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    Guest
    After being overlooked in the MLS SuperDraft, it didn't take long for Mississauga, Ont.-born midfielder Evan James to find an MLS club in Tuesday's Supplemental Draft. The expansion Montreal Impact grabbed the University of North Carolina-Charlotte product first overall in a rather unsurprising pick, as head coach Jesse Marsch had announced his intentions ahead of the draft.
    The optimist would herald this as good news for a promising young Canadian player, and a positive sign for future Canadians taking part in the MLS draft process. The cynic would suggest Montreal was merely looking to fill its league-mandated Canadian quota, as James would join Patrice Bernier and Greg Sutton as the three Canadians on the Impact's roster.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It's yet to be seen which of those perspectives is nearer the mark, though the truth likely falls somewhere in the middle.
    Elsewhere in the first round of the MLS Supplemental Draft, the Vancouver Whitecaps took Gienir Garcia (defender, Cruz Azul) second overall, while Toronto FC took midfielder Michael Green (University of New Mexico) fourth overall and defender Nick Blake of the University of Connecticut at #14.
    Guest

    Brad Knighton Becomes Latest Vancouver Railhawk

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    Speculation has been rife for months, but today it was made official – Brad Knighton is the newest Vancouver Whitecap.
    The 26 year old stopper played with Martin Rennie’s Carolina Railhawks in the NASL last season, impressing the Scot so much, that he’s given him his third shot in Major League Soccer.
    Knighton comes to Vancouver with previous MLS experience, following spells with New England Revolution and Philadelphia Union. The keeper was unable to hold down a regular starting spot with either, and will hope that it’s third time lucky with the Whitecaps, as he challenges Joe Cannon for the number one jersey.
    Rennie is certainly pleased to be working with the keeper again:
    <i>"Brad is a solid goalkeeper with strong communication and distribution skills, is excellent on crosses, and brings four years of MLS experience. Brad had an outstanding season last year with me in Carolina and now I look forward to seeing him provide healthy competition between the posts here in Vancouver."</i>
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Coming from a strong collegiate career with UNC-Wilmington, the North Carolina native played 11 games for Indiana Invaders in the USL PSL in 2006.
    Knighton got his MLS break after joining New England as an undrafted free agent in 2007, and after impressing in pre-season, he signed a developmental contract with the Revs.
    As third choice keeper in New England, first team opportunities were non existent to begin with, and Knighton found himself playing mostly Reserve League matches, before being loaned out to Portland Timbers towards the end of the 2008 season.
    He made eight appearances for the Timbers in USL action, before rejoining the Revolution for the 2009 MLS season.
    It was a season which saw him get his first Major League Soccer minutes, clocking up six appearances and making 36 saves.
    That wasn’t enough to keep him in New England, but it did impress Philadelphia enough for the Union to take him as their third pick in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft.
    He wasn’t to get his MLS debut for the Union until August 10th, when he lasted only 22 minutes before being sent off for a professional foul against Dallas. Undeterred, he went on to make eight appearances for Philadelphia during the 2010 season, keeping two clean sheets and recording an impressive 1.10 goals against average.
    Knighton also played 180 minutes in friendlies against Celtic, Manchester United and the proper Chivas, without conceding a goal.
    None of this was enough to keep him in Philadelphia and he was waived in January last year, which was when Martin Rennie swooped to bring the stopper to Carolina.
    Knighton had an impressive 2011 NASL season with the Railhawks, playing every regular season and playoff minute for the club, keeping eight clean sheets in the process.
    He made 30 NASL appearances in total (including two playoff games), conceding 26 regular season goals and 4 playoff goals for a goals against average of exactly 1.0 for the season as a whole (0.94 during the regular season) and recording a club record 125 saves during the season.
    These exploits not only saw Knighton finish runner up in the NASL ‘Golden Glove’ award, he was named the keeper on the NASL Bext XI team and was enough to see him earn another deserved shot in Major League Soccer.
    It’s a chance he’ll be keen to grab with both hands.
    When fan favourite Jay Nolly left for Chicago last month, Knighton was the replacement mentioned by many.
    He comes in with a great chance of challenging veteran Joe Cannon for the starting spot and establishing himself as Vancouver’s number one for many years.
    Cannon and Nolly pushed each other all the way last season and that’s what you need. It may not have led to better results on the pitch, but that was more to do with the backline in front of them, rather than the men in goal.
    Knighton’s lack of previous MLS minutes doesn’t concern me. Neither does him moving up from playing in the NASL, as seems to be the obsession of some.
    Much is made of players coming in to MLS from D2 level and whether they can make the grade. Although this is true of some players, and maybe certain positions, I don’t feel that it’s anywhere near as big an issue between the sticks.
    Put a good keeper in goal, with a strong defence in front of him, and it doesn’t matter whether he’s been playing in MLS, NASL or Mars, he’ll do the business.
    Brad Knighton has the pedigree and potential to be a great keeper in MLS. When he’s been given his chance in Major League Soccer, he’s done well. I see no reason why that will not continue with the Caps.
    We look forward to seeing what he can bring to a Whitecaps defence that has needed all the boosts of strength it can get after last season’s failings.
    Welcome to Vancouver Brad. Another Railhawk and another strong addition to the Whitecaps squad.
    <p>
    Guest
    Turkish side Manisaspor announced on its website that Canadian attacker Josh Simpson has terminated his contract with the club.
    The issue seems to be over unpaid wages, with Simpson claiming that Manisaspor owes him money while the club denied this and has threatened to initiate legal action against the player for an unlawful breach of contract.
    The 28-year-old led the side in scoring last season, and most recently struck for Manisaspor just yesterday in a 2-1 loss to Fenerbahce. Fellow Canadian international Mike Klukowski is still with the club.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    A crucial election year is under way at the Canadian Soccer Association.
    A new, reformed board will be elected on May 5. The power of individual provinces will be sharply reduced, outside experts will be recruited to sit on the board, and a leaner, more focused, less personally political governing body should emerge.
    And behind the scenes, the jockeying for position has begun.
    Though no one has yet formally declared candidacy, Canadian Soccer News can report there are currently three significant potential candidates for the position of CSA president. They are the two current vice-presidents, Victor Montagliani and Rob Newman, and the sitting president, Dominic Maestracci.
    It should be noted that literally anyone can run for CSA president. I can. You can. The guy who mends holes in goal nets in Kitsilano can.
    But, practically, this is an inside job, and it’s going to go to an inside man.
    So let’s meet the unannounced candidates:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Victor Montagliani:
    Truly, this is a man of contrast. Impatient for more change, yet patient enough to understand the process. Eager to do more, yet committed to do what is possible within his present, more limited role.
    Business background, solid soccer credentials, he’s always been sharp-focused when we’ve chatted. Capable of very colourful language, but it’s been interesting to see that tendency decline as election year has approached.
    Montagliani – from British Columbia – was well-positioned to make a run for the presidency last time around, but a deeply unfortunate family tragedy took him out of the running.
    Now, with the reform package set to be implemented, he seems the clear favourite to be the man at the helm when the new era of Canadian soccer governance commences.
    Montagliani frequently get lumped in with the “Old Boys Network,” an assessment which, frankly, falls wide of the mark. Yes, he’s been in the game a long, long time. But his soccer ambitions are much more for the game, as opposed to for himself.
    He’s tough, blunt and focused, but also has a practiced eye for politics – and a better understanding than most at Metcalfe Street of how to navigate the strange, treacherous global politics of FIFA.
    Rob Newman:
    A quiet man with a much lower profile than Montagliani, Newman turned a lot of heads – and won significant praise – as head of the CSA governance committee that concocted and ushered in the present round of reforms.
    The most stunning aspects of that project was how far it proposed to go, and how quickly it got there. Most seasoned CSA watchers would have told you, two years ago, that if anything like this was even remotely possible in the first place, it would take at least a decade to get done.
    Overnight, CSA reform went from a glacier to an avalanche, and quite a number of the Old Boys still don’t seem entirely certain what has actually occurred.
    Within the CSA, the Saskatchewan native is praised for his organization and clarity. The man can run a meeting, and get things done at the bureaucratic level.
    The concern – raised from multiple directions – is that he may not be a “soccer guy.”
    That’s a bit of a vague charge, admittedly. I, myself, was a “lacrosse guy” for the first seven years I wrote about soccer for Sportsnet.
    What it seems to mean, here, is there are key people who feel Newman’s grasp for the actual game on the field pales, somewhat, against his abilities in the backroom. That, while a strong, effective administrator is a boon at the board table, the next CSA president will be battling as much to keep up with sweeping changes in the sport that are no longer being dictated by the CSA.
    I’m at an acknowledged disadvantage here, in that I have not yet spoken with Newman directly. Multiple interview requests have been made, but immediate hope of a more detailed article on the man has been lost in the current ill-advised media freeze-out on all governance issues.
    The invitation is open, sir. I’m happy to talk with you any time.
    Dominique Maestracci:
    The third possible entrant in the presidential race – the current CSA president – deserves a column of his own. So that’s what’s coming next.
    Onward!
    Guest
    If you haven't seen it, you should really watch Maynor Figueroa's handball in Monday's match featuring Manchester City and Wigan. If only because it's probably the most egregious act of cheating you'll see on a football pitch this year.*
    That said, it wasn't necessarily sinister. It actually appears Figueroa momentarily forgot he was playing football and believed instead he was jumping to catch a Frisbee on a beach back in Honduras. It was hilarious due to its sheer audacity.
    But for supporters of the Canadian mens' national team who happened to be watching the match, the moment carried a significance beyond a blatant disregard for the rules.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    All the anger directed at both the real and perceived slights Canada and its club teams have suffered at the international level - bizarre refereeing decisions and unlucky tournament draws to name two - have for one reason or another been balled up into one collective fist of anger that's swung metaphorically in the direction of Honduras** at every opportunity. It also doesn't help that Canada keeps getting drawn against them in World Cup qualifying.
    Am I or other Canada fans implying Hondurans cheat? Nope, not at all. This misplaced anger largely serves to divert attention from the fact that Honduras now produces better footballers, both individually and as a collective, than Canada does. But it would also be fair to argue that the standard of officiating on offer for Concacaf Champions League matches and Concacaf World Cup qualifying tends to follow a different, more lax, interpretation of the rules against simulation and time-wasting.
    The point is, for Canada fans watching it just had to be the one Honduran player on the pitch who pulled this off. If I'm the person who owns the pub (and therefore the furniture inside it) where Canada fans are watching the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Honduras and Figueroa attempts another one of his Ultimate Frisbee moves in a manner that seriously alters the course of the match, I'm praying I have a good insurance policy.
    *If you watch the clip repeatedly it actually looks like Figueroa jumped with both arms in the air about three feet off target, and in the split second before the ball crashes into his hand subconsciously decided to bat at it out of reflex. But that doesn't really fit with the theme of this post.
    **I'm not backing up my assertion about Canada fans singling out Honduras with anything more than some anecdotal observations swirling around in my memory. In fact, I am likely heavily influenced by certain fellow writers on this site who generally can't stop ranting about the country. But I'm comfortable saying the rivalry with Honduras is about as heated as Canada has, and it will only get hotter this summer.
    Guest
    Tonight, we’re joined by the President of the Ontario Soccer Association to speak about their new D3 league – League One Ontario – how it fits into the development pyramid as a semi-professional league, where the finances to fund such a league will come from, who is involved and what they’re hoping to gain from such a move
    We’ll discuss the pressure now on the women’s national team to advance to the Olympics, our thoughts on how John Herdman will fare in his first real test as head coach and what to make of the MLS draft, its coverage and all the Canadian club transfer rumors of late.
    The archived show is now up
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:'http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/28708/jan162012final.mp3',initialScale:'scale',controlBarBackgroundColor:'0x778899',autoBuffering:false,loop:false,autoPlay:false}" width="400" height="25" scale="fit" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>
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    Guest
    So maybe you've heard that the women's Olympic qualifying tournament kicks off in Vancouver on Thursday, but you're not quite sure what it's all about. What's at stake? Who's playing? Why does it matter?
    Well, thankfully, we've decided to put together a handy little resource for you -- and anyone else vaguely interested in the tournament -- to turn to. Most of these questions haven't actually been asked frequently, but go along with the conceit, will ya?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    What's this tournament all about?
    Our region, CONCACAF, has two spots reserved in the women's soccer competition at this summer's Olympics. This eight-team tournament -- being contested at B.C. Place in Vancouver from January 19 to 29 -- will decide who gets those spots. Two groups of four teams, semifinals, finals. The two finalists go to the Olympics, simple as that.
    Who'll be at the Olympics?
    Great Britain (as hosts), Japan, North Korea, Sweden, France, Brazil, Colombia, South Africa and Cameroon. Add the two CONCACAF qualifiers (most likely Canada and the U.S.) and the Oceania qualifier (presumably New Zealand) and you've got your field.
    So how are Canada's chances?
    Hubris can be dangerous, so let's not take anything for granted. But we have been drawn into the "easier" of the two groups in the qualifying tournament, which is to say we avoided both the U.S. and Mexico. Canada will go up against Costa Rica, Cuba and Haiti, with the winner of Canada's group (almost certainly Canada) taking on the second-place team in the other group in the all-important semifinal.
    OK, fine, that'll be Mexico and we'll beat them, right?
    That's probably what the U.S. thought in qualifying for the 2011 Women's World Cup, before shockingly losing to the Mexicans and having to scrape their way into the tournament via an intercontinental playoff against Italy. To be fair, that qualifying tournament was held in Mexico, so inasmuch as home-field advantage can play a part, we'll certainly have a leg up. But then again, there's no playoff safety net this time...
    Alright, but, the opening round, that'll be a cakewalk, right?
    Probably. If you place faith in FIFA rankings, you'll be encouraged to know that Canada's most recent spot is #7, while Costa Rica is at #41, Haiti is at #62 and Cuba is at #96. Then again, we got all chuffed about Canada's ranking heading into last year's World Cup, and look how that turned out.
    In any event, Canadian head coach John Herdman has admitted that it's difficult to scout teams such as Haiti and Cuba, and he's essentially expecting them to bunker from the opening whistle in a desperate attempt to scrape out a 0-0 draw. It worked for Puerto Rico against Canada in men's World Cup qualifying; let's hope it doesn't work here.
    Yeah, that Herdman guy. What's his deal?
    Brought in to clean up the wreckage after former head coach Carolina Morace's post-World Cup departure, Herdman has spoken of wanting to psychologically revitalize the team. That means not only undoing the "trauma" of the World Cup experience (a task he's entrusted the team's new sports psychologist with) but giving his players a greater say in the direction of the team (for all of Morace's tactical aptitude, there was little doubt that the buck stopped -- and began -- with her).
    In terms of tactics, one of Herdman's goals thus far has been working on the team's defenders, in all aspects of the game. His goal is to build a backline that's comfortable passing the ball in their own end, while also empowering his fullbacks to become active in the attack.
    So, who should we be keeping an eye on for Canada?
    Well, captain Christine Si---
    Yeah yeah, of course Christine Sinclair. Who else?
    Sophie Schmidt had the best year of her career for Canada in 2011, finishing second in female player of the year voting (behind Sinclair, naturally). Her tenacity in the centre of midfield was one of the few highlights during the World Cup campaign -- and with the absence of veteran Diana Matheson, the oft-mohawked 23-year-old will have plenty of responsibility in this year's tournament.
    Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc almost single-handedly won the gold medal at the Pan Am Games for Canada in 2011, making several crucial stops during the 90 minutes, followed by several even-more-crucial stops during the penalty shootout against Brazil. Herdman has been tight-lipped about how he'll utilize LeBlanc and fellow "world-class" goalkeeper Erin McLeod -- in either event, Canada is well-covered -- but the seasoned and charismatic LeBlanc certainly has some personal momentum going.
    There are also several newcomers worth keeping an eye on. B.C. girl Chelsea Buckland essentially stormed her way onto the squad with her performance at training camp in late 2011, while Christina Julien has had a string of strong outings ever since the Pan Ams. While those two are youngsters, Lauren Sesselmann is more experienced but a newcomer to the Canadian squad, and a vital part of Herdman's plan to use fullbacks as active attackers.
    How big a loss to the team is Diana Matheson's absence?
    Such things are impossible to quantify until the games begin, but the long-time Canadian stalwart has definitely become a more well-rounded and dangerous player in the course of the last few years (much of her transformation had to do with a more offence-minded role under Morace). She's important to the team in terms of organization and set pieces, and teammates such as Schmidt will be called upon to make up for her absence.
    However, her availability for the tournament was never guaranteed, as she underwent necessary knee surgery in late 2011. Herdman and Matheson's teammates have had weeks, if not months, to prepare for this possibility, and have hopefully used the time to devise an appropriate game plan. All of that being said, Matheson's absence is a blow (though ideally not a devastating one) to Canada's chances.
    Is the U.S. bringing a first-choice lineup?
    Indeed. Their roster will be nearly identical to the squad that came second in last summer's World Cup. All 11 starters from the Women's World Cup final against Japan will be at Olympic qualifying, as will budding superstar Alex Morgan (who came on as a substitute and scored in the World Cup final) and this year's #1 overall pick in the WPS Draft, Sydney Leroux.
    Leroux presents a whole other storyline of her own, as she was born in Surrey, B.C. and represented Canadian youth teams on several occasions before moving south at age 15 and pursuing a future with the American program. It's yet to be seen what sort of reaction she receives from those in the Vancouver audience who are aware of her story.
    What kind of crowds can be expected?
    No ticket-sales figures have been released yet, but sales of ticket packages through the Southsiders -- the Vancouver Whitecaps' supporters group -- were brisk. And the 2002 FIFA U-19 women's world championship (a tournament in which Christine Sinclair scored 10 goals) was famously well-supported by the three host cities: Victoria, Edmonton and Burnaby (Swangard Stadium, former home of the Whitecaps). Factor in the sport's higher profile in Vancouver following the Caps' entry into MLS last season, and signs point to solid attendance for the tournament.
    Any other questions? Leave them below and hopefully someone will endeavour to provide a reasonable answer.
    .
    Guest
    Last month, Canadian Soccer News reported that only two of the current 14 Canadian Soccer League teams were meeting the standards for Division 3 sanctioning in Canada. The most glaring of which, a Canadian Soccer Association audit revealed, was a lack of compliance on player's salaries. Only the York Region Shooters and the Montreal Impact Academy were deemed to be in compliance. Toronto FC's Academy was not included in the audit findings because of its unique association with MLS.
    Since that article was published last month, a number of players, past and present, have come forward to speak to CSN about their lack of pay. Those who were receiving salaries told stories of excessive fines - levied against players for trivial infractions such as being late for practice - which essentially, when accumulated, negated much of their pay. Those players, who have asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, stated simply that this practice was common among a number of teams in the league (but not all) and that it was a way for some of those teams who were losing money, to help recoup part of their costs.
    D3 standards - which is classified as semi-professional - ensure that a minimum of nine players are paid at least $5,000 a season per player. Those who CSN spoke to and had been on the paid player list, said that they had rarely seen all of that. Not all of the players that CSN spoke to told stories of receiving docked pay, but they would attest to their teammates assertions that they were being 'excessively fined.'
    In mid-December, because of some procedural paperwork, the CSA granted the CSL a month reprieve to bring forward findings that showed it was meeting the standards. The CSL will once again meet with the CSA this week to review its sanctioning.
    Those close to the situation - including members on the professional committee - have told CSN that the CSA would be willing to overlook small infractions that did not fall in line with the D3 standards but stressed that those that were held in high regard, including player's salaries, would not be passed over lightly.
    Which means, baring an accounting miracle, that the CSL could lose its nationally sanctioned D3 status in the next week.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    At which point, they would be forced to apply to sanctioning on the provincial level - in this case that means the Ontario Soccer Association. That also means, that as a provincially sanctioned league, they would have to limit their play to one province. Given that this is a predominately Ontario league, only the Montreal Impact Academy falls outside of Ontario's jurisdiction, the CSL would then have to cut ties with the Montreal team to apply for OSA sanctioning.
    And what makes this mess all the more interesting is that the OSA has just given provisional sanctioning to the newly formed senior men's league, Ontario League One - which, in part, is made up of teams who broke away from the CSL prior to last season. It's unclear at this point whether the OSA would be willing to sanction another semi-professional league in such short order (it has taken over a year to get League One to this point) but what is clear is that if the CSL finds itself as a league without a home for 2012 and opts to operate as an unsanctioned league, Toronto FC Academy will have some difficult decisions to make.
    Players who play in unsanctioned leagues, or are associated with unsanctioned leagues, are not eligible to participate in provincial and national team setups.
    In September of 2011, TFC Academy, who has produced a number of first team players in recent years, saw Ashtone Morgan receive a call up to the Canadian national team - a first for the club. The previous Fall, Morgan made his debut appearance for Toronto's top squad, when he featured in the Champions League match against Arabe Unido. He would make the Canada U-20 squad the same year. It wouldn't be until the next spring when he joined the first team on a full time basis, that he cut his ties with the Academy and signed a fully professional contract.
    Morgan's path has been a unique one, but one that demonstrates the precarious nature Toronto now finds itself in. If the CSL loses its CSA sanctioning next week (and there is nothing to suggest that it won't) it could start a downward spiral that finds Toronto Academy players ineligible to factor in national team setups. That won't immediately effect the Senior Men's team but it will have a dramatic effect on the U-17 and U-20 sides which are now drawing heavily on the MLS academies. Young players, who are looking to make a name for themselves by showing well with the national side at international tournaments, may be forced to look elsewhere and move clubs.
    Last season, Toronto supporter groups hung a banner across Lamport Stadium that read: "TFC Academy: Your Future Starts Here." Big and bold, the banner could be seen as far away as the parking lot.
    But right now, with much in the way, the future isn't clear for the CSL, the region or TFC Academy.
    Guest
    Two days after head coach John Herdman suggested that midfielder Diana Matheson may not be fit to play in the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament, he appears to have removed her from the roster.
    The Canadian Soccer Association reported on Saturday afternoon, via its Twitter account, that Matheson would be replaced on the roster by 20-year-old midfielder Alyscha Mottershead, who earned her first cap for the women's national team as a substitute against Sweden in a friendly on Nov. 22, 2011.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Matheson, 27, has made 130 appearances for the senior national team, but Herdman said that there were "complications" in her recovery from knee surgery in late 2011. Her absence, though not entirely unexpected, will necessitate some adjustments for the Canadian team, whose first match of the Vancouver-based competition is against Haiti on Thursday.
    Addendum: Evidently the team was well-prepared for this possibility, as a release from the Canadian Soccer Association states: "Mottershead had already been training with the Canadian team in California in case Matheson was not ready to join the tournament roster."
    Guest
    There is little doubt that Sydney Leroux, a Canadian girl that grew up dreaming of being Mia Hamm, does not inspire anywhere near the emotion that Teal Bunbury, Owen Hargreaves or any of the other 10-million Canadians that have made cynical decisions about their international football careers do.
    As Squizz wrote earlier, it’s a case of a bunch of things – she jumped ship a long time ago when she was quite young, her profile isn’t as big and, likely the biggest factor (unfortunately), the women’s game simply does not command as much attention as the men’s does.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Interestingly, those that care about the women’s game the most seem to accept her decision easier than more casual fans. In some cases, the Canadian female soccer community still celebrates Leroux’s accomplishments.
    However, there are people within the game that remain upset at Leroux. For what it’s worth they are usually men and they are generally serious fans of the men’s program. I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard a female fan of the game take a run at Leroux. In my experience, most look at you like you’re an idiot even for asking if they have a problem with her.
    Even Squizz, a man that can’t bring himself to write Asmir Begovic’s name, gave Leroux a bit of a pass today. That’s more remarkable than you might imagine.
    With full respect to Squizz, I don’t buy that line of thinking. If you are going to criticise any of the male players that made a switch, then you must extend that criticism to Leroux. The arguments both for and against it are the same regardless of gender.
    Actually, I will make the argument that Leroux’s case is actually the worst of all. To those that disagree with nation shopping in international football, it combines the worst aspects of Hargreaves and Bunbury.
    Like Hargreaves, this is a remarkable player and one that would make a significant difference to the Canadian team. Her connections to the US were a little stronger than Hargreaves were to England – her father is an American – but both players were (and, by all accounts, still are) clearly Canadians. They were born here and learned the game here.
    Both left Canada at a young age to pursue their dream, but continue to spend significant time in this country. When Hargreaves made his infamous Youtube videos he was in BC.
    Leroux has played several seasons in the W-League with Vancouver and is engaged to be married to a famous Canadian.
    As with Bunbury, she is a target for criticism because she played in the Canadian youth set-up prior to making the switch to the US. She took resources and playing time away from girls that have remained loyal to Canada. Some Canadian fans feel aggrieved by that. They have every right to.
    What makes Leroux’s case seem slightly worse, however, is that the readymade competitive excuses the men use do not apply. Hargreaves could not have played in the Euros and would not have played in two World Cups if he had represented Canada (although he’d still likely be in the mix for the 2014 qualifying campaign). Bunbury is more likely to get to a World Cup with the US (if he makes the team) than he is with Canada.
    Yes, the Americans are better than the Canadian women, but Canada is highly competitive in the women’s game. Leroux would have played in World Cups. Actually, as an attractive women married to a Toronto Blue Jay, she’d have likely been the poster girl for the 2015 World Cup in Canada.
    The family say they chose the US route because they thought it would provide a better development environment. If they were really after that she should be representing Germany now. The women’s development structure in the US gets by on scale, not technical brilliance. Boot and chase your way to the NCAA is the name of the game.
    More likely the family were blinded by memories of sports bras and ponytails from the summer of ’99. There is little doubt Canada is less sexy than the American program, but that doesn’t seem a good reason to turn away from the country you are from and that you still identify as your home.
    All were well within their rights to chose to represent other countries. The rules are clear, they were eligible. It’s perhaps naive to think that concepts of loyalty and pride in your culture should play a role in a player’s decision, but some people believe they should. And, if you are one of those people you are always going to have an issue with players that appear to not share those values. So, this is not an attempt to convince those that believe they made the right choice otherwise.
    Rather, it is an argument against celebrating their accomplishments as Canadians. That media coverage of Leroux consistently fails to challenge her decision is problematic. It sends a terrible message – Canada isn’t worth representing if there are “better” options. Leroux made a choice. The consequence of that choice is that she occasionally might be made to feel uncomfortable.
    And, that’s fair.
    Guest
    For a league that was exceptionally cautions in every step of its development, MLS has approached the move towards youth academies with a remarkable amount of laissez faire.
    There is no set formula that clubs have to follow and the rules are deliberately set-up to allow some flexibility. For example, LA recently signed a Home Grown player in Jose Villarreal that did not qualify under the rules as written However, the league determined that it was more important to get the player into the league than to follow the rules fairly/pedantically (depends on your perspective).
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Players are supposed to spend a year in a team’s academy before they can be signed as a Home Grown. Sanchez did not, but he’s talented and MLS wanted him in the league. As he had overseas offers, it was felt that they could not wait until he qualified. A compromise solution was found that allowed the Galaxy to sign him, but prohibits him from playing for them until he’s been with them for a year.
    Assumedly, but not explicitly, that will be the rule moving forward in situations like this.
    The results have been incredibly unbalanced – decidedly un-MLS like even. You have teams like Salt Lake and Vancouver that are running academy programs that are bringing in kids from all over North America, operating alongside programs that are glorified soccer camps – a couple teams have pay-to-play programs at the younger age groups.
    And then there are the rules. No one seems to understand them fully, including the clubs. There have been a few cases already where a team’s claim for a Home Grown signing has been denied, and a few, like Villarreal, where the league’s decision has not been universally accepted.
    MLS does not publically list the detailed rule, but MLS executive vice president of competition and player relations Todd Durbin recently broke it down in some detail for Goal.com
    The basics:
    Of interest to Canadian fans is the US youth exclusion. I confirmed with TFC earlier today that the rule is as written -- Canadian youth internationals are not excluded from being claimed after they’ve appeared for the national team -- yet another advantage Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal have and another example of the unevenness of the home grown rule.
    For years, MLS has put rules in place designed to create parity across the league. They have been effective. Famously, it took until 2011 for a DP to lift the MLS Cup, and the league’s glamour club, the LA Galaxy, have only been champions three times.
    Salt Lake, Colorado and Columbus have all been on top, while New York has yet to win a single trophy. Up until now big market advantages have not been evident.
    That desire for parity to the point of blandness – CSN’s Ben Knight once suggested that the MLS schedule didn’t feature rotating opponents, but rather a series of changing strip colours coming through town – has been seen as a necessary evil for the league’s financial survivability.
    So, it’s a bit odd that they are letting the Home Grown rule exist in what is essentially the Wild West. It’s clear to anyone that gives it even the most surface analysis that the teams that have the strongest academy systems are likely going to consistently be the top teams. And the strongest academies will most likely come from the larger centres.
    Even if the players they produce end up being sold to bigger clubs rather than playing for the MLS team, the allocation they get from the sales will allow them to get more talent. And, having a core of young, free academy kids on your roster (but not taking a roster spot) also allows teams to carry more players, key to playing in multiple competitions.
    Unlike the league itself, there is no cap on how much a team can spend on its academy. Suddenly, MLS has an avenue for rich owners to outspend their cheap colleagues. It seems unlikely we will see the New England Revolution losing multiple MLS Cups in a row again anytime soon.
    It will take some time (although not as long as many suggest) for the rule to have its full impact, both on the positive and negative side of the equation. So, it will be a little while yet before the (dwindling) supporters of forced parity start to demand that a form of development socialism be implemented. However, for the first time in league history, those calls will go unheard. The rule is here to stay and MLS will continue to evolve into something that more closely resembles the rest of the world.
    That doesn’t mean there won’t continue to be restraints placed on teams. Three DPs is likely the max for a while and the salary cap is likely never going away and will never be increased as quickly as some will want it to be. There are business reasons for these rules and just because the league’s partners are willing to open things up in one way doesn’t mean they are ready to throw the door wide open.
    It begs the question, why are they willing to open things up on the development front? The answer is likely two-fold. One is cynical – selling a player you develop can make more money than an entire season’s gate in some cities. However, the other is at least somewhat altruistic. Teams want to help the sport grow in Canada and the United States.
    That’s the spirit of the thing anyway. As suggested, some teams are far less inclined to play the game. Drafting free college kids has worked for years; it will work in the future, damn the evidence otherwise.
    Then there is the Philadelphia Union, who seem to be trying to find some middle way. The Union don’t physically have an academy, but they partnered with several local and established academies that are “affiliated” (for a cool $1,000 a year, paid to the Union). The Union invest in these players by consulting with the host clubs and bringing a select few of the players together occasionally to practice or play as the Union. This arrangement allows the Union to play the Home Grown game without really playing the development game. Good for the club; maybe not so good for the game.
    As with many aspects of the rule, not everyone in the league agrees with their approach. But, in the Wild West of MLS development consensus is the exception, not the rule.
    Over the next few months, I will look at how development is seen across the league in a series called Future Watch. Follow me on Twitter at @24thminute to learn when the articles will be published.
    Guest
    The 2012 Women's Professional Soccer Draft, held on Friday, could have been the culmination of a neat little Canadian sports story. Sydney Leroux, a 21-year-old striker at UCLA, was born in Surrey, B.C. and played for the Whitecaps' team in the W-League for several years. Even earlier in her life, as a 13-year-old playing co-ed baseball, she found herself coming up against a boy named Brett Lawrie.
    Lawrie, as you may know, is now a rising major-league star with the Toronto Blue Jays, while Leroux was selected #1 overall in Friday's WPS Draft. And wouldn't you know it, the two young, Canadian-born athletes are engaged to be married. As I said, potentially a very neat little Canadian sports story.(1)
    There's one hitch, though: Years ago, Leroux chose to represent the U.S. in international competition.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Now, just reading those words, you've already formed your opinion about the situation. Perhaps you're blinded with rage that yet another Canadian-born player is showcasing their talents for another country. Perhaps you think the Canadian national team is well-stocked, and if Leroux doesn't appreciate what the nation has to offer, then forget her. Perhaps it doesn't bug you at all, you wish her well and to you, this actually is a good Canadian sports story.
    What should be remembered, as is the case with all defectors, is that each player's case is individualized. Leroux isn't "the next" anybody -- though it's difficult not to draw some parallels between her and Teal Bunbury, the Ontario-born Sporting Kansas City striker who went fourth overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.
    The key difference, of course, is that while Bunbury dithered and obfuscated his national-team intentions during the draft process, Leroux made the switch to the U.S. years ago, at age 15. She'd represented Canadian youth teams on a few occasions prior, but has since made 36 appearances for the American U-20 team. For years, no one has been under any delusions about Leroux coming back to the Canadian team -- even if she potentially, theoretically could.
    Having never legitimately been on the Canadian national team's radar -- given her early defection south -- Leroux doesn't really stir up the same negative passions that some other defectors (Hargreaves, JDG2, Bunbury, the Bosnian goalkeeper) do. The latter bunch all looked as though they could represent Canada, and their decision not to do so was crushing, whereas the statute of limitations on the dream of Leroux suiting up for Big Red has long since expired.
    Now, let's be clear, I'd definitely prefer it if a player talented enough to be taken first overall in the WPS Draft was suiting up for the land of her birth, rather than our regional rivals. And considering that Christine Sinclair won't be around forever, Big Red is certainly going to need some solutions when it comes to filling the opposing net as the years go on.
    But am I angry that Leroux went first overall? Not any angrier than I'd be if she went second, third or 10th. Which is to say not angry, just... disappointed. Then again, that's my dispassionate writing voice speaking, as I sit at a laptop in the snowy off-season.
    Get back to me in three years' time, when the top players in the world are competing in the sport's biggest tournament on Canadian soil. Get back to me, and the thousands of Canadian fans in the stands, if and when we see -- with our very own eyes -- Leroux trot out onto the pitch in an American jersey.
    I may have a very different reaction for you then.
    (1) Addendum: For what it's worth (nothing within the realm of the soccer discussion, really), there are suggestions that Leroux and Lawrie are no longer an item. I'll allow you all a moment to grieve, if you'd like, at the thought of this being true.
    Guest
    Every week we feel like doing it, we think of a subject for a football team to be based around, then fill it with our starting eleven of current and recent MLS players with some appropriate name changes, or even better, just as is!
    Your scouting job is to come up with the subs bench, from any player from around the world, and leave your player suggestions in the comments section.
    As it's Friday the 13th, we felt that this week was the perfect time for the <b><i>"Horror XI"</b></i>...
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <center>********************</center>
    <b>GK:</b> Frankenstein Rost (New York Red Bulls)
    <b>D :</b> Jonathan Leatherface (ex Vancouver Whitecaps)
    <b>D :</b> C.H.U.D. Marshall (Columbus Crew)
    <b>D :</b> Wes Knight of the Living Dead (ex Vancouver Whitecaps)
    <b>D :</b> Chance 'Michael' Myers (Kansas City)
    <b>M :</b> Stephen King (DC United)
    <b>M :</b> Jack 'The Ripper' Jewsbury (Portland Timbers)
    <b>M :</b> Terror Dunfield (Toronto)
    <b>M :</b> Victor Pinheada (Chicago Fire)
    <b>M :</b> Freddy 'Krueger' Adu (Philadelphia Union)
    <b>F :</b> Josh Wolffman (DC United)
    Vancouver's Mustapha Jarju just missed out on a place in the starting line up (no surprise there) as "The Invisible Man".
    Good news for Caps fans though, with Tommy Soehn becoming a manager for the side, as he's a fucking nightmare.
    We went for the lone attacker in good horror movie tradition. Always send someone in on their own. Scary!
    <p>
    Guest
    In what may be a surprise to some of you, the Some Canadian Guys Talking About Soccer podcast still exists. It's true! We're now hosted over at Sportsnet, but most everything else has remained the same -- though we generally have to wear pants, and can't drink as much, while recording.
    Another holdover from the old show is our interest in hearing from you, the listeners! So, we're proud to bring back Questions From The Audience... our way of delegating the responsibility of coming up with discussion topics to you guys. Err, I mean, it's your chance to ask us questions about anything and everything, and (ideally) hear us babble nonsensically about it.
    If you've got a burning question about soccer, nonsense or anything in between that you want Grant, Jamie and I to address in a near-future episode of the show, leave it in the comments below, or send us an email at canadiansoccerguys@gmail.com. And if you leave a comment, please leave your name with it too.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    (Subscribe to the Some Canadian Guys podcast on iTunes)
    .
    Guest

    One Canadian selected in SuperDraft

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Canadian youth international hopeful Babayele Sodade was the only player selected from this country at today’s MLS SuperDraft.
    A duel US/Canadian citizen, Sodade grew up in Windsor, ON, and is currently part of the Canadian Olympic team pool. He’s not cap tied, but it’s a long way off from that being a concern.
    Seattle selected Sodade in the second round, with the 34th pick overall.
    He’s a big forward that impressed at the combine with his raw athletic ability. The key word there is raw – he’s far from a finished product.
    At Seattle he will likely get a good look. As a big, target forward he would appear to have the potential to compliment Seattle’s more technically skilled players.
    He will not take up an international spot for the Sounders.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
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