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    Guest

    NWSL roster released

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The new North American Women's Soccer League released the list of sponsored players today.
    After the jump is complete roster, including the 16 Canadians. The players, chosen by Head Coach John Herdman and the CSA, will participate in the inaugural season of the league, set to begin this spring.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Canada players
    D Melanie Booth
    D Robyn Gayle
    M Kaylyn Kyle
    GK Karina LeBlanc
    M/F Adriana Leon
    M Diana Matheson
    D/M Bryana McCarthy
    GK Erin McLeod
    D Carmelina Moscato
    M/F Jodi-Ann Robinson
    M Sophie Schmidt
    M Desiree Scott
    D Lauren Sesselmann
    F Christine Sinclair
    D Rhian Wilkinson
    D Emily Zurrer
    USA Players
    GK Nicole Barnhart
    M Shannon Boxx
    D Rachel Buehler
    M Lauren Cheney
    GK Ashlyn Harris
    M Tobin Heath
    D Ali Krieger
    D Amy LePeilbet
    F Sydney Leroux
    M Lori Lindsey
    M Carli Lloyd
    GK Jill Loyden
    D Heather Mitts
    F Alex Morgan
    D Kelley O'Hara
    M Heather O'Reilly
    D Christie Rampone
    M Megan Rapinoe
    F Amy Rodriguez
    D Becky Sauerbrunn
    GK Hope Solo
    F Abby Wambach
    M Keelin Winters
    Mexico Players
    D Alina Lisi Garciamendez Rowold
    M Veronica Raquel Perez Murillo
    M Teresa Noyola Bayardo
    F Maribel Dominguez Castelan
    F Monica Ocampo Medina
    GK Aurora Cecilia Santiago Cisneros
    M Lydia Nayeli Rangel Hernandez
    F Renae Nicole Cuellar Cuellar
    M Teresa Guadalupe Worbis Aguilar
    F Anisa Raquel Guajardo Braff
    M Dinora Lizeth Garza Rodriguez
    D Jennifer Marie Ruiz Brown
    D Luz del Rosario Saucedo Soto
    D Rubi Marlene Sandoval Nungaray
    GK Pamela Tajonar Alonso
    D Marylin Viridiana Diaz Ramirez
    Guest
    Canadian Soccer News has uncovered documents that show that MLSE 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.
    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 come close in either 2008 or 2009. In total, only three games were played in those two years. As a result MLSE withheld payments to the CSA that normally would have been made under the original Letter of Intent.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The CSA originally argued that games held in the Canadian Championships should count against the requirement, but MLSE rejected that interpretation. Quietly the two sides negotiated to change the LOI to reflect a belief within the CSA that the six game requirement would be impossible to fulfill in years without World Cup qualifying games.
    Third party games sanctioned by the CSA (i.e. non-Canadian club or international friendlies) do count.
    In 2011, a compromise was reached that saw the original terms of the LOI changed. Now, the CSA must meet a minimum amount of 16,000 tickets sold per year, or pay a financial penalty to MLSE.
    In the event that the lowest minimum attendance level is not met, the CSA would need to pay MLSE the difference between the actual attendance and 16,000 at a rate of $6 per unsold seat.
    The CSA can re-gain the penalty if BMO Field has excess profits in a given year. However, If the CSA made a payment (for less than 16,000 seats sold) it could only regain the funds up to the amount paid, so long as that figure represented 15 percent or less of the stadium’s overall profit.
    The new agreement also spells out how much money the CSA must pay to MLSE for using BMO Field. That figure is again based on the amount of tickets sold.
    If the CSA sells between 0-16,000 tickets it pays MLSE 15 percent of the total gate and 25 percent of the merchandise sold. The figures are reduced to 10 percent and 20 percent respectfully for 16,001-46,000 sold and 7 percent and 15 percent for more than 46,000.
    There is extra incentive to sell more than 46,000 seats. If the CSA meets that criteria it will also receive 45 percent of the Capital Replacement Fee that is added to all tickets and 25 percent of concessions. They receive 10 percent of concessions sold in the event of 16,001-46,000 seats sold.
    Clearly there is a financial incentive to play the majority of national team games at BMO Field.
    CSN reached out to the CSA, MLSE and the City of Toronto for comment. It was only confirmed that these are the rules in place.
    The money originally owed to the CSA by MLSE, the $442,300, has been waived as part of this new agreement.
    Guest
    The 2013 MLS schedule finally came out this morning and once again it threw up a mixed bag for Whitecaps fans but one with four Sunday games and just three midweek fixtures.
    The midweek games sadly include one in Seattle in October, which could seriously impact the amount of travelling Caps faithful. Our other trip to Seattle, in June, also sees another horrendous 1pm kickoff. More reasons to hate them and/or the TV people!
    With a growing number of fans across MLS wanting to travel to follow their team, it's still disappointing that the League cannot get the schedule out earlier, with many having to book holidays in December and some potentially great post Christmas travel deals being missed whilst waiting.
    The MLS also had the perfect opportunity to get some column inches with the hockey lockout depriving journalists of pages of material, but yet they also seemed to cock up that and make the announcement now that everyone is talking about hockey again. Well done.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Highlights of the fixtures list are undoubtedly the already announced all-Canadian season opener at home to Toronto on March 2nd and the six Cascadia Cup clashes that include another pair of back to back games again.
    For me, personal travels plans aside, there aren't really any other games that I would be getting too excited about home or away. It will of course be nice to abuse David Ferreira and chant "Fuck You Dallas" at BC Place on April 27th and New York on June 1st certainly makes for a tempting weekend trip.
    We had four main wishes here at AFTN as we awaited the fixtures to come out:
    - No ridiculously early afternoon or midweek kick offs for cross border Cascadia Cup matches, whether in Vancouver or in the US. Last year's border horrors did not put the fans first.
    - No overly long road trips for the Caps. Last year's summer spell of five and then four away games in a row could have been fatal for us, along with a momentum killer in building up the casual fanbase. Teams should not be punished for living in parts of the country that are habitable all year round!
    - With a fantastically growing number of fans wanting to travel away from home to see the Caps (as mentioned above, mirrored with most other teams in the League), some sensible double headers of games to allow travelling fans to get the best bang for their buck and see at least two games on the one trip. It would also help the team with costs and the players with less travel. Ideally some nice two game (or three at a push) Western Conference games in close proximity, or a Houston/Dallas double header, or DC/NYRB.
    - And finally, from a very personal point of view, we wanted a perfect two or three game all Western trip that would allow us to have another epic drive down and up the Oregon and California coasts in the spring or fall like we did two seasons ago. In a perfect world this would involve bookending Seattle or Portland and San Jose, with any LA club sandwiched inbetween just fine and dandy as well!
    So what did we get? Did our wishes come true? Unfortunately not.
    On the plus side, the biggest road trip the Caps will have is three games. That happens twice this season and amazingly not in the summer. The first is up March 23rd to April 6th, which will cover the Easter period, and the second is in September from the 7th to 21st.
    The Caps will have five games at home in July and August this year, which will be good for hopefully capturing some casual fans and holidaymakers. Just one more than last year, but it just feels better all round.
    The Cascadia Cup games are mixed. As mentioned above, both trips to Seattle are problematic, but we do at least have another nice August trip down to Portland.
    Double header away games aren't the kind to set your heart racing. Chivas and San Jose looks good on paper early on until you see it covers Easter and factor in prices and busyness. DC and KC is a summer possibility, albeit not that tempting a one, and a cross country New York/Seattle one at the start of June could be interesting and one way to avoid Canadian border line ups!
    The first two games at home wasn't really a major surprise. If we can get six points in the bag early on then perfect. It certainly is doable and would be something to build upon once again.
    We'll just have to see what impact, if any, the Gold Cup will have on the Caps squad in July. It should be minimal. I'm more worried about Darren Mattocks being away on World Cup duty with Jamaica in March and June.
    That said, three season openers at home is already starting to take a little shine off things. A nice away trip one year would be an exciting way to kick off the season, but not sure we'll be getting that any time soon. Damn you roof!
    The games around the Voyageurs Cup aren't the worst, but could yet prove to be.
    Dallas away before the first leg in Edmonton is pretty good for travel if not temperature adjustment. If the Caps do proceed to the final that is where it may get interesting.
    The first leg is scheduled for May 15th and would be sandwiched between two home games. The Caps then have a bye weekend followed by a trip to New York on June 1st. The second leg is scheduled for May 29th.
    Will the Caps choose to hold the final first leg at home instead of cross country travelling between two home league games or will they want that home field advantage for the second leg? I say host the first leg at home. Get the job done there and make the east coast travel a lot more palatable (not to mention a great road trip for the fans!).
    The season run in is never likely to get too much better than four of your last five at home like we saw last year. We have three of our last five at home this year, but two of our last three away - in Seattle and Colorado.
    If it goes down to the wire again, we may have the advantage this time around by playing our final game on the Sunday and seeing what the rest have done by then. That, of course, may work against us too or make for a meaningless end of the season. Hopefully not a funereal atmosphere and there are playoffs to look forward to once again.
    The final game I eagerly looked for was the one after the MLS All-Star game in Kansas City on July 31st.
    After last year's debacle of having to play a game two days after the All-Star game and have a sloppy Jay DeMerit as a result, it's not repeated this time around and we're away to Portland three days after it.
    You can view the full schedule <a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/schedule" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
    Let us know your thoughts on it, what games you're most looking forward to and any trips you're hoping to make this season.
    <p>
    Guest

    Hainault on trial in SPL

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    It is being reported in the Scottish press this morning that Canadian international Andre Hainault is on trial with Ross County of the Scottish Premier League. He is said to have been on there for a week and is currently negotiating terms.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Hainault, who plays for the Houston Dynamo, has been linked to clubs overseas for the past few off-seasons. Last year, there was considerable speculation that he would join Bourdeaux before he re-joined the Dynamo late in the pre-season.
    The Canadian defender has been trying to get back to Europe since he began his career with the Montreal Impact and soon after left to play for FK Banik Most of the Czech League. From there he was transferred to Sparta Prague before landing back in North America in 2009.
    Hainault has 32 caps for Canada and was an instrumental part of their backline during their last World Cup qualifying.
    Guest
    What a day! Tuesday, January 8, 2013 could be remembered as a turning point for both Canadian sides of MLS' Eastern Conference after making bold coaching nominations ahead of the coming season.
    The Reds put their lot on a former MLS player, still playing in England and coming to lead a perennial underachiever without a single coaching licence while "les Bleus" are giving their club's keys to an average Swiss coach who has no whatsoever experience in North American football.
    Hear the highlights of Montreal's presser with comments from new coach Marco Schällibaum (pronounced Shah-lee-b'hum), Sporting Director Nick DeSantis and president Joey Saputo. A few local writers, including Raphael Larocque-Cyr, Olivier Tremblay & Mathias Van Halst also analyze the Impact's decision.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to listen to our 35 minutes show!
    Take note that our next shows will be recorded live from Indianapolis, Indiana next week, brought to you by Evangelista Sports!
    Guest
    Suddenly, the question of whether Colin Miller can juggle his responsibilities as head coach of FC Edmonton and interim head coach of the men's national team seems positively quaint by comparison.
    Yes, the latest shenanigans in TFC Land have largely overshadowed Miller's appointment in the public eye -- but that's not to say his situation hasn't raised questions of its own. The foremost among them is whether this announcement is simply a precursor to Miller being named the full-time national-team head coach at some point down the road.
    "That's the million-dollar question I seem to be getting asked all the time," Miller told the media Tuesday in his first public comments since being appointed. "When I spoke with (CSA general secretary) Peter Montopoli about the position, it was strictly for these two games (friendlies against Denmark on Jan. 26 and the U.S.A. on Jan. 29).
    "As soon as I'm finished with the national team, I then head off to the NASL combine down in Ft. Lauderdale and my focus then will totally be on FC Edmonton."
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Miller, of course, is on his second go-round as interim head coach, after heading the team during its transition from Holgier Osieck to Frank Yallop in 2003-04. And given that Canada's last full-time head coach, Stephen Hart, earned the job after a pair of stints with the interim tag attached, Canadian fans can be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu.
    Miller, though, stressed that while he was delighted to be back with the national team, there is no reason to believe at this point that it's anything more than a temporary assignment.
    "Whether it was for two minutes or for two games, I would have taken this opportunity for sure. We'll cross any bridge when we get to it at a later date," he said. "But I'm totally committed to the two games and just as committed to being the FC Edmonton head coach. If the CSA see me as a possibility, that hasn't even been discussed. Peter Montopoli, as I said, totally stressed that it was just for these two games, and that's all I'm looking at, at the moment."
    So FC Edmonton shouldn't be worried about their new head coach having prolonged split duties... or even splitting entirely?
    "I've been absolutely delighted with the response from FC Edmonton," Miller said. "I actually got a call from Tom Fath, FC Edmonton's owner, saying he was 100% behind me being selected as the interim head coach. He thought it would be a win-win situation for everybody.
    "They've gotten terrific press out of this in the last couple of days, and rightly so. It's a fantastic club that has great ownership and I'm very proud to be the FC Edmonton head coach."
    Well, at least one of the teams Miller is a part of can enjoy some positive press, as the CanMNT continues to reel in the ongoing aftermath of its disastrous exit from World Cup qualifying in October. While the roster for this month's friendlies won't be revealed until next week, Miller confirmed what most fans had expected: There will be plenty of new faces.
    "It'll be an entirely different group than we saw in Honduras with Stephen. I think one of the key things for myself during these two games is to try to look towards the future and give these young players a real chance," said Miller. "The most important thing is that we try to take steps forward from our last game, which we know was not a good performance and not a good result -- one of those freak results, in my opinion."
    As for who those youngsters will be, Miller declined to offer any names, though he did say that the "vast majority" of the squad had been pre-selected before he was brought on board, presumably by Canadian Soccer Association technical director Tony Fonseca and his staff. Miller said he would make "one or two little tweaks", but also declined to say whether we should expect members of his other club, FCE, to feature for the national team.
    Fans, though, shouldn't be under the impression that Fonseca will actually be coaching the team by proxy.
    "Tony Fonseca will be there the whole trip but will have nothing to do with any of the coaching or any of the sessions being put on. He'll always be a great guy to bounce ideas off of. He has a wealth of knowledge, and he's somebody I'm looking forward to working with, for sure, because we'll all be working in the same direction."
    Indeed, Miller's heart is with the Canadian program, having earned 61 caps as a player before taking coaching stints with the national team as well as in Victoria, Vancouver and now, Edmonton. As such, he's developed a good idea of the talent pool available to him -- and whoever his eventual replacement with the CanMNT is -- and says the future looks bright.
    "I think we're in a healthy position. The U23s have some very strong players in that group, Nick Dasovic has got a good squad of U20s and I know that (U17 head coach) Sean Fleming has done a terrific job with the younger players over the year," he said.
    "It's going to take a bit of rebuilding for sure, and the more games we can get this new core of players together, the quicker that transition will happen. ... "(October's result in Honduras is) history now, and now is a great opportunity to move forward. I see it as an exciting time for the national-team program."
    Miller sees his responsibilities for this month's friendlies as putting the players at ease and creating a positive environment, traits which he saw in spades when he briefly worked with women's national team head coach John Herdman ahead of last summer's Olympics.
    "Herdman was one of the best coaches I've worked with," Miller said. "(His) attention to detail with those players was absolutely fantastic. He left no stone unturned with the preparations, and you could see that, the way the girls performed in the summertime. Not only on the park was he terrific, but his one-to-one relationship with the players, and dealing with people, he's absolutely first-class."
    He believes he and Herdman both learned from each other during their time as colleagues, and Miller now hopes he can get the ball rolling for the men's national team to perhaps (over the long term) have a similar turnaround as the women have had over the last 18 months.
    "For me to come in and try to reinvent the wheel would be the wrong approach to this thing. What I'm looking for, to be perfectly honest with you, is two performances that will give people, the fans, our national-team program a real stability, something we can really get our teeth into, looking forward to the future.
    "I'm not a babysitter. I'll come in there and put demands on players. But it'll be, hopefully, two performances that will get us over that massive hump, not qualifying for the final six (in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying). It'll give us hope that the future is going to be bright for the national team."
    At this point, that's about the best that fans and followers of the men's national team can hope for. And it's tough to think of a better person than Miller to get that transition in motion.
    Guest
    A former Swiss international is to lead Impact in 2013
    Two weeks away from the opening of year two’s training camp in Montreal, a few days before the MLS Combine in Florida and just over a week before the 2013 SuperDraft in Indiana, the Quebec-based club announced very early Monday morning through a press release that 50-year-old Swiss national Marco Schallibaum is the new head coach.
    The former international defender picked up 31 caps for the Swiss national team in the 1980s and played for Swiss clubs before transitioning to a head coaching position in the mid-1990s, but never leaving Switzerland, gravitating mostly towards the D2 and D3. He most recently was active as a FIFA coaching instructor in Mongolia, Qatar and South Korea after leaving his last position as interim head coach at Swiss D2 side FC Lugano.
    That Swiss-Italian club was once owned by Giambattista Pastorello, father of (former?) agent Federico Pastorello, the man directly or indirectly responsible of the coming of several (if not most) European players in Montreal in 2012, including Felipe Martins and Dennis Iapichino who have both played for Schallibaum in Lugano.
    'Schalli' kicked off his coaching journey in his homeland with D3 side Stade Nyonnais, before joining FC Basel’s staff between January 1998 and August 1999, where he was the interim head coach for a month. His true head coaching job in the Swiss top flight came with Young Boys. A few years later, one of his successors was Martin Andermatt, another candidate for the position in Montreal.
    He then spent a season at the helm of Servette FC, another season with D3 club FC Concordia Basel, two months at FC Sion and just over a year at FC Schaffhausen (D3) and the same at AC Bellinzona, a team he also lead through two qualifying rounds of the UEFA Cup tournament before dropping its first round series to Turkish giant Galatasaray.
    In 2011, after a year and a half without an official job, he took over the interim position in Lugano and he’s stay there a year.
    Schallibaum twice led his clubs to the UEFA Cup tournament. In the summer of 2003, he was no longer Young Boys’ coach when it was ousted by Finland’s MyPa in the qualification round, while in following year, he concluded his association with Servette FC by being eliminated in the second qualifying round by Hungarian side Ujpest.
    Interestingly a young Frenchman named Eric Hassli was beginning his stay with Servette during that European home and away series after being recently transferred from Neuchatel Xamax.
    According to the Swiss media, Schallibaum was picked by Montreal over Andermatt, 61-year-old Bernard Challandes, a former U21 Swiss national team coach and another Swiss, 42-year-old Ciriaco Sforza who was dismissed in April 2012 by Grasshopper after a three-year spell at the helm.
    The Impact organized a press conference on Tuesday afternoon (3 30 pm ET) to introduce Schallibaum to the Montreal media. Stay tuned for a special edition of SoccerPlus, to be recorded following that event with comments and reactions from Saputo Stadium.
    Guest
    Over TFC’s history the club has made a lot of bad moves. Today, they might have just made the worst one of all.
    In a staggeringly insane move, GM Kevin Payne fired a manager that, no matter what you thought of him, was actually in Toronto trying to make the club better, and hired a guy that won’t be in Toronto until June.
    Ryan Nelsen is TFC’s new head coach. He’s also a centreback for QPR. At the same time.
    Payne has certainly gone outside the box on this one.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    With two of the first three picks in the draft, and coming off one of the worse seasons in MLS history, the club will go into its preseason without a head coach.
    This move isn’t about Nelsen, or even fired manager Paul Mariner. No, it’s about one man: Kevin Payne.
    It was brushed over when he was hired last month, but one of Payne’s downfalls in D.C. was that he meddled (he called it “hands on management") in the technical aspect of the job too much. Informed voices in D.C. suggested that there was a reason he likes to hire inexperienced coaches – so he can control them.
    What better scenario can there be for a guy that wants to run everything then a coach that isn’t even there?
    To that end, it was troubling to hear that Nelsen has no coaching licenses and that his No 2, Fran O'Leary, got his pro license just yesterday.
    Before that? O’Leary was coaching NCAA division III soccer. They don’t even give scholarships in Div III. The CIS is likely at a higher level.
    O’Leary will, in essence, be TFC’s head coach until QPR gets relegated.
    Or, maybe he won’t. Maybe Payne will be the head coach by proxy and maybe that’s exactly what he wanted.
    If that’s the case, and there is evidence to suggest it might be, it’s staggeringly arrogant.
    Pure arrogance from a man that has not been consistently competitive in MLS in nine seasons and missed the playoffs four of the last five years.
    If it works he’s the genius he seems to think he is. For TFC fan’s sake he better be.
    Guest

    All in!

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    This was going to be such an easy piece to write.
    Paul Mariner bounced (Yes!!). New TFC coach selected (Yes!!). Clear picture of where this club is finally going (Yes!).
    And then it turned into an improv comedy sketch.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    New coach Ryan Nelsen, of QPR – (NOT ex-QPR). No coaching experience (None!). No coaching certificates (None!). Likely won’t even be behind the Reds bench until two months into the MLS season (…!).
    I sincerely hope Nick Dasovic’s kidneys didn’t explode as he was watching this. The highly regarded Canadian soccer coach has long lamented the lack of chances for Canadian coaches with Canadian pro clubs. That sorry tale may have hit an all-time low today.
    I couldn’t get to the stadium this morning, and I’m regretting that a little now. I’d love to be talking to Jason de Vos at this exact moment. He’s very informative – and entertaining – when he’s incandescently angry (which I suspect he pretty much is).
    So … what the heck just happened.
    Texas hold-em. TFC GM Kevin Payne just went all in.
    I’ll fill this story out tomorrow, when I’ve had a bit more time to study things. I freely admit – I was totally unprepared for this.
    Onward!
    Guest
    Today it was widely reported that Ryan Nelsen would take over the head coaching duties from Paul Mariner at Toronto FC. The announcement is expected to be made official Tuesday morning. Some celebrated the news - their latest devil was gone. Others looked to sky asking why Toronto FC had hired another coach with little to no experiece - surely a sign that nothing had changed.
    But a closer look reveals that indeed, not everything is as it seems. Hat tip to Ben Van Weelden for the find.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Turns out that Ryan Nelsen is in fact former Toronto FC head coach John Carver.
    Thankfully Kevin Payne is clearly not a slightly older, slightly balding, a few pounds more fit Mo Johnston ...
    Guest

    Mariner out, Ryan Nelsen in?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Soccer by Ives is reporting that Paul Mariner will be relieved of his coaching duties and replaced by New Zealand international Ryan Nelsen.
    It was not reported if Mariner was to be fired outright, or if he would maintain a place in the organization.
    It would be Nelsen's first coaching job of any kind.
    Although multiple sources are confirming the news, the club has not made an announcement as of yet.
    UPDATE: TFC has called a press conference for 10:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. Mariner will not be in attendance.
    More as it develops.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    de Klerk out

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The Aron Winter era is now completely over.
    Today, TFC and technical manager Bob de klerk agreed to mutually part ways. Originally, de Klerk was Winter’s No 2.
    The move will be seen by some as a move away from the 4-3-3 Dutch philosophy that the club was supposed to be implementing from the youngest age groups.
    In a statement, TFC thanked de Klerk.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    We want to thank Bob for his commitment to the club over the past two seasons,” said Toronto FC President and General Manager, Kevin Payne. “As we enter a new era for the club, we all agreed that this move made sense for all parties. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”
    There was no comment from de Klerk.
    Guest
    When it rains it pours for Colin Miller.
    It was reported late Sunday night by the Team 1040 in Vancouver that Miller, recently named head coach of FC Edmonton, will also serve as interim head coach of the Canadian men's national team until a full-time replacement for Stephen Hart is found.
    Miller's first two assignments will be a pair of friendlies being played in the southern U.S. (vs. Denmark, Jan. 26; vs. U.S., Jan 29) -- and it's already looking as though the squad he'll lead will look much different than the one that flamed out of World Cup qualifying in cataclysmic fashion a few months ago.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Kyle Bekker, who this week signed a deal with Major League Soccer in the hopes of being drafted, has received the call for those upcoming friendlies, the Canadian Press is reporting -- despite having never played a professional game. The 22-year-old did, though, feature for Canada in last spring's Olympic qualifying tournament.
    One of Bekker's U23 teammates, Babayele Sodade, also received his first call to the senior national team, but had to decline as he continues to recover from a torn ACL he suffered during the Olympic qualifying tournament. The 22-year-old was drafted by the Seattle Sounders last year, but has yet to appear for the team.
    It's worth noting that a few other members of that Olympic qualifying squad -- Doneil Henry, Evan James, Samuel Piette, Russell Teibert, Lucas Cavallini, Marcus Haber -- have previously earned call-ups to the senior national team, while some Canadian fans have been clamouring for others -- including Shaun Saiko and Andres Fresenga -- to get their shot. Saiko, and fellow Olympic qualification teammate Kyle Porter, play for FC Edmonton, the team Miller is set to take over this season.
    It wouldn't be especially surprising to see a few of those names listed once the Canadian Soccer Association releases the roster for those friendlies later this month.
    Miller, of course, is no stranger to the Canadian setup: He earned 61 caps as a player, and served as assistant head coach of the national team for several years under Holgier Osieck, before taking over as interim head coach for the first time in 2003. He's also coached the PDL's Victoria Highlanders and served as an assistant with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
    However long Miller remains at the helm, early indications are that the team he (and his eventual replacement) will lead is going to be a markedly different one than we've seen over the past few years. And given that the foul taste of the "humiliation in Honduras" still lingers in the mouths of most supporters, that can only be seen as a good thing.
    Guest

    Report: Peralta deal finalized

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    A newspaper out of Honduras is reporting that the deal to bring Arnold Peralta to Toronto FC is done.
    According to Newspaper Diez, which quotes C.D.S. Vida president Carla Dip, a representative for Peralta will arrive in Toronto on Monday to finalize the paperwork that will see the Honduran international transferred to the Canadian side. The report does not go into the terms of the deal but does say that the move is presumed to be permanent one for the 23-year-old player.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Dip had this to say:
    Peralta himself is also quoted in the story.
    What do you think of this signing? Peralta is used primarily as a defensive midfielder - do you think this indicates current captain Torsten Frings is on the way out?
    Guest
    Progress on the field gave hope to the Montreal fans until the club’s brass decided to take complete charge of the situation, dismissing the coach and putting the short term success in doubt. Here are 13 questions that will probably be answered in the next 12 months.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    1) Will Davy Arnaud return and can still he be captain of Les Bleus?
    The American veteran was Jesse Marsch’s guy. He was his staunchest supporter in the locker room and the coach’s choice for team captain. Now that Marsch is gone based on what the club’s management said was a difference in philosophy, so how can Arnaud stay on as the first team’s captain? If he’s no longer captain, how can the club justify his large salary on a squad where his time of play is expected to be reduced? Will he be an Impact after the SuperDraft? Arnaud still has value on the market and if Montreal was able to pick up Perkins for Ricketts, Nick De Santis sure can find a buyer for Captain Davy.
    2) What will be Richard Legendre’s next mandate?
    The club’s and Saputo Stadium’s vice president Richard Legendre is a former PQ leadership candidate and Quebec Sports Minister who was brought in to benefit the club with his political contacts for the required public sector’s involvement in the MLS’ expansion bid and also his experience in supervising the rebuilding of Jarry Stadium for the National Tennis Centre in Montreal as a leader at Tennis Canada. Now that every bolt and screws are in place in the Impact’s expanded home, will he be seeking a new challenge?
    3) Is there a second and even a third DP on the way?
    The temptation will be very, very strong. Remember that it’s about at this time last year that the Impact started discussions with Marco Di Vaio. All kinds of names have circulated since MDV’s arrival: could it be Totti, Pirlo, perché no? There are too many variables at this point to speculate on the coming of another DP in town.
    4) Who’s the next coach?
    This is ZE QUESTION at the turn of the New Year. All bets are off and the answer is a few days away with the Combine and SuperDraft fast approaching. Is there a desire to go your own way and go against the odds with a European coach? Could it be that the candidate is already working within the club and will walk in line with the “club’s philosophy." The upper management kept their cards well hidden on this one so we’ll discover that one at the same time you will.
    5) Can Marco Di Vaio & Andrew Wenger work productively together?
    With the coming of attacking midfielder Andrea Pisanu, a man with the reputation of supporting the strikers, it will be interesting to see if the DP and the MLS First Pick in 2012 will benefit, hoping this will be for more than 15 games due to the shaky health of the newcomer. Di Vaio should come out of his shell after scoring five goals at the end of 2012, while Wenger will finally spend the whole season in Montreal. The table is set for an increased offensive production for the two men.
    6) Will the players take the Voyageurs Cup seriously?
    We never felt a true passion for this tournament in 2012 and with the minimum three Canadians on duty in 2013, we can only hope for better. If MLS Playoffs are open to your conference’s top five teams, only two teams are in your way to the CONCACAF Champions League.
    7) Can the team do better outside of Montreal?
    If making the MLS Playoffs is the spoken objective for the Impact, the team will have to pick up points on the road. Montreal dropped a few wins away from La Belle Province last season so if they do just a bit better the nine point gap between elimination and qualification in 2012 could be bridged in 2013.
    8) Full house at Saputo Stadium without giveaways?
    The club gave away tickets last season to cope with the low sales and the Impact sales team has been valiantly working in overdrive since to make sure Saputo Stadium’s seats are filled as much as possible for 2013. Montrealers have no reason to pout with the best available soccer in North America now in town. Ambiance in the expanded stadium is simply electric. If the club has much to do in many other issues, this one is yours to deal with.
    9) Will there be more than three Canadian players?
    Probably not, unless we count the one or two Academy graduates to complete the 30-man roster. How many times last season did we see Sebrango, Bernier and Ouimette together in action? Of course, this is a much larger debate. How can a MLS club stay competitive and develop soccer in Quebec and Canada at the same time? Is all the charge of development resting on the pro clubs? Every party involved in this discussion have good points. At the same time, this could be put to bed if the club spent as many dollars and energy chasing guys from the Italian leagues as they did on say, a top player from Quebec currently playing across the, ahem, Occean in Germany’s top flight. After being the top scorer in Germany’s D2 last season he has said he has only had one or two conversation with Montreal in the last decade.
    10) Who are the next graduates from the Academy to join the first team?
    There are only good words coming out of the development file for midfielder Wandrille Lefevre, goalkeepers Jason Beaulieu and Maxime Crepeau as well as striker Anthony Jackson-Hamel. It will all depend on the openings and needs of the first team when training camp will open.
    11) Will the club brass’ micromanagement affect results on the field?
    Many new Impact fans discovered the way things went for years with the minor league version of the club after Jesse Marsch "mutually agreed" to leave his head coaching position after a not-too-bad first season in charge. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the club’s president and sporting directors are the one running the show in town. The nomination of the next head coach does not seem to be a pressing matter and many decisions are taken without the next coach being in place. This way of doing things can be a double-edged sword. It opens a direct line between influential players and upper management above and behind the head coach. This has been the case throughout the club’s history and it seems to be going this way again. How can the best of coaches sit his authority in the locker room in that context?
    12) How will the club celebrate its 20th Anniversary?
    When Joey Saputo said he never felt he was running an expansion club, this is why: the Impact turns 20 in 2013. Already the club missed the opportunity to underline the 20th anniversary of the original meeting leading to the club’s creation in December 2012. It will be interesting to see in the coming months if and how former players and coaches will be honoured for making the Impact what it has become. There’s not been that many alumni around Saputo Stadium these past years although many of them still live around Montreal. Let’s hope the Impact will take example on the Canadiens and Alouettes who did a great job in that sense recently.
    13) Will the team make the playoffs in 2013?
    This is another big existential question, right? Montreal could compare itself to others, but that’s not the way to look at this issue. Toronto will certainly do better, but still in a rebuilding mode. Philly will greatly improve, if only from the return of Sebastien Le Toux. Columbus, New England, Chicago and the rest? The Impact must concentrate on its own performance and do just as good at home as in 2012 and improve on the road. Playoffs are a very possible destination for Les Bleus in 2013 if they learn to fight through the disagreement in this very “distinct” locker room.
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