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    Guest
    Today, we're joined by the president of the TSSL - Canada's oldest recreational soccer league - to tell the story of football community behind the football community, talk about the various notable players who have come through the league over the years and to help shape the picture of what leagues like this mean to Canadian football.
    We'll also breakdown the Toronto's humbling loss to Seattle, preview both the Nutrilite Voyageur Cup games and discuss how FC Edmonton has done so far in attracting fans and building momentum.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Join us for another live post game show on Wednesday.
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:%27http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/22972/may22011final.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
    Toronto FC is pretty clear in where it wants to stand on the player development model in Canada – at the top.
    They talk about expanding its reach all the way down to u-6 players. The goal is to be the No 1 developer of players not just in the GTA, but in the country as a whole.
    Whether they will reach those lofty aspirations remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: The goals don’t extend to the female side of the game. I’ve asked TFC officials before whether they have considered obtaining a WPS team and playing it under the TFC banner. The response has always been measured, but firm – “Not likely something we’d be doing anytime soon.”
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    You don’t have to think very hard to come up with the reason why they aren’t all that keen on the women’s game - it bleeds money. WPS has an average attendance of less than 4,000 and it barely scraped together enough teams to play its third season this year. The smart money is on there not being a fourth.
    Yet there are some people that believe that this shouldn’t matter. As the biggest club in the country (with apologies to the Whitecaps – TFC has had a four year head start) Toronto FC has an obligation to support the women’s game. As anyone that goes to Reds games know there is a significant amount of women amongst the TFC fanbase as well. Should the club not try and represent them?
    This argument was brought forth by a regular reader of CSN in the comments of an article published here Friday. Since then he has taken the conversation to the women’s forum on the Voyageurs board. You can read that thread here.

    To me, the bottom line here is the bottom line. If women’s soccer was a viable product in Toronto, I’m sure that MLSE would have gotten involved. Since they haven’t, and judging on the very small crowd the Canadian women got out to BMO Field against China last year, I see no evidence of a hidden market yet to be tapped. So, I can’t understand why a private business like MLSE should feel compelled to invest.
    That opinion is not based on my perception of the value in women’s soccer, or in women’s sport in general. I support the women. I support women’s sport. For what it’s worth, on a personal level, I consider Clara Hughes to be my favourite athlete of all time.
    What it’s based on is my belief that forcing people to care about women’s sport, or to invest in it, is condescending to the female athletes and ultimately counterproductive. It simply won’t work and will ultimately create resentment.
    Where the argument for investment might have some merit is at the grassroots level. Since TFC did receive a lot of public money for the start up, then maybe there is some obligation to try and serve the whole community by providing youth programs for young girls. There is some good coaching in the TFC system, why not expose some young girls to it – produce a few Olympians while you are producing male footballers. It would be a win-win for the club (through goodwill and PR) and the girls.
    But, a WPS team? No, I don’t think there should be any guilt whatsoever that the Reds aren’t in that game.
    Guest
    For the second time in his career, Simeon Jackson has scored a goal that secures promotion for his club.
    In 2009 he scored the winner for Gillingham at Wembley in the League 2 playoff final against Shrewsbury Town. You can see that goal, as captured from the stands, below. Today, he scored the winner for Norwich City that gave them automatic promotion to the Premiership.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Wembley goal:


    We are looking for a clip of today's goal. If anyone has a link let us know in the comments.
    Guest
    Welcome to this week's Designated Player Roundup, taking a look at how the league's 15 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. Done? Good. Let's see how some of the league's ostensible marquee talents did this week.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Week 7 (April 25 - May 1)
    Archives: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6
    David Beckham (LA): Becks, it goes without saying, leads a very unusual life. On Friday, he was on home soil, celebrating the wedding of our future king (presuming that republican sentiment here doesn't reach a fever pitch before ol' Wills gets his shot at the throne, that is), hobnobbing with resplendently-dressed celebrities and aristocrats. Two days later, he was slogging away in front of 2,000 fans (give or take) in Frisco, Texas, where the game was delayed in the 83rd minute because of the crummy weather. He also tried to chip the 'keeper from 60 yards, unsuccessfully. That's Becks for ya.
    Juan Pablo Angel (LA): Getting the start up front, Angel's most enduring contribution to the match (if the highlights package available on MLS's website is to be believed) was having his foot stepped on early in the first half. He also did pick up an assist (one of those cheapo, not-really-deserving second assists) on L.A.'s lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Dallas.
    Landon Donovan (LA): While Beckham's weekend encapsulated the highest highs to the lowest lows in a matter of two days, Landycakes had the same rapid descent in the course of two seconds. He managed to get his toe to the end of a Juninho cross to get on the score sheet for the Galaxy, before ramming nuts-first into the goalpost. He stayed in the game, which presumably means the damage wasn't sufficiently great that he'll be unable to have kids. I would have said the hairline would have been a big obstacle there anyway, but as ol' Wills showed us, follicle count ain't nothin' but a number.
    Julian de Guzman (Toronto): If the reaction of the folks around me at the Toronto bar that was showing the Toronto Football Club play on Saturday night (which, incidentally, wasn't the Toronto bar with the word "football" in its name, which was all jammed up with UFC fans that evening), the fact that JDG was subbed out in the 57th minute (for Nathan "are you kidding me?" Sturgis) is further proof to some that oh my God he's the worst signing in Toronto sports history!
    But the fact that captain Maicon Santos was yanked before de Guzman was, and Alen Stevanovic was also subbed out for draft pick Matt Gold, making his first appearance for the senior team, suggests Aron Winter really was just resting some key players in what is a rather congested part of the schedule. Then again, that could just be me continuing to be stubbornly defensive of Jules for no reason other than the fact he's Canadian. That's kinda how I roll.
    Oh, and for what it's worth, he picked up another yellow card, putting him one away from suspension.
    Branko Boskovic (DC): Ol' BB filled a useful function in the DP Roundup. He'd show up each week (occasionally even on the field!), do nothing of note, head to the top of the DP Deathwatch, and boom, easy whipping boy. But then he had to do two colossally jerkfacey things. First, he turned in a great performance during a midweek U.S. Open Cup match, scoring both goals as his side was eliminated from the competition by New England. Then, his ACL went and decided that, as a result of a tackle in that game, it felt like being torn. So he's now gonna be on the shelf for a while, having left the lingering impression that he perhaps could be the impact player D.C. fans had hoped he could.
    ... Who the hell is supposed to be my whipping boy now?
    Thierry Henry (NY): In a surprising move, Henry gave up his DP designation to newcomer Luke Rodgers who, in three weeks with the Red Bulls, has as many goals as the famous Frenchman does in 2011. Ha, just kidding. He did nothing of the sort, though he did provide a key assist for Rodgers' game-winner in New York's 1-0 home triumph over Kansas City over the weekend. Also, the Thierry Henry Face-Fur Experience is still on tour.
    Rafael Marquez (NY): Come on, Rafa! You tried a sneaky little paradinha on a penalty kick, it failed horribly and the shot was saved. Surely your blood was boiling. What better time to expel some rage with a collection of cleats into somebody's face? And yet, you just calmly ran back to your end of the field. If this guy doesn't get red-carded soon, I'm not sure he deserves to keep his DP billing; clearly, he's all false advertising.
    Alvaro Fernandez (Seattle): Bloody hell, do I have to write this one? Ugh. As though we was trying to work his way off the DP Deathwatch, the big goofball opened the scoring for Seattle with a nice headed finish in the ninth minute, then nearly got a second with another diving header later in the first half. What, you don't wanna be my go-to whipping boy either? Good grief. He ruined my weekend not only by propelling Seattle to an easy victory, but by making me have to actually think about who's on the Deathwatch this week. Jerkface.
    Fredy Montero (Seattle): Montero fed a sneaky little ball in to Fernandez on that near-second-goal, and did collect an assist on Brad Evans' first goal of the evening. All of this in 66 minutes on the pitch! He was on pace, if he'd played the full match, to record 1.36 assists. That lost .36 could come back to haunt him, and the Sounders, at season's end. (Don't question me, it's mathematics.)
    Omar Bravo (KC): Since Omar Bravo is out for a good number of weeks with a sports hernia, I'm going to fill this space with old quotes from Johnny Bravo instead. This week's gem: "Hello, 911 Emergency? There's a handsome guy in my bathroom! Hey, wait a second. Cancel that - it's only me!"
    Alvaro Saborio (Salt Lake): In the most important game in MLS history (till the next one), Saborio was unable to lift his side to triumph in the CONCACAF Champions League final, as RSL fell to Monterrey in the second and deciding leg. Starting up front and playing the full 90 midweek, Saborio couldn't help break the goose egg at Rio Tinto, a sentence that would make absolutely no sense to a large, large majority of the population.
    A similar fate befell RSL on the weekend, as they fell 1-0 at Jeld-Wen to the Timbers, as Saborio came closest for his side, but his sliding effort went wide of the goal. Also he was offside. But hey, he played the full 90 again, so he's racking up those minutes!
    Eric Hassli (Vancouver): Preposterously enough, Hassli missed the Whitecaps' game in Columbus while serving his third suspension of the season (remember, we've just completed Week 7), this one for yellow card accumulation. I'm going to dispatch CSN's crack team of researchers (note: said team does not exist) to see whether Hassli is on pace for some kind of disciplinary record.
    Andres Mendoza (Columbus): Mendoza also missed his side's 2-1 win over Vancouver due to suspension. Wait, no, I read that wrong. What I meant was "he's garbage." Say what you will about what a waste of space he is on the Crew's roster, but at least he didn't let me down this week! Branko, Alvaro, I'm looking at you jerkfaces.
    Fabian Castillo (Dallas): The 18-year-old (!!!) made something beautiful out of an ugly, soggy night at Pizza Hut Park, chipping L.A. 'keeper Donovan Ricketts with a nice one-time volley to open his MLS scoring account. That's an odd phrase, since you hear about people opening their accounts, but never making any withdrawals. Perhaps it's like an RRSP, and they'll just live off their goals once they retire? With MLS salaries being what they are, the supplemental income is probably necessary. Then again, if you're a DP... hey, where was I? Oh yeah, Castillo scored his first goal in the league over the weekend.
    Diego Chara (Portland): The league's newest DP (he'll keep getting this designation until someone new rolls along) played the full 90 in Portland's somewhat surprising home victory against Salt Lake, helping keep his side organized as they held onto a 1-0 lead right up until the final whistle.
    DP Deathwatch 2011
    1. Andres Mendoza: While some of his less-than-stellar DP brethren were out, y'know, "scoring goals" and "making contributions to the team", Mendozaaaaaaa! was occupying his two favourite spots: the Crew's bench, and the top of the DP Deathwatch.
    2. Branko Boskovic: Yes, he had a good performance before getting his leg all fracked up. And that may end up glossing over his lack of contribution prior to that point, and casting him as a sympathetic character in the eyes of DCU's fans. Or, the team could do just as well, if not better, without him around, prompting those in the capital to realize they don't need him after all. Either way, I won't have him as a crutch on the Deathwatch for the next little while, and that's the biggest blow of all. Fare thee well, ol' BB.
    3. Julian de Guzman: Yeah, what the hell, I'll stir the pot. Go up and down that list and tell me who else should be on this list, why don't ya?
    .
    Guest

    Impact rout FC Edmonton 5-0

    By Guest, in Le12eJoueur,

    Well, I wasn't expecting that.
    Ali Gerba scored twice to help the Montreal Impact beat FC Edmonton 5-0 at Foote Field on Sunday night. The Impact, who had scored one goal in 360 minutes of play, scored three goals in the first 40 minutes of play to put the game beyond reach.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Impact sure looked like a different team that the one we saw in Florida and Caroline. The starting 11 looked determined and Ali Gerba definitely looked hungry...for goals!
    To be fair, FC Edmonton didn't look ready for this and seemed completely lost after the second and third goals. Captain Nevio scored on a penalty kick which saw FC Edmonton's goalkeeper Rein Baart sent off. Idriss Ech-Chergui scored the last goal after pouncing on a GK mistake late in the game.
    Surely this is a confidence boost before the crunch 2nd leg semi-final against Vancouver. Will Montreal be able to score more than one goal at Empire Field ?
    Highlights of the game can be found there: http://gallery.me.com/korichilibeck#100163
    Goals
    Gerba (2, 9th and 36th)
    Le Gall (31st)
    Pizzolito (PK, 86th)
    Ech Chergui (90th)
    Guest
    By: Alyssa Ally
    Canadian women’s soccer finds itself in a nice place to be in heading into this summer’s World Cup – flush with options. Carolina Morace has a lot to choose from and short time to do it.
    Her defensive line is pretty much fixed. And the forwards are a lock. But the keepers might be her most difficult decision.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I can’t remember the last time Rhian Wilkinson and Candace Chapman didn’t start or play the entire 90 on the backline. Since the arrival of Emily Zurrer and Marie-Eve Nault making her comeback, Morace has stuck with them.
    The mid section is a little more difficult to distinguish who she’ll make her starter. I believe Diana Matheson and Kaylyn Kyle are a lock. Right wing is a toss up. Morace used to go with Sophie Schmidt but more recently has been starting Carmelina Moscato. Parker may be the better option. She hasn’t been with the squad since September 2010, but has shown a lot of promise. As a very versatile player, quick, skillful, great ball mover, poise on the ball she has a better first touch than both Moscato and Schmidt.
    Parker currently plays in the WPS with the WNY Flash as a forward. With Josee Belanger injured and out of the running, Kelly Parker could also play up front.
    Morace will have no problems choosing forwards. Christine Sinclair will get the start to each game. Depending on the formation, likely starters will be rising star Jonelle Foligno and tough go-getter Tancredi.
    However, choosing a starting goalkeeper will be Morace’s toughest decision and not a bad problem to have. Karina LeBlanc is undoubtedly the most experienced ‘keeper making her fourth World Cup appearance. Erin McLeod coming off a knee injury is a little rusty but getting better day by day. Stephanie Labbe is considered Canada’s “1c” ‘keeper however she is the most active out of the three, currently playing with Sweden’s Damallsvenskan league club Pitea IF. But she confirmed through her Twitter account Sunday that she had injured her knee and was preparing to see a doctor about it.
    Last December Labbe got the start vs. Marta and crew and captured the win for Canada - twice in the same week. Either way, the 10 players in front should feel comfortable with any one of the three.
    55 days until kickoff.
    ___
    Canada’s likely Women’s World Cup Roster
    Starting lineup:
    GK- Labbe
    D- M-E Nault
    Chapman
    Zurrer
    Wilkinson
    M- Parker
    Matheson
    Kyle
    F- Sinclair
    Tancredi
    Foligno
    Deep bench:
    GK- LeBlanc
    McLeod
    D- Booth
    Gayle
    Stewart
    M- Moscato
    Schmidt
    Timko
    F- Julien
    Robinson
    Reserves:
    McCarthy
    McCalla
    Scott
    Bucklan
    Pietrangelo
    ___
    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
    One day later and my opinion has not wavered. Yesterday’s 3-0 loss to Seattle was every bit as bad a performance as the infamous 5-0 night in New York. The only thing that keeps the west coast capitulation from ranking as the worst performance of all-time outright is the importance of the New York game.
    So, call it 1A and 1B of TFC stink-fests. There is a long list of games to pick from, so it’s saying something.
    Whether they weren’t trying (I doubt that), tired from a horrific travel day on Friday (probably, but so what) or just not good enough (BINGO!) there is little doubt that this team is not very good right now. Trying to break it down any further than that is somewhat pointless. With the exception of Stefan Frei TFC needs to get better at every position on the park.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The question fans must ask themselves is not whether the Reds are going to be competitive anytime soon, but rather if they are going to be a contender by this time next year. I’m not sure if they will be.
    There is a point to be made by those that suggest that the club didn’t need to strip itself to the point that it did. If they had mixed in the odd MLS veteran, satisfied DeRo and were a little more flexible in the system they implement on a game to game basis then things might not be as bad as they are. The playoffs would seem less fantasy, more realistic target.
    But, the club is convinced that the way to get really good is to be consistent in tactics and to build a young core that can grow together. It’s not an absurd idea – the best MLS clubs stay together for a long stretch. The doubts come into play when you analyze whether Winter knows what he’s looking for in talent. And you hope that Paul Mariner can recapture some of the magic he had in New England.
    Hope. It really comes down to that. You have to hope that TFC hired the right guy in Winter and hope that he can turn it around quickly before the city’s soccer fans start to lose more interest in the product. What you can’t do is demand more wholesale changes. Constant change is how TFC got in this mess in the first place.
    In 2007, there was a misguided sign that sometimes hung at BMO Field that read “In Mo we Trust.” The fans aren’t quite as naive anymore and you will not likely see an “In Winter we Trust” banner hung anytime soon. However, the fans need to trust Winter now. There literally is no choice other than to give up on the club altogether. TFC has handed him and his team the keys to the thing. He’ll either build it into something or burn it to the ground.
    Hopefully it’s the former.
    Guest
    After a couple of weeks with a nice one-match-per-week schedule, the Whitecaps are back into the crunch of fixture congestion. They <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/whitecaps-fall-to-fc-dallas/article1996671/">lost to FC Dallas</a> last Saturday, but made a quick recovery <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2011/04/27/sp-whitecaps-impact.html">to beat the Montreal Impact</a> midweek in Voyageurs Cup play. Things aren't getting easier, though, as they've <a href="http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Whitecaps+facing+hectic+slate+games+without+Harris+Hassli/4701367/story.html">got a packed schedule in the coming week</a>, including <a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2011/04/whitecaps-fc-back-mls-action-columbus-crew-weekend">today's road game against Columbus</a> (4:30 p.m. Pacific, Sportsnet One/Team 1410), Wednesday's return leg at home against Montreal, a road game against Chicago next Saturday <a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/2011-schedule">and then</a> Wednesday-Saturday games against San Jose and New England. Thus, it's going to be interesting to see how they approach the upcoming games; will head coach Teitur Thordarson throw his best-possible lineup out there for each one and hope they don't get too fatigued, or will there be priority placed on certain matches? If priority does come into play, will they focus on the league or the Canadian championship?[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Whitecaps also head into today's game with a significantly reduced roster, especially up front. They'll be without Atiba Harris for some time thanks to his knee surgery, and they're also missing Eric Hassli thanks to his accumulation of bookings. That <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/soccer/SuperDraft+pick+ready+strike+Whitecaps/4701010/story.html">could pave the way for Omar Salgado to start</a>, which certainly would be interesting. Starting Salgado probably isn't something Vancouver coach Teitur Thordarson would do at this point if Harris and Hassli were available, as Salgado's still young and developing and hasn't shown a ton at the MLS level yet. Still, this could be an excellent chance for the Whitecaps to find out what he can do. It's also possible that they could opt to not start Salgado; Marc Weber <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/ProvinceWeber/status/64095343012347907">thinks they might go with Nizar Khalfan up front</a> alongside Camilo, which would certainly be interesting. Khalfan didn't exactly show great striking potential in his stints there at the Division II level, though, so I would opt for Salgado or even Long Tan over him.
    In midfield, Vancouver has a few more options than usual. Gershon Koffie is back from international duty, and Ben Massey <a href="http://www.eightysixforever.com/2011/4/30/2144562/whitecaps-game-day-men-columbus-4-30-pm-pdt">thinks he's likely to start alongside Terry Dunfield</a>. That makes sense to me; Koffie hasn't played for Vancouver in weeks, but the Dunfield-Koffie pairing was highly effective in the early going this year, so why not reunite it? Other central midfield options include Shea Salinas, Alain Rochat or Mouloud Akloul; MLS veteran Peter Vagenas is <a href="http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Whitecaps+Gameday+Veteran+Vagenas+trains+with+Vancouver+squad+Ohio/4704249/story.html">training with the club</a>, but not anticipated to even make the 18 yet, and Michael Nanchoff and John Thorrington are still hurt. On the wings, Russell Teibert and Davide Chiumiento would seem to be the logical choices to keep starting; both have played well recently. Wes Knight and Khalfan are also options, as is Blake Wagner.
    The Vancouver defence is also a little healthier than it's been. Jonathan Leathers should continue his run of starts at right back, and although Jay DeMerit and Greg Janicki appear to both still be hurt, Michael Boxall has played well in the middle. He could be joined by Alain Rochat or Mouloud Akloul; if Akloul goes into the middle, Rochat would then move out to left back and send Wagner to the bench. In goal, Jay Nolly is probably going to start, but Joe Cannon is apparently getting healthier, so it's possible he might move in. With all that in mind, the most likely lineup from this perspective would appear to be Nolly, Leathers-Boxall-Rochat-Wagner, Chiumiento-Koffie-Dunfield-Teibert, Camilo-Salgado. That presumes that the Caps will play a first-choice squad, though, and that isn't necessarily the case.
    The Crew are an interesting squad. They're not the most talented team in MLS, but their roster is nothing to sneeze at, and their 2-1-3 record is <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/standings">good enough for fourth place in the East</a>. It's also notable that <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter-preview/whitecaps-hit-road-face-streaking-columbus">their recent form is the opposite of Vancouver's</a>; the Whitecaps won their first match and haven't picked up three points in MLS play since, while the Crew dropped their first one and haven't lost a game since then. They're a scrappy team, as they showed with the 1-1 draw they picked up against Toronto last week, and they've got a notoriously rowdy fanbase that should help urge them on. It's not going to be an easy game for Vancouver, but it could be an intriguing one.
    Guest

    Toronto FC Academy schedule

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The Toronto FC senior Academy starts its Canadian Soccer League season a week from today. Its schedule is below the jump:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Fri, May 6 Lamport Stadium 8:00 PM TFC Academy Montreal Impact Academy
    Sun, May 8 Centennial Stadium 8:00 PM TFC Academy Mississauga Eagles FC
    Sun, May 15 Esther Shiner Stadium 6:00 PM North York Astros TFC Academy
    Sat, May 21 Lamport Stadium 6:00 PM TFC Academy Windsor Stars
    Sat, May 28 Lamport Stadium 6:00 PM TFC Academy Capital City FC
    Sun, Jun 5 Hershey Centre 7:00 PM Mississauga Eagles FC TFC Academy
    Sun, Jun 12 Victoria Park 3:00 PM Brampton City Utd TFC Academy
    Fri, Jun 17 Lamport Stadium 8:00 PM TFC Academy Brantford Galaxy
    Fri, Jun 24 Terry Fox Stadium 7:00 PM Capital City FC TFC Academy
    Sun, Jun 26 Saputo Stadium 4:00 PM Montreal Impact Academy TFC Academy
    Sat, Jul 2 Lamport Stadium 6:00 PM TFC Academy York Region Shooters
    Sat, Jul 9 Centennial Stadium 2:00 PM TFC Academy Toronto Croatia
    Fri, Jul 15 Lamport Stadium 8:00 PM TFC Academy North York Astros
    Sun, Jul 17 Centennial Stadium 5:00 PM Toronto Croatia TFC Academy
    Fri, Jul 22 Lamport Stadium 8:00 PM SC Toronto TFC Academy
    Sun, Jul 31 Centennial Stadium 8:00 PM TFC Academy London City
    Wed, Aug 3 Club Roma 8:00 PM St. Catharines Wolves TFC Academy
    Fri, Aug 12 Lamport Stadium 8:00 PM TFC Academy Brampton City Utd
    Sun, Aug 21 St. Joan of Arc 6:00 PM York Region Shooters TFC Academy
    Fri, Aug 26 Centennial Stadium 8:00 PM Serbian White Eagles TFC Academy
    Sat, Sep 10 Windsor Stadium 7:00 PM Windsor Stars TFC Academy
    Fri, Sep 16 Lamport Stadium 8:00 PM TFC Academy Serbian White Eagles
    Sun, Sep 18 Lions Park 6:00 PM Brantford Galaxy TFC Academy
    Fri, Sep 23 Cove Road 8:38 PM London City TFC Academy
    Sun, Sep 25 Centennial Stadium 5:00 PM TFC Academy St. Catharines Wolves
    Sun, Oct 2 Centennial Stadium 4:30 PM TFC Academy SC Toronto

    Guest

    Injury blow to Canadian women

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Josée Bélanger has failed in her quest to recover in time to go to Germany.
    The 24-year-old striker has been a real bright spot for the Canucks over the past year. Her five goals gave notice that she might be the player that could take some of the scoring pressure off Christine Sinclair.
    Unfortunately an ankle injury suffered earlier this year will keep her off the roster for Germany.
    In more positive news, the injury may have opened the door for Vancouver's Chelsea Buckland. The forward, who has yet to be capped, is the only surprise at the Canadian camp, which opened this week.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    With the recently-announced signing of long-time MLS midfielder Peter Vagenas, the Vancouver Whitecaps have filled their roster up to the Major League Soccer maximum of thirty players. The 33-year-old Vagenas is automatically one of the most experienced players on the youthful Vancouver roster and, though brought in just for a depth role, will hopefully provide leadership and guidance to the team's young blood both on and off the field.
    Of course, the Whitecaps have the option to release any of the players on their roster if they want to bring in a new asset. But it's safe to say that what we have is pretty close to the final Vancouver Whitecaps roster for the 2011 season. In particular, the midfield seems almost set. Vagenas brings the midfield a pleasant combination of playing styles as well as a bit of depth that's a good mix of youth and veterans. Prior to Vagenas's arrival, the midfield has been both a strength and a weakness depending on who's healthy. So what does it look like today?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The area where Vagenas will help most is also the area where the Whitecaps have had some of the biggest problems: central midfield. Terry Dunfield, John Thorrington, and Gershon Koffie are clearly the top choices for the two central roles this season. But all three have missed chunks of time for one reason or another, be it injury, suspension, or international duty. With those three decent players unavailable, Teitur Thordarson has had to turn to a variety of unpalatable options
    Some of those players are basically decent. Kevin Harmse is a useful, experienced utility player and every team should have a couple guys like that kicking around. But he's coming off a serious injury and, though he's proven he has 90 minute games in him, clearly isn't the Kevin Harmse of old. Jeb Brovsky has some good qualities and might round into something useful, but right now he's a liability rather than an asset. Alexandre Morfaw was never much more than a piece of young depth and, anyway, he's been hurt almost constantly. Michael Nanchoff is young, inexperienced, and literally <i>never healthy</i>. Long Tan has played some midfield in his life but I'd certainly be hesitant to list him there. And who even knows where Philippe Davies is?
    What the central midfield was missing was a useful depth player who can combine a bit of offensive spirit and defensive responsibility. Brovsky can move the ball well, but it's his only real skill. Michael Nanchoff had a one-dimensional reputation in college, which bodes ill. Harmse, at his best, can fill that role a bit but not well. You can see why this unit was calling out for a player of Vagenas's experience and two-way ability.
    If Vagenas can get into shape and stay healthy, I reckon he's the team's fourth choice in central midfield behind Dunfield, Koffie, and Thorrington in that order. That's not a long way up the depth chart but given that Dunfield, Thorrington, and Vagenas himself all have fairly chequered injury histories, having a reliable fourth central midfielder is a very good idea. If Nanchoff can't get healthy and Davies can't come back to life, Vagenas might also be a choice off the bench when the team needs a goal (or, if the likes of Brovsky is out there, when the team needs to prevent one).
    On the wings, the situation is fairly simple. Davide Chiumiento, Wes Knight, and Shea Salinas are the top choices on the right. Russell Teibert is the best option on the left, with Blake Wagner running second on the depth chart if he ever stops playing fullback and then a rogue's gallery of guys like Chiumiento and Salinas who can play both wings. Nizar Khalfan can substitute whereever he's needed and either be brilliant or unspeakably frustrating.
    I admit that I'd like to see a little more depth on the wings. The right side is fine, but if Russell Teibert gets injured (which does sometimes happen) or loses form, the left will be a <i>mess</i>. With Teibert's leg problems earlier this year, we already had a vivid example: with Teibert around, this team can play wide, stretch defenses, and cause havoc. Without him, no matter who's taking his place, we're very limited in our options down the left-hand side.
    It's not like there's nobody we can cut either. What the hell is Bilal Duckett for, anyway? Or Alex Morfaw, whose appearances in division two suggested that he was a moderately useful, replaceable NASL depth player. They couldn't get a substitute left winger who at least plays the position? What's Gabe Gala doing these days, anyway?
    Still, the midfield looks relatively good. No MLS team has perfect depth at every position. The Whitecaps are secure in the middle and on the right against all but the most serious crisis. The left has a solid starter and some backups who, um, I hope we don't see much. For a team struggling with injuries, it's a good situation to be in.
    Guest

    Vancouver's goal

    By Guest, in West Coast Soccer Podcast,

    For those that did not get a chance to watch the Whitecaps - Impact NCC game, here is the game's only goal from Terry Dunfield


    I won't mention that he's a former City boy.
    Guest
    A while back Squizz asked this on this Web site: If Canada fails at the Gold Cup, does Stephen Hart get fired?
    Correctly, he answered ‘No, what are you nuts’ and ‘You’re aware we’re Canada, right? No one big is coming.’” As stated, that’s the correct answer. Hart has the ability to squeeze the maximum out of this current group of players and the argument can be made that there might not be anyone in the world – even a guy, say, staring down an 0-2 scoreline against Barcelona – is better positioned to lead Canada into the promised land.
    Managing national teams isn’t the same as managing club teams. The resume doesn’t need to be as strong when you are essentially acting as a babysitter a few times a year.
    And that’s kind of that. There isn’t much more to say about Hart and his future with the national team. However, we live in Canada – gender correct Canada -- so the question is only half answered.
    So, let me ask: If Canada fails at the World Cup, does Carolina Morace get fired?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    On the surface it seems like an absurd statement. After all Morace has been busy holding the CSA hostage with threats of resigning for the better part of this year. If you are to believe her, the question might not need to be answered. She might walk anyway.
    Still, there has been a lot of movement behind the scenes and the players have been lobbying hard to make sure she continues in her role. It seems unlikely that she’ll be fired, regardless of what happens in Germany.
    But, that’s not the question – whether she should be is.
    The answer is yes.
    To be clear I’m defining “fails” here to mean not advancing from the group. It’s a group that is actually comparable to what the men have drawn in the Gold Cup. You have the tournament co-favourite and host Germany (likely loss) and a tricky but beatable minnow in Nigeria (likely win). The key for Canada in the group is getting by the team that is very close to it in the rankings. With the men it’s Panama, the women have France.
    Followers of the women’s program sometimes like to point out that they have accomplished more than the men and that they are the ones that Canadians should get behind (one day I’ll address my distaste for how women’s supporters feel it OK to attack the success of the men – all for one people, all for one). If that’s the case then they should be held to a higher standard.
    In the women’s case that higher standard is for them to win the 2015 World Cup. Let’s repeat that to be clear. Win. The whole thing.
    Winning the 2011 World Cup is not in the cards, but we must see progress towards the ultimate goal. If Canada fails to beat France and get out of the group it’s awfully hard to argue that they are on track. Yes, all the wins in warm-up competitions are nice, but it isn’t the Canadian Cyprus Cup Team, it’s the Canadian World Cup Team. They need to win when it matters.
    If Canada goes three and out the CSA would absolutely be justified in showing Morace the door. Getting into the quarters but no further should buy her another year to lead the team to London. The only result that should make Morace untouchable is a semi-final berth.
    Of course all hell would break loose if the CSA did sack Morace. The women would tell every microphone they could find how terrible the decision was and many fans would be eager to pile on the anti-CSA sentiment. That doesn’t mean the decision would be wrong though.
    Here’s the thing – the players don’t run the show. It’s great that they are loyal to Morace, but if she isn’t the right person for the job the CSA should not allow player pressure to prevent them from making a decision that is in the best interest of the team.
    I suspect Morace will get the team out of the group. Morace is a good coach and the team seems to get better every month. However, she isn’t the only good coach out there and when it looked like she was going to walk there were plenty of very good candidates that approached the CSA about the job. If the CSA was willing to spend the money they would land another world class coach.
    Despite the good results leading up to the World Cup, Morace has yet to win anything truly tangible. The CONCACAF title was nice, but it had as much to do with the USA failing against Mexico as it did with Canada stepping up. It’s worth noting that the Canucks failed to beat the Americans once again the first time they had a chance following the tournament.
    Just like every other coach in the world, Morace needs to be held accountable to the results she produces at the World Cup. This isn’t really controversial stuff.
    Guest
    Panayiotis Alexiou "Peter" Vagenas has officially been inked to a contract by the Vancouver Whitecaps. He has been training with the club for the last week and will bring years of MLS experience to the club.
    There will be a couple of very intriguing questions that will come from this announcement.
    First off, how awesome will it be to hear the Punjabi announcers on Omni say Panayiotis Vagenas. After that there are a few less entertaining but still important questions. Is Vagenas the best player currently available? If the 'Caps did not like him enough to take him in the re-entry draft why is he suddenly good enough now? Does this mean the end of the Mouloud Akloul midfield experiment? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Vagenas' last club was technically defending MLS Cup Champions Colorado, but he never suited up for the squad as he was traded in the off season. Julien Baudet, Danny Earls were sent from Colorado in exchange for his expiring contract. Colorado never re-signed Vagenas and it basically amounted to a salary dump for the Rapids.
    Vital Statistics
    Position: Midfielder
    Height: 5-08
    Weight: 157
    Born: February 6, 1978, in Pasadena, California
    Hometown: Pasadena, California
    Citizenship: United States
    Last Club: Colorado Rapids (MLS)
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