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    Guest
    Canada's lone second division team learned its schedule for the first three weekends of NASL action next season.
    As it did in its inaugural campaign, FC Edmonton will begin the 2012 NASL season away to Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The match is one of four opening day pairings set for April 7, 2012 in the 8-team league.
    The Eddies will presumably remain in Florida following the game against the Strikers, as a meeting with FC Tampa Bay is set for April 14th. Edmonton will then host its first home league game on April 22nd against reigning champions NSC Minnesota Stars.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    There has been no word as to where Edmonton will call home in 2012, as the team has not committed to another season at the much-maligned Foote Field.
    Guest

    CSA names 2011 U-17 players of the year

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The Canadian Soccer Association announced today the male and female U-17 players of the year. Bryce Alderson nabbed the honour on the boys side, while Ashley Lawrence was given the nod for the girls.
    Both Alderson and Lawrence were the captain of their respective U-17 national sides, with Alderson repeating as the male recipient of the award.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Lawrence is a midfielder who played as an underager in the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and this year she led her club Erin Mills Eagles to a national U-16 title. She was also part of the winning Ontario team in the 2011 Nutrilite All-Stars U-16 tournament.
    Kitchener, Ontario native Alderson is a product of the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency program, and this year he was part of the Canadian team to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 16 years. He is also the most recent homegrown signing for the Whitecaps' MLS side, having signed a professional contract for the upcoming 2012 season.
    Guest

    Scratching the 29 year itch

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    You’re unlikely to see the highlights on Sportsnet Connected, or Sportscentre this morning, but North America's most important sporting event of yesterday took place near Monterrey, Mexico. There, UNAL Tigres played Santos Laguna in the second leg of the Apertura final. Tigres had won the first let 1-0 on the road, setting up the scenes you can watch in the video below:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHUg1ROHQNA
    The championship was Tigres’ first in 29 years.
    What’s this have to do with Canadian soccer? Nothing, but it’s always worthwhile to be reminded of the passion and joy that makes our sport so special – 29 years of loyality rewarded over 90 minutes. I’m sure if you talked to a Tigres fan today they’d tell you it was worth the wait.
    Guest

    How Deep Rooted Are The Whitecaps' Problems?

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    I don't think we can quite call Vancouver Whitecaps a 'Club In Crisis', but there have been a lot of worrying signs recently that all is not well on the good ship Vancouver.
    After the shambles that was the 2011 MLS season, this was meant to be the beginning of a positive new chapter for the Caps.
    The appointment of Martin Rennie was well received. A sought after, young manager, with a proven track record, albeit in the lower levels of North American football. He’s used to coming in, clearing out, rebuilding and still achieving success at the end of it all.
    There’s been no outlandish claims as to what the Whitecaps are going to achieve next year, just an honest reality that this is a work in progress.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    When he landed in Vancouver post season, he stated that he will set <i>"ambitious"</i> yet <i>"realistic"</i> goals for the team next year, and these will be done <i>"incrementally"</i> based on full evaluation and operational factors, such as did he get the players he wanted to get.
    So, no false dawns and amazing proclamations this time around. With Barber now out of the way, I believe we will see a much different public outlook from the Whitecaps Front Office.
    The 2011 season has been plagued by ticketing fiascos, front office upheaval, a terse relationship with the Southsiders and the worst on field performance of any team in Vancouver Whitecaps history. Another major priority, the securing of a purpose built training facility for the Caps, is close, but still not a reality.
    The on-pitch disaster goes without saying. Barber infamously stated that the Caps want to be one of the top 25 football clubs in the world. Under his tutelage, they struggled to be one of the top 25 in North America.
    Off the pitch, it’s just been one clusterfuck after another.
    With three Head Coaches, numerous other changes in coaching personnel, a turnover of front office staff and now the resignation of their CEO, Vancouver Whitecaps' 2011 can be described as tumultuous.
    Such upheaval does not give the impression of a well structured, or happy, organization. What the whole football club needs now, is stability.
    Can they get it with the old D2 team of Bobby Lenarduzzi and Rachel Lewis at the helm, or are the problems too deep rooted for a quick fix? What exactly are the problems and where did it all go wrong?
    There is a genuine excitement in Vancouver about the season(s) ahead. A positivity that hasn’t existed for what seems like a long time.
    We have a good team in the making and a very bright future with the younger kids we have coming through.
    I can't wait to see what the 2012 season has in store, and I'm counting down the days till first kick.
    In spite of this, the Whitecaps continue to give the impression of a Club verging on being in turmoil.
    It’s been an annus horribilis if you’re a Whitecaps fan.
    It’s not an easy one to pinpoint why. There are just so many factors. You can definitely see a slippery slope since Barber’s appointment, and no, I’m not laying all the blame at the Englishman’s door. He does though have to shoulder a lot of it as he was the grand overseer.



    It has been a disappointing couple of years. It’s as if two years of Whitecaps history have been pretty much a non event.
    At a season ticket holder event prior to the 2010 season, not long after Barber had arrived, fans were told that despite building towards MLS, the Whitecap’s goals were firmly set on landing the NASL Championship and a Champions League spot by winning their first Voyageurs Cup. They wanted to win every competition they took part in.
    The Caps achieved neither. Sound familiar?
    The 2010 season was meant to one in which the foundations were set for MLS transition. Players would be brought on board early that would bring a unity and familiarity into the new era.
    It was a dreadful year for entertainment. The Caps may have lost out in the USSF D2 semi finals in a penalty shoot-out, but some of the football on display was hard to watch at times.
    Players came and went at an alarming rate. It was like one big trial game, but one in which fans had to pay a lot of money to watch.
    The whole year now seems like a waste and that is one of the factors causing problems today. The Caps did not go into MLS with a firm footing on the playing side.
    Most of the players have moved on, including many fan favourites. We didn’t seem to learn or build anything and now, once again, we find ourselves rebuilding, although from a slightly bigger and better core group.
    There were a lot of unhappy players last season, and even with the introduction of Head Coach number three, there is still unrest.
    A story which has not yet broken out into the national spotlight is that the Whitecaps have an unhappy ‘Player of the Year’ on their hands.
    Brazilian striker Camilo was one of the few shining lights in a season of despair.
    He was most people’s Caps MVP. The top scorer in the side, he outperformed DP Eric Hassli, a player on a guaranteed $766,455 more than the South American star.
    Camilo, rightly, expected to be rewarded and valued for his contribution with a payrise. The Caps seem to be happy to oblige, but it would appear that the parties are a little apart.
    This has forced the striker onto Twitter and a series of worrying tweets these last few days have indicated that all is not well and fans fear they are about to lose one of the few real attacking threats in the Caps arsenal.
    The counter argument to Camilo’s hissy fit is that he wouldn’t have taken a pay cut if he had underperformed and he has signed what is believed to have been a four year contract on a certain reward level.
    When you consider that the flop that is Mustapha Jarju is raking in $426,883 and a DP spot for contributing nothing and sitting on the bench, it is only human nature to feel some ire, especially when a Chinese newspaper report was seemingly indicating that the unproven Long Tan was going to be earning $100,000 next year.
    Whatever your feelings in this matter, the one thing I’m sure that everyone can agree on is that the issue shouldn’t have made it on to Twitter.
    Who actually yields the control at the Caps FO and where is it? No one seems to be able to handle what should be simple control issues.
    The Young-Pyo Lee signing was an example of how not to handle a transfer. It was the worst kept secret in MLS this year, with the player himself officially announcing it on Twitter the day before the Caps official announcement. Everybody already knew days before anyway.
    Just when the Club are showing positive signs, an issue like Camilo’s future drags it back down into the mire again and it’s been like that all year.
    For a team with megarich owners, and one which we are told is the envy of MLS through the amount of corporate money brought in, we appear very loathe to splash the cash.
    The financial reward for having more sponsors than I could even begin to name, has not trickled down to the on-field product. The fans don’t really seem to be getting a lot out of it, apart from the odd headache when trying to deal with the official travel partner.
    Marketing in the city has been terrible this year, with ads and promotions at an apparent premium. We sold tickets, so maybe I shouldn’t complain. Something seems to be working, but will it hold up in this financial climate?
    The front office has not made a good transition from D2 to ‘major league’ level and you really do have to ask whether there is any hope of this improving next year. They can’t get much worse, but is the talent, personnel and numbers present to make it much better? This has been one of the keys behind a multitude of the mistakes this year.
    Then we have the question of how much influence and input into the day to day running of the Club does majority owner Greg Kerfoot have?
    Who ultimately made the decision to fire Teitur and to hire Rennie?
    If Kerfoot does have influence in these major decisions, then this is still going to be an issue going forward.
    Lenarduzzi and Lewis have worked with him for years, so are most likely to be on the same page, but if a new man was to come in, how would any such interference be viewed?
    Few in Vancouver are prepared to knock Kerfoot. He is the reason that the city not only has a MLS team, but an actual professional football club in the first place. We owe him a hell of a lot.
    I know if I had multi millions of dollars invested into a love, I would want to be shaping how it runs and have more of a hands on role.
    He can’t be happy with how things have played out this year. No one is.
    So many questions raised in this piece I know, and I wish we had the answers, or even some of them. And that’s the problem.
    When so many things have gone wrong in such a short period of time, you can’t expect miracles over night.
    The problems are not too deep rooted to make them impossible to fix, but they have embedded themselves for a couple of years now.
    We are seeing signs of improvements. I'm very positive the Caps will turn things around.
    An exciting new manager, better supporter relations and the promise of players arriving who will get the job done and homegrown prospects ready to break through. The same mistakes will not be repeated, but what Vancouver Whitecaps need most of all are football people, in the top positions down, that understand the uniqueness and challenges of the North American game.
    Lenarduzzi and Lewis may not have all the fancy business qualifications, but at least they know the game here and have experience running the Caps organization. It’s enough to steer the ship into calmer waters. It’s a start and must only be for the short term, unless they prove themselves to be a formidable team, which would be a surprising bonus.
    Many fans, and the local media, gave the team a ‘mulligan’ this year. They are unlikely to be so accommodating as we move forward.
    <p>
    Guest

    Welcome To Away From The Numbers

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    <b>Away From The Numbers</b> has now joined <b>Canadian Soccer News</b>.
    To all of our regular readers, welcome to our new home.
    To all of our new readers, welcome to the world of AFTN.
    Away From The Numbers started life as a printed football fanzine in Scotland in 1989 and now operates on both sides of the Atlantic (you can read the full original history of AFTN <a href="http://www.aftn.co.uk/aboutus.html'>http://www.aftn.co.uk/aboutus.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>).
    In Scotland, AFTN is the main unofficial website, blog and web presence dedicated to East Fife Football Club. If anyone has any interest in third tier Scottish football, check us out at: <a href="http://www.aftn.co.uk" target="_blank"><b>www.aftn.co.uk</b></a>!
    AFTN began in Canada in 2009, with the focus primarily on Vancouver Whitecaps FC. You can read what we've been going on about for the last three years at: <a href="http://aftncanada.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>http://aftncanada.blogspot.com</b></a>.
    We’ve brought our fanzine ethos with us and we hope to bring something a little different to the <i>Canadian Soccer News</i> collective.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    You’ll still get the breaking news, review and hard hitting analysis that you’ve come to expect from CSN, but you’ll also be getting some off-beat humour stuff thrown in.
    We appreciate this will not be to everyone’s taste and not what many will want/expect from Canada’s premier football news outlet, but you know what? Football is primarily about the fun and enjoyment aspect, or else, why bother? I think we forget that sometimes when we’re bogged down in the mire.
    Friday is our <b><i>”Friday Fun”</i></b> day. We’re warning you in advance! It amuses us and that's all that matters!!
    That’s not to say that you’re not going to get the serious articles on those days as well, and some humourous stuff thrown into the mix on other days. We just go with how the mood takes us.
    If you have no interest in reading the humour stuff, we understand. Just look out for everything branded <b><i>"Timewasting"</i></b>.
    What else will AFTN be bringing to CSN?
    We’re going to introduce you to our own writers and columnists over the next few weeks, each with their own unique take on the game. Some have been writing for AFTN already, some have written elsewhere and some have talents that no-one has seen yet.
    We've chosen this day to make the move as it was on this very day in 1973 that the original Vancouver Whitecaps were officially founded. December 11th - a very good day indeed for Caps fans everywhere.
    All that's really left to say is that we hope you enjoy the next chapter of AFTN.
    Guest
    Sometimes, a story is straightforward, and it's easy to reach a consensus about its meaning; for instance, "Alien cyborg invasion of Earth set to begin next Tuesday" or "Little kids feed cotton candy to puppies, have video to prove it". But those stories are the exceptions. Most times, it's tough to reach agreement not just amongst a group of people, but within one individual's mind.
    In that spirit, here are my initial reactions to some of the week's big news items, along with the ways in which I almost-instantly contradicted or second-guessed myself.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Rogers/Bell to share majority ownership of Toronto FC's parent company, MLSE.
    First thought: Whoa. Hmm. But how about... and what if... or... wow, this is bloody weird.
    Yeah, but... This probably doesn't change much, if anything, about the team's day-to-day existence. And it means they'll likely play the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals at the Rogers Centre, which will be cool. And it could also mean non-TSN regular-season games will end up on freely-available Sportsnet, rather than specialty channel GOL TV -- which would help build the team's profile.
    Yeah, but... What does having the city's four biggest pro teams (sorry, Argos) all owned, at least in part, by a giant media conglomerate mean for the fates of those teams, and the fate of independent coverage of them? That's not a rhetorical question, it really could go either way. We'll have to see how this one turns out.
    South Korean legend Young-Pyo Lee signs with the Whitecaps.
    First thought: The fact that he was
    means that demographic concerns probably played a part in this signing.Yeah, but... An ass in a seat is an ass in a seat, and the more people willing to come out and watch a Canadian soccer club play live, the better. Will there be a huge number of people suddenly rushing to buy tickets specifically because of Lee? Probably not. But there will be some.
    Yeah, but... Will they stick around once Lee is done? Impossible to say. Some will, some won't. But if the squad can produce victories and entertainment, the former will surely outnumber the latter.
    Stuart Neely steps down as head of the Toronto FC Academy.
    First thought: Oh God no, it's all falling apart, mass exodus, rat on a sinking ship, WTF, everyone panic!
    Yeah, but... Actually, this one's not even a "yeah, but", since the first thought was sheer nonsense. So the legitimate first thought is, "Hmm. Well, he's clearly had a good run, with four kids graduating to the first team in 2011 and two of them -- Ashtone Morgan and Matt Stinson -- not only showing well for TFC, but also earning their first Canadian national team call-ups."
    Yeah, but... What will they do without him? Well, I'm gonna guess Aron Winter and Bob de Klerk probably have someone in their Rolodex capable of handling a youth academy.
    Paul Barber steps down as CEO of the Whitecaps.
    First thought: Cripes, that can't possibly be a good sign. Not after one year in MLS.
    Yeah, but... There are surely behind-the-scenes machinations that necessitated this. If things in the front office had become unworkable for whatever reason, better for everyone to cut their losses as soon as possible.
    Vancouver to host Montreal for MLS First Kick on March 10.
    First thought: Well, we know for sure neither of them will end the season with zero points.
    Yeah, but... Toronto FC still could.
    Yeah, but... That won't happen. Besides, this ain't about Toronto, it's about the renewal of hostilities between a pair of long-time rivals, the Whitecaps and Impact.
    Yeah, but... Is it? The "Canadian rivalry" angle is a nice, easy storyline, but I'd imagine that based on the realities of geography, most 'Caps fans see the Sounders and Timbers as their natural adversaries, while the UM02 faithful would love nothing more than to stick it to those bastards from Toronto.
    Yeah, but... It's two Canadian franchises playing a high-profile match in MLS, a few days after another Canadian team plays a CCL quarter-final match. Take a moment and put that in perspective.
    Guest

    About Frank Total Near-do-wells

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    We hinted that change has been coming and Sunday it will arrive. Tomorrow marks the start of a massive Canadian Soccer News overhaul.
    One that largely means taking the local coverage out of the hands of that 'centre-of-the-universe scum' and putting it in the hands of those who are in your community, who understand your issues and sing with you at games.
    We're decentralizing our coverage and giving it a truly local voice.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]First up is Vancouver. We've brought in an editor well connected to the supporters groups, with an established readership and someone who shares the same values we do for driving the conversation and breaking news. He will be CSN's Vancouver bureau chief of sorts - directing, writing and setting the agenda for Whitecaps and Cascadia coverage.
    With him, he's bringing a team of writers, columnists and podcasters that will be introduced in the lead up to First Kick 2012.
    They are varied and opinionated and, I'm convinced, will come to be the source for giving the community what it's after - stories away from the, ahem, numbers.
    If it's not plainly obvious, this is the most excited I've been about CSN coverage since the planning stages of the CSA reform saga. That helped to define us and has set us apart from the herd - as I believe this will. We're committed to giving Canadian teams and their local fans a voice of their own - a place to discuss their own. We're also committed to creating an interactive experience that will be truly unique to each user. But before we turn the soccer online experience on its head with CSN 2.0, we will deliver Montreal its own proper place and voice. There will be more on all of that in the months ahead.
    For now though, the Vancouver Whitecaps gets a second blog on CSN, a dedicated team to cover their game and we get to quell some of the dissent that this is only a site for those East of the Prairies and West of La Belle Province.
    Frankly put, tomorrow we take a step towards living up to our name: Canadian Soccer News.
    Guest
    Canadian Soccer News has been told that Paul Barber resigned as CEO of the Whitecaps because he no longer felt that the relationship between himself, president Bob Lenarduzzi and owner Greg Kerfoot was workable.
    “There's rumours of a disagreement with Bobby (Lenarduzzi) on issues,” a well placed source said. “Barber has micromanaged everything last season. Departments weren't allowed to make their own decisions without him having the final ok. He's vetoed a lot.”
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    That position was backed up by members of the Southsiders supporter’s group.
    “Bobby vs. Paul and Bobby won,” a member said. “(The) word from the office is that they have not been communicating with each other for some time and there was hatred and anger for each other. So I guess Barber...walked.”
    It’s suggested that much of the conflict stemmed from cultural differences between the Englishman Barber and the Canadians. Barber was seen to be attempting to bring “a UK style to North America,” the source said. “It wasn’t working. I can’t say as I’m upset he’s gone.”
    Despite that conflict – which was said to be a poorly kept secret – news of his resignation caught the soccer community in Vancouver off guard.
    “It's come as a big surprise to most here,” the source said.
    Although most observers are suggesting that Barber will return to England, there is some suggestion that Barber will resurface in an executive position at MLS head office.
    The Whitecaps were contacted this afternoon to comment. As of publication they had yet to respond. The story will be updated with their response if and when it is provided.
    Guest
    You would think that would be enough to keep the avid snowboarder in Vancouver. Unfortunately the outgoing CEO was not talking about his dealings with the VPD from earlier in the morning (for which he was dealt a J Walking ticket), but answering a question regarding the field at BC Place.
    Barber and Club Representatives announced today that he will be stepping down from his position as CEO, effective towards the end of February.
    While today's news came as a big shock to everyone following the team, and a press conference was called, there were not a lot of details that came out of the mouthes of the suits on hand.
    Whitecaps co-owner Jeff Mallett stated that he expected to run into Barber, saying that
    So while nobody would say what the next step actually is, it sounds like Barber is headed back to England.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Barber brought an uncanny ability to side step difficult questions and spin positives out of negatives during his two years on the West Coast. He brought a refined swagger to the club as it made it's transition from the second division. He played a role in acquiring several of the major partners. Keeping all this in mind his relationship with the both the club and the supporters appeared to have been strained.
    While we are unable to divulge our sources, it sounds like several long standing employees had their feathers ruffled by the Englishmen during his time on Water Street. With some going so far as to say that this was a good thing. His relationship with the Southsiders could be described as strained to say the least. One only need take a look at their discussion forum to see the dislike for Barber.
    All the F/O members said that everything seemed to be ticked off their list as far as Barbers responsibilities went. Strangely enough the club still seems to be without a Training Facility and Barber surely had that as one of the top orders on his to do list. He even announced some time back that there would be more news on a deal for property acquired to build the facility but then nothing more was ever said.
    The fact that Rachel Lewis will be taking on more of the responsibilities she once held during the Second Division Days bodes well for everyone involved. While Lenarduzzi is inevitably the face of the club, Lewis has had a hand in every financial move the club has made while remaining in the background. She has a firm understanding of the market and strong relations with many local businesses.
    Are you glad to see Paul Barber gone? Confused as to how a club could go through 3 managers and it's CEO before it's second year in the league?
    Photo Credit to Ian Azariah
    Guest

    Lee-mania

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    If you doubted the pull of Lee Young-Pyo Lee in the Korean community in Vancouver, watch this video from the Whitecaps:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]


    There seems little doubt that Lee will sell tickets.
    Guest

    Sutton stays in MLS

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Greg Sutton has signed a MLS contract with the Montreal Impact.
    The former TFC and New York Red Bulls player had his best years playing for the USL Impact. Sutton was a stand out in D2 between 2001 and 2006. He rejoined the Impact on loan last year and will likely serve as a back-up in 2012. He lives in the Montreal area.
    Sutton has played 50 career games in MLS, including 48 starts, totalling 4,432 minutes. He has a record of 14 wins, 21 losses and 15 draws, with 11 clean sheets.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    Barber leaves 'Caps

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Paul Barber has stepped down as CEO of the Vancouver Whitecaps. The club announced today that he will be leaving his post in February, after just over two years on the job.
    The move is a surprise. When Barber first arrived in Canada every indication was that he was here for the long haul. So far, there was no indication as to why he is leaving.
    In a statement released by the club Barber said that he was proud to have been associated with the ‘Caps.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    “I am delighted and honoured to have served one of North America's oldest and most famous soccer clubs and to have played a part in re-establishing the Whitecaps at the highest level of the game on this continent,” he said. “I would like to thank the club, my associates, our partners, and of course our fantastic supporters for a very rewarding experience in a great city. I will continue to be a proud ambassador for the club in the future.”
    The club did not say anything other than to officially thank him for his time.
    More as it develops.
    Guest
    TFC has a new majority owner. Less than a month after the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund said it was taking its stake of MLSE off the table, things have changed. Telecommunications giants Rogers and Bell have teamed up to buy about 80 per cent of the company. The sale was announced at a press conference this morning.
    So, what does it mean for the soccer team, undoubtedly an afterthought in the whole affair?
    It’s hard to say, but TFC fans can be forgiven if they are experiencing some trepidation this morning. This is not an individual, wealthy soccer lover sweeping in to take Toronto to the top of the league. No, it’s two massive, cold corporations with a reputation of maximizing profits.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Some fans may look at any change of ownership as a positive thing. To those fans MLSE, as it current
    stands, is the problem. It’s important that those fans understand that the change in ownership is not a change in management. TFC is not owned by MLSE, it’s part of the company of MLSE, which Rogers/Bell is buying. At least for now, the people running the soccer team will not change.
    What might change is the amount of resources the soccer management side of things gets. We don’t know if it will – and the evidence is minimal either way – but if it does it’s unlikely that it will be for the good. You see, despite the screaming of the discontented, MLSE has never cut corners when it comes to sport spending. They have never been cheap with their money, they’ve been bad with it. And since the management hasn’t changed today...
    The other thing TFC fans might be worried about/hoping for is that Rogers/Bell plans to sell off the individual parts of MLSE, leaving itself with just the Leafs. Since this deal screams of convergence strategy -- Bell (TSN and TSN Radio) and Rogers (Sportsnet and Fan 590) own multiple media platforms -- they are likely looking to use the sports properties as value added aspects to their other, more profitable, pieces.
    So, don’t look for a fire sale.
    We won’t know for certain what this will mean for some time – and it might not mean anything. Actually, chances are that it doesn’t. However, to use a cliché, sometimes it’s better to dance with the devil that you know.
    Guest
    A cool announcement from the Canadian Soccer Association late yesterday, posted to their website but not – so far as I know – directly distributed to the media.
    We now know the five members of the CSA Nominations Committee, who will recommend candidates for the six appointed members of the new CSA board, which will take over in May.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Quick backgrounder: The new, reformed CSA board structure consists of an elected president and vice-president, six elected regional representatives, and six appointed “experts.” These will be people with specific professional soccer, business and/or marketing backgrounds, who will apply their expertise and connections to improve neglected aspects of Canadian soccer.
    Fund-raising, sponsorship, advertising, growth and development of the game – minor, fwibbly stuff like that.
    The committee consists of two CSA directors – who are not allowed to run for CSA board positions in the spring, so this will be their exit act – and three outsiders.
    The quick brush-strokes, to be filled out next week ….
    Directors:
    - Jeannette Kuc (Saskatchewan) – Won some praise during the CSA reform movement.
    - Greg Anderson (British Columbia) – Listed as the CSA’s “Director: Professional,” has flown largely under the radar thus far.
    Outsiders:
    - Grant MacDonald (Nova Scotia) – A director at Events Nova Scotia, he is described on his Linkedin page as “a senior executive, strategist and relationship manager with experience in public and private sectors.”
    - J.D. Miller (Quebec) – A banking and mergers consultant from Montreal who helped set up “B2ten,” described by the Wall Street Journal as “a reclusive group of business leaders that provides a select group of Olympic hopefuls with special assistance.”
    - Paul Varian (Ontario) – Chief administrative officer at Oakville Soccer Club, has been working hard with Jason deVos to rethink and recreate the structure of amateur soccer clubs in Canada.
    On first glance, this looks – good.
    Good geographic mix, good range of background and experience, clear and obvious good connections.
    Makes it all the more baffling why the CSA isn’t talking about this with reporters, but we’ve been promised that is about to change.
    Much more soon.
    Onward!
    Guest

    백악관의 색깔은

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    According to the last Canadian census, there are 46,040 people who self-identify as Korean in greater Vancouver. There is no word on whether Bob Lenarduzzi obtained contact information for each and every one of them before signing Korean Republic international Lee Young-Pyo.
    It might be a good idea though. That way it would be easier to justify signing a nearly 35 year old, 5’9”, 150 lbs fullback to play on FieldTurf in one of the most physically demanding soccer leagues in the world.
    It’s about ticket sales, stupid. That’s understandable, if a little depressing. That the Whitecaps might need a sales bump so early in the club’s existence was not something most people expected.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    In fairness the Caps have not claimed that Young-Pyo was signed to sell tickets. In fact, they made a point of stressing the player’s accomplishments, which are not insignificant. And if the signing was five years ago it would be impressive.
    They also didn’t deny that there was a significant benefit to having a Korean legend play for the club. In talking to Marc Weber, both Paul Barber and Martin Rennie joked about the amount of attention that the player was receiving. Barber talked about how much more popular Spurs became in Korea after signing Young-Pyo. So, no one is denying that they weren’t thinking at least a little bit about the marketing here.
    To be clear, there is nothing wrong with that. Teams need to sell tickets. They are free to do whatever they feel is necessary to do that.
    It does raise questions though. Are the Caps struggling with renewals? If so, how badly?
    When Lenarduzzi appeared on It’s Called Football this week, he was directly asked about renewals. He expressed hope that they would work out, but was upfront with the fact that they weren’t going as well as they had expected and that the losing last year caused some season ticket holders to chose to not come back in 2012.
    That info is in line with anecdotal information that has been passed on to CSN from those in Vancouver.
    Again, this is understandable and hardly damning. Clubs go through ups and downs all the time and even if the Caps numbers drop they will likely still be in the top third in the league.
    There is really only one reason to make this a story – if the ticket crunch is influencing soccer decisions.
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