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    Guest
    Every week we feel like doing it, we think of a subject for a football team to be based around, then 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.
    It's the Easter weekend. For some, it's an important religious time, for others, like myself, it's an excuse to stuff even more chocolate into your mouth than usual. Yeah, like I need an excuse to do that. If you're a diabetic atheist then you must just hate this time of year.
    With all this in mind, we thought what better time to bring your our latest "MLS Team of the Week" - the <b><i>"Religious XI"</b></i>...
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <center>********************</center>
    <b>GK:</b> Joe Cannonized (Vancouver Whitecaps)
    <b>D :</b> Andrew Jean-the-Baptiste (Portland Timbers)
    <b>D :</b> Corey Ashe Wednesday (Houston Dynamo)
    <b>D :</b> Mike Kabbalah (Portland Timbers)
    <b>D :</b> Heathen Pearce (Chivas)
    <b>M :</b> Holy Nguyen (New England Revolution)
    <b>M :</b> Orthodox McCarty (New York Red Bulls)
    <b>M :</b> Dwayne DeRosarybeads (DC United)
    <b>F :</b> Juan Pablo Angel (Chivas)
    <b>F :</b> Heaven James (Montreal Impact)
    <b>F :</b> Blasphemy Perez (Dallas)
    Hopefully this team can resurrect their season this Easter and not be crucified in their next match. They should do well with their crosses anyway.
    <p>
    Guest

    SoccerPlus - The Pre-game Show

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    The table is set, let the game begin!
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Nine pre-game interviews to listen to from both sides with Montreal's Donovan Ricketts, Tyson Wahl, Eduardo Sebrango, captain Davy Arnaud and head coach Jesse Marsch along with TFC's Terry Dunfield, Doneil Henry, Danny Koevermann and coach Aron Winter.
    Listen to our 30 minutes pregame show by clicking here.
    You can also subscribe directly on the iTunes Store by clicking here.
    Guest
    <b>KEY PLAYERS :</b>
    ATTACKING
    The Whitecaps are lacking a link between the defenders and attack and hope <b>John Thorrington</b> can fill that role. Thorrington had a decent season debut last week against the Union, but will look to attack more regularly after getting another week of training under him.
    After scoring 30 plus goals over the last two seasons, <b>Chris Wondolowski</b> is off to another hot start, scoring four goals in four games. The all-star striker likes to roam around, so the Caps will have to track Wondolowski, as he is capable of scoring from almost anywhere in the final third.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    DEFENCE
    Having yet to allow a goal this season, <b>Joe Cannon</b> will have to assist his backline in locating Wondolowski in the final third. Communication, as usual, will be the key, but the veteran goalkeeper has displayed his prowess at being a shot stopper.
    The goalkeeper who replaced Cannon in San Jose, <b>Jon Busch</b>, has only allowed one goal this season, which was on a penalty. Whilst not the tallest of keepers, Busch is excellent in his positioning and has above average reflexes, which allows him to make acrobatic saves.
    <b>WHO'S ON FORM :</b>
    When <b>Y-P Lee</b> was signed in the offseason there were questions as to how effective he would be at his age in the MLS. After four starts there is no doubt that the Caps have one of the better right backs in the league and he has been able shut down the attacks from out wide and pose an attacking threat.
    After an inconsistent season with the Caps last year, <b>Shea Salinas</b> is starting to become a threat for the Earthquakes through the first four games. Salinas will be looking to prove to Rennie that he made a mistake in trading him, but will have a difficult time as he is matched up against Lee. Could be an interesting battle.
    <b>2012 RECORD :</b>
    Vancouver:
    2W-2D-0L
    4th in Western Conference
    Last Match: 0-0 Draw at Philadelphia Union
    San Jose:
    3W-0D-1L
    2nd in Western Conference
    Last Match: 1-0 Win at Seattle Sounders
    <b>PROJECTED LINE-UPS :</b>
    <b>INJURIES/MISSING :</b>
    Vancouver:
    Out: FW Etienne Barbara (groin strain), FW Darren Mattocks (shoulder), DF Alain Rochat (knee)
    Doubtful: MF Floyd Franks (back)
    Questionable: MF Michael Nanchoff (heel contusion), GK Brian Sylvestre (knee)
    Probable: FW Camilo Sanvezzo (quad)
    Suspended: FW Atiba Harris
    San Jose:
    Out: FW Steven Lenhart (hamstring strain), MF Joey Gjertsen (knee), DF Tim Ward (soft tissue)
    Doubtful: MF Sercan Guvenisik (hip flexor)
    Questionable: Ramiro Corrales (ankle sprain)
    <b>GAME PREDICTION :</b>
    The Whitecaps look to continue their strong start to the season when they visit San Jose Earthquakes, in what will be their second straight road game. In addition to looking to keep their unbeaten record intact, the Caps are looking to extend their shutout streak, which currently stands at 360 minutes and is 62 minutes shy of breaking the MLS record for a start to a season. The Earthquakes have also impressed defensively, only allowing one goal so far this season and that was scored on a penalty.
    Joe Cannon returns to his old stomping ground in San Jose, where he was a fan favourite, and will play in front of a backline of Lee, DeMerit, Bonjour, and Harvey, who once again starts for the injured Alain Rochat. Providing coverage for the defenders will be holding midfielders Davidson and Watson, while Thorrington will look to provide more punch in the attack. After a game off, due to a knock, Eric Hassli returns to the starting eleven as the target striker with Chiumiento and Le Toux playing out wide.
    The Whitecaps are looking for better connections between the defenders and the attackers and it looks as though Rennie will turn to Thorrington who will play more of a central role in this game. Even if the service improves, the Caps need to get Hassli and Le Toux on the same page soon, as both players have been unable to connect near the box. There may be more 4-4-2 play, which will have Le Toux move up and Watson playing wide on the right side. Having trained lightly this week, Camilo may not be risked from the start, but will be utilised off the bench if this is the case.
    If the Whitecaps want to extend their clean sheet streak, they will need to keep track of Chris Wondolowski who, after coming off 18 and 16 goal seasons, has already hit four in four games. Normally clearing the space for the all-star is Steve Lenhart, but a late injury to the burly striker is likely to see Alan Gordon find his way into the starting eleven. Another player who is looking dangerous for the Earthquakes is former Whitecap Shea Salinas, who has a goal and an assist in four starts.
    While the Caps have impressed with their defensive play, three goals in four games will not be enough to get results every week. They will need to show more bite in the final third against the Quakes, who possess one of the most dangerous attacks in MLS. If they are able to get a result then the Caps will match or surpass their points total on the road for the whole of last season.
    <b>Predicted Score: San Jose Earthquakes 1 Vancouver Whitecaps 1</b>
    <p>
    Guest
    By: Michael Crampton
    Two great rivals set to lock horns for the first time ever in league play or two tired teams desperately searching for their first win of the season? Not exactly a glass half full versus glass half empty situation but Saturday’s lunchtime meeting of the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC comes at a rough time for both sides.
    While it was far from unexpected Toronto’s elimination from the CONCACAF Champions League at the hands of Club Santos Laguna had to be as emotionally draining for the players as it was for supporters. Taking the lead twice gave a sense of what was possible that only made the mistake driven self destruction of the second half harder to endure. Now the team must immediately lift themselves for a match that will be vitally important to their supporters and possibly crucial to their 2012 MLS campaign.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Montreal on the other hand head home after a completely unsuccessful three game road swing. The Impact had a highly competitive first half with the New York Red Bulls on the weekend, before ultimately succumbing to an unflattering 5 – 2 defeat, sandwiched between losses in Columbus and Salt Lake City. With only one point taken from their first five games the Impact have actually had a worse start to life in MLS than hapless TFC did in 2007. For a side that placed a premium on MLS experience in building their expansion squad as part of a plan for MLS readiness from day one that has to be a disappointing return.
    Interestingly, had at least one of the two been off to a better start, the confrontation between TFC and the Impact might have provided a compelling evaluation of football philosophies. More than just the 4-3-3 formation he employs Aron Winter was ostensibly brought in to Toronto to create a specific culture at the club. The organization has made repeated assertions that Winter is part of a long term vision to play attacking possession based soccer with an emphasis on homegrown.
    Alternatively, with the off season appointment of Jesse Marsch the Impact planted their flag squarely within the boundaries of the more traditional MLS style. Owner Joey Saputo seemingly decided that success in a North American league meant creating a team built to play North American football. Unlike Winter, who was brought in as much for the credibility of his European pedigree, Marsch was an MLS original who spent 14 years in the league as a player.
    Marsch likes to set his Impact up in, prototypical for MLS, a robust 4-4-2. In the middle Felipe and Canadian international Patrice Bernier are both capable ball winners and comfortable shielding the defense. They’re provided further support from the flanks however as one would hesitate to call captain Davy Arnaud and Justin Mapp “wingers” since both could (or have) played centrally themselves. Arnaud is a true MLS stalwart and has already popped up in a variety of positions for the club while also managing to score their first ever goal in the league. It’s a midfield entirely capable of winning the battle with TFC’s particularly in the absence Torsten Frings.
    In a story that will be familiar to Toronto supporters the susceptible part of the Impact looks to be their defense. With major signing Nelson Rivas yet to make an appearance for the team Tyson Wahl has been relied on at centre back and had become a major liability before being dropped for the game against Real Salt Lake. In Jeb Brovsky and Josh Gardner neither of the Impact’s regular fullbacks has looked particularly reliable either.
    Of course, even predicting the centre back pairing for TFC isn’t easy. Shockingly, Ty Harden seems undroppable at this point but after Miguel Aceval’s calamitous night in Mexico does Winter return to Logan Emory? Or Is Adrian Cann worth risking on an ugly looking turf surface for his return to first team action? Could Richard Eckersley be shifted inside or will young Doneil Henry be the next in line to be handed an opportunity?
    The passion of a rivalry, the expectations of supporters, and both teams’ need for a win will demand attack but in the end stopping the other side will likely prove more important. Ultimately the match will probably be decided by which side manages to get their defence more organized in time.
    Guest
    Writer's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that former Quebec Soccer Federation president Dino Madonis prefers Rob Newman over Victor Montagliani in the CSA presidential race. This is wrong, and the mistake was entirely my fault. My sincerest apologies to Mr. Madonis and Mr. Montagliani.
    ---
    Finally we can reveal the three candidates for the position of CSA president. While the Canadian Soccer Association has still made no official announcement, Canadian Soccer News has confirmed – and reconfirmed – the three candidates are (alphabetically):
    - President Dominique Maestracci
    - Vice president Victor Montagliani
    - Vice president Rob Newman
    The election will be held the first weekend of May, at the upcoming Canadian Soccer Association AGM.
    Canada’s provinces and territories vote proportionally, based on the total amount of registration fees raised last year. The CSA has still not released the exact voting percentages of each jurisdiction, but we know that Ontario and Quebec each control a maximum share – 25% of the total vote.
    If Canada’s two biggest provinces agree on a candidate, that man will need only one other vote – from any other province, territory, pro team, pro league or player rep – to become president.
    And now – thanks to a revealing interview conducted en Français by CSN’s Phillipe Germain – we know how Quebec intends to vote.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Quebec Soccer Federation president Martial Prud’homme has said sitting president Dominique Maestracci is his first choice -- and Newman is their second.
    I’m just going to run all the main quotes, then backfill with commentary. (All quotes are Germain’s translations.)
    ---
    Dino Madonis, former QSF president
    “It’s a slippery ground. One is strong in governance (Newman), one is strong in technical and competition aspects (Montagliani) and one has done an excellent job in terms of relationship between the CSA and CONCACAF, FIFA and the Government of Canada. He did a terrific job.”
    “I believe the CSA is doing great right now with Dominic at the helm, it’s up to provincial presidents to decide what’s next”
    Martial Prudhomme, current Quebec Soccer Federation president
    “There are only three candidates and one being our former FSQ president who is the incumbent after over four years in position. He (Maestracci) seems to be the best candidate to be a bridge between the old way of doing things with the new.”
    “Mr Maestracci is really strong with communications and outside relations for the CSA. He believes in the current reform and I think that his vice-president helps him fill (any gap there might be).”
    “The Quebec Federation’s executive is behind Dominic Maestracci’s bid for the first ballot. In the second round, if we have the choice between someone who presents himself as a PhD in soccer (Montagliani) and the champion of governance reform (Newman). Newman has an interesting perspective that I like.”
    “The way the provinces are made up, we can decide together with Ontario (who will be the next president). If Ontario decides to support someone other than Maestracci, I'm certain there will be a second ballot."
    “Ontario is looking for someone to give the CSA a deep influence, not only superficial, technical and at the sports level. It’s about the organization and the professionalism and I believe personally that if Ontario does not support Maestracci, they’ll go for Newman.”
    ---
    Okay. Here are some implications:
    - The Maestracci thing:
    There is, of course, no surprise that Quebec would back native son Maestracci on the first ballot. There remains significant concern, however, both within Metcalfe Street and throughout the Canadian game, that a second term for Maestracci would send an awkward mixed message about real reform in this country – particularly to the still-anonymous folks who are being recruited for three appointed positions on the CSA board.
    Maestracci’s leadership has come under fire, particularly on the mismanaged Alberta front. Yes, reform is happening on his watch, but how much of it is him?
    The QSF is clearly content and unconcerned, and that gets the sitting president halfway to re-election.
    - The Ontario thing:
    Two or three weeks ago, a rumour emerged that Ontario Soccer Association president Ron Smale had agreed to back Maestracci. It was a strange rumour, not just for its content, but for the odd, untraceable way it emerged.
    So I got Smale on the phone, and he said the OSA board, not the president, will decide how Canada’s largest province will vote. All three candidates are being given the chance to appear before Ontario’s 28 board members, and make their pitch. A vote will be held at the OSA AGM – one week before the CSA election.
    Without mentioning the rumour – which was and remains unconfirmed – I asked him directly about Maestracci.
    “I’d like us to be focused on issues,” he responded. “It’s becoming very political, as you can see and as you know. What are the priorities for Canadian soccer moving forward? And with that, we make sure that we’ve got the right people leading the organization.”
    That’s either a non-denial denial, or a simple affirmation that the board, not the president, will seal this deal.
    It doesn’t close the door, however. If Ontario does back Maestracci, only one other vote is needed – and the Montreal Impact have exactly one vote.
    Whatever Ontario does, it will be publicly announced a week before the CSA meeting convenes. That should prove to be a highly interesting few days.
    - The Montagliani/Newman thing:
    Very interesting to me that Quebec is announcing its second choice, as well. Prud’homme seems to favour Rob Newman specifically.
    Newman’s a bit of a mystery man outside of Metcalfe Street. He headed up the CSA Constitution Committee, which drafted and shepherded the reforms. His reputation as a chairman and nuts-and-bolts governance guy is well established, and highly respected. Questions have been raised about his soccer knowledge, and FIFA connections. None of this seems to bother Quebec.
    What’s fascinating, though, is that Madonis has very strong praise for Montagliani. For his part, Prud’homme alludes to the help Maestracci has received from his vice president, but which VP he’s referring to is not clear.
    CSN continues reaching out to Newman for an interview. We have not yet received a response.
    Quebec's president is telling the world today it is backing its man – and sending Ontario a clear signal of who he prefers as a second choice, should Ontario decide four years of Dominique Maestracci is enough.
    CSN will continue to watch all angles of this story, with the ongoing intention of keeping a bright spotlight on the backrooms of Canadian soccer politics.
    Onward!
    Guest
    Welcome to a new feature on AFTN - <b>Best Case Scenario</b>.
    The reshaping of the schedule, and the playoff qualification criteria, has made for some interesting new dynamics in what we need to see from MLS matches from a Whitecaps perspective.
    I've talked about all the ins and outs of this in my <a href="http://metronews.ca/voices/all-caps-the-vancouver-whitecaps-blog/" target="_blank"><b>Metro column</b></a> this week, so swing by and have a read when it's published on Sunday (*a technical glitch has delayed it being posted Friday*).
    Starting today, and every week going forward, 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.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    We're going to be finding ourselves cheering for some unlikely foes this year. We could even be rooting for Toronto and, gasp, Montreal to win. That's going to be hard but necessary. I'm not sure that I'm quite ready for that dirty feeling yet mind you!
    So let's kick off the feature by looking at the Week 5 games still to be played, after Dallas fell into the "Worst Case Scenario" category with their late win against New England tonight…..
    <center>********************</center>
    <b><u>Whitecaps @ San Jose Earthquakes</u></b>
    Current Whitecaps Points: 8 (4th in West)
    If Whitecaps Win: 11 points (Best Case Scenario = 2nd in West, four points behind RSL / Worst Case Scenario = 3rd, one point behind joint leaders. WCS could actually be BCS!)
    If Whitecaps Draw: 9 points (BCS = 3rd / WCS = 5th)
    If Whitecaps Lose: 8 points (BCS = 4th / WCS = 5th)
    Maximum Points Total Possible: 98
    Projected Points Total On Current Results: 78 !!
    Playoff Likelihood: 53%
    <b><u>Sporting Kansas City v LA Galaxy</u> - KC win</b>
    East v West, so a KC win helps the Caps greatly. Another LA loss would leave them at least five points behind the Caps in the standings and possibly 8. Massive.
    <b><u>DC United v Seattle Sounders</u> - DC win</b>
    You pretty much always want Seattle to lose, but even more so when it's an East v West encounter. A loss or draw for the Sounders keeps them below the Caps in the table, no matter the result in San Jose.
    <b><u>Real Salt Lake v Colorado Rapids</u> - draw</b>
    One of three all-western match ups this week. A RSL win would see them start to have a little gap at the top. Right now we want to keep all the Caps' conference rivals in as tight a bunch as possible. A Colorado win tightens it right up at the top and if the Caps win too, then it's one point separating the top three. We almost want this as out BCS, but I think right now, a draw may be best for us, as every point could count in a Caps v Rapids playoff place battle later on.
    <b><u>Portland Timbers v Chivas USA</u> - Chivas win</b>
    Another all-western clash. Portland have an outside chance at the playoffs. Chivas have no chance. Easy to root for the Californian side in this one.
    <b><u>Columbus Crew v New York Red Bulls</u> - Columbus win</b>
    This all-eastern match-up has no real impact on the Caps making the playoffs. With New York likely to be the stronger team down the road, and every point counting between intra-conference rivals, a Columbus win could affect New York’s position in the final stretch, so let's root for that.
    <b><u>Montreal Impact v Toronto</u> - Who cares?</b>
    Who can you cheer on in a game between Montreal and Toronto? I'm going with the stretcher bearers. This game, between two sides who will not make the post season, has no consequence on the Whitecaps playoff hopes, so who gives a fuck?!
    For us, that's all the "Best Case Scenarios", so get cheering for the opposition like you never have before.
    <p>
    Guest
    With last week's news that Halifax has dropped out of contention to host games at the 2015 Women's World Cup, due to lack of funding for a stadium, Moncton, N.B. has become even more of a slam dunk to be a part of the big show.
    Clearly, the CSA saw enough promise in the market and its stadium to award it hosting duties for the women's national team's Olympic send-off match against China on May 30. With tickets now on sale for that match, the CSA is posing an unspoken question, a question that falls to every soccer fan in Moncton, in New Brunswick and in all of the Atlantic provinces:
    Do you want more high-profile games in the future?
    Oh, and there's also the unspoken self-answer: If you do, prove it.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Now, sure, Moncton has hosting duties at the 2015 Women's World Cup pretty much sewn up. But with the field at that tournament expanding to 24 teams, there is plenty of potential for some... how do I put this diplomatically... garbage matchups. A good turnout (as in, an engaged sell-out crowd) on May 30 could help make the difference, when the time comes for such decisions to be made, between Moncton getting a stinker of a group, or getting to see some marquee teams and stars.
    In essence, the Halifax news confirms that any chance Atlantic Canadians have of seeing one of our national teams play, in their own backyard, for the foreseeable future rests on the chances of games being awarded to Moncton, thanks to the new stadium. Now, that's no slight against fans or facilities anywhere else on the east coast; St. John's hosted the women's national team on several occasions last decade -- and, of course, was the site of the men's national team's most glorious day:


    A raucous crowd can make itself known even without coordinated chanting and displays. One of the knocks on Moncton as a host city has been that, without an established pro team, and established supporters groups, the crowd simply couldn't match what could be done in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto or Montreal. It's an odd argument, for a number of reasons; consider that, back in 1994, these folks at Commonwealth seemed to know which team to cheer for, even without song sheets:


    That, of course, brings us to the elephant in the room. For whatever advances the women's game has made in the past 10 years, and despite the world-class action we saw at last year's Women's World Cup, some fans -- across the country, and across the world -- simply aren't willing to give the game the time of day. (Their excuses sometimes sound quite a bit like the excuses given by non-soccer fans for why they won't give the sport a chance at all, but that's another issue for another day.)
    So me saying that the May 30 game represents a chance to see top-level soccer at a very reasonable price, or celebrate a squad of young athletes who'll be representing Canada at the Olympic Games, or to witness one of the greatest international players of all-time, Christine Sinclair, still in her prime... those arguments may not sway some people. Let me try this one instead, then.
    If you ever want to see the men's national team playing a meaningful game out in Moncton, this game on May 30 has to be sold out. It needs to be an event.
    Now, lest I enrage anyone, let me clarify: I am not treating a women's game as a mere stepping stone towards a men's game. But the unfortunate reality is, many people view the sport through this lens. Such attitudes can't be overcome simply by ignoring them, or the people who hold them. Rather, people not already amenable to the women's game be encouraged to attend games whenever possible, in an attempt to change their minds, don't you think?
    Whatever anyone's motivation may be for attending a Canadian national-team game, if someone buys a ticket, shows up and supports the Canadian side -- in whatever way they feel most comfortable -- that behaviour must be encouraged, by all of us.
    So whatever your motivation, get down to Moncton Stadium on May 30 if you can. Because wherever they may be, Big Red deserves a sea of red in the stands.
    .
    Guest
    Today, we’ll talk about how it all broke down in Santos, what could be a bright spot coming out of that loss and look at what this team needs to do now with its backline.
    We’ll also get into the first Montreal Toronto Derby, talk about what a run in CCL means like this and we’ll put odds on the likelihood of Duane Rollins ending up in a Montreal riot this weekend.
    The show is now available on iTunes and it is up on CSN.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
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    Subscribe and download It's Called Football on iTunes
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    Guest

    SoccerPlus - Weekly Interview Show

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    Montreal and Toronto lose to set the table for the 'Battle of the Canadian Midgets' at the Big O Saturday.
    On this week's interview show we speak with Dave Levesque (Journal de Montréal) and Daniel Girard (Toronto Star) a few minutes after they stepped out off the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC locker rooms following road losses in Utah and Torreon.
    Mathias Van Halst (MLSsoccer.com) analyses both games for us and sets the table for Saturday's Canadian derby at Olympic Stadium.
    We go to London to speak with our correspondent Cedric Ferreira (France24) who was at the Benfica-Chelsea match.
    We honour the memory of NY Cosmos and Lazio great Giorgio Chinaglia who passed away last Sunday with former team mate and Canadian international Bob Iarusci.
    Finally, we hear from former Quebec Soccer Federation president Dino Madonis and current president Martial Prud'homme on the province's position for the upcoming CSA presidential elections.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    A full show you don't want to miss. Click here to hear our 40 minutes edition.
    You can also subscribe direction on the iTunes Store by clicking here.
    Guest
    Thirteen. Unlucky for some. Maybe it should become John Thorrington’s shirt number.
    It’s not unlucky for you though, as we’ve lined up an exciting 13th <i>West Coast Soccer Weekly</i> show.
    Kicking off our guests this week is Canadian Beaver <b>Jenna Richardson</b>. Sadly, Pierce couldn’t get her to rap for us but there’s a lot of other interesting stuff instead from the CWNT U20 goalscoring starlet.
    Sportsnet.ca’s <b>Irfaan Gaffar</b> is up next to talk about the Whitecaps start to the season and he shares some thoughts on Eric Hassli.
    Rounding off the guests is San Jose manager <b>Frank Yallop</b>. Along with chatting about this weekend’s match up with the Caps and all things San Jose, Frank talks about the NASL Caps, his time at the Galaxy, MLS expansion and there’s even a bit of Ipswich Town thrown in for all the Tractor Boys out there.
    Pierce and myself fill in the gaps with the usual nonsense, with a few surprises thrown in.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    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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    Musical Interludes on this weeks show include...
    Intro: Rahzel- If You're Mother Knew (outro)
    Good for Grapes- A Sequel
    The Clash- London Calling
    Rahzel- Wu Tang (Live)
    Rahzel- If Your Mother Only Knew
    Ian Brown- Getting High
    The Whitest Kid Alive - Burning
    The Clash- I Fought The Law
    LL Cool J -Going Back To Cali
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    Guest

    Julian de Guzman joke

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    So waddaya call a guy who wears the armband, then concedes a lazy, unnecessary penalty kick to put his team in a huge, chasming crater?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    An "acting" captain.
    Onward!
    Guest
    So, it’s over.
    We all knew it would be eventually. There were enough results to allow us to dream, but the idea that TFC was going to win the CONCACAF Champions League was always absurd. That they came this close makes no sense.
    Still, they were 45 minutes away from the final. A scoreless half – and weirder things have happened – is all that it would have taken. For the wheels to come off as they did…well, it hurt. In many ways it would have been better if Santos had just rolled them from the first whistle. Emotionally, it would have been easier to handle. Instead, TFC came out and competed. They tried to play with them and for the most part they did over the first 45.
    It’s OK to be proud that they did. It doesn’t make you a bad fan for not demanding more. They weren’t supposed to have a chance. They proved that they could play the game a little. That’s a good thing.
    They can’t defend a team as talented as Santos over 90 minutes. That’s less good. It’s also unfortunate that the score got out of hand because it probably doesn’t reflect the overall play. The casual Toronto sports fan is going to wake up tomorrow and hear 6-2 and have their stereotypes reinforced. That’s unfortunate. Really unfortunate.
    Hopefully those more tuned in will see it for what it was – a good effort that came undone. Santos had to earn it. That’s something to hold onto.
    But, here’s the thing. The fairy-tale has sustained Toronto so far in 2012. That the club is 0-3 in MLS play has largely been forgotten because of the distraction of the Champions League. Now, that’s off the table. Toronto needs to focus on turning around what’s already becoming a mess.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Make no mistake dropping six points at home in the first two games of the season is an unqualified disaster. There is very little room for error over the next two games. If the Reds don’t have six points after the Chivas home game feel free to full on panic.
    The Champions League run was a nice distraction, but this club needs to be better in he league. One look at the empty seats last week against Columbus tells you all you need to know. Outside of an increasingly frustrated hardcore, the city has lost patience with TFC. Sure they’ll show up a few times a year to drink beer in the sunshine, but the club will remain a bit of a sideshow when it comes to Toronto sports.
    That’s why this loss is hard to take. In many ways it seems like the end of something bigger. And it’s hard to see a way out of the funk.
    In five years TFC has gone from the exciting thing to do to just another failed MLSE property. It’s depressing and, for those that have battled to see this sport become part of the mainstream, it’s scary. At the risk of being overly dramatic, it’s easy to see all that was gained over the last five years flushed away.
    Ultimately, there is a fear that this was as good as it will ever get. After five years the diehard TFC fan struggles with the idea that the club can ever win. This Champions League run almost seemed like a gift from the football Gods for our patience – a sort of condescending pat on the head for signing so loud for such a bad team.
    Now that it’s done…well, now what?
    The TFC and has to hope Aron Winter knows what he’s doing and the 0-3 start is not representative, that’s what. It’s hard to feel that hopeful. There is a lingering feeling amongst many – the informed many, it must be said – that Winter has put together a talented team, but a team that cannot win in MLS. There is a bit too much flare and not enough grit.
    That’s terrifying. It’s especially bad news because the club really has no other option but to ride this out and see what’s there. A re-make at this point would be idiotic.
    So, we stare down the possibility of another 18-months of frustration with the realization that tonight was a highlight we’re not likely to reach again anytime soon.
    It all starts Saturday against Montreal. Let’s not consider what it might feel like to give the Impact their first win.
    Guest

    On Gomez and Champions League drama

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The intensity of the Santos v TFC game last week was unlike anything we’ve ever seen at BMO Field. It made watching the weekend’s MLS game difficult. Once you’ve seen what a team is capable of it’s hard to accept anything less.
    There were several talking points after the game, not the least of which were comments from the Santos players that seemed to attack everything associated with TFC.
    Front and centre was Herculez Gomez, the Mexican-American star of Santos. After the game he Tweeted that he was confused that TFC fans would celebrate a 1-1 draw and was quoted in the Toronto Star saying that the second leg in Mexico was bound to be a walk for his club.
    If Santos could beat Seattle 6-1, imagine what it could do to lowly Toronto was the thinking.
    He denied making the comments the next day. That denial lead to a brief Twitter conversation between myself and Gomez and, eventually, a full interview on It’s Called Football.
    If you haven’t heard that interview you can listen here.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Sometimes the best interviews find you. This was an example of that. Without the misquote and the denial it’s likely that we never would have thought of chasing Gomez. And, that would have been too bad. He offered an interesting take of how others see TFC and how Mexican teams see the CCL.
    Although I always intended to approach the interview professionally – any fan-boy instincts can be contained to the stadium – I was a bit disappointed that he came off so intelligent and likable. It’s easier to “hate” when you don’t have actual contact with the players (It’s also easier to “love”, but that’s a different topic).
    Since the interview I’ve had several people ask me whether I believed Gomez – did I think that he was playing the diplomatic card the day after in an effort to smooth the waters?
    I did believe him. There is very little to gain for Gomez by smoothing waters. He isn’t Canadian, not likely to play in Toronto any time soon and would not have lost much if he’d have just let the whole thing blow over.
    Actually, everything I experienced in the interview matched what I was told to expect by American sources the day before. Universally, I was informed that the comments were “out of character.”
    He seemed sincerely confused by the words that were attributed to him and quite rightly asked why the Toronto Star would have removed them the next day if they were accurate. As for the Tweet, asking why TFC fans celebrated 1-1…well, he had a point. He hasn’t lived the last five years with those fans so he can’t understand. But on a pure, logical level he had a point.
    In preparing for the interview I was offered a likely scenario that lead to the misquote – that the MLS communications staff member trusted to generate a quote sheet made a mistake. Gomez was misidentified and the Star added the quote after the reporter had filed.
    From a journalism perspective that made sense. The quote was too explosive to not lead a story with. That it was buried at the bottom of the article screamed of a desk decision.
    Regardless, it hardly matters now. Gomez has had his time to deny, most thinking fans likely accept that he didn’t say it and the interest in the tie still grew from the war of words.
    Sports is as much about the narrative around the game as it is about the actual contest itself. It’s been rare that TFC has had this kind of drama and it adds to the excitement of the occasion.
    The “brawl” and war of words following the first leg are now just one more pat of the bizarre and winding story of TFC’s 2011-12 Champions League run.
    Hopefully, there is some more twists yet to come.
    Guest
    By Michael Crampton
    I’m afraid my reader will have to indulge me as we begin with a bit of a digression.
    First off, I’m not Scottish. I number among my acquaintances however a reasonable number of friends of Scottish extraction. As such, even though I don’t actively follow them, keeping an eye on the epic tragic results of the Scottish national team can be a regular source of mirth. The story I am about to recount probably didn’t happen exactly as I remember it. Regardless, it has been told and retold so many times by now that its apocryphal origins are entirely less relevant than the truth it reveals.
    In the fall of 2003 Scotland managed to record a famous 1 – 0 home victory against an immensely talented Dutch side in the first leg of their Euro 2004 qualifying playoff. It had been a skin of the teeth affair however as James McFadden’s 22nd minute goal only held up due to a number of hit posts and goal line clearances. No one was under any illusions: the task facing the Scots in the second leg to be held four days later would be immense.
    For the second leg I managed to find an internet radio feed of BBC Scotland’s coverage of the match. In the build up to kickoff one of the studio analysts asked a question of the Scottish colour commentator: “what are Scotland’s chances?” (I won’t attempt to type in dialect but it’s best if you imagine the following in a thick Scottish accent.) The excited commentator, practically yelling to be heard above the atmospheric din of the Amsterdam ArenA in the background, replied:
    “Well, it’s very, very important to stress that THIS IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE! But if Scotland is going to be successful then three things have to happen. First, Scotland will have to play the absolute best game they are capable of. Second, and let’s face it, you don’t like to say it, but we’ve got to hope that the Dutch have an off day. And third... well... we’re gonna need some luck too!”
    I can’t help but remember (and chuckle at) the above when I think of Toronto FC walking into Estadio Corona to face Club Santos Laguna in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal this Wednesday night.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    There has been some argument since last Wednesday night’s first leg in Toronto over exactly what TFC achieved by earning a 1 – 1 draw. Objectively speaking, a draw, particularly a scoring draw, is not usually considered a good result in the home leg of an aggregate goals fixture. Both Montreal and Seattle have taken better first leg results down to Mexico and even achieved more than creditable first halves there before being absolutely destroyed in the second half. Keep in mind that Montreal was actually leading their tie three years ago 4 – 1 before Santos turned that over in the final minutes and escaped with a 5 – 4 aggregate victory. So, in some sense, maybe it’s best to accept that if you’re from north of the Rio Grande no lead is safe in Torreón.
    What Toronto really achieved was successfully keeping the tie within reach. The key thing for TFC in the second leg is to keep hanging around as long as possible. The longer they stay within one goal of taking the lead (or even just pushing the match to extra time) the better. If Santos scores first that doesn’t change. Even if Santos was to take a two goal lead the Reds shouldn’t panic: one goal and they’re right back in it within touching distance of retaking the lead on aggregate again.
    It may offend the romantic notions of some fans but what TFC needs to do on Wednesday night is play cagey. Don’t be mistaken: the Reds, like Seattle, will not survive in a shoot out and should not look for one. Against a vastly more talented and technically superior opponent, playing in their comfort zone in front of their home fans, Toronto needs to compress the match both spatially and temporally.
    Spatially they must press from the front and deny Santos the opportunity to patiently build up through the middle third. The difficulty though is that TFC will have to remain compact and not allow too much of a gap to be created between their forwards and defense. Aron Winter’s high defensive line has been rightfully criticized early in the season and finding the precise level to push up to that denies playmaking space to Santos in midfield while not leaving too much space in behind the defenders will be critical.
    Most importantly, TFC cannot allow themselves to be caught on the counter. Giving the Mexicans the sort of three on three counter attack that lead to the Crew’s goal on the weekend is a recipe for disaster. Toronto’s normally marauding fullbacks will have to pick their runs very carefully and it’s not unreasonable to suggest that most of the time TFC should content themselves with only really throwing four men into attack in the final third.
    The argument for temporal compression is that when you’re the weaker side it’s generally advisable to make the game shorter. It’s a sort of gamesmanship that many Canadian soccer fans are uncomfortable with but for a match of this importance Toronto FC need to take any advantage they can get. Take an extra few seconds to collect the ball and put it back into play. When fouled don’t necessarily roll around and wait for the stretcher but at least take the time to catch your breath and let the team find its shape again. Use non-violent tactical fouling to break up the rhythm of Santos’ possession. Don’t feel the need to score with every possession. Simply put: TFC will have a better chance of winning if the match is played over 60 rather than 80 minutes of actual play.
    The thing is that in the end Toronto FC can do absolutely everything right in this match and still lose. If the journey that began way back on April 27th, 2011 versus FC Edmonton is to continue then TFC will need more than just a well executed game plan.
    They’ll need to play the best game they possibly can.
    They’ll need Santos Laguna to have an off night.
    And they’ll probably still need a little luck.
    (For those interested: the Scots lost 6 – 0.)
    Guest
    Last weekend in Philadelphia the Whitecaps played a not so great game, but thankfully, they remain the only team in the MLS to not allow a goal after 4 weeks of play. Also, with an injury list for Saturday that would have surely spelled defeat last season, it was a nice surprise to see that our roster really <i>did</i> have the depth needed to keep us going.
    It wasn’t pretty, but they got it done. And, as my basketball coach told us in high school after a particularly grisly victory, "Sometimes you take home the ugly ones, but that doesn’t mean they don’t count." Mind you, he was giving this advice to a room full of teenage girls so there are other questions that arise, but the end result is that the Whitecaps got another point and, join Sporting Kansas City as one of two undefeated teams in the MLS.
    Thinking back on last season, other than "Goals Against" and "Hot French Guys", I don't think the Whitecaps were near the top of any list, so at this stage in the game, I’ll take it.
    Now, this is all well and good, but the point I was trying to make (and I promise you there’s a point!) is that I was kept up-to-date on every aspect of the game last weekend, but I didn’t actually get to watch it. I know, sacrilegious, but that's what I mean when I say, "It's not your father's football" (See how I did that?!).
    I was out of town last weekend visiting family, and while I was already distraught about not being at my local with my friends, I had no access whatsoever to a television to watch the game.
    Enter the interwebs.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Not only was I able to follow the game, thanks to the likes of dedicated fans and newscasters, I was able to follow my friends’ displeasure at the referee’s calls, stay abreast of the party situation unfolding in the bar and feel as though I was there, in the thick of it, all thanks to my mobile phone and a few handy apps.
    The funny thing is that it didn’t even occur to me to find a radio. And I’m not the only one. In a recent <a href="http://blog.gmrmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Sports-Social-Media-Infographic-GMR-Marketing.jpg" target="_blank">survey of sports fans</a>, only 4% of respondents said they’d head to a radio to follow breaking sports news, whereas 81% chose the internet as their source du jour (41% for Twitter & Facebook, 40% for other sports news sites). The truth is, sports fans are ten times more likely to turn to Facebook or Twitter for sports-related content than they are to head to their radios. Hands up, who still <i>owns</i> a radio?
    Now, don’t confuse this for me getting a hate-on for radio (only 13% of respondents in the survey said they’d turn to their TVs) I’m simply stating the fact that we are changing the way we consume information, and at the forefront of that change are sports fans. Since most of my friends are sports fans, and most of them are just as glued to their mobile devices as I am, this doesn't come as much of a surprise, but for someone who recently taught their father to text, this is a definite change from the way things used to be.
    Before I get too far down my nerdy path, perhaps I should warn you that if there’s one thing I like more than sports, it’s nerding out over technology, so apologies to those of you who don’t find this stuff interesting, I’ll be back next month with something completely different!
    For my fellow geeks who wish to learn more, it may be called "Away From the Numbers", but from time to time it's fun to throw some numbers out there.
    When looking over the <a href="http://yearinreview.twitter.com/index_en.html" target="_blank">Twitter Year in Review</a> for 2011 it’s clear that whether you call it soccer, football, footy or futbol, you’re using twitter to do it. Not only has “tweets per second” become a valid metric, but of the Top 10 'Tweets per Second' events, 3 of them were soccer related.
    On May 28th 2011, as Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League Final, Twitter saw an impressive 6,303 tweets per second related to the match. Then on July 17th 2011, footy fans around the world nearly broke Twitter as an impressive 7,166 and 7,196 tweets per second erupted as Brazil was eliminated from the Copa America and Japan beat the United States in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup respectively.
    The Women’s World Cup in Germany set a world record that day for tweets per second, and it was only surpassed by 2 events for the rest of the calendar year. I haven’t even touched on the numerous Facebook records that were set for mentions, tags, status updates and incredible brand-related content that surfaced on Facebook during the Copa America and the World Cups of 2010 and 2011, but this column, and your attention span, are only so long. And now, as Brazil gears up for the World Cup in 2014, companies are working hard to implement 4G networks across the host cities to ensure that their systems can handle the traffic that will no doubt be there for kickoff.
    But it isn’t just the fans watching at home and in local bars who are connecting, engaging and devouring content. In that same sports fan survey I mentioned above, 63% said they also check sports-related social media in the stadium, during the game.
    This fact is something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by some tech-savvy stadiums, and it’s certainly on the radar of the companies providing high density wifi. For example, in 2011, LiveStrong Sporting Park, home of our fellow undefeated Sporting KC, released a Cisco-powered solution that has the capability of handling 18,000 simultaneous wifi connections, enough to allow almost everyone in the stadium to connect <i>at the same time</i> (If you’ve tried to connect in BC Place, you know that this is cool).
    Not only can fans connect, but they’ve deployed this service in conjunction with team-focused apps to sign up members to the fan club, allow you to check-in at the game, order food from your seat, play trivia that rewards points redeemable at the concession and team store, and have even gone so far as to provide iPads in each luxury box to control lighting, volume and other aspects of the VIP experience.
    Now, I’m not moving to Kansas City anytime soon, but I can understand why Michael Boxall found it so impressive and named it his favorite stadium to play at on the road, when we sat down for an <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?2772-Nightcap-With-A-Whitecap-Michael-Boxall" target="_blank">interview in February</a>.
    What I can't understand is why a search of "Whitecaps" in the app store reveals nothing more than a few unofficial apps that want me to pay to realize they're full of bugs and rarely updated. It's even more surprising when you consider that the Whitecaps reside in Vancouver, BC, a city where you can hardly swing your Starbucks latte without knocking over a couple of app developers.
    Again, don’t think I’m getting my hate-on for the front office, I’m actually very impressed with the emphasis and effort they put into their social media. Before the team had even officially kicked a ball in the MLS, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/whitecapsfc" target="_blank">@WhitecapsFC</a> had fans running all over town to find scarves, tweet photos and become a part of the excitement.
    Each home game programme features tweets and photos from fans, including my own (April 23rd 2011 for those collectors out there) but there are certainly opportunities that have not been touched on yet, and desperately need to be to enhance the game experience for us "Millennials" and especially for Generation "Text", who are an entirely new breed of iDependents, valuing an internet connection second only to oxygen (and it's a close second).
    So what was the point of all this? The point is simply to imagine your current football-loving life without the internet. There are no forums, there's no twitter, there's not even this blog (the horror!). You can't send a message to your favorite player and congratulate them on a good game, you can't quickly search for last-minute tickets, you can't even easily check the scores of other games from within the stadium.
    It’s a little bit scary to realize how much we rely on the internet, but it's also amazing to think of the ways we're using it to make our sporting experience better.
    From personal experience, I've used the internet to convince Eric Hassli to give me his jersey, and to arrange dinner with <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?2907-Nightcap-With-A-Whitecap-Knighton-Watson-Le-Toux" target="_blank">Sebastien Le Toux, Matt Watson and Brad Knighton</a> – not bad, not bad at all.
    The internet is allowing us to take our favourite game with us wherever we go, and to interact with it in ways our parents, let alone our grandparents, never would have thought possible.
    But, with great power, comes great responsibility, so I'll leave you with this:
    Nearly 60% of respondents to that aforementioned sports fan survey, admitted to checking scores, news, and highlights from the toilet. So, it might be wise to think twice before asking to use your friend's phone. Just sayin’.
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