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    Will Whitecaps Land A Carolina Trifecta?

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    The holiday festivities are now over and it’s back to business for Vancouver Whitecaps, as attention turns back to what additions will be made to the squad before the 2012 MLS season kicks off against Montreal on March 10th.
    The Caps squad is currently sitting at 23 players, which will increase to 25 after their two SuperDraft selections in Kansas City on January 12th. I would be amazed however if we see all of these players still as Whitecaps come the start of the season.
    The SuperDraft will be shown live on TSN2, emphasising the channel’s commitment to the domestic game. Sadly that does deprive us of Sportsnet’s Craig MacEwen screaming <i>"would you look at that"</i> after each selection.
    Vancouver has the second selection, after Montreal, in both SuperDraft rounds and the four additional Supplemental Draft (yawn) rounds on January 17th.
    It is unlikely that the Caps will utilise all six of their selections, which would leave them one available spot on their 2012 squad, and Martin Rennie is clearly looking for some established talent and not raw, untried ability at this point in time.
    <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/01/02/vancouvers-rennie-uk-scouting-stays-mum" target="_blank">MLSSoccer.com</a> are reporting this morning that Rennie has been back in the UK for Christmas and New Year, taking in numerous games in Scotland and England on a scouting mission.
    Whether this will prove to be a fruitful trip and who, if anyone in particular, Rennie was watching, is unclear at this moment, but the Scot has a history of bringing over Scottish and English players to his sides.
    He’s already added one in Vancouver, Englishman Matt Watson, who signed from Carolina Railhawks last month, and I would be very surprised if Watson finds himself ploughing a lone UK furrow come the new season.
    Not only can Watson expect to be joined by some fellow ex-pats, he is also likely to be joined by at least one other familiar face from his NASL days, and possibly two.
    When Martin Rennie was announced as the new Whitecaps boss back in August, fans’ attentions turned to who he might bring with him from Carolina.
    Assistant manager Paul Ritchie was a given, but speculation was rife that the Caps would go after goalkeeper Brad Knighton and striker Etienne Barbara.
    With midfielder Watson having already made the switch, will the Whitecaps land a Carolina trifecta?
    The word on the street is that the signing of Knighton is all but official and likely to be announced shortly.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Following Jay Nolly’s transfer to Chicago, the Caps have had a space to fill in goal and the 26 year old Carolina stopper is thought by Rennie to be just the guy to do that.
    Vancouver needs an experienced and talented keeper to challenge Joe Cannon for the starting spot and it will be interesting to see how much pressure Knighton will be able to put on Cannon, if he does indeed become a Cap.
    Knighton has had two previous spells in MLS, but struggled to see much first team action with New England and Philadelphia, making just 14 appearances over four years.
    He’s also had spells with Indiana Invaders in the PDL and a USL loan spell with Portland Timbers in 2008.
    New expansion team Philadelphia Union selected Knighton in the 2009 MLS Expansion draft, but despite keeping two clean sheets in his eight starts for the Union, and having a 1.10 goals against average, he was waived in January last year, which is when Martin Rennie first came a calling and took him to Carolina.
    Knighton had an impressive 2011 NASL season, playing every minute of the regular season and playoffs for the Railhawks, making 30 appearances, keeping eight clean sheets, conceding 30 goals and recording 125 saves.
    His performances saw him finish runner up in the NASL 'Golden Glove' award and named as the goalkeeper in the NASL 'Best XI' side. His exploits over the course of the season have impressed Martin Rennie enough to seemingly give the keeper another deserved chance in MLS.
    If this signing does come to pass, it will be a good addition to the Caps squad and a strong replacement for Jay Nolly.
    The other Carolina Railhawk that the Whitecaps would love to land is striker Etienne Barbara.
    The road to signing the big Malteser is not sweetly chocolate coated though, as Montreal currently hold his MLS rights, having laid a discovery claim on him.
    If the Caps want him, and it’s hard not to see Rennie keen to complete his trio of Carolina signings with the dangerous hitman, then they will do all they can to make a deal to land their man. Of course, all that depends on the Impact wanting to play ball and not having their own plans for the forward.
    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 MLS club will be deeply felt by the Carolina club, 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.
    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.
    All of which is bound to increase his already highly valued stock.
    Will Vancouver have their Carolina trifecta?
    Neither Knighton nor Barbara are currently listed as Carolina Railhawks on the Club’s website, mind you, not many players are!
    Getting Barbara looks like being a little bit tricky now, but Knighton should be announced as a done deal very shortly.
    With Rennie stating that he is keen to add more defenders and defensive midfielders to the Whitecaps squad, we may just have to do with just a couple of Carolinians - for now.
    <p>
    Guest
    This is our second look back on the year that was on It's Called Football.
    These first two interviews today were, at the time, a look at what was to come with controversy. The last, we’re airing because it was oddly one of our favourite interviews of the year. And it’s not one you’ll expect.
    This first though is exactly what we’ve come to expect from the Score’s Kristian Jack as we speak to him him in April about Dwayne DeRosario. A lot of it serves as a warning of what was to come last year.
    This next interview is again about someone who found himself mired in controversy this season. And even here he finds himself defending a decision to play a big name friendly in the middle of the year. We spoke to then Whitecaps CEO Paul Barber.
    The last interview today is with a man few will even know but Dr. John Galluci – MLS medical coordinator proved to be one of the year’s most illuminating interviews as he talks about the most common injuries in MLS and gives us a look behind the scenes in his world.
    Today's show is now up.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:%27http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/28175/weektworeview2011.mp3%27,initialScale:%27scale%27,controlBarBackgroundColor:%270x778899%27,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>
    The final installment of our Year in Review will air Thursday with the regular shows returning Monday.
    Guest
    (This article originally appeared at Some Canadian Guys Writing About Soccer on January 1, 2009. Wondering what this is? Click here.)
    FIFA has turned down a request by the Canadian Soccer Association to transfer its men’s national team into the Oceania qualifying zone for the 2014 World Cup. The Canadians, despite high hopes heading into qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, were eliminated from contention before even reaching the final qualifying stage in the CONCACAF region, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean. This led the CSA to take drastic action.
    “We know there is much work that must be done to improve our chances of qualifying,” said CSA general secretary Peter Montopoli. “We have heard the calls from our fans to restructure our organization, remove wasteful bureaucracy, spend more money on the men’s national team, and build a soccer culture from the ground up by investing in long-term player development and sporting infrastructure.
    “We, however, decided to take a more direct approach.”
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Oceania qualifying group features only 11 nations, including some of the lowest-ranked teams on the planet, such as Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, the Cook Islands, American Samoa and Papua New Guinea. Among these six minnows, the highest-ranked team as of December 2008 was Samoa, at #176. Canada, by contrast, is ranked 90th.
    “We believe this is a group in which our team could flourish, without the hassles of increasing our resources or altering our structure,” said Montopoli.
    FIFA, however, was not swayed by the CSA’s arguments. In a terse press release, the world governing body said it had rejected the CSA’s request, in part, because “the Canadian association’s contention that Canada should be granted admission to the Oceania Football Confederation simply because Canada is the only country to border three oceans is, while technically accurate, not a convincing argument in this context.”
    FIFA was similarly unconvinced by Montopoli’s assertion that he had read George Orwell’s 1984 “like 15 times” and “always wanted to visit that place.”
    Canada has not appeared in the World Cup since its only qualification in 1986, leading to frustration amongst Canadian fans at the team’s perpetually poor qualifying campaigns. However, that situation doesn’t appear to be generating much sympathy from those in New Zealand, a squad which hasn’t qualified since 1982 and emerged as the champion of Oceania qualifying for 2010.
    “Canadians?” scoffed Murray McCully, New Zealand’s Minister of Sport. “We’re higher ranked than those polar bears anyway! [New Zealand is currently ranked #86] Besides, we waited long enough to get the bloody Aussies out of Oceania. If Canada wants to qualify, why don’t they just wait till Mexico leaves CONCACAF?”
    Canada’s federal Minister of Sport could not be contacted for comment, since he does not exist.
    Despite FIFA’s decision, Montopoli said the CSA still has a few options available. “We could give the men’s team a little more money, I suppose. We might be able to dip into the budget of the U-17 women’s futsal team. Actually, wait, no, one of the Quebec guys has a grand-daughter on that team. Forget I ever said that.”
    Guest

    Field Of Dreams: A 2012 Whitecaps Wishlist

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    <center><i>"If you wish to reach the highest, begin at the lowest."</i></center>
    <p align=right><i>(Publilius Syrus)</i></p>
    A new year, full of hopes and aspirations.
    Vancouver Whitecaps fans will want to put most of 2011 behind them. There was the high of 'First Kick' and the ultimate low that greeted the final kick, but onwards and upwards.
    Resolutions are currently everywhere. People are full of good intentions. Gym memberships are foolishly bought, anti smoking patches are stuck all over people and many other misguided and unrealistic promises are made, only to not be kept.
    It's hard at this time of year not to look forward to what the year ahead will hold in store.
    The Whitecaps have a new management team, will have several new players for the fans to cheer on and aim to restore some pride and add to their proud history.
    There's a lot we, and everyone connected with the Caps, hope to see in 2012, both on and off the pitch.
    We got together a mix of Caps players, pundits, writers and fans, sat them down with Gene Genie, who granted them three Whitecaps wishes for 2012. They could be on field, off field, personal or a combination of all three.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    To kick things off, here's our three top Whitecaps wishes for each.
    On the pitch we have three clear goals, all of them firsts. We want to see the Caps reach our first MLS playoffs, win our first Voyageurs Cup and give a good account of ourselves and give some Canadian pride in our first CONCACAF Champions League campaign. No pressure on Martin Rennie to perform from the off then!
    Off the pitch our main wish is for a better way of handling the away ticket allocation for the games against Seattle and Portland. We would love to see the Caps give the Southsiders half of the ticketing allocation received and not have Uniglobe handling them again. It's a win-win for the Caps and the supporters' group. Less administrative hassle, fans can sit with their friends and not be given tickets all over the section, and the Southsiders can know ahead of time how many buses they need to lay on. The games had a great atmosphere last year, but this can only make it even better.
    Secondly, we'd like to see a much bigger impact in the Vancouver community. The Caps recently ran an <a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2011/12/year-review-caps-community" target="_blank">article</a> about their achievements in this field. Compared to what the likes of Portland do in their community, it was very underwhelming.
    Finally we'd like to wish that Vancouver fans, stadium wide, can actually get their asses in their seat in time for kick off. It baffles me that people will spend money on tickets at all sporting events in the city, only to miss minutes of a game to stand in line for over-priced concessions.
    So that's AFTN’s wishes for 2012, but what about others out there?
    <b><u>Eric Hassli (Vancouver Whitecaps Designated Player):</u></b>
    My wishes are simple and straight to the point
    - Going to the playoffs
    - To win the Canadian Cup
    - And for me personally, to score lots of goalssssss!
    <b><u>Ben Fisk (Vancouver Whitecaps Residency and Canada U20 player):</u></b>
    - My wish for the club would be to have a positive, consistent season and to make the playoffs.
    - My off-pitch wish would be for the club to continue to receive the same amazing support as last season.
    - My personal goal would be to earn a spot on the 1st team roster and make my MLS debut.
    <b><u>Peter Schaad (Radio voice of Whitecaps FC. Host of Whitecaps FC Daily on Team 1410)</u></b>
    - A drama free season:
    2011 will be remembered for firings, abandoned games, dodgy red cards, a DP signing that didn't work out, capped off with a CEO resignation. 2012 needs to be remembered for what happens ON the pitch.
    - Set piece success:
    By my recollection, the Whitecaps scored only twice from set plays all season. If two thirds of all goals in the game come from free kicks and corners, the club needs to make it a bigger priority on the training ground.
    - Leaders must lead; the money men must earn their wages:
    In 2011, there were too many times when the players earning the most dollars disappeared on the field, and failed to show leadership in the locker room. If MLS is about spending shrewdly, the guys earning the bigger bucks must justify their salaries.
    <b><u>Steve Clare (Editor of <a href="http://www.prostamerika.com" target="_blank">Prost Amerika</a> - Cascadia's premier football website):</u></b>
    - Twelfth Man:
    Having attended the first and last games in Empire Field and the first in BC Place, it seems that the supporter culture has finally begun to spread beyond the devoted hardcore. This is undoubtedly good news for both the sport and the club. My first good wish for the Caps is that all parties work together in a spirit of goodwill to allow and encourage more noise at home games along the lines of the other Cascadian clubs. Encouraging strong independent Supporters Groups should not be viewed with the fear of a dictator allowing opposition parties for the first time. In words Canadians will understand better than Americans, they are more 'loyal' than 'opposition'.
    So my first wish is that the Caps fans are allowed and encouraged to be as loud, raucous and tuneless as their American cousins and even, dare I say, as those excellent Toronto fans.
    - Credibility:
    Many people will be asking for an away win. Others for a home win against a Cascadian rival. Going in another direction but wrapped up in that, is the desire to see the end of the screwball crazy gang stuff that provided Michael McColl with way too much material. Administrative mix ups are part and parcel of any operation especially one living in a temporary home. A smooth year in which the headlines are made by the players would restore some damaged credibility.
    - Rien ca change:
    Michael never said every wish had to be for a change. My last one is for something to stay the same. Even through a turbulent year, the Whitecaps media folk remained cheerful and friendly. Admittedly, <i>Prost Amerika</i> didn't always agree with stuff that went on but even when we were drilling the Front Office, the staff never took it personally and never lost their courtesy and professionalism. One of the nicest things about going to watch a match in Vancouver is the warmth and sincerity of the smiles that greet you. This starts with Bob Lenarduzzi and cascades down through his staff to the people we have to deal with. Let's hope that never changes but maybe they are given a little more to smile about.
    <b><u>Steve Pandher (Blogger - <a href="http://whitecapsbeat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Whitecaps Beat</a>. New AFTN writer for 2012):</u></b>
    - To win the Voyageurs and Cascadia Cups:
    These are the goals the Whitecaps should have started with last year instead of the reoccurring "Top 25 club in the world" mantra at every press conference. With a new manager and a significant turnover in players, the club needs to learn to win as a group and why not start with beating their rivals. Besides, the MLS Cup is just a popularity contest.
    - A job for Tom Soehn:
    No offer is too small. A rumoured finalist for the Colorado Rapids opening, Soehn needs to think bigger and not limit himself to the MLS. I think he should try for the head spot in North Korea as he has experience working for unstable leadership (Paul Barber) who treat their supporters poorly.
    - #ACanadianMustPlay:
    As a person born and bred in Canada is it too much to ask for the club I support, located in Canada, to play a Canadian in a significant role. A <a href="http://www.aftncanada.blogspot.com/2011/10/twitter-campaign-supports-philippe.html" target="_blank"><b>twitter campaign</b></a> couldn’t even help Phil Davies get on the pitch for season finale. There are some positives going into next season with Martin Rennie praising both Russell Teibert and Bryce Alderson, whilst Davies remains on the roster.
    <b><u>Wendy Jo (Season ticket holder and columnist for AFTN):</u></b>
    - Playoffs:
    Obviously. Not even asking for the MLS Cup, just making it to the post-season... Or at the very least, being over .500.
    - Win back the Cascadia Cup:
    We haven't hoisted the cup since 2008, which is way too long!
    -Better beer at BC Place:
    Not likely to happen, but paying $8 to drink Bud hurts my soul.
    <b><u>Devon Rowcliffe (Long time Caps fan and editor of <a href="http://groundhoppingca.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Groundhopping Canada</a> website)</u></b>
    - Bigger crowds at Residency matches:
    These USL PDL / USSDA matches are great fun, and are played in intimate settings that large stadiums such as BC Place can't offer. Free admission, witty banter, and tremendous craic. Support the future!
    - FC Edmonton in the Voyageurs Cup:
    Please, not another semi-final against Montreal! It would be great to play a competitive cup match close enough to Vancouver that hundreds of Southsiders could travel to. I'm also keen to see the development of a western Canadian derby, to have some rival banter with the <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fcesg" target="_blank">ESG</a>, and to help plant the seeds of a football supporters' culture in a city with a young club.
    - Formal voice for supporters:
    The unofficial relationship that the Southsiders re-established with club staff is great, but could Whitecaps supporters have an official voice in how the club is run? Could there be a Vancouver Whitecaps <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supporters%27_trust" target="_blank">supporters' trust</a>? Will the club appoint a <a href="http://www.fsf.org.uk/news/Supporter-Liaison-Officers.php" target="_blank">supporter liaison officer</a>? Could we ever see a supporters' representative on the club's board of directors?
    <b><u>Chris Deal (Vancouver Southsiders President):</u></b>
    - Jarju to confound his numerous critics and remembers where he left his shooting boots, starts banging in the goals, and becomes the MLS Top Goalscorer. He blames his 2011 form on #FOTS
    - Whitecaps earn their first ever MLS away win at Seattle, silencing the moronic dancing cyborgs
    - We qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League by beating L’Impact in Montreal, with Big Phil Davies playing and scoring the winning goal on a cross from Russell Teibert
    <center>* * * * * *</center>
    And there you have the dreams, hopes, wishes and aspirations of a cross section of those of us connected with the Whitecaps in various shapes and forms.
    Do you have a wish that no-one else has mentioned?
    Serious, humourous, positive, negative. Let us know below, and we'll see which dreams will come true as the year goes on.
    <p>
    Guest
    (This article originally appeared at Some Canadian Guys Writing About Soccer on January 26, 2010. Wondering what this is? Click here.)
    A day after indicating that the 2018 World Cup will likely be awarded to one of the European bidders — either England, Russia or one of the joint bids of Holland/Belgium or Spain/Portugal — FIFA President Sepp Blatter made the surprising announcement today that the 2022 World Cup will be awarded to a country from the CONCACAF region.
    “This is outstanding news,” said Sunil Gulati, president of the United States Soccer Federation, who are one of the bidding countries. “For the World Cup to return to the USA is a sure sign of soccer’s overwhelming popularity, and is the culmination of some very hard work by all of us on the bid committee.”
    But Gulati’s excitement was tempered by a subsequent press release from FIFA clarifying its president’s remarks.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    “As it relates to the 2022 tournament,” the release said, “while the United States has submitted the only bid from this region thus far, we are open to considering all qualified bids.
    “We are, as always, open to joint bids, following the success of the Korea/Japan World Cup in 2002 and Euro 2008, split between Austria and Switzerland. In 2022, we would consider any joint bids from this region, such as Honduras/El Salvador, Cuba/Costa Rica or Trinidad/Tobago. Many factors are still at play, and this bidding process is far from over.”
    The Reserve Squad attempted to reach FIFA Vice President Jack Warner for comment, but an administrative worker at his Zurich office claimed that he was “unreachable” at the moment for undisclosed “luxury-yacht-in-the-middle-of-the-ocean reasons”.
    Guest
    It was a tough year for club teams in Canada. The three biggest teams struggled, to put it (very) diplomatically. You can add the men’s national team to that list.
    There is no way to diplomatically say what the women did at the World Cup – they were an unqualified disaster. Yes, they won a lot pre and post World Cup, but there is little that can be done to erase the memory of the disaster that was Germany.
    FC Edmonton was a possible choice for Team of the Year, and they were a nice story, but the club was just a tad too inconsistent and the poor way their season ended eliminated them from the competition.
    Thinking a bit outside the box, the Simon Fraser men’s university side was considered -- they were ranked No 1 in the NCAA division 2 for most of the year. However, the quality of D2 is questionable. Although many will disagree, it says here that a good CIS team can compete with a NCAA D2 team. So, if you open the Team of the Year up to SFU, you’d have to consider the best CIS sides as well. For a college team to win, it has to be nearly perfect.
    In the end, there was only one team that played above its ability and remained a feel good story throughout the year.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The 2011 Team of the Year is the Canadian men’s u17s
    The u17s were the story of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament, only coming up short in the final. Even then, the team managed to force the Americans to extra time before allowing their first goal of the tournament.
    With very little expected of them at the World Cup, they managed to perform slightly above expectations. A draw with England – lucky goal or not – the highlight.
    However, the results at the World Cup are not what defines the u17s, nor what has made Canadians cautiously optimistic about the future. Rather, it’s the make-up of the team. For the first time since the original NASL days, the
    majority of a Canadian team is being drawn from domestic professional environments.
    Finally, we have a plan – even if it took third parties with complimentary but alternative goals to get it.
    However we got there, it’s worthy of celebration and the u17s are a worthy Team of the Year.
    Guest
    This weeks show features a quick chat with Canadian Women's National Team goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, she tells us what is going on with the national side, her experiences playing in the NCAA div.1, and who the most intense players past and present have been in our national side. A little later Pierce speaks with former Whitecap and current Surrey United Technical Director Jeff Clarke, about his new role, his time in Europe, and who to look out for on the youth scene coming out of his club. Last but not least, Pierce talks to Marc Weber, Whitecaps beat writer for the Vancouver Province about some new years resolutions that the club should think about.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    [* You can download this podcast <a href="http://westcoastsoccerweekly.podbean.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a>, listen to it on either of the players below or find it on iTunes *]
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    Guest
    <center><i>"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."</center>
    <p align=right>(Winston Churchill)</i></p>
    New Year's Eve. The final day of 2011, so a time for reflection.
    For Vancouver Whitecaps fans, this was a year many would like to forget, but as Churchill's quote above finely states, you only move forward by learning from your mistakes, and that's just what the Whitecaps now have to do in 2012 under the guidance of Martin Rennie.
    And what better way to remember the past than with a musical soundtrack of the year?! With that in mind, AFTN brings you our first <i>"Top Ten List"</i> for CSN (it's been a regular staple of ours for many years now) - <i><b>"The Top Ten Songs To Sum Up Vancouver Whitecaps' 2011"</b></i>….
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    (10) "Pumped Up First Kicks" – Foster The People
    (9) "Road To Nowhere" – Talking Heads
    (8) "Where Did It All Go Wrong?" - Oasis
    (7) "Smells Like There's No Team Spirit" – Nirvana
    (6) "Tommy Can You Hear Me? GTF" – The Who
    (5) "Is This It" – The Strokes
    (4) "Things Can Only Get Better" – D:ream
    (3) "Changes" – David Bowie
    (2) "Dawning Of A New Era" – The Specials
    (1) "99 Problems And A Pitch Was One" – Jay Z
    What songs do you feel are most apt for the soundtrack of the Whitecaps' year?
    <p>
    Guest
    (This article originally appeared at Some Canadian Guys Writing About Soccer on December 15, 2008. Wondering what this is? Click here.)
    An investigation has revealed that 237 Metcalfe Street in Ottawa, long purported to be the address of the Canadian Soccer Association’s head offices, is actually the location of Cute & Snuggly Arts, an independent pet supply store owned by Robert and Deborah Matheson of Nepean.
    The pet store, located in downtown Ottawa near the Parliament buildings, is housed in a nondescript grey brick building with the letters “CSA” visible from the exterior. The Mathesons say that due to arcane local bylaws, they are prevented from showcasing animal-related products in their front window, meaning their pet shop appears to be just another nondescript gray office in the capital. It also means their business is far from booming.
    “We sometimes get folks in here asking if we’re the soccer people,” said Robert, 63. “We tell ‘em we have puppy chew toys shaped like soccer balls and that’s about it. Sometimes they swear, but they don’t usually buy anythin’.”
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Mathesons say they’ve owned the building for over 25 years. Asked how they’ve kept the business afloat for so long, Deborah would only say they had “relatives in the government”.
    The coincidental name of the pet shop also appears to be just that — a coincidence.
    “I wasn’t even sure what the Canada Soccer Alliance was until a few years ago,” said Deborah, 61. “But this year, all sorts of people have come in throwing around names I don’t even recognize. Some guy, Dan Mitchell, they keep saying I should fire him. I have a cousin named Dan, but he doesn’t even work here. How do they know him?”
    Robert backed up his wife’s claims about unusual run-ins with non-pet-supply-interested people.
    “Every now and then we get some media guy calling in here, asking about this or that. Usually I just throw them some Italian-sounding name, tell ‘em I’m Dominic this or Vito that. Then I tell ‘em whatever they want to hear. We got politicians in the family, so I know how to talk to these guys.”
    Indeed, the phone number listed on the Canadian Soccer Association’s website does connect a caller to the Mathesons’ pet store. Despite their voicemail message — “Thanks for calling Cute & Snuggly Arts, your home for pet supplies in downtown Ottawa. Sorry, but we must be closed or busy right now, but please leave a message” — their answering machine was still full of messages clearly aimed at the soccer organization, including:
    “You guys are a joke. A joke. That whole Linford mess and everything since then. When are you guys going to get your heads out of your asses?”
    “Oooooh! Sack the CSA-a-a-a-a! Sack the CSA! Sack the CSA! Sack the CSA!”
    “Hi guys, it’s Ben Knight again. Can you please call me back?”
    “A lot of people are angry. I hope they’re not angry at us,” said Deborah. “There was that man who returned that collar a couple of years ago, he seemed pretty angry. I hope these aren’t his friends playing some dirty trick.”
    Robert had a different take on the matter.
    “It’s pretty clear that these soccer guys don’t want to be found. Or they don’t exist. I don’t know, and I don’t care. But hey, sometimes someone comes in to complain about soccer, and they end up buying a litter box or some Pup-peroni. I’ll take some verbal abuse to make a sale, any day of the week.”
    Officials from the Canadian Soccer Association could not be reached for comment.
    Guest
    Picking the goals of the year for each of Canada’s major pro teams is always a daunting, but rewarding, experience. There are worse ways to spend a morning than reviewing goals!
    It’s also a bit hopeless as you know that no matter how hard you try someone is going to disagree with your choice. Actually, that’s half the fun. We encourage you to disagree, preferably with video evidence to back it up.
    Goal of the year factors in both artistic beauty and importance – although a “pretty” goal will always trump an ugly goal, no matter the importance.
    This year’s picks below the jump
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    FC Edmonton – Shaun Saiko
    The club’s first ever goal was always going to be in the conversation, but it became a non-debate once Shaun Saiko struck this bending beauty from 27-yards. It was a hell of a way to enter the league.


    Montreal Impact - Ali Gerba
    The Impact had a terrible year. The goal we picked came during one of the few highlights of the season. With a packed house there to watch Thierry Henry, it was Ali Gerba’s glancing header that stole the show and gave the Impact the 1-0 win (and hopefully a few more fans).


    Vancouver Whitecaps - Eric Hassli
    That this goal wasn’t the MLS goal of the year is absurd. You don’t even need us to tell you what the Caps goal of the year was (I suspect this still might be Vancouver’s best goal 50 years from now)


    Toronto FC - Joao Plata
    The Reds goal of the year was the most difficult to pick – Alan Gordon’s injury equalizer against the Galaxy, Javier Martina’s chip in the home opener and Danny Koevermans game clincher against Columbus (ending five years of frustration against the Massive! Pain in the ass from Ohio) all received consideration.
    However, in the end we went with Joao Plata’s clincher in the CCL against Dallas. The importance of the moment, Plata’s confidence on the ball and the clinical finish made it too hard to ignore (goal at 4:43).


    Don’t agree? Let us know in the comments and hunt down the video on Youtube!
    Guest
    Every week (or whenever it takes our fancy) we think of a subject for a football team to be based around, then fill it with our starting eleven of 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.
    Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, a time for celebration and dancing the night away. With this in mind, we bring you the MLS <b><i>"Dance XI"</b></i>...
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <center>************************************</center>
    <b>GK:</b> Slosh Saunders (Los Angeles Galaxy)
    <b>D :</b> Tyson Wahltz (Montreal Impact)
    <b>D :</b> Tymewarp Harden (Toronto FC)
    <b>D :</b> Mamadou Belly-Danso (Portland Timbers)
    <b>M :</b> Mehdi Balletouchy (New York Red Bulls)
    <b>M :</b> Eddie Congaven (Columbus Crew)
    <b>M :</b> Nizar Khalfandango (Philadelphia Union)
    <b>M :</b> Marvin Cha-Cha-Chavez (San Jose Earthquakes)
    <b>F :</b> Shimmy Ochoa (Seattle Sounders)
    <b>F :</b> Teal Bunnyhopbury (Kansas City)
    <b>F :</b> Long Tango (Vancouver Whitecaps)
    Spreading the dancing talent around eleven clubs there. Not too shabby.
    I'm not going to say that this is a team of hakas, but…
    <p>
    Guest
    (This article originally appeared at Some Canadian Guys Writing About Soccer on October 27, 2008. Wondering what this is? Click here.)
    The owner of an unspectacular butcher shop in downtown Abu Dhabi has reportedly put in a bid for Hull City AFC. Mohammed el-Fatouk, 46, would not officially confirm the bid during an interview in his shop, Top Top Halal Meats, but did express his admiration for the underdog club’s surprising early-season success.
    “I am football fan, yes, but I am also a businessman,” said el-Fatouk, ignoring several queueing customers to answer a reporter’s questions. “Hull City has very good value, you know? To put the name Top Top on their jersey now, this would ensure it would be seen in the Champions League for many years to come. This would be very good for business.”
    Last month, an investment group from the oil-rich capital of the United Arab Emirates completed the purchase of Manchester City FC for an estimated value of just over CAD$300 million. el-Fatouk, however, believes that Hull City, who are in the Premier League for the first time in their century-plus history, could be had for a fraction of that.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    But Ahmed Bin Sabaz, who owns a butcher shop down the street from Top Top, said that while el-Fatouk may be on sound financial footing, his commitment is questionable.
    “I do not doubt Mohammed could purchase the club if he chose. My brother, who ate crayons when we were a child [sic], last week he purchased a new home just for his shoes. You understand? Top Top, its meat is not good. But there is money. Money is not the issue in this place.
    “However, Mohammed… he is always on about this or that. Last week he was going to start airline company. Perhaps next week he will start international shipping company. It does not happen. Mohammed, he does the talk, but he does not do the action.”
    For his part, the wannabe owner of Hull seemed undeterred by his competitor’s words.
    “Ahmed, he is simply jealous. But he will see. This is the start of many years of success for Top Top in British football,” said el-Fatouk.
    He then angrily gestured to an employee to retrieve a fallen rack of lamb from the floor and put it back on display.
    Guest

    Borjan finished at Sivasspor?

    By Guest, in Some Canadian Guys,

    For those who don't scan Canadian soccer message boards daily in search of player-movement minutia, here's something unsettling: Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan appears to be finished with his Turkish first division club Sivasspor.
    To be fair, the details surrounding this are sketchy. I mean really sketchy. The guys over at the Voyageurs board uncovered the following report (link in Turkish) saying that Borjan and two other players have been asked to leave the team.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Borjan became something of a folk hero to hardcore Canadian soccer fans at the end of 2010 when he seemed to literally appear out of nowhere to proclaim his desire to play for Canada internationally as a way to repay the country for taking in his family during the Balkan Wars. At the time he was playing professionally in Serbia and had since made what most would agree was an upwardly mobile move to the Turkish league. That's why this news is so unfortunate if accurate.
    Borjan appeared ready to step into Canada's number one goalkeeping role for this summer's crucial round of World Cup qualifying. Or at least ready to challenge his 33-year-old colleague Lars Hirschfeld for that role. If Borjan lands with an equivalent or better side elsewhere in Europe then perhaps this is for the best. If he ends up bench-warming or not playing at all for large swaths of the coming months then Canada's situation in goal just became a whole lot dicier. Again.
    I've emailed the CSA to see if they know anything and will update this post if new information becomes available.
    Update: Looks like Borjan last played for Sivasspor on December 12 and hasn't dressed for either of the club's two league games since.
    Guest
    The old adage of a cigar sometimes being a cigar applies to this year’s World Performance of the Year. We tried to think outside the box during the debate – I advocated for Mario Balotelli at one point (and I still think he wouldn’t be a terrible pick – although more so if the award was world Character of the Year).
    However, in the end, it’s hard to get past the brilliance of one performance.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The 2011 World Performance of the Year is, collectively, FC Barcelona.
    We’re all privileged to be football fans now, able to watch this team at the peak of its powers. It’s a club that has to be on the short list of best ever.
    Real Madrid of ’56 to ‘60 with modern tactics, ’71 to ’73 Ajax with more discipline, AC Milan in ’94 if they could have sustained itself – same with ’99 United.
    But, I’ll take Barca now over all the above and any other you could name. They have perfected the modern game in a way that has rendered them almost dull. Hell, the current African player of the year, Yaya Toure, left the club because he didn’t feel challenged enough as part of it.
    There are people that hate Barca for that – they say they are boring, their fans narcissistic. You can understand that point of view. However, you must also understand the precision that they play with. Even if you hate them, you must appreciate just how skilled they are.
    Barca is a project perfected. And with a youth academy that is grinding out Messi 2.0s and 3.0s as you read this, the project is far from over. The Catalans are likely just getting started. Watching Barca make Manchester United look like Wigan on a bad day in last year’s Champions League final should have been a sobering vision for all who wish to defeat them.
    Can Barca be stopped? Sure, Inter did. However, that was a blip of negativity that took advantage of a freak environmental disaster to temporarily slow the machine down. Really stopping them though? That’s going to take time and a visionary that re-thinks how to play the game at a basic level because Barca has perfected the way we play it today.
    The great thing about football is that someone will figure it out. Until then we can only sit back and watch with wonder as Barca spins its (occasionally dull but always skilled) form of magic.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onm16nLmPaY
    Guest
    (This article originally appeared at Some Canadian Guys Writing About Soccer on March 20, 2009. Wondering what this is? Click here.)
    Television funnyman Drew Carey hasn’t shied away from controversy during his time as minority stakeholder in the Seattle Sounders FC, which played its first game in Major League Soccer on Thursday night, an impressive 3-0 win over New York.
    But Carey’s newest suggestion is his boldest yet: offering the entire franchise itself as a prize on the long-running game show The Price is Right, which Carey currently hosts.
    “I think an MLS franchise would make a great prize in a Showcase Showdown one of these days,” said Carey. “And it would be just like any other prize: try to guess the correct value, without going over… I don’t think Don Garber would be allowed to play.”
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    This suggestion comes mere days after Carey’s plan to allow Sounders fans to have a direct influence on head-office decisions, such as the hiring and firing of the general manager.
    “Look, it’s not that different from an episode of my old show, where Oswald meets the owner of the [Cleveland] Browns down at the Warsaw, and after the guy couldn’t handle his Buzz [beer], he sells the team to Oswald. You remember that one, don’t you?”
    When contacted, producers of The Drew Carey Show confirmed that such an episode was never aired, taped or even discussed.
    The addition of a pro sports franchise into the mix on The Price is Right would mark a surprising new direction for the program, which has aired for over 50 years and is largely based upon over-enthusiastic college students and adorable old ladies with hand-made T-shirts guessing at the prices of inexpensive everyday items such as tomato sauce and wart removal cream. By contrast, the price for a team wishing to enter the MLS is currently set at $40 mil-- err, $35 million.
    “Look,” said Carey, “you don’t get anywhere if you don’t take risks. Do you think I’d be where I was today if I hadn’t let Ryan Stiles make all those fat jokes at my expense on Whose Line? Or if I hadn’t entered the WWE Royal Rumble, fulfilling my lifelong dream of making a fool of myself in front of thousands of drunken hillbillies?
    “Maybe some people don’t like what I’m doing with the Sounders, but like I said, sometimes you have to take risks to get where you want to go.”
    Carey then sighed loudly and stared at the ceiling for several moments.
    “Do you think Craig Ferguson is still hiring?”
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