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    Guest

    DeRo's concerns for qualifying

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    I chatted with Dwayne DeRosario yesterday about putting his most difficult year in MLS behind him, his new contract and his friendship with head coach Ben Olsen.
    What didn't make that CBC article was a conversation we had on the Canadian national team and some of his concerns in the lead up to the next round of World Cup qualifying.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    "It’s not an easy group. Those are all tough, physical places to play in. Honduras is a strong team," he said. "And if you look at how Panama did in the last Gold Cup they did fairly well. They won our group but at this stage there are no easy games, so we need to be physically and mentally prepared to go into each game and try and take three points."
    Moreover, on the same day that Canadian national team head coach Stephen Hart was talking about his roster for the Armenia friendly, De Rosario stressed the importance of getting more games together in the lead up to the next round.
    "If you look at other teams in our group they've already played a few games. We have Armenia coming up and then we don't play again until June against the USA," DeRosario said. "It's so important for us to play together as much as we can before qualifying. We have players coming from all over, playing different styles, at the different points in the year, we need that extra time to come together and gel."
    Honduras, for example, whose national league regularly shuts down during periods of World Cup qualifying, played six friendlies following the completion of the Gold Cup. They will play Ecuador next week and Costa Rica on April 11. It is expected they will arrange two or three more games before June on non-FIFA dates.
    Panama's last game was against the USA in January. They'll play Paraguay next week and are expected to play at least one more game before June competition.
    Cuba, the final team in Canada's qualifying group, will, by the time February is done, have played three games this month. Two against Jamaica and one more against Bolivia.
    Looking at those numbers, it's easy to see why DeRo is concerned heading into June.
    "Thankfully the MLS schedule is cleared when we actually have a World Cup break. So we're not going to be playing during the qualifiers. That takes a huge load off our shoulders," he said. "It's everyone’s dream on the squad to qualify for the World Cup – you don’t want to run yourself thin - and it's difficult when players are coming from all over but we all know we need more games."
    Guest

    What to do about Doneil Henry

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    He was TFC’s first homegrown signing, but in some ways Doneil Henry has become the forgotten man with the Reds.
    With Ashtone Morgan looking like he has the inside track to the starting left-back slot and Matt Stinson continuing to impress with his steady play fans are often quick to forget about Henry. His role with the club became even more fuzzy after the Reds brought in the South American centreback duo.
    A CB, Henry would appear to fit behind both Miguel Aceval and Geovanny Caicedo on the depth chart as well as returning players Ty Harden and Adrian Cann. If Dicoy Williams returns it would likely push Henry down to sixth most likely.
    That’s not a lot of minutes for the young player.
    Still just 18, he needs minutes. If he isn’t going to get them at TFC it’s imperative that the club try and find a way to make sure he gets them.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    How do you do that though? If they felt the CSL offered him growth opportunity they probably would have left him with the academy. So, a short term loan to a Toronto-based club in the CSL seems unlikely. Earlier in the off-season we heard rumblings about TFC playing a few older players in the CSL as part of a TFC Youth team. Henry might be able to play in that set-up, but the league remains the same.
    There aren’t a lot of examples of TFC using the lower levels of professional soccer as a training groud for players like Henry. Unlike other parts of the world, the North American D2 system isn’t ideal for developing players. In D2 you mostly find journeyman pros, most of whom are better than Henry right now.
    So, a loan to a USL-Pro or NASL team seems unlikely too.
    One exception might be FC Edmonton. The Alberta team made a point of giving young Canadians a good run. With both clubs run by Dutchmen and both preferring a Dutch 4-3-3 set-up there is an interesting possibility of a partnership there.
    Likely (and hopefully) Henry’s preference would be to stay with the Reds. As a sixth CB that might not work, but as a back-up fullback things look more promising.
    In the pre-season friendly against Southern Florida University it was interesting to see Henry lined-up at right-back. There isn’t a lot of depth in that position on TFC and a homegrown solution would be welcome.
    How would you use Henry this season?
    Guest
    When it comes to the Canadian men's national team, pulling together a roster for a friendly is difficult at the best of times. One of the most important parts of head coach Stephen Hart's job is the ongoing diplomacy with clubs, balancing his desire to wrench Canadian players away with the clubs' desires to, well, not let him.
    Pulling together a lineup for Canada's friendly against Armenia on Wednesday was especially difficult, Hart said, given his desire to avoid using out-of-season MLS players, along with the usual mix of injuries, travel and club considerations. But even so, he's assembled a rather interesting 17-man roster for the match:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Attakora, Nana | 1989 | Brampton, ON, CAN & Orangeville, ON, CAN |
    Borjan, Milan | 1987 | Hamilton, ON, CAN |
    de Guzman, Julian | 1981 | Scarborough, ON, CAN | Wexford
    Edgar, David | 1987 | Kitchener, ON, CAN |
    Haber, Marcus | 1989 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | Dunbar SA
    Hume, Iain | 1983 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Rexdale
    Hutchinson, Atiba | 1983 | Brampton, ON, CAN |
    Jackson, Simeon | 1987 | Mississauga, ON, CAN | Clarkson
    Klukowski, Mike | 1981 | Oshawa, ON, CAN |
    Ledgerwood, Nik | 1985 | Lethbridge, AB, CAN |
    McKenna, Kevin | 1980 | Calgary, AB, CAN |
    Pacheco, Pedro | 1984 | Ponta Delgada, POR |
    Piette, Samuel | 1994 | Le Gardeur, QC, CAN | Lionceaux de le Gardeur
    Ricketts, Tosaint | 1987 | Edmonton, AB, CAN |
    Simpson, Josh | 1983 | Victoria, BC, CAN |
    Stamatopoulos, Kenny | 1979 | Markham, ON, CAN | Markham Lightning
    Straith, Adam | 1990 | Victoria, BC, CAN | Bays United SC
    With only one North America-based player in de Guzman (Attakora is currently on trial with Hibs in Scotland), Hart did his best to uphold his "European-based players only" pledge. He said that one or two players he'd hoped to call didn't refuse the call-up, per se, but faced "a lot of pressure from their clubs".
    Meanwhile, Olivier Occean -- who had previously been identified as a call-up for the game -- was left out due to a "damaged foot" with which he's been playing for some time. The injury was severe enough that Occean was unable to walk for a few days, so Hart decided he "didn't want to risk it" for the Armenia game. Marcel de Jong was another exclusion after rupturing ankle ligaments last week. De Jong will need surgery for the injury, calling into question his availability for World Cup qualifiers this summer.
    On the positive note as it relates to injuries, though, Hutch is back! Yes, you can all breathe a sigh of relief. The midfielder is back in action for club and country, after his latest troublesome knee injury (originally sustained while playing for Canada... which certainly hasn't made things easy for Hart).
    Hutchinson is a vital part of the Canadian midfield if they have any hopes of advancing in World Cup qualifying, as is Josh Simpson who, says Hart, has "got his football life in order and he can only progress from here." Simpson, of course, left Turkish club Manisaspor rather ignominiously earlier this year, but has since caught on with BSC Young Boys in Switzerland.
    While youngsters such as David Edgar, Marcus Haber and Tosaint Ricketts will get a chance to further prove themselves to Hart, the biggest surprise on the roster is surely Samuel Piette. The teenager was a member of Canada's squad at last summer's FIFA U17 World Cup, and has since graduated to the roster of the U20 team.
    Hart has had his eye on Piette for a while, and said the Armenia friendly "seems like a good opportunity to bring him in" and "see how he settles into the midfield." Whether Piette will actually get on the field , or whether Hart will merely evaluate him during the team's brief training camp, as was the case with 19-year-old Joseph di Chiara during last fall's World Cup qualifiers, remains to be seen.
    In all, it will be an interesting test against a squad that Hart calls "a very attacking team (that) loves to get forward." The score line is as irrelevant as a score line could be, but the match itself will provide a window into what we can expect from a pool of players that will try desperately to get Canada somewhere it hasn't been in far too long: the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. The Hex.
    .
    Guest

    TSN broadcast schedule released

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    TSN has released its MLS broadcast schedule. It will air 36 games featuring Canadian teams on TSN and TSN 2, with a slight uptick in games on the main channel this season.
    See all the games after the jump
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    March
    DATE EVENT TIME ET/PT NETWORK
    Saturday, March 10 Montreal at Vancouver 6pm/3pm TSN
    Saturday, March 17 Chicago at Montreal 2pm/11am TSN
    Saturday, March 24 San Jose at Toronto 1pm/10am TSN
    Saturday, March 31 Columbus at Toronto 2pm/11am TSN
    Saturday, March 31 Montreal at New York 4pm/1pm TSN
    April
    Saturday, April 7 Toronto at Montreal Noon/9am TSN
    May
    Saturday, May 12 Los Angeles at Montreal 4pm/1pm TSN
    Saturday, May 19 Seattle at Vancouver 5pm/2pm TSN2
    Saturday, May 19 Toronto at D.C. 7:30pm/4:30pm TSN2
    Saturday, May 26 Vancouver at Portland 10pm/7pm TSN2
    June
    Saturday, June 16 Seattle at Montreal 7:30pm/4:30pm TSN2
    Wednesday, June 20 Toronto at Houston 9pm/6pm TSN2
    Wednesday, June 20 New York at Vancouver 11pm/8pm TSN2
    Saturday, June 23 Vancouver at Los Angeles 10:30pm/7:30pm TSN
    Wednesday, June 27 Toronto at Montreal 7:30pm/4:30pm TSN
    July
    Wednesday, July 4 Kansas City at Montreal 7pm/4pm TSN
    Wednesday, July 4 Toronto at Dallas 9pm/6pm TSN
    Sunday, July 8 Toronto at Philadelphia 4pm/1pm TSN2
    Wednesday, July 11 Vancouver at Toronto 7pm/4pm TSN
    Saturday, July 14 Toronto at New England 7:30pm/4:30pm TSN2
    Wednesday, July 18 New England at Montreal 8pm/5pm TSN2
    Wednesday, July 18 Los Angeles at Vancouver 10pm/7pm TSN2
    August
    Wednesday, Aug. 15 Portland at Toronto 7:30pm/4:30pm TSN
    Wednesday, Aug. 15 Dallas at Vancouver 10pm/7pm TSN
    Saturday, Aug. 18 Vancouver at Seattle 4pm/1pm TSN2
    Saturday, Aug. 25 D.C. at Montreal 4pm/1pm TSN2
    Saturday, Aug. 25 Toronto at Houston 8:30pm/5:30pm TSN2
    September
    Saturday, Sept. 1 Vancouver at Los Angeles 10pm/7pm TSN2
    Wednesday, Sept. 12 Chicago at Toronto 7pm/4pm TSN2
    Saturday, Sept. 15 Philadelphia at Toronto 1pm/10am TSN
    Saturday, Sept. 22 Kansas City at Montreal 1pm/10am TSN2
    Saturday, Sept. 22 Toronto at Los Angeles 10:30pm/7:30pm TSN2
    Saturday, Sept. 29 Seattle at Vancouver 9pm/6pm TSN22
    October
    Saturday, Oct. 6 D.C. at Toronto 1pm/10am TSN
    Saturday, Oct. 20 Montreal at Toronto 1:30pm/10:30am TSN
    Saturday, Oct. 28 Toronto at Columbus 4pm/1pm TSN2
    Guest

    TFC v Montreal time change

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Toronto fans who purchased their tickets to the Apr. 7th Montreal Impact game were getting calls this morning informing them that the kickoff time had been moved back an hour from 1pm ET to noon ET.
    While there has been no change on the Toronto FC or Montreal Impact websites, Ticketmaster is now showing the change.
    Adjust your travel and drinking schedules accordingly.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    Milan Borjan on the move

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    According to a report out of Europe, Canadian national team goalkeeper Milan Borjan is on the move.
    The 24-year-old keeper will join FC Vaslui, which plays in the top level of Romanian football, and participated in Europa this past year.
    It's unclear if Borjan will be moving into a starting role but the deal is believed to be for a three year term.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    There is little denying the success story Joao Plata was in 2011.
    Here was a diminutive striker, a lower round pick that few gave a chance to, who quickly became a lightning rod for excitement in a season that lacked much spark. Despite only amassing three goals in MLS play, when he stepped on the pitch there was a level of heightened anticipation surrounding him - a 'what's he going to do next?' buzz.
    Toronto loves itself a feel good story.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The problem with a feel good story is that people get carried away in the whimsy and when reality sinks back in, the expectations crash back to Earth.
    And there are a lot of expectations for Plata heading into 2012. He, along with Richard Eckersley, became nearly the sole focus of off-season acquisitions and when his signing eventually came - there should have been little doubt it would - it was trumpeted as a roaring success.
    Don't get me wrong, based on his Champions League performances alone, which peaked with the second half brace against FC Dallas that sent Toronto FC on to the next round of CCL action, he was deserving of a return with a raise. But, for striker who will turn just 20-years-old in a few days time, he will need to make several improvements to his game if he hopes to avoid the sophomore slump.
    Even before the season was half over last year, teams and referees had cottoned to his style of play.
    Plata struggled when he was paired against an equally speedy defender and the scouting report on him was simple: don't jump in and let him run himself down a blind alley. Plata, buoyed by early success (and perhaps youthful exuberance), found himself lost down more than a few of those alleys last season.
    Referees, who were early on willing to give the Ecuadorian the benefit of the doubt, quickly started looking the other way when he bounced off defender after defender. His Landon Donovan-esque approach of running head long into a player in hopes of drawing a foul was met with disdain.
    To keep his feel good story from crashing back to Earth this season two things need to happen. The first is balancing the do-it-all-yourself act with the courteous layoff pass. His strength clearly lays in his ability to take on defenders but it won't be much of one if he can't entice them to bite on that first step over or at least think he's going to do something other than charge the net.
    The second is to be selective of when and where he's looking to draw fouls. No referee - even MLS quality referees - are so gullible as to believe he's being abused as much as he let on last season. A player like himself needs the protection of the referees back pocket to ensure he isn't trampled in the rough and tumble play of MLS. He's small, so he's still going to get the calls, but if he goes to that well too often, it will run dry.
    Having said all that, there is little doubt, at such a young age, Plata will continue to improve this season and beyond. His future is clearly bright. And as a keen observer of MLS told me last season, "Don't sleep on Latin players because, they're willing to do anything to win.'
    For Plata though, perhaps for the first time, he will be charged with learning to improve without the auspices of teams underestimating him.
    Guest

    Who are ya?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    No one should be surprised if the winner of the TFC Dream Job contest has spent more time in J-School than at BMO Field.
    The club was upfront about the fact that it was hand picking two-thirds of the short list of 15 in the search to replace Andi Petrillo. It was always likely that an experienced broadcaster or a model would be the one standing at the end of the day.
    Fair enough. The “dream job” is a professional position and it will require abilities that not everyone has. A strong argument can be made that the club should not have gone this route in the first place. There is a time and place for social media engagement and a time and place for thorough job recruitment strategy.
    It seems TFC has opted for a bit of both with this contest and it’s an awkward marriage. If, as expected, they end up hiring a pro the fans that spent hours setting up profiles and recruiting votes are apt to feel ripped off.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It’s highly unlikely that an average fan can win. This is not an entry level position. The caveat being if there is an unknown candidate out there with untapped broadcast and journalism experience or ability. In many ways that’s TFC’s dream scenario – they get talent, but can point to the fact that a “fan” won the contest as proof that they are engaged with their audience.
    Which brings us to the curious case of Stacey Anderson. Overnight, the pretty blond went from being buried deep down the list of entrants to standing alone at the front of the pack. Many of the candidates she flew past last night have spent four days developing networks of support and have been the subject of a great deal of discussion on Facebook and Twitter.
    Anderson, meanwhile, has next to no social media presence. She has a Twitter account with just 24 followers. Her Facebook page does not list her followers, but outside of “liking” Toronto FC there is no mention of the club or contest in her timeline.
    Additionally, a look through the #TFCDreamJob stream reveals no mentions of her. She is not being talked about by anyone. Considering the contest is supposed to measure social media engagement that’s a bit odd.
    No one in the TFC supporters’ club community knows Anderson. Without evidence to suggest otherwise, it seems that no one in the extended community of TFC support knows her either. If we didn’t know any better we might think she was a bot!
    All we do know about her is in her contest profile. There we see a professional quality photograph that reveals a woman that is every bit the vision of a traditionally attractive, all-Canadian girl. So, she looks the part of a television presenter. On its own that might not raise many eyebrows, but then we see where she works.
    At RealSports, the MLSE owned sports bar.
    To be clear there is absolutely no evidence that MLSE is in any way behind her candidacy. However, there is a reason why most contests prohibit employees of the company entering. It’s terrible optics. Any goodwill the contest may have generated is at risk of falling by the wayside if a “ringer” wins it – even if it’s just the perception of such.
    Note: In the interest of full disclosure, I am good friends with several people that have entered the contest (including one of my best friends). I’m not going to link their profiles here, however, because that’s not the point of this article. I do encourage readers to vote for applications that come from sincere applications. It’s my position that professional applications should be made the old fashioned way – by sending TFC a CV and broadcast clips.
    Guest

    The friendly will be televised

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    In a somewhat surprising announcement, Sportsnet confirmed that the February 29 friendly between Canada and Armenia will be seen in Canada.
    The network indicated that it will show the game starting at 11:30 a.m. EST. While it was not made immediately clear which of Sportsnet's many channels would be broadcasting the match, the network's online schedule shows the game airing on Sportsnet ONE.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    It came as little surprise to those following the Impact's pre-season camp closely, but today the club officially announced that 38-year-old talisman Eduardo Sebrango has signed on to play in Montreal's inaugural MLS season.
    Sebrango has been a legendary figure in North American D2 over the past 13 seasons, racking up important goals and winning championships with three different teams. That he will finally play in the top tier past his 39th-birthday is just another chapter added to Sebrango's storied career.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    He played perhaps his greatest game while wearing an Impact jersey, when he scored two goals in front of over 55,000 rabid fans at Olympic Stadium to put lift Montreal to a 2-0 victory over Mexican power Santos Laguna in the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League.
    <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5oRm07kL2bU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


    Look for the former Cuban international to come off the bench for the majority of his appearances, although a few starts here and there would not be unexpected. Sebrango counts as Montreal's third Canadian signing despite never qualifying to play for his adopted country, a situation similar to Vancouver with Quebec-born Swiss defender Alain Rochat helping fulfill the Whitecaps' three-player Canadian minimum requirement.
    Pizzolitto, Gatti cut from training roster
    While Sebrango will be joining Montreal on the MLS journey, two other NASL veterans have seen their time with the club come to an end.
    Stalwarts Nevio Pizzolitto and Simon Gatti were both informed that they would no longer be needed as the team shifted base from Los Angeles to Orlando, Florida this week.
    Pizzolitto first joined the club in 1995, and has been with the Impact continuously since 2000. Gatti was first signed by Montreal in 2006 and has been a fixture ever since.
    Both players have been offered non-playing opportunities with the team.
    Roster for Disney tournament
    With the changes made, the Montreal roster has been trimmed to 34 players ahead of the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic. The Florida tournament is the final pre-season competition for for the eight clubs involved (which includes six MLS sides, Swedish club BK Hacken, and "host" USL Pro team Orlando City SC).
    Still in competition for a contract is Canadian forward Evan James, who was taken by Jesse Marsch as the first overall pick in the 2012 Supplemental Draft. New trialist Lucas Acosta has joined the team in Orlando, and he'll looking to solidify a spot in the Impact midfield.
    Montreal will take on Vancouver Whitecaps (Feb. 24), Sporting Kansas City (Feb. 26), and Houston Dynamo (Feb. 29) in Pool 1 of the tournament. All games will be streamed live on MLSsoccer.com.
    Impact's Disney Pro Soccer Classic Roster:
    GK-Evan Bush
    GK-Donovan Ricketts
    GK-Greg Sutton
    D-Jeb Brovsky
    D-Hassoun Camara
    D-Matteo Ferrari
    D-Gienir Garcia
    D-Karl Ouimette
    D-Nelson Rivas
    D-Shavar Thomas
    D-Tyson Wahl
    D-Zarek Valentin
    M- Lucas Acosta (tryout)
    M-Bryan Arguez
    M-Patrice Bernier
    M-Felipe
    M-Josh Gardner
    M-Calum Mallace
    M-Justin Mapp
    M-Gerson Mayen
    M-Lamar Neagle
    M-Sanna Nyassi
    M-Sinisa Ubiparipovic
    M-Collen Warner
    M-Ian Westlake
    M/F-Davy Arnaud
    F-Justin Braun
    F-Mike Fucito
    F/M-Evan James
    F-Steven Miller
    F-Miguel Montano
    F-Aaron Schoenfeld
    F-Eduardo Sebrango
    F/D-Andrew Wenger
    Guest
    This is the first in what will hopefully be a series of posts, dedicated to sharing stories from fans of Canadian soccer about how they came to follow their country and/or local club, and what it means to them. We're told soccer is wildly popular in Canada -- but too often, that means people who play but don't watch, or those who exclusively follow foreign clubs or national teams. While that's all well and good, it's not the same as being a Canadian soccer fan.
    To find out how you can be a part of this series and add your voice to the Support Local Soccer movement, see the end of this post. But for the first edition, I'll tell you about a friend of mine and how, in mere months, she went from being a footie neophyte to a full-fledged Canadian supporter.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Miriam isn't one to shy away from expressing herself. On matters social and political, you can be sure she'll have a well-formulated opinion -- and the passion to back it up.
    But as for soccer? As a kid, she'd get a ball now and then, as a Christmas or birthday gift, and enjoy it as much as any child would. Not much beyond that, though.
    And now? "I now waste more time on soccer than anything else, and I'm at peace with that."
    How does that transformation happen?
    Unsurprisingly, the initial tipping point came during the sport's grand quadrennial showcase, the FIFA World Cup. Equally unsurprisingly, Canada wasn't involved in the tournament in question, the 2010 edition in South Africa. Even so, Miriam decided to give it a shot.
    "I had a lot of time that summer to watch what I thought would be a game here and there, but I became enthralled rather quickly," she says. "I’m pretty sure I watched every single game."
    She had no problem becoming engrossed in the games and picking squads to root for, given her natural predilection for supporting the underdog. But something was missing. Specifically, "that blood-pumping, stress-inducing exhilaration you only get from cheering for the side that represents you."
    "After that World Cup, I decided I wanted to support both of our national teams, and I wanted to be part of the fan base witnessing the march to 2014."
    Having suddenly caught the footie bug, Miriam knew the next step was to watch her first-ever live soccer match. But despite her newfound excitement, that game -- Canada v. Peru in September 2010 -- didn't exactly go as expected.
    "I was not prepared for how small the Canadian fan section was compared to the Peruvian fans, most (all?) of whom were Canadians!" she says. "Then for Peruvian fans to direct their gloating at the Canadian section was unbelievable. Even thinking about it now makes me anxious. I really felt for the players, who must feel that they're always at away games, whether they're away or not."
    But rather than being scared off by the experience, Miriam was emboldened by it.
    "I was pretty much hooked right away and knew just a few minutes in that this was going to be something that was now a part of my life," she says. "With all the singing, cheering, screaming and jumping around I really couldn't follow exactly what was going on on the pitch, but it hardly seemed to matter that day."
    For someone, such as Miriam, who had never been an adamant sports fan before, the intensity of a supporters-section seat at an international soccer match would surely present a shock to the system. But the interest didn't begin and end at the turnstiles. Whether live or not, she became a voracious consumer of all things to do with the national teams.
    "I hadn't even heard of any of the players before 2010 and now I know quite a bit about them," she says. "I know Terry Dunfield had a rough first season in MLS, and is not Canada's best player, but I hold a special place for him. I was already sold the day he scored against TFC (and I'm a TFC fan!) for the Whitecaps and jumped into the crowd. But Dunfield scored a beauty against Ecuador last year and it was my first live goal!
    "I also really enjoy Simeon Jackson (I consider him the only Canadian that plays in the EPL, and on one of the most exciting teams to watch!), and even De Rosario. I know, I know... but the man can score goals, which he does for Canada, over and over again."
    After the initial swoon that comes with finding and diving into a new passion, there is always a leveling off period. The end of the honeymoon. For Miriam, that came at last summer's Women's World Cup.
    "I was warned that if I was going to be a Canadian soccer fan, then I needed to understand there was more disappointment than anything else, and the Women's World Cup was my first real experience with that," she says. "We fell apart, and it wasn't pretty."
    Still, Miriam diligently followed the team during the recent Olympic qualifying tournament in Vancouver, and was glad to see the team book its ticket for London. Still, she feels there's still room for improvement for the women's team, and not just on the field.
    "It was nice to see a Canadian crowd at those games, but women's soccer (and women's sports in general) have a ways to go to get the same respect as the men," she says.
    "During one of the games, the commentator gave a shout-out to an 11-year-old girl who plays soccer but was injured, and I thought that was disrespectful at any point of the tournament, but especially right in the middle of a game! Imagine that during a men's game? It was just a little too precious for me."
    Clearly, Miriam is still ready to strongly express her opinion on a wide variety of subjects. And now, as much to her surprise as anyone else's, that range of subjects includes Canadian soccer.
    "Caring about every single game the national teams play has become very much a part of my life."
    Do you have a story to share about how you, or a friend, were converted to following the Canadian game, at the club or country level? Send an email to canadiansoccerguys@gmail.com, and you might be included in a future edition of Canadian Converts.
    Guest

    The Amazing back-up keeper

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Former Montreal Impact goalkeeper Andrew Weber is a contestant on popular American reality television program The Amazing Race
    Weber played parts of two seasons with the Impact, making 29 appearances. It was the most successful run of his career thus far.
    The Austin, Texas native is currently at camp with the Seattle Sounders. He made two appearances for San Jose last season.
    On the program, which is a race around the world, Weber is partnered with his twin brother. The show debuted last night and can be seen in Canada on CTV on Sunday nights.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    The more things DeChange

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Dwayne De Rosario is still not a DP. One year removed from the contract dispute that ultimately forced his move out of Toronto, the man from the mean streets of Malvern is still looking for the symbolism and respect that the DP status brings.
    He says it’s not about the money. It’s possible he’s telling the truth as his $500,000 salary in 2011 equalled that of some of the lower paid DPs already. And with a MVP award now on the books, combined with his two playoff MVP awards, it is hard to argue that point.
    If Mustapha Jarju can be a DP, why shouldn’t DeRo?
    Or, to put it in a way that DeRo might, if Julian de Guzman can be a DP...
    Putting aside how much de Guzman is underrated by many in the TFC community, you can understand how it would irk De Rosario to make four times less the money that his national team teammate does.
    As always the problem remains the same. DC United understand DeRo is a valuable player, but they are reluctant to hang the DP label on him. They already have two and adding a third would require the club to spend a $250,000 luxury tax on top of the money they are giving DeRo.
    So, United is doing the same thing that Toronto tried to do – it’s attempting to piece together enough allocation to give him a raise, but so he remains under a standard contract.
    Publically, both sides say that negotiations are going well. Maybe that’s true. They must be going better than they were in Toronto because DeRo hasn’t gone on any unauthorized Scottish adventures this year. He didn’t hide his displeasure with Toronto, but one wonders how much longer he’s going to remain happy in DC.
    History tells us not long.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    A parade of idiocy

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Toronto FC fans are not planning a parade based on last night’s 5-1 victory over the University of South Florida.
    On a related note, Toronto sports fans are also not parading through the streets in celebration of the Leafs beating Edmonton Wednesday night, nor for the Raptors almost beating the Lakers (it’s a rough year for hoops fans).
    No one thinks the Reds are going to win the MLS Cup, the Leafs the Stanley Cup or the Raptors another quarter this year. Torontonians are not even sure about the lacrosse team, the Rock, and they’re actually good.
    Yet, the fans in this city are constantly being accused of being hopelessly naive dreamers. Whenever something good happens to a Toronto team you can bet there will be 50 cynical “plan the parade” jokes made within seconds. Many are from parts of the country that are inclined to relish in Toronto’s perceived arrogance and undeniable struggles in professional sports.
    Many others, however, are snipping from the 416 and 905 area codes. It seems that no one hates Toronto sports as much as the Toronto sports fan.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    As someone that writes about TFC I’ve experienced the phenomena first hand. You’re a shrill if you try and find balance in a situation. It’s all MLSE’s fault, the players don’t care and fire the coach. The glass isn’t half full, it’s shattered on the floor and the baby just crawled through the shards.
    It’s bad enough that the few Toronto sports fans that try and keep a perspective about things are judged, but other fans and even the media (which should bloody well know better) take it a step further. They blame the positive fan for causing the struggles!
    Yes, because I missed the three yard sitter and it was me that drafted Steve Bancroft 21st overall in 1989.
    Last night on Twitter a “fan” of TFC wrote this “LOL @ TFC running up the score against a University squad. #tfc #plantheparade”. Only in Toronto could negatives be found in a 5-1 pre-season win.
    This isn’t intended to target the fan that wrote the passage above (thus the lack of link), but it is a call to the Toronto sports fan to get over themselves.
    TFC is better. They are going to be in the playoff hunt and they are literally in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. It’s not that bad. Really.
    I can’t really defend the Raptors, but they should get a good draft pick and the Leafs will make the playoffs this year. The Jays are stuck in a bad division, but they are young and there is even talk of getting rid of the God awful FieldTurf at the Dome.
    Bringing it back to TFC, the academy has already produced more contributing players than any other in MLS and a 15-year-old TFCA prospect played the second half of yesterday’s game.
    There is hope. There is lots of hope. Don’t miss it because you are trying to make sure you remain significantly detached.
    Yes, we should be objective when considering the chances of Toronto teams. The thing is, it goes both ways – good and bad.
    Balance. Let’s aim to get a little more of it moving forward, shall we?
    Michael Mccoll
    Every few weeks we bring you "MLS Back Catalogue", where AFTN revisits artists' discographies, authors' bibliographies and different genres, re-imagined with the current and recent players and managers of Major League Soccer.
    And all done in a full 'Top of the Pops' style top ten countdown.
    We thought we'd go all literary this week and have our first author's MLS Back Catalogue, today featuring the works of William Shakespeare….
    ************************************
    (10) A Midsummer Wes Knight's Dream
    (9) Tyson Wahl's Well That Ends Well
    (8) Julio Cesar
    (7) The Aron Winter's Tale
    (6) Jamison Olave's Labour's Lost
    (5) Tim Murray Wives Of Windsor
    (4) Stephen King Lear
    (3) The Tragedy Of Romeo And Julian De Guzman
    (2) Corey Ashe You Like It
    (1) Much Freddy Adu About Nothing
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