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    Guest
    As you may have read here earlier, today's development is that the CSA will be rejigging who gets how many votes tomorrow morning, and the new numbers will not be released to the public until after all the elections are in the books.
    No, it isn't a grand conspiracy. This re-tweak gets done annually, based on who contributes how much membership money. Big provinces get big numbers of votes, and on down the line.
    The last message I got from Metcalfe Street reminded me this is a private meeting, and everything will be duly reported after the fact.
    Here's why that hits me all wrong:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    When I started this series of stories late last year, I opened with an incident at last year's CSA AGM, when president Dominque Maestracci chastised player reps Jason De Vos and Kara Lang for tweeting details of the meeting to the outside world.
    Jason's question then -- and mine tonight:
    Why the secrecy? Why is this meeting private?
    The Canadian Soccer Association takes about $7 million annually from the soccer-playing public. All I'm trying to do is let any fee-payer -- or soccer fan -- who cares know how many votes their home province has.
    In a wide-open election with so such clear choices and so much on the line, this doesn't seem unreasonable.
    The candidates themselves talk about the need for transparency and communication.
    Well, CSA, this right here is a basic transparency situation.
    You've got to understand -- a heck of a lot of people out here simply don't trust you guys. Things are better recently, but this election tomorrow is The Big One.
    I understand this is more a bureaucratic issue than a secrecy one -- but on this night in history I simply don't care.
    Trust is not automatic. It is earned, moment by moment, over a long period of time.
    This is one of those moments.
    Let's see some of this transparency, please.
    Onward!
    Guest
    There were no surprises on Friday, as the Canadian Soccer Association confirmed what followers of the story had known for months: The six cities that will host games during the 2015 Women's World Cup will be Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton.
    Seven cities had originally submitted bids, with six spots up for grabs, but Halifax withdrew last month when an agreement to build a stadium could not be reached. Toronto was not in the running due to its prior commitments to the Pan American Games during the summer of 2015.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The big questions now become: Which cities will host which groups? Which cities will get to see Canada play live? And, where will the final be hosted? (Check back soon for our predictions on that last question.)
    Guest
    Every week we’re going to bring you our look at the upcoming games that weekend and what we hope to see from those to benefit the Caps to the max, along with what impact the different results from the Whitecaps own match has to our playoff hopes.
    For some background to our feature, see <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?3099-Schedule-Dynamics-Adding-Interest-To-MLS-Season" target="_blank">HERE</a>.
    <center>********************</center>
    Last weekend's games produced a <i>BCS</i> success rate of 42.85%. There were three additional midweek games that only gave a <i>BCS</i> success rate of 33.33%, so a favourable Caps weekend is badly needed.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Caps won on Saturday away to Columbus, but some teams around them got big results last weekend and in midweek.
    This week they face a huge Western Conference clash against leaders San Jose. A win keeps them within five points. A loss and they fall eleven points behind them at this early stage of the season. Whatever result they get against the Earthquakes, they'll still be sitting in a playoff spot.
    So what are the <i>”Best Case Scenarios”</i> we’re hoping to see in the rest of the week 9 games this weekend?
    Nine games this weekend, over three days. Only two all-Western Conference clashes, five big inter-conference match ups and two all-Eastern ties, so seven matches to keep a really close eye on, including our own.
    <b><u>Vancouver Whitecaps v San Jose Earthquakes</u></b>
    Current Whitecaps Points: 14 (4th in West)
    If Whitecaps Win: 17 points (Best Case Scenario = 3rd in West, five points behind leaders / Worst Case Scenario = 4th, five points behind leaders)
    If Whitecaps Draw: 15 points (BCS = 4th / WCS = 5th)
    If Whitecaps Lose: 14 points (BCS = 4th / WCS = 5th)
    Maximum Points Total Possible: 92
    Projected Points Total On Current Results: 59 - 62
    Playoff Likelihood: 76.7%
    <b><u>Chivas USA v Chicago Fire</u> - Chicago win</b>
    The West v East clash is the only Friday night game this weekend. Chivas' surprisingly good start has tailed off with back to back losses, but we still need to see them down the bottom of the table and have to root for the Fire in this one.
    <b><u>Toronto v D.C. United</u> - No impact on Caps</b>
    An all-eastern clash that holds no interest for Vancouver with regards to playoff hopes, but it will be hilarious to see TFC lose again and become the worst team to ever start a MLS season.
    <b><u>Seattle Sounders v Philadelphia Union</u> - Philadelphia win</b>
    With their games in hand, Seattle are starting to look like a powerhouse again in the West, especially after their huge win over LA midweek. The Caps need them to have their confidence knocked in this inter-conference clash. Go get 'em Philly!
    <b><u>Los Angeles Galaxy v New York Red Bulls</u> - New York win</b>
    If you believe MLS' general hype then this is the glamour franchise derby. LA will be desperate to get their stuttering season back on track after their midweek defeat in Seattle. Will a Henryless New York still have what it takes to derail the Galaxy further? We have to hope so and equally hope that the Caps can open up a seven point gap on their Western Conference rivals.
    <b><u>Sporting KC v Montreal Impact</u> - No impact on Caps</b>
    The second all-eastern clash has no impact on the Caps playoff hopes (no pun intended). We'll still be wanting a KC win though!
    <b><u>Real Salt Lake v New England Revolution</u> - New England win</b>
    The Revs did the Caps a huge favour midweek in knocking off the Rapids at home. We need them to do another huge favour now on the road and help to reel in Real, which could allow Vancouver to close the gap with Salt Lake to two points.
    <b><u>Portland Timbers v Columbus Crew</u> - Columbus win</b>
    Both teams badly need a win. Bottom of the west Portland especially so. It's going to be a hard ask for Columbus to go to Piggy Park and get their first win in five games, but the Caps need them to go and do just that. If Vancouver could have a ten point gap over Portland this early in the season, then that could prove massive.
    <b><u>FC Dallas v Colorado Rapids</u> - Draw</b>
    This weekend's only Sunday game is an all-western clash of huge importance. If San Jose, Real Salt Lake and Seattle keep their current form going, and LA come good like everyone is waiting for, then Vancouver are battling for that fifth and final playoff spot and these two sides are currently our nearest rivals for it. A draw could keep both sides behind the Caps in the standings and could prove to be vital by the end of the season.
    So that’s what we’re rooting for this weekend. Let’s see how it all leaves the Caps looking come Sunday evening.
    <p>
    Guest
    The Bologna captain Marco Di Vaio announces he's leaving Serie A with Montreal on his mind.
    Nothing holds the former Italian international from joining Major League Soccer this summer. The soon-to-be 36 year-old striker met the Italian press on Friday to announce he will leave Bologna and Serie A at the end of the current season and that he's contemplating an offer to move to Montreal next month.
    Hear our special edition with Di Vaio's declaration, comments from Italian reporter Federico Intocia (La Repubblica), Montreal's complete phone conference in reaction and comments from TSN Radio's Tony Marinaro.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Enjoy our 30 minutes show by clicking RIGHT HERE!
    You can also subscribe to this podcast on the Canadian iTunes and on Stitcher (www.stitcher.com) your source for on demand audio content.
    Guest

    A question for the ages

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    It's intuitive that Toronto FC is a young team and that the youth is a contributing factor to the team's struggles at times this year.
    But, how young are they? We ran some numbers to find out.
    Rather than running a straight average age calculation, we sought to find the average player age on each team, weighted by the number of minutes each player has played so far in the season. The effect of this is to get the average age of a player in the "average lineup" of each team. Thus, this is not the average age of the roster, but rather the average age of the team that has been fielded so far in 2012.
    Where did the Canadian MLS teams rank? Find out below the jump.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    1 - Whitecaps - 28.9
    2 - Rapids - 28.4
    3 - Chivas - 28.1
    3 - Galaxy - 28.1
    5 - Fire - 27.9
    6 - Earthquakes - 27.7
    6 - Impact - 27.7
    8 - NYRB - 27.6
    9 - RSL - 27.3
    10 - FC Dallas - 27.1
    League Average 27.1
    11 - Dynamo - 26.8
    12 - Revolution - 26.7
    12 - Sounders - 26.7
    12 - SKC - 26.7
    15 - Crew - 26.5
    16 - DCU - 26.2
    17 - TFC - 25.9
    17 - Timbers - 25.9
    19 - Union – 24.9
    The numbers confirmed the assumption – Toronto is considerably younger than the rest of the league. The above average age of Montreal and, especially, league-oldest Vancouver was a bit more surprising.
    Age by itself is not predictive – you have to have the right guys in place. Just being young doesn't mean you are building right and being old isn't bad if you convert that experience into success.
    It does, however, speak to a philosophy. The younger a line-up the more likely that club is aiming at success in the future as opposed to success today. Certainly, that was the thinking in Philadelphia where they club made itself temporarily worse with the goal of being much better down the road.
    Conversely, older teams tend to have win-now thinking. The LA Galaxy aren't all that worried about 2016 when there is a MLS Cup to chase now (current struggles aside).
    It's also probably fair to suggest that you would rather struggle young than old. Additionally a young movement generally requires patience by fans and it's increasingly becoming clear that many Toronto fans are not willing to extend any more patience.
    Again, this does not demonstrate one way or another if Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are going about things the correct way. It's just another thing to consider when evaluating the clubs' performance.
    Guest

    Dispatches from Denmark

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Every now and then we find something abroad that provides an outsiders look in on MLS. It's a reminder of the growth of the league these past few years and also shows how far the 'brand' has gone. Today's article comes from series in a Danish newspaper, where readers or journalists tell about their allegiance to a certain foreign team. The original editors chose the headline: 'Losing team has plenty of passionate fans.'
    So, while its obviously written with a Danish audience in mind - they have a pretty good beat on it But the writer has provided us with an English translation to run here today. He's been to Canada only a few times and has no immediate family here but has adopted Toronto FC as his own. He tells us why.
    By: Henrik Høgholt Lønne
    Toronto FC has been my club since a warm October evening in 2007. I have had a fascination and interest for Major League Soccer, since I saw the US get to the quarter final at the 2002 World Cup, and in 2007 when I was travelling in North America I finally got an opportunity to attend my first MLS-match in Toronto. There, I fell in love, and I have been following them ever since.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Toronto FC is something special. With their entry in 2007 they became the first Canadian team in the hitherto entirely American Major League Soccer, and at the same time contributed with a passionate fan culture of an unprecedented size and helped set new standards for this in MLS.
    Unfortunately, Toronto FC has had a poor management. We are now in the sixth season, and we are yet to reach the playoffs. A couple of coaches has been fired, and there has not been a common thread.
    I was on exchange in Toronto in the fall and had the chance, to experience the fan culture both at the stadium and at the local bar for the away games. As a fan of a league, that gets minimal attention in Europe, one is deeply dependant on the internet and especially social media, to keep the passion going. But when I was in Toronto in the Fall, I got proof, that the hassle was worth it.
    The best player on the team right now is Torsten Frings, who since his arrival last summer, has emerged as an important support for the Red’s weak defense.
    The most important player in club history so far is Danny Dichio, who was brought in for the first season. He came in from the Championship and was in no way a highly gifted soccer player, but he fought hard and scored the first goal ever for Toronto against the Chicago Fire.
    What the team needs right now is one or two central defenders. In an offensive game system, we have often been weakened by a poor defense, and Frings is often forced to play a sweeper role to avoid too many goals.
    To name the best coach of all time, I find difficult with the sheer bad seasons. The most visionary is probably the current Dutch coach Aron Winter, who is set out to introduce a total football in the MLS. His first season in 2011 was a mixed bag, with a strong conclusion, despite the lack of playoffs. Many expected, it would be better this season, where he could put his own stamp on the team. Instead, it has been to seven defeats in seven matches, which equals the league record.
    It will be another tough season, and already there are rumours that he will be fired and replaced with a coach who knows the MLS and all its special rules with its draft, salary cap and other differences from European football.
    The best match I have seen, was the first one I attended. October 4th 2007. The match was in Toronto and was between the local team Toronto FC and the guests from New York Red Bulls. Toronto had not won in 12 matches and had just been mathematically excluded from the playoffs. Nevertheless, all 20.000 people in the stadium were excited and there was singing, dancing and cheering on the local boys.
    Toronto won 2-1 and I was in love. The passion that I saw was wilder than 7,000 quiet Jutlanders in Herning, where I grew up, or 72,000 suits and tourists at Old Trafford against FC Copenhagen.
    In the next match we face DC United at home. Many fans are angry, and even though one thinks that the defeats can not continue, we encounter a strong team with an explosive offense led by Canadian Dwayne De Rosario, who left Toronto after disagreements on salary. It is difficult, but if you do not support the team in adversity, you are not a real fan there.
    You can follow Henrik on Twitter
    Guest
    Canadian Soccer News has learned this morning that changes will be made to the CSA provincial voting structure tomorrow morning -- and not released to the public until after the presidential elections are over.
    This means no one outside of the boardroom will be allowed to know how many votes each province actually has.
    While I've been assured there is no attempt to deceive anybody here, this is yet another example of the governing body of Canadian soccer remaining badly out-of-touch with its present reality.
    More on this story as it develops.
    Onward!
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    TFC's disconnect

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The lack of communication regarding Joao Plata's transfer fee is illustrative of an existing power battle between the old guard at TFC and the new leadership that arrived with Aron Winter.
    Although there is no direct evidence to suggest that the information was deliberately withheld, Winter and his team were not told of Plata's fee by those in the front office that had been informed. Earl Cochrane was the interim general management prior to Winter being hired.
    The fee put TFC in an awkward position this off-season — forced to decide between allowing a popular and promising young player walk, or putting themselves in a tough financial position by taking on a transfer fee that was far too high (within a MLS, salary cap, context) for a player that currently does not play up to the level that investment requires.
    The transfer fee error was not the only clash between the old and the new last year.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    A source now tells Canadian Soccer News that prior to Winter coming on board, Cochrane had offered contracts to two players – Bas Ent and Eddy Sidra – that Winter did not favour. Those contract offers were quickly rescinded by Winter and Co. Eddy Sidra told 11.ca over a year ago how this had played out but this new information rounds out the picture.
    The working relationship between Winter and Cochrane have continue to deteriorate since that time. As previously reported on CSN, a divide between “MLS pragmatists” and “4-3-3 idealists” has been brewing for a while. It's been further suggested that Cochrane has openly blocked Winter from other signings during that period but did not elaborate on the details.
    Last week, after the CSN story on Plata's transfer fee ran, MLSE executive vice president Tom Anselmi circulated a company wide email decrying 'a leak within the company' as a problem that needed to be fixed. A leak would suggest it was one person. It is not. And the reason we are giving this story so much priority is because it is coming from multiple people - from neither the idealists or the pragmatists. Unattached individuals are coming forward to express their concern about what is quickly becoming a toxic environment for staff, coaches and players. This was supposed to be the season it all changed, instead it is playing out like a re-run.
    There is so much information coming forward right now, it is hard to shake loose what is real and what might be MLSE looking to trace their 'leak.' But if there has been one piece of information that has been consistent in the last 72 hours, it is that MLSE has quietly given a 3 year-contract extension to Paul Mariner. It would seem the pragmatists, once thought to be the outsiders, are gaining ground.
    Guest
    The Italian striker is expected to make an announcement on his future.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Bologna's captain will meet the press on Friday at 12:45 pm local time (8:45 am ET) at the club's Casteldebole training complex.
    "I believe Marco will announce he is leaving Bologna", La Repubblica reporter Francesco Intorcia told SoccerPlus on Thursday.
    On Wednesday, France Football corroborated this site's report that an agreement in principle has been reached that will bring Di Vaio to the North American top flight next month, adding the deal will be a free transfer, since the Italian's current contract goes until June 2013.
    Bologna is playing its final home game on Sunday against Napoli and will have a final match to play on May 13 in Parma. Wednesday, Di Vaio was used as a late sub in a 1-0 win at Catania.
    Do not miss a special edition of SoccerPlus Extra on Friday with all the details from the press conference in Italy, also available on the iTunes Store and on Stitcher (www.stitcher.com) your source of information for on demand audio content.
    Guest
    There have been games in 2012 where Toronto FC looked OK – pretty, even – and lost. Last night was not one of those nights.
    Against Montreal in the first leg of the Voyageurs Cup semi-final, Toronto looked terrible – and got a result it probably would have taken going into the game.
    It was a dire 0-0 where the Impact had most of the possession and all of the chances. The instinct of the grumpy TFC fan is to use the game as a further example of how the club is crap and hopeless. The TFC fan at 1-3-8 overall is prone to negativity.
    There are times, however, where the result is all that matters. A scoreless draw on the road isn't a perfect result, but it's a hell of a lot better than a loss of any amount. And, it was better result for Toronto than it was for Montreal.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It's half-time in a 180 minute game. The Reds will need to play better in the second half, but home field advantage matters and another week of healing for Nick Soolsma and Danny Koevermans could mean a stronger line-up next week.
    Although Montreal probably should have finished more effectively, it was also a clean sheet. That had to help with the confidence of a back-line that has struggled an insane amount. This matters and it's far better to focus on that than it is to pile on with more negativity.
    Toronto FC is clearly a work in process. Finding a way to get a result when things aren't going well is evidence of growth.
    Much more is needed, but it's a start. Find a win next week – and beating Montreal at home would hardly be earth-shattering – and maybe the club convinces a few more fans to stick with them through the learning curve.
    Guest
    Our weekly interview show focusses on Montreal and Toronto playing to a slumbering scoreless tie in an empty Olympic Stadium
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Postgame remarks from players and coaches from both sides as we discuss the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship semi-finals. We also go to Edmonton to talk with Steven Sandor about Vancouver's 2-0 win over FC Edmonton.
    Canadian MNT head coach Stephen Hart talks ACC and Canadian content in MLS clubs, ongoing preparations for next month's games and Olivier Occean.
    We also talk to long-time McGill U. and U. de Montreal head coach Pat Raimondo who will lead a team of Quebec-born players to the 5th edition of the VIVA World Cup in Iraki Kurdistan.
    All this and more on this week's 40 minutes interview show. Click here to listen.
    Remember you can also subscribe to our podcasts directly on the Canadian iTunes Store as well as on Stitcher, your source for on demand audio programming!
    Guest
    After a long, and often bumbling, walk in the wilderness, the Canadian Soccer Association has a golden chance to grow up on Saturday.
    You’ve read tons about the reform structure – this new, stripped-down governance model that is mostly now in place, except for the people who will fill its seats.
    A president and six regional directors will be elected at the CSA 2012 annual general meeting, set to tee off early Saturday morning at the Ottawa Convention Centre in the nation’s capital.
    If the CSA is truly serious about reform, a new president is absolutely essential.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It likely wouldn’t be fair to say that sitting president Dominique Maestracci has wounded or deeply damaged the game of soccer in Canada. He’s been largely ineffective, though. Most of the heavy lifting in the past four years has been done by the CSA’s quiet, effective general secretary, Peter Montopoli – and there’s also been solid, ground-breaking work behind the scenes from the constitution and governance people.
    But still we have struggling national teams, a badly underfunded set-up, no technical director, an ongoing fight over how many Canadians have to play for Canada’s three MLS teams, and a commitment to long-term player development – the dreadfully named “Wellness to World Cup” – that lacks any form of coherent curriculum to turn its jargon and bafflegab into solid, sound youngsters to qualify us for World Cups.
    I began this series to try to flush the CSA selection process out of the back rooms. It hasn’t been a total success, but some good and useful progress did get made.
    The three presidential candidates – Dominique Maestracci, Rob Newman and Victor Montagliani – have three times been coaxed out onto the same stage to state their cases and pitch their platforms.
    The first was right here, at Canadian Soccer News. All three men consented to detailed interviews two weeks ago.
    From there, they appeared last week at the Ontario Soccer Association’s AGM, campaigning and answering questions, all in pursuit of the king-crowning 25% of the vote held by Canada’s largest and most populous province.
    Then, last night, just before the kickoff of the 2012 Voyageurs Cup tournament, all three were featured in a short Sportsnet documentary on the presidential election, and its urgent importance for both the immediate and long-term future of our game.
    Prominent among those stressing the immediate need for change at the top was one J.D. Miller, head of an independent organization called B210, which specializes in mobilizing private money for underfunded athletes and sports programs. His point? Without a new leader, there will be a chilling effect on new corporate funding for Canadian soccer.
    What Sportsnet didn’t have time to tell you is that Miller is presently deeply involved in CSA reform. He’s one of five members of the CSA Nominations Committee – the people who are selecting three new appointed members for the CSA board.
    That threat – that promise – is coming from the inside.
    For his part, Maestracci told Sportsnet that transparency and communication are essential. He’s absolutely right – but he’s not the man to deliver them.
    In our CSN interview, Maestracci took issue with my ongoing charge that he hasn’t been a prime mover in the reform movement. He countered – quite emphatically – that years ago he was one of the very first calling for change. Even if that’s so, I would have to counter:
    There’s a significant difference between being a father, and being a parent.
    Whoever got there first, I have spent plenty of time talking to many different people involved in this governance overhaul. To the last man they do not credit Maestracci as a key contributor. When I told him, at the conclusion of our interview, that he might be very surprised to discover what his people are not telling him, this is a prime example of what I meant.
    There’s no dismissing that we got here on Maestracci’s watch, but the actual governance workhorses all want a new president.
    And this is where CSA VP Rob Newman enters the picture. The Saskatchewan native is credited by all as one of this nation’s best and brightest champions of reform. He runs a great meeting, and an impressive mass of reform work has been done on his watch.
    He’s exactly the guy you want on your team. Steady, solid, good at many things. But is he your captain? I’m not convinced.
    The chronic knock on Newman is that he is “not a soccer guy.” I’ve heard those identical four words from many different directions. When I asked him to answer that in our interview, he paused, thought about it, and responded that it depends on what your definition of a soccer guy is.
    Okay. Here’s mine:
    A soccer guy played the game, lived the game, loves the game and sees the problems facing the game. From grassroots club kick-arounds to World Cup qualifying, he knows exactly where Canada stands and where it needs to go.
    By that standard, even I’m not a soccer guy. But I’m not running for CSA president, either.
    Canada’s soccer problems are vast, and deeply engrained. We desperately need inspired, passionate, knowing leadership far more than we need beautifully run board meetings.
    Which brings us to Victor Montagliani.
    I like Victor, but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t ticked me off at times.
    This is a guy whose passion for the game fairly explodes when you get him going. This is a man who has served a long career in the insurance business, and knows corporate culture well. He knows you can’t just stroll down to Bay Street and ask for lots of money. He knows he’ll have to transform Canadian soccer into something Canadian business wants to invest in.
    Where Rob Newman wants to assist Canada’s pro teams in any way he can, Victor will demand they do more to develop Canadian players. Academies are fine, he’ll tell them, but more roster spots are essential.
    And then, of course, comes the whole vexed question of FIFA.
    Unindicted FIFA president Sepp Blatter is actually going to drop in on the CSA meetings, falling out of the sky to pose for photos, chat uselessly about the 2015 Women’s World Cup and maybe gift us all with a selection of open-mike gaffes.
    But here’s the thing about Canada. Now:
    We’re little. We’ve got our World Cup hosting gig, but now we have to heal some very deep neglect and abuse at the most fundamental level. We have to find a new way to create and develop soccer players. This is going to take a decade, at least. While that’s happening, the national teams have to raise their profile. Serious ad money and promotional strategy is needed to make the next Dwayne de Rosario and the next Christine Sinclair household names.
    FIFA, and its high-stakes Game of Thrones in Switzerland, is desperately far removed from all that. Sepp Blatter has no lessons to teach us now.
    But he is real, and sometimes he has to be dealt with. And until his crumbling, corrupt castle falls, the CSA president is going to need to be a canny combination of both diplomat and street fighter.
    Newman’s a diplomat, but I like Victor when the game gets nasty.
    For his knowledge of the game, his corporate connections, his greater knowledge of international soccer politics and his sometimes-seething passion for change, Canadian Soccer News proudly endorses Victor Montagliani to be the new president of the Canadian Soccer Association.
    Things might be a bit testier in the boardroom, but the game, the business and – above all – the national teams will be the better for it.
    Onward!
    Guest
    Anyone who has regularly watched lower league football, knows you can never write off the underdogs in a cup tie.
    Vancouver headed into Edmonton this evening keen to stress that they weren't going to underestimate their NASL rivals in this Voyageurs Cup semi-final first leg match up.
    That said, they went in to the game as huge favourites and they ran out comfortable, if rather unexciting, 2-0 winners, in the first meeting between the teams.
    It was a workmanlike performance that got the job done that they set out to do, in front of a sparse 2,777 at Commonwealth Stadium.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Despite making seven changes from the team that beat Columbus on Saturday, Martin Rennie put out a fairly experienced side, with only Greg Klazura making his competitive debut for the Caps.
    Alain Rochat returned to the starting line up, but in a central defender role so as not to overstretch his knee, whilst Eric Hassli tried to break his goal drought up front, which he succeeded in doing.
    Edmonton's key going in to the game was to not lose an away goal and Vancouver put them under pressure from the kick off.
    The Caps had a penalty shout waved away, before the crossbar saved Edmonton in the sixth minute when Davide Chiumiento overhit a free kick from the left and goalkeeper David Monsalve misjudged the flight of the ball.
    The home side were sparked into life and had a penalty claim of their own in the 10th minute when the ball was fired off the arm of Rochat from close range, but referee Carol Anne Chenard deemed that the Canadian could do little to get out of the way.
    Edmonton were holding their own but the MLS side got the breakthrough in the 19th minute.
    Omar Salgado powered up the left wing and easily got past Paul Hamilton to cut the ball back to Eric Hassli and the big Frenchman finally got the non-scoring monkey off his back to knock it low past Monsalve from just inside the box. The keeper was a little wrong-footed but should have done better.
    Worse was to follow for Edmonton, as Serisay Barthelemy was carried off on a stretcher moments later.
    Yashir Pinto brought the first save of the game out of Brad Knighton in the 38th minute.
    The Chilean picked the ball up 25 yards out, easily sidestepped John Thorrington, but fired a weak grasscutter towards the Caps goal.
    It was a reminder that the D2 side were still a threat but Vancouver were able to ease their worries a little three minutes later.
    Hassli played the ball through to Salgado inside the box and the young winger got past two defenders before his delicate chip goalward crashed off the right hand post. The rebound broke to Atiba Harris inside the six yard box and the St Kitts international took a touch and turn before burying it with ease.
    Salgado was having the best game in a Whitecaps jersey in his short career and causing no end of problems for Edmonton.
    Klazura set up Hassli on the edge of the box in the closing seconds of stoppage time, but this time Monsalve was prepared for his low effort and easily smothered the danger.
    That was the last action of the half. Facing a two goal deficit at home, Edmonton knew they had to come out stronger for the second half, and they did.
    Both teams exchanged half chances, before Knighton did well to get down and turn a low Ilja van Leerdam drive around the post with 52 minutes on the clock.
    The game then got bogged down in the midfield, with neither team able to carve out any clear cut chances.
    Edmonton knew that grabbing at least one goal was vital, but it was Vancouver that nearly added to their tally with ten minutes remaining.
    Chiumiento received the ball wide right, cut inside Augustin and unleashed a shot which Monsalve did well to save for a corner.
    Edmonton's keeper was called into action five minutes later, saving a fierce long range Long Tan shot from just outside the box for what was to be the last action of the game.
    The 2-0 final should make the second leg something of a formality, but if Edmonton can sneak the first goal next week at BC Place, it would still be all to play for.
    For that reason, it's unlikely that Martin Rennie will make too many changes to tonight's starting line up.
    It's not going to be pretty, and probably won't hold too much more excitement than this game, but it will put the Whitecaps that one step closer to Champions League football.
    ATT: 2,777
    FINAL SCORE: FC Edmonton 0 - 2 Vancouver Whitecaps
    EDMONTON: David Monsalve; Jonathan Joseph-Augustin, Paul Hamilton, Kevin Hatchi, Fabrice Lassonde; Kyle Porter (Paul Craig 76), Dominic Oppong (Chris Kooy 84), Ilja van Leerdam; Serisay Barthelemy (Matthew Lam 21), Yashir Pinto, Shaun Saiko [subs Not Used: John Smits, Kenny Caceros, Antonio Rago, Fabien Vorbe]
    VANCOUVER: Brad Knighton; Greg Klazura, Carlyle Mitchell, Alain Rochat, Jordan Harvey; Gershon Koffie, John Thorrington, Davide Chiumiento; Atiba Harris (Michael Nanchoff 70), Eric Hassli (Long Tan 78), Omar Salgado [subs Not Used: Joe Cannon, Sebastien Le Toux, Michael Nanchoff, Martin Bonjour, Floyd Franks, Russell Teibert]
    <p>
    Guest
    Toronto FC took to the tortured "turf" of Montreal's Olympic "Stadium" Wednesday night, opening defence of their Voyaguers Cup ...
    They bunkered against an expansion team!
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Reds started a pair of academy graduates at fullback, an encouraging sign for those concerned about Canadian content in the Great White North's national ...
    They bunkered against an expansion team!
    Another solid performance from upstart netkeep Milos Kocic frustrated the fired-up Montrealers in a first half that saw ...
    They bunkered against an expansion team!
    The eventual goalless draw ...
    They bunkered against an expansion team!
    Torsten Frings ...
    They bunkered against an expansion team!
    Home field advantage in the second ...
    They bunkered against an expansion team!
    Any rational analysis ...
    They bunkered against an expansion team!
    Onwar...
    They bunkered against an expansion team!
    Guest
    Join <i>West Coast Soccer Weekly</i> for our celebratory 'Sweet Sixteen' episode, and what a packed show we have in store for you this week.
    It's a FC Edmonton Voyageurs Cup special and we have four guests to chat about the two games coming up between the Eddies and the Caps, as they battle for a place in the final.
    We're joined by two of Edmonton's current squad and two former Whitecaps to boot.
    First up is <b>Kyle Porter</b>. Amongst other things, we chat about him leaving the Caps, his time in Germany, what he likes to do when he comes back to Vancouver and his international hopes for the future.
    Kyle's team-mate <b>Alex Semenets</b> is next up, as we chat about the two matches, Edmonton's keys to the game and his third place finish in a previous <i>Georgia Straight</i> "Favourite Whitecaps Player" poll.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    After a short break to chat about the Whitecaps women and PDL squads, we're back in full on Edmonton mode and we're joined by the colour man for FC Edmonton, TEAM 1260 and CBC.ca, the proprietor of <a href="http://www.the11.ca" target="_blank">The11.ca</a>, <b>Steven Sandor</b>.
    In amongst all the Edmonton and Voyageurs Cup talk, we look at the future of the game in Canada and North America, including the viability of a Canadian League and other Canadian teams joining the NASL.
    We couldn't finish the show without having everyone's favourite oily Vanmonton <b>Benjamin Massey</b> on it and we manage to get a few quick words with him as he boards his flight to the 'City of Champions'. Where will his allegiances lie? Does he even know? Find out in tonight's podcast!
    You can listen to this week's podcast (and the previous ones) on iTunes HERE or download it for your later listening delight HERE. Can't wait? Have a listen on one of the players below:
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