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    Guest
    Vancouver Whitecaps busy summer transfer window continued this evening with the news that Designated Player Eric Hassli has been traded to Toronto FC.
    Vancouver will get a first round selection in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft and an international roster spot that lasts until the end of next season.
    In return, Toronto will get an expensive forward in poor form who has managed only 12 MLS goals in 44 appearances.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    That said, this could very well be the move that reinvigorates the Frenchman and Toronto's style of play should suit him more than what Martin Rennie has been trying to get him to play.
    With Danny Koevermans now injured, TFC have had to act quick to fill that huge hole in their attack and they will see Hassli as the perfect fit. He just has to recover from his ankle injury first.
    The Whitecaps seem to be quite good at burying these big transfers on Friday evenings. Le Toux last week. Hassli this. The French Disconnection as it turned out.
    Martin Rennie was quick to talk about the transfer and how it was a hard decision for the Whitecaps to make:
    <i>"Trading Eric has been a difficult decision and we really appreciate all that he has done for the club. With the emergence of our young strikers and recent additions, we felt that this is the right time to make this move.
    We wish Eric the best of luck in Toronto."</i>
    And so do we here at AFTN. We loved the guy for his charisma and overall package. As a footballer to score goals for the Caps, not so much.
    The news won't come as a surprise to a lot of us in Vancouver. We were even debating such a move in the comments on AFTN earlier this week.
    Hassli's days were clearly numbered following a disappointing season, where he struggled not only to find the net, but also a regular place in the starting eleven.
    To have a situation where a striker is on a huge $790,000 guaranteed salary, and taking up a DP slot, and is simply not performing just couldn't continue.
    Factor in the excellent form of Darren Mattocks and the acquisition of new DP Kenny Miller and the writing was on the wall.
    In 897 MLS minutes this season, Hassli recorded 2 goals, 3 assists and just 7 shots on target. He also managed to pick up six yellow cards in his 18 appearances, but thankfully didn't add to the three sending offs he had last year.
    It should be no surprise that Hassli went to Toronto. He does have an affinity for reds after all.
    And therein lay the other problem with Hassli apart from the lack of goalscoring.
    He seemed to have become a marked man by MLS referees, not getting decisions, picking up bookings for seemingly minor tackles and left looking constantly frustrated and mumbling away to himself.
    We genuinely hope that this move gives him a new lease of life and he will be welcomed back to Vancouver if he is still with Toronto next season.
    Hassli was thought to be on a two year contract with Vancouver, with the club having a further two year options. Whether Hassli will just be a quick stopgap for Toronto, will depend largely on his performances and his desire to stay in North America.
    He will be fondly remembered in Vancouver, both for his goal and for his personality.
    Hassli always had time for the fans and spent ages signing autographs after games, outside the stadium and at training. Everyone loved him. Everyone wanted a picture with him. He always obliged.
    He was the biggest selling replica jersey, even above Y-P Lee with all his fervent followers. At least from a marketing point of view, the Caps can go and sell some more!
    Eric Hassli's time in Vancouver may have been brief but he will long live on in Whitecaps history.
    He was the Club's first Designated Player. He scored the Club's first goal in Major League Soccer. He was the Club's first sending off in MLS. And when he did score, he had some wonder goals.
    No one will ever forget that goal in Seattle last year that made him an internet sensation. Then he followed that up with the amazing Voyageurs Cup strike against TFC this year.
    That was what he was capable of, he just didn't show it enough to keep him here.
    Good luck in Toronto Eric. We wish you nothing but success in every game except the ones against Vancouver.
    Merci Beaucoup for all that you did here.
    <p>
    Guest

    Impact at Houston - Pregame show

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    Will Brian Ching and the Houston Dynamo push the Impact off the edge?
    We are tempted to think so simply looking at the statistics and current trends for both sides at home (Houston) and away (Montreal).
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to listen to our 20 minutes pregame show with comments from Jesse Marsch and the full picture of games in MLS and in North American minor league soccer.
    Guest

    #ProfitNotLogic

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The dignity of MLS fans took a hit Wednesday as 53,309 suckers paid to watch Chelsea sleepwalk through a pre-season game against the Seattle Sounders. It was particularly disheartening that the game took place in Seattle, the city where the #TrophiesNotFriendlies movement first started in MLS.
    In case you are new to following MLS, the #TrophiesNotFriendlies movement was started by Dave Clark of Sounder at Heart as a way of calling out MLS teams that were scheduling several meaningless friendlies against the strips of big European clubs each year.
    By pandering to European focused fans in a cynical money grab, the clubs were putting undue strain on the resources of players in the middle of their competitive season.
    In Seattle the owners gave the appearance of listening. They reduced the amount of games they subjected the Sounders to play, but continued to schedule about one a year.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Here in Toronto the movement caught the attention of many in the supporter’s group community. Particular attention was directed at TFC putting the friendlies as part of a season ticket package and supporter’s demanded that only competitive TFC games be included in that. If the Reds wanted to play a meaningless exhibition in mid-season then don’t make us pay for it, was the message.
    TFC heard that message. Tomorrow’s ill-conceived kick-about with future League One players that happen to be wearing Liverpool strips is not being forced on any paying customer. If you want to waste your money to watch, it’s your call.
    By all accounts not many people are. And, those that do go are expected to mostly be cheering for the guys that will compete for a Carling Cup this fall. Hopefully, the players will be told that supporters are staying away because they philosophically disagree with the idea of the game and not because they are protesting the team. The lack of promotion the game has gotten in-stadium would seem to indicate that the front office has a good handle on this.
    One thing TFC fans should be aware of is that the game is not a TFC initiative. So, a lack of ticket sales in no way will hurt the cub. The promoter of the game is Rogers Centre and it is they who will lose their shirts if no one comes.
    TFC is getting an appearance fee to play. Hopefully, Rogers Centre is learning an important lesson here: if you want to put a Euro team into the Dome in July don’t make the local XI play them. Liverpool versus Chelsea would have likely sold out. It most certainly would not have pissed anyone off like this game has.
    And therein is one ominous lesson TFC fans may have learned as well. In the first chance to demonstrate that it thinks and will operate in a different way than the Teacher’s Pension Plan, MLSE’s new ownership group, Rogers, proved to be completely deaf to fan’s concerns.
    Hopefully this is not evidence that we were better off with the devil we knew, but first impressions are troubling.
    Guest
    <i>After running a couple of <b>Pitch Perfect</b> features, where we break down various moves of perfection in Whitecaps matches, we thought we'd do a flip of the idea this week with <b>Pitch Imperfect</b> to look at LA's second goal on Wednesday night...</i>
    <center>**********</center>
    The Whitecaps were close to picking up three points against a team they had failed to score against in 270 minutes, but the last ten minutes proved costly as the Galaxy scored two and stole a point.
    Whilst the first goal was one of those that pinged around the box before being deflected past the keeper, the tying goal was very preventable. Let’s take a look at the buildup and see where the breakdowns occurred.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    The play starts from near the LA box where Juninho picks up the ball and works it out wide to Sean Franklin. David Beckham is being marked at the time by Michael Nanchoff, whilst Barry Robson has the Brazilian in his sights.

    As soon as Juninho makes the initial pass to Franklin, he starts a run down the right side of the pitch. The reason he does this is because he sees Jordan Harvey playing very high on the pitch which leaves a large vacated area behind him. Franklin makes a back pass to Beckham who has easily shed Nanchoff’s mark.
    <center></center>
    Beckham makes a perfect over the top pass that reaches the streaking Juninho. Jay DeMerit moves towards Juninho, even though Robson is only a step behind, hoping he can make a key tackle but the Brazilian sees this and makes a one touch pass to Villarreal who was previously being marked by the captain.

    Gershon Koffie, who tries to get to Villarreal, over plays the man as the young striker stops with the ball just inside the box which gives him the space needed. The youngster takes one touch and fires a perfectly placed ball into the far corner of the net past the diving Joe Cannon.
    While there are many players that can take blame, including Jun Marques Davidson who normally covers DeMerit when he comes out of position to make a tackle, the initial culprit was Jordan Harvey in my opinion. I don’t understand why he ventured a fair distance from his fellow defenders, which then gave so much space on the left side of the defensive third.
    Nanchoff, who was brought in for defensive help, should have been closer to Beckham while DeMerit should have maybe stayed centrally to keep close to his mark.
    A breakdown like this normally caused from mental fatigue and it would hard to blame the Caps since they were playing their fifth game in fourteen days.
    It is becoming commonplace though and a little bit worrisome. If the Whitecaps are going to become serious contenders in the playoffs, then these lapses and conceding of late goals is one of the main keys.
    Here's the goal in it's full imperfection:
    <center>

    </center><p>
    Guest
    In the comments here and in the stands at BMO you often hear the complaint that Milos Kocic is horrible at distributing the ball. Fans see goal kick after goal kick going to the opposition as Toronto's attack is killed before it has a chance.
    But, is it true? Does Kocic have a worse distribution rate than other keepers?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]It's exceptionally labour intensive to determine that. The Opta stats are out there, but you literally have to go game by game to compile them (or pay for them. I'll take donations).
    However, CSN did just that for Kocic to get an idea of where he stands. Using the successful and unsuccessful pass category, which looks at every time a keeper kicks a ball with the intent to get it to another player, we looked at every MLS game Kocic has played this year.
    In total, Kocic has made 581 kicks. Of those 320 were successfully distributed to a Toronto player. That works out to a 55.0 per cent distribution success rate.
    To draw some comparison, we also caculated Chicago Fire keeper Sean Johnson's stats. Johnson was picked because he's about at the same point of his career as Kocic.
    Johnson has made 551 kicks, successfully finding a Fire 349 times. that's a 63.3 per cent success rate.
    So, at least in one case Kocic is wanting, and considerably so.
    However, as with anything to do with TFC you have to look at the pre-Mariner and post Mariner stats to get a full picture. Has Kocic been better under Mariner?
    Under Winter he was 182 for 306, which works out to 59.4 per cent.
    With Mariner he's 135 for 275, which is 49.0 per cent.
    So, he's been much worse. Part of that is likely because Winter discouraged the ball being played long. Although even with a short passing preference Kocic was still giving the ball away more than 40 per cent of the time.
    You can compare Kocic to other players in MLS by going game by game through the Opta stats found on the Chalkboard tab of each game report. I encourage readers to share what they find in the comments.
    Guest
    It’s felt like an age, and it probably has for him as well, but Barry Robson finally made his Vancouver Whitecaps home debut against LA Galaxy at BC Place last night.
    We caught up with him after the game and asked him how he had found his first taste of playing at BC Place, despite the end result:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <i>"It was great. The fans have been fantastic with me.
    I really enjoyed it, the fans were great, and all you guys and everybody else. It's been a real good experience.
    I'm getting older now and I've seen it and done it a few times, but it doesn't make it any easier. There's pressure on you wherever you go.
    I just want to make sure that I do my best for the football club and as I've said, all I can give is 100% and I do that wherever I go. And if it's good enough, good, at least I can go home and sleep well."</i>
    Robson has a penchant for dramatic debuts (home and away) and last night was no exception.
    Just as he did in his first match for Celtic and his home debut for Middlesbrough, Robson scored in the first game at his new home, and it was a beauty of a header at that.
    What did he think of his first Whitecaps strike?
    <i>"It was good yeah. It was a great ball. The ball always makes it for me and Y-P put in a fantastic ball and he takes as much credit as I do.
    I thought young Gershon Koffie had a terrific goal and he had a terrific game. He's a great talent and something that the club and the fans should cherish.
    He's a real top talent and hopefully we can keep these young players at the club."</i>
    Not only was Barry’s goal his first as a Vancouver Whitecaps, as we <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?3410-Barry-Robson-chats-with-AFTN" target="_blank">discussed with him before</a>, by our (possibly) dodgy stats, we make that the 100th goal of his club career.
    Did that make it any more special?
    <i>"Yeah we had a debate about that didn't we.
    For me, it's winning the football match that's the most important thing. I know it's 100 career goals but I hope I can score a lot more for this football club. I hope I can go and win points and take this club to where it wants to be because I know last season it finished low and the club's come leaps and bounds this season.
    I think everybody can see that and we need to keep going and we need to keep building and hopefully we can start getting ourselves up the League again."</i>
    If the Whitecaps, and Robson, continue to play the way they did last night, and the team can work on holding on to their leads, then that rise up the table will soon follow.
    <p>
    Guest
    Following TFC’s 2-1 comeback win over Colorado, a club that has still never beat Toronto in Toronto, the Reds are playing at a 1.6 points per game pace under Paul Mariner.
    If you assume that they continue at that pace the rest of the way they would finish with 41 points.
    They probably need 46 to make the playoffs.
    Let’s break for a moment to watch this:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]


    Funny.
    But, here’s the thing. It’s no longer bat-you-know-what crazy to at least think about the possibility. On good form and with a whole bunch of Eastern Conference games in front of them the Reds are about two more wins away from getting back into the mix.
    When Mariner took over they needed the Hubble Telescope to see the playoffs. Now, a good pair of binoculars will do.
    The bitters will want to dismiss that. They will claim that the form is irrelevant. They also think firing the director of business operations will help the team’s set piece play.
    I’m not telling you how to think as a fan. I’m telling you to think, period.
    The team’s form and tactics under Mariner matters.
    What is he doing differently?
    The simplistic way of looking at it is to say that they are playing more long balls. It is true that they are playing more direct. However, it’s a bit overstated – using MLSsoccer’s game chalkboard I found that TFC made 11 passes from their defensive third into the opposition's half compared to seven by Colorado. You would have to track that over more games (and by all means be my guest), but it isn’t quite the boot and chase some are making it out to be.
    In fact, if you look at the clearance statistic (booting the ball away from danger to open space) you’ll find that Colorado made 44 clearances yesterday to just 16 by TFC.
    So, the Reds are playing the ball from the back to players. Even under Mariner (at least yesterday) they are trying to pass out of trouble.
    Generally those passes go to Torsten Frings, who is finally playing in the role he was meant to play. Get the ball to Torsten and let him deal with it has become Toronto’s primary strategy. The German touched the ball 116 times yesterday, mostly in the middle of the pitch.
    His job is to shore up the defense by giving it an easy option. He’s not going to go forward often, unless it’s to take corners. He’s playing the role Julian de Guzman was supposed to play.
    The other thing Mariner is doing is insisting on a tighter line at the back. One way that can be best seen is by watching the fullback play. Whereas under Winter, the fullbacks were told to get forward as much as possible, Mariner asks them to hold back and focus on marking first.
    Everything is just more organized and there is a plan. It isn’t difficult stuff, but it is effective.
    Does this mean that I think Toronto is going to storm through the rest of the schedule and win the seven or eight times it will have to to have a shot at the playoffs? No.
    No, I don’t.
    But, I do see promise and I certainly don’t think they are the worst team in the world any longer.
    Guest
    If you were hungrily waiting to hear that the men's national team's friendly on Aug. 15 would be up against Spain at the sold-out Camp Nou, sorry, but you're probably pretty disappointed today. And pretty delusional.
    But for those of us living in reality -- and who had a reasonable idea of who Canada's opponent was likely to be -- the news that Canada will face Trinidad & Tobago at a multi-purpose facility in Lauderhill, Florida is, all things considered, pretty decent. With a pair of make-or-break World Cup qualifiers against Panama coming up on Sept. 7 and 11, Canada needed to take advantage of the only FIFA window available.
    "We can't play on a non-FIFA date," head coach Stephen Hart told reporters on Thursday. "This is the one time that we can get to play, so it was better to play the game than not to have any game at all. it is what it is."
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Hart referred to the 72-hour FIFA window as "probably the most hated date on the FIFA calendar," given its proximity to the training camps and pre-season schedules of so many teams and players. Canada, of course, must also deal with the fact that many members of its player pool compete in a league that doesn't even recognize FIFA dates.
    "We've been trying to get a game, but the game had to fit what would be happening with all the clubs and everything else," Hart said. "We got this game and I think it's important for us to play."
    Hart confirmed that the CSA was looking at four potential opponents for the friendly, but said that two of them (based in South America) would have required an amount of travel that simply wasn't acceptable given the time constraints. Though Hart didn't say it outright, those two teams were almost certainly Colombia and Bolivia.
    All things considered, said Hart, Trinidad and Tobago was a "good fit".
    "We're playing Panama (in September), which is a very athletic team and it's a similar sort of team (to Trinidad & Tobago)," said Hart.
    "And the convenience of being able to play the game in Florida, which was easy travel for everybody. ... We sort of played with the idea of playing (in Trinidad & Tobago) but then, to get everyone in and out of (T&T), it didn't work. We have to respect the clubs, they wanted to get the players back as soon as possible. Florida worked out to be ideal."
    Trinidad & Tobago, of course, hasn't played since they were eliminated from World Cup qualifying last autumn, so while Hart said he has a general idea of what their roster selection may look like, his opportunities for scouting have been limited.
    As for Canada's roster selection, well, that could be just as cloudy. Hart will need to, as always, battle with clubs to get players -- a situation compounded by the fact that there's no break in the MLS schedule.
    But the situation "probably allows some of the players that haven't played (for Canada recently), (to) give them an international game, see how they handle some of that pressure. ... I'm still trying to work out the roster in that respect. It will be a balanced squad with a few players that have been in the last sequence."
    Two of those haven't-played-for-Canada-lately players are Patrice Bernier and Terry Dunfield, both of whom have shone for their respective clubs recently. Hart said Bernier is "definitely" under consideration for a call-up.
    "I think he's done very well, he's playing a lot, he's playing with confidence, playing consistently. I've been very pleased with what I've seen from him."
    Hart had similar praise for Dunfield, but noted that Toronto FC is scheduled to play on Aug. 15. "I still have to sit down with (TFC head coach) Paul (Mariner) and discuss what is possible, but Terry has done well."
    Ultimately, it seems to be much of the usual for the Canadian men's national team -- attempting to make the most of less-than-ideal circumstances. But then, Canada will need to overcome plenty of less-than-ideal circumstances if it truly has designs on qualifying for the World Cup once again... so perhaps a friendly such as this is, indeed, the perfect fit.
    Guest

    Last Man Standing: Week 3

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    34 entered. Only 7 remain.
    Who will be AFTN’s 2012 Last Man Standing?
    Here’s who is left in:
    CasualSoccerFan
    Chris Withers
    Dirty Sanchez 3
    Footballcoachnl
    Michael McColl (yes, I am trying to win my own competition!)
    Number 4
    Russell Berrisford
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So just to confirm, no-one else can take part this season.
    For those still in, here’s a recap of the basic rules….
    <b><u>COMPETITION RULES:</u></b>
    - Every week we will list the eligible fixtures and you pick one of the teams involved that you think will win.
    - If that team wins, you are through to the next round. If they lose or draw, then you are out of the competition.
    - You will only be able to pick a team once, until you have selected all 19 teams, so choose your weekly selection wisely. You don’t want to be left with the crappy teams playing the top ones if you can help it! He who dares, wins.
    - An exception to the "pick only once" rule will be when you only have a selection(s) left that have bye weeks. In such a scenario, you are free to pick a team you have already selected for that week only.
    - We will be keeping a running tally of who has picked what team.
    - You had to enter the competition in week one. Late entrants cannot join.
    - Selections must be made before the first game of that week kicks off. This time will be clearly laid out.
    - Anyone posting their entry after the first kick off time any week will automatically be knocked out.
    - The thread will be closed for new posts and amendments after the first game has kicked off.
    - Anyone selecting a team they have already selected in a previous week will be disqualified. If you notice you have selected a team you've already picked, you have until the first game kicks off to change it.
    - If you fail to make a selection in time one week, you are automatically eliminated.
    - The competition will run up to, and including, the last weekend of regular season action on October 27th/28th, unless we are down to a winner before then. If there is more than one person still in the competition at that time we may carry it on into the playoffs on a knockout basis. If there are only a handful remaining, we may give prizes to all. This will be entirely up to our discretion, but we will keep you posted. In the unlikelihood that there are loads of people remaining, we may have to carry it into next season.
    - The winner will be the last man/woman standing, who will then have the crown until next season. (Note – there is no actual crown, although if I end up winning I may end up buying myself one, just cos).
    - Prizes are football related memorabilia from over the years, mainly of a Whitecaps nature, so if you don’t want that either don’t enter or sell it on ebay!
    <center>**********</center>
    And here are this week’s eligible fixtures for this weekend:
    New York Red Bulls v Philadelphia Union
    Columbus Crew v DC United
    Sporting KC v New England Revolution
    Houston Dynamo v Montreal Impact
    FC Dallas v Portland Timbers
    Real Salt Lake v Colorado Rapids
    LA Galaxy v Chivas USA
    Vancouver Whitecaps v San Jose Earthquakes
    The first game kicks off early on Saturday at <b>2.30pm EDT/11.30pm PDT</b>, so you have until then to enter the competition and make your next pick. Remember who you’ve selected so far!
    Good luck!
    <p>
    Guest

    A Mariner moment

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    Last night was my first chance to see newly minted TFC head coach Paul Mariner at an in-person press conference. And despite some oddly overreaching optimism, I very much liked much of what I saw.
    Here are the fair comparisons – every previous Toronto FC bench boss:
    Mo Johnston: Gabby and friendly enough, but there was never much tangible reason to believe anything he said.
    John Carver: Hugely entertaining, but always seething about a player, an MLS rule or a referee.
    Chris Cummins: Everyone was pulling for him, but his naiveté and inexperience were impossible to ignore.
    Preki: A man of few words, many shrugs and lots of cutting gestures. About as cuddly as a nail through a teddy bear.
    Nick Dasovic: Thrown in, then thrown out. Good guy, but never had a chance to get comfortable.
    Aron Winter: Bland, emotionless, vague, inconclusive, simplistic – all the things his “system” wasn’t supposed to be.
    Huckster, grouch, sweet kid, bully, innocent bystander and dotty professor – who is Paul Mariner compared to all of that?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Uncle Paul. The good uncle. The encouraging one. The one with some wisdom to impart, who wants everyone to enjoy themselves.
    With three wins on the trot, Toronto FC players are certainly enjoying themselves. They’re still in last place, but no longer buried there.
    Under Mariner, they now have four wins, two losses and four draws. If the defence hadn’t chasm-bombed two-goal leads at Houston and home to New England, they’d be 6-2-2, and three places higher in the Eastern Conference standings.
    The suspicion that TFC’s roster is better than it showed under Aron Winter appears to be confirmed. The ugly fact that they’re still significant playoff outsiders remains.
    But Paul Mariner was positive last night – and firm.
    - Yes, he chewed the team out at halftime. Told them they should be winning, and to get out there and win.
    - Yes, he did single out youthful defender Doniel Henry for not covering Connor Casey on Colorado’s goal. He also said he normally wouldn’t publically criticize a player, adding that Henry, in terms of his fitness and his strength, is “a beast.”
    - Yes, he acknowledged that this weekend’s upcoming friendly with Liverpool couldn’t come at a worse time, and that he has “no choice” but to send some academy kids out to knock ankles with Steven Gerrard.
    - Yes, this is a happier team.
    Asked why the team is happier, Mariner said he wants to engage his players – and the media, and the fans, and everyone who works for the organization. He then praised his media staff and equipment managers for their “Rolls Royce” service.
    (Okay, TFC media relations have been upgraded significantly since the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policies of original question-screener Michelle Lissel. But the scribes aren’t driving in ultimate luxury just yet.)
    The biggest overreach came right at the end. I asked Mariner if he saw enough chance-generation from his forwards to keep his main focus on landing a DP defender.
    He said yes, but added that he felt his back four had been “absolutely spectacular,” a notion that certainly hit me in the gut. A backline half that spectacular would have found a way to cover Connor Casey all night, just for example. And it certainly wouldn't have coughed up four vital points in two games.
    But I’m a huge believer in positive thinking, and praising people for a job well done. I’ve turned my entire life around doing that. Why wouldn’t it work for a struggling soccer team?
    The danger will come, though. Mariner certainly handled his first major blip well, the public-intoxication arrests of three of his players in Houston, followed by the axing of productive-yet-Aron-Winter-induced swingman Nick Soolsma.
    As enjoyable as this present run is, the main focus still has to be on next year. Anything this side achieves in 2012 will be gravy.
    Yes, the team is happier. But they’ve also a helluva lot less confused. Happy comes and goes, but clarity has a way of making things better in the long run.
    My biggest fear with Mariner is that rah-rah coaches don’t usually have extended shelf life – and that he lacks the experience to know when he’ll need to set a sterner, more pragmatic course.
    But the honesty is certainly refreshing, and I’d rather have a TFC coach who exaggerates than one who lies, demoralizes or just doesn’t give a sideways flapping fadoo.
    At least we know Toronto FC isn’t that bad. Only time will tell if they’re really any good.
    Onward!
    Guest
    Christopher Vose is AFTN's photographer and here is a gallery of some of his photos from the Whitecaps' game against LA Galaxy on Wednesday July 19th.
    They capture the emotions, and highs and lows of the night perfectly.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <center>********************</center>
    <center>

    (Kenny Miller gets introduced to the Whitecaps faithful)

    (The inbred pirate look is all the rage in Hollywood)

    (Camilo battles hard)

    (Gershon Koffie makes it 1-0 to Caps)

    (Barry Robson celebrates his 100th career goal)

    (Three stars align)

    (Beckham shivers Vancouver's timbers)

    (Teamwork)

    (No amount of blood can stop Martin Bonjour)

    (Joe Cannon's dive of despair at LA tie it up)
    </center>
    For a high quality slideshow of all of Christopher's pictures from the LA game, click <a href="
    " target="_blank">HERE</a>.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
    A home victory to keep the slim hopes alive... until Saturday for the Montreal fans.
    Patrice Bernier went for a sixth goal in the last 13 games and Sanna Nyassi showed some rare flash of brilliance as Jesse Marsch troops dented the New England Revolution's playoff chances by defeating them 2-1 at Saputo Stadium on Wednesday.
    In this postgame show, hear comments from Patrice Bernier, Davy Arnaud, Hassoun Camara and the complete post-game conference from Impact coach Jesse Marsch.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click hear to listen to our +30 minutes show.
    Guest
    There are games which shape a season and there are games which show the character of a team. Tonight Vancouver Whitecaps and Los Angeles Galaxy had both in the one match.
    Following a 3-0 trouncing in Los Angeles just a few weeks ago, the Whitecaps regrouped to hold their own against a sometimes out of sorts looking LA Galaxy side, but one which showed why they are right back in the playoff mix.
    In the end, a late two goal fightback by Los Angeles left Vancouver heartbroken, but the crowd enthralled, in a 2-2 draw at BC Place.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    A suspension to Alain Rochat and an ankle injury for Eric Hassli, limited Vancouver’s starting options and Martin Rennie chose to go for basically the same team that finished the 1-0 defeat to Chicago, with Darren Mattocks taking on the main striker’s role once again.
    It was a cagey start by both teams, with a dipping David Beckham free kick in the tenth minute all that either side had to show for their efforts.
    The Whitecaps started to get more time on the ball and took the lead in the 18th minute.
    Camilo surged forward and was blocked by Marcelo Sarvas in the middle of the Galaxy half. As the Brazilian appealed for the free kick, the ball had broken to Gershon Koffie and referee Silviu Petrescu played the advantage, much top the surprise of the Ghanaian, who seemed to have almost stopped with the ball.
    In acres of room, Koffie took his time, found his composure and buried it low into the bottom right hand corner.
    It was a goal, and a lead, that surprised many, and acted as the impetus for Vancouver to go on and dominate the rest of the half.
    Their pressure paid off in the 27th minute when Barry Robson rose to powerfully head home a pinpoint Young-Pyo Lee cross, giving Josh Saunders no chance in the Galaxy goal.
    It was Robson’s first goal for Vancouver and his 100th career club goal
    And it was nearly three to the home side in the 38th minute.
    Koffie played a delightful ball over the top of the LA defence and Dane Richards chased it down quickly, bore down on goal, but pulled it wide right of the advancing Saunders.
    It would have been a goal that would have put Vancouver out of sight but instead it set up a thrilling second half.
    Both teams were in attack mode as the game restarted, without really threatening to add to the scoreline, but the Caps had a let off as the hour mark approached.
    Jay DeMerit was forced to foul Landon Donovan, as he easily got past him and tried to hit the byeline.
    Beckham swung in a perfect ball into the six yard box and as a scramble ensued, the ball was played across an open goal and just inches away from the head of Robbie Keane.
    LA kept the pressure on and Keane again came agonisingly close to getting his head on a cross in from the right.
    Vancouver’s goal seemed to be leading a charmed life.
    With twenty minutes remaining, a Beckham corner hit off the back of Donovan’s head and forced a scrambling Joe Cannon to tip the ball onto the crossbar.
    As the rebound bobbled down, Koffie was on hand to head the ball out from under his own crossbar, as Keane was set to pounce.
    Vancouver needed to take some of the pressure off their defence and Robson nearly did so in the 72nd minute when he was allowed to run into the box and curled a shot inches past the right hand post.
    LA had the crossbar to thank themselves in the 80th minute after Saunders just managed to tip a long range rocket from Koffie onto the woodwork.
    Instead of killing the game off, Vancouver found themselves clinging on to just a one goal lead two minutes later.
    Donovan cut the ball back to Beckham on the edge of the box and the English veteran curled a deflected shot past Cannon and into the net.
    The Caps were left cursing the woodwork again in the 84th minute when a Robson free kick from near the right touchline had Saunders all at sea and crashed off the post. The Caps couldn’t capitalise on the rebound and the danger was cleared.
    Despite the Caps pressure and play, there was a feeling that LA could get themselves back level and they did just that in the 87th minute when substitute Jose Villareal hit an unstoppable long range strike past a full stretch Cannon.
    It was an agonising goal to lose for Vancouver but even more agony came in stoppage time when Robson hit a fierce 30 yard free kick that Saunders did well to tip over.
    If you had asked most in Vancouver before kick off, they would have happily taken a point, but with the way the Caps played and the spirit they showed, you have to be a little bit disappointed by it at the end of it all.
    As an entertainment spectacle though, you have to hope that it won’t be the last full house at BC Place we see this season.
    FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 - 2 Los Angeles Galaxy
    ATT: 21,000
    VANCOUVER: Joe Cannon; Young-Pyo Lee, Martin Bonjour, Jay DeMerit, Jordan Harvey; Jun Marques Davidson, Gershon Koffie, Barry Robson; Dane Richards, Darren Mattocks, Camilo Sanvezzo (Michael Nanchoff 68) [subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, Greg Klazura, Carlyle Mitchell, Russell Teibert, Matt Watson, Etienne Barbara]
    LOS ANGELES GALAXY: Josh Saunders; Sean Franklin, A.J. DeLaGarza, David Junior Lopes, Todd Dunivant (Bryan Gaul 31); Hector Jimenez (Jose Villareal 71), Marcelo Sarvas, David Beckham, Michael Stephens (Juninho 57); Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane [subs Not Used: Brian Perk, Bryan Jordan, Jack McBean, Tommy Meyer]
    <p>
    Guest
    These are the images and emotions from Toronto FC's 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids. 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

    What to do about Danny

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    With Paul Mariner having confirmed that TFC has the ability to add a DP to replace Danny Koevermans (and will even get some cap relief – likely half a season) we can turn our attention to the more important question.
    Should they?
    As I demonstrated a couple days ago in breaking down the anatomy of the San Jose Earthquakes roster, the most effective way to build a championship contending team in MLS is to put together a core of players that will stay with the club through several years. The very nature of the long-term injury rule is temporary.
    Sure you can add a DP calibre forward to replace Koevermans, but that player can not be a DP when the big Dutchman returns. That isn’t all that beneficial if your goal is to build that core.
    If Toronto were legitimately in a playoff hunt then maybe a rental makes sense. However, there is also a very real possibility that Toronto could spin into an absolute funk without reinforcement. Some will claim such considerations as being cynical, but the front office does have to worry about losing too many fans moving forward.
    The easiest thing to do is nothing – no matter how much you hate MLSE you can’t blame them for Koevermans injury. They can easily claim that they were turning things around under Mariner before the bad luck of this injury took them down again.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]So, if the club does try and go after a short-term DP it will be hard to criticise them too much. They will be putting themselves under further pressure than they are right now.
    It would be easier said than done, of course. There aren’t a lot of DP quality guys that would be willing to come in for half a year. You would essentially be looking at players already in the league that were likely to retire or move back to Europe at the end of the season. Eric Hassli, maybe Juan Pablo Angel. TFC would take these guys on to help stop the bleeding, their current clubs would be helped by either getting the salary off the books (Angel) or opening up another DP slot (Hassli).
    Toronto could make a non-DP offer to both for 2013, but it seems highly unlikely that either would be all that thrilled at a move to Ontario.
    It’s a bit too much to say it’s a non-starter, but it is unlikely.
    The need to get rid of the rental DP at the end of the year speaks to an assumption. That is that Toronto needs help at the back-end more and that a full, long-term DP pick-up would have to be there. There is, of course, the option to forget a DP defender and instead opt for another long-term forward DP.
    Other than Alessandro Del Piero – a player currently rumoured to be in talks with pretty much every team in the league – Toronto has not been linked with anyone that would meet that description.
    However, if the Reds surprise us and come up with a player like Koevermans that would be willing to commit to TFC for a few years then the Reds would be stupid to pass it up, even if it meant bypassing a defender DP signing.
    You can get help at the back-end without spending DP money. There are also worse things than letting the young kids currently playing to continue to learn in 2012, a season that is pretty much dead.
    And, it’s that idea that is the essence of the third option Toronto has to address Koevermans loss. Instead of going for a big name, the Reds could try and pry a younger forward prospect off of another MLS team.
    The club would likely be attacked by some if they go that route, but it might be the most solid long-term plan. Bring in a kid (and there is little use speculating as to who that may be because the nature of this strategy is that the player is flying under the radar now in an underused role) and let him run for half a year. You might be surprised.
    They need to bring in a forward. Full stop. There simply is no depth if they don’t. How Mariner handles this unexpected crisis will tell TFC fans a great deal about his ability to finally build this club into something worth celebrating.
    The window closes in 13 days.
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