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    Guest
    When Canada faces Ecuador in a friendly on Wednesday at BMO Field the manager opposite Stephen Hart will know a thing or two about how to defeat the guys wearing red.
    Reinaldo Rueda managed Honduras through their successful 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, beating Canada twice - home and away - in the process. However, this time Rueda will likely view the match in the same way guys who own a lot of guns view the target range: the perfect place for lots of shooting practice.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Ecuador played Mexico on Saturday at QWest Field in Seattle and came away from the game with a 1-1 draw. But the match highlights clearly show that Mexico created three or four quality scoring opportunities and generally took the game to Ecuadorians. The match reports I read described an Ecuadorian squad more content to soak up the Mexican pressure than take on any sort of offensive initiative.
    The South Americans only managed two shots all match, although one of them resulted in their tying goal. It came in the form of an absolute wonder-strike in 37th minute by Michael Arroyo. Watch it at the 40 second mark of the above video.
    The defensive posturing is understandable, considering that the Copa America is right around the corner and Ecuador will need the defensive aspects of its game finely tuned to have any chance against the technically superior sides it will face.
    Ecuador is in the middle of a three-game mini-tour of North America, ending with a tilt against Greece in New York on June 7. Rueda is likely to view Canada as his last and best chance to really go balls out, maybe paying a bit less attention to preventing goals and focus on creating them to get his offense revved ahead of next month's tournament.
    Ecuador brings a squad to Toronto that leans heavily on players from its domestic league, buttressed with a handful of guys who play in Mexico. More further below, but the country's two best players going forward will not feature at BMO Field. Look for Arroyo, who plays for San Luis in Mexico, and strikers Jamie Ayovi and Christian Benítez (Toluca and America in Mexico) to provide most of the impetus with the ball.
    Whether Canada is actually a preferable option for target practice compared to Greece is debatable, but if the Ecuadorians really do give it a go then this represents an opportunity for Canada manager Stephen Hart. He has spoke in the past about eventually needing to "destroy" rather than play (or attempt to play) the slower, possession-based buildup we've seen over the past handful of friendlies. Ecuador may just give him the opportunity to try that out.
    Other game notes.


    Ecuadorian media have already reported that Manchester United wingman Antonio Valencia will only play against Greece, as he is resting from his less-than-glorious Champions League final showing on the weekend. Striker Felipe Caicedo of the Spanish club Levante will also only figure against Greece due to issues related to his release for international duty. Those two are Ecuador's highest profile exports, so it's a shame they won't be on the pitch in Toronto.


    Defender Jorge Guagua of Liga de Quito has not travelled with the team due to a muscle problem in his right leg and has not been replaced.


    TFC rookie striker Joao Plata and Rubin Kazan midfielder Cristian Noboa did not play against Mexico but are expected to be in the lineup in Toronto.


    Here is a look at who Ecuador fielded against Mexico on the weekend. Here is the roster previously named for the North American tour.

    Guest
    They were sublime, demonstrating a mastery of possession rarely seen. Everything that is right about the game was on display to...wait, what?
    TFC?
    You don't want me to talk about Barca. TFC? Really?
    OK, fine.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Yeah, that was awful. It was likely the worst game ever played at BMO Field and only the New York disaster ranks above it all time. This is the second time this year that I have suggested that TFC has played its second worst game of all time.
    This club isn't very good. That kinda sucks.
    The question is what we are going to do about it. I'm not sure booing them off the pitch -- as many did today -- is all that productive, but, at the same time, it's hard to stay enthused for 90 minutes when you're losing six bloody two.
    I'm not defending anything to do with this team today. The need to be better. Period.
    It's possible to be competitive while rebuilding. With 10 of 18 teams making the playoffs we aren't asking for the moon here. Yet, for some reason, TFC can't pull it off. I'll say it right now: If they make the playoffs I'll, I don't know, wear a dress while singing Sweet Home Alabama in Dundas Square. I'll fit in.
    The thing about this team, however, is as a TFC fan you don't have a lot of options. You either trust that Aron Winter knows what he is doing or you demand that he be fired. I'm not sure another head coach is in the club's best interest.
    In Winter we (sort of) trust. Please God let this be the lowest point.
    On the up note, at least United didn't win.
    Guest
    On Wednesday and Thursday, the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC did not play the second leg of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship final. You've already heard that story. Heard it and heard it, from those who think things went well and those who think the events were a fiasco. That argument has been had and had, and going back over it would waste everybody's time.
    But, while it didn't wind up mattering, the most important story might have been off the field. Rogers Sportsnet, the so-called national broadcaster of our national soccer championship, bumped the broadcast of the second-leg-that-wasn't to their digital-only channel Sportsnet One. In its place, they showed a round-robin game for a junior hockey tournament. Perhaps that's understandable; you may have heard that hockey is big in Canada. But after the game was canceled, Sportsnet announced that they didn't plan to broadcast a potential Thursday morning replay at all. Had they been showing it on Sportsnet One again, they would have just had to pump a Premier League review show and a repeat of Bob McCown's Prime Time Sports - not exactly marquee stuff.
    At present, there's no word on whether Sportsnet will broadcast the hopefully-final leg of the Championship on July 2. They've said that there's no conflict with the Women's World Cup but that's all. The mere fact, though, that Sportsnet hasn't immediately risen to their feet and said "yes, we will show this game somewhere!" is discouraging. The problem is that Sportsnet has made some lovely investments in the game, have spent some effort to promote it, and then dump Canadian soccer as soon as they have the slightest excuse. It's odd. And it's bad for the game.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    When I say that Sportsnet has invested in the game, I mean in terms of snapping up many of the most important broadcast rights in this country. Sportsnet is the exclusive broadcaster of the Canadian men's national team, a co-broadcaster of the Women's World Cup, the "local" broadcaster of the Vancouver Whitecaps. These rights aren't free. Employees of the Score have said in the past that they would be interested in the Canadian national team rights but they just can't afford to pay what Sportsnet pays.
    Moreover, they retain pretty useful broadcast talent. Gerry Dobson, whatever you may think of him, has been calling the game in this country for as long as anybody. And Craig Forrest might be the country's most accomplished colour man, although I'd hear an argument for Jason de Vos. These guys don't do much that isn't soccer-related, and again, that sort of talent isn't free. Their production values are pretty good, too.
    So why have they been so reluctant to actually show some of the games they're spending so much money and effort on? The Canadian national team is assured a broadcast for home friendlies but on the road it's usually bad news. Six Whitecaps broadcasts for the rest of the season, including the last three, will be shown on the digital-only Sportsnet One presumably because they think Vancouver fans would rather watch things like Seattle Mariners games and Bob McCown rambling. They also did a lot of damage to FC Edmonton when they insisted that their Voyageurs Cup home game against Toronto FC kick off at the same time as the Montreal Impact - Vancouver Whitecaps game, meaning that no disinterested viewers were likely to stumble upon the match and Edmonton was forced to start the game so early that a strong home crowd was unlikely.
    This is obviously an improvement over where Canadian soccer was ten years ago. But it's still not great. One could argue that the Whitecaps have worse broadcasting for their home games now than they did in USSF D2, when you could at least count on seeing your team on basic cable (SHAW TV broadcast Whitecaps home games). And Canadian soccer games getting bumped for nothing in particular, or our national team playing away friendlies in broadcastless obscurity, or our national championship possibly not being broadcast at all, just furthers the impression that soccer in this country is small-time and can be safely ignored by anybody except us diehards.
    Guest
    Apologies for this severely late edition of Long Balls, blame it on the rain. There is not much to report related to Canadian footballers on the European front. All the big what if? promotion and relegation questions had already been answered heading into last weekend, with the exception of whether or not Blackburn would stay in the Premiership. And that was only a question that pertains to this column because Brampton-born David Hoilett's European future hung in the balance.
    As you know, Hoilett scored the goal against Wolves that ultimately kept Blackburn in the Premiership. Watch it here at about the 1:00 mark.
    As it stands, Canada can look forward to next season with the possibly of having Simeon Jackson playing in England's Premier League, and Rob Friend, Marcel de Jong and Kevin McKenna in the German Bundesliga. Throw in Atiba Hutchinson, who already plays for PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie and that's potentially five players in the starting eleven playing at the top level of European competition. The aforementioned David Hoilett remains a wildcard.
    That's where Canada stands. Below is some information on players who represent Canada's Concacaf rivals (outside the Big Two of USA and Mexico) and how their top European exports compare.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios has been placed on a list of 14 players made available for transfer this summer by Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll depart from White Hart Lane, but the Honduran media is already speculating that he could end up in Serie A with Napoli.
    Scottish player of the year Emilio Izaguirre has been linked with several big European clubs following his breakout year with Celtic. He told Honduran reporters earlier this week that he remains "100% with Celtic" and if something happens to change that it will be because the club decided to take action. Liverpool already declared interest on its official website, something which strikes Long Balls as being a bit odd.
    Honduran duo Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa will likely remain with Wigan in the Premier League next season. Thomas has already told the Honduran press as much and considering that Figueroa was also a regular performer Long Balls sees no reason why he wouldn't stay too.
    And of note, the club Wigan beat on the last day of the season to stay in the Premier League? Stoke City, home of 26-year-old Trinidadian striker Kenwyne Jones. He managed nine goals in 34 appearances for 13-placed and FA Cup finalist Stoke this season, and Long Balls couldn't find even the flimsiest of Internet rumours to suggest he's going anywhere.
    Hotshot Costa Rican and Twente striker Bryan Ruiz has been linked recently with moves to Villarreal CF and Seville FC in Spain, while Liverpool reportedly also covets the 25-year-old. He had nine goals in 27 appearances with second-place Twente this year.
    Costa Rican Keeper Keylor Navas, who recently saw his Spanish club Albacete plunge into that country's third division, is reportedly being eyed up for a move to join countryman Ruiz at Twente.
    The players mentioned above represent a rudimentary list of Central American/Caribbean players at the highest levels in Europe. The "highest levels" in this case being the arbitrarily-chosen leagues mentioned, with no slight intended to the leagues in Turkey, Portugal, Belgium or wherever else Concacaf players may be.
    A quick glance through the Gold Cup rosters of El Salvador, Jamaica, Trinidad and a recent roster for Guatemala show that these countries simply don't have a whole heck of a lot of European representation. Does that make Canada a shoo-in to beat them? History has clearly shown that it does not.
    On paper at least, Long Balls feels Canada's Euro-based players rank a fairly solid fourth in Concacaf behind those of Mexico, the USA and Honduras. Have we missed anyone? Please drop suggestions in the comment section.
    Guest

    Where are they now? TFC's 68

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    In TFC’s short history there have been an absurd amount of players to have taken the pitch for the Reds. In fact there are 68 – SIXTY-EIGHT! – former Reds. Ever wonder what they are up to?
    Wonder no more:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    In order from most games played for Toronto to the least
    Jim Brennan –
    The first Red is still with the club coaching the junior academy. Who says nepotism is dead!
    Carl Robinson –
    Robbo is still plugging away for the Red Bulls, albeit in a much more reduced role than he played with Toronto. He probably should be coaching the junior academy.
    Marvell Wynne –
    Winning MLS Cups for Colorado.
    Dwayne De Rosario –
    Sigh
    Chad Barrett –
    The Chad took his talents to LA
    Amado Guevara –
    Amado has made 48 appearances for his home town club Motagua, scoring 10 goals. He still would look good in TFC red.
    Nick Garcia –
    Poor Nick, who was an absolute pro to deal with, is still looking for a club after being released by TFC last year.
    Tyrone Marshall -
    Terrifying Rapids fans with precarious play at centreback
    Danny Dichio
    Hopefully preparing to dramatically come out of retirement to score a 89th minute goal to give TFC its first playoff berth. While wearing a cape.
    Maurico Edu –
    At Rangers/the current playing surface at BMO Field
    Sam Cronin –
    Young Sam is being mature beyond his years in San Jose.
    Greg Sutton –
    Another ex-Red in New York. Frei was better, but Sutton deserved better, no?
    Marco Velez -
    Back in Puerto Rico playing for the Islanders. Still suffering from PTSD from having everything blamed on him by Toronto fans.
    Rohan Ricketts
    He’s everywhere,man. Also with SV Wilhelmshaven in the German 10th division (or something like that)
    Nick LaBrocca
    Red Landon lives across the hall from Real Landon at the Home Depot Center, playing for Chivas USA.
    Adrian Serioux –
    He’s the articulate chap sitting beside Lee Godfrey
    Kevin Harmse
    He’s dead to us.
    Pablo Vitti –
    Universitario de Deportes in Peru. Scored 15 times since leaving TFC. Not that you wanted to know that.
    Todd Dunivant –
    LA Galaxy. The only guy to ever jump into 113 drinks for free at Maro if he ever shows up.
    .
    Jeff Cunningham –
    Wanker,playing for a team of wankers in the Wanker capital of the US of A.
    O'Brian White
    In Seattle. Injured, of course.
    Andrew Boyens -
    Still fulfilling the role of a serviceable, if not spectacular, MLSer in Chivas USA.
    Martin Saric –
    Scaring young children somewhere as he looks for another contract.
    Laurent Robert –
    The man who likely best represents all that was wrong with Mo Johnston’s TFC played six games after leaving Toronto then retired.
    Maxim Usanov -
    Preki had a great eye for talent, didn’t he? Out of contract.
    Collin Samuel –
    Enjoying Scottish pies for St. Johnstone’s. He’s scored 13 goals since leaving Toronto, which is far fewer than the urban legend suggests sometimes.
    Chris Pozniak –
    Playing for Haugesund in Norway. He’ll always had the BMO ad.
    Amadou Sanyang –
    Another former Red that no one wants for free.
    Andy Welsh –
    Proving that MLS is a higher level that League One. He’s a Yeovil Town legend by now.
    Raivis Hscanovics –
    He’s the “new guy” at FK Jūrmala-VV of the Latvian Higher League.
    Fuad Ibrahim –
    Not all GA players work out. Free agent.
    Ronnie O'Brien --
    Resting his bum knee as a retired footballer.
    Joseph Nane –
    Somehow still in MLS with Colorado
    Kenny Stamatopoulos
    OPA! “Playing” for AIK.
    Julius James –
    Getting Mo Johnston fired. Someone should put a statue up
    Gabe Gala -
    Lamenting wasting his talent, hopefully.
    Adam Braz -
    Retired as an Impact. Tic Tak.
    Kevin Goldthwaite –
    Timbers. Portland.
    Brian Edwards –
    “Playing” for Degerfors IF in Sweden.
    Ali Gerba
    Getting called up to the national team for some damn reason.
    Emmanuel Gomez -
    Clearly, he’s without a club.
    Srdjan Djekanovic --
    He’s coaching in B.C.
    Marco Reda,
    Playing for that popular club for former TFC player – U.N. Attached FC
    Hunter Freeman –
    He’s in Texas playing for the Dynamo.
    Jarrod Smith --
    Ljungskile SK. Well, one game anyway. There in Sweden by the way.
    Andrea Lombardo –
    Picking fights with TFC supporters at CSL playoff games.
    Mista
    Um, yeah. Free agent.
    Alecko Eskandarian -
    Concussions claimed him. Well, his career anyway. He’s not dead.
    Jon Conway –
    He was at BMO earlier this month letting in a goal from the food building (approximately)
    Edson Buddle –
    Making a crap load of money in Germany.
    Olivier Tebily
    Wherever his wife wants him to be.
    Paulo Nagamura
    Chivas. A lot of former Reds at Chivas. Chivas aren’t very good.
    Johann Smith
    Another former Red that can’t find another team.
    Miguel Canizalez --
    Bonner SC. German 4th tier.
    Tyler Rosenlund
    Playing for world power Rochester Rhinos. 1999 US Open Cup champions.
    Tyler Hemming
    It’s not often a player goes to the PDL after playing in MLS, but... Forest City London
    Carlos Ruiz
    You’ll see him today.
    Richard Mulrooney
    Without a club.
    Sam Reynolds -
    He’s the assistant goalkeeper coach at Cal State.
    Lesly Fellinga –
    He’s still trying to figure out why Mo Johnston signed him while playing amateur football in Holland.
    Diaz Kambere --
    He was really just a loan player, but...Victoria. PDL.
    David Monsalve –
    Training hard; looking for a club
    Tim Regan –
    As he was when he made his TFC debut, he’s a scout for the club.
    Rick Titus –
    Playing old-boys soccer and happy to be doing so.
    Joey Melo –
    He’s playing in the CSL.
    Conor Casey –
    Getting away with murder for the Colorado Rapids.
    Derek Gaudet –
    Another free agent. Lot of those, eh?
    Abbe Ibrahim –
    I follow TFC as close as anyone. Can’t for the life of me remember this guy. That’s a problem, no? Anyway, he’s with FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ in Romania. Doing pretty good too.
    And there you have it. The 68 that have wore the Red with various levels of pride and accomplishment.
    Guest
    FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United.
    What more can be said about these two storied clubs on the eve of one of the most anticipated Champions League Final's in recent memory?
    I'm sure by now, you've probably read streams of hyperbole about Saturday's game from writers all over the Internet. You've probably heard every pundit who has ever laced up a pair of boots compare Messi and Rooney to the all-time greats of the sport, as television networks spare no expense break down the epic clash of La Liga's Immovable Object versus England Unstoppable Force.
    I don't care about any of that, though. I just want to watch a good match.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Hype is the name of the modern game, and the pomp-and-circumstance leading up to this one has reached feverish levels. It's understandable, of course. I mean, it is the deciding game of the best football tournament on the planet. And the teams involved are kind of a big deal.
    That said, these so-called "games for the ages" almost never match the levels of the hype that precede them. It's damned near impossible in this world of instant information, where limitless numbers of writers (both online and off) seek to find new angles and television networks analyze every possible outcome before a ball is kicked in anger.
    One only has to look at the series of El Clasico's that took place a few weeks back to see what I'm talking about. I, too, got swept up in the pageantry of it all, foolishly heaping superlatives on Real Madrid vs. Barcelona as a possible modern day classic.
    We all know what happened. The games, while featuring some of the best players on Earth, were some of the most dour I've watched this year. This Champions League final, featuring half of those El Clasico stinkers, could very well end up in the same boat.
    But still I hold out hope. A one-off for the second most-coveted prize in the sport is obviously much different than a series of derbies (across numerous competitions) between two bitter rivals, so the circumstances should help in that regard.
    Plus, these are two teams that aren't tired of playing one another.
    The factor that really gives me hope, though, is that both these sides seems to want to be the best. It's a cliché, as obviously every team in this competition also wants the same thing, but to me, Barcelona and Manchester United are a cut above in that department. These are clubs that have built a culture of winning absolutely everything in sight, and with such similar mentalities, the drama lies within finding out which club wants it more.
    We know the players on either side can deliver, they've been doing it all season-long. But can they deliver in the face of an opponent that is, by and large, equally accustomed to winning?
    May the best team win, and -- perhaps more importantly -- may we all be entertained!
    Guest

    Ch-ch-ch-changes

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Effective immediately I will no longer be fulfilling the role of TFC beat writer for MLSsoccer.com. The change will allow me to fully focus on on building CSN as the best soccer news hub in Canada.
    To be clear, my editorial independence was never challenged while at MLSsoccer.com. However, the change will also make me fully separated from TFC, MLSE, MLS and SUM.
    Although I am disappointed that the partnership was not workable, it wasn’t. I have increasingly felt uneasy about the sacrifices I was forced to make to fulfil the role. Two half-assed efforts don't make a full ass in journalism. Now, I can use my full ass again.
    Now feel free to irresponsibly speculate as to what really happened in the comments section. Anonymously, preferably.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    Ok, Wednesday was a wash, in just about every sense of the word.
    The rain-soaked, lightning-addled, ill-fated second leg of the Canadian Championship was ultimately rescheduled to Canada Day weekend amid controversy and disdain. In the days since, we've read just about every possible word that could be written about the subject, so I'm not going to waste your time dwelling on it.
    Hopefully, TFC have also moved on.
    Early Saturday, the Reds play host to the surprising Philadelphia Union, another in an growing line of clubs who started MLS play after Toronto and have seemingly surpassed them. The Union sit an impressive second in the Eastern Conference, having amassed 17 points from their first 10 league matches.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Philly can largely attribute their dramatic turnaround to the stellar leadership of Faryd Mondragon, the 39-year-old Colombian goalkeeper who has come in and completely transformed the side on the defensive end. Mondragon is the highest-paid netminder in the league, and he's been earning every penny so far this season.
    Donning the captain's armband, Mondragon has represented a massive upgrade for the Union in goal (where Chris Seitz was positively laughable in 2010), helping transform one of the worse defences in the league into the second-stingiest.
    He's also taken over as the club's on-field leader from resident hot-head Danny Califf. You may remember him for clotheslining Julian de Guzman in the home opener last year.
    Mondragon and the Union have won five of their 10 matches, putting them even on points with Eastern leaders New York (Philly loses out on goal differential) with a game in hand.
    With Philadelphia looking somewhat formidable, this match is likely a mountain for TFC to climb, right?
    Not necessarily, especially when you look at how the Union have gotten to where they are. They are by no means dominant, and have relied on a lot of luck and a mean home field advantage to grind out results, with all but one of their five wins coming from a 1-0 scoreline.
    But as the saying goes, you've gotta be good to be lucky, and Philadelphia have shown that they are a good soccer team in 2011.
    For all the great work they've done defensively, however, the Union are positively anemic in attack. They've scored just eight times this season, and are coming off their highest-scoring game of the season last weekend (a 2-1 home win over Chicago). Even more telling is the fact that Philadelphia have scored only once on the road in four matches away from PPL Park, and that goal came way back on opening weekend in Houston.
    Of course, TFC have had their own struggles trying to put the ball in the net, and with Alan Gordon still questionable, the brunt of the scoring chances will once again fall to the likes of Maicon Santos and Joao Plata.
    One would have to think that Philadelphia would key in on Toronto's newest dynamic duo, and the evidence is there to suggest that opponents have been doing just that recently. Plata has seen his freedom diminish as opposing sides try to lock down the Ecuadorean's preferred left side, while Maicon drifts in and out of games at the best of times, anyway.
    If Philly's new defensive stability can neutralize Maicon and Plata, the attacking duties will shift to whomever else is on Toronto's front line, likely Nick Soolsma and/or Alen Stevanovic.
    Dutchman Soolsma has been fantastic in moving the ball forward and taking players on, but in front of the net he has been prone to over-thinking rather than simply taking his chances, a characteristic that has cost TFC in recent games.
    Stevanovic has been battling similar mental demons. The young Serb is almost always one of the most skilled players on the pitch, and yet his propensity to try to do too much on his own in the final third is the key reason why he has yet to find a goal for himself since joining the side.
    One or both of those players will hold the key to Toronto taking points, not only in Saturday's match, but going forward.

    Toronto FC v. Philadelphia Union
    Saturday, May 28, 2011. 12:30pm EDT.
    BMO Field. Toronto, ON.
    Watch: GolTV Canada, MLS MatchDay Live
    Listen: FAN590.com
    Guest

    Canadian Soccer, circa 1974

    By Guest, in Some Canadian Guys,

    For anyone convinced that the National Film Board is good for nothing more than weirdly timeless cartoons about dancing log drivers, think again. It's also a responsible for this video about the phenomenon that was soccer in British Columbia in the mid-1970's.
    The music is cheesy, the tone is oddly academic (as if this was part of a school curriculum, or something) and there's more mustaches per square inch of film than anything this side of Tom Selleck's home videos. But it's soccer, it's Canada and it's an interesting snapshot of the a part of the beautiful game's history in our country.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Actually, it's a bit more than that. Keeping in mind that this video is nearly 40 years old, it's still oddly (perhaps unfortunately) relevant today. For one, it highlights some of the difficult stereotypes that plague the game (the perception that it's somehow more for immigrants than for "Canadians," which was maybe more true then, but is a perception that lingers on); and shows that some systemic problems still remain (check out the guy around the five-minute mark, noting that the key to improving the game in Canada at the highest levels is to raise the level of coaching from the lowest levels. I seem to remember someone else making that point not too long ago).
    Worst of all, the idea of a Canadian national team doesn't even seem to occur to the filmmaker. Sadly, for so many Canadian soccer players and fans, that lack of support lingers on.
    But, whatever you think of the film's relevance to the state of the game all these years later, it's an interesting video and a part of Canada's rich soccer history. There's also some dangerous-looking sideburns in this video, which pretty much make watching this worthwhile all on their own. So does the name of one of the women's teams. You'll see what I mean.
    <embed src="http://media1.nfb.ca/medias/flash/ONFflvplayer-gama.swf" width="516" height="337" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="mID=IDOBJ18123&bufferTime=10&width=516&height=337ℑ=http://media1.nfb.ca/medias/nfb_tube/thumbs_large/2010/Soccer_BIG.jpg&showWarningMessages=false&streamNotFoundDelay=15〈=en&getPlaylistOnEnd=true&playlist_id=REL179&embeddedMode=true"></embed>
    Guest
    With less than a month to go until the Women's World Cup, we check in with Ingrid Green, managing director of soccer for Play3rSport.com and Big Red's biggest fan (in her words). She gives us a preview of the Canadian women's national team ahead of Germany 2011, invents a variety of thematic Twitter hashtags and discusses the situation around Carolina Morace, the importance of grassroots efforts and the general business of women's soccer.
    Ingrid's full of passion and knowledge, and she'll be bringing both of them to her following of the upcoming Women's World Cup. We'll be checking in with Ingrid over the next two months, so stay tuned for updates and commentary.
    Click here for the May 27 interview (mp3)
    Click here to subscribe to Some Canadian Guys on iTunes
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    Today, we're joined by Philadelphia Union beat writer, Jonathan Tannenwald, to talk about what tactics to expect from Philly this weekend, how they've managed to turn themselves into a contending team in just two years and what TFC reject Carlos Ruiz has done to return himself to favour there.
    And, building on the Support Local Football theme, the tone of the conversation with Tannenwald turns to some really interesting stuff about Sam's Army, US soccer and how their country went through a similar conversation in the early 1990s about how to generate home crowds for home teams (CSA lurkers should take notes) during World Cup qualifying.
    All that and we'll break down the mistake by the lake, Eric Hassli's emergence as one of the best first year players in MLS, what Toronto needs to do to better free up Joao Plata and we'll break down Canada's Gold Cup selections. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:%27http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/23470/may262011final.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>
    Guest

    Should it have been called?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    There are a few people -- mostly those that were many, many miles from BMO Field last night -- that are still arguing that the Nutrilite Canadian Championship game last night should have not been called. They have suggested that if the teams had just pushed through the first 30 minute delay that the game would have been over by the time things got really crazy from a weather perspective.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I'd like to point those people to this video, which shows lightning damage from a home that was 6.5 km from BMO Field.
    Here is another video showing the Toronto skyline that appears to have been taken during the game.
    It really sucks to be Vancouver, I'm sure, but:


    Not to be dramatic, but lightning can kill. While working for a community paper, I had the misfortune of covering a soccer tournament a few years ago that experienced a fatality from a lightning strike (14-year-old Sarah McLain was killed while playing for a Maine u14 side against a team from Fredericton, NB. There were 20 others hurt). I'm pretty sure no trophy is worth that -- not even the Voyageurs Cup.
    So, should the game have been called? Absolutely.
    But, let's give the final word to Teitur Thordarson.
    "I'm disappointed, of course, but there are reasons. The field was difficult and the lightning, of course, is dangerous. So there are obvious reasons."
    If the coach can say that less than an hour after having a cup all but ripped out of his hand then you would hope that the fans could let go too.
    Guest
    It started out promisingly. Excellent seats secured at the last minute for the most important cup final in Canadian soccer history, and sunny enough skies to make us believe the rain in the forecast wasn't going to come.
    But when it was all said and done, I had seen about 15 minutes of football.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    At about the eight-minute mark of the first half the skies opened up, slowly at first but the rain got faster and heavier quickly. I stuck it out with my girlfriend for about 10 minutes, but our lack of any kind of rain gear made the decision easy and we retreated under the west grandstand at BMO Field, joining a sizable chunk of the people who were sitting on top of it when the game kicked off.
    After about 10 minutes of milling and exchanging banal jokes about how at least we were all "closer to the beer," we tried hiking up the west stand to where a short overhang provides protection for the top six or seven rows. Unfortunately many others had the same idea, and when the rain is coming in sideways it doesn't really matter what is over your head.
    I was pretty pissed at this point (angry, not drunk) because being so high up actually provides a great view of what's happening all over the entire field. I sat there cursing the rain driving into the side of my face, muttering silently about how I'm always getting "screwed over" by the weather whenever I plan something fun, before retreating a second time. I'd like to say I was being chivalrous, but I was already past my own "alright, fuck this" moment too.
    We watched the monsoon raging out through the entryway into the stands, sipping cold hot chocolate and grumbling about the lack of televisions like they have at "every other sports venue in the country." It was about then that Vancouver scored, and the wet, cold and semi-drunk masses began to lose patience.
    Not that anyone truly lost patience. It was more sort of a collective acknowledgement that the gig was up, that the rain wasn't going to stop and that even though it wasn't even halftime, it was time to face the elements and go home.
    I suppose that anyone dropping in from a "real" footballing country would have found the whole spectacle kind of pathetic. The country's cup final? The biggest game of the year on the domestic calendar? Not only did the crowd as a whole seem barely interested (in fact, based on snippets of conversation many people were unclear as to what they were actually watching), but people were perfectly content to actually get up and physically walk out of the stadium at halftime under their own auspices. The worst thing was that I could hardly pass judgement because I was one of them.
    I wasn't aware to the extent of the exodus until we got outside. There were a surprisingly large number of red-clad TFC supporters making the journey with us on the Bathurst streetcar, east on the Bloor subway and then north up the Yonge line. They were easily spotted not just by what they were wearing, but by how they staggered through the subway stations, drenched and sullen and wishing they were already home.
    It wasn't until I got back to my apartment that I learned the game would likely be cancelled. And as everyone knows now, it was. But after the whinging and ribbing from both sets of supporters dies down on the social media fronts, people will recognize this washout for what it really was: something Canadian soccer supporters are going to be talking about for years and years to come. Our soccer's very own version of the Fog Bowl or the Ice Bowl or the Snow Bowl or whatever weather-influenced iconic sporting event you want to compare it to. The Vancouver goal that never-will-be just adds more spice to this already tasty dish.
    As time passes the tales will grow longer, about how so-and-so were the "only ones left" in the stand at the end and how there was "two feet of water" to wade through in the bathroom. I saw one or two Whitecaps fans, but by now theirs will have been an entire away supporters' section in full song. The barstool boasting will reach its fever pitch with the story about how we "almost got hit by lightning."
    I joked on Twitter that my waterlogged and bloated match program might some day become a collector's item, but the more I think about it that idea may not be a joke at all. I'm not sure yet who would actually want it, but I do intend to think hard about who I pass it on to.
    Guest
    These are the images and emotions from Toronto FC's abandoned game against the Vancouver Whitecaps. 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]

    Preparing to write another chapter

    Captain v Captain stare down

    Captain v Captain run down

    Wet

    Wetter
    Guest
    These are the images and emotions from Toronto FC's abandoned game against the Vancouver Whitecaps. 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]

    Torrential downpour

    Supporters hanging in

    The casuals have all gone home

    Tears in the beers
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