Jump to content

  • Articles

    Manage articles
    Show all categories
    Guest
    In the lead-up to the men's national team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers, we'll be taking a look at who should be getting the start for Canada in each area of the field. Agree? Disagree? Join the conversation in the comments section below. Yesterday, we pondered who Canada's #1 goalkeeper is. Today, it's the next line of defence -- that is, the defenders.
    As the old saying goes, "the best defence is a good offence." Then again, a good defence is probably also an advisable thing to have, particularly in World Cup qualifying when one goal can make such a big difference.
    So, when it's all on the line, who gets the call?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Nik Ledgerwood: The Lethbridge native has been bouncing between a number of second-and-lower-division German teams since 2003, and has become a somewhat-regular fixture at right back for Canada in recent years. He doesn't seem to get much love from Canadian fans, but ever since Paul Stalteri retired and Jaime Peters fell off the map, Ledgerwood has been a serviceable option on a number of occasions.
    Mike Klukowski: A perhaps-apocryphal anecdote from a few years ago entails head coach Stephen Hart lauding Kluka as one of Canada's two world-class players (a cookie if you know, or can guess, the other). Fast-forward to 2012, and a less-than-stellar performance in a friendly against Armenia has fans wondering whether the 31-year-old is even a starter for the national team anymore. If Marcel de Jong were healthy, that would a debate worth having. But, y'know, he isn't.
    Kevin McKenna: Oh captain, our captain. Big Kev has been a mainstay with Canada since forever, and at FC Koln in Germany for five years. He's a big presence in the centre of defence, and on the attacking side of things -- occasionally listed (and used) as a striker during his national-team career, he's found the back of the net 11 times for Canada. That's more than Tomasz Radzinski or Paul Peschisolido. Yowza.
    Andre Hainault: Hainault's a national-team lifer, having served plenty of time on the U17, U20, U23 and now senior-team Canadian rosters. He's also become an integral part of the Houston Dynamo, especially on their unexpected run to the MLS Cup final last year. That playoff run actually created a bit of a headache, as Hainault declined an invitation to play in one of Canada's World Cup qualifiers in late 2011. But both Hart and Hainault insist that's water under the bridge now. Let's hope so.
    David Edgar: For a while, it was feared Edgar would become nothing more than the answer to a trivia question: "Who's the only Canadian to score against Manchester United in a Premiership game?" (He did it in 2007, as a member of Newcastle.) But after a rocky few years, the 25-year-old has finally, firmly established himself as a starting CB at Burnley, and a regular member of the Canadian squad.
    Ashtone Morgan: The most successful Toronto FC Academy graduate yet, the 21-year-old has taken big strides in a very short amount of time. Whatever you may think of TFC, it's hard not to root for Morgan, as an example of the way things could -- and should -- work: Canadian kid works way up through MLS club's academy, breaks into first team, establishes self and finds his way into national-team setup.
    Ante Jazic: The 36-year-old was a surprise inclusion on the World Cup qualifying squad last year, mostly because of his age (even I started this sentence off with it). But 2011 was a renaissance year for the Nova Scotia native, as he logged nearly 2,500 minutes of playing time for Chivas USA. This year, he's started 12 of the Goats' 13 MLS games. Don't kid yourself -- there's plenty of life left in those legs.
    Dejan Jakovic: A late addition to the roster, Jakovic is rounding back into form for D.C. United after recovering from an ankle injury. And how did he send himself off on the international break? Oh, y'know, just with a goal in D.C.'s 3-2 win over New England to vault the team into first place in the Eastern Conference.
    Atiba Hutchinson? Though Hutch has seen some time at right back with PSV Eindhoven, if we see him in that position for Canada, it means we're totally screwed.
    What will Hart do?
    Experience is important (perhaps most important) in World Cup qualifiers, so you've got to expect Klukowski to be out there at left back. McKenna is a lock in one of the central positions, and it would only make sense to have Edgar alongside him. A sneaking suspicion tells me we'll also see Ledgerwood out there, based more or less on the fact that Hart's had more time to see him perform at right back in a Canadian jersey.
    Squizz says:
    Well, I like the central pairing of McKenna and Edgar, so let's assume that's what we're going with. On the right, let's see what Hainault can do -- don't forget, he's an offensive threat that could add one more element to the Canadian attack on corners/free kicks. And on the left... I know there's no way in hell we're seeing Morgan out there, barring some emergency, but that doesn't mean I don't want to see it happen (Morgan getting a shot, that is, not an emergency -- Canadian soccer has had quite enough of those, thanks very much.)
    What do you think? Have I gotten it totally wrong? Let me know. Tomorrow, we get to the heart of the matter: the midfield.
    Guest
    <center><i>“Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph;
    a beginning, a struggle and a victory.”</center>
    <p align=right>- Mahatma Ghandi -</i></p>
    For Martin Rennie, this 2012 MLS season is one of stages.
    If you've spent any time chatting with, listening to or reading about the Caps Head Coach this year, you'll have heard him talk a lot about that. It's been quite the recurring mantra from the start, and a refreshing one at that.
    No outlandish claims of domestic or world domination. Just take things slowly, don't run before you can walk, and build steadily towards that final goal.
    The Club are setting a series of goals of where they want to be at different points of the season and on the whole, it's working, even if everything isn't quite being achieved.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Vancouver Whitecaps are still very much a work in progress, but they are unrecognisable from the team that had such a challenging inaugural season, both on and off the pitch.
    May has been a busy, difficult, and not exactly a fruitful month for Vancouver.
    Having meekly lost the Voyageurs Cup final last Wednesday, Saturday's game in Portland was the chance to focus on what the Whitecaps do have left to play for during the rest of this season - making the MLS playoffs.
    It was also the last game before a two week break.
    Having been unsuccessful in their quest for winning the Canadian Championship, was Saturday's game the end of stage one of this 2012 season, or the start of stage two?
    We asked Martin Rennie after the match on Saturday evening:
    <i>"End of stage one I think.
    We all need a break after a very long stage one and especially as the last phase of stage one was a tough, tough run for us.
    We finished that first little period with a lot of positives, a lot to build on, then we go into a month where we play three home games and one game on the west coast away from home in one full month.
    So that gives us a chance to recharge our batteries and really get ready for those games and hopefully give our best and get some more points."</i>
    June may be a favourable one for the Caps but they will certainly need to make the most of the reduced travel as July is going to be a killer. Seven games and five of them away from home, including four in a row to kick off the month.
    So what can Whitecaps fans expect to see in stage two of the season?
    There's going to be some crunch games, especially in August when all four matches played will be against our Western Conference playoff rivals. Five of the seven games played in July are also intra-conference affairs.
    Every point dropped against our Western rivals in the next three months could prove to be crucial. There's only four games against Eastern teams in the next fifteen matches.
    This stage of the season will truly be the test as to how far the Caps have come under Martin Rennie and whether they are the genuine playoff contenders we believe them to be.
    There will be some new personnel to help out.
    Barry Robson will start training with the Caps next month, ready to play his first matches in July.
    The Caps have a void that the Scotsman will bring the tools to fill and will bolster what has been seen to be a big gap in recent games.
    From what both Rennie and Lenarduzzi have indicated in recent weeks, Robson's addition is not going to be the only one we're likely to see in Vancouver once the transfer window opens.
    Carlos Bocanegra is still heavily linked with the Caps and with Rangers still being in financial peril, there is a good chance that the American may just decide to head home to MLS and actually get paid what he's meant to be getting paid.
    An all-American international centre back partnership of Bocanegra and DeMerit, along with Lee and Rochat as full backs, would give the Caps one of the best, if not the best, backlines in all of MLS.
    There's also been murmurings about bringing in another defensive midfielder and the whole midfield depth could do with a little boost and addition.
    All of this can only mean that some players will be moving on once the window opens.
    I'm expecting to see players like Michael Boxall, Atiba Harris and Long Tan depart. They're not figuring in the first team plans, so it would be best for all parties if they sought pastures new.
    Could we also be set to lose players like Jordan Harvey and John Thorrington? And where does all this leave Russell Teibert, who needs to play or his development will start going backwards? Is there a place for Davide Chiumiento, or will he be seen as our biggest trade bait?
    The other big question is whether we will keep all three of Eric Hassli, Camilo and Sebastien Le Toux.
    The three of them can't seem to play together in the same team and we now have Darren Mattocks, Omar Salgado and Etienne Barbara banging on the door as the new guys in town.
    It's going to be interesting.
    Martin Rennie and his management team are going to have some difficult decisions to make. They won't all be pleasing to the fanbase, but you can be sure that they're going to be done for the right reasons.
    We've grown so much from last year, but we can't afford to now stand still. There does need to be some changes if this growth is to continue.
    Of all the stages of this season, stage two is probably the most important, for it is this one that will really shape where we'll be come November.
    <p>
    Guest
    Circumstances beyond my control have prevented me from writing this week. Apologies.
    WWLDWD - that's Toronto's form over the past six games. Four of the games were in cup play, but all six were against MLS competition. So, 11 points out of 18. Almost two points per game.
    It's a snapshot, clearly, but it's no less informative than the 0-0-9 was. The Reds aren't a two point per game team - that would put the in the middle of the Supporter's Shield territory. They also aren't really the worst team in the world. There is little doubt some profoundly bad luck went into the thankfully done losing streak. In a parity league like MLS, a team that was legitimately an 0-0-9 side would be losing games by big numbers. For the most part TFC was competitive in the losing streak. If you played the season 50 times it's highly unlikely you'd ever see a record like TFC's again.
    That's the good news.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The bad news is the 51st time just happened. TFC was 0-0-9 and 1-0-9 isn't much better. If they continue the rest of the year on their current pace they would make the playoffs (with 53 points), but that doesn't seem likely, now does it?
    Last week the boys on the Some Canadian Guys Talking about Soccer podcast I was asked if I felt that TFC could "turn around" their season now. I answered by saying that it depended on what you considered turning around? If you're black and white about it - playoffs are a success, not playoffs are not -- there isn't much of a debate - TFC is all but screwed. But, if you look at things with an open mind and focus on growth and playoff pace the rest of the way (about 1.4 points) you might be just about able to keep yourself sane.
    I don't think many TFC fans will stay sane. Am I wrong?
    Guest
    We discuss Montreal's loss to forget in Colorado, but lessons to remember from this game!
    Now that the dust is falling after Hurricane Marco's passing, we revisit Saturday's wacky game in Denver.
    Our guest analysts this week include Marc Tougas (CP), Jonathan Tannenwald (Philly.com) talking about Canada's next opponents China and the U.S. playing last week in Philadelphia and Jacksonville and we go across the pond to talk Euro, transfers and Italian mayhem with Cedric Ferreira in Paris.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to listen to our 45 minutes show.
    Guest
    In the lead-up to the men's national team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers, we'll be taking a look at who should be getting the start for Canada in each area of the field. Agree? Disagree? Join the conversation in the comments section below. We'll be starting things off in the most natural of spots: Between the posts.
    Since the retirement of Pat Onstad, the position of goalkeeper has been in flux for the Canadian team. Lars Hirschfeld is the presumptive #1, but since being unearthed by head coach Stephen Hart, Milan Borjan has made a strong case that he should be Canada's top choice. And let's not forget Kenny Stamatopoulos, who's been with the Canadian program (albeit sporadically) since 2001.
    So, when it's all on the line, who gets the call?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Lars Hirschfeld: In the same way that Onstad was the natural #1 once Craig Forrest retired, Hirschfeld has been biding his time behind Onstad for years. Many years. Believe it or not, he's been with the Canadian program since 2000, picking up 38 caps along the way. The 33-year-old has made 16 appearances for Valerenga in Norway this year, and is in mid-season form (the Norwegian league, like MLS, begins play in March).
    Milan Borjan: It's been a tumultuous year for the 24-year-old, who first burst onto the Canadian scene last year. He transferred to Sivasspor in Turkey late last year but, after not winning the starter's job, was loaned out to Vaslui in Romania. There, he took control, recording a number of clean sheets to propel his team to a remarkable season-ending winning streak and a berth in next year's Champions League.
    Kenny Stamatopoulos: After several years of being loaned out to several teams (including Toronto FC), Stamatopoulos has found a relatively stable spot with AIK in Sweden. Unfortunately, the 32-year-old has yet to feature prominently for his club side during that time.
    What will Hart do?
    As Ric Flair used to regularly pronounce, "to be the man, you've got to beat the man." While that hopefully doesn't mean a training-ground dust-up between Hirschfeld and Borjan, it does mean that, by virtue of his experience with the national team, the job is Hirschfeld's to lose. While Borjan has opened many eyes since joining the Canadian team -- particularly with his club-team momentum as of late -- you have to imagine Hart is going to dance with the one who brung him. Hirschfeld's likely the starter.
    Squizz says:
    Stamatopoulos puts them both in figure-four leglocks and steals the spot. Seriously, though, it's a tough one. The old cliche is that you've got to play the hot hand, especially when it comes to goalkeepers, so it's very tough not to lean towards Borjan. My heart says the momentum aspect would probably (hopefully) compensate for any drop-off in talent or experience between Hirschfeld and Borjan.
    What do you think? Have I gotten it totally wrong? Let me know. Tomorrow, it's on to the back line.
    Guest
    "Please please win. Meow meow meow." was one of the chants of choice over the weekend down in Portland.
    The Caps didn't quite manage it on Saturday night, but they did get the job down in the Reserves game on Sunday, so we thought we'd keep the Portlandia theme going for our ITCLOD title this week.
    Now that everyone should have pretty much recovered from their travels, let's look back at what we can take from Saturday's game.
    Well it wasn't a Cascadia Cup classic. The drama and action of last weekend's clash with Seattle may have been missing but at least it threw up an exciting conclusion for the travelling blue and white hordes.
    We also got our first MLS points against the Timbers.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It was a poor first half in terms of us trying to get on the scoresheet.
    We may have done a good job at holding the hosts at bay, but to only have one shot in the first half was poor. Even more so when you consider it was in the 45th minute.
    It improved in the second half but it was far from a great overall performance.
    You can blame tiredness, the schedule, travel, tactics or the team selection, but we were a bit jaded out there for parts of the match.
    I was a bit surprised by the team that Martin Rennie put out there.
    Eric Hassli was always going to be on the bench but I also expected at least Camilo or Sebastien Le Toux to be there with him, and either Darren Mattocks or Omar Salgado to start.
    We badly needed some width out there and got it too late.
    Camilo and Le Toux don't work that well together. I know we've been saying this for a few weeks now, but just who does work well together up front? Could Hassli and Mattocks be the new go to guys?
    They have at least shown some understanding together and Darren's pace would be just what Eric's little flick ons are needing.
    Once again I was frustrated by the lateness of Rennie's substitutions.
    The starting eleven could have been out there all night and struggled to find a goal.
    A double substitution of Hassli and Mattocks around the midway point of the second half could have been magical for us. We'll never know, and it's all just speculation, but you need to give Mattocks more than eight minutes to torment tired defences.
    Darren's great strike aside, what was perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the match was that once again the team showed fight and spirit to come back from going a goal down to grab something from a game.
    It didn't quite get the full three points like they did against San Jose but Mattocks' goal was the fourth time that the Caps have scored in the last fifteen minutes of games this season.
    A far cry from conceding them in the closing minutes of matches last year.
    The atmosphere at the game was tremendous. From all my trips down to Portland these last few years, I think this was the best and most unified I've ever seen the travelling support.
    This only bodes well for moving fan culture in Vancouver forward. I know from talking to a lot of fans who made the trip south for the first time that they were blown away and can't wait for more.
    Good job we have both Seattle and Portland to look forward to in back to back weekends in August.
    The team now have a break. There will be no training until Thursday and Rennie remarked post-game that he'd like the players to go and relax and just not think about football for a few days and to come back refreshed and raring to go.
    What lies in store for the next part of the season? We'll take a little look at that tomorrow.
    In the meantime, the Caps have got through one of the hardest stretches of their schedule (July could also be a killer).
    It's not been a fantastic reward from the last five matches. No Voyageurs Cup and only two League points has seen the team fall to the fifth and final playoff spot in the West.
    The real hard work now lies ahead, so let's hope the players make the most of that rest.
    'Mon the Caps.
    <center>********************</center>
    <b>AFTN 3-2-1:</b>
    3 points - JAY DEMERIT (I've been waiting for over a season to see a performance like this from the Caps captain)
    2 points - JOE CANNON (some tremendous stops and agility in that second half to keep us in the game)
    1 point - JOHN THORRINGTON (was surprised to see him in the starting line up and not an offensive midfielder, but he proved to be a key cog in the middle)
    <p>
    Guest
    The Impact's first DP is in town and he's making quite a splash!
    Marco Di Vaio made a triumphant arrival at Montreal's International Airport on Sunday where some 150 fans greeted him with honours and he met the press on Monday.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to listen to the 35 minutes press conference.
    Guest
    At last, we're set to see Mission Moncton come to fruition, as a Canadian senior national team will make its debut at the still-has-that-new-stadium-smell Moncton Stadium on Wednesday.
    The women's team's friendly against a fading Chinese squad doesn't have massive international ramifications; like most friendlies, this one will be most useful as a way of gauging the effectiveness of players and tactics. But given the circumstances, this game could tell us an awful lot about things are going to look for Big Red in 2012 and beyond.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    First of all, the list of the ladies in red (well, unless China wears red and Canada wears white... but whatever, you know what I mean):
    1- GK- Karina LeBlanc
    2- CB- Emily Zurrer
    3- FB- Melanie Booth
    4- M- Carmelina Moscato
    5- FB- Robyn Gayle
    6- M- Kaylyn Kyle
    7- FB- Rhian Wilkinson
    8- M- Diana Matheson
    9- CB- Candace Chapman
    10- F- Christina Julien
    11- M- Desiree Scott
    12- F- Christine Sinclair
    13- M- Sophie Schmidt
    14- F- Melissa Tancredi
    15- M- Kelly Parker
    16- F- Jonelle Filigno
    17- M- Brittany Timko
    18- GK- Erin McLeod
    19- M- Chelsea Stewart
    20- FB- Marie-Eve Nault
    22- F- Chelsea Buckland
    23- FB- Lauren Sesselmann
    It's been a tumultuous year for many female players -- including a number of Canadians -- amidst the shutdown of Women's Professional Soccer. But that situation could be a mild blessing in disguise, as it prompted the CSA to organize a weeks-long training camp for the women's national team in Vancouver (which culminated in a friendly against the Whitecaps women's team last Thursday).
    This pre-Olympic camp represents the longest period that head coach John Herdman has had to work with most of his roster. We'll see the outcome of this extended period of solidarity-building and adjustment-making out on the pitch on Wednesday night.
    Of course, the team will have plenty of motivation to perform, with the chance to impress a hometown crowd in a brand-new facility they've never seen before. With Moncton having been named a host city for the 2015 Women's World Cup, that crowd will have also have plenty of motivation to put on a good show, in the hopes of increasing their chances of landing marquee games three years from now.
    And as for the Canadian roster, there will hopefully be answers to some lingering questions. Diana Matheson is expected to make her long-awaited return to the team after surgery, and will instantly provide the already-strong midfield with an additional spark. Striker Jonelle Filigno is on the roster, but further away from full recovery. Herdman has preached caution with the 21-year-old, but her potential return to the lineup is another source of excitement.
    In goal, we'll likely see Erin McLeod get the start as Karina LeBlanc continues to recover from a minor ankle injury. This could be an area of concern since, without a third keeper, a knock or red card to McLeod would force either a less-than-100% LeBlanc, or someone else entirely, into the Canadian goal. Now, I knocked on wood as I typed that, so as not to jinx anything, but this situation shines a brighter light on the absence of a third keeper (Stephanie Labbe, anyone?) from the Canadian setup.
    (Update: The Canadian Press has reported that 20-year-old goalkeeper Sabrina D'Angelo has been brought into the team as cover for the China game.)
    One way or another, the game is one of our last, best chances to see the Canadian team in action prior to the Olympics. The game is live on Sportsnet One at 8 p.m. local, 7 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday.
    .
    Guest
    This is the second in a series of posts dedicated to sharing stories from fans of Canadian soccer about how they came to follow their country and/or local club, and what it means to them. We're told soccer is wildly popular in Canada -- but too often, that means people who play but don't watch, or those who exclusively follow foreign clubs or national teams. While that's all well and good, it's not the same as being a Canadian soccer fan.
    To find out how you can be a part of this series and add your voice to the Support Local Soccer movement, see the end of this post. But in this edition, we hear from a fan who had a strong response to the first edition of this series, and took me up on the offer to make his own unique story heard.
    "I can't tell you when I first became interested or passionate about soccer; for me, it has always been a part of my life, and an integral part of my family's heritage."
    Normally, hearing a Canadian describe the game in this way evokes images or stories from "the old country," wherever in the world that may be. But for Devon, a 28-year-old from Victoria, B.C., it's a bit different.
    "When I say my family's heritage, I don't mean, 'descended from x ethnic group and therefore I like soccer' -- I mean a family history of being involved in Canadian soccer that goes back four generations."
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    fff
    One of my most cherished and cool possessions is my Great Grandfather's
    gold (I'm going to assume plated) pocket watch. On the back the
    inscription reads “*Powell River Dist Football Assn* Moose FC -Winners-
    McMaster League Falconers Shield Bell-Irving Cup 1929-30” and then the
    initials and last name of my great grandfather. For a soccer nut like
    myself, I don't think there's a better heirloom to have.
    I know my grandfather played soccer, but to what capacity I don't know. My
    dad was a high school star in the mid 60's, he played for team BC during a
    national tournament and was even offered a pro contract by then Div2
    Sheffield Wednesday. Seeing as early 70's div 2 teams paid poorly, my dad
    decided to go to university instead of accepting Sheffield's offer; a
    really good decision, but sometimes I still can't believe dad turned down
    a chance to play pro soccer.
    As for me, I grew up playing soccer. I spent most of my weekends at the
    park playing with kids while our dad's played league games. When I was 13
    my family moved to Chile for a job opportunity. You may have heard of
    Chile? They play a bit of soccer down there.
    If I played soccer before going to Chile, I became immersed in it down
    there. All of my new friends at school were U. Catolica fans. I'm not
    Catholic, but when you're 13, why would you cheer for any team other than
    the ones your new friends cheer for? So I became a big Catolica fan, and
    went to their games whenever they played teams in the southern Chile
    (where I lived), or whenever we would go to Santiago. I was also in Chile
    for the World Cup 98 qualification campaign and tournament, and got to
    experience first hand a country going crazy as their team participated in
    the World Cup. While in Chile soccer was life. During school hours we
    played soccer every break and every PE class. My summer holidays in Chile
    consisted of 8 hours of soccer a day, as all the neighbourhood kids would
    gather at the dust field (it was used too much to ever have grass) and
    would play all morning, break for lunch, and then play all afternoon
    again. It was an awesome time, and I returned to Canada a much better
    player than when I left.
    I returned to Canada in '99, and began following/supporting the CMNT with
    the same gusto that I had seen my Chilean friends do with their national
    team. In 2000 there was a little tournament called the Gold Cup, and for
    the final I gathered as may of my high school friends as possible to watch
    the game and me go ballistic when we won. None of them really understood
    why the win was such a big deal, but I tried to make them understand.
    Since 2000 without specifically trying to I've gone to every CMNT
    in/around BC including the 2004 game against Guatemala at Swanguard and
    the 2008 friendly against Brazil in Seattle, which was
    maybe the best game of soccer I have ever seen.
    Of course I am a big Whitecaps fan, I've been so for the past 6 or so
    years... alot of webcast watching in that time.
    Having talked about my soccer history, I should probably mention soccer
    present. I think the CMNT having all of its games in Toronto sucks. I
    could use alot more verbose and offensive expressions to replace 'sucks'
    but lets leave it as is.
    It's great that your friend Miriam has recenly been exposed to the
    national team and how “"Caring about every single game the national teams
    play has become very much a part of [her] life." I've been that way for
    the past 10 years, buying CMNT merch, travelling to what games I could,
    getting up at 4am to watch shitty web-streams of friendly's being played
    god-knows where. So if Miriam and I are equally big fans, why should only
    one of us get to go to games? You might not know the feeling since you get
    to go to CMNT games every couple of months, but being a massive of fan of
    the CMNT, it's really sad/rage educing to never, ever, get to see CMNT
    games live.
    Canada is a massive country, and the CMNT belongs to all of us. The games
    should be, and have to be moved around the country in order for the game
    to grow. One region should not have a monopoly on a national entity. Being
    Canadians we're already accused of having socialized everything, so why
    not a socialized national soccer program as well; where we all share and
    get along, rather than dragging out regional divisions every qualifying
    cycle? Yes this would involve more travel for players, sometimes, but it
    would also allow people from outside southern Onterrible to become
    passionate CMNT fans, just as your friend Miriam did.
    I was going to leave things here, but I just want to add one more thing,
    because I know the response to any idea of playing CMNT games outside of
    Toronto brings with it the issue of real vs turf fields... Get over the
    turf field issue, it's not a real issue. If turf is the major issue
    preventing the team from playing elsewhere, then the 2008 qualifier should
    have never been played on the (questionable) turf at BMO field. And until
    the CSA, the players, and whoever else comes out and retroactively says
    that playing the 2008 qual in Toronto on the turf was a massive mistake,
    then it can't be said about anywhere else.
    How's that for passion / semi-coherent ramblings? I was going to put in
    reasons for why games shouldn’t be in Toronto and my compromise idea for a
    National Stadium in Ottawa, but none of that is exactly relevant to me and
    my passion for the CMNT, so I'm leaving it as is.
    Guest
    According to the Honduran FA, striker David Suazo will most definitely, certainly be available for the start of World Cup qualifying on June 8. But of course they'd say that.
    The possibly good news for Canada this Monday is that Suazo complained of muscle soreness in his left leg following Honduras’ 1-0 loss to New Zealand in Dallas on Saturday. He spent Sunday at a clinic undergoing 'rigorous' tests and is now listed as doubtful for next weekend’s friendly against El Salvador.
    The current-day verion of Suazo at 32 years of age is, literally and figuratively speaking, simply not the same Suazo who played for Inter Milan in 2007. Struggling with injuries, he made only six appearances with Catania in Serie A this season, scoring zero goals. The fact that the Hondurans are relying on him to lead their attack suggests a lack of depth up front that will be even more pronounced if he’s injured. Rounding out their forwards chosen for the first two qualifiers are the unattached Carlos Costly, Allan Lalin and Kevin Johnson from the Honduran league, and Spain-based 19-year-old Anthony Lozano.
    See more bits and Concacaf-related bops after the jump. It's crunch time now and I'll try to provide news on Canada's qualifying group rivals on as daily a basis as possible, given my work schedule.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    On the subject of Honduras, apparently its FA and some sort of sports ministry it partners with in these matters are having trouble coughing up the cash to pave the parking lot at Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, home of the Honduran national team. What with the senior selection in World Cup qualifying and a U23-ish side heading to the Olympics this summer there isn’t money available to fix a parking lot that gets extremely muddy during heavy rain. Kind of puts the CSA’s cash flow problems in perspective.
    It’s difficult to find reliable information online about the Cuban team, but according to this report the side is currently training in Brazil ahead of World Cup qualifying. The Cuban squad drew 1-1 with Corinthians U20 side last week and was scheduled to play friendlies against second-division side Sao Bento and first-division side Mogi Mirim over the weekend. The latter club notable for not only its name but the fact Rivaldo is its chairman.
    If you're looking for Cuban players to watch out for on June 8, it was reportedly Ariel Martinez who scored the goal against Corinthians.
    And finally, Panama is high on the trot, having just overcome Jamaica 1-0 in Kingston over the weekend. Luis Renteria, who plays his club football with Tauro in Panama, scored the winning goal. The two sides meet again in a 'return-leg' friendly this Friday in Panama. The Panama side was without most of its foreign-based players, or legionarios , for this match. Most of this bunch is based in either South America or Mexico but readers of this site should be familiar with Blas Perez of FC Dallas and Gabriel Gomez of the Philadelphia Union.
    Guest
    It really doesn't make any sense.
    A high-paid striker just managing to bumble the ball past the third-string goalkeeper of a barely-mediocre opponent, in the 88th minute, giving his team its first league victory in 10 tries. It really doesn't make any sense that such an event would be such a cause for relief, for satisfaction and for outright celebration amongst the fanbase of a team.
    But then, this is Toronto FC we're talking about. Nothing ever really makes much sense.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It was perfectly fitting, of course, that the aforementioned high-paid striker was Danny Koevermans, he of the oft-repeated (and later-regretted) "worst team in the world" quip a week prior. In the intervening time since the remark, what have his Reds been up to?
    Oh, you know, just a fourth straight Voyageurs Cup triumph, and a massively cathartic home victory over Philadelphia, ensuring the ignominious enshrinage in the MLS record books of TFC's 2012 edition wouldn't become any more grotesque than it already was at 0-9.
    Now, an international break for most of the roster, a few weeks to rest and recuperate, and -- most importantly -- some positive psychological momentum to build upon, with about 75% of the MLS regular season left to go.
    Let's not pretend that TFC's win over Philadelphia was glorious for any particular aesthetic reasons -- a clip of Koevermans's goal can be used as the video accompaniment to a definition of the phrase "they don't ask how, they just ask how many" -- or that it represents a fundamental and decisive turning point -- after all, the team still infuriatingly squandered a number of good chances, and just barely got past the league's second-worst team.
    But for one day, Toronto FC and its fans could take a break from being nothing more than a punch line.
    Of course the team's still in last place. Of course projecting this team as a playoff contender is still massively far-fetched. Of course, with the roster essentially the same as it's been since the season-opening string of futility began, much needs to change for 2012 to be salvaged in any meaningful way.
    But what the hell, why not revel in the win, however meaningless it may ultimately prove to be?
    Toronto fans readily adopted the "worst team in the world" moniker after Koevermans's initial remark, proving once again that sometimes you need to laugh in order to avoid crying. And that's really all that can be done at this point, it would appear. Enjoy each game on its individual merits, without getting too wrapped up in the bigger picture. 2013, here we come.
    The MLS campaign is already a write-off, isn't it? There's no way they can possibly crawl out of the hole they've dug for themselves, is there?
    That's what most would say, however dangerous such predictions can be in May. But then again, this is Major League Soccer we're talking about.
    And as we've seen time and again, seemingly nonsensical things just have a way of happening to TFC.
    .
    Guest
    These are the images and emotions from Toronto FC's 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Union. All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery.
    Also, check out the live action shutter slideshow he put together from the game set to the Dandy Warhols' 'Every day should be a holiday.'
    You can purchase these and other photos here
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Cann do no wrong

    Like a lion

    Commited

    Frustrated Torsten

    Danny back at it


    Guest
    Christopher Vose is AFTN's photographer and here is a gallery of some of his photos from the Whitecaps' game against Portland Timbers on Saturday evening.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <center>

    (The travelling Vancouver hordes are in fine voice)

    (Cascadia Cup intensity)

    (Kris Boyd makes it 1-0 Portland)

    (Darren Mattocks levels!)

    (The new dream team)
    </center>
    You can view the rest of Christopher's photos from the Portland match as a high resolution slideshow <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 storm back to draw in Portland

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    <center></center>
    Football is a game of small margins.
    Vancouver Whitecaps were within six minutes of suffering an emotional sapping defeat against their Cascadian rivals in Portland last night, in what would have been the end of a fairly miserable couple of weeks.
    Instead Darren Mattocks’ debut MLS goal sends the Caps into a 15 day break with some restored confidence, after fighting back to earn a late point in stormy conditions.
    With Wednesday’s Voyageurs Cup defeat still fresh in everybody’s minds, the Caps were keen to go into the international break with something of a spring in their step.
    They may not have got the three points, but they leave Oregon with their first MLS points against their long time rivals.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Eric Hassli dropped to the bench once more, with Davide Chiumiento coming back in to the starting eleven and Alain Rochat surprisingly shaking off an ankle injury to continue at left back.
    The first half was pretty much a non event, with the advancing storm clouds one of the few exciting attacks.
    Portland huffed and puffed, but had very little to show for it apart from off target headers from Jack Jewsbury and Jorge Perlaza.
    With the heavens opening and the sky lit up by lightning, Vancouver waited until the closing seconds of the half to have their only shot on goal for the first forty-five.
    Camilo Sanvezzo was brought down by Eric Brunner just outside of the Portland box. The referee saw no foul, waved play on and the ball broke to Sebastien Le Toux.
    The Frenchman cut the ball back to Camilo from the byeline but the Brazilian didn’t have the time or the space to properly control the ball and blasted over.
    The second half was delayed due to the weather, but when it did finally get underway, it was a much livelier affair.
    Playing towards the throngs of the Timbers Army, Portland looked to try and press their home field advantage, and Perlaza shot wide right in the 49th minute.
    Moments later and Portland were on the attack once more and should have taken the lead.
    Amid terrible Vancouver defending, Perlaza broke on the right and sent in a perfect cross to Darlington Nagbe just outside of the six yard box. Nagbe had ghosted in unmarked and should have buried the chance, but instead blasted over, in a lucky escape for the visitors.
    Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins had been a mere spectator for the match so far, but he had to show quick reflexes two minutes before the hour mark, producing a fine sprawling save to turn a deflected Le Toux shot out or a corner.
    Following his recent successes, Camilo tried to flight in a long free kick over the Timbers defence five minutes later, but with Martin Bonjour poised to get on the end of it, Hanyer Mosquera just got his head on it to clear the danger.
    Portland then turned up the intensity and had their best spell of the match.
    The home side immediately went up the field and Joe Cannon produced a sprawling one handed from Perlaza for a corner.
    The pressure remained on and Portland had a penalty claim dismissed, after some tough tackling and great defending from the Caps backline.
    The Timbers attacks kept coming and Cannon was forced to save at his near post from Kalif Alhassan.
    The pressure finally took its toll in the 67th minute when Cannon was caught off guard by a cross-come-shot from the right by Jewsbury.
    Although the veteran stopper managed to claw the ball out from under his crossbar, it fell straight into the path of Kris Boyd, who made no mistake in looping the ball in from close range for the opening goal.
    Portland nearly doubled their lead two minutes later when Perlaza went one on one with DeMerit, but despite the Colombian’s speed and turns, Vancouver’s captain admirably dealt with the danger.
    The Caps tried to fight back and Gershon Koffie tried a long range drive in the 72nd minute, which never really troubled Perkins.
    It was the Ghanaian’s last action of the match and the midfielder was soon replaced by Eric Hassli.
    A minute later and Camilo tried a long range effort, which curled past the right hand post.
    With time running out, Martin Rennie introduced Darren Mattocks with seven minutes remaining and it only took the substitute just over a minute to make his mark on the match.
    Martin Bonjour hit a long free kick towards the box from just inside the Caps half, which Hassli flicked on perfectly with his head straight into the path of Mattocks. The Jamaican cleverly let the ball bounce, which seemed to cause hesitation in the Timbers defence, before controlling it with his chest and firing spectacularly over Perkins and into the Portland net.
    The 700 travelling fans were sent in to rapture, but they had their hearts in their mouths a minute into stoppage time, when another cross-come-shot caused some confusion for Cannon, but thankfully the woodwork came to the Caps rescue this time around.
    Portland will feel slightly aggrieved with the result, after just shading the game, but having suffered the heartache of a late lapse against the Sounders last weekend, the Caps can be buoyed once again by a gutsy performance from a team that is keen to show they never quit.
    The international break is now upon us and for Vancouver, stage one of Martin Rennie’s overhaul is now complete. Stage two begins on June 10th.
    ATT: 20,438
    FINAL SCORE: Portland Timbers 1 – 1 Vancouver Whitecaps
    PORTLAND: Troy Perkins; Hanyer Mosquera, Eric Brunner (David Horst 46), Steven Smith, Kalif Alhassan (Sal Zizzo 79), Diego Chara, Eric Alexander, Jack Jewsbury, Darlington Nagbe, Jorge Perlaza (Mike Fucito 88), Kris Boyd [subs Not Used: Joe Bendik, Rodney Wallace, Lovel Palmer, Franck Songo’o]
    VANCOUVER: Joe Cannon; Young-Pyo Lee, Martin Bonjour, Jay DeMerit, Alain Rochat; Jun Marques Davidson, John Thorrington, Gershon Koffie (Eric Hassli 72); Davide Chiumiento, Camilo Sanvezzo (Darren Mattocks 83), Sebastien Le Toux [subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, Jordan Harvey, Carlyle Mitchell, Matt Watson, Omar Salgado]
    <p>
    Guest
    <b>KEY PLAYERS :</b>
    ATTACKING
    After his impressive start in the Cascadia derby against Seattle, expect <b>Darren Mattocks</b> to get his second start against the Timbers. The Akron product should give the opposition defenders a difficult time with his extreme pace, but he must be more clinical around the net in order to keep getting starts from Martin Rennie.
    Despite the fact that <b>Kris Boyd</b> has only scored three goals this season, after so many preseason expectations, the Whitecaps must still mark the striker closely. The Scottish international leads the Timbers in the shots attempted category but normally doesn’t need very many chances around the box in order to score.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    DEFENCE
    It will be <b>Jay DeMerit’s</b> fourth start on the backline in ten days and the Whitecaps need the Captain to continue his strong play, despite the tired legs from the recent matches. His main objective will be to track Boyd closely which may sound easy, as the Scot is not known for his pace, but a small mistake could lead to a goal.
    After missing the first few games with eye and concussion issues, <b>Hanyer Mosquera</b> has returned to the starting eleven to stabilize the backline. So far this season, the latest Colombian import has displayed tackles, solid positioning, and a commanding presence on the backline.
    <b>WHO'S ON FORM :</b>
    Considering his strong play, there was some surprise and questions as to why <b>Davide Chiumiento</b> didn’t start in the second leg against Toronto FC. When he did come on in the final minutes, the play in the midfield for Vancouver improved, as they were able to maintain possession better and create more opportunities to find the equalizer.
    With the Timbers struggling to score goals, it is goalkeeper <b>Troy Perkins</b> who has stepped up his game to keep his club from falling in the standings. Prior to allowing the goal against Chicago last week, Perkins had gone a straight 372 shutout minutes.
    <b>2012 RECORD :</b>
    Vancouver:
    5W-3D-3L
    4th in Western Conference
    Last Match: 1-0 Loss at Toronto (Canadian Championship)
    Portland:
    3W-3D-5L
    8th in Western Conference
    Last Match: 2-1 Win vs Chicago Fire
    <b>PROJECTED LINE-UPS :</b>

    <b>INJURIES/MISSING :</b>
    Vancouver:
    Out: GK Brian Sylvestre (knee), FW Atiba Harris (quad)
    Doubtful: DF Alain Rochat (ankle)
    Portland:
    Probable: DF Futty Danso (L hamstring strain), MF Jack Jewsbury (pelvic sprain)
    <b>GAME ANALYSIS :</b>
    After failing in the in their attempt to capture the Voyageurs Cup against TFC, the Whitecaps will turn around and travel to Portland to face their second Cascadian rival in as many weeks. Last year the Caps were swept by the Timbers in their two meetings, losing 2-1 on the road and 1-0 in the opening game at BC Place. The game in Portland will also be the Club’s final game in a stretch that saw them play nine matches in less than thirty days.
    The starting line-up could go any way considering all the fixture congestion, but expect Joe Cannon to once again get the start in goal. There are questions in the backline due to injury and fatigue, as the ankle injury to Alain Rochat, while not listed by MLS, could be a concern. While either or both Lee Young-Pyo and Martin Bonjour could see the bench due to fatigue, there should be no doubt that DeMerit will be on the pitch.
    In the midfield, Chiumiento should start as the attacking midfielder considering he was on the bench for the midweek game, with Koffie pairing with either Thorrington or Davidson on the backline. Up front, Le Toux will most likely start. He has yet to miss a match against a MLS opponent, and he should be joined by the youngsters Omar Salgado and Darren Mattocks.
    <b>AFTN Prediction: Portland Timbers 1 Vancouver Whitecaps 1</b>
    <p>
×
×
  • Create New...