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    Making an Impact* on the expansion draft

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Although most of the attention today is focused on the Impact’s decision to draft Brian Ching in yesterday’s expansion draft, Montreal did pick up 11 other players. A review and rating of those selected:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]1 – Brian Ching – Putting aside the controversy, Ching is an overpaid, oft-injured forward that will never play for the Impact. He’s only worth what trade value he might bring and the only team that would touch him at his salary is the team that didn’t protect him in the draft. The unspoken in all this is that maybe Houston didn’t want him back and didn’t want to be the bad guy that released the fan favourite. If that’s the case, Montreal just wasted one of its 10 picks on the 2012 Houston Dynamo Special Director of Community Relations. Grade – D
    2 - Zarek Valentin – A 20-year-old former Generation adidas star that came out of the University of Akron powerhouse program...why the hell was he available? Oh yeah. Chivas. A no brainer pick, but still the steal of the draft. Grade – A+
    3 - Justin Mapp – A MLS lifer with lots of experience. Mapp is never going to be a star, but at 27 he probably has a few years left as a solid contributor. The mistake Vancouver made last year was not bringing in enough solid if not spectacular MLS guys – guys like Mapp. Grade - B-
    4 - Bobby Burling – A big body and a fan favourite in San Jose, Burling also fills the role of Solid MLS lifer. He’s a former teammate of Jesse March, so his pick was not much of a surprise. San Jose fans are upset to lose a likeable player, but the more rational ones realize that he’s just kind of a guy. Grade – C+
    5 - Jeb Brovsky – A mediocre midfielder that is young-ish, but probably never going to be much more than he already is. When you draft a guy that the worst team in the league was willing to let go you get what you get. Grade – C-
    6 - Collen Warner – A 23-year-old that was buried deep down a very talented RSL depth chart. Most Salt Lake fans seem to think that he’s going to be player, but not one that will ever make them burn with regret for losing him. Montreal obviously hopes he’ll be more than that. Time will tell, but he’ll likely get a shot at starting in 2012. Grade – B+
    7 - Josh Gardner –Gardner is a good D2 player that had never relly made a mark at a D1 level until this past season. A fullback with some offensive skill, the Impact would have played against him a great deal over the years. Maybe they saw something others have missed? At 29, he doesn’t have much longer to make a mark. Grade – C+
    8 - Sanna Nyassi – Picked in the expansion draft for the second straight year, Nyassi is the type of player that can look great at times and be maddeningly inconsistent at others. An athletic forward, he will likely play a lot of minutes for the Impact, score a few goals and frustrate supporters to no end with Chad Barrett-like miscues. Grade – B+
    9 - Justin Braun (part of James Riley trade) – A target forward with a one goal per four game strike rate through almost 100 career MLS games. He didn’t fit Chivas system and became available via trade to the Impact. Lucky Montreal. Grade – A-
    10 - Gerson Mayen (part of James Riley trade) – Mayen is essentially a throw in to the Braun deal. He’s still young-ish, but Montreal fans shouldn’t expect much. Grade – C-
    11 - Seth Sinovic – A bit of a cold pick since the poor guy is from Kansas City. That aside, Sinovic is a journeyman pro that did manage to find some success for the former Wizards last year. Don’t expect much from him – at 24 his development phase is long past – and you won’t be disappointed. He’ll likely be a bubble starter next year. Grade – C+
    12 - Tyson Wahl (acquired for allocation) – It’s a broken record, but Wahl is another is-what-he-is player. There will be nothing flashy here, but he is a MLS quality player. Grade – C+
    Overall, Montreal took a much more conservative and different approach than either Toronto or Vancouver. Considering how both those clubs did, that’s probably a better approach. Actually, the Impact’s strategy most closely resembles that of Portland’s and Impact fans should hope for an expansion season as good as the Timbers.
    You can’t put the foundation to a championship team together in the expansion draft, but a team that is competitive and challenges for a playoff spot is possible. Montreal may have done just that. And, if they can get something close to a full allocation for Ching (that they then use well) then this could have been a very good day indeed for Canada’s third MLS side.
    There is a lot of work yet – and who knows if some of these players might have been drafted to be then traded – but so far, so good for the Impact.
    *I promise that was the first and last Impact pun**
    **today
    Guest

    College stupidity

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Today on The Score, I wrote about the need for Canada to develop a proper development pathway, perhaps in the form of provincial semi-pro u20 leagues. You can read the article here, but the idea will not be new to long-time readers of CSN.
    However, there was a single line within that article that should be expanded on. When talking about NCAA soccer, I mentioned that there was a proposal on the table that would see spring friendlies eliminated if passed. Within the context of The Score article, it was included as just one more example as to why NCAA soccer was pretty much useless as a development pathway for Canadians. It is another example, but such flippancy does not spell out just how bad an idea it is.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Right now, the NCAA plays from late August until mid-November. The bulk of the season is in the two months of September and October. As self-contained programs the focus on NCAA programs is winning, with development a happy offshoot of that effort. What that means in practical terms is that most programs give the majority of minutes to the best 11-15 players. However, college programs have 25 or more players on them. The only time those depth players can see the pitch is in the spring, when a few friendlies give them a chance to show the coaching staff that they deserve to be in the 11-15 for the next season.
    If you take away those friendlies you could have a situation where a kid rots on the bench for two to three years before even getting a sniff. Considering that even training time is restricted in the NCAA, that doesn’t seem like the best development choice for a Canadian kid.
    On the men’s side of the game, the solution is simple: If your goal is to play pro soccer, stay the hell away from the NCAA. Canadians don’t share the sentimental attachment to college soccer that many of our American friends do so we can call it bluntly – the NCAA is next to useless as a development pathway. Although some players do emerge from the NCAA, it’s unlikely that any player benefits from his involvement. Even the most successful NCAA grads would have been better off developing in a proper football environment. Actually, especially the most successful NCAA grads would have benefited from developing in a proper football environment.
    So, with that in mind, you might think that Canadians need not overly care about the proposed changes in the NCAA. However, that would be ignoring the women’s game.
    Unfortunately, women’s football has not developed to the point where players can ignore the NCAA. American college soccer will be a major development pathway for some time to come. Therefore, if you care about the continued improvement of the women’s game you should hope that the NCAA comes to its senses and changes its mind about the elimination of spring soccer.
    Don’t hold your breath though. It’s the NCAA where common sense is often in short supply.
    Guest
    While Montreal was stocking up on players in their Expansion Draft, the club's two Canadian cousins were trimming the fat as Major League Soccer held its annual Waiver Draft on Wednesday.
    The Whitecaps waived three players, one of whom was claimed by another club, while Toronto shed seven names from its roster.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The 'Caps opted to part ways with Bilal Duckett, Alex Morfaw and Nizar Khalfan. Morfaw's release was known weeks ago, while Khalfan was snapped up by Philadelphia to become the only player claimed in the Waiver Draft.
    On the TFC end, cuts included Kyle Davies, Matt Gold, Leandre Griffit, Javier Martina, Demitirius Omphroy, Eddy Viator and Gianluca Zavarise. Like Morfaw, it was known for a while that Gold and Omphroy would not be returning.
    Full list of waived MLS players here.
    Guest

    Welcome to the Impact, MLS!

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The Montreal Impact have never displayed much concern for how they are perceived by outsiders. They do what they feel is best for them, regardless of the political fall-out.
    Perhaps it is an offshoot to operating in a French culture surrounded by an Island of English hostility/indifference (it all depends on your perspective), but it’s as much a part of the Impact’s make-up as is the annual firing of the head coach.
    It took all of 10 seconds for Montreal to introduce itself and its ways to the rest of MLS.
    “With the first selection of the expansion draft, the Montreal Impact select Brian Ching of the Houston Dynamo.”
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Ching, a career member of the Dynamo that wanted to play one more season in Houston so he could be there for the opening of their new stadium, had already said that he would retire before reporting to Montreal. Everyone in MLS knew what the deal was when he was left unprotected. Ching was available, but not really. The expectation was that he would be left alone and allowed to finish his career in Houston.
    The Impact missed the memo. Or, more likely, they got it but thought that they could use the situation to their advantage. In a move similar to what Mo Johnston did in the 2007 draft when he selected Jason Kreis, the Impact likely figure they can get an asset for Ching.
    Montreal is within its rights, but it’s not clear whether they are thinking it through. Johnston might not be the best person to emulate when it comes to building an expansion team after all.
    In MLS clubs often help each other out of minor jams – if team A needs a little allocation to sign a player team B might give them what they need for next to nothing with the understanding that they will return the favour down the road. It’s a reality Montreal might want to give some thought to before they demand too high a price for Ching’s return home.
    Here are the results of expansion draft:
    1. F Brian Ching, Houston Dynamo
    2. D Zarek Valentin, Chivas USA
    3. MF Justin Mapp, Philadelphia Union
    4. D Bobby Burling, San Jose Earthquakes
    5. MF Jeb Brovsky, Vancouver Whitecaps
    6. MF Collen Warner, Real Salt Lake
    7. MF Josh Gardner, Columbus Crew
    8. F Sanna Nyassi, Colorado Rapids
    9. D James Riley, Seattle Sounders (traded to Chivas USA for Justin Braun and MF Gerson Mayen)
    10. D Seth Sinovic, Sporting Kansas City
    Additionally, Tyson Wahl was acquired from Seattle for allocation money
    Guest
    After weeks of speculation, it was made official Tuesday that young striker Randy Edwini-Bonsu has completed a move to Eintracht Braunschweig in the 2.Bundesliga. Edwini-Bonsu, 21, spent time with the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency and played 32 games with the 'Caps senior team before signing with AC Oulu in Finland's second division earlier this year. In Finland, he caught fire, scoring 16 goals in just 20 appearances.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Edwini-Bonsu is just the latest Canadian to sign on with a club in Germany, joining a group that currently includes Marcel de Jong, Kevin McKenna, Rob Friend, Olivier Occean, Adam Straith, Julian Latendresse-Levesque and Jaineil Hoilett. Eintracht Braunschweig currently sits seventh in the table in the 2.Bundesliga, with a third-place finish necessary for the team to have a chance at promotion.
    Edwini-Bonsu has made 20 appearances for Canadian national youth teams, and earned his only cap with the senior men's national team during a friendly against Jamaica in January 2010. Men's national team head coach Stephen Hart -- who coached Edwini-Bonsu when he was with Canada's U20 team -- said that he considered calling the youngster up for the recent round of World Cup qualifiers, but ultimately decided the time wasn't right.
    Guest
    Stop us if you've heard this one before: Christine Sinclair scored a dramatic goal late in the game to propel the Canadian women's national team to a result.
    On this day, she scored the winner in stoppage time as Big Red claimed a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Sweden in a closed-door friendly in Arizona. The game was the culmination of a 10-day training camp for the Canadian squad under new head coach John Herdman, in preparation for January's Olympic qualifying tournament in Vancouver.
    Canada's other goal came from Chelsea Buckland, her first in the red and white, while defender Emily Zurrer won her 50th cap with the senior team.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    Haedan Turner is a 17-year-old defensive midfielder who was born in Edmonton and grew up in Fort St. John, B.C. – birthplace of former Dutch international John van ’t Schip. Currently in residency at the Grande Sports Academy in Arizona – part of Real Salt Lake’s academy system – Haedan has also spent time developing at AS Cannes and Bolton Wanderers.
    In a wide-ranging interview with Canadian Soccer News, he talks about his time in Europe (and why he came back to North America), his experience with futsal, David Beckham’s impact on MLS, his thoughts on the potential of representing his country internationally, and the inspiration he derived from a message sent to him years ago by a current member of the Canadian men’s national team.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So, how did you get your start in Fort St. John?
    We played futsal there because it’s obviously cold in the winter months. So, summer time I’d play outdoors, and in the winter, I’d play futsal. That helped me work on my skills. It’s quite prevalent in Brazil. The winter is so long (in northern B.C.), so most of the time I was in school gyms, the basketball courts. I was just always keeping the ball on the ground, working on my skills alone, just a little bit more than the other kids. Futsal definitely helped me gain the close control and the (style of) play that I admire today.
    I was playing for my hometown club, Fort. St. John Strikers, and then when I was in sixth and seventh grade, I went to camps all over Canada, and then I eventually went to England for two-week camps (paid Manchester United soccer school camps).
    I always played for Fort St. John until I was in ninth grade, and then I went on a six-month stint in France, AS Cannes. I enjoyed my time there. It was different, for sure. When I first went to France, it was the first time I was away from home. I spoke a little French because I was bilingual, but it was a bit difficult at first. That was a new experience, and until today, I’ve learned a lot from it.
    How did your time in France help you build your game?
    When I went over there I’d always been focused on football, on soccer. But for the first time I realized how important it was, how much dedication you needed to become a professional, or become good at anything. I was disciplined but I was young as well, so when I first went over there, I hadn’t understood how much effort I’d have to put into soccer to be good at it.
    When I went over there, everyone was good. I was just a small fish in a big pond. I’m a firm believer in the 10,000-hour theory. So when I went there I was like, “Wow.” When I got back I was like, “Wow, everybody’s good. If I actually want to do well in this sport I have to put in a little bit extra, a little bit more.” The biggest lesson I think I took from over there was how to be disciplined. The coaches there told me, “You need to work on your awareness, work on this and this.”
    The football was great, it was fast. AS Cannes, they’ve developed lots of great players: Zidane, Vieira, Gael Clichy, they have quite a history for developing young players.
    One of the biggest things that helped me when I was in France – and if I ever get the chance to thank him, I will – I sent an email to Julian de Guzman. I was lonely, and I thought, because he went to France when he was quite young as well, maybe he knows what you have to do. I sent him an email, didn’t really expect a response.
    About a week later, he emailed me back. I still have that email now, I’ve got it printed out. It was a page long. He actually put effort into it. I was really touched. He just explained to me how football, it’s a lonely sport, and obviously they’re not going to accept you for being foreign.
    He really helped me understand that you’ve got your own dreams and everybody else has dreams too, but you have to follow your own dreams. If I ever get the chance to meet Mr. de Guzman, I will thank him wholeheartedly.
    You have another fellow Canadian within the same club as you now, Will Johnson. Are you ever in touch with Will at all?
    I haven’t had the chance to meet him. The first team comes and trains here for preseason normally, so if I ever get the chance to meet him I’ll take full advantage because he’s a very big role model of mine. A good role model, stays disciplined and does a good job for Team Canada as well.
    How would you describe yourself as a player?
    When I first moved to Bolton (at age 15), I played right back. I was doing it because I have a certain playing style, I play quite aggressive, I’m not afraid to tackle. They liked that. But later on, the next year, I moved into the midfield. I’ve always played in a 4-4-2, just a regular centre mid, but now I’m playing defensive mid, which is my preferred position. I like to control the tempo and have got a good passing ability.
    (When I emailed Julian de Guzman), Julian was a defensive mid. He was at Deportivo la Coruna at the time. The Spanish games are on the TV all the time. I emailed him, I said, “Like you, I’m a Canadian who likes to work hard off the ball and do my best on the playing field for the team.”
    Are there any other players that you look up to as role models?
    Originally, when I was younger… my whole life, I’ve looked up to Carlos Tevez. But as of recent events… Also, I tried to get his signature one time and he walked straight on the team bus. He was always a role model because of his intense work rate and his aspirations to make something of himself when he had nothing. That was something that touched me, for sure. He was always one of my favourite players, but it’s disappointing the path he’s taken.
    For me, players that I admire are those who follow their dream and are disciplined, like Paul Scholes or Dwayne DeRosario, (who) has always been a great player.
    What does Dwayne winning the Major League Soccer MVP award mean to you as a young Canadian player?
    It’s a step. Football in the society in North America is a progression, and eventually it’ll be – in my opinion – a force. It’ll be as Europe is now. Obviously it’ll take time. But when you see Canadian players succeeding and being recognized for their talents, like DeRo, it gives me hope, it makes me proud. I want him to do well, and now that he has, I’m happy for him. I’m happy for not only him, but our country. (The game) will continue to strive and grow, hopefully.
    Earlier you mentioned spending time at Bolton Wanderers, after you came back from France. How did that opportunity come about?
    I had an agent who had connections at Bolton Wanderers and when I was 15, I went there on a month-long trial. In Europe you can’t sign if you’re not part of the EU. But you can play for the academy; it depends on certain situations. So I went to Bolton when I was 15, for a month. They said “we’d like you to stay for the year.” Obviously, in those times, if they can get a player and develop him, anything is possible.
    So I stayed for the rest of that year with a host family and worked hard to make my dream come true. Very good team, very good setup. I ended up staying there for two years and learned a lot from England, for sure: how to be disciplined, even more; how to take care of myself… I went to school, I have a diploma and a national award in sport science.
    I took everything I could from that experience, and then I had (to make) a decision: whether I wanted to go back this year or try something new. I spoke to my coach about it, I said, “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but I feel like I need to be…” – it wasn’t about being close to home, but I needed something new. I felt like if I stayed another year, there wasn’t a chance of me getting signed.
    So my coach contacted all of the MLS clubs with my C.V., and it was sort of like, who wanted me? Five clubs responded. Personally, I felt like one of the things that was lacking, but then I guess I knew I needed, was to improve my technical ability. I admire the passing game, I admire possession-style football, I feel like that’s where my qualities show the most. So when RSL contacted me I said, y’know what, I’m really looking forward to this. I feel like I can do it with this club.
    I went for a five-day trial, and here I am. That was at the beginning of July, and then the season started August 1.
    Which were the five clubs that got back to you? Were Toronto or Vancouver among the teams that expressed interest?
    I’d wanted to go to Toronto or Vancouver more than any of the other ones because they are Canadian. If they had responded – which they didn’t, unfortunately – they would have been first on the list, especially Vancouver, since it’s in British Columbia. I’ve got family in the lower mainland. But they hadn’t responded, which was too bad, since that probably would have given me a lot more exposure.
    The five clubs that did answer were L.A., New York, Chicago, San Jose and RSL.
    Was it the nature of the academy at Casa Grande that sealed the deal for RSL?
    Honestly, I didn’t know much about any of them. When I first found out the news, in the last month of my time at Bolton, that they had responded, I didn’t realize they had the residential academy. I only found that out after a couple emails.
    The biggest thing I knew about RSL that cemented my decision was that they play possession football and that they’ve been successful in the past. This is only their second year as an academy, so it’s new.
    What has the experience been like with the RSL Academy, as compared to your experiences overseas?
    This place is unique, because it’s the only residential academy in the U.S. In Europe these are quite prevalent; I was with a family. In Europe you have residential academies. I was already away from home, and… this place is great, because it’s really in the middle of nowhere. It’s an hour outside of Phoenix, almost.
    It allows you to just go to school, come home, train, focus, and have nothing else but football on your mind – and that’s exactly what I wanted. Some people find it to be boring or no life, but for me it is a dream, because all I want to do is play football, all day, every day.
    Did you perceive that joining a team in MLS would give you the best chance to make a first team as soon as possible?
    It wasn’t necessarily about… It’s quite hard to get into England, especially if you’re not part of the EU. So visas and all that was quite difficult. Just me getting into the country and playing there was something that I knew might have to wait until later. The program here kind of allows for players at the under-18 level to go to reserves. If I did get an opportunity to play with the first team I definitely look forward to it.
    But I think it was a step where, perhaps, I wanted to finish my education and start here. Maybe I might return to Europe, who knows. But for now I’m going to just try my best and focus on getting my 10,000 hours. I’m at 5,000, 6,000 now – keep working at it and we’ll see what I do later on.
    So what are your long-term goals as a soccer player?
    I want to play professionally, anywhere that has possession-style football. Being close to home is really irrelevant since I’ll make home wherever I go. I just want to play professionally for whatever club requires my services, and I’m going to work as hard as I can to make my dream come true.
    Have you been in contact with the Canadian Soccer Association at all?
    Because I’ve been gone so long, I’ve never played for a provincial team or a national team. I watch all the games, I watched the whole U17 World Cup. I admire the new staff, and I hope they can qualify for the 2014 World Cup. It’s very exciting.
    When I was at Bolton, my coach said that a national-team member had contacted him about me and wanted the C.V. or wanted information about me. But that never amounted to anything. So I’ve never played for (Canada at) any standard. I gave them my C.V. and never heard back.
    Is representing Canada on the international stage something that you would consider doing, if the opportunity presented itself?
    For sure. Anyone who knows me as a person, I’m a very proud Canadian. As we speak, I have a huge Canadian flag on the wall. If I ever got the chance to represent Canada and make my country proud, I would be honoured. If I get my shot, I intend to make my country proud, and I’m very excited about that, some day.
    In the U.S., and this academy league, I was hoping that my playing time would get recognition. But as of this year there’s been a rule made that international players can’t play in the academy league until they’re 18. I didn’t know that before I came here; that’s pretty bad news. When I got here, they’re like, “we’ve got lots of games, development games and friendlies set up for you, and then when you turn 18 you can play academy games, and once you get six games you can become a full-time player.”
    I’m still eligible to play next year for this team, the younger category. But eventually, when I do get playing time, I hope that my performances will garner some attention from someone, and that’s all I can hope for.
    How do you feel when you see academy kids – such as the academy graduates at TFC, or Luis Gil at RSL – making an impact with the first team?
    I think it’s great. They’ve obviously had a shot, they’ve worked hard and they’re making the best of it. When I see clubs like that giving youth an opportunity… obviously when you see Luis on the field, you think, “That could be me, if I work hard enough.” You realize that anything’s possible.
    Did you ever cross paths with Luis within the RSL system?
    I’ve never played with Luis. Apparently, the team last year, he came to a couple of tournaments with them. I’m friends with him on Facebook. I’ve heard that he’s an exceptional player.
    You’re about the same age that MLS is. Did you follow MLS, or were you aware of the league, when you were a kid?
    When I was young, I always knew what MLS was. I always knew about the Whitecaps, because they would do camps. They were always a club that I knew about. But the MLS as a whole, the league? When I was in Europe, they weren’t really on TV, because of the times and stuff like that. But in the last four or five years, when I started really noticing it more and watching more games… I mean, this year, it’s a huge part of my life. It’s only getting bigger.
    (Interview conducted prior to MLS Cup) Do you have a favourite in the MLS Cup?
    It’s such a tough one, to be honest. I think L.A. will take it, just because it may be Beckham’s last year, and it just seems like it would be terrific for them to take it. It’s going to definitely be a feisty contest.
    From your perspective, what has his impact on the league been?
    He’s such a player. He’s had a couple of biographies, I’ve read them all. He’s an icon. Bringing him to MLS was a huge step, one that I think was ingenious, personally. He sells jerseys; he plays exceptionally well. Lots of players you see will be talented and, especially at my level, you see talented players that don’t take advantage of it.
    He wasn’t the most talented, he strove to make something better of himself, create that spectacular right foot that we all know. Personally, he’s been a good role model for me. Bringing him to MLS definitely brought a lot more exposure not just in North America but, I think, in Europe as well.
    You’re obviously a young player yourself, with the bulk of your career ahead of you. But if you were to offer advice to young Canadian kids playing the game, what would it be?
    My personal advice would be never, ever give up. So many people – so many people – will tell you, “Y’know what, you’re probably not going to do it, you’re from a small town, you’re not very good.” Everyone’s going to tell you that. You should never believe them. Always believe in yourself, and realize that football is a lonely sport.
    But as long as you stay true to yourself … you’ve got to always believe in your dream. Never stop. Never give up.
    Portions of this interview have been edited for brevity, clarity and flow.
    Guest
    Today, we're joined by Jarred Peters of the Score and Winnipeg Free Press to discuss if Stephen Hart is equipped to lead Canada through the next round of World Cup qualifying, how the Canadian talent pool compares to the rest of the group and what games he views as key to their success.
    We'll also discuss some of the expansion draft surprises, if the MLS Cup lived up to the hype and talk about LA's fourth best player like his legacy matters more than it does.
    The archived show is now up
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Our next regular show will be on Nov. 28
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    Guest
    There were no real surprises by either Vancouver or Toronto today as the list of protected players was released for the expansion draft that will fill out Montreal’s line-up.
    The players left unprotected by the two Canadian team are:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Toronto FC
    Borman, Danleigh
    Bouchiba, Elbekay
    Cann, Adrian
    Davies, Kyle
    de Guzman, Julian
    Gold, Matt
    Griffit, Leandre
    Marosevic, Peri
    Martina, Javier
    Omphroy, Demitrius
    Soolsma, Nick
    Sturgis, Nathan
    Viator, Eddy
    Williams, Dicoy
    Yourasskowsky, Mikael
    Zavarise, Gianluca
    Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    Boxall, Michael
    Brovsky, Jeb
    Cannon, Joe
    Duckett, Bilal
    Janicki, Greg
    Jarju, Mustapha
    Leathers, Jonathan
    Morfaw, Alexandre
    Nolly, Jay
    Thorrington, John
    Vagenas, Pete
    On the surface, de Guzman and Jarju, both DPs, might seem like odd choices to leave unprotected. However, both players have contracts that make it unlikely they will be selected by the Impact. Philly also left a DP, Freddy Adu, unprotected for similar reasons.
    It’s worth noting that de Guzman was left unprotected last year as well. Although the Whitecaps made some noise about stealing the Toronto-native from TFC, in the end it was likely just Vancouver blowing smoke. The unspoken here are the side deals that take place – don’t take my guy now and I’ll help you out down the road type of things.
    With the Impact only selecting 10 players there is actually a good chance both teams will escape having anyone selected. If Adrian Cann is healthy he might be the most likely to move, considering his past history in Montreal.
    The draft goes Wednesday at 2 p.m. EST. You can follow @24thminute on Twitter for live results.
    Guest

    MLS expansion list

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The expansion draft protection list is below the jump:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]COMPLETE LIST OF AVAILABLE PLAYERS FOR THE 2011 EXPANSION DRAFT
    Chicago Fire
    Banner, Michael
    Chaves, Diego
    Conway, Jon
    Cuesta, Yamith
    Dufty, Alec
    Ferrari, Gabriel
    Gargan, Dan
    Husidic, Baggio
    Kinney, Steven
    Mikulic, Josip
    Nazarit, Cristian
    Paladini, Daniel
    Pantazapoulos, Pari
    Videira, Mike
    Watson-Siriboe, Kwame
    Chivas USA
    Arias, Sergio
    Boyens, Andrew
    Chijindu, Chukwudi
    Cortez, Chris
    Courtois, Laurent
    Elliot, Simon
    Estupinan, Victor
    Gavin, Blair
    Jazic, Ante
    Junior Lopes, David
    Lahoud, Michael
    Mayen, Gerson
    Mondaini, Marcos
    Thornton, Zach
    Trujillo, Mariano
    Valentin, Zarek
    Colorado Rapids
    Akpan, Andre
    Comminges, Miguel
    Folan, Caleb
    Joyce, Ian
    Kandji, Macoumba
    Kimura, Kosuke
    Marshall, Tyrone
    Nyassi, Sanna
    Palguta, Scott
    Thompson, Wells
    Wallace, Anthony
    Ababio, Eddie
    Amarikwa, Quincy
    Ceus, Steward
    Emory, Stephen
    Holody, Mike
    LaBeaux, Ross
    Columbus Crew
    Burns, Kevin
    Cunningham, Jeff
    Ekpo, Emmanuel
    Francis, Shaun
    Gardner, Josh
    Gehrig,Eric
    Grossman, Cole
    Gruenebaum, Andy
    Heinemann, Tommy
    Mendoza, Andres
    Meram, Justin
    O'Rourke, Danny
    Owoeri, John
    Prim, Santiago
    Riggs, Alex
    Rusmir, Dejan
    Sippola, Ben
    Veeder, Corey
    Williams, Joshua
    FC Dallas
    Cruz, Daniel
    dos Santos, Maicon
    Edward, Edson
    Galindo, Maykel
    Guarda, Bruno
    Hall, Jeremy
    Hernandez, Daniel
    Lambo, Josh
    Seitz, Chris
    Stewart, Jack
    Villar, Ricardo
    Warshaw, Bobby
    D.C. United
    Barklage, Brandon
    Boskovic, Branko
    Brettschneider, Blake
    Burch, Marc
    Cronin, Steve
    Da Luz, Austin
    King, Stephen
    McTavish, Devon
    Morsink, Kurt
    Ngwenya, Joseph
    Quaranta, Santino
    Zayner, Jed
    Houston Dynamo
    Ching, Brian
    Costly, Carlo
    Cruz, Daniel
    Freeman, Hunter
    Garey, Jason
    Newton, Evan
    Robinson, Eddie
    Watson, JeVaughn
    Weaver, Cam
    LA Galaxy
    Alvarado, Sean
    Barrett, Chad
    Birchall, Chris
    Cardozo, Paolo
    Cristman, Adam
    Da Silva, Leonardo
    Hejduk, Frankie
    Jimenez, Hector
    Jordan, Bryan
    Keat, Daniel
    Lopez, Miguel
    McCarty, Dustin
    Perk, Brian
    Robinson, Dasan
    Stephens, Michael
    Thomas, Ryan
    New England Revolution
    Barnes, Darrius
    Boggs, Zak
    Caraglio, Milton Joel
    Cochrane, Ryan
    Coria, Franco
    Dube, Mkhokheli
    Guy, Ryan
    Kinne, Ryan
    Koger, Alan
    Loewy, Otto
    Mansally, Abdoulie
    Murray, Tim
    Phelan, Pat
    Schilawski, Zack
    Sousa, Andrew
    New York Red Bulls
    Albright, Chris
    Auvray, Stephane
    Ballouchy, Mehdi
    Coundoul, Bouna
    Horwath, Alex
    Jones, Mychel
    Lassiter, Tyler
    Mendes, Carlos
    Nielsen, Brian
    Paullo, Marcos
    Robinson, Carl
    Rooney, John
    Rost, Frank
    Schneider, Teddy
    Sutton, Greg
    Philadelphia Union
    Adu, Freddy
    Gonzalez, Juan Diego
    Harrison, Chase
    Holder, Hasley Thorne
    Houapeu, Levi
    Langley, Morgan
    Mapp, Justin
    Miglioranzi, Stefani
    Nakazawa, Kyle
    Paunovic, Veljko
    Richter, Ryan
    Tait, Joe
    Portland Timbers
    Alexander, Eric
    Braun, Freddie
    Brown, Adin
    Chabala, Michael
    Dike, Bright
    Gleeson, Jake
    Goldthwaite, Kevin
    Johnson, Eddie William
    Lopez, Rodrigo
    Lowry, Peter
    Marcelin, James
    Pore, Ryan
    Purdy, Steve
    Taylor, Chris
    Thompson, Spencer
    Umony, Brian
    Zizzo, Sal
    Real Salt Lake
    Agorsor, Chris
    Alexandre, Jean
    Alvarez, Arturo
    Alvarez, Yordany
    Araujo, Paulo Jr.
    Arnoux, Cody
    Gonzalez, Nelson
    Grabavoy, Ned
    McKenzie, Rauwshan
    Melia, Timothy
    Reynish, Kyle
    Russell, Robbie
    Wagner, Blake
    Warner, Collen
    Williams, Andy
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Ampaipitakwong, Anthony
    Attakora-Gyan, Nana
    Burling, Bobby
    Convey, Bobby
    Corrales, Ramiro
    Gjertsen, Joseph
    Griffin, Maxwell
    Leitch, Chris
    Luzunaris, Matt
    McLoughlin, Ellis
    Peterson, Jacob
    Ring, Brad
    Sealy, Scott
    Ward, Tim
    Weber, Andrew
    Seattle Sounders FC
    Boss, Terry
    Carrasco, Servando
    Estrada, David
    Ford, Josh
    Fucito, Michael
    Gonzalez, Leonardo
    Graham, Taylor
    Ianni, Patrick
    Jaqua, Nate
    Levesque, Roger
    Meredith, Bryan
    Montano, Miguel
    Noonan, Pat
    Riley, James
    Sanyang, Amadou
    Scott, Zacharias
    Seamon, Michael
    Wahl, Tyson
    White, O'Brian
    Sporting Kansas City
    Aiyegbusi, Olukorede
    Bravo, Omar
    Cyrus, Daneil
    Diop, Ibrahim
    Goncalves, Jeferson
    Harrington, Michael
    Kronberg, Eric
    Lorenz, Scott
    Olum, Lawrence
    Peterson, Joseph
    Rocastle, Craig
    Saad, Soony
    Sassano, Luke
    Sinovic, Seth
    Stojcev, Milos
    Thomas, Shavar
    Warzycha, Konrad
    Toronto FC
    Borman, Danleigh
    Bouchiba, Elbekay
    Cann, Adrian
    Davies, Kyle
    de Guzman, Julian
    Gold, Matt
    Griffit, Leandre
    Marosevic, Peri
    Martina, Javier
    Omphroy, Demitrius
    Soolsma, Nick
    Sturgis, Nathan
    Viator, Eddy
    Williams, Dicoy
    Yourasskowsky, Mikael
    Zavarise, Gianluca
    Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    Boxall, Michael
    Brovsky, Jeb
    Cannon, Joe
    Duckett, Bilal
    Janicki, Greg
    Jarju, Mustapha
    Leathers, Jonathan
    Morfaw, Alexandre
    Nolly, Jay
    Thorrington, John
    Vagenas, Pete
    Guest
    Disney Sports announced today that they have finalized the lineup for the 2012 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, to take place between February 24 and March 3.
    Of interest to fans from this side of the border is that all three Canadian MLS sides have confirmed their participation in the event, meaning it could be the first meeting between the teams since Montreal made the jump to the top tier.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Toronto FC, who had announced their plans to take part in the tourney last month, will be making their third trip to the Magic Kingdom. The games will take on extra meaning for TFC as they will likely be the club's final preparation before hosting MLS Cup champs LA Galaxy in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Leg quarterfinal round on March 7.
    Vancouver and Montreal will be making their first appearances at the Orlando tournament, which will see an expanded field that also includes Orlando City SC of the USL Pro league, Swedish side Hacken BK, and fellow MLS clubs Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas.
    3:03pm EST Update
    Sporting Kansas City have the full schedule listed on their website.
    The fixtures are as follows:
    [TABLE]
    [TR]
    [TD]Feb. 24[/TD]
    [TD] Sporting KC[/TD]
    [TD] Houston Dynamo[/TD]
    [TD] 6 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] Feb. 24[/TD]
    [TD] Montreal Impact[/TD]
    [TD] Vancouver Whitecaps FC[/TD]
    [TD] 8 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] Feb. 25[/TD]
    [TD] Orlando City Soccer[/TD]
    [TD] Toronto FC[/TD]
    [TD] 6 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] Feb. 25[/TD]
    [TD] B.K. Hacken[/TD]
    [TD] FC Dallas[/TD]
    [TD] 8 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] Feb. 26[/TD]
    [TD] Vancouver Whitecaps FC[/TD]
    [TD] Houston Dynamo[/TD]
    [TD] 1 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] Feb. 26[/TD]
    [TD] Sporting KC[/TD]
    [TD] Montreal Impact[/TD]
    [TD] 3 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] Feb. 28[/TD]
    [TD] Toronto FC[/TD]
    [TD] B.K. Hacken[/TD]
    [TD] 6 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] Feb. 28[/TD]
    [TD] Orlando City Soccer[/TD]
    [TD] FC Dallas[/TD]
    [TD] 8 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] Feb. 29[/TD]
    [TD] Sporting KC[/TD]
    [TD] Vancouver Whitecaps FC[/TD]
    [TD] 6 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] Feb. 29[/TD]
    [TD] Houston Dynamo[/TD]
    [TD] Montreal Impact[/TD]
    [TD] 8 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] March 1[/TD]
    [TD] Toronto FC[/TD]
    [TD] FC Dallas[/TD]
    [TD] 6 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] March 1[/TD]
    [TD] Orlando City Soccer[/TD]
    [TD] B.K. Hacken[/TD]
    [TD] 8 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] March 3[/TD]
    [TD] TBD[/TD]
    [TD] TBD[/TD]
    [TD] 6 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD] Consolation Game[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD] March 3[/TD]
    [TD] TBD[/TD]
    [TD] TBD[/TD]
    [TD] 8 p.m.[/TD]
    [TD] Championship Game[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    Vancouver and Montreal are in "pool 1" with Kansas City and Houston, while Toronto's "pool 2" has Hacken, Orlando and FC Dallas.
    Guest

    Experiment complete?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The LA Galaxy are your 2011 MLS Cup Champions.
    The Bruce Arena-led team claimed their third Cup in club history on Sunday night, prevailing in front of their home fans against an overmatched Houston Dynamo squad.
    It wasn’t exactly the most thrilling of games, but in the end, the best team on the night (and on the entire season) rightfully claimed the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
    Rightly or wrongly, the bigger storyline was the one that was touched on with near obsessiveness by ESPN colour commentator John Harkes -- that being whether David Beckham, now having punctuated his landmark (expiring) contract with a Cup-winners medal, will return to the LA Galaxy next season.
    It’s certainly a question that seems to have gotten much more complicated over the past 24 hours.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Beckham revealed in the post-game press conference that he actually suffered a slight hamstring tear in training on Tuesday, which explains his absence from the subsequent two days’ worth of practice sessions. That the famous Englishman would play through such an injury shouldn’t come as a surprise; he’s shown in the past that his competitive nature wouldn’t allow him to miss out on a game like yesterday’s.
    But perhaps he was even more motivated to get on to the pitch on Sunday night because he knew that it would be his last match in Major League Soccer.
    It makes sense, especially with the Galaxy fulfilling their apparent destiny by blanking the hapless Dynamo 1-0 and staking their claim as possibly the best team ever to grace an MLS field.
    Beckham is nothing if not an astute showman, and he will have been well aware of the optics of exiting stage left after reaching the pinnacle of the league he crossed an ocean to conquer five long seasons ago.
    To go out on top will eliminate the possibility of a future freak injury or high-profile falling out with a teammate from tainting his legacy in America; something that MLS Cup 2011 saved Beckham from having to endure given past freak injuries and a very public rift with U.S goldenboy Landon Donovan a few years back.
    In sport, you are only as good as your most recent accomplishments, and that principle also holds true in erasing past mistakes. The same LA supporters that
    their English superstar and openly wishing for him to leave their club just two years ago have since completely forgiven and forgotten.Much of that had to do with the play of Beckham himself, as he’s been nothing short of sublime this year for a Galaxy team that have thrived alongside him. The row with Donovan has long since been patched up, and for two seasons the Galaxy have been the dominant force in MLS -- save for a stumble in last year’s playoff campaign.
    Any way you measure it, Beckham’s last year-and-a-half have been tremendous on the pitch, finally measuring up to the massive off-field successes his presence has brought to North American soccer.
    With the final piece of the puzzle now in place -- it was within seconds of the final whistle that play-by-play man Ian Darke mentioned that Beckham is the second Englishman to win championships in three different countries -- the stage is seemingly set for the world’s most famous footballer to bring his highly valuable brand back to Europe for once last hurrah on the old continent.
    Paris is but a short hop from Beckingham Palace, after all.
    Or perhaps not. Becks is a big family man, and he’s said on many occasions that his wife and kids are very settled in Southern California. Heck, his oldest boy is currently with a Galaxy-affiliated youth club.
    So while there may be many business reasons to pick up shop and head to Ligue 1 (or wherever), perhaps now is the time that the Beckhams decide to finally stop living the nomadic football life and set permanent roots down in Beverly Hills.
    If so, expect Goldenballs to be suited up for the Galaxy when they play their next competitive fixture: a date with Toronto FC in March.
    David and Victoria have never been the type to dither on these types of decisions (a la LeBron James), so whatever they decide, it will be done soon. But not before the Galaxy squeeze in a few more money-spinning Asian friendlies, of course.
    Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC, MLS, and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams, and he has spent time as soccer editor for Reuters' online publications. He has also contributed to Goal.com and other soccer media. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.
    Guest
    Amid all the talk of David Beckham's impending offesason intentions, it was a lifelong MLS superstar who shone for the Galaxy when needed.
    Landon Donovan's 72nd minute strike was all the Los Angeles Galaxy needed to dispatch a chippy Houston Dynamo side en route to a 1-0 victory in the 2011 season finale.
    Donovan's goal was actually the combined effort of all three of LA's designated players, who each had put their stamp on a game that was dominated by the home side. Beckham flicked a header to an onrushing Robbie Keane, who cut into space at the top of Houston's penalty area. Holding on to the ball as if he was searching for a shot, Keane instead placed a bauetiful little through ball to a charging Donovan, who made no mistake in chipping it past Dynamo 'keeper Tally Hall.
    The late goal would stand up as the only marker of the match, although it could have easily been one of many.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Galaxy could have found themselves up by three or four at halftime if not for the horrible finishing of Adam Cristman, who filled in for the injured Chad Barrett as Keane's strike partner. Keane himself could have notched a couple, and in the 57th minute he had what looked to be a legitimate goal called by due to offside.
    (If Keane's goal had stood, my 2-0 prediction likely would have come true. But I digress...)
    On the Houston side, it was predictably a defend-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-and-hope-for-the-best type of night. The Dynamo were clearly looking to nick a goal off a set piece, as has been their M.O. all season long. Unfortunately for the Texas side, their opponents didn't give up many set piece opportunities, and as such the Dynamo only mustered one actual shot on goal.
    Defensively, they imposed their physicality from the get go, led by André Hainault's no-nonsense work as a right back. There were definitely some over-aggressive moments (attributable to the occasion), but overall the Quebec native was solid and definitely made his case for a move to that right side of defence whenever he returns to the Canadian national set up.
    In the end, the stars aligned for the Galaxy to put the finishing touches on their near-perfect season. A raucous home crowd of 30,000+ bore witness to the icing on the cake of perhaps the finest season ever put together by a team in MLS. It was a fitting end to one of the more memorable years in league history.
    Except for the first half.
    --
    Highlights:
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    Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC, MLS, and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams, and he has spent time as soccer editor for Reuters' online publications. He has also contributed to Goal.com and other soccer media. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.
    Guest

    The indifference cup

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The game has everything going for it. Sunday’s MLS Cup final features a big spending and compelling villain against a plucky underdog (that features a Canadian no less).
    It has arguably the biggest celebrity in the football world and two of the most respected managers in North America.
    Both teams are on great form and there is every indication that the final will be well played. Yet, outside of the two cities involved, very few people seem to care. Sure, the true MLS geek will make a point of checking the game out, but even then it’s often more of an afterthought than appointment viewing.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]It’s unlikely that there is another league in the world where fans are as indifferent to the overall league as are MLS fans. That’s just it, many people that go to MLS games aren’t really MLS fans – they are fans of an individual team, but their knowledge and interest doesn’t stretch much beyond their backyard.
    Part of that is understandable. Only the most loyal (and blind) fan would argue that there aren’t better leagues to follow in terms of quality. Most fans have other teams elsewhere that they love and support. They go to MLS games to scratch an itch, hang out with friends and, if they have an altruistic bent, support the growth of the game here. They might not care about the overall league now, but they want it to get good enough to care about it one day.As mentioned, there are, of course, exceptions.
    The MLS-snob exists and he (let’s face it, it’s a he) likely has 10,000 posts on BigSoccer. However, that particular type of fan is rare, especially here in Canada. Despite being the official D1 league of this country, MLS still has a long way to go to capture the heart of Canadian soccer fans (the Voyageurs Cup is the thing for them) and even further to capture the fleeting interest of the casual sports fan (it’s Carolina v Nashville in a vital NHL clash for them).
    You can’t tell people what to like, so there will be no wagging of the finger here to guilt you into watching. Well, maybe a little: You’ll get more out of TFC/Whitecaps/Impact games if you know more about the teams they are playing. Plus, it’s a soccer game. When is it ever a bad idea to watch a soccer game?
    So, grab a beer Sunday night and watch. If you want to be patriotic, cheer for Andre Hainault.Let us know in the comments if you’re going to watch and what your predictions are. For what it’s worth I agree with Rudi – 2-0 Galaxy.
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