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    Guest

    OWQ Day 1: The Rest of the Story

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The World No 1 ranked Americans are taking nothing for granted in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers.
    That little bit of cliché out of the way, welcome to the first instalment of The Rest of the Story – CSN’s attempt to put the little shindig in Vancouver into a global perspective. Throughout the tournament I will be providing a daily round-up of the news from the rest of the competitors.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Expect a lot on the Americans because their media speaks English and my grasp of written Spanish is what it is. Also, the Americans are the only other team at Canada’s level.
    Now, before you run to the comments section to blast me for excluding Mexico from that list consider that Canada handled the Mexicans twice last year, both in easy fashion, and the Americans loss to them in World Cup qualifying was an upset of epic proportions.
    If the roles had been reversed and the USA had stunned Mexico after losing 5,987 (approximately) times in a row to them Disney would have already optioned the movie rights. So let’s be real. It’s a two horse race and if Canada wants any of that “redemption” it keeps talking about it will need to pull off a Mexican-like stunner itself in the finals.
    Making sure that the Canuck’s redemption attempt comes after both sides have booked the trip to Old Blighty was the narrative of much of the American coverage ahead of tonight’s clash with the Dominican Republic. Although the Red, White and Blue open up as 10.5 point favourites (you have to lay slightly more points on them than you do on the Patriots), every player coach and fan was warning the media of compliancy.
    They can afford compliancy. Tonight’s game is about working on stuff—namely the possession game that they have been trying to move towards for a few years now.
    That’s going to be difficult on the gridiron football set FieldTurf BC Place features. Ignore the propaganda you’ll hear on the broadcast, the stuff is junk for soccer. The women don’t complain because the women rarely complain about anything.
    Heather Mitts came close yesterday when she posted a photo on her Twitter feed of a scraped up knee and joked that it was a “welcome to BC Place turf.”
    The photo has been taken down now. Can’t rock the boat, I guess. They should though – it’s shameful that a competitive tournament is being played on the junk, but apparently they can’t grow grass in BC (or Cascadia for that matter, but that’s a different topic).
    Tonight’s other game could potentially be more interesting. As mentioned, the Mexicans are the wildcard. Albeit a wildcard not playing in front of thousands of crazed partisan fans desperate to show the Gringos what’s what. How much of a difference the home crowd made to Mexico’s run last year will become a bit clearer after watching them tonight.
    Guest
    It kinda would have been nice for Haiti to get at least one.
    Be honest. By game's end, you were thinking the same thing. The Haitian side is a fuzzy, feel-good story. They got their uniforms donated. None of the players earn a penny as footballers. Their standout player was goalkeeper Ednie Limage, who earned plaudits from fans for keeping the score at 4-0 before she was knocked out with an injury.
    Hell, the fact that Christine Sinclair scored four times doesn't even seem particularly astounding -- though perhaps that's more of a testament to her increasingly-legendary status than anything else.
    So while it's perfectly reasonable to momentarily revel in Canada beating anyone, at any level, by a score of 6-0 in the game of soccer, let's not pretend this was anything beyond what it was: A wholly expected and comprehensive dispatching of a barely serviceable opponent.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Now, that's not to say there weren't encouraging signs from the Canadian side. As mentioned, Sinclair scored four goals -- which, in case you're new to this ball-kicking game, is a hell of a lot. Perhaps she'd have been better off with the mere hat trick -- her perfunctory final goal was on a penalty kick, which may have been more beneficial to a youngster such as Chelsea Buckland, for the purposes of gaining confidence and familiarity with the back of the net in international play. But that's nitpicking, really.
    Sinclair, for what it's worth, was playing an attacking midfielder's role, and was certainly positioned farther from the opposing goal than we're accustomed to seeing. That opened up some good opportunities for strikers Melissa Tancredi and Christina Julien -- though a discouraging number of them were wasted in the early going. Rust? FieldTurf? Nerves on home "soil"? Some combo of the three? Perhaps. But this is the only time Sincy's going to net four in the same game; it's incumbent upon the rest of the strike force to be more clinical in the days ahead.
    A troubling blow to Canada's offensive plans came in the first half when starting fullback Lauren Sesselmann went down with what looked like a potentially ugly knee injury. Head coach John Herdman fully intends to utilize his outside defenders in the attacking areas (as evidenced by the number of times Rhian Wilkinson made her way into Haiti's penalty area), so even though Sesselmann told media she was "OK" post-match, there'll be some hand-wringing for the next few days. Fortunately, though, Chelsea Stewart showed some good signs after subbing in for Sesselmann, making a number of incisive passes.
    When it comes to filling a missing player's shoes, no one's going to be able to quite do the trick when it comes to the injured Diana Matheson (could any of her teammates actually fit in her shoes?), but Desiree Scott showed composure in a holding role, while midfield compatriot Kelly Parker did yeowoman's work all over the park, being rewarded late with a goal of her own.
    Then, of course, there's the crowd. Those predisposed to take a negative slant on it will, of course, do so. But whatever the final attendance figure was (estimate was in the 7,500 range), it can't be denied that the Voyageurs in attendance (most of whom count themselves as Southsiders when it comes to club matters) made themselves heard throughout the entirety of the match. The impact of the cheering, the chanting and the semi-spontaneous rendition of O Canada on the players can't be overstated -- particularly when crunch time arrives and the opposition becomes tougher.
    So what did we learn on Thursday night? Not much. Christine Sinclair is terrific. The Haitian team is awful. And Canada's sitting atop their group. Things grow from here. Players gain experience. More seats at B.C. Place gain occupants. And each game, each play, each moment gains more significance.
    We all know this is going to come down to the semifinal next Friday. Win and go to the Olympics. It's that simple. But a little momentum is always nice. And that's what tonight provided: A little momentum.
    And on Sunday night, Canada tries to gain a little bit more.
    .
    Guest
    After the signings of South Korean Young-Pyo Lee and Vietnamese American Lee Nguyen, I joked on the BC Soccer Podcast a few weeks ago that all that I was now needing on my Whitecaps bingo card was a Japanese player for house.
    Ask and you shall receive.
    The Whitecaps announced another new signing this afternoon, midfielder Jun Marques Davidson.
    The 28 year old midfielder comes to Vancouver as a free agent, having last played for Japanese J League Division 2 side Tokushima Vortis.
    Davidson is a dual American/Japanese citizen, who spent a year under Martin Rennie at Carolina Railhawks in 2010. The news that he holds dual citizenship is a huge relief for Caps fans, with the squad currently well over their current allocation of international spots as it is.
    He is not going to be a name known to most in Vancouver, even those of us who were watching the D2 side two years ago. He made 23 appearances that season, and scored one goal, as Rennie's Railhawks won the NASL Conference and eventually lost the USSF-D2 Championship game to Puerto Rico Islanders.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Born in Tokyo, Davidson moved to Pasadena in California, attending the American Global Soccer School before returning to Japan to kick off his professional career in 2002 with Omiya Ardija in Division Two of the J League. In 2004, the defensive midfielder helped 'The Squirrels' to a second-place finish and promotion to Division One.
    Davidson continued to play with Omiya Ardija until 2006 - making a total of 87 appearances in all competitions and scoring just 2 goals.
    Upon leaving Omiya, Davidson seemed to bounce around a little. He joined Albirex Niigata in 2007 and made only a few appearances for them over three seasons, during which time he was loaned out for spells at Vissel Kobe and Consadole Sapporo.
    Davidson played a total of 133 matches in the J League, scoring twice, after returning to the US to play for Carolina in 2010 before then heading back to Japan and the Vortis last year.
    This isn't one of those signings that really gets you excited.
    He appears to be a journeyman and bit part player at best, and not someone you would immediately think of as MLS standard. As a defensive midfielder, he certainly does fill the hole that exists in the team in that position right now, but is he really going to be a regular starter at this level? He didn't even start in all of his 25 appearances for Tokushima, coming on as sub six times.
    Rennie clearly thinks highly of the midfielder though:
    <i>"Jun is one of the most technically gifted players that I have coached. He's a defensive-minded midfielder with a strong pedigree of quality and experience after playing in the Japanese J League for a number of years. His passing awareness and ability to break up play in the middle is tremendous. He will be a great addition to the group."</i>
    He is the kind of player we've been looking for but I don't think that he is anywhere near the end result of our search in that position.
    There were a lot of critics out there who have knocked Rennie and the Caps for bringing in players from his D2 days. We've backed him fully re Knighton and Barbara, and don't know enough about Watson, but trust his judgement.
    This signing though is the first one that's actually made me question whether Rennie is simply wanting to bring in players he knows, has worked with and whom he thinks will respond to his management, rather than casting his net further afield for players he doesn't know.
    Is Davidson the best defensive midfielder out there? No. Is he the best available? No. Is he going to be the answer to our holding midfielder problems? We can't honestly say, but it would certainly pleasantly surprise us if he was.
    You have to feel that there will more midfield moves for the Caps before the squad is finalised.
    We certainly hope so.
    <p>
    Guest
    As most readers are likely aware the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers start tonight in Vancouver. If you also read my work at theScore, you’ll know just how excited I am by this.
    Do click the link, but I’ll sum it up for you now – I’m not. Wake me up in the semi-final round. The tournament is World-Junior-Hockey-Championship-group-stage pointless until then.
    Canada’s opponent tonight, Haiti, would struggle against the top high school girls teams in the United States. Against a top 10 world ranked Canada, it will be a bloodbath. That’s unfortunate, but pretending it isn’t the case is a bit silly.
    It’s possibly counterproductive if your goal is to convince reluctant fans of the value of the women’s game. When it’s played between two top 10 teams it is as compelling as any elite sporting contest. When it’s a match-up like we will see tonight it’s dreadful. Any new fan that stops by tonight is going to run screaming from their television.
    It’s a necessary evil though – playing games like this. The nature of the World Cup or Olympics is such that you need to provide every country with a chance, however remote, of qualifying. Haiti deserves as much and without the carrot of big event qualification there would be little chance smaller countries will ever improve.
    So what do you do? If you acknowledge that the smaller countries need a chance and that by giving them a chance you’re setting them up to be killed then you’re kind of stuck. Unless you think outside the box. You want to be fair to every country in the confederation, but sometimes fair is not equal.
    The harsh truth is that you could play this tournament 1,000 times and Haiti would never advance to the Olympics.
    Never. Not even once. Additionally, the USA and Canada would be the two teams that did advance 975 times. Mexico and, to a much lesser extent, Costa Rica are in with a slight prayer, but beyond that the teams are in Vancouver for the experience.
    So why not make the experience better for them. Instead of setting the minnows up for two blow-outs why not give them as many competitive games as possible? There is a way to do that while still technically giving them a chance to win the tournament.
    Using the current tournament, let’s look at an alternative format.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The current groups are as follows:
    Group A
    Canada
    Costa Rica
    Cuba
    Haiti
    Group B
    USA
    Mexico
    Guatemala
    Dominica Republic
    They are traditional two seeds, two non-seed groups. In a more competitive tournament there might be some speculation as to whether a non-seed could raise up and upset a seed. A stated, that’s not in the cards here.
    Why not go with these groups then:
    Group A
    Canada
    USA
    Costa Rica
    Mexico
    Group B
    Cuba
    Haiti
    Guatemala
    Dominica Republic.
    Clearly the groups are unbalanced. To make it reasonable a tweak to the knock out stage is needed. Instead of a traditional top two from each group advancement, the top three teams from group A would join the winner of group B in the semi-final – 1A v 1B; 2A v 2B – winners to the Olympics.
    There could be other ways to do it, but the point is that at this stage of development in the women’s game you should be looking for ways to maximize competitive games. Playing a round-robin with Guatemala, Dominica Republic and Cuba would do Haiti much better than getting smoked by Canada would.
    It would work the other way too. Canada would get two games that would force them to at least break a sweat and a true challenge against the U.S.
    Fans would win too. The allure of watching a blow-out is lost pretty quickly. If organizers knew there would be a USA v Canada match-up in Vancouver they could have marketed it in a whole different way.
    It does the women’s game a disservice to ignore the problem it has with competitive balance. Until it’s addressed the game will continue to struggle to gain the public’s attention.
    Guest

    Herdman on playing style

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    Canada kicks off its Olympic qualifying tonight against Haiti. And while the real test for the women won't come until they face Costa Rica on their last day of the group stage, that doesn't mean that the minnows won't present their own challenges.
    Canadian head coach John Herdman tipped his hand a bit to what you can expect from the women in the opening round and the style of play they anticipate from their opponents.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    "I think we can expect teams to drop off quite deep. They will drop off and put up those blocks early and try to hit us on the counter attack," Herdman said. "So a lot of work has been done around how to break down those blocks. And bring in a bit more fluidity to our game so we don't get stuck time and time again."
    At the World Cup in Germany the women looked rigid and confused when they came up against the likes of France - who played with a tactically more skilled approach.
    "Under the previous coach there was an emphasis towards possession football. There is an element to recognizing that possession without purpose can be devastating against you." Herdman said, referring to that France game. "Teams are waiting for you to have the problem of possession and catch us giving the ball away in the key areas. And it's about (our) players recognizing those moments and seeing when to take advantage or when to lay back."
    Herdman has challenged his players to find new legs under his system and grow to play a more modern game.
    "I think we've got the technicians in the team to play against the Mexicos and the Americans. Some of our players are growing a new skin and a new outlook on how to play the game," he said. "It has really invigorated them. They're look at the game now like can try things and they know they're not going to get blasted for it. Full backs are getting forward, understanding it's ok for them to get into the box and have a chance."
    __
    To read more on John Herdman and how he has worked to rid the team of, what he described as, its 'culture of fear of failure' - check out my column over at CBC.ca.
    Guest
    With the Women's CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers imminent, the show with six appeal is back and we're devoting most of our time looking at the lovely ladies. Game, set and match.How will the tournament go? Will there be more heartache or home field advantage? Which players should we get behind and what kind of reception with Hope Solo and Sydney Leroux get from the Vancouver crowd? Will anyone turn up and why isn't it being promoted more?
    So many questions and the only way to answer them is to listen to our two guests.First up there's CSN's very own Daniel Squizzato. The Squizzmeister looks at how far the team have come since the disappointment in Germany and coach John Herdman's tactics and mindset are analyzed. The players to watch are picked out and we look at the impact the loss of those that aren't there may have.
    Our second guest is Vancouver president of vice, Southsiders VP Brett Graham. Brett tells us why the Southsiders view this tournament with such importance for the Vancouver footballing public, what the group have planned for the games and Syd the Snake, and the conversation takes a biblical turn, but then again, Hope Solo can make many a man say "oh god".
    There's secret crushes revealed, we talk about Pierce's sister, and we share former Whitecaps NASL star Alan Ball's take on the women's game.There's even time to chat about the Whitecaps new additions to both their MLS and Residency squads.It's an action packed hour of our usual nonsense. If you make it to the end, we salute you, and you may want to seek professional help.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]You can listen to this week's podcast (and the previous ones) on iTunes HERE or download it for your later listening "pleasure" HERE.
    Or have a listen on one of the players below:
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    Guest
    Continuing our ultra-early look at possible candidates for the Canadian Soccer Association president, we come now to … the president of the CSA.
    I’ve already said my piece on Dr. Dominique Maestracci, and his recent performance in the role. It’s here, if you want it.
    What’s more important now is to assess the deeper implications of a new Maestracci candidacy in 2012.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Maestracci was the last man standing in 2007, when former CSA president Colin Linford resigned. Linford was intensely reform-minded, and pushed very hard to free the CSA board from its old and current structure, one weighted heavily towards the presidents of all the provincial and territorial soccer associations.
    Linford pushed too hard, too fast, and saw his reforms sandbagged and scuppered by the board. And while it’s very hard to find anyone within the Canadian game who actually feels Linford’s smash-and-crash approach was ever going to work, his departure – and Maestracci’s ascension – sent a chilling message to CSA critics that real reform was at least another generation away.
    Not so, as it turned out.
    The CSA Governance Committee, under the stewardship of CSA VP Rob Newman, brought in a stunning, sweeping series of reforms. At blinding speed – any progress seemed blinding after the previous decades of CSA glaciations – we suddenly found ourselves with an entirely new structure, which will be enacted this May.
    If Maestracci aided this reform in any tangible way at all, no one within Metcalfe Street is talking about it. The overwhelming sense I’m left with is that Maestracci may have been in the ceremonial driver’s seat, but the actual navigation and course-plotting were being done by others.
    Ditto, by the way, for Canada’s headline-making landing of the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
    In retrospect, the single most important, ice-shattering CSA decision of Maestracci’s presidency was the hiring of Peter Montopoli as the organization’s general secretary. Ever since Montopoli stepped onto the bridge, Ye Goode Shippe CSA has floated higher, and sailed better.
    But how will the waters sit if Maestracci runs again?
    Off-the-record criticism of Maestracci’s captaincy – within the CSA board and among well-placed observers – is rampant. His leadership and decision-making are under heavy fire. It’s hard to find anyone who actually supports the man.
    That said, there is some praise, too. I’ve been told Maestracci has a deep and formidable knowledge and understanding of the CSA by-laws. And it may have been exactly that which led him to take some hugely against-the-grain stands during last year’s painful governance dispute within the Alberta Soccer Association.
    But the man’s communications skills are not sharp. E-mails and other direct communications seem vague, and are difficult to understand. Even when translated by the CSA media staff, they don’t ring clear.
    If you’re going to go to the wall with a rogue interpretation of the rulebook – and you’re right! – you have to be able to communicate that clearly.
    When I e-mailed him directly about an Alberta judge’s ruling that his conduct in the ASA dispute could, in the darkest light, be interpreted as criminal, he e-mailed me back saying he was referring the entire matter to the legal staff at FIFA.
    While I really don’t think he was actually threatening me – it’s perfectly legal in this country to quote any judge’s ruling – I still don’t entirely know for sure. I’m not concerned, in other words, but I remain baffled.
    At a time when presidential clarity was essential, it simply wasn’t there.
    Enough commentary. Let me ask a question:
    What will the effect of another term of Dominique Maestracci be on CSA governance reform?
    I’m been communicating quite a bit lately with folks who are actually charged with enacting the new board. Key to this will be the selection of six appointed CSA directors – three this May, three in 2013.
    Nominations for the first three seats are open until May 8 – three days after the president the rest of the CSA board are elected.
    The question I’m hearing – from within Metcalfe Street – is rather profoundly procedural. It boils down to – how can we approach business and promotions experts from outside Canadian soccer and ask them to be part of these big changes, if there is no change whatsoever at the top?
    Good question.
    I’m told the stated reason Maestracci may seek re-election is that he would like to preside over the Women’s World Cup which Canada landed on his watch. A ceremonial function, in other words.
    But ceremony isn’t what the next few years of CSA governance is going to be about. Polar opposite, in fact – a move away from ceremony, and towards nuts-and-bolts, day-to-day functionality.
    And however charitable I might truly want to be, that is absolutely going to require a new man at the top.
    Onward!
    Guest
    Given the manner in which Turkish football clubs appear to be screwing with the Canadian mens’ national team footballing setup you’d think it was a Canadian politician who wildly claimed Turkey was “ruled by Islamic terrorists” rather than Texas charmer Rick Perry.
    A report on Manisaspor’s web site this week said the club would look at suing Canadian forward Josh Simpson for prematurely breaking his contract amid a dispute over wages. This comes on the heels of Canadian keeper Milan Borjan being seemingly frozen out from his club Sivasspor over the same issue. And back in April, money (or lack of it) was also the culprit as defender Mike Klukowski split unhappily from his club Ankaragucu. In the latter’s case he actually ended up at Manisaspor with Simpson and is probably now training with his fingers crossed, hoping he doesn’t get shafted all over again.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So that's Canada's likely starting goalkeeper, one of its most dangerous forwards and its starting leftback all struggling to see the terms of their contracts fulfilled while playing in Turkey. In Simpson's and Borjan's cases the problem is particularly acute, because they could potentially both miss valuable playing time while related parties bicker over who is owed what and by whom.
    Thankfully, as Spock famously reminded us: there are always possibilities. Borjan told Serbian media that he has been scouted by clubs in Germany, Holland and Scotland, which immediately caused those camped out in Canadian soccer message boards to speculate on his imminent arrival as the starting keeper at Celtic or Rangers. And who is Long Balls to squelch totally unsubstantiated Internet banter? Bring it on in fact. The Old Firm derby sounds like perfect preparation for World Cup qualifiers in Central America.
    And in Josh Simpson’s case it appears that certain possibilities may already be realized. A post on the Voyageur's message board written by a user (who as far as Long Balls knows is actually Josh Simpson's father), assured concerned fans that Simpson is on the verge of putting pen to paper with BSC Young Boys, one of the most historically successful clubs in Switzerland. (Update: The move was in fact confirmed Thursday January 19.) If it helps, just think back to the potty Twitter jokes surrounding the “Spurs beat Young Boys” headlines when the Swiss team lost out to the north London club during the final round of qualifying for the 2010-11 Champions League two summers ago.
    So maybe positive news on the Borjan front, maybe positive news on the Simpson front and finally, proof that not all possibilities are good. Marginalized striker Rob Friend has seen his playing time disappear this season with German second division side Eintracht Frankfurt. Naturally, that has frustrated him and he recently spoke to the German tabloid Bild about those frustrations, ominously suggesting to German readers that not playing is “disastrous for [his] market value.”
    From Long Balls position though, what’s most ominous about this story is that the writer suggests Friend is getting ‘interest’ from clubs abroad, up to and including the one Josh Simpson just high-tailed out of. Friend may be upset about not getting played in Germany, but he'd do well to confer with his Canada colleagues about not getting paid in Turkey.
    Guest

    Beckham to the Dome

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    If you haven’t bought your tickets for the March 7 CONCACAF Champions League game between Toronto and the LA Galaxy, you might want to hurry up. The Galaxy re-signed Posh Spice’s husband today.
    Flippancy aside, locking up David Beckham for two more years is a good piece of business for MLS, potentially just OK for the Galaxy and spectacular for Toronto FC ticket sellers. If 30,000 seats have moved already, you can bet that the rest will be gone soon now that Beckham will be part of the show. Hopefully, the tickets end up in the hands of legitimate TFC fans rather than greedy scalpers or screaming celebrity chasers.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I wouldn’t hold your breath on the greedy scalper front. It’s already been suggested that a good quarter of the sales so far are to the speculators. We’ll follow that story as the game gets closer, but today we shall focus on other aspects of the move.
    Clearly, the business end of this deal is good news or the league. Regardless of your opinion on the player, there is no denying that he still puts butts in the seats. Even in markets like Toronto, where some fans claim indifference (and some are), there was no game with greater buzz in 2011 than when Beckham finally came to town.
    Another two years of the player means more packed houses, more money and more attention for the league. And, that’s a good thing.
    How much he’ll mean to the Galaxy on the pitch remains to be seen. Even at his advanced age he’s still a very good player, likely one of the league’s best, but the question with Beckham and MLS has never been about talent. Rather, it’s been about how dedicated he is to the cause.
    In 2011, Beckham put all of his focus on the Galaxy. There was no off-season loan to distract him and England had stopped calling. It won’t be the same in 2012 and 2013.
    Next year, it’s about the Olympics and Team GB. Beckham famously chased another England call-up long after it was reasonable to do so. With that dream dead, he’ll turn to the next best thing – to be the face of the London Olympics.
    It’s not a bad dream. For Beckham. The Galaxy, however, kind of get the short end of the stick. It’s been suggested that his new contract requires him to be released for as much as six weeks. He’ll be back for the stretch run, but how fresh will he be? Emotionally it’s clear that a MLS Cup repeat is priority No 2 in 2012. The Galaxy are OK with that apparently, but I wonder whether Galaxy fans feel the same way.
    In 2013, likely Beckham’s last of his career, he’ll not be pulled by international football, but it seems likely it will be a collection of distracting final moments. The play one half for Manchester United, one half for the Galaxy testimonial will be a particular circus. Obviously, he’ll also be two years older.
    That’s Beckham though – a very good player (if not great) that has always been two parts sizzle, one part steak. MLS fans can decide for themselves if that’s a good thing.
    Guest

    Show me the centreback

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Apparently Nottingham Forest are desperate for help at the back. How else could you explain the famed club giving slow, ole' Andy Iro a look.
    After all it's not often you see a player from the worst defensive team in MLS on trial for a Championship side. The movement is usually the other way around. Unless Iro was hiding something last season for TFC, it seems unlikely that he'll stick in England. The Championship can be played at a frantic pace and Iro is about 50 steps too slow to keep up.
    However, the news he's in England a week before TFC camp is set to open, combined with earlier reports that he was going to be released, seems to suggest the player has kicked his last ball in anger for TFC. Most fans will not shed many tears as Iro became a lightning rod for abuse last season.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]There is no doubt he didn't play well. About the only thing a supporter of Iro could point to is that maybe he was hiding an injury that slowed him down. If he wasn't, it would seem that his career is nearing an end.
    Getting rid of Iro would free up about $70,000 in salary for TFC -- vital money for a club tight against the cap. Combined with today’s news that Mikael Yourassowsky was released – thus freeing up an additional $80,000 in cap space – gives the Reds a chance to add a desperately needed defender from the international market. Without cutting some of the fat it was unlikely they could. And if they don't it will be another long season at BMO Field.
    For weeks now it’s been rumoured that the defender Toronto is bringing in is Chilean Miguel Aceval. It’s unclear whether he’s the answer, but a South American with some pedigree (played for Colo-Colo and has one cap for Chile, obtained last year) is promising. Many critics of TFC during the Mo Johnston years felt that the Reds ignored the South American market, where great value can be found – often players from the Latin American countries can be brought in at half the cost that European players of similar talent can.
    You still have to find good players though and on that front Toronto has a lot to prove. Whether it’s been Johnston or Winter there have been far more international busts than booms in TFC’s short in-transfer history.
    Guest

    Get your ass out the door

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Mikael Yourassowsky has been waived by Toronto FC.
    The midfielder's days with Toronto were long seen as numbered, especially after the Reds selected Luis Silva with the fourth selection in the SuperDraft.
    Yourassowsky made a little more than $80,000 in 2011.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    When Vancouver Whitecaps selected Mexican defender Gienir Garcia as their first pick in this morning’s MLS Supplemental Draft, no-one knew what lay in store, in what has been a very busy day for the Caps.
    A few hours later and Garcia was a Montreal Impact player, traded for the MLS ‘discovery rights’ to ex Carolina Railhawk Etienne Barbara.
    Garcia’s selection raised a few eyebrows at the time. The left back position wasn’t exactly a key bare area and his acquisition increased Vancouver’s already over-subscribed international numbers, but it was felt he was one of the best available players in the entire draft. As it turned out, he had much more added worth.
    If Barbara is added to the Caps squad, this still doesn’t solve the latter problem but we said a couple of weeks ago that <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?2637-Will-Whitecaps-Land-A-Carolina-Trifecta" target="_blank">if Rennie wants him, it was hard not to see the Caps do all they can to make a deal to sign the dangerous hitman</a>.
    Today they moved a step closer to landing their <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?2637-Will-Whitecaps-Land-A-Carolina-Trifecta" target="_blank"><b>Carolina trifecta</b></a>, with <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?2689-Brad-Knighton-Becomes-Latest-Vancouver-Railhawk" target="_blank"><b>Brad Knighton finally officially signing this morning</b></a>.
    The signing of Barbara is by no means a done deal. Both sides have to agree the monetary value of the player and as the Malteser told <a href="http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2012/01/10/etienne-barbara-frustrated-with-montreal-impact-and-mls-rules-gets-called-back-to-maltese-national-team/" target="_blank">Inside Minnesota Soccer News</a> earlier this month, that had already proved to be a stumbling block with Montreal.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I somehow don’t think that this will be a problem in Vancouver, having made such a spectacular trade.
    Barbara had a breakout season in NASL last year, his second with Carolina. His league leading 20 goals and 9 assists saw him land the NASL Golden Boot, a spot on the NASL 'Best XI' and overall League MVP.
    Holding eight Railhawks records in his short time there, his loss to any club will be deeply felt by Carolina, already reeling from losing their management team and key personnel. You have to feel some sympathy for Hawks fans, as they watch their team basically rebuilding from scratch. I’ve been there regularly with East Fife. It’s not fun and it never gets easier.
    Barbara currently has 30 international Caps to his name, and whilst Malta search for a new national team coach, interim boss Robert Gatt has indicated that he may welcome Barbara back to the Maltese international fold for the friendly against Liechtenstein on February 29th.
    Critics will point the finger at Barbara being untested at this level and the same boring old argument of D2 players not being up to the MLS grade will be trotted out.
    This just simply doesn’t hold any sway with me. The Caps didn’t succeed last season, but you know what, that was down to the big name guys not performing, not the D2 guys being out of their depth.
    The 29 year old striker is a thirteen year professional. In his years in Malta, he was a consistent goalscorer. He has developed every year and what he achieved in the NASL last season was simply spectacular.
    No-one should devalue what a break-out season he had and he is certainly worth a shot in MLS. Martin Rennie knows him very well and clearly thinks the same:
    <i>”Etienne is a fast, powerful player that can create goals. He understands soccer in North America and has had a good career in Europe. If we are able to sign him, he will bring versatility to our line-up as a wide midfielder or a striker”</i>
    I’m genuinely excited by this (potential) signing. Once the deal is officially done, he knows he will be under intense pressure to perform and will be under the spotlight. He strikes me as a player that thrives in such a situation and let’s face it, he can’t be any worse than the last international striker we brought in.
    Once Etienne Barbara puts the final pen to paper and becomes a Whitecap, then the international spot number crunching game will continue.
    Don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last trade deal announced in Vancouver this week.
    <p>
    Guest

    Impact and Whitecaps complete trade

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The Vancouver Whitecaps traded for the MLS rights to Maltese forward Etienne Barbara from Montreal in exchange for Supplemental Draft pick Gienir Garcia.
    Barbara is yet another player that was with the NASL's Carolina RailHawks in 2011.
    Garcia is a 22-year-old Mexican defender, who was in Cruz Azul's system.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    The leap year has brought a treat to fans of the Canadian men's national team: A friendly against Armenia on Feb. 29 at a neutral venue in Cyprus. Rumours had circulated that Canada would play New Zealand in London this date, and head coach Stephen Hart confirmed that this was originally the team's plan.
    "But that fell through due to some complications," Hart said on Tuesday.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Instead, Les Rouges will square off against a mid-level European team, following a trend established in the past few years with games against the likes of Ukraine, Macedonia and Belarus. Hart said he expects to use predominantly in-form European-based players for the game -- though as always, those plans are subject to change if circumstances warrant.
    Atiba Hutchinson, still recovering from surgery, is unlikely to be one of those players, according to Hart. As for Josh Simpson, who parted ways with his Turkish club earlier on Tuesday, "we'll play that one by ear." Hart said he has his eye on "one or two" European-based players on the fringes of the national team for potential call-ups, but declined to provide names.
    With a short, three-day FIFA international window, Hart said playing the game at a neutral venue was a "logistical necessity" more than a deliberate choice. But given the difficulty Canada often has in scheduling games at all -- and considering that the original plan fell apart -- Hart was just thankful to have an opportunity to get most of his players together in a competitive environment.
    "I'm really happy we've got a game to play," said Hart. "The opposition is an excellent one."
    As of Tuesday, Canada sits at #72 in the FIFA world rankings, while Armenia is at #46; however, FIFA is set to update the men's world rankings on Wednesday. This is the first-ever meeting between the senior men's teams of the two nations, and Hart described the Armenian squad as a "really effective attacking team" and "very tricky, very dynamic."
    The Feb. 29 game will be Canada's last chance to play a full international friendly prior to the resumption of World Cup qualifying in June. Hart couldn't say what his plans for the team would be in the intervening gap, but was thankful to have this opportunity to "have some one-on-ones with players" about his plans for qualifying.
    Our men's national team resumes its World Cup qualifying campaign on June 8 in Cuba, then returns home to play Honduras on June 12. The venues for Canada's three scheduled home qualifiers in 2012 are yet to be announced, though the CSA has hinted that such details should be available next month.
    Canada will need to finish first or second in its four-team group (which also includes Panama) this year in order to advance to the final round of regional World Cup qualifying in 2013.
    Guest

    Whitecaps Supplement Numbers By Four

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    Another week, another MLS draft. Today saw the four round 2012 Supplemental Draft. No razzamatazz, all done by conference call and with very little publicity beforehand, it appeared.
    Following a bigger event is not easy. Just ask the Screen Actors Guild awards following the Golden Globes. The Pro Bowl at least saw sense and made the switch to the gap week before the Superbowl. That wouldn’t quite work for the Supplemental Draft!
    It’s easy to be dismissive of the whole thing. Very easy. In fact here at AFTN we’ve renamed it the Suppository Draft, as MLS can stick it up their ass as far as we’re concerned.
    But maybe we shouldn’t be so down on it. There can still be some gems to be found in there.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Caps Kiwi defender Michael Boxall was a first round Supplemental Draft pick last year, and he went on to have the most minutes and most starts of any of the five draftees that remained on Vancouver’s MLS squad in 2011.
    Boxall’s selection would be the equivalent of the second round of today’s draft, following the shortening of the SuperDraft from three rounds to two last week.
    Quality picks like Boxall are few and far between at this stage. Who, outside of the hardcore, remembers the Caps other two selections from the 2011 Supplemental Draft – Joe Anderson and Santiago Bedoya?
    For me, this is the draft that reveals the quality and talent of club’s scouting network. Hours of homework to unearth that overlooked talent can prove to be highly beneficial to teams in years down the road.
    Not every player develops as expected. Some highly rated talents flop, and some discarded players rise to the top. Did Jay DeMerit’s <i>”Rise and Shine”</i> documentary teach us nothing?!
    Going in to today’s draft, the Whitecaps had four picks, numbers 2, 21, 40 and 59.
    Let’s be honest here. If you’re a player still around in the low fifties and sixties, it may be time to dig out the job classifieds.
    Last year DC, Houston and New York even passed on their selection in the final round of the draft. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Vancouver had also done that this year, but as it turned out, Real Salt Lake were the only ones to do that this time around.
    At the end of it all Gienir Garcia, Greg Klazura, Andrew Fontein and Mark Fetrow are all new Whitecaps, for now at least. Whether any of the four will actually make it past evaluation camp remains to be seen. With Whitecaps MLS squad places at a premium, they’re going to have to show something special pretty much immediately to get a chance here.
    The Caps first selection was Mexican international defender Gienir Garcia.
    Although considered by many to be one of the best players remaining, the addition of another international can only lead to more speculation as to what will happen with the Whitecaps current ones.
    The Caps are already over their quota of international spots if all existing players were to return and no further trades for spots are made. Although there is no guarantee that we will be signing Garcia to a contract, it does make you think that some players will not be in the blue and white next season. Boxall, Jarju, Camilo, Chiumiento. You could find reasons to let all of them go for one reason or another.
    More on that later though. Let’s focus the attention on Garcia and the other draftees for now.
    Garcia is a 22 year old left back who has come through the Cruz Azul youth system in Mexico and has made seven league appearances and two Champions League appearances for La Maquina over the past two seasons, along with earning five international Caps at U20 level.
    His only goal for Cruz Azul came in a Champions League tie against Panamanian club San Francisco in 2010.
    Last season, Garcia’s three appearances all came as a second half sub, so it’s hard to really gauge what kind of a player the Caps have acquired. He seems to have pace, likes getting forward and can take a free kick. The question we’re all asking now is will GG be at the races in MLS?
    The Caps second selection in the draft was another left back, Greg Klazura from Notre Dame University.
    Klazura didn’t see game time for the Irish in his freshman or sophomore years in 2007 and 2008 and made only six appearances during his junior year, five of them as sub. His senior year saw him establish himself in the side and he made 20 appearances, all starts and all as left back, notching one goal and one assist.
    He came back to Notre Dame for a fifth year in 2011 to take courses to boost his resume for medical school, turning down an offer last year to go to the MLS combine. I like his character from what I’ve been reading about him. He has spent time volunteering at a health clinic for low income patients. Obviously that means nothing on the football pitch, but it’s nice to see that community involvement all the same.
    His fifth year with the Irish saw him one of three team captains and continuing as the starting left back, but he can also play the defensive midfielder role, which could be a position the Caps may want to take a look at him in.
    An Illinois lad, he was a member of the Chicago Fire Super-20 team that won the North American National Championship in 2008 and has won a slew of collegiate and high school awards.
    Klazura’s stats don’t really scream out MLS material to me, and it will be a big surprise if he is still around after the first spell of pre-season training.
    The same is also true of the Caps third selection today, goalkeeper Andrew Fontein from the University of California – Irvine.
    With the <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?2689-Brad-Knighton-Becomes-Latest-Vancouver-Railhawk" target="_blank"><b>addition of Brad Knighton earlier today</b></a>, this is a slightly puzzling selection. The Caps already have Knighton, Cannon and Sylvestre on their MLS squad. With the promising Callum Irving in the Residency team, it’s hard to see just where Fontein will fit in.
    Maybe there are some moves afoot with Sylvestre, so he may have a chance. His stats certainly suggest that he’s worth a look.
    In 74 collegiate career games, over four years, Fontein has recorded 29 clean sheets, 249 saves and conceded just 67 goals, for a 0.88 Goals Against Average. He’s used to winning and has only been on the losing side on 14 occasions, four of those coming in final tournament matches.
    As we say, it’s worth seeing what he can offer and then who knows where moves may take him or keep him.
    The final selection for the Whitecaps today was yet another defender, Mark Fetrow from Penn State University.
    Fetrow is a 6 foot 5 central defender who made 81 appearances for the Nittany Lions over four seasons, starting all but eight of those and recording four goals and no assists.
    With all these defenders, let’s hope we’re getting more Michael Boxalls and not Bilal Ducketts. It would be very surprising if more than one of the quartet are still around Vancouver come ‘First Kick’.
    Vancouver’s pre-season training gets under way on Monday, where we’ll get a chance to see what these guys look like in person on grass and not just on paper and in videos.
    Maybe there’s a diamond in there, maybe there’s just lumps of coal. We’ll soon see.
    <p>
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