from simply wanting to know more about how much MLSE makes from Toronto FC and Canada games - and that month included two Toronto FC home games, two CSA games and one international match - we wanted to put that $500,000 number in perspective.
    You can read the entire document here for yourself. After the jump we've pulled out some of the more interesting bits.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    REVENUE OVERVIEW
    For the month ending June 30, 2012, the operating profit before depreciation, incentives and rebates for BMO Field was $453,000. It was $119,000 favourable to what was budgeted.
    Total revenues for the month were $1.4 million. That includes food and beverage revenue ($201,000), Ticketmaster rebates ($20,000) and CSA usage fees ($11,000).
    Total expenses for the month was $981,000. This was over budget by $162,000 for the month.
    Total revenues before expenses for the year to date was $4,273,000.
    PROFIT AND LOSS
    Cash of $2.5 million increased by $320,000
    Food & beverage and third party commissions were $201,000 and $16,000 favorable respectively for the month thanks to higher than projected attendance at CSA and Rugby events. They were down $5,000 from the two MLS games due to lower than expected attendance.
    BMO Field paid out $34,000 in food and beverage royalties.
    CONCLUSION
    It’s important to realize that BMO Field is one of the few stadiums in Canada and MLS that is profitable. Built relatively cheaply, it has proven to be a cash cow for MLSE and the City of Toronto over the years – the stadium is the only facility in Toronto that makes money for the city.
    And, it’s MLSE’s job to manage it for the city. On that front they deserve credit. In 2011, MLSE returned about $550,000 to the city. Since 2007 the number is $1.75 million.
    BMO Field has been a very good deal for the City of Toronto.
    Has it worked out as well for the CSA and, by extension, the rest of Canada?
    It’s less certain that it has been a benefit, but payments made to the CSA make it more difficult to argue that it’s been bad business. The stadium gives the CSA a ready tool to use and an opportunity to make a profit.
    If the CSA meets the 46,001 tickets sold target, using accepted estimates, the CSA would receive $46,800 in payments before factoring in profits from ticket sales. It’s nowhere near what MLSE or the City receive, but profit is profit.
    This past week CSA president Victor Montagliani spoke to CSN about the deal. He said that under the re-negotiated deal the CSA was happy. He stressed that fans need to view the deal in the context of the time, which came after several stadium deals had fell apart.
    “I don’t want to speak to what happened before, how the original deal came together, but…overall we’re happy.
    “Without the stadium we don’t have the U-20s and without that we don’t have MLS in Canada.”
    Guest

    The draft record of Kevin Payne

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Days away from the 2013 SuperDraft, and with TFC clearly in the hands of Kevin Payne, let’s have a look at the drafting record of the man responsible for finally putting TFC in the right direction.
    To do that we will look at his time with DC United from 2004 until last year. Payne was not with United alone in the early part of the 2000s (he was an executive with AEG and thus worked with several teams in MLS) and in the 1990s the draft was set-up differently. Thus, the 2004-2012 results are closer to a direct comparison to what he is doing for TFC this week.
    We looked at all of DC United’s first round selections, or the club’s first pick in years without a first rounder.
    Below the jump, the selections:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    2004 – Freddy Adu (1st), 87 appearances, left in 2006 for allocation
    2005 - Nick Van Sicklen (19th), 0 appearances
    2006 -- Justin Moose (7th), 8 appearances, released in 2007
    2007 -- Bryan Arguez (11th), 0 appearances, never signed
    2008 -- Andrew Jacobson (24th), 17 appearances, lost in expansion draft in 2010
    2009 -- Rodney Wallace (6th), 35 appearances, traded for a Dax McCarty in 2011
    2009 -- Chris Pontius (7th), 101 appearances, still with club
    2010 -- Jordan Graye (55th), 20 appearances, lost in expansion draft in 2011
    2011 – Perry Kitchen (3rd), 63 appearances, still with club
    2012 -- Nick DeLeon (7th), 28 appearances, still with club
    It’s worth pointing out that Payne’s influence at DC United started to slip in the final years, especially after Ben Olsen took over the managers role in 2010. It’s widely felt that Payne left United because he wanted to move to a club where he had more direct influence in decisions than he had in the final few years.
    Still, we’ll give him some credit for two solid picks in each of the last two years.
    Additionally, the Pontius pick-up in 2009 has been a key component to the club’s turn around from four losing seasons.
    However, it would be disingenuous to ignore the role Payne’s selections from 2005 to 2008, when he only managed to find 25 total appearances from the draft, played in that four-year playoff draught.
    Like many things with Payne, the results are mixed. TFC fans will be hoping that his role in 2011 and 2012 was greater than many think it was and that he can replicate it (and that the 2005-2008 stretch was just bad luck).
    With rumours flying that Payne is set to move one of the No 1 or No 3 picks we should take a moment to reflect on his record of trading first round picks.
    Three times Payne has traded his first rounder. Below, the results:
    2005 -- 12th pick as final part of compensation for 2004 trade for Jamie Moreno
    2008 -- 10th pick for Rod Dyachenko
    2010 -- 7th pick for Fred
    The 2005 trade was a blockbuster and a lot of other assets were dealt as part of it. However, Moreno was a United legend that ended his career as the all-time leading scorer in MLS.
    The other two trades were less successful.
    Dyachenko was already with DC United when TFC grabbed him in the expansion draft. He was off the team a year later, with most of his contribution to United taking place prior to the trade. In hindsight, it would have been better for DC to let him come north.
    The Fred trade was pretty much a disaster.
    So, once again, Payne’s record is mixed.
    Guest
    Every so often (which is to say, on two occasions just in the last 10 months), a Canadian national team plays a game that simply isn't televised. Nowhere. Nada. Canada's encounter with South Korea on Monday morning, its second match of the 2013 Yongchuan Cup, was another one of those occasions.
    While long-time Canadian soccer fans are accustomed to the idea of following our teams via choppy radio streams in foreign languages, desperately hoping for a two-sentence wire-service summary in the following day's newspaper (good luck with that one) or just not knowing the game was happening to begin with, a new generation is accustomed to having whatever "content" they desire available to them on-demand and, of course, free of charge.
    Kids these days, eh?
    So, to placate those people and to somewhat justify the fact that I got up early to follow intermittent Twitter updates from the CSA's official feed, here's my mostly fabricated synopsis of Canada v. South Korea!
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Canada rolled out a much different lineup than they did in the opener against China, with Karina LeBlanc providing goalkeeping and hairstyling support behind a defensive line of Robyn Gayle, Emily Zurrer, Shelina Zadorsky and Chelsea Stewart. The centre-back pairing, by special request, introduced their new nickname by entering the field wearing matching giant beards, sunglasses and leather jackets emblazoned with "The ZZ Tops".
    Somewhere nearby, a pair of Chinese bureaucrats angrily furrowed their brows, as Zurrer and Zadorsky had failed to fill out the proper paperwork for such a display.
    As the national anthems began, some buffoon raised the North Korean flag instead of the South Korean one. Rather than being outraged or angry, however, most of the South Korean players appeared to express profound sadness for the plight of their brothers and sisters to the north.
    Then the same buffoon played Gangnam Style instead of the South Korean anthem, sending the players into a near-uncontrollable rage.
    That rage translated into a number of early chances for the South Koreans, as well as inability of the coaching staff or officials to control the behaviour of the substitutes. So, playing with 18 against 11 -- the polite Canadian substitutes keeping their place on the bench, of course -- South Korea took a 2-0 first-half lead. Head coach John Herdman, at halftime, demanded an explanation from a nearby FIFA official, who instead simply burped and wiped his mouth with a 100-yuan note.
    During halftime, Christine Sinclair -- appropriately enough, being punished by authorities for saying something they didn't approve of -- silently stewed in the audience, as nearby spectators cowered, looking at her as though she was a hardened criminal in a TV show who you just know is about to get free of their shackles somehow. Her decision to wear an orange jumpsuit also helped in this regard.
    Once the teams returned for the second half, sure enough, Sinclair barreled down to field level and chased the Korean players, Keystone Cops style, for a good 20 minutes. Eventually, the real cops were able to track her down and drag her from the stadium as she dramatically yelled "freedom!" Up in the bleachers, Ai Weiwei nodded his head in approval.
    Finally the referee was able to resume the game. The Canadian players, feeling sympathy for their terrorized opponents, decided to spot them a third goal. Herdman, still angry after his encounter with the inattentive and smelly FIFA official, summarily yanked most of the squad off the field and replaced them with subs (in an orderly, sanctioned manner, of course) in what he'd later describe as indicative of his plan to use this tournament to experiment with different lineups and strategies, as part of the long-term buildup to the 2015 Women's World Cup.
    But no no, John, you're not fooling anyone. This was retribution.
    Eventually, 17-year-old Nichelle Prince was substituted into the game and, as teenagers do, got bored really quickly. So, within one minute of entering the game, she broke up the monotony by scoring an 80-yard screamer, as rainbows and pixie dust shot out the back of the ball, much like in those "
    " spots.Desiree Scott was later shown a yellow card for DESTROYING... a Korean free kick. Oh, and she also ate a car, a la Robosaurus. Actually, wait, that one's just silly. Why would there just be a car sitting near a soccer field while professionals played? What is this, RFK Stadium?
    The game ended without any further scoring, not even for the smelly FIFA official, whose clumsy attempt to hit on a woman sitting near him was swiftly rebuffed. Apparently, "perhaps you should wear tighter shorts" is a bad pick-up line.
    Canada plays its final game of the Yongchuan Cup on Wednesday morning, presumably with a similar amount of live coverage on Chinese TV (which is to say, none).
    Highlights of Canada v. South Korea, provided by the CSA. Note that the video may differ slightly from the descriptions provided in this match report:
    <em>

    Guest
    So, to answer the question that's surely entered the minds of Canadian fans on numerous occasions over the past few years, yes.
    As in yes, Canada can score without Christine Sinclair or Melissa Tancredi in the lineup.
    Sure, it was one goal, and it came off of a giveaway by the opposing defenders. But in lifting Canada to victory in its opening game of the four-nation Yongchuan Cup, Adriana Leon once again demonstrated the instincts and cool finishing that have some already thinking she'll be the one to pick up the slack as we see less of Sinclair and Tancredi in the years to come.
    And the 20-year-old wasn't the only youngster to make a splash in the tournament opener.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    While Leon scored her first senior national team goal in her first appearance, she was one of six youngsters earning their first senior caps, along with Tiffany Cameron, Christabel Oduro, Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence and Nichelle Prince. Cameron and Oduro are the oldest of the crew, at 22 and 20 years old, respectively.
    Two other starters were Bryanna McCarthy (22 years old, 4 caps) and Jodi-Ann Robinson (still just 24, despite having earned 50 caps and been part of the 2008 Olympic team) -- the two will, incidentally, be teammates with the Western New York Flash in the National Women's Soccer League.
    So, indeed, head coach John Herdman came through on his promise to use this tournament (the first game, at least) to try new things and get a look at as many potential members of the player pool as possible. Sure, getting the win is nice -- even if Herdman himself admitted afterward that China carried much of the play -- but it's not the priority at this competition. Progress is.
    To that end, Herdman called the match "a good step forward" afterwards.
    Canada's next match is on Monday morning (3 a.m. PT / 6 a.m. ET) against South Korea, before meeting Norway on Wednesday (1 a.m. PT / 4 a.m. ET).


    Guest

    If it ain't Scottish it's Hainault

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Canadian international Andre Hainault has officially joined Ross County of the SPL.
    The player who was loosely linked to the Montreal Impact made it official today, after spending four years in Houston.
    He was a stand-out for the Dynamo at times, with a particularly strong performance in 2011. However, his playing time diminished in 2012 and the move to Scotland is an opportunity for more playing time.
    Ross County is currently second from bottom in Scotland, but stand nine points clear of relegation ahead of struggling Dundee.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    Canadian women get allocated

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    As expected, Christine Sinclair will be returning to Portland. She previously started there as a member of the University of Portland, where she captured a national championship.
    The 2012 Canadian athlete of the year was placed on the Thorns today as part of the NWSL's international allocation. There she will be teammates with fellow Canadian international Karina LeBlanc and, somewhat surprisingly, US international Alex Morgan.
    With that type of firepower Portland has to be considered a favourite to win the first NWSL title.
    Some Canadians may be looking for both a favourite team in the new league and a team to cheer against. Boston might meet the latter category -- home of former Canadian youth player Sydney Leroux.
    You can read the full allocation, including where the other 14 Canadian players ended up, below the jump.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Boston Breakers: Sydney Leroux (USA), Heather Mitts (USA), Heather O’Reilly (USA), Adriana Leon (CAN), Rhian Wilkinson (CAN), Anisa Guajardo (MEX) and Cecilia Santiago (MEX).
    Chicago Red Stars: Shannon Boxx (USA), Amy LePeilbet (USA), Keelin Winters (USA), Erin McLeod (CAN), Carmelina Moscato (CAN), Maribel Dominguez (MEX) and Dinora Garza (MEX).
    FC Kansas City: Nicole Barnhart (USA), Lauren Cheney (USA), Becky Sauerbrunn (USA), Desiree Scott (CAN), Lauren Sesselmann (CAN), Renae Cuellar (MEX) and Marylin Diaz (MEX).
    Portland Thorns FC: Rachel Buehler (USA), Tobin Heath (USA), Alex Morgan (USA), Luz Saucedo (MEX), Marlene Sandoval (MEX), Karina LeBlanc (CAN) Christine Sinclair (CAN).
    Seattle Reign FC: Megan Rapinoe (USA), Amy Rodriguez (USA), Hope Solo (USA), Kaylyn Kyle (CAN), Emily Zurrer (CAN), Jenny Ruiz (MEX) and Teresa Noyola (MEX).
    Sky Blue FC: Jill Loyden (USA), Kelley O’Hara (USA), Christie Rampone (USA), Sophie Schmidt (CAN), Melanie Booth (CAN), Monica Ocampo (MEX) and Lydia Rangel (MEX).
    Washington Spirit: Ashlyn Harris (USA), Ali Krieger (USA), Lori Lindsey (USA), Robin Gayle (CAN), Diana Matheson (CAN), Alina Garciamendez (MEX) and Teresa Worbis (MEX).
    Western New York Flash: Carli Lloyd (USA), Abby Wambach (USA), Bryana McCarthy (CAN), Jodi-Ann Robinson (CAN), Veronica Perez (MEX) and Pamela Tajonar (MEX).
    Guest

    TFC/CSA saga: The Pipe-line

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    On Wednesday, Canadian Soccer News uncovered documents that showed that MLSE has withheld $442,300 in payment to the Canadian Soccer Association after the organization failed to meet requirements set out in the original agreement to build BMO Field. When BMO Field was approved for construction it was originally intended to play host to a minimum of six national team games a year, or games hosted by the CSA. A number that should have certainly stood out as large given that the CSA wasn't close to playing that number of games during that time. In 2006, they played five international matches. The one home game of those five was against Jamaica - a return agreement after Canada had played away to them earlier that year.
    Last night, Marc Tougas, a french journalist with the Canadian Press picked up the story and shared a conversation he had with former CSA president Dominic Maestracci about how the deal came about.
    Tougas, has graciously translated some of what he reported into English so we can share it with our readers today. You can follow him on Twitter here.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]




    For some this will be an old story. But given the new light to this affair, the allegations by former president Maestracci obviously bare new meaning. A source within the CSA confirmed for CSN today that Maestracci's recollection of the events was "more or less accurate" and that the CSA was, in part, caught unaware of the deal.
    For those who don't remember the Kevan Pipe departure from the CSA, it was rather unceremonious exit for the COO of the CSA. Both sides tossed mud. The CSA claiming he acted unilaterally and not in the best interest of the organization. Pipe claiming he was being unjustly dismissed.
    When Pipe left in 2006 though, he formed a soccer consulting business and almost immediately found work. The first gig for Kevan Pipe Football Consulting was at GolTV - at the time, an independent channel, now owned by MLSE. Pipe would also begin working with FieldTurf, the Montreal company that would outfit BMO Field with the artificial field that it used up until 2009.
    Pipe's connection with MLSE extends further. Pipe consulted for Insight Sports, a company in which Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., had invested.
    So, within a year of his departure from the CSA, Pipe was working for three MLSE connected enterprises.
    CSN has reached out to Kevan Pipe for comment and will publish it if a response is received.
    Guest

    Arnold Peralta saga fizzles, dies

    By Guest, in Some Canadian Guys,

    In the end, it appears Arnold Peralta will not be coming to TFC.
    It wasn't exactly rumours that were swirling about the player's arrival in Toronto. Media in Honduras published reports last week quoting the owner of the Honduran club Vida de La Ceiba as saying a deal with TFC for the player had been done. But the Canadian franchise never commented publicly on the matter.
    Yesterday, more reports came out of Honduras saying that the player himself had personally nixed the deal. Again, it was the owner of Vida, Carla Dip, making these claims. She said Peralta wasn't happy with certain details of the contract TFC offered him, but he hasn't said anything yet.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The player reportedly pulled a similar move a couple years back, bailing out on a transfer to Motagua, one of the bigger clubs in Honduras. The background to all this is that Vida is in debt and hadn't been paying its players. Peralta aired his wage grievances publicly in December, and his sale was supposed to help shore up the club's finances.
    Now Dip (Vida's owner) is angry over the entire situation and has called Peralta back from the Honduran national team. The Hondurans are preparing to play in the Central American Cup, which functions as something of a Gold Cup qualifying tournament for teams in the region.
    Most of this information I culled from various online Honduran newspapers. There was also talk on Twitter of the proposed fee for Peralta being in the $350,000 range, but I was not able to find that reported anywhere by actual media.
    No matter the precise definition of that hackneyed sportswriting phrase "baggage," it appears Peralta carries around at least some of it. That said, recent managerial changes at TFC may have played a role in these negotiations too.
    Was Peralta the second coming of Amado Guevara? Who knows. But he was a starter on his nation's impressive U23 side at the Olympics and was receiving callups from the senior team. Clearly he was a young talent of some note. Either way, unless you're a fan of both TFC and the Honduran national team it doesn't really matter now.
    Guest
    Some of the more pessimistic men's national team supporters (and that's saying something) already believe Canada's next realistic shot at World Cup qualification will be for the 2022 tournament.
    Well, if that's indeed the case, at least a few of the players will have had experience playing under the hot Qatari sun! (Though you'll have to tack on another decade's worth of global warming by the time the World Cup rolls around.)
    Yes, the Canadian men's team has painfully (why couldn't we have had friendlies with such regularity when it actually mattered?!?! arrrrrghg) scheduled its third friendly of 2013, a showdown with #22-ranked Japan on March 22 in Doha, Qatar, in a stadium that may or may not have open-air air conditioning, be made entirely of light bulbs or have some other preposterous, magical quality.*
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Given that the FIFA international friendly window runs from March 22 to March 26, it's not inconceivable that Canada could do another "double-dip" and schedule a second friendly a few days later, though there is no suggestion at this point that that will happen. It's just, y'know, surely there are other national teams who might feel like dropping by Qatar to, oh, I don't know... shamelessly kiss the asses of local oil barons? Err, I mean, experience the country's long-standing and deeply entrenched love of the beautiful game. Sure, why not.
    Seeing as interim head coach Colin Miller is expected to name a young, experimental lineup for Canada's two friendlies this month (Jan. 26 vs. Denmark, Jan. 29 vs. U.S.A.), we can also expect that he -- or whoever takes over as full-time head coach between then and now (don't hold your breath) -- will name a similarly young and experimental lineup of European-based players for the Japan friendly.
    So, what does this all mean? I dunno, an active buildup to this year's Gold Cup, which is the biggest thing the CanMNT has to worry about at the moment? Whoooo, yeah! Road trip for a group-stage game! Those are always fun!
    Ah, who am I kidding... all of our Gold Cup games will end up being scheduled as far south as possible, just to screw with us, since the soccer gods** hate us.
    *note: it doesn't
    **CONCACAF
    Guest
    <i>by Christopher Vose</i>
    Last year, Vancouver Whitecaps FC attempted to defy convention by taking two steps forward, and one step back. With a new manager, new philosophy, and reinforcements flying in from around the world, confidence was at an all-time high. The players bought into Martin Rennie’s system, and it worked. They raced out of the gate, leading the League for three weeks, and earned their first away victory of the MLS era. Vancouver had arrived as an international destination for footballers.
    They turned losses into draws, and draws into victories. It was a far cry from the disastrous 2011 campaign, where they spent the last twenty-eight weeks of the season in the bottom four. No, this squad had ambition. Lee Young-Pyo and Lee Nguyen took pay cuts to play here. Montreal was kind enough to let the Caps have Darren Mattocks and Etienne Barbara. Sebastien Le Toux was brought in from Philadelphia. And Barry Robson, then Captain of Middlesbrough FC, signed a pre contract during their promotion challenge. Firepower was not an issue. But the backline might have been.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Things don’t always work out as planned. Lee (Young-Pyo), Martin Bonjour, and Jun Marques Davidson joined Jay DeMerit, Alain Rochat, and Joe Cannon to form one of the League’s best defences. Vancouver shaved 14 goals from the previous year. But their 'goals for' remained the same. Some of this was beyond their control, and some of this was their own doing. There were injuries, on and off the field. If 2011 was the year of the flip flop, then 2012 would be the year of the jerky. Who knows what domestic delights 2013 will bring? My money’s on something involving an MP3 player.
    It was not until the final stretch, over the last ten matches, that the wheels started to come off. Over the previous two months, Barry Robson, Dane Richards, Kenny Miller, and Andy O’Brien came in, while Davide Chiumiento, Sebastien Le Toux, and Eric Hassli left. Add Jordan Harvey and Brad Knighton to the mix, and half the starting eleven changed mid-season. But there was a method to this apparent madness. One has to remember that Martin Rennie inherited a last place club. He made some changes during the off season, brought in some new faces, but for the most part, it was the same group of players who finished eighteenth in an 18 club league.
    While speaking with Rennie Wednesday at the 2013 schedule release, he said that <i>"looking at the season as whole, I think that our team has become a solid team that can compete well in MLS, but we need to keep improving, especially on our creation of chances and our goal scoring, we need to keep defending well, but we need to be more of a threat going forward. I think we’re working on that, trying to improve on that, and we’ll hopefully see the benefit of that in the new season."</i>
    Although he recognises that there are few <i>"that stand out in the draft as players in the final third,"</i> he knows that <i>"there’s definitely some that can do well"</i> in that regard. With <i>"two good picks early in the draft,"</i> expect him to select <i>"players we think can help our squad. We’ll just judge it based on who we see as the most likely players who can help our team based on the players we already have."</i>
    Although he’s hoping <i>"that the two things combine, that it’s the best player, but its someone who can come in and play for you, and hopefully even start for you."</i>
    Not one to rely on the League’s reports, Rennie admitted that <i>"we do our own scouting. We have a whole network within the college system and we have a lot of information in the combine and others that are graduating. I think we’re well prepared for the draft."</i>
    Oakville, Ontario’s Kyle Bekker is a possibility, having been coached by Rennie <i>"for a little while in Carolina. He came to our under-23, stayed there, and worked out with us. I’ve watched him a lot because he played in the ACC Conference, which had a lot of their tournaments right there in Carolina where I worked. So I’ve seen him play a lot and I think he’s a good player. But with the draft you just never know who’s going to be available when you get the chance to make a decision."</i>
    Over the coming days and weeks, the Whitecaps plan to be active in the transfer market:
    <i>"As always, nothing gets announced until its signed and sealed. But we’re looking to add some quality to our squad. We feel we’ve got a solid foundation to build from. We know that it needs to improve, but we feel like we’ve got a few pieces almost in place that we think will really help us with that. I think the fans will be pleased and excited about whom those players are and obviously we need to get them tied up. We’ll be pleased and excited when that’s done as well."</i>
    As to the future of football in North America, Rennie had this to say:
    <i>"I think it’s growing very well and it’s continuing to become a big sport in the country. All the signs indicate that soccer’s getting right up there with the big sports, and that’s going to continue to happen.
    The crowds that you see at the games are incredible. Last season, we had games with Seattle, for example, where there were nearly 60,000 people there. Consistently we sold out our stadium here at BC Place.
    I think soccer’s growing and will continue to grow. There’s so many people playing and as time goes on those people are now becoming parents of kids who love the game, and that’s going to continue to make the game bigger and of more interest to everybody."</i>
    <p>
×
×
  • Create New...