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    Guest
    When the Canadian Soccer Association announced, a couple of weeks back, that Toronto FC director of team and player personnel Earl Cochrane had been appointed to the CSA board, the comments section of my story sprouted doom, gloom and angst.
    Anonymous trolling, for the most part, but the ensuing discussion did point out a couple of popular misconceptions about what the CSA board is, and how it will actually operate going forward in its post-reform state.
    And since, apparently, this beat is mine and mine alone, here’s what you may not know:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    1) Cochrane’s a good guy. Firm, serious, good sense of humour, honest worker, on to himself, secretive when he needs to be, always as open and honest as his job allows (rare and refreshing within the psychoswamp that is Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment).
    2) It’s essentially an advisory role. Cochrane is one voice in fourteen on the CSA board, and that board now exists only to set policy, with implementation largely stripped away and given to general secretary Peter Montopoli and his ever-improving support staff.
    3) Pre-reform, there was a pro teams representative. The position rotates among Canada’s pro clubs, and it was Toronto FC’s turn. In the new structure, Cochrane will be one voice in 14, a significant jump in importance. That role, in the past, would have gone to a provincial soccer association president, who had no need or requirement to even be competent in the national needs of the sport in Canada.
    In short, Cochrane is far better than competent, and has not just been handed the ultimate reins of power. He’s a good soccer man, and the Canadian game will be better for his input.
    And as long as we’re in the neighbourhood:
    The CSA Nominations Committee made a clever, canny move, I feel, when it tapped sitting director Steven Reed to fill the final year of newly elected president Victor Montagliani’s vice-presidential term.
    Reed was one of three sitting CSA directors serving a final year while occupying what will become an appointed board seat a year from now. By bumping him up to VP, the CSA will now have four of its six appointed directors in 2012, instead of just three. The crucial final step of reform is now two-thirds complete, instead of being forced to stop half way. The new appointment should be announced shortly.
    And on the who-does-what front …
    Here’s some CSA committee appointments, for governance wonks wot jist cain’t git enuf:
    - Steven Reed, Audit and Finance
    - Don Story, Governance
    - Ken MacLean, Risk Management
    - Charlie Cuzzetto, International Relations
    - Tony Fonseca, Technical
    - Tony Camacho, Referees
    - Dr. Andrew Pipe, Sport Medicine
    - Joe Guest, Professional Soccer
    - Judi Kelloway, Competitions
    - Janine Helland, Women’s Soccer
    Onward!
    Guest
    The Caps are two games away from the halfway point of the season and facing their toughest part of the schedule, with a gruelling five game road trip coming up and six away matches in the next eight.
    It's a time when the veterans with experience at the top levels of the game really need to lead the side and play their part in helping the younger, more inexperienced players, get fully prepared for the long periods away from home and the gruelling toll travel can take both mentally and physically.
    Then when it comes to the end of season run in, and hopefully the playoffs, they need to step up and do it all again.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    That's one of the reasons why the addition of Barry Robson, who has international experience with Scotland and Champions League experience with Celtic, will be a huge asset to the squad.
    He's done the travel, he's had the pressure and he's won trophies, so we asked Martin Rennie what a player like that adds to the squad:
    <i>"I think it brings it a lot. It increases the standard.
    You saw what Y-P Lee brought with his international experience and his playing in the Champions League experience, and I think that Barry can bring something similar.
    It's not that long ago that we introduced Y-P and a lot of people wondered how he would do and how he would settle, but we've seen just what he's brought to our team and I'm hopeful Barry can bring similar things."</i>
    With Y-P Lee, Jay DeMerit and now Robson having played a lot of games at international level, along with the likes of veterans Joe Cannon and John Thorrington, there's a lot of experience at the top of the game in the squad right now.
    What does having players like that bring to the Caps dressing room, especially to the younger guys, when you get into tough spells like what is coming up in July and what is sure to be a tense run in to the end of the season?
    Who better to ask than one of them, Jay DeMerit:
    <i>"Well hopefully it brings a calmness to the dressing room. When you've been there and done it before, you don't get over excited about things and you understand the situations and experiences that you're in.
    I think when young guys sometimes get ahead of themselves and think that things are done or that they've gotten somewhere, older heads and experienced guys know that the fight's never over, so I think that's one of the things.
    Also, just about keeping people in the right mindset and keeping the mentality strong, where if you do have a successful season and you do say make the playoffs, and everyone thinks that we've done our jobs and achieved our goals, then it's up to the leaders of this team to refocus and make sure we push on to the next level."</i>
    A players' mental strength is important and with Martin Rennie big on the psychological side of football, the upcoming road trip is one where he will try to get this to come fully into play.
    With the start of the five away games coming up on Saturday, how does Martin Rennie prepare the team mentally for such a period?
    <i>"The first thing is we just look at the first game because that's the last game in June and then we have a break for a little while.
    Then we'll probably look at the next four games as a block and set some goals for that and some targets and get our head round it, but I think right now we're just focussed on this one game and we know we have a little rest, a few days off and a chance to get back at it.
    And last time we had a break we came back really well from it, so hopefully we can finish this little run and come back well for the game against Colorado."</i>
    It's going to be tough, but if the Caps can come out of this spell in good shape, it will be a huge boost to their playoff hopes, with only Western Conference battles to come.
    And who knows? We may even have more international experience to help us on the way.
    <p>
    Guest
    Looking at the fixtures at the start of the season, you would probably have taken a point against one of the strongest sides in the East, even at home.
    A star studded New York side were simply not that for their latest visit to Vancouver. They were weakened, missing some big performers, weary and coming off a bad loss on Sunday.
    The Red Bulls were a side there for the taking, then the Whitecaps scored and the visitors became the better side.
    All things considered, it felt like a wasted opportunity and two points lost and that seemed to be the mood in the dressing room post-game too, which as a fan, you want to see. You want to see the players take it as bad as you do. You can't ask for much more.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Head Coach Martin Rennie was fairly blunt about it in his post-game presser:
    <i>"It's one of those game where obviously when you lose a late goal it does feel like a defeat."</i>
    It was a fairly lacklustre performance from Vancouver. The spark was missing and they struggled to cope with a team that decided to play deep against them:
    Darren Mattocks electric pace was badly missed and the whole attack suffered.
    Sebastien Le Toux looked pretty tired as the match came to a close, Camilo was just not the player from last season, which maybe we could put down to a bit of rust, and Eric Hassli just couldn't get himself in the game when he came on and seems to be lacking some oomph.
    We had one shot on target for the entire match. ONE. For a home game against a weakened side, that's not acceptable.
    The front line has to produce more than that in a match like this.
    It would have been nice to have Etienne Barbara as a back up on the bench instead of Long Tan, but it seems that the Malteser has re-aggravated his groin injury from earlier in the season in last week's reserve game.
    Davide Chiumiento had another excellent game, with world class delivery. John Thorrington helped at times too, but seemed to float in and out of the game a little bit.
    What really cost the Caps was the lack of wing play and penetration from Y-P Lee and Alain Rochat.
    We've relied so much on the runs of this pair, that when it's not happening, you really notice it.
    Lee had a few forays forward, but nowhere near his usual standard. He was also slow getting back at times.
    I thought Rochat had a stinker. We were very poor defending that side of the pitch for the whole match. New York were allowed a lot of space on the right, just inside our half, and they tried to make the most of it.
    Jay DeMerit also had some shaky moments, but thankfully Martin Bonjour shook off his blips of late and was the rock back there for this match.
    The Red Bulls goal was dreadful on the Caps part. They simply fell asleep.
    Failing to anticipate the short corner was mistake number two. The first one was the giving away of the corner in the first place, after Thorrington and Koffie were left to handle a NY break in the box.
    If the conceding and marking was poor in the build up to the goal, how the Caps dealt with the final ball into the box was even worse.
    There were six unmarked NY players in a bunch, just waiting for one of them to do the damage. Really horrible stuff.
    The nature of the goal was bad enough, but the fact that Caps just didn't have it in them last night to hold on to their lead was what was really disappointing and Martin Rennie concurred:
    <i>"The disappointing thing would be that we didn't see the game out. It's something we have to learn from.
    There's two big things for us to make improvements on tonight.
    One is how we break down a team the sits a little deeper and how we make sure we're clinical when we have chances.
    And the second thing would be when we're ahead in a game, with a short time to go, making sure we see the game out. We need to manage that a little bit better."</i>
    Although it's easy to feel down about the game, looking at the bigger picture, it's been an excellent June for the Caps and one which has seen them move into third place in the West and within six points of Conference leaders Real Salt Lake, with a game in hand.
    Martin Rennie is certainly looking to take the positives out of it and build upon the negatives:
    <i>"This has been a very strong three game run at home for us, seven points out of nine. It puts us and keeps us in a very strong position.
    But it also shows the distance we've come when we're really disappointed with ties and we need to make sure we feel that disappointment, make sure it hurts us and make sure it gives us the inspiration to learn and get better because it's an improving team. A team that's working hard and doing a lot of things right but we must make sure we polish up on any things which could cost us, which I think we could definitely learn from tonight."</i>
    A gruelling five game road trip now awaits the Caps and the team will need to be mentally tough to get them through it.
    There's only two games out east, and thankfully they'll be back to back. After they're out of the way, it's only Western Conference match ups for the rest of the season.
    That will be the most vital spell of the entire campaign and if the Caps can go into it with some decent points from their away spell, then it should set them up nicely for the run-in.
    With the teams at the bottom picking up points last night, a poor road return could mean a pretty tight and tense last couple of months for all teams.
    LA are now unbeaten in two, have some confidence going and are next up.
    Let's just hope that the Galaxy resurgence doesn't mean the Caps are facing them at the worst time.
    If the Caps can get something out of that one, then the psychological boost that will give them will be massive.
    'Mon the Caps.
    <center>********************</center>
    <b><u>AFTN 3-2-1:</u></b>
    3 points - MARTIN BONJOUR (a rock back there after a couple of dodgy games and what a strike for the goal)
    2 points - DAVIDE CHIUMIENTO (if anything was going to happen, it was only going to be through him. His confidence is so high right now that his delivery and little flicks just keep getting better every game)
    1 point - JOHN THORRINGTON (although he drifted a little in and out of the game, he put himself around a little last night and played some delightful balls through for the strikers)
    <p>
    Guest
    A point that, maybe, made a point.
    Not a point that many want to hear, but one that might help keep the rest of the season in perspective. Last night was the best and worst that a fan can expect the rest of the way. There were positives and, if you saw the last 20 minutes, you’ll know that there were negatives.
    Since it seems that all most TFC fans want to focus on is the negatives we’ll start there.
    The last 20 minutes of that game were terrifyingly bad. They couldn’t defend beyond booting the ball aimlessly up field and praying. If God was listening she was indifferent.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    As always the focus will be on the centrebacks. And, there is little doubt that Richard Eckersley, the fullback, and Doneil Henry, the teenager, are not the ideal starting pair. However, what will be missed is that the midfield is equally to blame. It takes a lot of effort to defend in 40C plus heat and it doesn’t help when you can’t hold the ball for more than five seconds. That TFC couldn’t speaks to the point that they had no one in the mid that could give the defenders a target to hit that, in turn, would allow them to have effective possession moving forward to give the back enough time to catch their breath.
    They needed a holding midfielder for the last 20. They had one (JDG) on the pitch -- that is pretty good form right now – for the first 70. For reasons known only to Paul Mariner that player was removed and replaced by a wide midfield player (Reggie Lambe), who is most useful going forward.
    TFC didn’t really go forward after that player was put on.
    Mariner should get a bit of a pass due to the fact that he almost had no other options. Part of that was because of Club Escobar-gate (If the TFC-3 were there Terry Dunfield might have started on the bench with Luis Silva starting, thus allowing Dunfield to replace de Guzman down the stretch), but mostly it was because of the horrible lack of depth.
    Toronto FC didn’t get any more talented in the three eventful days between losing in Kansas City and kicking-off in Houston. The not-good-enough-ness of the Reds remains.
    The difference between Saturday and last night was that Toronto came out and played with a little bit of heart and desire. They caught Houston off guard (and maybe took advantage of a blown offside call) and played with the defending Eastern Conference champions, on the road, for 70 minutes.
    Therein lies the positive and is an illustration of what TFC fans need to focus on if they wish to maintain their sanity the rest of the way. It’s clear now that whatever growth we saw at the end of last season or in the CCL (and anyone that suggests that they could have predicted this mess based on the end of last year and the CCL has a serious case of hindsight blindness), was a mirage. The team isn’t good and they can only get so much better in the transfer window. All you can realistically hope for is for the team to play hard and compete to the best of their abilities. On a good day they may also entertain you.
    If that’s not good enough – and all you care about is wins and losses – then you might want to consider giving yourself a TFC timeout the rest of the way. However, if you can separate the failures of the past and focus on the here and now while looking for growth, then there may still be value to find in 2012.
    Just not many points.
    Guest
    Christopher Vose is AFTN's photographer and here is a gallery of some of his photos from the Whitecaps' game against New York Red Bulls on Wednesday June 21st.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <center>

    (Jun-o)

    (The ultimate player taunt)

    (Hey New York, hands off our Le Toux)

    (Davide - the ball sticks to his head, as well as his feet)

    (And another suspension for Eric gets closer)

    (Martin Bonjour's rocket)
    </center>
    You can view a high resolution slideshow of some of the rest of Christopher's photos from the New York match <a href="
    " target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></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
    Vancouver Whitecaps had hoped to make it three home wins on the bounce this month, but had to settle for a disappointing 1-1 draw with New York Red Bulls at BC Place this evening.
    With New York fielding an understrength side, and without manager Hans Backe for personal reasons, the Caps were expected to go unbeaten in five in MLS action.
    They managed that, but couldn’t get the win they were looking for in the end, as the visitors struck late to take a share of the spoils.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Darren Mattocks’ red card on Saturday meant at least one enforced change to the Caps’ starting eleven and Martin Rennie went with Camilo Sanvezzo, in an otherwise unchanged line-up.
    It was a fairly even, and uneventful, opening.
    The first chance of the game fell to New York, with Dax McCarty heading a Joel Lindpere free kick straight at Joe Cannon in the 8th minute.
    The Caps responded with a half chance of their own, Martin Bonjour acrobatically trying a bicycle kick that went over.
    Davide Chiumiento shot wide for the Caps in the 12th minute, after some nice build up play between Vancouver’s front three.
    It wasn’t proving to be a game full of goalmouth action, with play bogged down in the midfield.
    Referee Chris Penso set his stall out early with a couple of bookings, with a few little niggly tackles by both sides.
    Vancouver came close in the 27th minute when Chiumiento cut the ball inside to Gershon Koffie, but the Ghanaian pulled his shot wide of the left hand post.
    The home side should have taken the lead in the 32nd minute.
    Jun Marques Davidson played a neat ball inside to Koffie, who set up Camilo, but with time and the goal beckoning, the Brazilian pulled his shot well past the left hand post.
    Five minutes later and Camilo had a chance to bury it again.
    A sublime defence splitting ball from Chiumiento sent him free and as he bore down on goal, New York keeper Ryan Meara stumbled, but with the goal gaping, Camilo hit his effort into the side netting.
    He should have found the target, but as it turned out, it didn’t matter as the linesman had his flag up for offside.
    New York missed a great opportunity of their own in the 41st minute.
    An unmarked McCarty got his head onto a Dane Richards cross in from the right, but the midfielder headed across the goal, when anywhere on target would most likely have led to the opener.
    That was to be the last action of a pretty disappointing half and Vancouver fans were left hoping for the same kind of transformation that they saw against Colorado on Saturday.
    The second half started in the same vein but the Caps nearly shook the game awake in the 56th minute.
    John Thorrington played a deep long ball for Le Toux to chase down. The bounce held the ball up for the Frenchman and he had no other option but to cut back to Camilo on the edge of the box, but the Brazilian mishit completely.
    The crowd were starting to show some impatience with Camilo and he was soon replaced by Eric Hassli, as the Caps hoped to try and kickstart their attack.
    Within three minutes, the big Frenchman found his way into the referee’s book.
    Undeterred, Hassli battled on and was put through by Koffie in the 69th minute but fired wide right.
    New York had a chance from the resultant goal kick when Richards was put clean through, but Cannon did well to rush out quickly and block him.
    It was looking like the game had all the makings of a goalless affair when Vancouver broke the deadlock in the 75th minute.
    A Chiumiento corner was cleared out as far as Y-P Lee. The Korean quickly played the ball back to Chiumiento on the right wing and he sent in a cross from the right which Hassli, Rochat and Koffie were all unable to get on to. The ball came to Bonjour, who just managed to control it before unleashing a rocket into the postage stamp corner for 1-0 Caps.
    New York looked a beaten side but pulled themselves back on level terms in the 86th minute.
    Lindpere played a short corner on the right, got the ball back and sent in a perfect ball into the box for Heath Pearce to rise unmarked and head home the equaliser.
    Neither side were able to carve out a chance for the winner and the final whistle signalled two points lost for Vancouver and not so much a point won.
    With a gruelling five game road trip now beckoning, Vancouver will wish they had come out of this game with more.
    ATT: 20,060
    FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 1 - 1 New York Red Bulls
    VANCOUVER: Joe Cannon; Young-Pyo Lee, Martin Bonjour, Jay DeMerit, Alain Rochat; Jun Marques Davidson, Gershon Koffie (Long Tan 90), John Thorrington; Camilo Sanvezzo (Eric Hassli 64), Sebastien Le Toux, Davide Chiumiento (Jordan Harvey 80) [subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, Carlyle Mitchell, Michael Nanchoff, Floyd Franks]
    NEW YORK: Ryan Meara; Brandon Barklage, Markus Holgersson, Heath Pearce, Roy Miller; Dane Richards, Jan Gunnar Solli, Dax McCarty, Joel Lindpere (Victor Palsson 90+1), Connor Lade; Kenny Cooper (Jhonny Arteaga 90) [subs Not Used: Jeremy Vuolo, Jonathan Borrajo, Wilman Conde, Stephen Keel, Ryan Maduro]
    <p>
    Guest

    TFC ticket prices in 2013

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    There was a time when Toronto FC tickets were considered a good deal in a competitive marketplace. Value was something that was pushed and promoted in the early days of Toronto FC and it led to the most robust attendances BMO Field has seen to date. Here was a ticket that was not only a hot item for casual and more serious alike, but it was affordable enough that it wasn’t going to break the bank in the way taking the kids out to a Leafs or Raptors game would.
    The Jays weren’t yet attracting the younger audiences they are today and the Argos, who have been around forever, weren’t trying to aggressively seek out new fans, as they are now.
    It mattered little how Toronto FC was doing on the pitch – the game was an event and it was catering to the youth – so when making the choice for your weekend entertainment, the decision was easy.
    That was then and this is now.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]The heydays of the Toronto FC demand are now gone. Each home game, scalpers are stuck trying to unload mitts full of tickets. Where they could once get double and even triple the price for seats, most are now just looking to score a return on their original ticket price. Equally, supporters who once carried two or three pairs of seats have scaled it back down to one. And those that still do carry multiple sets are finding it ever more difficult to even give away those seats.
    The announced attendance each week hovers around 18,000 but it’s thought that around 3,000 of those are comped to advertising partners and clients. And where announced attendance numbers were once a point to let out a bellowing cheer, they are now met with a quick look around the stands and a discerning snicker.
    All and all, it’s not a rosy picture and I’m not going to paint it as one. However, I am going to make a point from these bleak reminders - there is no need to pile on more than is necessary – and for that I’m going to make a simple comparison.
    If I wanted to go to a major sporting event in the next couple weeks I would have three options. I could go to a Jays game against the LA Angels. I could check out the Argos home opener against the Calgary Stampeders. Or I could watch Toronto FC take on the New England Revolution.
    My options for the Jays range from: $14.25 a ticket to $216.25 a ticket
    My options for the Argos range from: $28.25 a ticket to $91.50 a ticket

    My options for Toronto FC range from: $35.50 a ticket to $105.50 a ticket.
    (All prices taken from Ticketmaster for comparison sake.)
    The simple takeaway is that Toronto FC has quietly become the most expensive summer sports game in town. Now, obviously you’re going to be able to find tickets for less than the minimums on Ticketmaster (hell, I could probably get you a pair for this weekend for the price of a pitcher of beer) but that presumes that those who aren’t a part of the supporters community, or willing to wait in line at the walk up, would know where to look for them.
    So, why am I bringing this up now – a third of a way through what is clearly going to be their worst season to date? Well, very soon, perhaps even already, Toronto FC and MLSE will begin formulating their plan for ticket prices next season.
    I like to imagine it as some highly complicated math formula, where a raise in prices is calculated by taking (x) the projected value of departing season tickets lost due to an increase and adding it to (y) the projected returns of the remaining season ticket prices at the new value. And if the combined returns better or equal last year’s totals, the decision is made to increase ticket prices.
    I said, I like to imagine it like that. In all likelihood it’s probably far less complicated.
    Something like: ‘Well we didn’t raise ticket prices last year, we have three of the most expensive players in the league and despite the fact it was our worst season to date, we did make a good run in Champions League and we’re once again the Canadian champions. So, how about 8 per cent?”
    I’m being a little tongue in cheek here (and to the MLSE employees reading this today, I’m sorry for that) but I really do want to stress the impact a ticket raise would have following a season such as this. Never mind the bad PR that would come with such a move (the media will roast you), I really and genuinely fear that any increase, of any size, would remove whatever last shred of faith this soccer community was willing to extend to you, Toronto FC.
    That faith may be something you don’t value anymore, or has become too much hassle to consider. But when I say an increase would have a damaging affect, I’m talking Columbus level attendances within a few years. I’m talking New England level of interest. I’m talking quiet crowds and muted masses. It's not being overblown to say, it would have a lasting negative effect.
    Now, I understand the pressures that existed within the corporate culture of MLSE under the pension plan days. Onwards and upwards should the ticket prices rise so that our kids teacher’s may enjoy only the best mojitos during their two-month vacation. I’m sure that even suggesting a ticket freeze would have meant risking future career progression within that company. And it may very well be the same environment as Bell and Rogers take over officially this summer.
    But as the same people who signed this letter in 2010, are all still with the club, I ask you to take into consideration three things.
    1) Where Toronto FC sits currently compared to the rest of MLS with season ticket prices and if their MLS record and brand reflects where they should be on that scale.
    2) Where Toronto FC sits compared to its competitors in the summer sports market and if the attendance reflects the actual demand - not the perceived demand created by the resell and scalping industries. Actual butts in seats.
    3) Finally, consider what kind of message it would send to the fans if you extended the price freeze into 2013? Hell, what kind of message it would send if there was a decrease? Conversely, consider what kind of message it would send if you ended the ticket price freeze and raised prices on the heels of the performances so far this year?
    There has been a lot of talk this season about making Toronto competitive on the field again. Most would agree that hasn’t panned out. So, it’s time to start talking about making it competitive in the current marketplace once again, before the flame is finally fanned out.
    Guest
    The Impact filled the opponent's net, but not the seats at Saputo Stadium's reopening Saturday night in Montreal.
    Listen to our 40 minutes weekly show along with our guest commentators Marc Tougas (PC), Jonathan Tannenwald (Philly.com) and Cedric Ferreira (France 24) to talk Impact, MLS and Euro 2012.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to listen to the show!
    Guest
    By Mike Crampton
    A pair of back to back away games in Kansas City and Houston, only four days apart, was always going to be one of the tougher little stretches on Toronto FC’s schedule in 2012. After a coaching change, a shambolic opening twenty minutes in Kansas City during which the Reds looked completely at sea and could have conceded four or five goals, and now the arrest and overnight incarceration of three players Wednesday night’s game in Houston feels more like a looming apocalypse than an opportunity to pick up three points.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Realistically, the likelihood of TFC getting any positive result off the Dynamo is very, very low. Last year’s Eastern Conference Champions and MLS Cup Finalists have not quite hit that level of form again yet (and may not be capable of it) but Houston, always tough to play at home and now riding the energy and crowd enthusiasm of opening a new stadium, have posted a 3W-1D-0L home record since playing their first game at BBVA Compass Stadium on May 12th.
    When you consider that the Reds have only scored a measly 8 goals from their first 11 league games while the Dynamo have only conceded twice in their first four home games it should be obvious that even finding a goal would be a minor victory for Toronto. If that could be tied to a solid defensive performance against the low scoring Dynamo it’s not impossible that TFC could earn a draw, or even an unlikely victory, it’s just that circumstance, form, and Toronto’s season makes that seem so improbable.
    If you are looking for positive omens it might be worth acknowledging that Houston’s only non-win at home this season, a 0-0 draw where they just couldn’t find a goal, came in mid-week after a short rest to the struggling Portland Timbers. Toronto, on the other hand, has a great deal of experience this season at handling the short turnaround involved in a mid-week fixture. Interestingly, for all the times they’ve played on three days’ rest already this will actually be the Reds first mid-week league game of the season. As the joke goes, Toronto FC might only have one win in the league this year but that’s entirely on Saturdays; on Wednesdays the Reds have three wins, four draws, and only one loss!
    Tactically all the interest will be in observing how TFC’s new head coach Paul Mariner proceeds in his move to reorganize the team in a 4-4-2 formation. After a week of build-up emphasizing the need for the Reds to be harder to play against Toronto came out totally flat on Saturday against the high tempo attack of Sporting Kansas City. Mariner’s second half change to a diamond shaped alignment in midfield, along with the insertion of Julian De Guzman and the now absent Luis Silva, seemed to stabilize the side and allow them to better keep hold of the ball even if it couldn’t produce a goal to get TFC back in the game.
    Dominic Kinnear’s Dyanamo are a solidly 4-4-2 side themselves who will present a different set of challenges than Sporting did. Houston take less risks, don’t often look to push the pace of the game like SKC, and have a greater emphasis on ball winning midfielders. In the normally sweltering heat and humidity of a southern Texas summer evening the Dynamo are a side that prefer to grind out victories rather than emphasize flair and panache.
    Unfortunately for Mariner his tactical options will be more limited than usual Wednesday night due to Silva, Nick Soolsma, and Miguel Aceval’s widely commented on but unfortunate legal difficulties Monday morning. Add to that (only recently returned) centre back Adrian Cann’s unavailability due to what is listed as a knee sprain and Mariner will have very few opportunities to rotate from the side who played most of the minutes in Kansas City. Whether he moves regular fullback Richard Eckersley into centre back in Cann’s absence as happened Saturday night or returns the much maligned Ty Harden to the line-up for the first time since April is another interesting question.
    It might be unreasonable to expect much from Toronto FC. On the road, with a short bench, against a decent opponent with good home form it might even be a little unfair. At some point however the Reds must start competing. Paul Mariner has only been in charge for one game and already a fan base that had written off a season seem ready to write off his leadership. Mariner won’t be fired if Toronto loses again Wednesday night but if he wants to start convincing skeptical supporters that he is in fact the right man to set another new direction for TFC he’ll have to point to measurable improvement and do it soon enough to head off another brewing summer of outrage and contempt.
    Guest

    TFC responds to Houston incident

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    According to a CP report, all three players involved in Monday morning's incident in Houston have been sent back to Toronto.
    Key quote below the jump.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Paul Mariner:
    Adrian Cann has also been ruled out of the game due to injury.
    Guest
    <b>KEY PLAYERS :</b>
    ATTACKING
    After missing several chances against Colorado, <b>Sebastien Le Toux</b> was finally able to bury a goal and secure three points for the Whitecaps. It was his first MLS goal in two months, although he did score two against FC Edmonton, and last year's MVP finalist has struggled to find his touch around the box. Le Toux has been playing very deep in the midfield helping out on the defensive side but must make more runs into the box like he did on Saturday.
    After dealing with a back injury for most of the beginning of the season, <b>Joel Lindpere</b> is starting to become an integral part of the Red Bull attack. His numbers this year (2G, 1A) have dipped when compared to last season (7G, 7A) which is a concern to the club as they have had to rely on Henry and Cooper exclusively. Lindpere is capable of playing anywhere in the midfield but is mostly used in the wide areas where he normally is able to deliver solid crosses.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    DEFENCE
    It looked like one of those days for <b>Martin Bonjour</b> over the weekend against the Rapids when he made that horrible back pass to Cannon, but the Argentine defender rebounded to have a solid game. In addition to his game saving dive to block a sure goal in the final moments of the match, Bonjour was very good inside the box, especially on crosses and set pieces where he was able to elevate over the others to clear the ball into safety.
    The Red Bulls will be without both William Conde and Rafa Marquez against the Whitecaps so the visitors will have to rely on <b>Markus Holgersson</b> to lead in the center of the backline. So far this season the Swedish International has played every MLS minute for New York and has even scored a goal. The converted right back has the height, 6'4", to be a presence in the box on either side but has struggled at times with the switch to the North American game.
    <b>WHO'S ON FORM :</b>
    Even before delivering the game winning assist against Colorado, <b>Davide Chiumiento</b> was arguably the best player on the pitch for the Whitecaps. In addition to the skilled moves he put on display for the home crowd, Chiumiento displayed a high work rate that was especially visible when he tracked back to cover for Alain Rochat. Having played on the left side the playmaker may move inside if Rennie decides to rest John Thorrington for a game.
    While his first season back to MLS was a struggle for <b>Kenny Cooper</b>, a trade from Portland to New York seems to have been the perfect remedy for the striker. The co-leader in the goals scored, with eleven in twelve games, Cooper has scored four times in his last five played. He is dangerous around the box, whether it's in the air or on the deck, so the Caps will have to pay special attention to him especially with Henry unavailable.
    <b>2012 RECORD :</b>
    Vancouver:
    7W-4D-3L
    3rd in Western Conference
    Last Match: 1-0 Win vs Colorado Rapids
    New York:
    8W-2D-4L
    3rd in Eastern Conference
    Last Match: 3-1 Loss vs Chicago Fire
    <b>PROJECTED LINE-UPS :</b>

    <b>INJURIES/MISSING :</b>
    Vancouver:
    Out: GK Brian Sylvestre (knee), FW Atiba Harris (knee), FW Omar Salgado (foot), FW Darren Mattocks (suspended)
    Doubtful: MF Matt Watson (R ankle sprain)
    New York:
    Out: MF Teemu Tainio (knee), FW Jose Angulo (knee), FW Thierry Henry (calf), MF Rafa Marquez (thigh), MF Mehdi Ballouchy (personal)
    <b>GAME ANALYSIS :</b>
    The Whitecaps are rounding the corner on a perfect home stand as they return to BC Place to face the Red Bulls of New York. Once again the Caps run into a little good luck as the visitors travel to the west coast with a number of players and their manager unavailable for the match. Included in the missing players are their two superstars, Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez, who are both out due to injury.
    There will be some adjustments to the starting eleven but the keeper will remain the same and Cannon will start in goal. There are no expected changes in the backline as DeMerit partners with Bonjour while Lee and Rochat will patrol the outside.
    Rennie may rest Thorrington, especially with another match on the weekend, which means that the midfield could consist of Koffie, Davidson and Chiumiento.
    With Mattocks suspended for the match, Le Toux will be the only returning starter up front. It should be either Hassli or Camilo in the middle of the attack while Nanchoff could see his first start on the left wing.
    While there are a number of missing players for New York, the Caps will still have to deal with quite a few threats. Former Timber Kenny Cooper is tied with Wondolowski for the lead in goals in MLS, while his expected partner up top, Dane Richards, is always a threat because of his speed. With Marquez unavailable their main playmaker will be Joel Lindpere and he will service the strikers from the wing with his crosses.
    While the Whitecaps will not face another makeshift backline, there are definite weaknesses that can be exposed. With Conde missing and Pearce forced to play in the midfield, the Red Bulls will have to call upon Stephen Keel to line up with Markus Holgersson. Against Chicago Roy Miller was constantly exposed on the left side so expect both Le Toux and Lee to make runs at the defender.
    New York are coming to the west coast after playing on Sunday, giving the Red Bulls one less day to rest in addition to the travel. Before dropping their weekend match to the Fire, the Red Bulls were riding a six game unbeaten streak which included five wins, so the Caps can’t this team lightly. Once again a win will draw comparisons to last season as the Caps will match their point totals from all of last season only fifteen games into this campaign.
    <b>AFTN Prediction: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 New York Red Bulls 0</b>
    <p>
    Guest

    Report: Luis Silva's father dead

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The Toronto Star is reporting that Luis Silva’s father died Saturday prior to the game against Kansas City.
    There was no claim that the death led to the public intoxication incident that Silva was involved in early Monday morning.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    Crime and punishment at TFC

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Last night ABC premiered a horrible Big Brother knock-off called The Glass House. Despite the name of the show, it wasn’t about Toronto FC fans reaction to the public intoxication arrests of Nick Soolsma, Luis Silva and Miguel Aceval.
    You see, based on how "refreshed" the typical TFC crowd is, many Reds fans appear to be casting stones in their glass houses today.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Let’s review what we know:

    The three men were outside Club Escobar in downtown Houston early Monday morning.
    There was a verbal altercation between “several” people outside the club
    Police arrested the three and accused them of public intoxication.
    One of the three tried to flee after the police started to place the others under arrest
    Through secondary reporting by Ives Galarcep, we’ve heard suggestions that Silva may not have been in the club and was simply there to pick up the other two. Silva is also reported to have been the one who ran from police. Galarcep also reported that it was a “disgruntled ex-girlfriend” that tipped off the Toronto Sun to the arrests.
    What we don’t know:

    Whether they were actually drunk (without an admission of guilt, or breathalyzer results, we are only assuming intoxication)
    Whether they were involved in a physical altercation (that the Toronto Sun changed its headline from “TFC players busted in drunken brawl” to “TFC players busted outside Houston club” may suggest that there wasn’t any indication of violence)
    How they ended up in the altercation (it probably doesn’t matter, but if you’ve ever been to a nightclub at closing time you know that stuff can happen and that it’s easy to get caught up in that stuff even if you’re not really looking to. It’s not that crazy of an idea that the three men were targeted by those that recognized them as well – that wouldn’t excuse anything, but might help us to understand the incident better)
    In Texas, public intoxication is considered a Class C Misdemeanor, which is the same category as a speeding ticket. It is punishable by a fine of up to $500 and usually requires 4-12 hours in jail (i.e., the drunk tank) at the time of the incident.
    If Silva was charged with resisting arrest – a far, far more serious charge that could potentially carry a prison term – it’s likely we would have heard about it by now and it seems very unlikely that he’d be allowed to travel back Canada.
    So, until we hear otherwise we can likely assume he was only charged with the Misdemeanor.
    As a Misdemeanor, the charges will not restrict the player’s travels into the United States. However, one must also look at how the charge is handled in Ontario to understand if it will affect travel back into Toronto.
    The law in Texas is far less nuanced than it is in Ontario, where there are two levels of public intoxication. The lower level, and most commonly enforced, requires something more than just being a little tipsy, but not enough that the person would be obviously under the influence to others. The punishment is a ticket and a cab ride home.
    It’s only when someone reaches a point of “gross intoxication” – obviously drunk to others – that the more serious charge, which involves a trip to the drunk tank, is made.
    The law in Ontario is designed to provide police with the tools to ensure public safety, but is also designed to make it difficult for police to apply it in cases where the level of intoxication does not represent a danger to the individual or others.
    It seems likely that the three would have received tickets and a cab ride home if they were picked up outside Musik. It’s quite possible we never hear about it in that case. It’s also pretty clear the Ontario interpretation of the law ensures that the players will not experience difficulty traveling home.
    When discussing what the appropriate internal response is to the incident it’s also valuable to understand how the law is enforced in Texas. By treating public intoxication the same as a speeding ticket, the State has made it much easier for police to lay the charge. That, in turn, should at least partially influence how TFC reacts to it. There wouldn’t be sensationalistic headlines in the local tabloid if they had been nailed for doing 70 mph in a 55.
    As professional athletes, the players have a greater responsibility than your average person would in the same situation. They represent the club and the city on all occasions and therefore must be held responsible for putting themselves in this position. There is no doubt that there needs to be some sort of consequence.
    However, suggestions that the players should have their contracts voided are more than a little over the top. It’s also a bit much to suggest that a failure by TFC to tell us what the consequences are is an example of the club “sweeping things under the rug.” It would be in the club’s best interest to do so, but clubs don’t routinely disclose internal fines for curfew violations and, for all we currently know, that could be the worst thing the players are guilty of.
    If it comes out that the three were drop-dead drunk and throwing punches then we can revisit it. Until we know more, however, let’s dial the moral outrage back about 50 notches and take an honest look at the incident.
    There should be a punishment. That punishment should fit the crime.
    Guest
    <i>Continuing our new feature <b>Pitch Perfect</b>, where we break down various moves of perfection in Whitecaps matches, Steve Pandher takes a look at the move which led to Sebastien Le Toux's goal against Colorado Rapids at the weekend....</i>
    <center>**********</center>
    After the game on Saturday I didn't expect to write about the Le Toux goal as I just saw it as a great pass from Chiumiento and a perfect finish by the striker. However, looking at the goal closer you can see that the Whitecaps set this goal up perfectly with great movement and a switch across the pitch. It was also assisted by poor play by the three man backline that Colorado used in the final part of the match.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    The play starts with Lee running into two opposing players including Colorado defender Hunter Freeman, so Lee moves the ball back to Thorrington. Le Toux also comes back to midfield to try to give Lee a target and also bringing Scott Palguta with him.

    Thorrington sends the ball back to Koffie, who is pressured immediately by the frontline of the Rapids. Instead of sending another backpass he locates Rochat on the left side and continues the movement from right to left. During the match Lee had been making runs down the right side, sometimes into the box, which makes Freeman believe it could happen again forcing him to track him.

    Rochat gets the ball to Chiumiento, who fakes going down the sideline only to move towards the space to his left. Davidson makes a run into the area behind Chiumiento, which makes Moor have to slide down to pick him up.

    Moor’s movement forces Palguta to move into the space vacated to keep a tight line but Freeman is too slow to react giving Le Toux more space to make his run into the box. Chiumiento recognizes the space that Le Toux has when he looks up and delivers the ball just over Palguta’s head.

    Freeman has no chance to make any ground up at this point as the ball is delivered into the box with precision. Le Toux makes the right decision to take the shot immediately and opens up his right foot to get the shot past Matt Pickens.
    On the goal the Whitecaps benefited from the Rapids going for the win and bringing on a striker for a defender. The goal may not have been possible if there was a four man backline, as the two central defenders would have been able to keep the space tight in the middle.
    The most underrated move during the setup of this goal was the run made Jun Davidson, who as a holding midfielder rarely ventures so high up the pitch. It was that run that opened a large amount of space for Le Toux to take a perfect pass from Chiumiento and finish the chance clinically. Watch the goal one more time at full speed. Perfection.
    <center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-1KKWxXUNYI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>
    <p>
    <center>[** Steve has noticed that he has spelt Palguta wrong in pics 3-5. He apologises to the Pagluta family and is sure their boy would have done better! **]</center>
    <p>
    Guest
    Every few weeks, whenever we feel like it, we think of a subject for a football team to be based around for our "Team of the Week". Then we fill it with our starting eleven of current and recent MLS players with some appropriate name changes, or even better, just as is!
    Your scouting job is to come up with the subs bench, from any player from around the world, and leave your player suggestions in the comments section.
    Keeping it topical, and in light of the news of the TFC 3, we bring you our latest "MLS Team of the Week", the <b>Prison XI</b>….
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <center>**********</center>
    <b>GK:</b> Nick Remanded (Real Salt Lake)
    <b>D :</b> Jail Anibaba (Chicago Fire)
    <b>D :</b> Miguel Acevalcatraz (Toronto)
    <b>D :</b> Doing Tyme Harden (Toronto)
    <b>D :</b> Hunter Not A Freeman (Colorado Rapids)
    <b>M :</b> James Marcellin (Dallas)
    <b>M :</b> Luis Guilty (Real Salt Lake)
    <b>M :</b> Keyln Death Rowe (New England Revolution)
    <b>M :</b> Jan Gunnar Sollitary (New York Red Bulls)
    <b>F :</b> Custody Arnoux (Real Salt Lake)
    <b>F :</b> In The Nick Soolsma (Toronto)
    <b>Manager:</b> Tommy Soehn - because he was criminal
    This team will play all their home games at the Clink in Seattle.
    Not sure they'll be too keen to hit the showers afterwards though.
    </p>
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