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    Guest
    Christopher Vose is AFTN's photographer and here is a gallery of some of his photos from the Whitecaps' game against Real Salt Lake on Saturday August 11th.
    For a full high quality slideshow of all of Christopher's RSL photos, click <a href="
    " target="_blank">HERE</a>.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <center>********************</center>
    <center>
    (Yawn. Is that all you've got?)

    (If you show me that bloody movie of yours one more time...)

    (The bond between centrehalfs can never be broken)

    ("Twisting and turning, Their feelings are burning, Dane's breaking Real")

    (Camilo celebrates the opening goal)

    (Nuts!)

    (Richards picks his spot and makes it two)

    (The lesser spotted Canadian Cap. Sssshhh, don't scare him)

    (Real nearly make it squeaky bum time)

    (The Southsiders tribute to the CWNT)
    </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
    Vancouver Whitecaps won a huge six-pointer against Real Salt Lake at BC Place this afternoon.
    Second half goals from Camilo Sanvezzo and Dane Richards secured the points as the Whitecaps ran out comfortable 2-1 winners.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It was pretty much a case of same again for Vancouver, as they named an unchanged starting eleven apart from the forced change of Brad Knighton in goal in place of the suspended Joe Cannon.
    There were a few lively forays forward by both sides in the opening stages but it was Camilo who came closest to opening the scoring in the 14th minute when his long range rocket forced Nick Rimando into a spectacular save.
    Real hadn’t really posed much of a threat to the Whitecaps goal, but that all changed in the 25th minute when Alvaro Saborio rattled the left hand post with a powerful header from a Javier Morales cross.
    Brad Knighton and Jay DeMerit collided trying to clear the danger and both required treatment before being able to continue.
    The Caps captain was only able to last a few more minutes before going back down, still suffering the after effects of the head knock. This meant a Whitecaps and MLS debut for new signing Andy O’Brien.
    The match had turned a little cagey, with neither side wanting to make a mistake and neither goalkeeper being troubled.
    As the game moved into the third minute of stoppage time at the end of the half, Vancouver won a corner on the right.
    Robson’s inswinger was right on Rimando, forcing him to punch clear but only back as far as Robson. The Scot’s second effort into the box was met by the head of Camilo but Rimando got down well to stop the ball on his goal-line.
    The start of the second half belonged to Vancouver, as the Caps tried to make their pace tell. Darren Mattocks and Camilo had half chances, as the home side got ever closer to breaking the deadlock.
    And that deadlock was broken in the 58th minute.
    Camilo played a short pass into the box to Mattocks but the Real defence closed him down quickly. Their attempted clearance took a ricochet and as the visitors defence hesitated Camilo nipped in, took a touch and buried a beautifully placed shot into the bottom of the net.
    It was two for Vancouver six minutes later and again Camilo had an important part to play.
    Mattocks cut the ball back to the Brazilian outside the box and instead of going for goal, he played a short pass to Dane Richards to his right. The Jamaican calmly picked his spot before curling a delightful 20 yarder past Rimando.
    Real looked for the quick response and Saborio nearly got it when he ran into the box and shot on goal. Knighton fumbled the first attempt but quickly recovered the rebound.
    Vancouver looked to kill the game off in the closing minutes and Real Salt Lake looked like a team that just didn’t have it this particular afternoon.
    Substitute Paulo Junior brought a save out of Knighton with a minute of normal time remaining to show the visitors still couldn’t be counted out.
    From nowhere they pulled a goal back in the 92nd minute, when Nat Borchers rose to head home a Paulo cross.
    It was too little too late and the referee soon blew for full time.
    The win got Vancouver right back in the race for the top of the West and the nature of the performance gives indication that it’s only going to get better from here on in.
    FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 - 0 Real Salt Lake
    ATT: 20,083
    VANCOUVER: Brad Knighton; Young-Pyo Lee, Martin Bonjour, Jay DeMerit (Andy O’Brien 31), Alain Rochat; Jun Marques Davidson, Gershon Koffie, Barry Robson; Camilo Sanvezzo (Russell Teibert 86), Darren Mattocks (Kenny Miller 72), Dane Richards [subs Not Used: Brian Sylvestre, Jordan Harvey, Andy O’Brien, John Thorrington, Atiba Harris]
    REAL SALT LAKE: Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran, Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert; Ned Grabavoy, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales (Luis Gil 46), Will Johnson (Jonny Steele 75); Alvaro Saborio, Fabian Espindola (Paulo Junior 68) [subs Not Used: Kyle Reynish, Yordany Alvarez, Justin Braun, Kenny Mansally]
    <p>
    Guest
    <b>KEY PLAYERS :</b>
    ATTACKING
    He may not start but <b>Kenny Miller</b> looks to play extended minutes against RSL after playing in a couple of reserve matches, and has looked ready to go in training. When he does come off the bench the Scottish international will be given some freedom on the pitch to roam and make his runs from different channels.
    While he doesn’t have the stats of his striking partner <b>Fabian Espindola</b> is a very dangerous player for the Utah club. He is a perfect complement to Saborio up top as he is a playmaker as well as a finisher with his six goals and four assists. The Argentine likes to drop deep in the midfield and drift to the wide parts of the field where he is capable of delivering a solid cross.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    DEFENCE
    The last week of July started out strong for <b>Jay DeMerit</b> but ended badly due to almost three full ninety minute performances in a span of six days. He was able to shut down Wondolowski at home and then travelled across the continent to unexpectedly play for the entire match against Chelsea in the MLS All-Star game. His fatigued performance against RSL left a lot to be desired so the captain is looking to redeem himself on Saturday.
    He may not get the accolades of his fellow central defenders but <b>Nat Borchers</b> is one of the best in MLS having been named defender of the year three times. The normally reliable player has started at least 29 games for six straight seasons. He has had to deal with a few injuries at the beginning of this season but looks to finally be in form.
    <b>WHO'S ON FORM :</b>
    Brought in to be the field general in the middle of the pitch, <b>Barry Robson</b> has so far lived up to expectations. In the previous match the Scottish international went toe to toe against Beckerman and was not worse for wear. He was all over the pitch providing passes up top and was coming back to make key defensive plays at the back.
    Against the Whitecaps <b>Álvaro Saborío</b> continued his strong play and his game winning brace was the difference in the match. The Costa Rican striker is now second in goals to Wondolowski with thirteen for the season and has already surpassed his previous MLS high of twelve with still ten games to go this year.
    <b>2012 RECORD :</b>
    Vancouver:
    9W-7D-7L
    4th in Western Conference
    Last Match: 2-1 Loss at Real Salt Lake
    Real Salt Lake:
    13W-3D-8L
    2nd in Western Conference
    Last Match: 1-0 Loss at Colorado Rapids
    <b>PROJECTED LINE-UPS :</b>

    <b>INJURIES/MISSING :</b>
    Vancouver:
    Out: FW Omar Salgado (foot)
    Suspension: GK Joe Cannon
    International Duty: FW Etienne Barbara
    Real Salt Lake:
    Out: DF Chris Schuler (foot), GK Lalo Fernandez (wrist) DF Jamison Olave (hamstring)
    Probable: MF Will Johnson (ankle), GK Kyle Reynish (rib)
    <b>GAME ANALYSIS :</b>
    Vancouver Whitecaps return to action after getting a much deserved week off as they face the Real Salt Lake for the second time in as many matches. The Caps tied the game up at one apiece with a goal by Mattocks after a first half penalty by Saborio, but were unable to hold on to the draw and Saborio scored his second for a 2-1 win.
    In that match Joe Cannon received a red card for handling the ball outside the box and will miss this game, meaning Brad Knighton will get his first MLS start of the season. He will have a rested back four in front of him with Jay DeMerit and Martin Bonjour in the middle while YP Lee and Alain Rochat will play in the wide areas. In front of them as the 'fifth defender' will be Jun Marques Davidson playing the holding midfielder role.
    The other two in the midfield will be Gershon Koffie and Barry Robson, both of whom will look to marshal the centre of the pitch. Up top for the Caps will be Darren Mattocks in the middle, with Dane Richards on the right and Camilo on the left. One of the first players off the bench should be Kenny Miller, who is looking sharper every day in training.
    The big question for the Caps coming into this game will be how well Knighton will be able to replace Cannon between the posts. While the younger keeper is more athletic and will be able to boot the ball farther down the field, how he organizes the back four will be the key. Will the regular defenders who are used to Cannon’s calls on the field adjust to Knighton when he is shouting instructions?
    The Whitecaps were unable to handle the trio of Morales, Saborio and Espindola in the last match and they allowed them too many opportunities. The rest for the defenders, especially DeMerit, could very much make the difference in order to keep those three off the score sheet.
    A quick goal could make the difference for the Whitecaps as RSL has had trouble scoring in their last four road games in all competitions, with four losses and zero goals in over 360 minutes. In all four games the first goal came in the first half, with three of them being scored in the first fifteen minutes.
    The pace of Mattocks and Richards should be able to back up the opposing defenders allowing more space for Camilo, Robson and Koffie to operate. The Caps will also need more attack from their two full backs down the flanks and both should be re-energized with the rest.
    Every game is important going forward this season. They are all against Western Conference opponents so dropping points at home are unacceptable in the second half of the year. These are a vital three points for the Whitecaps. It's the proverbial six pointer, as a loss will not only drop them further back off the pace at the top of the West but could also potentially drop them to fifth in the overall standings depending on other results.
    <b>AFTN Editor's Prediction: Vancouver Whitecaps 3 Real Salt Lake 1</b>
    <p>
    Guest

    A flagship moment for Sinclair?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    It would be foolish to declare the battle won. Although the Canadian women are undoubtedly the story of the Olympics for Canada, soccer has been to this point before.
    In 1986 when the country went to the big dance and pushed the game from the fringes, in 2000 when an unexpected trophy helped create a generation of fan that would go on to fill MLS stadiums in three cities, and in 2002 when a young Christine Sinclair came a crossbar away from winning a world youth championship. All contributed to a game that continues to make strides but has yet to fully break through across the country.
    Soon, Christine Sinclair and Co. will be, if not forgotten, then faded in the collective memory on the nation. It will be another generation – the generation inspired by this bronze medal run – before the total breakthrough will happen.
    For now, Canadian soccer will need to take joy in its victories -- both big and small -- in the knowledge that they increasingly resonate beyond the soccer community.
    One of the biggest victories would be for Christine Sinclair to carry the flag at the closing ceremony. Canadian fans are doing their part to make it happen, starting a campaign on Twitter to make their case.
    It's a good case. Playing over the duration of the Games, Sinclair has become the most talked about athlete. She is skilled enough, has a medal and would represent the team as a whole, which would make a lot of people happy. It's probably fair to suggest that she is the favourite right now to win the honour.
    However, it isn't a sure thing.
    There is a degree of politics involved in selecting who carries the flag and what the public wants isn't always what the COC wants.
    Gender and language politics are the biggest two factors. The COC likes to rotate between genders and English and French athletes.
    Sinclair is half-way there. A male Anglo, Simon Whitfield, had the honour at the opening ceremony.
    There are some that believe that only a gold medalist should carry the flag. So far, there is only one – Rosie MacLennan.
    However, MacLennan loses out on another front the COC likes to factor – lifetime achievement. MacLennan will have more Olympics. She seems unlikely to get the honour.
    Sinclair is hard to handicap on that front. Her resume is incredible, but the Olympics are only a small part of it.
    That's not the case for the woman who is perhaps Sinclair's biggest competition – diver Emilie Heymans.
    She fits the politics profile of Franco and female and has won a Canadian record of medals in four straight Olympics. Although her profile is much smaller, she actually fits the history much better. If the COC stays true to past form, Heymans will be the one.
    Think of Sinclair as the populist choice, Heymans the Olympic establishment choice. Although it's a different kind of establishment. Heymans participates in an event where the Olympics provides her only opportunity for glory. Sinclair does not. it's likely that the COC will consider that when making its decision.
    The truth is that either is a fine choice. Clearly the soccer community would love to see Sinclair as the pick, but it should also recognize that there are other choices that would be worthwhile.
    If Sinclair isn't picked, direct the energy at lobbying for her to win the Lou Marsh Award and to be a Ballon d'Or finalist.
    Guest
    This week's show is a little different then usual. We have Martin MacMahon of Sportsnet.ca and MLSSocccer.com in studio while on air legend Michael McColl joins us via the telephone.
    We chat quickly about the upcoming game against Real Salt Lake and some of the key additions to the squad as the transfer window closed last week. Michael and Martin discuss formation and club depth before we are joined by one of our favourite members of the Canadian Internationals, Chelsea Buckland
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Chelsea updates us on the status of her recent knee surgery. that unfortunately kept her home while her squad went out and won the Bronze medal at this summer's London Olympics. She lets us know about the atmosphere around the team and shares her congratulations for her friends and teammates on their momentous victory.
    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>.
    <p>
    Guest
    Oh yeah, we've got a men's national team too, don't we?
    In the unprecedented excitement of the women's team's Olympic journey over the past several weeks, fans could be forgiven for momentarily forgetting that the men's national team is just weeks away from a crucial World Cup qualifier against Panama on Sept. 7.
    The final preparation for head coach Stephen Hart's men will come in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on Aug. 15, to be played in Lauderhill, Florida. In a very narrow, 72-hour FIFA international window that sits in the middle of the North American season and right on the cusp of the European season, this was always going to be somewhat of a patchwork lineup. And indeed it is:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]1- GK- Lars Hirschfeld | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
    2- M- Nik Ledgerwood | SWE / Hammarby Fotboll
    3- M - Russell Teibert | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    4- CB- Dejan Jaković | USA / D.C. United
    5- CB- André Hainault | USA / Houston Dynamo
    6- M - Julian de Guzman | USA / FC Dallas
    7- M - Terry Dunfield | CAN / Toronto FC
    8- M- Will Johnson | USA / Real Salt Lake
    9- F- Tosaint Ricketts |
    10- F- Lucas Cavallini | URU / Club Nacional
    11- FB- Marcel de Jong | GER / FC Augsburg
    12- M- Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault |
    13- FB- Ante Jazić | USA / Chivas USA
    14- M/F- Evan James | CAN / Impact Montréal
    15- CB- Doneil Henry | CAN / Toronto FC
    16- M- Pedro Pacheco | POR / CD Santa Clara
    18- GK- Milan Borjan | TUR / Sivasspor
    20- M - Patrice Bernier | CAN / Impact Montréal
    The new: Four of the standouts of the U23 team's Olympic qualifying tournament this past spring -- Henry, Teibert, Cavallini and James -- are earning their first call-ups to the senior national team.
    Hart said the friendly presents "a good opportunity" to get another look at Cavallini, who's a young striker that "plays in a different type of league (down in Uruguay)" but that "if he plays consistently and keeps his head on his shoulders, he can develop very rapidly."
    James, though he's seen little time with the Impact this season, brings versatility that was appealing to Hart: "We were becoming a bit thin at the wide position, and Evan can fill that void."
    The returning: A pair of national-team veterans, Dunfield and Bernier, are back in the squad based on their body of work so far in MLS this year. Bernier had been left off the team thus far in World Cup qualifying due to an injury and Hart's desire to see him reingratiate himself into a starting lineup -- he's done that and more with Montreal this year.
    "He is one of the most important players at that club," Hart said. "I'm happy that he took the time to play himself back into selection."
    Marcel de Jong has also made a triumphant return from injury and is back to match fitness. "He wants very much to prove that he should be a part of this (qualifying) campaign", said Hart. While Canada's back line has performed admirably thus far in 2012, the addition of de Jong's quality is a welcome sight.
    The absent: A number of the squad's biggest names -- Kevin McKenna, Dwayne DeRosario, Atiba Hutchinson, Simeon Jackson, Olivier Occean -- are absent, though given the circumstances surrounding the game, that shouldn't be especially surprising. DeRosario, said Hart, would have gotten the call if not for a minor shoulder injury picked up this past week. Hart added that "there's one or two players that aren't 100% healthy" -- but, as is customary, he declined to name them.
    Hutchinson and McKenna have both battled injury concerns over the course of the past two years, so here's hoping these are nothing more than preventative exclusions. For what it's worth, Hart noted that ailing midfielder Josh Simpson -- who broke his leg several months ago -- has just gotten off crutches but "he is telling the guys he is fighting to be back by October."
    The inspiration: The first question posed to Hart during Friday's media call was, of course, about the success of the women's national team in London. And Hart was unabashed in his praise: "I think it's been fantastic, I've seen all the games. ... The game has been crying out for that sort of boost, and my hat's off to them. They really lifted not only the women's game, but the game in general, so it's really fantastic."
    Now, the question is, can the men's national team build off that success and goodwill, and propel themselves into the final stage of World Cup qualifying, somewhere the country hasn't been in a dozen years?
    We'll find out very, very soon.
    .
    Guest
    The bronze-medal game at the 2012 Summer Olympics provided Canadian soccer fans with a moment they're likely never to forget: Diana Matheson's surprising, shocking and utterly exhilarating stoppage-time goal to clinch a podium spot for Big Red.
    But what will likely be forgotten -- if it was ever known at all -- is how close that goal came to being disallowed. In fact, there are surely legions of French fans feeling as aggrieved about the non-call at the end of Thursday's match as Canadian fans were about THE CALL in Monday's semifinal.
    So, do they have a point? Should Canada have been flagged for offside and had Matheson's goal negated?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Sure, you spent all of Thursday watching this replay a thousand times, but what the hell, one more time won't hurt, to remind you of just what went down:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsVcTjFpy3M
    Now, it's not Matheson herself who's potentially offside (she's fine); it's Kaylyn Kyle (#6), who found her way into the France goal area a few moments before Matheson latched onto the shot. From 91:19 onward, Kyle is behind the second-last French player and is, indisputably, in an offside position.
    Ah, but as Law 11 has taught us well, it's not about being in an offside position, it's about what you do while you're there. A player is only called for offside if "at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by:

    interfering with play or
    interfering with an opponent or
    gaining an advantage by being in that position"

    Interfering with play means, essentially, touching the ball. Interfering with an opponent is what it sounds like. And gaining an advantage means playing the ball after it's rebounded off the post, or off an opponent.
    With all that in mind, it's remarkable that Canada avoided an offside call in that sequence.
    Kyle was completely unmarked -- but if she hadn't been, if she had drawn away the attention of a defender or the goalkeeper while she was in an offside position, no goal.
    If Schmidt's shot, instead of bouncing off the defender into the path of Matheson, had bounced into the path of Kyle and she'd buried it, no goal.
    If Matheson had somehow put her shot off the post or off the keeper, and Kyle then potted the rebound, no goal.
    And, of course, if Kyle had gotten any touch whatsoever to Matheson's shot as it was in the process of going in, no goal. Hence her somewhat-awkward tuck-and-roll to get out of the way (an impressive, and game-saving, bit of awareness on her part).
    In essence, the goal-scoring sequence itself was a perfect encapsulation of the game for Canada: So many things could (and maybe should) have gone wrong, but somehow, some way, the stars aligned and for once, the soccer gods smiled on us. No infringement of the Laws of the Game occurred. The assistant referee was correct in keeping the flag down. Matheson's goal was legit.
    Guest

    So... what now?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    What now?
    That is the biggest question that the Canadian women face now that the London Games are over (once the post-Bronze, well-deserved hangover passes). Sadly, despite the massive amount of attention the team received over the last week, they will return to normal life facing an uncertain future.
    As always, the biggest question will be their club team future and, by extension, money.
    Let's address the former point first. Money, we will tackle after.
    Just prior to the Olympics the second attempt at creating a professional women's league in the United States failed. Badly. It left the future very much in doubt and if it wasn't for the Olympics to distract them, the summer of 2012 would have been a very stressful one for several of Canada's biggest stars.
    Although only a few of the Canucks were in the WPS – notably Christine Sinclair – the loss of the league has a deeper impact. It takes away opportunity for the players to eke out a living, forcing players down a level into the amateur W-League.
    That, in turn, takes roster spots away from players that would benefit from playing at that level, which ultimately means players are getting forced out of the game.
    The lack of a pro league is a big deal, especially when the money is limited in Europe and roster spots are at a premium.
    In what was likely a deliberately timed coincidence, several of the former WPS teams announced last night that they were working on establishing a new league, which would be good news for the top 5-6 Canadian players. However, without pro options in Canada, the amount of roster spots would be limited for the Canucks. Sinclair will be fine (although it would be nice to see her try to land in Europe somewhere in a more established and stable league), but the Brittany Timkos of the team would be faced with difficult financial choices to make if they are to stick around until 2015.
    That would be different if there was a fully pro option in Canada. Sadly, the three MLS teams have no desire to make that happen. Vancouver has a W-League team, but has shown limited to no interest in moving to a professional set-up and TFC has point blank told CSN it's uninterested. Montreal's interest is less known, but there has not been any public chatter about it.
    So, where else might a pro team emerge from? The most likely place would be Ottawa, where the Fury just captured its first championship earlier this month. By all accounts the Fury are a professional operation that is truly first class in all ways. But, they aren't a professional team.
    It would seem like this would be a good time for the Fury to take a risk and change that. A WPS team in Canada would provide a natural home to many of the national team players and would be the biggest single factor in taking the program to the next level.
    Apparently, the Fury are already on record saying that they are uninterested. It's always easy to spend other people's money, but that's a shame. Without more pro opportunity it's going to be very, very difficult to emulate the bronze medal performance and pretty much impossible to improve. Someone – be it the Fury, or another club or sponsor – is going to need to step up and take a risk.
    That needs to happen because it is unrealistic to think that the CSA can directly fund the athletes – not because the CSA is cheap or incompetent, but rather because the money simply isn't there. If the men make the Hex – and every Canadian should absolutely and desperately want that – then the CSA will especially not have the money.
    It took all of 30 seconds before a "proud sponsor" of the Canadian women had an advertisement running that attempted to attach their company's name to the team. They didn't indicate what that proud sponsorship meant in dollars and cents. What we do know is that there are five national team members on the waiting list to get supplementary funding through CanFund. So, how valuable can any sponsorship really be?
    The Canadian women have represented the country well. It's only fair that the country repay that debt by taking a little risk and trying to advance the sport.
    Guest
    Every week we bring you our look at the upcoming games that weekend and what we hope to see from those to benefit the Caps to the max, along with what impact the different results from the Whitecaps own match has to our playoff hopes.
    For some background to our feature, see <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?3099-Schedule-Dynamics-Adding-Interest-To-MLS-Season" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <center>********************</center>
    Vancouver’s bye week saw some interesting results which saw the top five in the West consolidate their positions. The Whitecaps are really needing to make the most of their remaining six home games.
    Although six wins would be a huge ask, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility and would be a huge boost to securing at least one home playoff game. It would also give us more than what our current projected points total is for the rest of the season from home games alone.
    This week’s match up with Real Salt Lake is the proverbial six pointer. A win and the Caps sit within three of the Saltines with a game in hand. A defeat would leave us nine behind, probably dropping to fifth place and realistically only fighting for fourth or fifth position.
    Nine games over Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week. Four all-Western Conference clashes and five all-Eastern ties. In terms of the Whitecaps playoff push and the quest to get as good a pick as possible from our Philadelphian acquired first round SuperDraft pick, we’re keeping a close eye on seven of the matches.
    <b><u>Vancouver Whitecaps v Real Salt Lake</u></b>
    Current Whitecaps Points: 34 (4th in West)
    If Whitecaps Win: 37 points (Best Case Scenario = 4th in West barring an amazing goalfest, seven points behind leaders / Worst Case Scenario = 4th in West ten points behind leaders)
    If Whitecaps Draw: 35 points (BCS = 4th / WCS = 5th)
    If Whitecaps Lose: 34 points (BCS = 4th / WCS = 5th)
    Maximum Points Total Possible: 67
    Projected Points Total On Current Results: 51 points
    Playoff Likelihood: 87 - 91%
    <b><u>FC Dallas v Colorado Rapids</u> - Draw</b>
    Colorado surprised most by knocking off RSL last weekend. They could still be a danger so a draw or a Dallas win is most likely to help the Caps. Dallas seem to be much less of a threat, but we’re rooting for the draw just to be on the safe side. A few more dropped points from both and the Caps playoff spot should be all but secured.
    <b><u>San Jose Earthquakes v Seattle Sounders</u> - San Jose win</b>
    This one is a toughie. Sure a good run from Vancouver could see us challenging for first in the West but with the consistency we’ve shown for most of the season, you can’t really see that happening. Third place is realistically what we should be aiming for and any better is just the cherry on top of the playoff party cake. We need Open Cup losers Seattle to slip up and if San Jose were to start to run away with things at the top, that wouldn’t be all that bad. We don’t have to play them again this regular season. Go Quakes.
    <b><u>Chivas USA v Los Angeles Galaxy</u> - Draw</b>
    Oh LA. What are we to make of you? Are you wanting to try and go for the repeat as the bottom seeds? They’re the team you really want to trya and avoid in the playoffs but I would take them in the 4th v 5th playoff game if we were the hosts. I still can’t see Chivas as playoff contenders, despite their recent squad additions. It’ll definitely be a lot more comfortable for all once their three games in hand play out, just in case. I’m going for the draw here just to keep LA from potentially leapfrogging us and to keep Chivas just that nice distance away.
    <b><u>Columbus Crew v Toronto</u> - Toronto win</b>
    <b><u>Philadelphia Union v Chicago Fire</u> - Chicago win</b>
    <b><u>New England Revolution v Montreal Impact</u> - New England win</b>
    As the race for Philly to finish as low as possible heats up, Toronto and Portland keep letting us down. As things currently stand, the Union have the third worst record in MLS (using goals scored as the tiebreaker), so Vancouver would have the third pick in next year’s SuperDraft. Would that throw up a gem? Would anyone want to trade us for it? We’re needing some help from our friends out east to make this even better and wins for Toronto, New England and especially Chicago would certainly do that.
    <b><u>New York Red Bulls v Houston Dynamo </u> - No impact for Caps</b>
    <b><u>Sporting KC v DC United</u> - No impact for Caps</b>
    These two Eastern Conference match ups hold no interest for the Caps playoff push nor the chase for a great draft pick, so there’s not really any point in playing them really!
    <center>**********</center>
    So that’s what we’re rooting for this weekend. Let’s see how it all leaves the Caps looking come Sunday evening.
    <p>
    Guest

    London 2012 post-Games show

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    How historic was that Canadian WNT victory on Thursday in Coventry. Think HUGELY historic. On the verge of hosting the coming edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, John Herdman's girls have not only picked up the first Canadian team sport medal at the Summer Games since the 1936 men's hoops team in Berlin. It was the first ever team sport medal for Canadian women at Summer Olympics!
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    We revisit the medal clinching match with our guest commentators Sophie Drolet and Jonathan Tannenwald to get a perspective of that result from both side of the 49th parallel.
    Click here to hear our 20 minutes show!
    Guest

    Bronze

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    Okay, this was going to be the week I started tallying up the bill for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, vis a vis their role in the historically bad six-year start for Toronto FC.
    But in the wake of the Canada-France game, there’s really only one story needs telling today: the incredible tale of a bronze medal that – at different times – seemed hugely unlikely … from both directions.
    Before the games, coming off a literally pointless Women’s World Cup, the Canadian gals seemed outside long shots for any kind of medal at all. Then, on Monday, eighty minutes in and a goal up against the hated Americans, it looked largely likely Our Gals would be battling for gold or silver, and that bronze was no longer either a possibility or a concern.
    Yeah. Well. Anyway.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So the ref @$%@#$% and the rulebook @#$@#%@ and three extra @#$@#% minutes of extra @#$%#$% time in $%#@$% stoppage time, and we were left with shattering heartbreak and a bronze-medal match no one really wanted.
    And suddenly, voices from everywhere were calling it possibly the greatest women’s soccer match ever. Canadians were saying it. Americans were saying it!
    Then we find out 33.6 million Americans watched the match on NBC. And it wasn’t even a holiday Monday down there.
    And of course, after the controversial calls, Canada’s two danger-gals, hat-trick heroine Christine Sinclair and nail-tough scrapper Melissa Tancredi told the truth about how they felt, and FIFA quickly stepped in with an “investigation.”
    Mercifully, the investigation was put off until after the games, because suddenly it turned out we all wanted Our Gals to go for the bronze medal after all.
    And they played France today, and had a bunch of chances to lose to France today. But good old, low-scoring soccer, and here’s the thing:
    No matter how much the other guys dominate, if they don’t score, and we somehow do, we win.
    Second minute of stoppage time, ball falls dead at the feet of the tiny, masterful Diane Matheson, and the net’s wide open and the goalie’s gone and the bronze is waiting and kaboom.
    How to count the blessings after this?
    Canada’s first team Olympic medal since Berlin in 1936.
    NOT, however, Canada’s first Olympic soccer medal. The Galt Soccer Club, from what is now Cambridge, Ontario, actually won gold at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. No one alive remembers that, however – few people even knew about it at the time, or since! – so today will have to do.
    Monday was such a great match, and the cruel and controversial way Canada didn’t win won over and galvanized a huge audience all over everywhere. The suspension threat built the tension hugely, and the fact that they overcame all that relentless French pressure and actually pulled the medals out at the end – well, there’s no publicity campaign you could ever orchestrate that would get you anywhere near this kind of bump.
    The Canadian soccer women, disgraced and embarrassed just one short year ago under their alleged superstar coach Carolina Morace, have rebounded under the far-more-human John Herdman to become the bronzed heroes of yet another eager generation of young Canadian players.
    Oh, and the rivalry with the Americans got cranked to infinity all over again, and it’s never bad for soccer here when that happens.
    The last time it happened was the epic final of the girls’ U-19 in Edmonton in 2002. The U.S. won a brilliant match on a golden goal, and the overwhelming success of that tournament led directly to the construction of BMO Field, the birth of Toronto FC, MLS in Canada and any and everything that has happened since.
    The aftermath of this one? Who knows?
    The huge challenge now is to keep this team playing meaningful games. The next huge tournament is three years off, when Canada hosts the women’s World Cup of 2015. Our Gals won’t have to qualify for that one, so there’s a long and imminent shortage of gut-check games to come.
    Any rich soccer fans out there feel like starting a new tournament? Paying well to bring the best women’s teams to Canada for a new and important competition of some sort? Cyprus does it! How hard can it be?
    The Canadian soccer landscape had already been altered tremendously this past decade. This lovely little bronze bauble – well, it’s confirmation of a lot of things, mostly involving how bad things used to be, and how much better they are becoming.
    That … happened! And untold millions of people saw it. And we all know it should have been at least a silver, and it could actually have been a gold.
    This is a high-water mark for Canadian soccer – even if it will always feel like less than what these brave and brilliant gals deserved.
    Onward!
    Guest
    This, folks, was the moment.
    The long-awaited moment, occasionally believed to be nothing more than a fairy tale, at which Canadian soccer (not the sport of soccer, not the global game, but Canadian soccer) would fully and irrevocably break into the mainstream sporting consciousness from coast to coast. On this Olympic stage, this team was able to capture the hearts and minds of Canadian sports fans like no one could have imagined possible.
    Canada's bronze-medal victory on Thursday morning was dramatic, unexpected, thrilling and -- if we're being honest -- horribly, horribly cruel to France, who controlled the vast majority of the game. But if it's been said once, it's been said a million times: They don't ask how, they ask how many. Canada 1, France 0 -- and the first Olympic medal in soccer for a Canadian team since 1904.
    While Christine Sinclair and Desiree Scott have been catapulted into Canadian sporting fame with their performances in this tournament, it's fitting that Diana Matheson -- a long-serving veteran whose contributions to the team for the past 10 years have made much of their success possible -- was the ultimate hero on this triumphant day.
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    But Matheson's career-defining moment was, by far, not the only storyline we saw play out over this preposterous roller coaster of a two-week span for Big Red...
    Tancredi's tournament of a lifetime. Forget about her physical play and supposed shenanigans in the semifinal; early in the tournament, when Sinclair was seemingly at less than 100%, Tancredi found her clinical touch and potted four goals to push Canada into the knockout round. Oh, and she threw in a few quality assists along the way, just for good measure. She did make a comment suggesting that this would be her final big tournament for Canada; let's hope that's not the case, but if it is, she's certainly going out on a high note.
    Sinclair's performance of a lifetime. Not much else needs to be said here, huh? The captain -- as the true superstars do -- stepped up on the grandest stage with her hat trick against the USA that nearly dragged Big Red into the gold-medal game. She may have just earned herself a stroll around the Olympic Stadium with the Canadian flag for it.
    Desiree Scott is here. In fact, she's everywhere. Eighteen months ago, Scott was a fringe player for the national team. Now, with her unreal awareness and defensive instincts, she's fully earned her "Destroyer" nickname, for all of Canada to see. And, of course, it was her goal-line clearance against France that made Matheson's late-game heroics possible.
    The goalkeeping controversy. Some folks were surprised to see Erin McLeod get the start against Japan; others were surprised to see her then get the start against Sweden. And the surprise continued coming in when she got then nod against Great Britain in the quarterfinals. While she's a stalwart of the national team, some questionable decisions in the early games left some fans clamouring for a return of erstwhile #1 Karina LeBlanc (and wondering whether KK was, in fact, hurt). But despite the controversy and despite the uncertainty, McLeod stepped up when it mattered most, keeping a clean sheet with a medal on the line.
    The defensive crisis. Or was it? It's not often that a team loses not one, not two, but three central defenders over the course of a tournament, and still go on to have success. But Canada weathered the storm of in-game injuries to Candace Chapman and Robyn Gayle and a pre-tournament knock to Emily Zurrer with massive contributions from the patchwork CB duo of Carmelina Moscato and Lauren Sesselmann.
    John Herdman: Magic maker. It seems so long ago now that Canada finished dead last at the Women's World Cup -- but it really was just one year ago. Seriously, check the calendar. Head coach John Herdman, in the intervening time, brought the team a gold at the Pan Am Games, a silver at the Cyprus Cup and a bronze at the Olympics. He promised the team would be mentally prepared for London 2012: they delivered. He promised the team would shoot for the podium: they delivered. Working with essentially the same roster as the team had at WWC2011 (the biggest changes being Scott's increased role and Sesselmann joining the team), he's been able to craft a truly remarkable turnaround that will likely have other countries sniffing around for his services. Let's hope they're unsuccessful in that pursuit.
    French redemption. Let's be real. France deserved to win that game. By a wide margin. Even the most rose-coloured-glasses-wearing Canada fan has to concede that much. But guess what? They didn't. The soccer gods giveth and the soccer gods taketh away -- on this day, they gaveth Canada a dramatic victory, and tooketh away the baggage of the perception that Canada couldn't win big games against higher-ranked teams. Specifically, this wipes clean the bitter taste left in Canadian mouths after the 4-0 loss at Germany 2011, and a 2-0 loss in the final of this year's Cyprus Cup.
    The legacy for 2015. Said Matheson after the bronze-medal victory: "We came in wanting to leave a legacy for Canadian soccer, and I think we did that heading into 2015." Indeed. The victory couldn't have come at a better time, in terms of building interest and momentum for the Women's World Cup we'll be hosting in three years' time. And while the fate of the program after veterans such as Sinclair and Matheson retire is in doubt, I'm guessing that this medal, this moment, has sparked inspiration in a whole new generation of young Canadian players.
    Matheson's goal is the moment that will be replayed ad nauseam -- most likely with I Believe blaring in the background -- for days, weeks, maybe years to come. But it was just the icing on the cake. This moment was built, and earned, by not just the hard work and dedication of all the players in this tournament, but by the years of fighting the under-appreciated and largely unnoticed fight by this team and those that support them.
    Can this team, and Canadian soccer as a whole, capitalize upon this achievement? Is this a watershed moment for the game in this country, or a mere blip on the radar of generalized disappointment? It'll take hard work to ensure that it's the former, rather than the latter, to be sure. And questions still remain about many aspects of the program.
    But you know what, for today, those questions don't matter. Let's think about them tomorrow. For now, we can revel in the near-unspeakable reality that Canada has won an Olympic medal in soccer.
    Perhaps Matheson's goal doesn't instantly join the pantheon of "where were you?" goals in Canadian sports history -- Henderson, Crosby, et. al. -- but years from now, maybe it will be regarded in exactly the same way. Maybe one day, when soccer occupies a regular spot near the forefront of the Canadian sporting consciousness, we'll be telling our kids and grandkids about what we were doing when Matheson, against the run of play, found the back of the net ("what's a TV, grandpa?").
    But again, let's worry about that later. For now, we'll enjoy where we are: In the moment.
    Congratulations, ladies.
    .
    Guest

    U20s head to Japan

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Thé CSA announced the roster for the FIFA women's u20 tournament. It kicks off next week, with Canada playing its first game. Aug 20 against Argentina. CANADA ROSTER
    1- GK- Dayle Colpitts | USA / Virginia Tech
    2- FB- Jade Kovacevic | CAN / Toronto Lady Lynx
    3- FB- Mélissa Roy | CAN / Amiral de Quebec
    4- CB- Rachel Melhado | CAN / Toronto Lady Lynx
    5- M- Sarah Robbins | CAN / Cometes de Laval
    6- CB- Shelina Zadorsky | CAN / Toronto Lady Lynx
    7- FB/M- Kylie Davis | CAN / Cometes de Laval
    8- M- Danica Wu | CAN / Cometes de Laval
    9- F- Christine Exeter | Unattached / sans club
    10- LM- Christabel Oduro | CAN / Hamilton FC
    11- F- Jenna Richardson | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    12- CB /CM- Nicole Setterlund | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    13- M- Caroline Beaulne | CAN / Longueuil U-18
    14- CM- Constance de Chantal-Dumont | CAN / Cometes de Laval
    15- D/M- Vanessa Legault-Cordisco | CAN / Cometes de Laval
    16- LM- Jaclyn Sawicki | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    17- F- Nkem Ezurike | CAN / Cometes de Laval
    18- GK- Sabrina D’Angelo | CAN / Toronto Lady Lynx
    19- F- Adriana Leon | CAN / Toronto Lady Lynx
    20- CM- Catherine Charron-Delage | CAN / Cometes de Laval
    21- GK- Geneviève Richard | CAN / Hamilton FC
    Guest

    FIFA defers

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    FIFA announced today that it was delaying its investigation of the Canadian women’s soccer team’s actions following the 4-3 loss to the United States.
    Christine Sinclair, Melissa Tancredi and coach John Herdman all made statements critical of the Norwegian referee Christina Pedersen, with both Sinclair and Tancredi going so far as to suggest that the referee may have been biased towards the Americans.
    In a statement released today FIFA said it would hold off an investigation.
    It said: “In view of the elements currently at its disposal, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee considers that further investigation will be needed regarding incidents that occurred after the conclusion of the match between Canada and the USA on 6 August at Old Trafford. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee is therefore not in a position to take any decision at present. Further information will be provided in due course, but not prior to the bronze medal match between Canada and France on 9 August.”
    More than two years away from its next meaningful match, that news will come as a relief to the Canadian program.
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