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    Guest
    He came, he saw, he most certainly didn't conquer and now he's thankfully gone.
    The Whitecaps made it official today. Tom Soehn is no longer part of the Club in a mutual parting of the ways.
    The writing has been on the wall for Soehn for many months now. When his son wasn't listed in the Caps Residency teams this season, you knew he was likely to be heading to pastures new pretty soon.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    When Soehn came to Vancouver as Director of Soccer Operations on January 19th 2010, it was felt by many to be a good appointment. Bringing in a man with MLS experience as both a player and a coach seemed to be the smart thing to do.
    And if he'd just stayed in that role then perhaps his legacy in Vancouver would be thought of differently. He did after all help to bring fan favourites like Gershon Koffie, Alain Rochat and Davide Chiumiento to Vancouver. But then he also brought some of the USL 2010 disasters, Mustapha Jarju and a wooden spoon to the city.
    When he was brought in as DSO he was tasked with building a Whitecaps team to compete with any team in MLS. He didn't do that, but at least he helped contribute to some fantastic opening day memories last year.
    Then it all started to go wrong.
    Soehn was hired for his knowledge of the League and his contacts. At his introductory presser he boldly claimed <i>"It's a challenge, but with the time we have, it's less of a challenge"</i>.
    Did he completely underestimate the job that was needed to turned the Caps into a competitive MLS team? Did he think he was bringing in players that were better than they were? Or can the blame be laid at the door of Teitur Thordarson for last season's failings and the Caps not being MLS ready?
    When he was introduced to the media in 2010, Bobby Lenarduzzi was keen to stress that Soehn was not coming to Vancouver to take over as Head Coach in 2011.
    On May 30th 2011, Soehn was named Head Coach after the sacking of Thordarson.
    At the time of the dismissal we said we felt it was the right decision to remove Thordarson, but also raised concerns that Soehn's appointment was not the right one.
    We were prepared to give him ten games before judging. Other weren't.
    By replacing a fan favourite in Thordarson, or in particular, a Southsiders favourite, Soehn brought the wrath of those fans down upon him. The Teitur Loyal crew felt that Soehn had manoeuvred his way into the job at Teitur's expense and felt that was his plan all along. We were always told that the decisions had come from very high up the Whitecaps chain of command.
    Whatever you want to believe, there was no getting away from the fact that Soehn was a shit Whitecaps manager and took the Caps to the ignominy of officially becoming the worst team in Major League Soccer.
    I never did get round to running my cartoon strip - 'Tommy Soehn and his magic brown wand'. Everything it touched turned to shit.
    Soehn took charge of the team for the first time in LA for the game against Chivas on June 1st and he immediately rang the changes, bringing in his own guys like Joe Cannon and Bilal Duckett.
    I was down there for that game, and the next one against Real Salt Lake. The alarm bells were soon ringing and Soehn didn't help himself by not acknowledging the travelling support after either game.
    And that was another complaint from the Caps support and the hardcore in particular. It was felt that Soehn made no attempts whatsoever to build bridges with the fans that didn't want him there in the first place.
    As a result of that and the performances on the pitch, he was hated. and he can be thankful he wasn't managing a team in the UK as the abuse would have been raining down on him at the games and not just online.
    When he took over as Head Coach, he made another of his bold statements. It wouldn't take much to turn this team around.
    So was he delusional or just a terrible manager?
    He was in charge for 23 competitive games, including a Voyageurs Cup loss in Toronto. His record read 5 wins, 4 draws and 14 defeats, and we're giving one of those wins to Colin Miller as he picked the team.
    One by one the players seen as Teitur's guys, and again, fan favourites, were released or frozen out. His reliance on his own guys, especially those from the drafts and college ranks rankled many.
    Every manager wants to have his own guys around him. Martin Rennie has done the same. The problem with Soehn's guys was that they didn't seem any better than the ones they replaced. Fans could have bought it more if they at least saw some improvement.
    Watching that 2011 team, you knew that a massive clear out had to happen for the team to progress, and Soehn should have been included in that clear out.
    I'm sure Soehn did a lot of things behind the scenes that we never got to see or know about. He went on numerous scouting trips, but we seldom saw the fruits of those labours making the MLS squad or even the Residency, just a few guys here and there at training and they soon headed home.
    So how will Soehn's time in Vancouver be remembered?
    To some, he will be remembered for bringing some fan favourites to the Club. To others, he will be remembered for taking the Whitecaps to one of their lowest ebbs. Whereas to others still, he will be remembered for his love of hotdogs.
    Frankly, we're just glad to see the back of him. He was never going to have the support of a large section of fans after last year's shambles and we would have liked to have seen him move on a year ago.
    Where he'll go next has been a talking point online. I'm more concerned that we get a new, qualified Director of Soccer Operations in soon, but it's a decision that should not be rushed.
    The Club’s current technical team will assume the Director of Soccer Operations responsibilities for now.
    It's going to be a very important role for moving the Caps forward and as we've seen with some of our recent acquisitions, bringing the wrong players to this League can be detrimental to the whole team.
    We need to have a guy that knows the League, knows the rulebook and has some great contacts around the world. I wonder what Tom Soehn's doing these days.
    <p>
    Guest
    Toronto's Daniel Haber was named the Ivy League player of the year.
    Haber led the league and was third nationally in goals (18) and points (43), both personal bests. He ranked first in the country in goals per game and points per game, and also had a career-high seven assists on the year. Haber continued his stellar play in League play, finishing with an Ivy-best four goals and 10 points.
    Two of his personal-high five game-winning goals came in conference action.
    He helped Cornell to its first league championship since 1995. The school plays Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA tournament today.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    Like the popular snack mix, I'm going to break down these news hits into the flavoured Shreddie (the best part), the Cheerio (you never see it coming), the pretzel (you've got to acknowledge it, like it or not) and that cheese-stick thing (what the hell is it?).
    The Shreddie: There will be only one
    This is not news to anyone who can even tangentially call themselves a follower of the league, but, there will a 20-something Canadian centreback on the roster of the Eastern Conference representative in this year's MLS Cup.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Andre Hainault's Houston Dynamo hold a 3-1 aggregate lead heading into the second leg of the conference final -- and appear poised to play in the big game for the second straight season -- but Dejan Jakovic's DC United will be buoyed by a raucous home crowd and (maybe, just maybe) the return of another Canadian, Dwayne De Rosario.
    What does this mean, in the immediate sense? Well, nothing really. But the more "big game" experience our Canadian players (particularly defenders) can acquire, the better it is for our national team. And yeah, I realize that going into Los Angeles or Seattle won't be the same as going into San Pedro Sula or Panama City, but what the hell, just gimme this one, would you?
    The Cheerio: Looks like football is taking over football
    Popping into my inbox this morning was an email reminder from the CFL's Toronto Argonauts about the team's Eastern Final showdown at Stade Olympique this Sunday. But buried beneath the hype for next weekend's 100th Grey Cup was an offer I found quite interesting:
    "SPECIAL ARGONAUTS SECTION BLOCKED OFF FOR THIS SUNDAY'S GAME. All orders must be directed to the Montreal Alouettes' office and ensure you reference that you would like to sit with the Argonauts section."
    An... an away supporters' section? In a North American sport? Surely my eyes are deceiving me. Now, who knows, maybe this has become a common thing and this is just the first time I've heard of it. Either way, I'm glad that domestic leagues appear to be catching on and realizing the merits of organizing such sections, both for the in-stadium atmosphere and the safety of traveling fans.
    Let's just hope the staff at Stade Olympique do a better job at dealing with the Argos section than they did with the Toronto FC section earlier this year... yeesh.
    The Pretzel: A Toronto fanbase gets its offseason hopes up; what could go wrong?
    Continuing in the theme of mentioning other sports... if you even casually follow baseball, you've no doubt heard of the gargantuan 12-player trade between the Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins. In one fell swoop, the Blue Jays were able to address nearly all of their pressing roster concerns, nabbing two bona fide starting pitchers, an all-star-calibre leadoff man and outfield depth, while also ridding themselves of a player who'd become a local pariah.
    So that left me wondering... if Toronto FC were able to pull off a similar trade -- a singular transaction in which nearly all of their ongoing problems were addressed -- what would it look like? How many people would be included? Who would be involved?
    Four hours later, when I woke up in a confused state on my kitchen floor, I vowed never to think of the matter again.
    The Cheese Stick: Hey look, a bus! Let's throw the referee under it!
    No doubt I'll be largely alone on this, but so be it: I do not like the head of the Professional Referees Organization publicly announcing that a crucial decision in last weekend's Houston-DC game was, in his opinion, wrong. Not one bit. Here's why.
    1. While it's presumably being done in the name of transparency or some such malarkey, it sets a bad, dangerous precedent. While no one pretends that referees are infallible or above reproach, the game itself is hinged upon the belief that the referee is enforcing the Laws of the Game in a fair manner, to the best of their ability.
    If the head of referees is publicly calling a referee's judgment into question, then why should the players have respect for the refs' decisions? Why should the fans? And, come to think of it, why should the referees? A ref should not let the idea that they may be publicly humiliated by their boss enter their mind when they're on the field trying to do their job. But now, it will. And no matter what job you're performing, second-guessing yourself can only lead to more doubt, and more mistakes.
    2. The hypocrisy of PRO general manager Peter Walton is staggering in this case. As referenced in the above-linked article, he said immediately after the incident that he felt a yellow card was deserved (referee Ricardo Salazar didn't call a foul or show a card on the play). Then, days later, he published an article saying he actually felt it deserved a red card.
    Hey! Guess what? Neither Salazar, nor any other referee, gets several days to ponderously ruminate over slow-motion replays before making their decisions. They need to make them instantaneously. Walton surely knows this. He can't not know this. So why on earth would he make this series of statements, which only reinforce the idea that referees should be held to an impossible standard?
    3. Even if -- even if -- there is a perceived benefit to publicly second-guessing referee decisions, you would have to think that such belated explanations would come in the event of indisputable, objective calls. That is, something like a goal/no goal or offside/no offside improperly called, where a referee's judgment does not enter into the equation. But by publicly saying "nope, Salazar doesn't know how to call fouls" you're essentially poisoning the well on his career, all in the name of placating some fans in the immediate short term.
    Look, I obviously want referees to get things right. And usually, if they're properly qualified and empowered, they will. Until we replace all officials (and players, and human beings) with automatons, though, mistakes will happen. And while saying "mistakes happen" is of little consolation to the fans whose team is at the receiving end of an incorrect decision, undermining a game official is not the way to fix a problem.
    Reassign the referee, in private. Speak to the referee, in private. Use the incident as training material for future referee hopefuls, in private.
    However, kowtowing to the fans who want a head on a pike does the game a disservice, in the end. And yes, feel free to refer to this elongated rant the next time a team I support comes out at the losing end of things, and watch me ignore everything I've written as I bray for the ref to be drawn and quarterered.
    .
    Guest

    Homegrown lessons

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    There are two ways to look at the release of the TFC Academy graduates that got the axe today.
    You could suggest that the players were released because current management is turning away from an academy focused strategy in favour of using middling, American players that can run up and down the pitch in a skill-less kick and boot system.
    Or, you could suggest that both Oscar Cordon and Keith Makubuya weren’t good enough to play in MLS and should not have been signed to homegrown contracts in the first place.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    There is only one way to look at the release of Nicholas Lindsay – football players should stay off snowmobiles. The story of Lindsay is a tragic one that demonstrates how fragile a soccer dream can be. Hopefully, he finds a way back into the game, but the odds are against him.
    That said, most of the focus today is on the two players that were released who didn’t destroy their knee in an off-season accident. There, fans are inclined to view the move through the lens that they view everything through right now – Paul Mariner.
    There has been a persistent rumour in TFC circles that Mariner does not favour a model that builds through the academy. As such, he will favour older players that are more athletic, if not as technically skilled.
    Thus, the decision of today -- Cordon and Makubuya’s development cut-off without ever getting a shot is the opinion of many critics.
    To those critics there is little use suggesting that they simply weren’t good enough because they will argue that they never had a chance under Mariner to demonstrate that they were.
    Is that a fair assessment? To determine that it’s important that it’s understood that both players were signed by Aron Winter on March 17, 2011 (the eve of the 2011 season) and played for the club in 2011. It’s also important to understand that Makubuya was also hurt and we can’t know how much his injuries stalled his development.
    So, we will restrict our look to Cordon. Did Winter give him more of a chance than Mariner? Is it likely that he would have stuck around longer if Mariner weren’t running the club?
    Let’s look.
    Actually, there isn’t much to look at. He played just 144 minutes, all in 2011. So, he really didn’t play very much under either man and didn’t play at all under either in 2012. It’s hard to suggest that Cordon’s release is the fault of anyone other than Cordon.
    Not that Cordon appears to see it that way. His reaction to being released was to Tweet “Thank God.” He didn’t expand on the thought (and CSN invited him to), which has lead to all sorts of speculation as to what that might mean. As said, we invited Cordon to respond. Until he does we won't guess.
    Regardless, there is a lot to suggest that he shouldn’t have been signed in the first place. By taking a (very) little bit of money to sit on TFC’s bench for two years, Cordon gave up a chance at playing in the NCAA. Although he may have options to play college soccer in Canada still – in the CIS you must sit out a year, and lose a year of eligibility, for each year of pro you play. So, Cordon would have three years of CIS eligibility available for him in 2015. -- his soccer career took a hit today.
    The homegrown rule is new and every MLS team is still feeling out how to best use it. An argument can be made that the clubs have a responsibility to use the rule responsibly – signing a kid to a HG contract that is a borderline pro might not be fair to anyone. If the player isn’t ready to jump in and contribute immediately it’s probably best that he be directed to college soccer for further development. That’s a win-win – The MLS clubs maintain the rights, the player gets more time to develop and gets an education as well.
    The release also illustrate the need for MLS to find opportunities for young players to play. If the league is going to move to an academy focused development structure it needs to give clubs more options to keep and use players like Cordon. The reserve league is a joke and it remains a black eye for the league.
    It also illustrates a flaw in TFC’s academy set-up. Many MLS teams run a u-23 PDL side to give older prospects a chance to become late bloomers. Why doesn’t TFC have a u-23 program? Would it have not been better for Cordon to have been playing for a u-23 TFC Academy team while getting an education?
    Ultimately, it’s a bit pointless to look too hard for blame – the harsh truth is that players get cut the world over, even young players. If TFC has truly made a judgment error by cutting Cordon he will resurface quickly at a level equal or better.
    What’s most important is that TFC, other MLS teams and young players use examples like this to gain a greater understanding of how to best use the homegrown rule.
    Guest
    After months of silence there has been a splattering of news on the efforts to bring a professional women’s league back to North America.
    Many of the Canadian women’s national team members have been without a club since WPS folded last year. The Olympics filled up 2012 with national team duties, but there is a great deal of fear about what the players will do in 2013 without as much national team action to fill their time.
    Soccerwire.com reported today that it’s expected that the USSF will announce more details for a proposed league before Dec 1. Apparently the league backers remain focused on launching next spring.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]It’s expected that there will be eight clubs in the initial league, with none tipped to be in Canada. The clubs suggested are former WPS franchises Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, Western New York Flash and Sky Blue FC (N.J.). Additionally clubs in Kansas City, Portland, Seattle and Washington are expected.
    CSN was told earlier this year that the 2012 W-League champion Ottawa Fury was approached by league investors, but was not interested in making the jump to a fully professional set-up at this time. The Vancouver Whitecaps have told CSN in the past that they are also not interested in moving up from the W-League and neither Toronto nor Montreal have ever given any indication that they have professional women’s aspirations.
    However, there are reports surfacing today that suggest that Canadian players will play a “significant” role in the new league. No one knows what that means exactly, or where the money will come to pay for the players.
    The USSF will be putting significant resources into the league, with some suggesting that they will be ensuring salaries of US women’s national team players. Without a Canadian club involved directly, one wonders whether the CSA might need to consider following the American’s lead.
    CSN reached out to the CSA for comment. We will update if we hear back.
    Guest

    TFC releases six

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Adrian Cann headlined the list of six released players today. The former Canadian international appeared to never fully recover from a knee injury suffered in training.
    Also released was Ty Harden, Dicoy Williams, Oscar Cordon, and Nicholas Lindsay and Keith Makubuya -- the latter three players were all on homegrown contracts.
    Lindsay suffered a catastrophic injury in a snowmobiling accident diring the 2010 off-season. He just returned back to training at the conclusion of 2012.
    Of the non-homegrown players released only one -- Williams -- came to the club while Paul Mariner was involved.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    Follow the final game of the Impact's post-season Italian tour.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
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    Guest

    Welcome to your 2016 CMNT

    By Guest, in Some Canadian Guys,

    The corpse of Canada’s 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign is barely four weeks cold. And almost since the final whistle (or if we're being fair, the second Honduras goal) of Canada's catastrophic 8-1 loss in San Pedro Sula I've been wondering what awaits supporters who stick around the men’s national team to cheer for them in World Cup qualifying four years from now. And I'm not the only one.
    In the meantime, the CSA has named Tony Fonseca its new technical director. And while the impact of his work won’t be felt for a few World Cup qualifying cycles, the list of players below illustrates painfully how much work he has cut out for him. Fair warning: the future is bleak. The group that will attempt to qualify Canada for the 2018 World Cup in Russia will likely consist of one batch of unproven youngsters supplemented by another batch of players who weren't good enough to qualify for 2014. Almost without exception, four years on, they will not be as good as they are now.
    I expect Canada will enter qualifying for the 2018 World Cup carrying some of the lowest expectations of the past two decades. And for a Canadian international men’s side, that’s saying something.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    There’s been a lot written about the things needed to fix Canadian soccer -- the CSA needs more corporate cash, long-term player development needs an overhaul, a national division II or III league needs an established framework, youth coaching needs standards and training -- but none of these changes could possibly affect the 2018 qualifying campaign. That’s not to say they aren’t important, obviously they are as important as it gets when it comes to Canadian soccer. But the decision that will most affect how the theoretical mish-mash of players below does in World Cup qualifying will be the one that names the man to manage them.
    A caveat before we continue. This process -- identifying eleven starting players who will lead us into the third round of World Cup qualifying in 2016* -- is wildly speculative. One only need look at the eleven players who started for Canada against Jamaica at BMO Field in August 2008 to ascertain that. Four years ago, nobody was thinking about Simeon Jackson or Milan Borjan or Pedro Pacheco. Players on the Canadian men’s team come from nowhere and fade into obsolescence just as easily. Some of these picks are nothing beyond my own hairbrain fantasies. Please don’t slam your keyboard and yell at your screen about how so-and-so could possibly have been missed. And besides, this isn't a full roster but merely a starting eleven and a few subs, so there's room for others.
    We’ve got a ways to go, I’m just offering an extremely early peek about what might await us.
    Lucas Cavallini
    Currently: Striker at Juventud de Las Piedras; Uruguay 1st division.
    Age in 2016: 23
    More than any other young Canadian player I’ve watched, Lucas Cavallini offers something to desperate Canadian supporters that’s in short supply. Hope. He impressed with the U23’s in Olympic qualifying last summer and has embarked on a cautiously impressive start to life in the Uruguayan league with three goals in seven appearances so far. I like his ability to genuinely trouble an opposing defence. It’s been so long since Canada had a player they could count on to do that. Cavallini is already a beast and I would like nothing more for him to grow into the focal point of Canada’s attack in the years to come. But - as will be a running theme - he’s young, and there’s as of yet no telling how he will turn out. He may never play more than a handful of games for Canada and I’ve got him slotted as the player around which the team bases its attack. That says a lot.
    Atiba Hutchinson
    Currently: Makeshift rightback at PSV Eindhoven; Dutch first division.
    Age in 2016: 33
    Hutchinson represents the other group of players referenced in the preamble. It’s highly unlikely Hutchinson will be as good in 2016 as he is now. He probably won’t be playing at such a high-level club either. But unlike Dwayne de Rosario or Julian de Guzman I’m not ready to shuffle him out of Canada’s midfield just yet. I think some form of continuity is important and he’ll be one of the players to provide it.
    Keven Aleman
    Currently: Forward in Real Valladolid youth side; La Liga.
    Age in 2016: 22
    A bigger flyer than Cavallini, here’s to hoping that Aleman can become the player many of Canada’s supporters want him to become earlier than expected. At times he’s been a bright attacking lights with Canada’s youth teams and if he can stick in Spain then he definitely deserves to be in the Canada team. He’s playing for the youth team of a recently promoted La Liga club. So that's good I guess. I’ve not been able to find any reliable online reports about his progress, but at this point anything and nothing could happen to him.
    Simeon Jackson
    Currently: Sparingly used sub at Norwich City; Premier League.
    Age in 2016: 29
    What will become of Simeon Jackson? He remains one of my favourite Canada players, but it’s almost impossible to say where his career will go over the following four seasons. I want to say that he’ll become a regular in the Premier League, but he could just as easily be scraping it out in the English lower divisions by the time the next World Cup qualifying cycle looms. Again, I include him for continuity and for the fact I believe he wants one more shot to qualify for a World Cup with Canada.
    Samuel Piette
    Currently: Midfielder in Fortuna Düsseldorf youth side; Bundesliga.
    Age in 2016: 21
    Speculative pick again. He’s simply way too young for us to know whether he’ll turn into the midfield bulldog we hope he can. The fact he’s already earned a senior callup means he’s included here but other than scenes from my own imagination of how he’ll form an effective defensive midfield partnership with the following player I don’t see a whole lot of reality-based evidence that we should be overly excited about him.
    Will Johnson
    Currently: Midfielder with Real Salt Lake; MLS.
    Age in 2016: 29
    Johnson is a solid midfielder who plays at a reasonably high level and will probably still be able to earn a paycheque in MLS four years from now. Again, nothing to get excited about but given the dearth of other options he’s definitely in my starting XI of the future.
    Marcel de Jong
    Currently: Leftback with Augsberg; Bundesliga
    Age in 2016: 29
    If there is a current Canadian player who could be looked on to improve in four years time, de Jong might be the one. He just turned 26 and has earned regular playing time in the Bundesliga over the last two seasons. Whether he slots in at leftback where he plays with his club or somewhere in the midfield, I hope de Jong can mature to a point where he becomes more of an impact player for Canada. He doesn't appear to be having a flyer this season in Germany from what I've read, so let's hope that's not a signal of where his career is headed.
    Andrés Fresenga
    Currently: Defender with Racing Club de Montevideo (youth or reserve team?); Uruguay 1st division.
    Age in 2016: 24
    Another longshot. A long longshot. The general consensus around Fresenga among those who follow Canada closely was that he impressed enough in last summer's U23 Olympic team to be considered a name for the future. I've not had much luck finding online evidence of his progress in Uruguay this season though (in fact I can't even find reference to him on the Racing home page) and his inclusion here probably has more to do with my longstanding desire to see more Latin American-based players in the Canada lineup.
    David Edgar
    Currently: Defender with Burnley; English second division.
    Age in 2016: 29
    Despite having something of a stinker at rightback in Canada's 2-0 loss in Panama City last September, the overall consensus on Edgar and the 2014 campaign should be one tinged with pleasant surprise. He may not have fulfilled the expectations he placed on himself after scoring against Manchester United in the Premier League almost six years ago, but he certainly has developed into a solid Championship defender. Given his age and experience it would be shocking if he didn't play a major role in the 2018 qualifying go-round.
    Andre Hainault
    Currently: Defender with Houston; MLS.
    Age in 2016: 30
    Rumours about Hainault heading to Bordeaux or wherever else in Ligue 1 pop up every once in awhile. I'd welcome this move based soley on logic that more Canadian national team members playing at a higher level in Europe the better. It's probably unrealistic though. Hainault is a decent MLS player now and will probably remain so in four years time. Given the options there is every reason he should continue for Canada, most likely in the centre of defence.
    Milan Borjan
    Currently: Goalkeeper with Sivasspor; Turkish 1st division.
    Age in 2016: 29
    Ah Milan. Or, as he's known on Twitter, @mr_zombie. You came from nowhere (ok, Serbia) and if you didn't quite play yourself into the hearts of Canadian supporters over the past couple of years you earned plenty of affection for your enthusiasm and willingness to choose the Maple Leaf ahead of other theoretical options. Canada's most experienced option in net moving forward.
    Subs
    Ashtone Morgan
    Currently: Leftback with TFC; MLS.
    Age in 2016: 25
    Four years on, the great Canadian MLS academy hope has not quite established himself as Canada’s first-choice leftback. But he's damn close. I’ll refer to CSN’s own 2012 player report card here to provide a sense of the future: Morgan continues to improve technically (although he’s still more of an athlete) and should be an important part of TFC for years ahead. The only part about this I don’t like is the “athlete” part. Canada needs players with ability on the ball at all positions. Let’s hope Morgan continues to improve in the way Duane Rollins thinks he will.
    Tosaint Ricketts
    Currently: Striker with Vålerenga; Norway 1st division
    Age in 2016: 29
    Russell Tiebert
    Currently: Midfielder with Vancouver Whitecaps; MLS.
    Age in 2016: 23
    Doneil Henry
    Currently: Defender with TFC; MLS.
    Age in 2016: 23
    Roberto Stillo
    Currently: Third-string keeper with Genoa; Serie
    Age in 2016: 25
    So there we have it. My intent is not to be overly pessimistic, but more to show that four years is both a long way off and at the same time not that long off at all. Sure, a Jonathan de Guzman or a David Hoilett could liven things up in the interim but it's a fool's errand to sit around hoping for that. Hell, if that diamond jubilee or whatever-it-is Copa America goes off as planned in the U.S. in 2016, World Cup qualification might be the least of our worries. Imagine the above 11 players taking on Argentina in a group stage match at the MetLife stadium. We'll pray for 8-1. So there, that's kind of a positive spin. In the meantime, here's to another good draw, a yet-unidentified but brilliant manager, diamonds in the rough and a couple of goddam headers that bounce off the post and go IN for a change.
    *Obviously this break with the old guard won't be quite as clean as I'm making it out to be. Between now and the third round of Concacaf qualifying in 2016 (assuming the format holds) we'll have friendlies, two Gold Cups and a minnow-round of World Cup qualifying to get through and the transition will probably be piecemeal than all at once. I chose 2016 because it's the time World Cup qualifying generally gets serious in Concacaf.
    Guest

    Hassli's heroics up for a Puskás

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    There wasn't really a lot of positives from the Whitecaps' Voyageurs Cup run this year.
    They made it tough for themselves against Edmonton and then went down with all guns firing blanks in Toronto.
    On the plus side, there was Darren Mattocks' first competitive goal for the Caps against the Eddies and Eric Hassli's wonder strike equaliser against TFC at BC Place.
    And what a sweet strike that was.
    FIFA seem to agree, for Eric has been nominated for the 2012 Puskás award as one of the top ten goals of the year.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Hassli is in good company alongside the likes of fellow nominess Lionel Messi and last year's winner Neymar.
    It's a fantastic honour, especially considering the goal came in the Canadian Championship and not even MLS, and some good publicity for the Whitecaps on the world stage.
    If nothing else, it may help raise awareness of the importance and credibility of the Voyageurs Cup to the general footballing public here, although probably not.
    Is Eric's strike worthy of a top ten nomination? Does he have a shot of winning?
    Judge for yourself. <a href="http://www.fifa.com/ballondor/puskasaward/index.html" target="_blank"><b>Here's the ten nominees and where you can vote</b></a>. You have until November 29th to get your votes in.
    I find it a rather strange selection. I'm sure we'll all have seen some better goals this year than some of the ones on the shortlist. From those nominated, I would go for Gastón Mealla's acrobatics.
    The awards ceremony will be held on January 7th in Zurich. With Hassli's connections and old bromance partner Davide there, it will be interesting to see if he ends up coming back to Canada or finds himself staying and returning to the Swiss League.
    Good luck Eric, and for one more time, here's his strike in all it's glory. It never gets old.
    <center>
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PNGhOE3XyCg
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    Guest
    Highlights of the Impact 4-1 win over Fiorentina Primavera reserves below the jump.

    The Impact have been on tour in Italy since Nov 5 and they will remain there until Nov 17. They are next scheduled to play Friday, also against Fiorentina.

    In total, the Impact took 25 players on the tour. They are: Goalkeepers Evan Bush and Troy Perkins, defenders Jeb Brovsky, Hassoun Camara, Matteo Ferrari, Dennis Iapichino, Alessandro Nesta, Karl W. Ouimette and Zarek Valentin, midfielders Bryan Arguez, Davy Arnaud, Patrice Bernier, Calum Mallace, Justin Mapp, Lamar Neagle, Sanna Nyassi, Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Collen Warner, as well as forwards Marco Di Vaio and Andrew Wenger, along with five players from the Impact u21 team, Goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, defender Maxim Tissot, midfielders Wandrille Lefevre and Zakaria Messoudi and Mircea Ilcu.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    Ladies and gentlemen, we have a race!

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    Valerio Gazzola tells SoccerPlus he’s ready to give it a go, for a third time
    The former Impact head coach (1994-1997, 2000-2001) becomes the second official candidate to the succession of Jesse Marsch after assistant coach Mauro Biello said last week he feels he could take over for the 2013 MLS season.
    Gazzola says he’s even ready to help mentor Biello and prepare him for the job within a season or two.
    Now a high school teacher in the Montreal suburb of Laval, Quebec, Gazzola was until recently Canada’s U-20 Men’s National Team head coach and still serves the Canadian Soccer Association as a high performance coaching instructor.
    This option might come out of left field for many since Gazzola hasn’t coached any professional team’s for close to 12 years now. After he concluded his playing days, he was hired as an assistant to head coach Eddie Firmani in the first ever instalment of the Montreal Impact in the pre-MLS days of the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) in 1993. The year after, he was thrust to the head coaching position after Firmani left and he went on winning the first of three Impact playoffs cup, in 1994.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Another obstacle on this option is the sometimes very tensed relation Gazzola entertained with then player and current Sporting Director Nick DeSantis.
    However, Gazzola would know exactly into what he went step if ever the door opened again for him to return. Not only does he speak everybody’s language in the locker room, but he understands the North American context.
    If the Impact does not find the proverbial pearl in Italy as most seems to point as the management’s prime target to fill Jesse Marsch’s departure and if president Joey Saputo wants to groom Biello to an unavoidable nomination in the short term, the club now has a serious option to ponder upon in the coming weeks.
    We’ll be discussing this turn of event in this week’s podcast, available in the coming days.
    Guest
    The final 32 teams of the NCAA Div 1 women’s soccer tournament is set, with games starting Friday. There are 24 Canadians involved, including eight on Oakland University (Rochester, Michigan).
    Below a jump a look at the match-ups and where the Canadians are playing.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Stanford (No Canadians) v Santa Clara
    SCU (Two Canadians: Brittany Ambrose, freshman, MF/FW, Surrey; Nikki Ambrose, Defender/MF, Sophomore, Surrey)
    Maryland v University of Denver (No Canadians)
    UM – (One Canadian: Rachelle Beanlands, Redshirt freshman, keeper, Ottawa)
    UCLA (No Canadians) v University of Kentucky (No Canadians)
    University of California at Berkeley (No Canadians) v San Diego State (No Canadians)
    North Carolina v University of Illinois
    UI – (One Canadian: Steph Panozzo, senior, keeper, Maple Ridge, B.C.)
    UNC – (One Canadian: Ranee Premji, senior, midfielder, Calgary)
    Georgetown (No Canadians) v Baylor (No Canadians)
    Marquette v Princeton (No Canadians)
    MU – (One Canadian: Vanessa Legault-Cordisco, junior, MF/defender, Laval, Que.)
    Auburn (No Canadians) v Brigham Young University (No Canadians)
    Penn State (No Canadians) v Boston College (No Canadians)
    University of Michigan v University of Portland (No Canadians)
    UM – (Two Canadians: Shelina Zadorsky, junior, defender, London, Ont.; Nkem Ezurike, junior, forward, Lower Sackville, N.S.)
    Duke (No Canadians) v Miami of Ohio
    MoO – (Four Canadians: Kayle Zakrzewski, sophomore, midfield, London; Haley Clark, senior, defender, London; Giselle Mangal, senior, midfielder, Mississauga; Courtney Clarke, senior, Toronto)
    Rutgers v University of Virginia (No Canadians)
    RU – (Four Canadians: Jonelle Filigno, redshirt junior, forward, Mississauga; Amy Pietrangelo, sophomore, forward/midfield, Laval, Que.; Samantha Valliant, freshman, defender, Markham, Ont.; Shannon Woeller, redshirted senior, defender, Vancouver)
    University of Florida v University of Central Florida
    UF – (One Canadian: Adriana Leon, junior, forward, King City, Ont.)
    UCF – (One Canadian: Maxine Murchie, freshman, midfielder, Kitchener)
    Notre Dame (No Canadians) v Wake Forest (No Canadians)
    Oakland University v Texas A&M
    OU – (Eight Canadians: Sarah Reynolds, freshman, defender, Aurora, Ont.: Kara Weber, senior, defender, Calgary; Brianne Horne, Freshman, MF/defender, Calgary; Kyla Kellermann, sophomore, forward, Elmvale, Ont.; Serena San Cartier, junior, forward, Sudbury; Kourtney Grant, junior, defender, Brampton; Meghan Reynolds, junior, forward, Aurora, Ont.; Jamie Horne, freshman, midfielder, Calgary)
    TAM – (Catalina Clavijo, senior, forward, Winnipeg)
    Texas Tech (No Canadians) v Florida State University (No Canadians)
    Guest
    It's our 25th anniversary. Our silver show, fitting as at least half of the country are currently in long johns.
    As the 2012 MLS season draws to a close we look both back and forward.
    Our first guest is <i>SoccerPlus'</i> <b>Philippe Germain</b>. We take a look at Montreal Impact's season and what next year may hold in store for L'Impact. With an older squad, we chat about the future talent coming through the Montreal ranks and there's also some interesting news about some changes in the MLS Reserve League that will help these young prospects, and Vancouver's, get MLS ready.
    From a Canadian team that maybe punched above their weight, to one that definitely fell way below it, as <i>Goal.com's</i> <b>Rudi Schuller</b> joins us to talk all things TFC. We manage to keep him away from the ledge.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    There still time for Pierce and myself to look at the MLS playoffs and what was a good weekend for BC's college and university teams, and have a rant about those "franchise bastards" MK Dons. 'Mon the Wombles.
    You can listen to this week's podcast (and the previous ones) on iTunes <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/westcoastsoccerweekly/id491781299" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> or download it for your later listening delight <a href="http://westcoastsoccerweekly.podbean.com/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> or have a listen below.
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    Guest
    The 2012 NCAA men’s division 1-a tournament kicks off Friday. In total, 33 Canadians, including 11 who have their homegrown rights held by a Canadian MLS side, are taking part. Below the jump a list of the match-ups and Canucks involved.
    We will look at the women’s draw tomorrow.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Cleveland State v Michigan State
    CSU -- (Four Canadians: Al James, Junior, defender, Toronto; Cameron Eisses, Junior, defender, Cambellville, Ont; Cazz Warren, Senior, forward, Toronto; Zach Ellis-Hayden, Junior, defender, Kitchener)
    MSU – (One Canadian: Jay Chapman, Freshman, midfielder, Cambellford, Ont., TFC ACADEMY PROPERTY)
    Winner plays No 1 Notre Dame (no Canadians) in round two
    Xavier (No Canadians) v University of Kentucky
    UK – (One Canadian: Callum Irving, freshman, keeper, Vancouver, WHITECAPS ACADEMY PROPERTY)
    Winner plays No 16 Indiana University (no Canadians) in round two
    University of Maryland at Baltimore County v Old Dominion (No Canadians)
    UMBC -- (One Canadian: Milo Kapor, senior, midfielder, Toronto)
    Winner plays No 9 University of North Carolina
    UNC – (One Canadian: Daniel Tannous, Redshirt senior, defender, Thornhill, Ont., TFC ACADEMY PROPERTY)
    Fairleigh Dickinson University (No Canadians) v St. John’s University (No Canadians)
    Winner plays No 8 St. Louis University (No Canadians) in second round
    Niagara University v University of Michigan
    NU – (Four Canadians: Rene De Zorzi, senior, midfield, Maple, Ont.; Michael Hanton, sophomore, defender, Barrie, Ont.; Kyle Moraldo, Sophomore, MF/Defender, Winnipeg; Bryan Da Cruz, Senior, Forward, Barrie, Ont.)
    UM – (One Canadian: Kofi Opare, Senior, defender, Niagara Falls, duel American citizen, represented US at u-20 level)
    Winner plays No 5 Akron University in second round
    AU – (One Canadian: Omari Morris, Freshman, forward, Toronto, TFC ACADEMY PROPERTY)
    Air Force (No Canadians) v University of Washington
    UW – (One Canadian: Josh Heard, Freshman, forward, Victoria)
    Winner plays No 12 Creighton University (No Canadians) in second round
    Lafayette College (No Canadians) v University of Virginia (No Canadians)
    Winner plays No 13 University of New Mexico
    UNM – (One Canadian: Ben McKendry, freshman, MF/Defender, Vancouver, WHITECAPS ACADEMY PROPERTY)
    Boston College v Northeastern (No Canadians)
    BC – (One Canadian: Kyle Bekker, senior, Iroquois Ridge, Ont.)
    Winner plays No 4 University of Connecticut in second round
    UCONN – (Three Canadians: Jonathan Goodridge, sophomore, defender, Toronto, grew up in USA; Flo Liu, senior, defender, Richmond, B.C., WHITECAPS ACADEMY PROPERTY; Allando Matheson, sophomore, forward, Toronto, TFC ACADEMY PROPERTY)
    University of Alabama at Birmingham v University of North Carolina at Charlotte
    UAB – (One Canadian: Chase Wickham, junior, midfielder, Vancouver)
    CHAR – (One Canadian: Anthony Perez, redshirt junior, defender, London, Ont)
    Winner plays No 3 Georgetown (No Canadians) in second round
    Syracuse University v Cornell University
    SU (Two Canadians: Skylar Thomas, sophomore, defender, Pickering; Jordan Murrell, sophomore, defender, Markham, TFC ACADEMY PROPERTY)
    CU – (One Canadian: Daniel Haber, junior, forward, Toronto)
    Winner plays No 14 Virginia Commonwealth University in second round
    VCU (One Canadian: Garrett Cyprus, redshirted Freshman, keeper, Toronto, TFC ACADEMY PROPERTY)
    Florida Gulf Coast University v University of South Florida (No Canadians)
    FGCU (Three Canadians: Nathan Ingham, sophomore, keeper, Keswick, Ont.; Daniel Stanese, Freshman, defender, Pitt Meadows, B.C. WHITECAPS ACADEMY PROPERTY; Jelani Smith, senior, defender/forward, Mississauga)
    Winner plays No 11 University of Tulsa (No Canadians) in second round
    University of San Diego (No Canadians) v Cal State at Northridge (No Canadians)
    Winner plays No 6 UCLA (No Canadians) in second round
    Western Illinois University (No Canadians) v Northwestern University (No Canadians)
    Winner plays No 7 Marquette (No Canadians) in second round
    Winthrop University v Southern Methodist University (No Canadians)
    WU – (Three Canadians: Patrick Barnes, freshman, forward, Halifax; Adriano Negri, junior, midfielder, Vancouver; Daniel Di Biagio, senior defender, Toronto, TFC ACADEMY PROPERTY)
    Winner plays No 10 University of Louisville (No Canadians) in second round
    Elon University (No Canadians) v Coastal Carolina University
    CCU – (One Canadian: Scott Shewfelt, junior, keeper, London, Ont.)
    Winner plays No 15 Wake Forest (No Canadians) in second round
    Brown University (No Canadians) v Drexel University (No Canadians)
    Winner plays No 2 University of Maryland (No Canadians) in second round
    Guest
    Canadian Soccer News gets a fair amount of letters. Every once and a while we decide to print one because it either adds something to the conversation or articulately presents a side of an argument that is ongoing.
    This letter did both. Much of the sentiment from Toronto FC season ticket holders who are not renewing - or readers who present themselves as season ticket holders that are not renewing - tends to skew to the side of blind anger and further down the rabbit hole to conspiracy. Those types of comments don't add much to the debate over whether or not fans should renew. And more importantly it doesn't explore what the consequences of doing either - renewing or not - means.
    After the jump, there is a letter from a regular reader who copied us as he explained to MLSE why he was not renewing.
    If you have renewed and want to respond to the letter, or if you find yourself in similar circumstances as this gentlemen, we encourage you to respond in the comments or email us directly through the site.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    ________
    Dear MLSE
    I would normally want to give feedback to someone senior within your organization but neither Mr Anselmi or Mr Tannenbaum have public emails (that I can find, at least) to direct this message (which is a real shame because it further perpetuates my view that they are out of touch with their fan base).
    I have been a loyal supporter of the TFC since its inception. I have spent upwards of $20,000 on six season tickets and more when you consider apparel and food & beverage sales. I have made it to most games (except over the past two years) and have cheered on our Reds even when we were going through their "expansion woes" and trying to find ourselves. Win or lose it was a great experience and the excitement going to, during and after the games was palpable up until the last two years. I lived and breathed "Red" and always looked forward to a trip to BMO with my family and friends.
    No longer.
    Your franchise has failed in my eyes for the following reasons:
    1) MLSE has no one in a senior capacity who understands the game of soccer and, in my opinion, this will lead to more of the same disappointment over the next six years and beyond
    2) MLSE principal owner has no real interest in soccer; Mr Tannenbaum has probably been to no more than 6 games at BMO in his life. TFC is his business not his passion
    3) MLSE President & COO, who is the public face and issues the "mea culpas" is just an employee, with a good pension plan and a few stock options; he does not have "skin" in the game like the fans - people like me - do
    4) MLSE does not understand the importance of being an engaged, informed, responsive, and passionate owner like franchises in Montreal, Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, etc
    5) MLSE has outsourced their soccer expertise: one year its Jurgen Klinsman, another year it's a Canadian university women's coach who acts as agent for UK players/coaches
    6) MLSE has not taken proper responsibility for the failure of all of its professional franchises to make the play-offs; if they did more senior people within the MLSE would be fired other than the GMs/coaches; after all who hires the GMs/coaches?
    7) MLSE equated lower ticket prices in 2013 with assuaging fan resentment and keeping "bums in seats"; I find this insulting because I was more than prepared to pay existing prices if the on-filed product was superior
    8) MLSE could give the tickets away and without an adequate on-field product fans - like me - will not show up; just look at your crowds for Champions League games.
    9) MLSE does not have a long term planning process for soccer but instead reverts to hasty short term fixes, i.e. quick signing of older, injury prone Designated Players, switching "styles of plays" mid season from a possession-based, "keep on it on the ground" Dutch / Spanish style to a "route 1 - kick and run" English style, and lowering prices by 50% in a panic, etc.
    10) MLSE treats the TFC has a "hobby" (as opposed to the Leafs or Raptors) and as such, in a competitive entertainment marketplace, they do not deserve my time, money or eyeballs
    I will not be renewing my six seats this year. I will be unsubscribing from all MLSE emails. Once you address these ten issues I may reconsider my relationship with professional soccer in Toronto.
    Sincerely,
    Drew McDougall
    Season Ticket Acct# XXX-XXXX"
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