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    Guest

    Toronto FC adds backline depth

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    According to Soccer by Ives, Toronto FC has won the lottery to sign young American defender Gale Agbossoumonde.
    Agbossoumonde's last stint was with the Carolina Railhawks. Previously he had played for Portuguese sides Estoril Praia and Sporting Braga, Swedish club Djurgarden and German team Eintracht Frankfurt. The 21-year-old signed a contract with MLS, a year after rebuffing previous offers.
    There is no indication yet what cap hit he will present.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    SoccerPlus - Weekly Podcast (Dec. 19)

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    Final show of the year as we award our Orange and Lemons Awards for 2012 (Heroes and Villains if you prefer).
    Our categories this year are: Montreal Impact, MLS, Canadian Soccer and International Soccer.
    Hear what Pat Leduc (RDS/LaPresse); Marc Dos Santos (ex-IMFC HC); Marc Tougas (CP); Cedric Ferreira (France24); Jonathan Tannenwald (Philly.com); Raphael Larocque-Cyr (SoccerPlus.ca); Arcadio Marcuzzi (LeFooteur.com) & Ludovick Martin (Optimum-Soccer.com) have to say.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to listen to our 65 minutes show.
    Guest
    It's that time of year again. Minds turn to social planning and gift-giving, with a noticeable lull befalling most workplaces. But don't worry -- here at CSN, we've got you covered. As the year draws to a close, it's the perfect time to look back at the true shining light of 2012 in Canadian soccer: The performance of the women's national team at the Olympic Games.
    So we'll be checking in with some members of the CanWNT to get their thoughts, memories and stories about the year that was (with some looks at the future for good measure). It's a series of candid Q&A's that will take us from the Olympic qualifying tournament in January all the way to the final training camp in December -- with, of course, plenty of London 2012 talk in between.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Keep your eyes on Canadian Soccer News over the next couple of weeks as some of our Olympic medalists take you back through 2012, in their own words.
    Guest
    MLS is finally taking steps to improve its reserve league structure.
    According to a report from respected MLS journalist Jason Davis, talks are ongoing between USL-Pro and MLS. However, there is an agreement in principle to move the reserve league teams into the league.
    The details:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]1. If an MLS city has a USL-Pro team nearby, MLS will provide 5 players and pay their salary
    2. If there is no USL-Pro team, the MLS reserve side will become a new, permanent team in USL-Pro
    3. All USL-Pro teams will have a MLS affiliate.
    There are no USL-Pro teams in Canada. The closest team would be the Rochester Rhinos. An affiliation with either Montreal or Toronto seems highly unlikely and would be met with anger by older fans that recall the intense rivalry that existed between the Impact, Rhinos and, to a lesser extent, Lynx.
    Guest
    When the First Kick and home opener information was released today there was conflicting information about where Toronto would be playing its home opener.
    On the league site it listed the location as TBD. However, on some team websites (notably not torontofc.ca, however) it was listed at being played at Rogers Centre. That information seemed to be in line with several rumours circulating that suggested the Reds would open 2013 inside at the dome.
    However, the club confirmed with CSN that there has yet to be a final decision.
    A MLSE PR official e-mailed the following:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The pitch at BMO Field is playable in early March. However, the stadium's infrastructure has not been winterized. Therefore, it could be risky to play a game that early (pipes freezing during a mid-March freeze is the biggest concern).
    The choice of Kansas City as the opener opponent might be cause for concern. Without a big name draw on KC, and after the disappointment if TFC's 2012 season, it would be a big ask to fill a 50,000 seat stadium.
    TFC would probably have to close the upper deck and play the game with the CFL configuration of 31,000.
    Guest

    Canadian First Kick in Cascadia

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The Vancouver Whitecaps will host TFC March 2 as part of MLS First Kick weekend.
    Meanwhile, the Montreal Impact will be in Seattle at the same time.
    TFC's home opener will go a week later when the club hosts Kansas City on March 9. Montreal fans will need to wait until March 16 for their home opener, which is against TFC.
    Toronto has yet to announce where its home opener will be played.
    Full First Kick and home opener schedule below the jump.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    WEEK 1
    Saturday, March 2:
    Philadelphia Union vs. Sporting Kansas City (PPL Park)
    FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids (FC Dallas Stadium)
    Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Toronto FC (BC Place)
    Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United (BBVA Compass Stadium)
    Seattle Sounders FC vs. Montreal Impact (CenturyLink Field)
    Chivas USA vs. Columbus Crew (The Home Depot Center)
    Sunday, March 3:
    LA Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire (The Home Depot Center)
    Portland Timbers vs. New York Red Bulls (JELD-WEN Field)
    San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake (Buck Shaw Stadium)
    WEEK 2
    Saturday, March 9:
    Toronto FC vs. Sporting Kansas City (venue TBD)
    D.C. United vs. Real Salt Lake (RFK Stadium)
    Colorado Rapids vs. Philadelphia Union (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park)
    Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution (Toyota Park)
    WEEK 3
    Saturday, March 16:
    New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United (Red Bull Arena)
    Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago Fire (Livestrong Sporting Park)
    Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids (Rio Tinto Stadium)
    Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC (Olympic Stadium)
    Columbus Crew vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Crew Stadium)
    WEEK 4
    Saturday, March 23:
    New England Revolution vs. FC Dallas (Gillette Stadium)
    Guest
    Italian sports agent Federico Pastorello, the man who brought Bernardo Corradi and Marco Di Vaio to the Montreal Impact, is facing 38 charges of violation of the Italian Code of Sports Justice.
    Pastorello who was directly, and in some cases indirectly, responsible for bringing half a dozen European players to MLS in 2012 could lose his right to be a professional agent. Patorello has been officially referred by an Italian federal prosecutor to appear before the National Disciplinary Commission of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Monday.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    According to FIGC report, published on its website Dec. 17, Pastorello, 39-years-old, is one of the 28 persons and 16 Italian clubs mentioned - including agents, administrators and players - with a date before the Italian Disciplinary Commission.
    According to the FIGC document the allegations facing Pastorello are that he pocketed monetary bonuses from clubs and without knowledge of the players he was representing. In some cases, the report alleges, that practice lasted three years.
    A quick calculation based on the report's allegations would bring the total amount he made to around 1 million Euros.
    Pastorello is also alleged to have omitted submitting required transfer documents to the FIGC. As well, he is alleged to have produced false documents to the Italian football authorities.
    Hailing from a wealthy family in Italy, Pastorello has been active in elite European football for over a dozen years. Aside from his players' representation work, he was also served as president of OGC Nice in France. His father has run professional clubs in Switzerland and Italy.
    In addition to Corradi and Di Vaio, Pastorello had a hand in the arrival of Felipe Martins, Dennis Iachipino, Alessandro Nesta and Matteo Ferrari to MLS in 2012.
    These allegations have yet to be proven in court.
    Guest
    In an interview with Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press today, CSA president Victor Montagliani said an interim coach for Canada's men's soccer team will be named for the two friendlies against Denmark and the U.S. at the end of next month.
    He also shed some light on the ongoing process of hiring the men a permanent manager.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    First, Montagliani said the CSA will deal with the interim manager situation "internally" and internet speculation as to who that individual may be has already started. But far more interesting to myself and probably to most who follow the men with more than a casual interest were details provided by the CSA head man on the process for selecting a permanent manager for the team. Below are his quotes.

    I'd thought the CSA would look to name a manager before the Gold Cup, but I'm pleasantly surprised to hear they'd be willing to wait past next summer if they feel it would help secure a better candidate. These off-cycle Gold Cups (the ones that fall a year before the World Cup and don't grant the winner a ticket to the Confederations Cup) are not totally useless -- they do offer points towards Fifa rankings as well as cap-tying opportunities -- but I see no reason the CSA should rush to name a manager to partake in one. Especially if, as Montagliani suggests, a quality candidate may be available later in the year. Besides, if the CSA holds firm on its pledge to give the Canadian men more friendlies the new manager should have a reasonably solid platform to build for 2016 anyway.

    Yeah, what Montagliani means is that any international coaching gig is not a standard employment situation even by soccer standards, due to the time frames involved and the infrequency with which national teams play. But I still love how he's unwittingly managed to sugar-coat one of the most challenging coaching positions in international football.
    According to Davidson, the CSA plans to draw up a manager shortlist early in the new year. And while I'm sure that the above quote from Montagliani is true strictly speaking, I'd be shocked if there's been a lot of global interest from people actually possessing qualifications to do the job properly. Or at the very least from people with qualifications willing to accept CSA wages. Canadian Soccer News writer Duane Rollins has previously reported that Stephen Hart was earning somewhere around the $150,000 per year. On the international management front that's fairly small beans, and if the CSA has a similar number in mind this time around the pickings they will be slim.
    Forget the multi-million dollar deals demanded by big-name international managers like Guus Hiddink or Jurgen Klinnsman. According to this article, in 2011 the Honduran FA was offering Concacaf-seasoned managers like René Simoes and Rubén Omar Romano about $40,000 per month, (half a million dollars a year) to coach the Catrachos and they both wanted more.
    But let's focus on the good news: the CSA will take its time in naming a new men's manager and is looking at candidates (or at the very least accepting resumes) from candidates outside Canada. That seems like basic stuff, but it's comforting if you've been following this team through more than one cycle. Now if we could only get a peak at that shortlist...
    Guest
    "I think one of our tendencies in this country is that when we gather as a soccer fraternity, or sorority, we end up talking about the negative politics. And we get dragged down because of it. I think that, as much as anything, separates our development from other countries. They just pour a lot into the technical side and we’re wrapped up in the administration and politics of our game here."
    That was former national team player and former national team coach Andrea Neil. It's as apt an assessment of the current climate in Canadian soccer as I've heard. Before we get into that, first, full disclosure: I reached out to her after a conference she is speaking at became a sponsor of this site. I wasn't required to. I did so because I felt as though a series we ran last year, some fantastic work by Ben Knight, was somewhat overshadowed at the time. Really, if you haven't read it and you have ever wanted to understand some of the root issues we face in this country, it's a must read.
    But after hearing that new technical director Tony Fonseca, who made waves at the recent CSA board meeting for his thorough proposals to transform Canadian soccer, has identified coaching as one of its key tenents, I thought it was time to bring this conversation back into the spotlight
    To help with that, Neil laid out some of the problems we face in the way we develop players.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    "My experiences - going outside of Canada and then coming back in – there is a huge collaboration that goes on in other countries. Coaches get together on how to solve and provide solutions on certain set pieces, or possession non-possession phases of the game. We don't really have that," Neil said. "There is a big push for long term development. But really coaches can only pass on what they know to their athletes. There are a lot of great coaches here. But we do have an issue with pushing in the same direction. There seems to be more of a silo scenario here as opposed to other places in the world. But there is a consciousness among the powers-that-be now to move away from that and get to some of the root issues."
    As a former Canadian national team player she has joined a group of a select few who have carried on their careers past their playing days. Not all players are going to make good coaches but there is valuable knowledge being lost, as it would seem Canadian players are less apt to take up the charge.
    "If your spark for the game has been impacted, there is not going to be the enthusiasm to come back into the sport in other capacities. If players do, for whatever reason, feel like they’re been beaten up or that they’ve put their time in, they might not have that same drive. That’s such a shame. There is such a wealth of experience and knowledge there."
    And, like the Knight series rightfully pointed out, there are two things that largely need fixing - the amount of volunteers we rely on and the need for proper mentoring programs to keep a coach's development progressing. Neil noted both of these factors.
    "Mentorship is hugely important - modeling, watching – those programs create a depth of experience for people. If you throw people into the deep end of the pool you can crush potential. Mentorship is so important to build in fundamentals. It comes down to a teaching methodology. Coaching is so multi-faceted it’s not just the simplicity of breaking down a technique, but how you go about supporting, knowing yourself as a leader and really assisting the full capacity of the player."
    "It’s not a quick fix," Neil said about Canada's house league nation state. "20 years ago we needed that base of people to support the game. Now we’re at a stage where we have to professionalize it but that’s going to take time. I think people understand now though that we do have to make that move. And it’s not at the slight of the volunteers. Just that we have to do this to push our game forward."
    We'd like to hear your stories of good coaching and bad. Where do you think we fail when it comes to developing young players into professionals? Do clubs like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal help that? Is there a responsibility for national team players to give back to the system that supported them? And do we spend too much time discussing the politics instead of focusing on the game?
    Guest
    The men's national team, despite having no coach or meaningful matches to prepare for in the immediate future, is quickly filling up its dance card for January. It was announced Monday that Les Rouges will take on the U.S.A. in a friendly in Houston on Jan. 29, three days after playing a friendly against Denmark in Tucson, Arizona.
    The match -- much like the Denmark friendly -- is nothing more than an opportunity to get a look at some younger and/or domestic players as Canada embarks on a long rebuilding project ahead of (sigh) Russia 2018. Still, the Americans will presumably have some motivation, as they use the friendly as preparation for the resumption of qualifying for Brazil 2014.
    And, c'mon, it's us against the Americans! That's always meaningful, right? Right?!!
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Check CSN for future updates, since we're all hopeless masochists. As are you.
    Guest
    In a sure sign that Canada 2015 isn't as far away as we think (two and a half years isn't that long, folks), the Canadian Soccer Association and FIFA unveiled the official logo for the event on Friday.
    Personally, I like it. It fits the template of the logos from recent FIFA tournaments, which are relatively clean and simple, but feature a distinct characteristic of the host nation. Thankfully, we got a maple leaf rather than a cartoon beaver or something.
    So it's a good but very, very small first step for the organizers. Still, the questions about venues and logistics loom large, as they surely will continue to do for the next two years.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    As somewhat of an aside, it's interesting to note the following information amidst all of the worries about Euro 2020 being spread across Europe, and what a travel nightmare that could cause for supporters.
    As the crow flies, from Lisbon to Helsinki, it's 3,363 km. From Dublin to Donetsk, it's 3,115. From Vancouver to Moncton? It's 4,269 km.
    So yeah, lots of work still to be done for Canada 2015. But, as I said, good start.
    Guest
    This week we talk MLS Re-Entry Draft, Montreal's main off-season stories and what makes Christine Sinclair Canada's best ever player.
    We will hear from Jonathan Tannenwald on the biggest moves surrounding the MLS Re-Entry Draft, Pat Leduc will underline the top stories to follow with the Montreal Impact prior to the opening day of the next Training Camp and Sophie Drolet will tell us why CWNT's number 12 is sooooooo good!!!
    We also look at France's Ligue 1 season so far, how Monaco is a leading contender to bring in David Beckham and we talk about long-time St. Etienne veteran keeper Jeremie Janot who is reportedly knocking at MLS' door after training with Montreal this summer.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    All this and more on this week's show: Click here to listen (45 minutes)
    Guest

    TFC claims Califf

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    For the second time this year, TFC has made a run at Danny Califf.
    The Reds thought they had acquired the defender last season in a trade with Philadelphia, but the player made it known that he would not report to TFC. At the time it as suggested that his reluctance had to do with not wanting to leave the United States.
    However, today's selection seems to cast doubt on that. Would TFC select him if he's not willing to report?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Regardless, Toronto now holds his rights. And so long as they make a reasonable contract offer to him in the next week (MLS does not publicly define what a reasonable offer is, but it's thought to be within 10 per cent of his 2012 salary) they will maintain them.
    It's possible that they selected him as an asset to then trade.
    Two TFC players were selected by other clubs. Ty Harden was claimed by San Jose and Eric Avila went to Colorado.
    We will update as more is known.
    Guest

    A rumour too crazy to not report

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    It seems unreal that there has never been a player return to the Reds after leaving the club. With the insane amount of players that have suited up you'd think that one would have returned.
    With today's re-entry having a few "T.O. rejects" it might happen today. But, in the meantime...
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>“@<a href="https://twitter.com/kikelanza10">kikelanza10</a>: Ya hubo platicas de Amado Guevara con el Toronto FC. También hay una oferta del NY Cosmos de la segunda división de EEUU.”</p>— El Canterano (@ElCanteranoHN) <a href="
    " data-datetime="2012-12-14T19:06:20+00:00">December 14, 2012</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
    It makes no sense. And, it's spectacular.
    Guest

    The greatest re-signing of the modern era

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    It looks like Andrew Wiedeman is returning to TFC for 2012. The 23-year-old dropped off the re-entry list yesterday and then Tweeted the following:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Stoked to be heading back to Toronto for another season!</p>— Andrew Wiedeman (@awiedeman3) <a href="
    " data-datetime="2012-12-14T03:58:42+00:00">December 14, 2012</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
    It's likely that Wiedeman is coming back at a salary close to the league minimum.
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