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    Guest

    Cann out for year

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Adrian Cann blew his ACL today while training at Cherry Beach. He's out for the year.
    You can't say for sure whether the FieldTurf surface had anything to do with the injury, but I do know that other players have told me that it aggravates knee issues and most would rather TFC found a grass training facility.
    There isn't much more to say about this -- clearly it's a blow.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest

    What's Blazer's end game?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Maybe Chuck Blazer has found Jesus.
    That’s a popular theory to explain why the American ExCo member has suddenly started to throw around accusations of bribery and corruption at the highest levels of FIFA and CONCACAF. It’s popular because it’s all a bit random after years of seemingly looking the other way.
    A trusted source told me last night that they had a hard time believing that particular theory, however. In fact the source described Blazer as “being a big douche.” Crude, but it does paint a picture.
    One thing is certain, the man is a bit of an enigma. With suggestions that top CONCACAF officials have been scalping World Cup tickets from as far back as 1994, it is hard to understand how it’s taken Blazer this long to come forward.
    Unless he has another agenda. Allow for a moment of pure speculation:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]What if Blazer is after the top job at FIFA?
    It’s well known that, if elected, this will be Sepp Blatter’s last term as FIFA president. It’s also well known that Blatter, for all of his faults, is a brilliant politician. He had the votes to defeat Mohammed Bin Hammam of Qatar and he, up until recently, appears to have enough influence to handpick who follows him.
    Bin Hammam’s vote for the devil you don’t know was never going to be successful, but anyone that is looking to overthrow Blatter they will need to consolidate any and all opposition to him. Otherwise it will be the same old, same old in four years time as another (allegedly) corrupt soccer boss will take over and continue the same back-scratching “leadership” that the sport has been run (nearly into the ground) with over the past 20 years.
    If you want to truly terrify yourself think for a moment who Blatter’s great power-broker has been over the years -- the man Blatter would most likely work to see elected FIFA boss?
    Jack Warner. God help us all.
    So, Blazer needs to take Warner out of the picture. He knows where the skeletons are hidden and he knows that his hands are just clean enough that he can escape judgement, especially if he appears to be coming at things from pure, what’s good for the sport perspective.
    Bin Hammam is both in the way and a great scapegoat for the mess that was the Qatar win. Blazer knows that it would be a disaster to take the World Cup from the Middle East now, but that if he takes down those that conspired to fix the vote for the bid that he will come off as the man in the white hat.
    As stated, Blatter wasn’t going to lose the 2011 election. But, Blazer doesn’t need him to. He needs to discredit him and that might take a couple more years. Once he has though, the door could be wide open for the American to walk through. It seems farfetched that a Yank could run FIFA, but if that Yank was the man that (appeared to?) end corruption...well, then it seems a little less absurd.
    The weakness to this suggestion is that Blazer is 66-years-old and, well, not really a vision of health. He might not have the time to wait.
    It’s more than a little cynical to suggest that Blazer’s motivation isn’t pure. Maybe he knows he’s at the end of his time anyway and wants to go out with a bang. Maybe he really did find Jesus. Only Blazer knows.
    All that said, if Blazer’s chosen route to power is by cleaning up corruption then does it really matter to us?
    That’s a question for another day. In the meantime we wait to see how this plays out.
    NOTE: A couple links to keep you up to date
    Guest
    With a little more than 24-hours to go before Canada takes to the field against Ecuador we turn our attention to the dozens (hopefully) of new Canadian supporters that will be watching their first national team game tomorrow. Below the jump CSN presents this handy guide to supporting Canada.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So, you’ve made the jump! Welcome to the Canadian bandwagon. Remember that those of us on first will party the hardest the day it all becomes worthwhile (estimated date: 2048 qualifying cycle). Although there is plenty of room on the bandwagon, do remember that there are some that have been on for awhile. And, they’re cranky. So, here are a few basic rules to follow while at the stadium.
    1. All petty regional and club conflicts are to be put aside for the night. Unless you’re from outside Toronto and you see an otherwise innocent fan wearing TFC gear. You may shoot that fan on sight as they should have realized that, well, TFC isn’t Canada DAMMIT.
    2. Respect your elders. The Voyageurs have suffered and are generally ridiculed. This is their night. Make it special for them.
    3. Buy the bald guy in the front row lots of beer – this rule can’t be stressed enough.
    4. We don’t care if you “feel” Ecuadorian. If your great-great grandfather emigrated here from the US via Ecuador (you think) and you grew up in Etobicoke you’re not &*^%ing Ecuadorian.
    5. No, really, you’re not.
    6. Maybe you should be proud of where you actually come from rather than trying to live via proxy, eh.
    7. If you were born in Ecuador and you are here to support your home country we really hope you’ll come back to watch and support Canada the next time they are in town.
    8. If you’re mom or dad was born in Ecuador and you’re here to support them, how about you support both teams.
    9. If you’re here from Ecuador to support your country, come find the bald guy in the front row, show him your passport and he’ll buy you a beer.
    10. If you’re a 5th generation “Ecuadorian” that grew up in Etobicoke and you feel the need to go into the Canadian supporter’s section while waving your flag and generally acting like an ass, well, don’t be surprised if the flag gets shoved up your ass. On the up note your taxes have paid for the healthcare to remove it!
    11. The referee is a wanker.
    12. You’re right: “Show us your passport” does come off really badly if you don’t understand its nuanced meaning. It’s kind of hard to explain in the passion of the moment though.
    13. Don’t, under any circumstance, defend Owen Hargreaves. Just, don’t.
    14. Yes, it is always this frustrating.
    15. Alex Bunbury = good. Teal Bunbury = a colour
    16. The CSA once hired a steel drum band to play before a World Cup qualifying game against Trinidad and Tobago! How messed up is that????
    17. The FIFA rankings are crap. We’re bad, but not that bad.
    18. You’re right. It is kind of sad that twice as many people show up to watch TFC as come out to support our national team.
    19. Hutch was onside. We won the 2007 Gold Cup. I don’t care, we did so.
    20. If a little girl from Mississauga that grew up dreaming of playing for Switzerland can be convinced to come out (and wear a cape!) then so can your buddy that swears to God he’s Irish. One fan at a time. One fan at a time...
    And, lastly, SUPPORT LOCAL FOOTBALL!
    Guest

    Nana, where you bound?

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    Okay, so all six Philadelphia Union net-busters against Toronto FC on the weekend were aided by howlingly weak defence. But it’s the fifth one that really left me scratching my head.
    Philly corner kick from the left side, and the surprising East-Division leaders only bother to send two guys forward. Four TFC defenders watch the ball come in – and Danny Mwanga of the Union, utterly uncontested, sticks out a leg and hoofs the ball into the roof of the Toronto net.
    How can four guys not even remotely cover two? On a corner kick?
    Watching this, from the Toronto bench, was youthful defender Nana Attakora. One of the very few Toronto FC feel-good stories of a year ago, still unable to get a game under new coach Aron Winter.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    There’s been a lot piled on to this story already this year. Nana clearly and presently did not play well in his early opportunities. The bold, fearless stopper of a year ago has scarcely been seen. Indecision and lateness have been rampant, where poise and courage flourished a year ago.
    There’s been talk that Nana doesn’t fit into the heads-up, attacking system Winter keeps saying he wants to play. Odd for a lad who, late in the 2009 season, scored as many goals (2) as the entire Toronto strike force following the early, forced retirement of Danny Dichio.
    It could be more of a mind-set thing. Under Preki a year ago, there were no frills or complexities to Toronto’s strategy. Tackle opponent, hoof ball. Repeat. Winter has clearly given his back four more to think about, and Nana has not seemed to adjust well to his new, more complicated role.
    Or maybe there’s an injury. And yeah, there’s a contract dispute going on.
    But as that aching Philly Union massacre continued to unfold on Saturday, what kind of message was Aron Winter sending to Nana Attakora? There was only one substitute left for the second half, and when the bell finally rang for the brutalized Ty Harden, it was Alen Stevanovic who got the call – not Nana.
    Two weeks ago, Winter dismissed concerns over Attakora’s contract, saying he has faith in the player, but not the way the player is playing. That doesn’t have to be a problem. Nana’s still relatively young, and this is a team investing long in player development. And maybe the last fifteen minutes of a 2-6 massacre isn’t the place to build a struggling lad’s confidence.
    But it must have killed Nana to see his defensive teammates collapse like that – no cohesion, no communication, a bare minimum of even basic man-marking skills. And how much more painful to be denied any chance to get out there and try to rally the troops?
    Of course, it wasn’t going to make any difference on the outcome. But what if Nana could have showed some grit and poise, and what if some of the on-field inspiration he offered so freely to TFC a year ago suddenly started to shine again? Yeah, the Philadelphias weren’t exactly trying all that hard by that time, but you can’t tell me the fans wouldn’t have got a serious boot out of a return-to-form performance from their too-long-missing number three?
    Nana Attakora is in a sad footballing limbo just now. No contract, no playing time, no place on the Canada roster for the Gold Cup. He has a coach who clearly favours players he believes are playing well, and cannot get a sniff of the field.
    I could understand this more easily if the rest of the TFC back line were particularly distinguishing themselves. They aren’t.
    I find my mind looking fearfully back to last year, and Preki’s desertion and dumping of Sam Cronin. The poised, popular midfielder was hardly a global soccer star, but he will be a solid, contributing MLS regular for years to come. Preki didn’t care, and Toronto FC will be paying for that one for a long time.
    Winter, to his credit, has at least spoken of Attakora with affection. Cronin barely got a disinterested grunt from Preki. But there has to come a moment when a clever, versatile contributor gets at least a chance to show that last year wasn’t a fluke.
    It would have done my heart wonders to see a fired-up Attakora spending the last 15 minutes of Saturday’s massacre getting the occasional Philly front-man to pay his bill.
    I’m left wondering just when, exactly, is this kid going to get a break?
    Onward!
    TFC fact: There have been five different MLS games this season when Toronto FC has scored two goals. In those matches, they have conceded thirteen.
    Guest

    A message to the CSA: Be Like Mike

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Within the context of his generation, Lester “Mike” Pearson was a distinctly Canadian man. The 14th Prime Minister of Canada, he was a small and unimposing guy. He wasn’t the type of leader that Hollywood makes epic action movies about, loosely based on his life.
    No, he was a compromise kind of guy. He held together a minority parliament and, before that, he used his leadership position in safe, boring Canada to negotiate an end to the Suez Canal crisis of 1957 -- Won the Nobel Peace prize for that little trick.
    Canadians have never been as universally nice as the stereotypes suggest, but there was something to the idea that, as a Canadian, Pearson was better positioned than most to find a solution to the problem. We are a country born from a compromise, rather than a bullet, after all.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Flash-forward to today and the crisis of corruption at CONCACAF and FIFA. As is often the case in modern world history, the English and the Americans are making the most noise, and, it must be said, appear to be on the side of the angels. They also appear to be up against it. Cries of racism, or misguided privilege, are beginning to trickle out. Those who they are fighting are closing ranks and look like a powerful body.
    Where does Canada stand in this battle? You would hope it’s with the good guys, but it’s hard to say right now since they aren’t saying much (although Dominique Maestracci was quoted today, letting a British journalist in on what went down).
    It’s often said that Canada is a minnow in world football. That’s likely overstating it. Minnows don’t host World Cups. Emerging nations and middle powers get the odd shot at some of those lesser events though and that’s exactly what Canada is. So, the table has been set for Maestracci and the CSA to channel their inner Mike Pearson and demonstrate some true leadership.
    As stated, the English and Americans are the one’s sticking their necks out. So, they are compromised. Canada, however, could play a broker role here, particularly within CONCACAF. If the end game is to stamp out corruption, then that must start with a softening of attitudes and a finding of a middle ground. If the aggressors continue to throw everyone under the bus that’s going to create a situation where defensiveness is the default position by those accused. As stated, it’s good that the aggressors are aggressive, but we must also remember the end game here – to reach out to the fair-minded and shake out those that are corrupt.
    Think of it as a good cop, bad cop type of thing. Canada, by virtue of not being American or British (while being close enough to understand them), its wealth and its just-powerful-enough-without-being-intimidating-to-the-truly-powerless-ness could be that good cop here.
    We’d all love to see Sepp Blatter ousted, but most would settle for Jack Warner to go down. Ideally, a re-vote on 2018/22 would take place, but at the very least those that accepted bribes should be held accountable. These are the type of compromises that we could live with. But, the English and Americans are going to need allies – less aggressive, but effective allies – to get anything accomplished.
    It would go against form, but maybe the domestic reform pressures are having an impact on the CSA. Maybe they are feeling frisky and willing to do the right thing.
    Maybe they are ready to Be Like Mike.
    We can only hope.
    Guest
    <p>Nobody reading this will need to be told that Teitur Thordarson <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1750-Teitur-Toast">has been sacked</a> by the Vancouver Whitecaps. The 59-year-old Icelandic boss was canned earlier today in favour of director of football Tom Soehn, who takes over as interim head coach. Soehn has a US Open Cup and an MLS Supporters Shield on his resume but last stood behind an MLS bench in 2009, when he led DC United to a rare non-playoff appearance. He is not a popular man in DC United circles even today. His appointment is bound to be questioned.</p>
    <p>So will Thordarson's firing. There have been mumblings that he might have lost the dressing room, that he was too tactically rigid. I wrote a couple of weeks ago that <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1703-Is-Teitur-Thordarson-s-position-under-pressure">the front office never really seemed to believe in him</a>. A record of one win, six draws, and five losses isn't impressing anybody and has Vancouver second-last in Major League Soccer, although a relatively good -4 goal differential suggests that all is not as bad as it looks. The Whitecaps team which got a draw against the Eastern Conference-leading New York Red Bulls Saturday looked pretty good, but they didn't have the heat of a team trying to save a beloved gaffer's job.</p>
    <p>The team is off to a bad start; no follower can deny that. But twelve games into a season is remarkably early to make a coaching change. Maybe, long-term, Thordarson was not the best choice to run this team, but sacking him now was the wrong decision.</p>
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <p>The easiest accusation to level at Thordarson, and one I've seen more than one fan shout out, is that he's too loyal to his old players rather than the new MLS talent Soehn has necessarily brought in. I'm afraid it'll take a bit of an information dump to clear that up. Below is a list of players brought in before Tom Soehn arrived in January of 2010, when Thordarson and Bob Lenarduzzi shared responsibility for player decisions, and a list of players brought in afterwards by Soehn. I apologize for the mediocre format of the table: <em>you</em> try to make a table look good on this website sometime! Blake Wagner is almost a borderline case: he joined the team less than two weeks after Soehn did, but he still counts in Soehn's column.</p>
    <center><table width="70%">
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" bgcolor="#6BB9FF" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><strong>Teitur Thordarson's Players</strong></td>
    <td colspan="2" bgcolor="#6BB9FF" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;"><strong>Tom Soehn's Players</strong></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Name</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">2011 Minutes</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Name</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">2011 Minutes</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Davies, Philippe</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">0</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Akloul, Mouloud</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">382</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Janicki, Greg</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">539</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Boxall, Michael</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">540</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Khalfan, Nizar</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">436</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Brovsky, Jeb</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">453</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Knight, Wes</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">621</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Camilo</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">733</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Nolly, Jay</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">990</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Cannon, Joe</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">90</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Teibert, Russell</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">298</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Chiumiento, Davide</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">665</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">DeMerit, Jay</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">304</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Duckett, Bilal</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">0</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Dunfield, Terry</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">740</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Harmse, Kevin</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">138</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Harris, Atiba</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">442</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Hassli, Eric</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">562</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Koffie, Gershon</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">674</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Leathers, Jonathan</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">810</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Morfaw, Alexandre</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">0</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Nanchoff, Michael</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">0</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Rochat, Alain</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">990</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Salgado, Omar</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">218</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Salinas, Shea</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">285</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Sylvestre, Brian</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">0</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Tan, Long</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">104</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Thorrington, John</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">57</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Vagenas, Peter</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">0</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
    <td colspan="2" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">
    </td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">Wagner, Blake</td>
    <td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px;">687</td>
    </tr>
    </table></center>
    <p>The Whitecaps have played 1080 official minutes this regular season (12 games * 90 minutes), so out of the players brought in by Teitur Thordarson only Jay Nolly and Wes Knight have played more than half the total minutes they could have this year. Greg Janicki is just a minute away from the magical 540 minute mark, so we may as well count him too. Knight more-or-less only played during injury crises, however, replacing Jonathan Leathers, Shea Salinas, Davide Chiumiento, and (indirectly) Russell Teibert. His hefty minutes total comes largely because he only missed two games this year entirely.</p>
    <p>This doesn't prove that Thordarson was a good coach, but it does suggest that he was a fair one: not stuck in the past constantly running out players who have been loyal to him (ask Philippe Davies sometime how that's working out for him). You may debate whether Joe Cannon should start over Jay Nolly, but it is a debate and Nolly has his defenders. It's not blind loyalty.</p>
    <p>The other great rap on Thordarson was tactical rigidity. Sure, Teitur has mostly run a 4-4-2 in his time with the Whitecaps. There's nothing inherently wrong with the 4-4-2, no matter how "boring" it is, and he's made adjustments to it. This year, his wingers have been playing almost as high as the forwards, allowing Vancouver to exploit the offensive talents of Shea Salinas, Davide Chiumiento, and Russell Teibert. He's also switched entirely out of the 4-4-2 on occasion, both within games (a 4-3-2-1 at the end of the Voyageurs Cup first round's second leg against the Montreal Impact, or the 3-5-2 which led to Davide Chiumiento's equalizer against San Jose). He played a 4-3-2-1 with veteran Martin Nash in the hole for most of last year's USSF D2 playoffs. Thordarson wasn't afraid of new formations: he simply thought a 4-4-2 would give him his best chance. Maybe he was wrong, but you can't honestly say he wasn't flexible. This isn't Football Manager: in real soccer, if you constantly juggle your formations, you wind up with players who don't know where to go and aren't sure what to do when they get here.</p>
    <p>I don't want to paint Thordarson as the perfect coach. His preference for Nolly over Cannon is controversial in Vancouver (and is probably a main reason Mike Salmon was let go along with Thordarson). Davide Chiumiento, a key player, obviously wasn't pleased with how he was being deployed. I'm one of those who thinks that a 4-3-2-1, rather than a 4-4-2, is the best bet for this team. And I certainly have favourites who I'd like to see get more time in the lineup (Janicki over Akloul? And why isn't Teibert being played until his heart explodes like a jackrabbit's?)</p>
    <p>In any case, this hardly seems the time to sack Thordarson regardless of your opinion of him. The Whitecaps are beginning a three-game road trip to Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake, and Seattle. It's no exaggeration to say that this may make or break their season. But instead of flying to Los Angeles on Tuesday and coming into the Chivas match with the familiar boss, they'll be learning a new system on the fly. They'll play six of their next seven games on the road, trying to figure out the Soehn approach while moving between training grounds and hotel rooms at least once and sometimes twice a week. Had they waited until after the Nutrilite Canadian Championship second leg on July 2, the team would have had a calmer travel schedule that will see them play four games at home through August 7 and none further east than Colorado. There'd have been plenty of time to mount a playoff charge; more games than Soehn gave Thordarson this season to prove his mettle. The team might have looked a little out-of-shape for the Manchester City friendly but if the Whitecaps brass are planning around that then they should all be shot.</p>
    <p>It looks like Tom Soehn is running a risk just to get rid of an experienced coach a few weeks early. That isn't the kind of thing any fan, however anti-Thordarson, should endorse. If Soehn thought Teitur incompetent, the proper time to fire him was before the season. As soon as Thordarson was given the reins for 2011, the club ought to have let him manage for a decent number of games or, failing that, at least sacked him when it could do the team least harm.</p>
    <p>It's a shame for Thordarson to go out in such a short-sighted manner, for that was never how he coached. Thordarson seemed to know his job was in jeopardy. Saturday against New York, Teitur could have hurried Jonathan Leathers into the lineup despite his calf injury. He could have started Joe Cannon to try and curry favour with the boss. He could have given Shea Salinas ninety minutes even though Thordarson himself said after the match that Salinas clearly isn't fit for that long. He could have hurried in promising young players still nursing minor hurts like Michael Nanchoff and Alexandre Morfaw. Instead, he coached like he was looking to the future instead of just trying to save his paycheque. You might have disagreed with his approach, but even at his last gasp he never stopped putting the team first.</p>
    Guest
    These are the images and emotions from Toronto FC's 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Union. All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery.
    He is shooting for Canadian Soccer News this year - at least until one of the major daily newspapers gets wise and takes notice of one of the best soccer photographers in Canada.
    You can purchase these and other photos here.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Leading the charge

    O'Canada

    A game of inches

    Stride for stride

    Standing on the shoulders of Toronto.
    Guest
    These are the images and emotions from Toronto FC's 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Union. All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery.
    He is shooting for Canadian Soccer News this year - at least until one of the major daily newspapers gets wise and takes notice of one of the best soccer photographers in Canada.
    You can purchase these and other photos here.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Embellishment or hard tackle?

    Winding his way through a maze of legs

    Who says Julian can't tackle?

    Too little, too late

    Salt in the wound
    Guest
    Over the past several weeks patience has worn thin in the lower mainland after the high hopes of opening day have faded into a jumbled mess of near losses and hard fought draws. Ben Massey wrote a thought provoking piece that seemingly foreshadowed today's news and that was written exactly 10 days ago. I think he might actually know what he is talking about once and a while...
    In press conference after press conference it seemed to show on Teitur's face a little more that he was dealing with immense pressure from the brass to get his squad to buck up take control of some games. People on the street began to whisper and supporters on the Southsiders forum even began to question Thordason's effectiveness in leading the expansions Whitecaps. In an open letter to the fans, Whitecaps brass pointed to the fact that this is a results driven business and how expectations had not been met. That is a pretty clear cut answer saying "hey baby it's just business"
    I can totally see where the front office is coming from though.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Now I am far less qualified then Thordason to effectively run a pro club, but even my simple mind could see that something was fundamentally wrong with our squad. It's not as though we have been absolutely outclassed in a 6-2 home loss this season so it has felt like we have been in nearly every game that we have played. It's a little heart breaking to watch your home side lose or tie games that they clearly had a shot at stealing. Apparently management has felt the same. The only thing I take issue with is that the axe came maybe a little to early for me. I would have liked to see Teitur get at least until the All Star Game to try and show that he has learned some lessons. It would seem though that the club has very different plans and expects to right the ship as quickly as possible.
    Strict use of the 4-4-2 "Grandad" System saw the club grind out a 1-5-6 record in MLS competition. Wait for a second though, because thats not exactly true. Saturday April 2nd we watched the Blue and White go down 3 goals to an undermanned and unspectacular Sporting Kansas City squad. It was not until Teitur shook things up a bit and removed a defender and replaced him with an attacking midfield player that the games outcome completely changed. The squad went from a sit back and hammer the ball up the middle squad to one that wanted to play the wings and stretch the opposition.
    We will see what a difference this change will make. The club did not have to look very far to find Teitur's replacement.
    Current Director of Soccer Opperations Tom Soehn will take managerial control of the squad for the rest of the season. Soehn's resume speaks for it's self. He has won 2 supporters shields an MLS Championship, and a US Open Cup.
    Guest

    Blatter Out

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    Earlier this year the MLS community became engaged by the #MLS4RSL Twitter tag. Not everyone supported the idea of cheering for Salt Lake in the CONCACAF Champions League, but almost everyone was talking about it.
    Today another Twitter tag appeared. This one is less likely to be pushed by MLSSoccer.com, but far more likely to be fully supported. That tag?
    #BlatterOut
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    For those too distracted by the mess in Vancouver, the return of the Winnipeg Jets, or who think the Support Local Football initiative is a CFL marketing ploy, #BlatterOut refers to Sepp Blatter and the desire to kick his (ok, fine, allegedly) corrupt, old and arrogant ass out of the FIFA presidency. About the only resistance I've seen to the movement is from the yeah-but-who crowd that suggest that there is no one in FIFA any better.
    Who cares, that's who. The devil we know is not better than the devil we don't.
    The initiative appeared to start in the UK and has quickly gained a foothold worldwide. It was trending internationally at the time of this writing.
    FIFA is a mess. It's become a bloated parody of itself. The only way to return the game to its roots is for someone to step up and be brave and strong enough to end the backroom and back-scratching politics that currently exist. And that can't happen until the old guard is gone.
    Clearly a Twitter feed is not going to change things on its own. However, we should not be so cynical as to think that we can't make change. If the public makes enough noise the sponsors start to ask questions. There won't be a dramatic GOTCHA! moment, but maybe Ole’ Sepp will want to spend more time with his grandkids after all.
    Qatar. Bags of cash. Match-fixing. Forced white elephant stadiums.
    We could go on all day. FIFA is broken. Only we can fix it.
    #BlatterOut
    Guest

    Teitur Toast

    By Guest, in West Coast Soccer Podcast,

    The Vancouver Whitecaps have fired Teitur Thordarson. The Icelandic skipper was on the job at the MLS level for just two months, but was hugely successful in D2, winning the 2008 USL championship and playing in the 2009 USL championship game.
    Tom Sohen takes over until the end of the year.
    The move comes as a bit of a surprise, although the club has just two wins in all competitions this year and just one in MLS.
    The Vancouver writers will have more soon.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    By: Alyssa Ally
    Christina Julien is one of the many young players on the Canadian women's squad who has little experience, but you couldn't tell it by the way she plays. I had the chance to catch up with the 23-year-old forward to discuss her career, the up coming Women's World Cup and where she sees herself going with the national team in the years ahead.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    In February 2009 when you got the call from Andrea Neil to come train with the national team, what was going through your head at that moment?
    I couldn't believe that this was happening to me. It happened so fast and at the most random time that it felt so surreal. To even get a chance to tryout was like a dream that became true. I didn't have a lot of time to think about it considering I had a plane to catch in four hours.
    Having never played for Canada at any level, were you familiar with the girls on the team? Describe your first day training with the full national squad back then.
    I had heard about a lot of the girls in training camp but I had never actually met any of them. The first day was extremely intimidating. I remember first being introduced to the team and I think my hands were shaking the whole time. My first session was after arriving at the hotel at 3 a.m from my flight and getting up at 8 a.m for breakfast. I don't remember sleeping much that night either. My mind was exhausted but the adrenaline kicked in for my first session. We ended up doing a bunch of new drills that I had never seen before and I was terrified of messing up on my first day. The one thing that does stick out in my mind were the one vs one drills that we did near the end and my first go at it was against (Christine) Sinclair. I ended up winning the challenge (she was probably exhausted considering it was her 10th or so day of camp) because it doesn't happen often, but I thought to myself for the first time that I could actually do this.
    There are 27 days remaining until Canada kicks off vs Germany in the 2011 Women’s World Cup, what’s the emotion of the team as June 26th nears?
    We are all very excited. You can see that there is a bounce in our step. We seem very focused and are using these last few weeks to prepare ourselves to our maximum capability. We are a very close knit group and I can honestly call my teammates my family. Everyone is working their hearts out for each other so that when it comes down to it, we are prepared to get Canada the results that we deserve.
    Men’s or women’s--is there any player in the world you'd love to play along side with?
    Messi, Messi, Messi. I would just love to be a part of a give and go play with him. It would be as easy as eating pie.
    You’ve been playing under Caroline Morace for two years now, what’s one of the best things you’ve learned from her that’s improved your overall game?
    I have learned so much in these past two years, that the list could go on and on. The best thing I would say is how to prepare your body and your mind for games. There's so much detail that goes into being focused and physically prepared and she's very meticulous about it.
    To date, who’s been the biggest influence in your life?
    Easily, my parents and my family. As a kid you don't realize the amount of effort that goes into putting your kid in sports. I honestly don't know how they did it and I am forever grateful for the support that they have shown me throughout the years. Not once did they force me to do anything, they just constantly provided for a girl that fell in love with the game. Also, a little shout out to my trainer and family friend back home, Jeff Gibbs who also had a huge influence on the direction of my soccer career. He busted my butt into shape my sophomore year of college and that's when everything changed for me. My coaches at JMU have had a huge influence. And lastly, obviously Carolina Morace and the coaching staff for Team Canada for giving me a chance, believing in me and for teaching me how to succeed at the international level.
    If you weren’t playing soccer, what’s the one thing you’d focus the majority of your time on?
    Coaching soccer. I would love to become a Div. 1 college coach.
    Facing tough teams in the preliminary stages of the World Cup, what are some aspects of the game Canada has to focus on to ensure a berth in the second round?
    We just have to focus on the game plan that we are given. We have a lot of trust in Carolina (Morace) so it's just a matter of putting her principles into action.

    What is the current status of the player’s compensation issue with the CSA?
    Yah, I can't say. Sorry
    Being part of the national team for just over two years and having loads of success both personally and as a team, what has been the highlight so far?
    Winning the CONCACAF tournament was a huge highlight and only a taste of what this team is capable of. Another highlight was starring in my first cap and scoring on my first shot while wearing the red and white.
    Where does the nickname “Corky” come from?
    When I was a kid (13) I used to have short hair and I let the girls on my team put like 20 small ponytails all over my head so they kind of looked like a bunch of corks. So one day, as a team (Cornwall Blazers) we were watching a team play soccer and this girl was nicknamed Corky. So they decided to nickname me Corky based on my current hair style which I am not ashamed of. (laughs) It's stuck ever since.
    Off the field, this team is probably best knows for the funny videos and pranks you ladies pull on each other. Have you fallen victim to any pranks?
    I've been involved in my fair share but they aren't smart enough to out wit me yet. (laughs)
    This summer you’ll take part in your first Women’s World Cup. What will this mean to you?
    It's a huge honour and I am so proud to be a part of this team. Ever since I was little, I have dreamed of being at a World Cup or the Olympics and to finally have a dream come true is amazing. I'm going to cherish every moment and leave everything I have on the field.
    Canada has played in four World Cup preparation matches so far, any more lined up?
    There are a few but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to make it public.
    What are some of your long term and short term goals you’d like to accomplish playing for Canada?
    I want to eventually become a consistent starter that scores on a consistent basis for Canada. I want my teammates to know that they can rely on me. Right now, my only short term goal is to win the World Cup and to get my mind and body ready for a peak performance come June 26th.
    ___
    Alyssa Ally writes about the Canadian Women’s National team, the WPS and women’s soccer in general. You can find her stuff at cdnwomenssoccer.blogspot.com
    Follow her on Twitter at @cdn_chica
    Guest
    Welcome to this week's Designated Player Roundup, which usually takes a look at how the league's 16 DPs fared over the past week of MLS play. For some background on each of these fellows, check out the first edition of DP Roundup.
    This week, it's quick and dirty. Just the facts, ma'am. A minimum of attempted shots at humour (note: in this context, "a minimum" does not mean zero).
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Week 11 (May 23 - May 29)
    Archives: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10
    David Beckham (LA): Not even on the bench for the Galaxy's midweek affair with Houston (a 1-0 win), then assists on the winning goal in another 1-0 win for L.A., over New England on Saturday. Becks is second in the league in assists (with seven), but still first in the league in confirmed Spice Girls shagged (with one).
    Juan Pablo Angel (LA): Turned in 61 minutes worth of work against Houston, launching four shots during that time, then watched the game against the Revs from some place that wasn't the field or the substitutes' bench. Or maybe he did something else with his time; I'm not one to speculate.
    Landon Donovan (LA): Everyone's favourite hero scores the lone goal for L.A. in the midweek victory, then turns in another 90 minutes for his squad on Saturday. Unflappable, that Landycakes.
    Julian de Guzman (Toronto): Was caught in the worst weatherbomb in the history of meteorology [citation needed] in TFC's washed-out midweek Voyageurs Cup final with Vancouver, then had the good fortune of being yanked at halftime during Toronto's ignominious 6-2 drubbing at the hands of Philadelphia on Saturday.
    Branko Boskovic (DC): Sitting out hurt for the season, dreaming of what may have been.
    Thierry Henry (NY): Slotted one home for the Red Bulls in a midweek 2-2 draw with Colorado, but aggravated a knee injury in the process, and the Face-Fur Experience was forced to cancel its scheduled tour date in Vancouver on the weekend.
    Rafael Marquez (NY): With Mexico playing a number of friendlies, Rafa was nowhere to be seen in New York's lineup meaning, once again, he's gone a full week without any MLS red cards. Disappointing.
    Alvaro Fernandez (Seattle): Came off as a sub in the second half midweek against Dallas, then pulled up lame with a buggered hamstring early in the first half against Salt Lake on the weekend, being subbed out yet again. Injuries are no laughing matter. So, no laughing.

    Fredy Montero (Seattle): Contributed 75 minutes of his time, but no goals, in the Sounders' 1-0 loss to Dallas on Wednesday, then came on as a 70th-minute sub and provided sufficient moral support to help his team close out a rare victory at Rio Tinto Stadium.
    Omar Bravo (KC): Getting back into the swing of things in his second week back after missing two months with a sports hernia, Bravo had five shots during 85 minutes of work in a 1-1 draw against Colorado.
    Alvaro Saborio (Salt Lake): Off on international duty with Costa Rica, which is nice for him and Ticos fans I'm sure, but didn't do much for soggy soccer fans in Sandy, Utah.
    Eric Hassli (Vancouver): He, uh, scored a goal on Wednesday? Though the game never happened, so I guess the goal never happened. But he was there, he put the ball in the net, there was a referee and everything. Meh, maybe I dreamed it. Seemed pretty foggy, come to think of it. The one he scored against New York on Saturday though, it definitely counted.
    Andres Mendoza (Columbus): Scored... two goals? Huh? Is this match report from South America in 2006? Nah, apparently he actually scored two MLS goals against Chivas USA. Sure, his team still didn't win, but you can't have everything.
    Fabian Castillo (Dallas): The 18-year-old (!!!) figured in both of FC Dallas's games this week, coming off as a second-half sub in both and remaining off the score sheet in both.
    David Ferreira (Dallas): Hurt. Bah.
    Diego Chara (Portland): His biggest event of the week was being on the field to witness these shenanigans on Sunday night:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrog6d7GR5E
    DP Deathwatch 2011
    1. Andres Mendoza: Yeah, whatever, even a blind squirrel finds a nut or two every once in a while. Here's the Simpsons clip.
    2. Branko Boskovic: See last week's comments. For your convenience, I've cut and pasted them: It seems mean, given that he's on the shelf. But he's 30 and recovering from a major leg injury, so we may well have already seen his final appearance as a designated player.
    3. Alvaro Fernandez: Huzzah, an excuse (albeit a flimsy and somewhat callous one) to get him back on the list!
    .
    Guest
    For too long, Canadian soccer fans have endured the ramblings of non-fans about how Canada isn't a "soccer country." The idea, it seems, is that we have history of the game, no heritage to provide a foundation moving forward.
    Well, we here at Some Canadian Guys think that's just plain nonsense, mister. And we've decided to fight back.
    So, welcome to the first weekly edition of "Tracking Back." In this section, we'll put paid to the idea that Canada is without a history in the beautiful game by displaying archival photos highlighting our rich soccer heritage.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]For the inaugural edition of Tracking Back, we've selected this photo from 1932 of a match between Nanaimo and Westminster* at Con Jones Park in Vancouver. The best part of this shot is the packed stands. Keep in mind that this is at the height of the Great Depression: by the following year nearly a third of the Canadian workforce was unemployed, and per capita income in B.C., would be down nearly 50 per cent from just a few years before. But a local soccer match could still bring in the support down to Con Jones Park. It's heartening to see.

    Photo credit: Stuart Thomson fonds, City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 99-2629
    *This should perhaps be Nanaimo v New Westminster, but I've listed it here as described by the City of Vancouver archives.
    Guest
    There will be no live show tonight. And apologies for that. Those that have been following this site know the story that we are working on right now and it's causing our show schedule to be erratic. We hope to be back to normal by next week.
    For now though, here is an Interview Only with Canadian National Team head coach Stephen Hart. We drove up to Alliston, where the team is training ahead of the Canada v Ecuador game, to speak to Hart about Iain Hume's absence from the lineup, Junior Hoilett and his future with Canada and how he's approaching World Cup qualifying this Fall.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:%27http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/23509/stephenhartinterviewonlyfinal.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>
    If you're having problems with the podhoster program you can listen and download it here.
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