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    Guest
    These are the images and emotions from Toronto's 1-0 loss to DC United. All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery.
    You can follow him on Twitter here
    You can find these and other photos here
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]







    Guest

    Still work to do for men's u17s

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Canada’s u17 team was competitive, but ultimately a step behind the competition at the AGS Cup in Spain.
    The young Canucks finished the tournament with a 1-1-3 record, with the win coming 3-2 against Morocco.
    Canada drew Azerbaijan 2-2 and lost 3-1 to Mexico, 2-1 to the United States and 2-1 to United Arab Emirates.
    The tournament was in preparation for next April’s CONCACAF u17 World Cup qualifying tournament.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Michael Mccoll
    'Found In The Attic' is AFTN's look at some of the wonderful pieces of Whitecaps and North American footballing memorabilia and collectibles from both yesteryear and more recent times.
    We continue the series with a look at another piece of NASL memorabilia.
    As the MLS regular season comes to a close, thoughts are turning to who will lift the MLS cup come December 1st. If you're a Vancouver Whitecaps fan and you're thinking of Championships, then your thoughts will always go back to 1979 - "That Championship Year".
    Winning the NASL Soccer Bowl that year is still the pinnacle of the Whitecaps long and proud history and that victory, and the whole 1979 season, was captured for posterity in a 20 page publication produced by the Club.
    Sold for $2, "1979 - That Championship Year" chronicles the Caps' Championship winning season, from pre-season through to returning home to Vancouver with the trophy and parading through the city in front of over 100,000 fans.
    Written by Josh Keller, and punctuated with 20 photographs from various sources, the special edition of 'Kick' magazine tells the story of the season through an introduction, 24 various 'shorts' and a four and a half page section entitled "Soccer as it should be", which chronicles the last regular season game and the playoffs.
    For those, like myself, who weren't around at the time, it paints the perfect picture of a perfect season. There's all the highs, all the lows and lots of great stories. It's the closest you can get to teleporting yourself there for the year.
    Headings like "The Rivalry", "Willie's Magic", "Gross Robbery", "Shootout Bloody Shootout" and "Sounders Flounder", regale the reader with tales of the original Cascadia rivalries, shootout wins and shootout losses, and the battles with the League's big names like Cruyff, Pele, Best, Neeskins, and Mueller.
    Soccer Bowl triumph aside, it was certainly a season of stories for the Whitecaps: selling out Empire early with 32,372 fans when the Cosmos came to town; a 14 minute stoppage for a mass brawl and pitch invasion in the return game in New York; tornados in Tulsa causing the first ever NASL match to be abandoned; a troublesome and referee confusing back bar in the Empire nets; and, of course, Willie Johnston's famous beer swig.
    There's even far fetched tales of games where the Whitecaps manage 26 shots! Carl and Bobby, can you please have a sit down with the current crop of Caps and explain to them how this works?
    If you love your history, if you love your Caps, then "1979 - That Championship Year" is a great addition to your collection.
    And if you don't know too much about that famous season in the Caps' history, then track this souvenir brochure down, as it's the perfect place to start to find out.
    There's been a few kicking around on ebay recently, so keep an eye out and relive the heady days of Soccer Bowl success and when the Whitecaps were the number one sporting team in Vancouver.
    I'm looking forward to buying the souvenir brochure for the Caps' first MLS Cup win. As fun as that will be, the stories just won't be quite the same.
    Guest

    The only crime is to be surprised

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    “And they expect you to be happy
    And they expect you to be pleased
    That you’ve only got the symptoms
    You haven’t got the whole disease”
    -Elvis Costello: “Tramp the Dirt Down”
    Relationships are tricky, be they with your sweetie or your football team.
    In the beginning, you enjoy some of the giddiest and freest moments of your life. That warm, magical bliss – a high so brilliant and clear you could easily spend the rest of your life just trying to get there again.
    If you’re lucky, it lasts, grows, matures and settles in.
    If you’re a Toronto FC fan, that didn’t happen.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    ---
    And so it came to a cloudy, cool, swirling October Saturday. Ambling off the turf at Lamport Stadium, in the warehouse district north of BMO Field, members of the supporters’ group U-Sector had just wrapped up their weekly house league soccer matches.
    As you might expect with TFC mired in ultimate last place, no one was too excited about that afternoon’s upcoming game against D.C. United. Some said, sure, they’d go. Others weren’t sure. Most seemed resigned – the duty you’d feel to another day on a job that really isn’t working for you.
    A few of us settled in for food, drinks and drinks at the Red Patch Boys watering hole on King Street. Very few people there for a game day. Nothing you’d even optimistically call a buzz.
    ---
    Always, in relationships, stuff gets in the way. Childhood stuff, emotional stuff, things-you-can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-that-keep-mucking-stuff-up stuff. This stuff ends up ending most relationships, but it’s also manageable if there’s devotion both ways, and you’re willing to do a bit of honest self-learning and self-examination.
    And then there are those sad, stomach-dropping times, when you gradually realize the object of your affection has some very deep and serious problems.
    ---
    I watched the match in the north end, with a young couple I know from Peterborough, Ontario. They actually met as TFC fans. He was trudging home from the bar after yet another loss. She saw his TFC scarf across a park, and called out “Did we win?” Along with Danny Dichio’s famous first goal, they’re probably the best thing Toronto FC has ever put together.
    Her bright-eyed, curious six-year-old son was with us, more interested in red licorice Twizzlers than in the action on the pitch. Any why not, really? The Twizzlers delivered on their promise, and were good.
    TFC sagged and sogged, and to absolutely no one’s surprise they eventually hair-balled up the game, on a brutal 88th-minute goaltending gaffe from Milos Kocic, who’s tried his blessed heart out all season, with little or no help – from anybody.
    It didn’t even hurt that much, honestly. We were stunned by the magnitude of the mistake, but you can’t be surprised, can you?
    At this point, among Toronto FC fans, the only real crime is to be surprised.
    They went off to catch their train or maybe go to High Park, happily enjoying their day out. I went off to the post-game press conference, amused to discover – once I was undistracted and on my own – that I was getting really, really angry.
    ---
    Hey, we’ve all got problems, but sometimes all the figuring out and healing is being done only on one side. That’s when you begin to see that loving someone or something does not mean you’re getting loved in return.
    You notice it’s you that’s making all the sacrifices. You notice it’s you that’s paying all the bills.
    Occasionally, you speak up. You get shut down, frosted or ignored.
    And you start a slow, dark, smouldering burn.
    ---
    By the time I got to the cinderblock bunker that is the BMO Field pressroom, I was seething. I actually told TFC press guy Mike Masaro not to let me ask any questions.
    I’ve been trying to think of the right way to describe the way TFC coach/manager Paul Mariner enters a room after yet another bad loss. It’s a kind of float, oddly married to a slight jerky awkwardness. A bit Muppetish, really. (I mean no scorn by that. I love the Muppets.)
    The first question (Dan Girard of the Toronto Star): “Paul, is there anything left to say?”
    Mariner concedes that there really isn’t. He still praises his players, saying he asked them for hard work and commitment, and that he hadn’t seen them play that well in quite a while.
    Really!?
    I’m an inch away from thrusting up a hand, calling bullshit on Mariner, the team and the entire organization, and asking whether there’s anything at all the long-suffering fans of Toronto FC can actually look forward to for the coming season?
    I’m tossing coins in my head (go/no-go; blurt/no-blurt), when John Molinaro of Sportsnet.ca saves me the trip:
    “Paul, are you seeing anything out there that gives you encouragement looking ahead to next season?”
    Again, Mariner praises the side, and says there’s nothing to be done about all the injuries. He talks about shape and strategy, even though he must know everyone in the room just saw TFC play yet another bland and largely shapeless game.
    The conference ends abruptly. Compared to normal, very little has been asked, very little answered.
    ---
    TFC’s principle investors, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, have made three – possibly four – crippling mistakes since the franchise was granted in 2006:
    - Hiring Mo Johnston to run the operation.
    - Rehiring Mo Johnston after the Jersey Swamp debacle flushed the 2009 playoff push.
    - Hiring Aron Winter to bring Total Football to BMO Field in 2011.
    Tom Anselmi, MLSE’s head suit, has been overlooking Toronto FC since the get-go. He is deeply implicated in all three of these hideous, horn-honking howlers.
    The possible fourth screech-job was the recent decision to bring Paul Mariner back for 2013.
    There are many strong opinions, back-and-forth, both ways on this one.
    Yes, the players responded well to Mariner initially, winning four games very quickly. But it’s also true they haven’t won any league matches since. Yes, the dressing room was much happier after Winter was ousted. No, it isn’t like that now.
    I’ve heard people I really trust say that if TFC sacked Mariner now, no manager worth his salt would even answer the phone. This is yet another symptom of how deep this chasm really is.
    But I’m having trouble seeing how they have any choice at all.
    Mariner’s job, when he took over, really wasn’t to make the playoffs. Even four quick wins only barely nudged them back into vague contention, and that didn’t last long.
    Mariner’s job was to get these guys playing together, and feeling like a team. It’s clearly evident now that he has totally failed to do this.
    Now maybe he’s being hampered by the chronic toxic MLSE workplace environment that drove A-list Canadian stars Dwayne de Rosario and Julian de Guzman out of town.
    Maybe he just doesn't have the wisdom and experience to run a pro soccer squad at this level.
    Or maybe his players are tired of being YELLED AT!
    ALL THE TIME!
    If there were a TV show called Soccer Team Rescue, the decision to keep Mariner on would be the moment when the hot-headed expert explodes, turning to Anselmi and screaming “What are you doing??? Are you freaking kidding???”
    ---
    Outside Gate 4, a small group of angry fans were holding a sign comparing Mariner and the MLSE braintrust to Muppets. (They do mean scorn by that. And they love the Muppets.)
    ---
    I finally blew up in the parking lot.
    Two friendly fellow scribes – whom I’ll decline to identify – were treated to a rough and colourful early draft of this very article. F-bombs were included at key moments.
    And I wandered off up Dufferin Street, still bitter, still snarly, thinking about contrast.
    Away from the pitch, while all this footy fantasy was going on, I truly came so far in six joyous years of positive thinking, building a lovely life – and a wonderful relationship! – forgiving and closing the door on old errors and anger.
    … And this freak-beating soccer team can undo it completely – even when I’m having a lovely afternoon eating Twizzlers with dear friends.
    ---
    In the end, there is a choice.
    Relationships end. Hearts move on.
    No one could fairly blame any of the thousands of Toronto FC fans who have decided they just don’t want to pay more and more money every year for less and less joy.
    The team they loved has a horrible, untreatable affliction – Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
    For those fans who remain, the danger is clear.
    By all means, give your heart, your time, your hopes, your cash. But be warned:
    The only hope to fix this battered, battering relationship is change. And the team you love hasn’t changed.
    And once again, the only crime is to be surprised.
    Onward!
    Guest
    Continuing our chat with Whitecaps legend Carl Valentine (you can read Part One <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?3810-Nightcap-With-A-Whitecap-Carl-Valentine-part-one" target="_blank">HERE</a>), we turn our attention to the present day Caps and Carl gives us some candid insight into his early playing career and his move to Vancouver...
    <center>**********</center>
    In terms of the history, is the team upset about being out of the Cascadia Cup? Are their minds just on playoffs, does the Cascadia Cup register?
    <i>It was definitely disappointing to be out of the Cascadia Cup, but I think it’s more disappointing to not beat Seattle. We should have beat Seattle at home, but we didn’t, and that’s the most frustrating. Seattle and Portland are our rivals, but you can’t be a true rival unless you start beating them. It’s made even worse because we didn’t perform. That sticks with you. You want to win. You want to be the best team in the Northwest; you want to be the best team in Canada.
    The guys thrive on a rivalry. You don’t have to get up on those games, you thrive because there’s pride on the line and you know what it means to your fans.</i>
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Has the schedule taken a toll on us this year?
    <i>It has. When you’re on the road for 9 out of 13 games, when you have 39 days between home games, it has an effect on the guys, and on the fans. In that time, summer’s over, kids are going back to school, and I’m sure a lot of people thought the Whitecaps’ season was over.
    It’s also tough on the coaches, trying to bring in new guys, work on chemistry, and that’s hard on the road, and with large breaks between games.</i>
    Speaking of coaches, you’ve now seen several coaches come through the club. What are your thoughts on Martin Rennie?
    <i>He’s a good young coach.</i>
    Is your emphasis on "good" or is it on "young"?
    <i>I think it has to be on both. Wherever he’s been he’s done well. He came into the MLS without the same freedom to do what he’s done in other organizations in terms of the salary cap and moving players around.
    You also have to look at the fact that it’s his first year in the MLS. When you see coaches come in, they’re learning. And when you haven’t done it before, you have to learn on the fly. I think he’s done that, he’s seen what he’s needed and he’s made that happen. He sees the club moving forward, and I think what I like about Martin is that he’s not afraid to make tough decisions.
    Are they good decisions? Are they bad decisions? It’s not that black and white.
    I think he’s learning, he’s looking ahead to what he wants to do next year, and he isn’t concerned with "who likes who" and he does what he needs to do to get the right mix. He’s doing what he needs to do to move the team, and the players, forward.
    That’s what excites me about him. He’s going to get better, the more he learns about the League.
    I believe we’re going to make the playoffs and that’s going to be another huge learning curve, for him and his staff, and the team is going to be better for it next year.</i>
    Ok, enough about the team, let’s talk about Carl Valentine. What was the moment when you realized that being a professional footballer was the life for you?
    <i>I had a lot of knockbacks as a kid. I went to Stockport County with a friend of mine for a tryout, at 16, and he made it and I didn’t. I was told I wasn’t good enough. So I went back to school, was going to be a phys ed teacher. Another friend of mine invited me to Oldham, for the summer between school, and they signed me with a contract, a semi-professional contract, at £16 a week, and £8 went to my mum and dad.</i>
    Did you say £16 a week?
    <i>Yep, and half went to my mum and dad.</i>
    Wow… times have changed. So you signed your first contract…
    <i>It was Oldham Athletic, I was 17, and I think, within a year, I made my debut and it was the scariest moment of my life, but I thought, "I’m finally going to play in the first team, and this is what you work for, this is what you dream for."
    You’re always going to work hard, but that’s the hurdle, you have to work to get there, but once you get there, you have to stay there. Once I got there I think I played for 16 or 17 games straight.</i>
    What is it that made you move to Vancouver? What is it that makes a player think it’s worthwhile to move across the globe? Does a player say, "Yes, the money is good enough, I’ll go"?
    <i>I think you’ve just answered it.</i>
    Really? Just money?! How much money is enough money to change continents?
    <i>Put it this way, when you’re young, you’re superman or superwoman, you’re oblivious to a lot of things. You’re indestructible, drinking all night, getting up the next day, so I don’t think you’re appreciative of who you are as a person and where you are.</i>
    Agreed.
    <i>There was an incident in my second year in England… There was a football pink that came out, you played at 3pm, finished at 5pm and the football pink came out at 7pm. My first year I broke into the team and had a great year. The next year, I had a few injuries and didn’t play as well. So one day we played a game, I came home and was having supper and my mum came home and was in tears. She had opened up the paper and there was a feature on me saying that I was a "one year wonder".
    And the reason I say that is, I still talk about that story today, so it must have affected me.</i>
    And when was this?
    <i>That must have been 1978, and I came over [to Vancouver] in 1979.</i>
    So this REALLY affected you?
    <i>I can put the two together, and I probably didn’t know it as a kid. Someone offered me twice the money, and I’ve never been a person who was about money, but subconsciously, maybe I thought "if I wasn’t here..."
    I’ve always believed in my ability, but it’s different when someone around me is hurt. So for my mum to be upset, that probably had an effect on me coming to Vancouver. Then they wouldn’t see the press, and wouldn’t be as affected by it.</i>
    One bad feature article and you’re gone!
    <i>No, of course not, but when they came over to talk to me, they told me what I wanted to hear. They told me that the NASL is growing, and there are a lot of scouts over there, sign a two year contract over there and you can come back and play in the First Division. I would have only been 22, coming back to play in the First Division.
    I had only been abroad once, to Spain. So all of a sudden there I was, going out from my mum and dad’s house to a country 3,000 miles away.</i>
    To play in a city in a country you had "sort of" heard of…
    <i>Well I hadn’t. I’d never heard of Vancouver.</i>
    So when did you think to yourself, "I’ve made a huge mistake?"
    <i>The first day I arrived in Vancouver was February, not the 14th, Valentine’s Day, but it was February. I was living with Bruce Grobbelaar, a South African, a white South African, who had just finished a two year stint in the Rhodesian Army (which is Zimbabwe now) chasing blacks.
    We were known as "the odd couple."
    He picked me up at the airport, it was pouring rain, and he drove me down to Davie Street.</i>
    How was Davie Street in 1979?
    <i>It was rough, and I was thinking, "What have I done?"
    I got up the next day, and we had these Honda Civics with the waves on them, and we drove out to Empire on a beautiful sunny day, trained at Empire with the mountains, etc and I remember thinking, "Wow". I mean, it wasn’t hard to fall in love with Vancouver. Once the season started, the atmosphere at Empire was incredible, and we had a good team.</i>
    So you never thought, "I made a huge mistake, what have I done?"
    <i>No, well, a few times when I had a chance to go back. These teams in England wanted me to go back, which had been my plan, but the Whitecaps wouldn’t sell me.
    I was choked, at the time. I didn’t think it was a mistake, I was just mad.
    The other overwhelming factor is that Vancouver is such a beautiful place to live. It’s not a hardship to live here. You come here, you live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and you don’t regret it.</i>
    Do you ever think about the road that led you here? That one day, you would be so well known, so loved, and so tied to the history and the future of Vancouver Whitecaps?
    <i>When I look back at a critical time in my life, I was 17, I had come to terms that I wouldn’t make it as a professional player, and I thought "What do I do? Do I leave school?", but I stayed on at school and was going to be a teacher. Then I ran into Gary Riley and he asked me to train up at Oldham and that changed my life.</i>
    You had no idea, when you went to train at Oldham that you had changed your path forever…
    <i>Exactly, I had no idea. Had I gone on to be a phys ed teacher, I could have had a happy life. But the life I’ve had… it has been amazing. It has been pretty special. I’m in this amazing role and there’s so much I get to do, but my favourite thing is still interacting with the fans.</i>
    Well, I appreciate you interacting with this fan. This has been an honour.
    <i>I was looking forward to doing the interview; I read a lot of your work and it was a lot of fun to read.</i>
    [At this point I’m totally blushing!]
    <i>Your only job now is to make me look good, which I’m sure you will.</i>
    Easily done! Is there anything you would like to say to the fans?
    <i>Hopefully they know how much I appreciate the support that they have given me, it’s really special.
    In terms of the team, and the future, I’m excited. It’s been a magical year, I thought it was a magical year last year, but this year we’re having a better season on the field and I think after last year, getting Martin Rennie and his coaching staff in, and the quality of players we have on the field, we should all be excited.
    I’m not talking about winning the MLS cup, but I think that no matter how it unfolds it will be a magical year and we’ll come back bigger and stronger next year.</i>
    A captivating storyteller, and arguably the nicest man alive, Carl Valentine has brought some of the magic of the old NASL Whitecaps to this sophomore MLS team. It’s no wonder that he was once named Vancouver’s Most Popular Athlete, because it’s possible that he still is.
    <p>
    Guest
    When you think of the Vancouver Whitecaps, there are many things that come to mind. Most recently, it’s the huge win on Wednesday, DeMerit’s mullet, and a race for the playoffs, but when you think back to the "original" Whitecaps, and fast-forward to the team today, one person that is there through it all is Mr. Carl Valentine.
    Practically synonymous with the Whitecaps, I was admittedly star struck when I sat down with Carl for this latest edition of <i>'Nightcap with a Whitecap'</i>. Two hours, and a few pints later, it was clear that this would have to be a multi-part story. As I had suspected going into this, Carl Valentine is simply too awesome for just one column.
    So I present Part One, of this special two-part <i>'Nightcap with a Whitecap'</i>:
    First question, of course is Favourite Nightcap?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <i>Sambuca.</i>
    Wow, really? Why?
    <i>Medicinal reasons. (*laughs*) I mean, obviously when I was a kid, I used to shoot Sambuca, like everyone did. Now I just find it nice and relaxing. It’s very refreshing at the end of the night. I don’t shoot it anymore, I sip it.</i>
    I think that’s the first time anyone has chosen that, and I think we’ve discovered that Carl has a wild side…
    <i>(*laughs*) Maybe. I just sip it… most nights, actually.</i>
    There’s nothing wrong with that. Perhaps we should have ordered Sambuca instead of beer?
    <i>I like beer, but I don’t have a favourite beer, and I never have. I don’t know how to say this next part without it sounding the way it sounds, but I’ve not found a beer that I don’t like. I know how that makes it sound… I like beer, but I don’t have a beer where I say, "I have to have that beer next time I go out".</i>
    Don’t worry, Carl. I think people will only like you more to hear you’ve never found a beer you didn’t like.
    Second question, no surprise, Favourite Whitecap? And just for you, you can name someone from your playing days, and someone from the current squad.
    <i>I played with so many, it’s hard to pick a favourite. Probably… Fran O’Brien. He was my roommate, an Irishman. He lives in Tacoma now. We had a lot of fun and we still keep in touch. I won’t say he was a great roommate, he was always nicking my toothpaste, had no money, that kind of guy, but we get along really well and he was a great player.</i>
    How about your favourite Whitecap now?
    <i>I’m not around him a lot, but I just love Gershon Koffie. I had the pleasure of going to Vernon with him for the day. As an ambassador we try to reach out to the community, so we have day trips. I’ve gone on them with a number of players, but I spent the day with [Koffie], as well as seeing him around the field, and he’s a really nice young man. Fantastic player now, and going to be a great player later on, I think.</i>
    I think there are many fans out there who would agree with you.
    <i>As a former player, I watch with a critical eye, but as fan as well, when I see Koffie play, even when he’s not on top of his game, he does a lot of things for the team that go unseen. Sometimes he goes down too easily, or stays down too easily, but he’s fierce in the tackle. He breaks up a lot of plays. I think that for someone so young, his awareness on the field is what separates him, for me. That’s why I think he’s a talented player now, and going to be a very talented player if he’s in the right environment, and continues to stay in the right environment, because he’s got it all.</i>
    I like that you picked a player that isn’t the most flashy, but is a strong player and a strong member of the team. That being said, at least he’s on twitter… You’re not even on twitter, aside from <a href="http://www.twitter.com/afrocarl" target="_blank">@AfroCarl</a>. Are you aware of AfroCarl?
    <i>I’ve heard from other people that [AfroCarl] is actually quite funny. There are even some people in our organization who think it’s me. But I think, as long as he’s funny and witty, it’s okay that they think it’s me.</i>
    People in the organization think it’s you?
    <i>I think it was Alex Morfaw, last year, who had a go at me on the field for something I had tweeted, and it was Michael Nanchoff who had to say to him, "Alex, that’s not Carl".
    So, obviously, if AfroCarl isn’t witty or funny then it’s bad, but he seems quite funny, so I don’t have to go around and tell everyone that it’s not me. I mean, I tell them it’s not me if they ask me...</i>
    So you don’t mind being impersonated?
    <i>This isn’t the first time. There was a guy in Vancouver, and I don’t know if he was actually trying to impersonate me or not, but he would go out with a Whitecaps shirt that said Valentine on the back, and people would say, "I saw you at such-and-such a place the other night," and I’d think, "No, I was at home". I never asked him about it, I knew him a little, but he was quite a good looking guy, so it was ok.
    I’ve never really needed to build a reputation, it seems like someone is always doing it for me.</i>
    Speaking of building your reputation though, how did you become the ambassador that you are for the Whitecaps? Did you always want to be the "face" of Vancouver Whitecaps?
    <i>I approached Bobby [Lenarduzzi], around the time the Whitecaps were applying for MLS. I definitely wanted to be involved with the club on the ground level. I think the reason is that I’m very fortunate that I’ve had this relationship with the fans. I don’t question it anymore. I know how much I’m loved and I love them as much. I felt there was a reason for me to be with the Whitecaps, especially because the ownership wanted to nurture the history. I thought that would be a real plus for me, and the Whitecaps.
    I approached Bobby, of course he didn’t have a position for me at the time, so Danny Lenarduzzi was very instrumental in getting me the position, but basically what they did was they went to four different departments, and probably begged. With Partnerships, Tickets, Media and Coaching, they went to 4 different departments and they got enough together to get me a salary.
    I’ll never forget the first day I went into the office, it was December, so there was no coaching, and the Media Department, they were looking after me, and they kinda looked and thought "What they hell are we going to do with this guy?"
    All I had done was coach and play, so they had no idea what to think.
    Long story short, I went in and did some writing, and they liked the stories I had and how I wrote. I did some interviewing, which was more of a challenge, but obviously they liked that side of it and it just grew from there.
    At the end of the year, they said they wanted to take me away from the coaching and more on the media and community relations. The role really just evolved… but I still don’t know what I’m doing!</i>
    You’re just "the guy"!
    <i>When people say, "What do you do?" I don’t really have an answer. I just blab on about different things… I don’t have an answer. I’m just, I’m there, I guess.</i>
    Even when you weren’t with the Whitecaps, it’s safe to say that they were never far from your mind, and you were never far from the minds of fans, am I right?
    <i>Prior to this it was almost 10 years outside the Whitecaps, but even though it was 10 years not working directly with the Whitecaps, it was every other day, or every 3 or 4 days, I’d bump into someone talking about the Whitecaps and "the days," and you knew there was still that connection there. And I’ve always had that connection with the fans, and was hoping that there would to be somewhere in the organization to nurture that. So the role has kind of evolved, and I find it funny that a lot of people haven’t seen me play. So it’s not just the connection of Carl Valentine and the history I had with the old Whitecaps fans, but the connection with the new Whitecaps fans.</i>
    They may have never seen you play, but they've certainly heard of you.
    <i>When I see people, when they chant my name, and sing "My Darling Valentine", not really sure where that came from, there’s real energy with it, and love. From my point of view it’s just fantastic.</i>
    What do you miss most about your playing days? What has changed between when you played and now as you watch the Whitecaps in the MLS?
    <i>Back in the day, we were probably the most popular team in town. I think it was 1980, they had a poll for "Most Popular Athlete" in the Vancouver Sun. The Lions were in there, and the Canucks, but I won the award as Most Popular Athlete in Vancouver. It was only my second year here. When you think about it, you have to wonder "how does that happen?"
    It really shows you how well loved the Whitecaps were. I think part of that is when you talk to the fans of the old days, it was a real "we" – "we" won this, "we" had a great time.
    I think the other difference between now and then was the characters. We had some real characters, players that could do the unexpected on and off the field. We had Willie Johnston, who took the swig of beer and also mooned the bench when he scored a shoot out goal against Seattle. We had Alan Ball, John Craven… There were a lot of characters that I played with back in the day.</i>
    Do you miss that?
    <i>Of course I do, but it’s not the players’ fault. Look at Terry Dunfield, a hometown lad, playing the very first major league game in Vancouver, scores a goal and jumps into the crowd and gets booked. That’s emotion. Even if there was a rule that jumping over the barrier would mean a red card, he would have done it. It’s emotion. But you can’t do that stuff now.</i>
    Will that ever change?
    <i>No. I don’t think so. You won’t have the same characters that we had in our game. Which is too bad because we had a lot of them and the crowd loved it, and without the fans, you’ve got nothing.</i>
    Speaking of being a crowd favourite though, did you ever think to yourself, "One day, I’m going to walk around Vancouver and people will know me, stop me for photos, sing my name…"?
    <i>No. When I came over I was only 20. So when I came over I just came to fill a role. Then in the first game someone got injured and I got thrown into the team. If I looked back, on myself as a player, I think, "wow, there was a real connection with the fans, but man, I wasn’t that good"!
    I remember, a guy walked up to me in the street and said, "You’re Carl Valentine aren’t you? You’ve only got 2 moves haven’t ya?" I didn’t know if it was a compliment or not but I thought, "well, I guess it’s good I’ve got 2 moves, the defender won’t know which one I’m going to do." I didn’t have a lot of skill, but I was fast. And I really didn’t know what I was doing on the field, but if I didn’t know what I was doing, there was no chance a defender knew what I was doing either!
    To be honest, I’d rather be known as the most hardworking guy on the team.
    When I look back on my time with the Whitecaps, I am more proud that when we had our team scrimmages, five a side, I was always the first picked, because I worked hard.
    I mean, you can win some awards, and that’s great for your ego, but I always wanted to be known as the hardest working guy.</i>
    Do you think that’s on the mind of players now? Do they want to work hard or do they want to be famous and get a big pay cheque?
    <i>I think it’s a little bit harder in the MLS, since everyone knows what you’re making. There are a lot of guys who make a lot of money, but that’s a lot of pressure. Players might want to moan and complain, but if they’re being honest, everyone in the room knows what they’re making, so there’s a lot of pressure to perform.
    In the end, I really think our guys care about putting a Whitecaps jersey on. They want to do well, and it’s tough when you go through a bad spell, because they care. They’ve learned a lot of the history, and I think these guys are really proud to put that jersey on.</i>
    And that's what the fans want to hear. A good note to end part one on.
    <p>
    Guest
    The 2012 season is not yet in the books and another former Italian international is on the phone to join the Montreal Impact next season.
    SoccerPlus has learned from a European source that the 35-year-old defender’s agent is trying to convince Montreal, New York or at least one other MLS side to pick up his client for the 2013 campaign.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Zambrotta was previously in talks with the Red Bulls this season to join Henry at RBA in the middle of the 2012 season, but these talks were cut short by the gap between what the Italian wanted and what the NYRB were ready to fork out, considering their already jam-packed payroll.
    This time around, Montreal and New York have offered two to three times under what the 18-season veteran is looking for. According to our source, the amounts offered would make Zambrotta the second highest-paid player with Les Bleus, or the fourth most-paid player in the Big Apple.
    Inactive since May 2012, Zambrotta is still training with the hope to play a final year before calling it quits.
    He played his last four seasons with AC Milan (with the Impact’s Alessandro Nesta), two seasons in Barcelona (including one with NYRB’s Thierry Henry in 2007-08) and the previous seven with Juventus in Serie A. He played 98 games with Italy between 1999 and 2010, winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where he scored the opening goal of a quarterfinal win over Ukraine.
    Zambrotta scored his only other international goal on May 30, 2004 on a pass from current Montreal Impact member, Bernardo Corradi, in a friendly against Tunisia.
    Despite the moment he finds himself in career-wise, no doubt many clubs all across the world would jump on an opportunity to pick up the seasoned veteran for a few months before he steps out of the scene for good.
    Already his name is circulating in the Brazilian press where he is linked to Botafogo and Flamenco or even at PSG where his former coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters last month he could be tempted to bring him on once the winter transfer window opens up.
    Guest

    SoccerPlus - Weekly podcast (Oct. 5)

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    Montreal, Paris, Philadelphia, Sao Paulo, hang on... here we come!
    On this week's show we discuss the races to follow until the end of the MLS season, the current form of the Vancouver Whitecaps, the return of head coach Jesse Marsch in Montreal and a long absence for "Les Bleus'" first signee Nelson Rivas.
    We also talk about the first edition of Montreal's ExpoSoccer and revisit this week's scores in UEFA's Champions League and Europa League.
    All this and more on this week's show with our guest contributors Raphael Larocque-Cyr, Marc Tougas (CP), Pat Leduc (RDS/LaPresse), Marc Dos Santos in Sao Paulo, Jonathan Tannenwald in Philadelphia and Cedric Ferreira in Paris.
    Enjoy!
    Click here to listen to the show.
    Guest

    The worst team in the...

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    It’s been bad. Really bad. Toronto FC has been beyond awful this year and it’s incredibly frustrating for anyone who cares/cared about the club.
    But, how bad has it been in an historic context? Find out below the jump as CSN lists the worst 25 seasons in MLS history.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    1 - 1999 – New York – 0.468 points per game
    2 - 2001 – Tampa Bay – 0.518
    3 - 2005 – Chivas -- 0.5625
    4 - 1999 – Kansas City – 0.625
    4 - 2005 – RSL – 0.625
    6 - 2009 - NYRB – 0.7
    6 - 2012 - Toronto FC – 0.7
    8 - 2010 - DC United – 0.73
    9 - 2003 - Dallas – 0.766
    10 - 1999 – New England - 0.8125
    11 - 2011 - New England – 0.82
    11 - 2011 - Vancouver – 0.82
    12 - 2007 - Toronto FC – 0.83
    13 - 2001 – Colorado – 0.884
    14 - 2007 -- RSL – 0.9
    14 - 2012 – Chivas – 0.9
    14 - 2000 – San Jose – 0.9
    14 - 1999 – Miami – 0.9
    14 - 1998 – New England – 0.9
    14 - 1996 – Colorado – 0.9
    20 - 2010 - Chivas – 0.93
    21 - 2000 – DC United – 0.9375
    21 - 1997 – San Jose – 0.9375
    23 - 2012 – New England – 0.94
    24 - 2011 -- Toronto FC - 0.97
    24 - 2012 – Portland – 0.97
    So, pretty bad. If you put stock in the MLS 1.0/2.0 distinctions Toronto’s 2012 season is either tied for worst in 2.0 with New York’s 2009 mess, or only behind the two expansion sides of 2005 (depending on when you believe MLS 2.0 started).
    Regardless, terrible. The only “positive” is that it can’t get worse. Even if Toronto fails to get a point the rest of the way it will drop to 0.64 points per game, which would still rank it as sixth worst, albeit no longer tied with New York.
    If locust fills the sky and TFC runs off three straight wins it will finish with 0.91 points per game, “good” enough for 20th worst all-time.
    However, it’s not just the single season that has so many TFC fans ready to give it all up. It’s the more damaging fact that Toronto has now clinched a place on a very infamous list. It has become just the second club to go back-to-back years with less than one point per game.
    New England did it in 1998 and 1999 and might do it again this year, but Toronto’s 0.84 ppg record since 2011 is the worst two-year run in MLS history.
    Worst team in the world? No, but in MLS…
    Guest

    Final 2012 MLS salary list

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The final MLS salary list was released today. Below the jump the three Canadian teams. The full list can be seen here.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    [TABLE=width: 500]
    [TR]
    [TD]Team[/TD]
    [TD]Name[/TD]
    [TD]Position[/TD]
    [TD]Base salary[/TD]
    [TD]Guaranteed salary [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Arguez, Bryan[/TD]
    [TD]D/M[/TD]
    [TD]$65,000[/TD]
    [TD]$65,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Arnaud, Davy[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$290,000[/TD]
    [TD]$290,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Bernier, Patrice[/TD]
    [TD]F/M[/TD]
    [TD]$130,000[/TD]
    [TD]$149,333.25[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Brovsky, Jeb[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Bush, Evan[/TD]
    [TD]GK[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Camara, Hassoun[/TD]
    [TD]F/M[/TD]
    [TD]$75,000[/TD]
    [TD]$75,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Di Vaio, Marco[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$1,000,008[/TD]
    [TD]$1,937,508[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Ferrari, Matteo[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$130,000[/TD]
    [TD]$185,475[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Gardner, Joshua[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$54,120[/TD]
    [TD]$54,120[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Iapichino, Dennis[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$102,000[/TD]
    [TD]$102,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]James, Evan[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Mallace, Calum[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$59,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Mapp, Justin[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$210,000[/TD]
    [TD]$218,333.33[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Martins, Felipe[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$120,000[/TD]
    [TD]$120,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Montano, Miguel[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Neagle, Lamar[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Nesta, Alessandro[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$180,000[/TD]
    [TD]$225,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Nyassi, Sanna[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$125,000[/TD]
    [TD]$132,625[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Ouimette, Karl[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Perkins, Troy[/TD]
    [TD]GK[/TD]
    [TD]$190,000[/TD]
    [TD]$201,833.33[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Rivas, Nelson[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$50,000[/TD]
    [TD]$50,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Sebrango, Eduardo[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Sutton, Greg[/TD]
    [TD]GK[/TD]
    [TD]$65,000[/TD]
    [TD]$65,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Thomas, Shavar[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$80,000[/TD]
    [TD]$94,666.67[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Ubiparipovic, Sinisa[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$55,000[/TD]
    [TD]$55,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Valentin, Zarek[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$90,000[/TD]
    [TD]$142,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Warner, Collen[/TD]
    [TD]M/F[/TD]
    [TD]$46,725[/TD]
    [TD]$60,475[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Mtr[/TD]
    [TD]Wenger, Andrew[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$100,000[/TD]
    [TD]$202,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Amarikwa, Quincy[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$44,100[/TD]
    [TD]$44,100[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Avila, Eric[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$125,000[/TD]
    [TD]$158,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Cann, Adrian[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$126,000[/TD]
    [TD]$134,750[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Cordon, Oscar[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Dunfield, Terry[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$86,000[/TD]
    [TD]$86,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Eckersley, Richard[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$210,000[/TD]
    [TD]$390,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Emory, Logan[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Frei, Stefan[/TD]
    [TD]GK[/TD]
    [TD]$120,000[/TD]
    [TD]$170,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Frings, Torsten[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$2,000,000[/TD]
    [TD]$2,413,666.67[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Hall, Jeremy[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$100,000[/TD]
    [TD]$149,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Harden, Ty[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$90,000[/TD]
    [TD]$98,666.67[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Hassli, Eric[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$550,000[/TD]
    [TD]$790,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Henry, Doneil[/TD]
    [TD]D [/TD]
    [TD]$44,100[/TD]
    [TD]$45,100[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Johnson, Ryan[/TD]
    [TD]M/F[/TD]
    [TD]$137,813[/TD]
    [TD]$137,813[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Kocic, Milos[/TD]
    [TD]GK[/TD]
    [TD]$44,100[/TD]
    [TD]$44,100[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Koevermans, Danny[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$1,150,000[/TD]
    [TD]$1,563,323.33[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Lambe, Reggie[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$60,000[/TD]
    [TD]$62,500[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Lindsay, Nicholas[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$44,100[/TD]
    [TD]$45,100[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Makubuya, Keith[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Maund, Aaron[/TD]
    [TD]M/D[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$59,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Morgan, Ashtone[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$56,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Plata, Joao[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$50,000[/TD]
    [TD]$50,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Roberts, Quillan[/TD]
    [TD]GK[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Silva, Luis[/TD]
    [TD]M/F[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$79,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Stinson, Matthew[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [TD]$44,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Wiedeman, Andrew[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$80,000[/TD]
    [TD]$123,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]TFC[/TD]
    [TD]Williams, Dicoy[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$52,500[/TD]
    [TD]$52,500[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Alderson, Bryce[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$60,000[/TD]
    [TD]$75,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Barbara, Etienne[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$87,500[/TD]
    [TD]$87,500[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Bonjour, Fernando[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$192,000[/TD]
    [TD]$276,987.50[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Cannon, Joe[/TD]
    [TD]GK[/TD]
    [TD]$166,250[/TD]
    [TD]$175,666.67[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Clarke, Caleb[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$44,004[/TD]
    [TD]$44,004[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Davidson, Jun Marques[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$67,500[/TD]
    [TD]$71,136.67 [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]DeMerit, Jay[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$300,000[/TD]
    [TD]$375,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Harris, Atiba[/TD]
    [TD]M/F[/TD]
    [TD]$150,000[/TD]
    [TD]$158,275[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Harvey, Jordan[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$100,000[/TD]
    [TD]$100,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Klazura Greg[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Knighton, Brad[/TD]
    [TD]GK[/TD]
    [TD]$55,000[/TD]
    [TD]$55,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Koffie, Gershon[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$90,000[/TD]
    [TD]$92,500[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Mattocks, Darren[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$100,000[/TD]
    [TD]$192,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Miller, Kenny[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$1,221,816[/TD]
    [TD]$1,239,316[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Mitchell, Carlyle[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$44,100[/TD]
    [TD]$44,100[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Nanchoff, Michael[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$66,000[/TD]
    [TD]$101,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]O'Brien, Andy[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$150,000[/TD]
    [TD]$192,250[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Richards, Dane[/TD]
    [TD]M/F[/TD]
    [TD]$170,000[/TD]
    [TD]$181,500[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Robson, Barry[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$439,999.92[/TD]
    [TD]$596,499.92[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Rochat, Alain[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$170,000[/TD]
    [TD]$170,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Salgado, Omar[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$90,000[/TD]
    [TD]$131,868.67[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Sanvezzo, Camilo[/TD]
    [TD]F[/TD]
    [TD]$200,000[/TD]
    [TD]$237,500[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Sylvestre, Brian[/TD]
    [TD]GK[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [TD]$33,750[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Teibert, Russell[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$55,000[/TD]
    [TD]$60,600[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Thorrington, John[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$170,000[/TD]
    [TD]$170,000[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Ulisses, Tiago[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$90,000[/TD]
    [TD]$103,852.50[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Watson, Matt[/TD]
    [TD]M[/TD]
    [TD]$65,000[/TD]
    [TD]$68,501.98[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD]Van[/TD]
    [TD]Young-Pyo, Lee[/TD]
    [TD]D[/TD]
    [TD]$140,000[/TD]
    [TD]$174,200[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD][/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    Guest
    If the men's national team is to break through and qualify for the final stage of World Cup qualifying (a.k.a. "the Hex") for the first time since 1997, it will be on the shoulders of the following players:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    1- GK- Lars Hirschfeld | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
    2- M- Nik Ledgerwood | SWE / Hammarby Fotboll
    3- FB- Mike Klukowski | CYP / APOEL
    4- CB- Kevin McKenna | GER / FC Köln
    5- CB- André Hainault | USA / Houston Dynamo
    6- M - Julian de Guzman | USA / FC Dallas
    7- F- Iain Hume | ENG / Doncaster Rovers
    8- M- Will Johnson | USA / Real Salt Lake
    9- F- Tosaint Ricketts | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
    10- F- Simeon Jackson | ENG / Norwich City FC
    11- FB- Marcel de Jong | GER / FC Augsburg
    12- CB- Dejan Jaković | USA / D.C. United
    13- M- Atiba Hutchinson | NED / PSV Eindhoven
    14- M - Terry Dunfield | CAN / Toronto FC
    15- CB- David Edgar | ENG / Burnley FC
    16- M- Pedro Pacheco | POR / CD Santa Clara
    17- F- Olivier Occean | GER / Eintracht Frankfurt
    18- GK- Milan Borjan | TUR / Sivasspor
    19- FB- Ante Jazić | USA / Chivas USA
    20- M - Patrice Bernier | CAN / Impact Montréal
    22- GK- Kenny Stamatopoulos | SWE / AIK Fotbol
    The team that will take on Cuba (in Toronto, Oct. 12) and Honduras (at San Pedro Sula, Oct. 16) is essentially identical to the squad that went up against Panama twice last month. Only two changes have been made: Iain Hume returns to the national team, replacing the injured Dwayne DeRosario, while well-traveled Mike Klukowski also returns, supplanting the youngster Ashtone Morgan.
    Last month, as you'll recall, Canada earned a 1-0 home victory over Panama before losing 2-0 in Panama City. Of note in that latter match, of course, are the absences of Will Johnson (suspension), Olivier Occean (injury) and, for all but eight minutes of the match, DeRosario (injury). And, oh yeah, they got an estimated two to three hours of sleep the previous evening.
    Now, with Canada needing a win -- and a comfortable margin of victory -- against Cuba to bolster their chances of qualifying, some fans had hoped head coach Stephen Hart might call in some of the offence-minded players we saw at this year's Olympic qualifying tournament, such as Lucas Cavallini, Marcus Haber or Randy Edwini-Bonsu.
    Hart did say that Cavallini, for one, was on the short list for these crucial games.
    "Lucas is a much different player than Dwayne," Hart told the media on Thursday. "He was considered and still very much is part of the consideration; we still have a weekend of games to go."
    In other words, in the (knock on wood) event of an injury in the next week, we could very well see Cavallini getting a call-up to the senior national team. And there's a possibility that such a situation could come to fruition, as Olivier Occean continues to nurse an injury.
    "That remains to be seen," Hart said when asked if Occean would be good to go against Cuba. "He is in training (with his club team); the decision on if he plays or not is of course (up to) the coach, but he is back in training."
    Either way, Hume (five goals in 36 appearances for Canada) will provide an option in the attack -- and the presumed usage of Marcel de Jong as a left-sided midfielder/winger (in the absence of DeRosario, who was utilized in that role for the national team) should also be interesting, given that he put in a strong showing when thrust into that position against Panama.
    Those circumstances combined to make the recall of Klukowski inevitable, now that he's back playing with his club side.
    "Mike has had games with his club and hopefully he'll be playing on the weekend," Hart said. "I just thought that (his) experience, going into these two games, would serve us well."
    Hart did caution about an over-emphasis on the decisive game against Honduras, stating unequivocally that his focus (and the focus of the team) is on getting the job done against Cuba, something that's not a fait accompli by any means.
    "They're a proud people, a proud team, and they're not going to lie down for anybody," Hart said of the Cubans. "Cuba plays much different away from home than they do at home.
    "Having watched the games against Panama and Honduras, they played two exceptional games away from home and should have got a result in both games."
    That will come as little consolation to Canadian fans itching for a blowout against the winless, pointless and goalless Cubans, to ease their nerves ahead of the showdown in San Pedro Sula. But with the team having only scored two goals in four games, it's perhaps a bit much to expect a massive outburst from Canada, especially given the ongoing personnel issues.
    "We've played this (part of the) campaign without Josh Simpson and now we have to go into the game without Dwayne," said Hart. "It's a team thing and players are going to have to pick up in the goal scoring, I don't really care where it comes from."
    So, Hart was asked, is there some magic formula to give the team a sudden goal-scoring boost?
    "No, but if you have one, give me a call."
    Indeed, there's no magic formula, no silver bullet, and no easy way to navigate the next week and a half. Canada realistically needs four points of a possible six to book a ticket in the Hex. And yes, that includes grabbing at least a point in Honduras, also known as the land where Canadian soccer dreams go to die.
    "It's never easy, but it's not an impossible task," said Hart. "(The veteran players) know the reality of the present situation we're in... they're going to do everything to galvanize the squad and do what is necessary."
    Let's just hope that their everything is enough to see Canada through to a place we haven't been in 15 years... and a whole lot closer to a place we haven't been in 26 years.
    Guest
    Christopher Vose is AFTN's photographer and here is a gallery of some of his photos from the clash between Vancouver Whitecaps and Chivas USA on Wednesday October 3rd 2012.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    For a full high quality slideshow of all of Christopher's Chivas photos, click <a href="
    " target="_blank">HERE</a>.<center>********************</center>
    <center>

    (Pretty in pink)

    (Late night Koffie for sleepy Chivas)

    (Barry tells the lino there's more to come)

    (Valencia was so bad, he needed all the helping hands he could get)

    (Cheats never prosper)

    (Matt's training with sealions pays handsome dividends)

    (Camilo makes amends for Saturday's miss)

    (Barry loves a Brazilian)

    (Robson's rocket makes it four)

    (And the bromance continues)

    (Is there a rift? Well they're keeping it off the pitch at least)
    </center>
    You can view all of Christopher's Whitecaps photographs at <a href="http://www.consulphotography.com" target="_blank"><b>ConsulPhotography.com</b></a>.
    Be sure to check his photos daily, as he is will have regular shots up from training, as well at Caps matches at all levels.
    All of his photos are copyrighted and cannot be used without his permission.
    <p>
    Guest
    And so, for the second time in the past six weeks, Canada has been knocked out of a women's youth World Cup by the North Koreans, falling by a score of 2-1 to a team that looked more technically proficient and did better at converting the opportunities it was given.
    There's a red-herring silver lining (to mix our colour-related metaphors a bit) here, in that the U17 squad made it to the quarterfinals, while the U20s were knocked out in the group stage. And the U17s certainly didn't have circles danced around them in the way the U20s occasionally did by North Korea, although the Koreans did hold 58% possession on Thursday.
    So, yes, there's nothing wrong with doing a little back-patting for a group of teenagers that did make it to the final eight at a global tournament before going down to a disciplined and talented team. But to pretend that everything is terrific would also be doing the team, and the program, no favours.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The biggest issue for this team -- as anyone who watched part of any of their games can attest to -- was a lack of finish. The number of squandered opportunities against Colombia and Azerbaijan went beyond counting, while there were a number of very good chances against North Korea that also went unconverted.
    Against North Korea, a pair of Canadian strikers fell victim to the youthful impulse to smash the ball as hard as possible once the goal is sighted. Even Canada's eventual goal (an unexpected injury-time strike that squeaked through the possibly-injured hands of the North Korean goalkeeper) fell into the same category. Some of these youngsters would be well-served to consider that Christine Sinclair has scored 8,500 goals (give or take a few) by figuring out where the ball needs to be put, and putting it there, with as much or as little force as necessary.
    Now, sure, Sinclair is an anomaly, an other-worldly talent, and to compare Canada's current crop of youngsters to her is supremely unfair. But some national squads do appear to be producing their own Sinclairs of the future -- one of whom we saw on display Thursday, in the form of Ri Un Sim. Her brace against Canada gave her seven goals in four games at the U17 WWC, on top of the nine goals in five games she had in the qualifying tournament.
    By contrast, Canada had four goals in four games, and continued a streak (11 games now) of never having scored more than one goal in a game at the U17 Women's World Cup. The only constant between all three of those squads is the head coach, Bryan Rosenfeld. While Canada surely could have broken that streak against Colombia or Azerbaijan with a bit more composure and cool finishing, such a statistic does suggest there could also be a tactical element to that lack of scoring punch.
    Ultimately, perhaps such a strategic shift (if it's intentional) would be pragmatic over the long term. The reality is -- whether or not folks would like to admit it -- the success of the senior women's national team over the past 10 years has largely been thanks to Sinclair. Not only in the goals she's scored (143 of them, actually) but in the way her presence has allowed more time and space to teammates.
    The second most prolific player on the active roster? Melissa Tancredi, with 22. Third is Diana Matheson, with 13. (And despite her Olympic heroics, no one's going to call Matheson "a goal-scorer"). All three are in their late 20s, and won't be with the team forever. The core of Canada's squad at the 2019 Women's World Cup will be comprised of players in the age brackets we've seen play in the past six weeks -- the current U20s and U17s. And with no disrespect meant to any of these young players (rather, simply as another nod of appreciation to the senior team's captain), there is no "next Christine Sinclair" ready to go for Canada.
    So maybe, just maybe, there's a sea change at play. Maybe the post-Sinclair women's program will end up looking something like the contemporary senior men's national side -- play strong, tight defence and hope that you can make the most of whatever offensive chances you're able to create. And maybe, just maybe, that will be by design. Senior national coach John Herdman is meeting in the coming months with U20 coach Andrew Olivieri -- and presumably Rosenfeld as well -- to discuss a road map for the future of the women's program. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with.
    Now, let me be clear that there are players with goal-scoring promise in the youth pipeline: Summer Clarke, Adriana Leon, Jenna Richardson, Amandine Pierre-Louis, Nichelle Prince, Christine Exeter, Christabel Oduro, Amelia Pietrangelo, Nzem Ezurike... So this is not a "woe is us, we're doomed without Sinclair!" treatise by any stretch of the imagination. You will be seeing at least a few of these names appearing on the score sheet for the senior national team at some point in the future.
    And in absolute fairness to the Canadian side on the day, they likely did much better than many could have anticipated against a strong North Korean squad. The legitimately dangerous chances were kept (relatively) limited, Canada showed some energy of its own on the counterattack, and midfielders Ashley Lawrence and Rebecca Quinn were tireless as ever. If containment and absorption of pressure was indeed the goal from the outset, it was generally effective until a few late defensive lapses.
    But while the commentator of Thursday's game said "the dreaded 'p' word" was penalties, I'd assert that the dreaded "p" word in the Canadian context is "potential". It's what we hear about all the time, at all levels. It's a sentiment that was tossed around liberally on social media following Thursday's loss -- "they fought hard, the future looks bright, so much potential!" and the like.
    Yeah, these are kids. There is time. And having potential, all things considered, isn't a bad thing. And I'm not going to begrudge anyone offering encouragement to a group of hard-working and determined teenagers heartbroken about being eliminated from the biggest tournament of their lives so far (and, for some of them, of their entire lives).
    But in order to be realized, potential needs guidance, support and the right set of circumstances. Whether or not the potential evident among the youngsters we've seen proudly wearing the red and white this year can flourish is up to whether they're given that guidance and support, and put in those circumstances.
    So, the individual members of the Canadian side can leave Azerbaijan with their heads held high, in the knowledge that the fans back home will always appreciate an honest effort put forth by our national teams.
    As for how bright the future actually looks for the program -- well, Herdman, Olivieri and Rosenfeld will have an awful lot to talk about, won't they?
    .
    Guest
    When the bottom placed team in the Conference comes to town, you’re looking for a comprehensive win and that’s what Vancouver Whitecaps got tonight in a 4-0 win over Chivas.
    It was a much needed win, not just for the points but also with regards to confidence, which has been slowly sapping from the Caps for the last few weeks.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Martin Rennie went with the same eleven that finished Saturday’s goalless draw with Seattle, retaining the 4-4-2 formation that had worked well.
    The Whitecaps took the lead in the 11th minute.
    Camilo slipped the ball through to Kenny Miller who ran in to the box surrounded by Chivas defenders. The Scotsman took his time, waited for support and just when it looked like danger had been averted for the visitors, Miller found Gershon Koffie on the edge of the box with a perfect pass and the Ghanaian buried a low 20 yard effort for the opening goal.
    Getting the opening goal was a huge relief for the Caps but the joy was to be short lived when Miller went down moments later and was soon substituted by Dane Richards.
    Richards looked lively from the moment he came on and forced Dan Kennedy in to a save in the 25th minute.
    Collecting a header from Barry Robson, Richards turned his man and fired off a shot that was turned around the post for a corner.
    The danger wasn’t over for Chivas and as the ball came over, a goalmouth scramble ensued, with Jay DeMerit forcing a clearance from a goalbound header.
    As the Caps pushed for a second, Richards was inches away from getting his head on a Camilo cross from the left that whipped across the face of the goal.
    The Jamaican’s presence finally reaped its reward in the 35th minute.
    Richards played a neat one-two with Camilo and bore down on goal, his pace leaving John Valencia always chasing. He had time to slow and pick his spot, before finishing into the bottom corner from a tight angle.
    Two up at the half is a position the Whitecaps have not been used to this season, but the opportunity was there for them to go on and give themselves a much needed confidence boost in the goalscoring department.
    Although Vancouver dominated the possession, clear cut goalscoring opportunities were at a premium. When they did come along though, they at least led to goals.
    They added a third in the 63rd minute, after Robson slipped a fantastic pass through to Richards, who turned and got the ball past two defenders into the path of Camilo who made no mistake from a few yards out.
    It was an unconventional finish but one which brought some visible relief to the Brazilian following his late miss on Saturday.
    Ten minutes later and it was four.
    Camilo was again instrumental. Slipping the ball between two Chivas defenders, he chased it down, hit the byeline, looked up and found Robson in the box, who had time to pick his spot, which he duly did.
    That was how it finished and Vancouver will be happy with the three points and the nature of the victory.
    Chivas were poor, which is worrying from the fact that Dallas have to play them twice now.
    If results play out in the Caps favour though then a win against Portland in 18 days time could see Vancouver become the first Canadian club to clinch a MLS playoff spot.
    The way this season has gone, you still have to feel it’s going to all go down to that final weekend.
    ATT: 17,777
    FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 4 - 0 Chivas USA
    VANCOUVER: Brad Knighton; Young-Pyo Lee, Andy O’Brien, Jay DeMerit, Jordan Harvey; Alain Rochat, Matt Watson, Gershon Koffie, Barry Robson (Michael Nanchoff 90); Camilo Sanvezzo (Caleb Clarke 84), Kenny Miller (Dane Richards 18) [subs Not Used: Joe Cannon, Martin Bonjour, Jun Marques Davidson, Russell Teibert]
    CHIVAS: Dan Kennedy; James Riley, Shalrie Joseph, John Valencia, Ante Jazic; Miller Bolanos, Laurent Courtois (Nick LaBrocca 64), Peter Vagenas, Ben Zemanski; Alejandro Moreno (Jose Correa 64), Juan Agudelo [subs Not Used: Patrick McLain, Bobby Burling, Marky Delgado, Cesar Romero]
    <p>
    Guest
    When news emerged this week that first choice Honduran keeper and team captain Noel Valladares would miss the next two World Cup qualifiers due to injury - including the one on Oct. 16 against Canada - it wasn't really news for anyone beyond the most dedicated circle of Canadian national team followers. Valladares has 99 caps for his national team -- that kind of experience is important in one-off games for all the qualification marbles. Would his absence greatly boost Canada's chances to advance? Probably not, but what the hell. We'll take any small advantage we can get.
    Valladares' replacement will be his teammate and backup at Olimpia, 32-year-old Donis Escober, who has appeared 10 times for Honduras. Again, pretty straightforward stuff. What you don't know about Escober is that he has issues. Stomach issues. Apparently his ailment doesn't interfere with his football, until last weekend that is, when he forced a Honduran league match to stop so he could run off the pitch and take a crap.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]As someone who spends a reasonable amount of time digging around newspaper and other media websites from Central America to scout out Canada's opposition, I've come across some unusual football-related things. Generally it's related to fan violence or wildcat player strikes. But given that Donis Escober is the guy who will face Canada in goal for Honduras later this month, I couldn't pass this story up.
    This gist is that 15 minutes into a game between Olimpia and Atlético Choloma, Escober informed the referee that he really needed to use the can. From what I can piece together from the announcers in the embedded video and the story itself, the Honduran league rules allow for the goalkeeper (and the goalkeeper only) to request a referee to stop the game on account of a medical emergency. Five minutes after dashing to the washroom, Escober was all smiles back in the net.
    I checked with fellow CSN writer Daniel Squizzato, who sleeps with a copy of Fifa's Laws of the Game. He said he knows of no rule that allows a player to request a stoppage in play so he can leave the field for medical anything.
    But it gets weirder. In a followup story headlined "Donis Escober: I always have problems with food," Escober admits his teammates will be ribbing him for a long while about his ill-timed bathroom dash. He goes on to say the prior to the match he was having stomach problems and actually asked the team doctor for a pill to settle things down.
    But fifteen minutes into the match, nope, he really needed the toilet. Football be damned. "Esto queda para la historia, pero son cosas de salud y contra eso no se puede hacer nada," he told reporters after the match. Or: This will live in history, but it's related to health and there's nothing that can be done about it.
    Then two more disturbingly contradictory statements from Escober in the same article. First he assures us that his gastronomical challenges won't hinder his performance with the national team. But he also says that he has similar indigestion problems prior to almost every match, it's just that this time he couldn't wait for halftime to relieve himself.
    So, where does this leave Canada? About the same place we were before you started reading this article, except we're now up against a goalkeeper who is (in at least one sense) a literal ticking timebomb come matchday. It's a pity this upcoming qualifier isn't being played at BMO, what with all the Pepto-Bismol (and much worse) related chanting just crying out to be screamed at this guy by opposition supporters.
    Does the Canadian mens' national soccer team have trouble scoring? Yes. Would the Canadian mens' national soccer team have less trouble scoring if the opposition keeper were trying to ignore gurgling noises from his (we can only guess) painfully bloated stomach and counting the seconds until he was on top of a toilet? Definitely.
    Assuming that Concacaf referees won't allow bathroom breaks - and the fact I need to write that sentence means I'm not totally convinced - this is what we've come to Canada. Pinning our World Cup qualification hopes on the volatile bowels of an aging second-string keeper.
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