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    <b>KEY PLAYERS :</b>
    ATTACKING
    With Eric Hassli missing through injury, <b>Sebastien Le Toux</b> will have a chance to play closer to the goal in his return to Philadelphia. The former Union player can definitely expect to be closely marked, especially if Peter Nowak, Union coach, has anything to say about it.
    One of the biggest reasons Le Toux was shipped off was to sign the younger <b>Roger Torres</b> to a long term and permanent deal. The Union supporters are expecting a lot from the Colombian in terms of being the driving force of the attack, which has managed two goals through three games this year.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    DEFENCE
    Through three games the backline was unchanged, but with Rochat recovering from a knee injury, <b>Jordan Harvey</b> will be asked to start against his former team. Playing on the left side, Harvey will be asked to contain the attacking abilities of Freddy Adu, who is coming off a disappointing run at the Olympic Qualifying tournament.
    Once Mondragon left in the offseason, and now Danny Califf is in Nowak’s doghouse, <b>Carlos Valdes</b> seems to have become the leader on the backline for the Union. Last season the Colombian was able to handle Hassli with a physical approach but may need to make some adjustments as he faces his former teammate.
    <b>WHO'S ON FORM :</b>
    It is clear now that last season injuries played a part in his poor form, as this year, a healthy <b>Jay DeMerit</b> is meeting the expectations that were placed on him when he became the Caps' first MLS signing. "Captain America" is leading a revamped backline to three clean sheets in the first three games.
    Even though the Union has only managed two goals so far this year, it is not due to second year player <b>Michael Farfan</b>, who has easily been their most dangerous player. A finalist for 'Rookie of the Year', Farfan is versatile enough to play anywhere in the midfield, or as a second forward. He is a possession type player who is excellent in tight spaces.
    <b>2012 RECORD :</b>
    Vancouver:
    2W-1D-0L
    1st in Western Conference
    Last Match: 0-0 Draw vs D.C. United
    Philadelphia:
    0W-0D-3L
    9th in Eastern Conference
    Last Match: 1-0 Loss at Chicago Fire
    <b>PROJECTED LINE-UPS :</b>

    <b>INJURIES/MISSING :</b>
    Vancouver:
    Out: FW Eric Hassli (ankle), FW Etienne Barbara (groin strain), MF Michael Nanchoff (heel contusion), FW Darren Mattocks (shoulder), DF Alain Rochat (knee), MF Russell Teibert (international duty), MF Bryce Alderson (international duty)
    Questionable: GK Brian Sylvestre (knee)
    Probable: FW Camilo Sanvezzo (quad)
    Philadelphia:
    Out: FW Krystian Witkowski (concussion)
    Probable: DF Chris Albright (groin strain)
    <b>GAME PREDICTION :</b>
    For a team that is sitting atop the Western Conference and has yet to taste defeat, there are a lot of questions being asked from people in football circles. The biggest one is where are the goals, considering the talent the Whitecaps and Martin Rennie assembled at the forward positions in the offseason. There will be a different look up top this week as the Whitecaps travel east to play the Philadelphia Union, with Eric Hassli remaining in Vancouver with an ankle injury.
    The backline will have a slightly different look in front of Joe Cannon. Jordan Harvey will replace the injured Alain Rochat on the left side and attempt to fit in with DeMerit, Bonjour and Lee, who have yet to allow a goal this season. There is a chance that Koffie may find a way back into the lineup replacing Watson as one of the holding midfielders alongside Jun Marques Davidson. Despite a minor injury Camilo will take up one of the wide spots with either Atiba Harris or John Thorrington (both returning from injury) taking the other side. Thorrington is expected to get the nod but will not be able to play the whole game. It looks as though Le Toux will take up the spot vacated by Hassli, while Davide Chiumiento will play more of a central role behind the Frenchman.
    It will be interesting how Rennie uses Le Toux, as opposed to how Hassli was employed as the lone striker up top. During the match Camilo may swap spots with Le Toux in order to create more movement and keep the opposition guessing. There will be more flexibility for Rennie to apply different formations, especially if Thorrington is in the starting lineup. He could slide centrally to play a 4-3-3 or Rennie may have Chiumiento move wide, moving Camilo up top in a 4-4-2. There is little chance that the Whitecaps sit back for this road game, especially with a very inexperienced goalkeeper in Zac MacMath between the posts for Philadelphia.
    The Whitecaps have gone 270 minutes without allowing a goal this season which has already surpassed last year’s high of 215 minutes near the end of the season. Against Philadelphia the Caps will have to pay special attention to the trio of Farfan, Torres and Adu, who will play behind the strikers and will create most of the scoring opportunities. Their striking pair of Mwanga and Pajoy have yet to establish any chemistry, so they will rely on their young midfielders.
    The two teams exchanged 1-0 wins last year and a low scoring game should be expected once again in this matchup. The Whitecaps can expect Peter Nowak to play special attention to Le Toux, as it seems he would rather lose by three plus goals, keeping Le Toux off the scoresheet , than to lose by one and it being the fan favourite coming home to score the winner. The Whitecaps will benefit their cause by scoring the first one, which will undermine the confidence of a young goalkeeper and team. Another result on the road, no matter how achieved, would further the cause of Martin Rennie amongst the locker room.
    <b>Predicted Score: Philadelphia Union 1 Vancouver Whitecaps 1</b>
    <p>
    Guest
    These are the images and emotions from Toronto FC's 1-1 draw against Santos Laguna. All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery.
    He is shooting for Canadian Soccer News again this year.
    You can purchase these and other photos here
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Disappointment and relief

    Watching the brawl unfold

    Studs up tackles were the event du jour

    Danny disagrees

    Staring contest. Go.
    Guest
    As you can see from these photos: Toronto FC are a bunch of mean ol' football players and they beat up on the poor, innocent Santos Laguna players Wednesday night. Shame on you Toronto FC. Shame.
    All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery. Some play acting at its best.
    He is shooting for Canadian Soccer News again this year.
    You can purchase these and other photos here
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Even his teammate isn't buying this one

    Shot

    Shot dead

    Shot dead in the face

    Legitimately stubbed his toe
    Guest
    Canada v. Mexico. Winner gets an Olympic spot, loser goes home.
    A game of that magnitude really doesn't need much additional hype. So when speaking to the media on Friday, the day before the showdown, Canadian head coach Tony Fonseca kept his cards relatively close to his chest. But he was clear about one thing: Canada fully believes it can gain a result on Saturday night.
    "It's like playing the lottery," said Fonseca. "You're in it to win it."
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Interesting choice of analogy, since some observers are putting the young Canadians' chances at about as likely as hitting the jackpot. But Fonseca, as expected, pointed to the win against the U.S. -- and respectable showings against El Salvador and Cuba -- as evidence of the team's potential.
    "People thought we were going to be easy, we were going to be the easiest team in the tournament," he said. "It shows they don't have any belief in what we're doing."
    Still, Fonseca is under no delusions about what his side will come up against in the do-or-die match.
    "Obviously we are very aware of what Mexico can do, and we're going to try to prepare for that," he said, brushing off suggestions that recent positive results by Canadian teams against Mexican sides -- including Toronto FC's draw against Santos Laguna on Wednesday -- could bode well for his team.
    "We don't focus too much on the past, to be honest; the past belongs in museums. It's about the present, it's about what we should be doing and what we can do."
    He said that after playing three games in five days, with "a high level of stress", his young team was "drained", but that the players have "recovered well": "Now, I feel the squad is strong again and ready to compete."
    With the attention of fans focused so keenly on the team after the American upset, Fonseca is well aware of what's at stake, beyond just the Olympic spot.
    "We want to do our best," he said. "We know how important this is to the program."
    He declined to offer much insight into his tactical or squad-selection approach as it relates to the Mexico match, but considering the way the roster has been rotated in Canada's three group-stage matches, there is plenty of room for speculation as to how things will line up for the all-important semifinal.
    So let's get some of that speculation going! What do you think, folks?
    Does Michal Misiewicz pull another rabbit out of a hat? Where does Russell Teibert fit into the line-up? With Edwini-Bonsu and Sodade out, who gets the start up front? Will Canada bunker and counter-attack, or go for it from the opening whistle?
    And once all the questions have been asked, we'll await our answers... Canada v. Mexico kicks off at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) on Saturday, on Sportsnet and sportsnet.ca.
    .
    Guest
    By Michael Crampton
    Oh yeah, the league, Toronto FC still plays in that right?
    Saturday’s game against the Columbus Crew presents another tricky challenge for Aron Winter’s side as they look to get themselves off the bottom of MLS’s Eastern Conference table. While the actual level of rivalry between Toronto and Columbus has been an oft debated and somewhat touchy subject amongst TFC supporters this much cannot be denied: Saturday’s game feels a lot less meaningful than the one that will happen in Torreón, Mexico four days later.
    Maybe that provides a clue to answering the central question that has arisen around the Reds over the last six months: how can a team that has achieved well beyond expectations in the CONCACAF Champions League still not infrequently look completely shambolic in theoretically less intense MLS league play? Is it possible that a big part of the explanation is simply a reflection of the fundamental difference between league and cup football?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Let’s be clear: three points against the Crew, or the lack thereof, will not be decisive to the Reds’ season. It’s a cliché but it bears repeating that a league season is a marathon rather than a sprint. That said, what Toronto needs to be doing in these early, early days is building a base of success that the rest of the season can carry forward from. Dropped points now mean that more will have to be made up later in the year and increase the need for a sustained winning run. If TFC wants to be playing meaningful games this summer and fall picking up a steady stream of points early on is imperative.
    Cup football on the other hand is just about getting through to the next round. Generally speaking matches happen less frequently. Even in the CCL’s six match group stage each individual result enjoys greater direct significance to the overall outcome than one league game out of 34. For players, organizations, and the supporters cheering them on it’s easier to raise their level, go all out, and play above expectations when a specific match feels more important.
    Only the very best can do that game after game in a league campaign. It’s almost definitional that you can’t play above yourself game in, game out: if you can consistently perform at a high level that is your level! Consistency, of course, is the key and, other than rare and short stretches, been what TFC has lacked since 2007.
    It’s probably also worth noting that the knockout nature of cup competition is somewhat masking Toronto’s underlying form. While it’s true that TFC is currently undefeated in CCL play they’ve actually only won one game (out of five overall in all competition) so far this season. It’s arbitrary but if we were to convert their results into points in a league table the Reds would only have 5 points from a possible 15. That’s one point per game so far and would work out to 34 points over the course of the season: more or less the same old TFC.
    So, while TFC supporters are justifiably proud of the team knocking out last season’s league champion and more than holding their own against a Mexican powerhouse the results the team has been getting wouldn’t keep the club on pace for the playoffs. Celebratory atmosphere aside Toronto has played three home games so far this year and not actually won any of them. Admittedly, it’s also true that you don’t have to play Santos Laguna in MLS!
    Which brings us back to Saturday’s match against Columbus.
    This will be an easy game for Toronto FC to overlook. With the charged emotion of Wednesday night still lingering and anticipation for the return match already building the game against the Crew seems like more of a distraction than a vital home fixture. Truthfully, anything other than a bad loss will probably be forgiven by most of the fan base after midweek’s exertions. After beating Columbus 4 – 2 away late in the season last year even the Crew’s long all time unbeaten streak against Toronto is no longer there to add extra motivation.
    What it comes down to is mentality. It’s time for Aron Winter’s “every game is important” ethos to mean more than just playing the best team available. In fact, rotating in some players hungry for minutes might be the better short term strategy. Let the team know that starting positions in Torreón will be influenced by performances this weekend. If Toronto FC can channel the attitude that saw them fight for 90 minutes against one of the best teams on the continent there’s no reason they can’t take three points off the Crew and get their league campaign back on track.
    Guest
    Today, we're joined by Sportsnet's John Molinaro to set up Toronto's game against Columbus, look at some of the individual performances of the lesser talked about players and talk about the ethics of covering a team that is owned by a company you work for.
    We'll also look ahead to Canada's game against Mexico, talk more about Toronto's performance against Santos and talk about the role of professional development in the lower divisions.
    The show is now up
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Our next show is Monday.
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    Guest
    There comes times in the life of every football supporters' group when the group needs to have a look at themselves and stand up and be counted.
    For the Vancouver Southsiders, that time is now.
    They've seen a lot of growth and development these last three years. Numbers have risen from around 40 guys standing in the Southside in the rain at Swangard and peaked with approaching 900 fully paid up members last season.
    The group adds noise, colour and vibrancy to what would be a pretty much sterile BC Place atmosphere on matchdays.
    The board works tirelessly, often with little appreciation of the hours of unpaid work they put in, and there have been some excellent community initiatives recently with the group's newly formed charity arm and last Saturday's anti-racism display.
    All great, but things are far from perfect.
    I'm writing this as a long time Southisder, and a former serving board member, more than a blogger, and I feel it's time for a little editorial rant to get some things off my chest and air some home truths. Those of a non Whitecaps and/or Southsiders persuasion may just want to stop reading now. You've been warned, so no complaining later that you found it all of no interest!
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The biggest home truth is that we're not as good at being a "supporters' group" that we like to think we are and the question needs to be put out there to members - are they supporters or part of a supporters' group?
    There is a difference and I couldn't really care less which category people fall in to but a supporters' group should carry certain responsibilities.
    At Whitecaps games we can probably break the crowd down into casual attendees, fans, supporters and supporters' group members.
    Each is important to the growth of not just the Caps, but the game we all love in this country. None should feel they are any better or worse than the other.
    I would personally define them as follows:
    Casual attendees are football fans who want to go and support their local side on and off, depending on the opponent and/or what the game means in the grand scheme of things. That's about their commitment to the cause, but without them we'd be looking at a lot of empty seats every game.
    Fans are lovers of the Caps. They want to go along, watch the game, hopefully see their team win, cheer when they score, some will wear the colours but don't want to get involved in all the singing and noise and don't spend the time inbetween games trying to get all the information going. Maybe a little, now and then, but the team doesn't consume them.
    Supporters are more passionate about the team. At the games they sing, chant, spend time on their feet, wear their colours with pride, in and out of the stadium, read blogs, listen to radio shows, post on message boards. They love the MLS Caps. They might not have been part of the D2 side, but who cares? They're on board now and they love the team and go and watch the team.
    Then we have supporters' groups. The Southsiders are obviously the big guns in Vancouver. There are some smaller, newer ones on the go, most noticeably the Curva Collective, set up by members of La Doce and some former Southsiders who didn't like the way that group was going.
    So what is a supporters group? What is their purpose? What differentiates them from supporters? What should be the expectation of members?
    For me, supporters' groups go that little bit above and beyond that of the supporter.
    They go to the odd training session, or reserve game, or residency games. They go and watch an incarnation of their team when time and commitments allow.
    Southsiders are standing on the 'terraces' singing "where you play we follow". Except for many, that isn't quite true.
    They're happy to be following them at BC Place. Some will make the Southsiders' Cascadia bus trips, some the other odd road trips. Fantastic and we need more like you.
    But the support for the Reserve games and the Residency games in the last few months has been frankly awful and an embarrassment to the Southsiders, especially when you look at the ECS and Timbers Army in this regard, more on which later.
    We can't try and compare ourselves to these groups in some aspects but not others.
    Reading the <a href="http://vancouversouthsiders.ca/forum/" target="_blank">Southsiders Forum</a> recently is depressing at times, exasperating at others.
    It's great to see members with ideas but sometimes the reality isn't there or the actual volunteering of help to see things through isn't forthcoming. We shouldn't discourage new ideas, but suggestions need to be backed up by actions, not just complaining.
    The group have about ten new chants being suggested every week it feels, when the Southsiders are in a position right now where it's a struggle to get the group on the same page to manage anything more than a couple of sentences and the acoustics of BC Place drown out the excellent work of the capos at the front when you go even just a few rows back.
    A lot of time and effort is being spent on complicated tifo displays. Why? Is it because we all see the ECS and TA do epic ones and feel we have to? We haven't had a great success with them if we're being honest here and BC Place is not ideally laid out to let people see what anything says half the time. Simple is better than grandeur, as Curva Collective showed with their two stick displays against Montreal and the national flag display against DC.
    Every member of the Southsiders needs to stop worrying about getting the rest of the stadium involved and making noise, concentrate on sorting out our own problems and decide what the purpose of the group truly is. If others don't want to join in, fuck them.
    But at what level do the Southsiders want to be at? Saturday supporters or full on supporters group like the ECS and Timbers Army? Are we more interested in the football aspect or the social getting pissed in a pub aspect of it all?
    Let's look at this coming Saturday.
    The Caps are playing Philadelphia with a 1pm PST kick off. The Caps U18's play at home at 11.30, with the U16's following at 2pm. (<b>EDIT</b> - Kick off times have now changed to 10am for U18s and 12.30 for U16s, so no clash with first team for the first match anymore!)
    The latest Southsiders mailing has no mention of either game (an omission which admirably will be corrected next time) and there is no promotion, push or encouragement of attendance on the Southsiders website or forum.
    What you do find is promoting sitting in the pub to watch the first team on TV.
    For a supporters' group the priority and emphasis should always be on live football over watching football in a pub on a TV screen whenever possible. At least alert the members and give them the option.
    Now, in no way am I saying that going to watch a Whitecaps U18 game makes you a better supporter than the next guy. It doesn't. It's just something that interests you or it doesn't.
    Going to watch Reserve games and/or Residency games is not going to be for everyone. I don't want to watch the women's team. Some will watch them and think I'm crazy for watching kids football. To each their own, and that isn't the issue here. I'm not advocating everyone attends every little thing, but the need is there to attend some.
    Some people have no interest in watching kids football or fringe football and I fully understand, appreciate and accept that.
    It is a supporters' group responsibility though to try and get out as many numbers to these games as possible, at every opportunity. And it is a members responsibility to try and get out sometimes.
    Now people have lives, jobs, other commitments. Ridiculous 11am weekday kickoffs don't work for everyone. What's the excuse for weekend games? Particularly the weekend games that you choose to sit in a pub watch football on the telly instead of going outside and watching it in person. You can't blame times or other commitments then.
    If you look through the Southsiders forum, instead of finding a push by the board to get out to these games we find threads encouraging members to come out and take part in the "Vancouver Marathon Cheer Challenge". It might have a charity element, but fucking hell.
    Today there was even suggestions to go and take part in the Pride Parade to back the group's anti-homophobia stance as <i>"walking in the parade would be a very strong statement from us."</i>. So would turning up at the odd U18 match. You know, the statement that we're actually football fans and support the Caps by actually watching football.
    Now it's certainly not mutually exclusive to support the Caps and all of these charity events. The football should always come first for a Vancouver Whitecaps FC supporters' group surely? Surely that should be the group's role in the grand scheme of things?
    This then brings me to my next issue of whether some in the Southsiders are more concerned with promoting the group than the Caps.
    Going to community events like a pride parade before going to Residency and Reserve matches gives the impression that the Southsiders are more concerned about getting exposure for the group and not about the supporting the team at all levels. It smacks of "look at us, look how socially aware we are, we're not football hooligans".
    I raised that point on the Southsiders forum today and one reply I got said: <i>To me it smacks of: "Look at us, we're loud and awesome and we love soccer and wouldn't it be fun to join us in supporting your local soccer team?"</i>.
    I don't think people will come and watch the Caps because we're there all rainbowed out of our nut?
    I'll not even go into why we would think we're awesome in the first place, but instead focus on the "We love soccer" aspect. Clearly not enough to go and watch our fringe or younger players and we'd much happily watch a game on a screen in a pub than go out and watch some actual live football.
    Going back to "where you play we follow". They're not playing in a fucking pride parade.
    The Southsiders at the moment are way behind the ECS and Timbers Army when it comes to actually supporting the football team at all levels and not just home MLS matches.
    At last Saturday's U18 game (which took place seven and a half hours before the first team kicked off), how many Southsiders were in attendance? One. How many Curva Collective, six.
    At the Reserve game on Monday. Southsiders numbered five, Curva three and the ECS six. Says a lot when the Southsiders are outnumbered for ANY match in Vancouver by a group that have travelled hours up the I5 for an 11am kick off.
    THAT'S the attitude and behaviour I want to see from a supporters' group.
    Have a look at this photo on the left. That's the ECS for the U18 match between the Sounders and Caps at Starfire in December. It was a week before Christmas and they got loud numbers out for two youth games.
    So here's a challenge I'm throwing down to my fellow Southsiders and the current board.
    The Sounders are up here on USSDA action on Saturday April 28th. The U18s kick off at 11.30am, the U16's at 2pm. The first team are away in Columbus with a 4pm kick off.
    Let's see a big campaign to get our numbers out to this game. The board managed a pretty impressive media campaign for the red card display at short notice. We have four weeks for them to ramp this campaign up. Get press, arrange car-shares. Get all fans out, Southsiders or not. It's a Cascadia derby after all.
    Let's at least match what ECS had at Starfire when we went there, even if it's just for the first game, as I know some will want to make the first team kick off no matter what.
    A non Southsider made an interesting point to me last weekend at the U18 game when he asked me where everyone else was. He said that Vancouver has a great pub culture when it comes to sports and said he was expecting the Southsiders to lead the city away from that and into active attendance and participation at live events.
    He feels we aren't doing that yet and I agree.
    The Southsiders board will argue that they are trying by encouraging their gameday march to leave 75 minute early so as to take in the pre-match build up more. The vote for that scraped through with a majority of two and with less than 50%.
    Let's show that we are football supporters group and not just interested in sitting, getting pissed up in a pub. If you want to do that, then that's also fine, but being in a supporters group does carry responsibility and I feel that we, as a group, are starting to slip in these.
    We got people out to the PDL games last season, but I do feel our attention and direction has being moving away from football matters recently.
    I know not everyone can make these games, but I truly believe it's important that if you have any scope to get along to one, you try your best to do so.
    So, rant over. Do you care? You happy with things as they are? Does it matter who goes to what, as long as the team are supported in MLS and atmosphere generated at the stadium? Or should the group step up their actions at all levels?
    Let us know what you think.
    <p>
    Guest

    FC Edmonton gets a new home

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    FC Edmonton announced on Thursday that the team will be playing its home games in 2012 at Clarke Stadium, located next to Commonwealth Stadium. The team played home games in its inaugural NASL campaign at the oft-maligned Foote Field.
    Clarke Stadium -- which previously played home to the Edmonton Drillers and Edmonton Aviators -- currently has a capacity of around 1,200, though the club will be paying to have 3,000 additional seats installed. The hope is that success in the new facility will lay the groundwork for the construction of a new, soccer-specific stadium at some point down the road.
    The team, however, will play its Voyageurs Cup semifinal match against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Commonwealth Stadium. Like the 60,000-seat Commonwealth, Clarke Stadium uses an artificial turf surface.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    SoccerPlus Extra - March 29, 2012

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    Zarek Valentin was glad to be back in Montreal, although he would have preferred to join the team in Salt Lake City rather than Harrison, NJ after the U.S. had their Olympic dream cut short in Nashville
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Valetin spoke to reporters a few hours before his team left for RedBull Arena.
    Jesse Marsch also said a few words before his team's fourth match of the season.
    Click here to hear the 10 minutes special.
    You can also subscribe directly on the iTunes Store.
    Guest
    Sometimes you need to be reminded of why you do it.
    Standing in the second row of an ecstatic section 113 -- hugged by strangers and friends alike -- while red confetti floated to the ground in the cold, Spring air -- I was.
    Seconds ago TFC had scored a goal against one of the best clubs in North America. Our team – our loveable tramp of a dysfunctional team – had just evened its CONCACAF semi-final series.
    In the distance I noticed Terry Dunfield leap so high that he was lying prone on the top of his teammate's heads. In the stands directly in front of the celebration a suddenly quiet group of Mexican fans were being taunted by a horde of red that fully engulfed them.
    The noise was unbelievable. It hadn’t been that loud in several years -- maybe not since one of Danny Dichio’s famous goals.
    My attention back in 113, I saw a sea of smiles. Not just any type of smiles, but rather the kind that comes when you are seeing something unbelievable, impossibly beautiful.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]The stadium had been loud since the opening kick-off – only briefly pausing when the opposition scored minutes before – but it reached a different level of noise now. Joy, hope, belief and excitement pulsated through the crowd.
    For the rest of the half, nothing mattered except being there. Being there was he reward we were all getting for always being there. For staying true, fighting apathy and understanding that supporting a club is a long-term proposition.
    It felt perfect. It was the feeling we had dreamed of since those naïve, drunk and blissful days in 2007. It was the feeling we feared we’d never experience again that terrible day DC United scored three and the Scotsman was run out of town.
    Those moments don’t usually last long and this one didn’t either. Eventually the focus shifted back to the ebb and flow of the game at hand. However, the excitement stayed. The atmosphere remained intense. The crowd stayed decidedly positive and madly partisan.
    And TFC rewarded them with one of the best games it has ever played. Julian de Guzman may never play better. Ty Harden made a diving tackle to prevent a breakaway late in the second half. Milos Kocic stretched fully to prevent a point blank shot.
    The Reds didn’t find the net again, but no one left BMO frustrated. This was a performance worth celebrating played by a team you were proud to have supported. The result was secondary because you saw Toronto play with passion and pride and you sincerely believed that they could replicate that performance on another night.
    And they will. Soon. Regardless of what happens in the second leg we have all seen what this team is capable of. There is no going back now.
    There can only be so many perfect moments in a season, but it feels like there might be more on their way.
    The club was born in 2006, but last night was the first time it truly felt like we were playing the game. It’s exciting to think where we might go from here.
    Guest
    Vancouver Whitecaps head to PPL Park this weekend to take on a stuttering, and winless, Philadelphia Union side.
    It's always tough going there and the Sons of Ben create an intimidating atmosphere at the best of times, never mind when their team are down and struggling.
    Before moving over here, my knowledge of Philadelphia was limited to cream cheese and aids.
    This week's podcast is an aids free Philadelphia special. That's mainly due to Pierce cutting out all my aids related links between interviews, the censoring wuss!
    So you won't get to hear that the Caps don't have to worry about aids this weekend, as the Union won't be able to penetrate them at the back.
    What you will get to hear though are interviews with current Whitecaps, and former Union favourites, <b>Jordan Harvey</b> and <b>Sebastien Le Toux</b>.
    The pair talk about how they feel heading back to Chester, what they're expecting from the game and whether they even recognise the players in the current Union line up. Jordan also looks at Seba's dancing and we find out whether the Frenchman is teaching some hot moves to the rest of the squad and a lot more.
    We're also joined by <b>Scott Kesler</b> from the excellent Philadelphia blog <a href="http://www.brotherlygame.com" target="_blank"><b>The Brotherly Game</b></a> to chat about all things Union and looking back at last year's volatile match up between the two sides.
    Inbetween all the Philly talk, Pierce and myself chew the fat about all things Whitecaps including Monday's reserve game, the Residency team and we even find time to look at the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers, which have been both hilarious and heartbreaking.
    [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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    Intro- Lazarus by Free by Free City Collective
    9:45- Hipster Love by Free City Collective
    13:35- A Sequel by Good For Grapes
    19:09- D.A.N.C.E. by Justice
    32:50- Dance to the Music by Sly and The Family Stone
    34:40- 99 Problems by Hugo
    1:05:55- Let Me See- Morcheeba
    Outro- So! by Sorry Ok Yes
    Guest
    This week, Impact head coach Jesse Marsch talks about his club's tough start, roster changes to come with three games in seven days starting Saturday at RedBull Arena and how his team leads MLS in the fouls column.
    We talk Olympic qualifying with Quebec native Philippe Davies who says he's no longer intimidated playing Mexico and tells us at least two European clubs are after him once the tournament is over.
    Canada's Men Olympic Team head coach Tony Fonseca talks on the importance of having Stephen Hart around with the boys and what is needed to end Saturday's game with a bunch of tickets to the London Games.
    Toronto FC played a wild 1-1 draw against Mexican powerhouse Santos Laguna. We are catching up with Ben Rycroft right after the match and discuss Toronto crowds.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Enjoy our 25 minutes show by clicking here.
    You can also subscribe directly to our shows on the Canadian iTunes Store by clicking here.
    Guest

    Game over for Nevio

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    It was not a secret that Nevio Pizzolitto's playing days were over once he was axed by Impact head coach Jesse Marsch this spring.
    Nevio shares on his departing day, including why he turned down the Impact's offer to stay on board as a U21 Academy team assistant coach.
    The former captain's dad, Luigi Pizzolitto was a glorious player in Montreal with multiple Canadian titles with club side Cantalia in the 1960s and he offers us great wisdom on the current state of the Canadian game.
    Richard Legendre and Joey Saputo also talk about the improvement made in advance of the Toronto-Montreal game at the Olympic Stadium and the president even tells us who he'll be cheering in the TFC-Santos Laguna series in the CONCACAF Champions League.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to enjoy our 20 minutes special
    Or you can subscribe and download direct on iTunes
    Guest

    Positioning, not panic

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    With Mexican mighties Santos Laguna invading the lakeshore for tonight’s first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League, there are two schools of thought about Toronto FC’s embattled, overmatched defence.
    Theory the First) With Torsten Frings sealing the cracks as a sweeper, the Reds’ back line is adequate.
    Theory the Second) With Torsten Frings injured, the Reds’ back line couldn’t prevent snow in Swaziland.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The evidence is reasonably overwhelming, particularly if you’re still reeling from the ragged, tattered non-resistance Toronto’s back end offered to a gleeful batch of San Jose Earthquakes back on Saturday.
    But hold that particular phone.
    Let’s go back to the second half in Los Angeles, when TFC were under siege the whole blessed time, and somehow managed not to concede an equalizer to the defending league champs in the CONCACAF quarters.
    I concede, going in, that Torsten Frings had a lot to do with what happened. But here’s what happened:
    Seven or so TFCers held their ground. They didn’t bite on fakes. They didn’t lunge in when there was no ball to be won. They didn’t trip over each other. They played some pretty solid positional footy. Vulnerable, perhaps, to the long cross, but not even David Blessed Beckham himself found a way to hit that ball.
    If I were coaching this mess, here’s how I’d present it to the TFC players.
    Okay, no Frings. But it was all the rest of you that made that work. He won’t be out there to organize tonight, but doesn’t that make it all the more crucial to claim your defensive ground, and not give it up?
    Sound positional soccer. Don’t try to do too much. Just cover your ground, and don’t get suckered into weaving side-to-side trying to knock down three-man breaks. Those Mexican attackers will be entirely reacting to what they see in front of them. If what they see is soundly placed – and not panicking – it will certainly make things trickier.
    Sure, TFC could play great defence against these lads, and still get shredded. But if that’s going to happen, I want to see TFC go down playing.
    Not guessing, not flailing, not flopping and dying and looking like cr@p.
    Yes, I’m talking bunker ball – but there’s lots of speed up front to outlet the ball to.
    Paging Julian de Guzman. Dude, you’re on. This -- if anywhere -- is where you can earn your cash.
    Frings is a huge loss. But TFC defenders can still stay on their feet – and hold their ground – without him.
    Whatever tiny little chance this team has tonight, it’s pretty much coming down to that.
    Onward!
    Guest
    A cynic would suggest that Toronto FC’s best hope tonight is for another weather-related postponement. It worked against the far-less-talented Vancouver Whitecaps (although less so with Dallas), so maybe some good, bad Canadian weather might do the trick against Santos Laguna.
    Alas, the weather forecast is calling for above seasonal, mostly dry conditions. If Mother Nature intervenes tonight, we might want to consider if Reds’ management has made a deal with someone, somewhere (likely downstairs). It’s going to be up to the battered and belaboured players of TFC to find a way to shut down the free flowing attack Santos is sure to bring.
    It was an attack that made one of MLS’s best sides, the Seattle Sounders – they of a 3-1 whitewashing of TFC less than two weeks ago – look like an u12 team on a bad day. The 6-1 loss Seattle experienced in Mexico exposed its MLS defenders as tactically naive and technically wanting.
    Toronto has the worst back-line in MLS.
    As stated, pray for rain.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Or, you can try and find the positives. Unexplainably, Toronto has been a better team in CCL action. They were full marks for the defeat over L.A. and any moaning by MLS fans about how Toronto killed the league’s best chance in the competition rings hollow. TFC was the best MLS team in the CCL in 2011-12 and are reaping their just rewards.
    Historically, Mexican teams have not been TFC’s boogeyman in the same way American MLS sides have experienced.
    The Reds actually have a winning record against the FMF (1W, 2D, 1L) all-time in CCL play. Extend that to Canadian teams and it gets even better. Montreal was 1-1-1 against Mexico in 2008-09.
    (Let’s ignore for a moment that the two losses were by a combined score of 9-1).
    And, as bad as Seattle lost in Mexico it did manage to win at home.
    The Reds will need to win big at home to have any chance in the return leg. A two goal win will probably not be enough. Three may be lacking as well. You’d like to argue that bigger upsets have happened, but you’d be hard pressed to find many.
    Truthfully, TFC is going for is a credible performance at home tonight more than it’s thinking it can win the tie.
    That’s not impossible.
    So, what do they need to do?
    Simply put, they need to be much tighter at the back. Against Seattle, Santos exposed a too flat line multiple times. The Mexicans attacked at will down the flanks, particularly the right side. Toronto’s full-backs are normally expected to play as wingbacks. Tonight they need to defend and be as disciplined as they have ever been.
    As much as the backline gets flack, the defensive issues are as much a problem in the midfield as at the back. The Reds have allowed five times since Torsten Frings was forced out of the Libero role he has played so impressively since arriving.
    There is no one on TFC that comes close to Frings football intelligence. There might not be anyone in MLS who does. Against San Jose, Julian de Guzman was asked to play a similar role at times and he looked lost.
    De Guzman cannot look lost against Santos. He needs to be played higher, in a holding role, likely beside another holding mid.
    That would be Terry Dunfield. If TFC is to be successful tonight, Dunfield has to play the game of his life as a stopper in the middle, with Julian acting as a transition player for the offense.
    Toronto gets a break with Santos best attacking midfielder, Juan Rodriguez, out for card accumulation. The back-up won’t be that big of a downgrade, but maybe enough to give the Toronto mid a chance.
    It’s probably not realistic that Aron Winter will elect to go with five in the mid and a parked bus – it’s simply not the Dutch way – so Santos will get scoring chances. Milos Kocic needs to be big and the defenders need to deal with second chances effectively.
    The truth is Toronto’s best chance likely comes by scoring goals. On that front, they aren’t as far behind the Mexicans, but they need to produce when they get the chance. It’s time for Danny Koevermans to show again why he was brought in. Ryan Johnson has to keep up his CCL form. Seattle scored three times against Santos. Toronto needs to duplicate that.
    Only they need to do that tonight, not over two legs. It will be a smaller crowd on hand than watched the Rogers Centre game against L.A. (about 16,000 are expected, with 1,000 Santos fans possible), but it will be an energetic gathering. It will be a mild night by Canadian standards, which means the Mexicans will be freezing their asses off. TFC has some significant advantages tonight it won’t have a week from now. It goes without saying that they need to take full advantage.
    It’s not going to be easy. This is one of the best teams in Mexico. This is a team that aspires to win the CCL. However, Toronto has made a fool out of the odds makers so far in the competition.
    So, why not do it one more time?
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