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    Guest
    Welcome to this week's Designated Player Roundup, taking a look at how the league's 14 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 3 (March 28-April 3)
    Archives: Week 1 | Week 2
    David Beckham (LA): Becks played virtually the full 90, being subbed out in second-half stoppage time, and turned in what Scott French of ESPN Los Angeles is calling "one of the better performances of his Galaxy tenure". Pushed into an unfamiliar holding midfield role with several teammates returning to the lineup, Beckham "was a true two-way player" and was "spreading passes around and giving the Galaxy midfield creativity it too often lacks". Not to mention, it was his free kick that ended up on the head of teammate Leonardo, who headed home the only goal in L.A.'s 1-0 win over Philly.
    (Interestingly, though, Beckham also picked up a yellow card -- his third in three weeks.)
    Juan Pablo Angel (LA): A week after opening his Galaxy goal-scoring account, Angel could have had another but, borrowing from Mr. French yet again, "sent a header flying past the left post he should have finished". That was one of Angel's two shots on the night, in which he saw the pitch for, all intents and purposes, the full 90.
    Landon Donovan (LA): Landycakes was right in the middle of what was a rather scrappy affair between L.A. and Philadelphia, in which 10 cards (eight yellow, two red) were dished out. Donovan suffered four fouls and committed three in his full-90 performance, and was the recipient during one of those cautions when he, during second-half stoppage time, pulled the ol' "boot the ball away to waste time" routine. Unlike Robin van Persie, there's no doubt Donovan heard the whistle.
    Julian de Guzman (Toronto): JDG got into his first game action since October, entering TFC's 1-1 draw with Chivas USA at halftime, and... well, he looked like someone that hadn't played a game in five months thanks to knee surgery. In fairness, it's especially tough to marshal a midfield when you just met half of your teammates a week ago. Jules was sure to get on the score sheet, though -- in the form of a yellow card.
    Branko Boskovic (DC): Holy smokes, a BB sighting! He not only saw the pitch this week, he started! He played 54 minutes before being replaced by a-kid-who-I-may-loathe-or-be-indifferent-towards-depending-on-which-nation-he-decides-to-play-for, Andy Najar. Boskovic managed three shots from his position in midfield in his team's 4-1 demolition at the hands of Colorado.
    I began wondering whether Boskovic's MIA status thus far was due to an injury I was unaware of, until I came across a D.C. United season preview by Dave Johnson of CSNWashington: "Boskovic has led his country Montenegro to the top of its World Cup qualifying group and has shown flashes with United. Still, Boskovic has yet to put it all together on this side of the Atlantic, though he had impressive moments playing wide in preseason."
    Having read that, I'm officially awarding Boskovic with the title of DP Albatross 2011. This title can be transferred throughout the year based on performances and circumstances, but in the early going, I think BB's a decent bet to retain.
    Thierry Henry (NY): Henry did what you'd expect from a striker earning more than the entire rosters of the Colorado Rapids and New England Revolution (two random DP-less teams, don't write angry comments) combined: launched five shots on the night, three on target, in a full-90 performance. Well, actually, what you'd expect from someone in that position would be goals. None this year yet. But hey, with the chance to work alongside a-kid-upon-whom-American-fans-are-terribly-afraid-to-pin-their-hopes, Juan Agudelo, and a guy who may be added to this weekly roundup soon, Dwayne De Rosario, he'll continue to get his chances.
    Rafael Marquez (NY): No red cards this week. That's going to be my update on Rafa from here on out: whether or not he got sent off.
    Alvaro Fernandez (Seattle): Fernandez got subbed into the game (better than being subbed out of the game, which he had been in Weeks 1 and 2) at halftime of Seattle's 2-2 draw with San Jose, meaning that he still hasn't put in a full-90 performance for the Sounders this year. Fernandez told Joshua Mayers of The Seattle Times that he was "surprised" at suddenly being a reserve player which, when run through the ol' Athlete Euphemism Translator, comes out at "seriously coach, what the hell?"
    Fredy Montero (Seattle): Montero missed the San Jose game due to a wrist injury that required surgery earlier in the week, though Jeremiah Oshan of Sounder At Heart believes the injury "does not seem to be a huge deal" and probably won't result in an extended absence. Hey, if the guys in Seattle aren't worried, then neither am I.
    Omar Bravo (KC): Bravo sat out KC's match with Vancouver due to suspension (after earning a dubious red card in Week 2), much to the chagrin of Canadian soccer fans who were forced to watch some kid (whose name I didn't catch, but it may be "Traitor" or "Trayter", based on the chants I heard) pick up the slack and score a brace for the erstwhile Wizards.
    Alvaro Saborio (Salt Lake): Saborio and his Salt Lake teammates enjoyed a week off. Actually, I'm just guessing. They could have hated it, for all I know.
    Eric Hassli (Vancouver): Hassli was forced to watch from the press box (a figure of speech; he could have been at a bar for all I know) as he was prematurely usurped as the Whitecaps' folk hero by upstart Brazilian Camilo Sanvezzo who -- as you likely already know -- scored twice in stoppage time to earn Vancouver a surprising 3-3 draw with Kansas City. Hassli, of course, was suspended after receiving a red card in Week 2, for his perpetually chippy play. For the sake of Vancouver soccer, let's hope young Camilo doesn't run afoul of him.
    Andres Mendoza (Columbus): Remember that Chilean goofball who grabbed an opponent's hand and swatted himself in the face to try and draw a foul? Well, Mendoza is Peruvian, but he did try something kinda similar in the Crew's 2-0 win over Dallas, casually pushing defender Brek Shea's hand onto the ball in an attempt to earn a penalty. The ref didn't bite.
    He did bite later, however, on a legit PK down at the other end, when Emmanuel Ekpo was hip-checked by poor ol' George John. Mendoza stepped up and (barely) converted his first MLS goal, which stood up as the winner.
    Fabian Castillo (Dallas): The 18-year-old (!!!) started for Dallas and turned in a 78-minute performance in which his speed was fully on display, including an impressive 50-yard run down the left flank that resulted in a bad-angle attempt at goal. But hey, you can't score if you don't shoot.
    .
    Guest
    David Edgar has had a tough year. Despite a tantalizing taste of first-team action in the pre-season, even trying his hand in a defensive midfield role, he's seen precious little action for Burnley. Regardless of his generally consistent fitness, and his newly-minted status as a senior-capped Canadian international, Edgar has been limited to just six league appearances for the Clarets. Once one of the shining young lights of Canadian soccer, the still-promising defender is stuck in an all-too-familiar bench-bound rut.
    And it looks like things aren't going to get any better any time soon.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Nineteen-year-old Everton centre-back Shane Duffy, on loan with Burnley until the end of the 2011 campaign, seems have leapfrogged Edgar (and a few other choices) into the starting XI. It's another setback in the career of a player who's never managed to establish himself in a starting role. Worst of all for the 23-year-old Edgar, he was set to rejoin Swansea City for a repeat of last-year's successful loan spell until a painfully nitpicky bit of FIFA red tape scuttled the deal.
    Duffy's arrival could mean the writing is on the wall for Edgar at Turn Moor: Will the summer see him push for a move to greener pastures? With World Cup qualifying coming around in the fall, it may well behoove Edgar to find a club that will give him minutes, or he risks losing his spot in Stephen Hart's squad.
    It's not too late for Edgar to develop into the player Canadian fans have always hoped he would be. But fans can be forgiven for feeling that time is running out.
    Guest
    As most have now read the article from the local Toronto daily newspaper, in which Dwayne DeRosario is quoted as saying, "I didn't demand a trade, I demanded a new contract," I thought it apt to post the raw audio from DeRo's first post game scrum in New York.
    In it, he comments about his desire for a trade out of Toronto, mentions his contract negotiations with New York and is quizzed by the beat reporters if it was his representatives that first contacted New York.
    There are parts of it that are not relevant to this discussion, but since this divorce has become a black and white issue for many, with people setting up camp with the club or the player, I've left it un-edited and with as little pre-amble as possible, so as to not further cloud a debate that is now largely a he said, she said affair.
    Thanks to Daniel Feuerstein, a New York Red Bulls reporter, for passing this along.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:%27http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/22595/deroscrumfinal.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 audio player:
    You can listen here
    Or you can download it from iTunes here
    Guest
    If you’re looking for a respite from the De Rosario trade controversy, you’ve come to the right place. While Dwayne’s trade to the Red Bulls ate up all the blogosphere oxygen this past weekend, there was another bit of Toronto FC drama that went unnoticed: Aron Winter putting a stop on post-game media access to the TFC dressing room.
    Jason de Vos broke the story by tweeting a photo of Winter’s letter to the media detailing how the locker room was a “sacred space” and assuring reporters that players would be available afterward in the gym. Soon after, several journos tweeted about how MLSE was breaking MLS rules on post-match locker-room access.
    And they were absolutely right.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    According to the letter of the law, section 6.11.1 of the 2011 MLS Operations Manual dictates that “…the Team dressing rooms must be opened to the media no later than 10 minutes after a game,” and “any violations of these rules may result in fines” (via SBNation). So there’s no debate as to who’s in the right here as far as the rules are concerned.
    Furthermore, as de Vos went on to point out, the abrupt letter was a poor PR move on the part of a beleaguered club struggling to maintain good relations with TFC fans, and now local media. Again, no argument there. It seemed as if Aron Winter made the call on his own and management complied with little debate (or investigation) over whether the policy violated MLS standard practice. In any case, Winter and Toronto FC should have handled this decision better.
    I’m not going to argue that Toronto FC would suddenly become a world-beating team if the players had a few extra minutes to themselves post game. Nor will I use this post to debate the dubious worth of locker room player quotes in North American sportswriting (that’s for another post). However, I do want to speak to an interesting line in Winter’s press letter, about how part of his mandate was to create a “real football environment” at TFC. Obviously Winter considers an off-limits locker room part of said environment. This may sound like Euro Snob sophistry, especially considering all other North American leagues allow journalists access to locker rooms post game, but I think Winter indirectly touches on a major issue with Major League Soccer’s awkward relationship with North American sports culture.
    Within that culture, the league is king. Organizations like the NBA, MLB and NFL guarantee a monopoly on elite talent within their respective sports, with their member clubs providing local consumer entry points. This is why you always hear about the NFL coming to a particular city, rather than a particular football team finally gaining entry to the NFL. This is also why American sports leagues embrace single-entity ownership, franchising, and uniform rules granting generous press access. It’s in the league’s general best interest to allow fans as much access to their product as possible.
    By contrast, in European football clubs have all the power, with various leagues providing mere competitive scaffolding. For one, no one nation could ever guarantee to provide the elite soccer league, but individual clubs can certainly compete to be considered among the best in the world. European clubs are highly independent. In theory, your neighbourhood pub team can rise to the Premier League, and Manchester United can end up in the Blue Square Premier League. Managers have limitless power to spend whatever they can on players, and once in the top flight, club representatives decide together how TV rights moneys are to be distributed. For this reason, football fans tend to form passionate allegiances with clubs—who often participate in several domestic and international competitive formats each year—rather than leagues.
    MLS however long ago sided with the American sports league approach and rejected non-single entity ownership, open market transfer spending, relegation/promotion, and limited media access. It did this in part to limit player wages via centralized spending, but also to avoid alienating American sports fans used to the franchise league system.
    While challenging MLS’ distinctly American league structure will get you labeled a Europhile, there are a few problems worth pointing out. For example MLS, unlike the NHL or the NBA, can never claim a monopoly on elite talent within its sport. The league will never have the LeBron James or Sidney Crosby of soccer, just a LeBron James and Sidney Crosby of MLS. This is one reason why the league still struggles to develop a one-size-fits-all approach to marketing for its member clubs.
    In recent years however, with the popular success of TFC and the Seattle Sounders, MLS tried going down the traditional Euro-style club allegiance route, focusing on fans singing together, waving flags and singing songs. Still, there is a sense of artifice in this approach. First, it’s much harder to for fans to naturally forge a strong emotional attachment to a franchise football club whose existence is wholly dependent on and integrated with single-entity MLS. Second, MLS clubs have simply not been around long enough to well up tears like the Yankees or the Montreal Canadiens (teams, by the way, that predate the leagues they currently play in). Toronto FC has done much to foster a strong fan base, it has yet to feel in many ways like a distinct football club.
    I’m sure you’re asking yourself what this has to do with press access. Quite a lot, as it turns out. Aron Winter came in to recreate Toronto FC as an autonomous club, first with a distinct tactical approach and playing style with the much-touted 4-3-3 formation, but also by exerting a fair amount of control who gets to speak to the players and when. He’s trying to by-pass the built-in North American league model in order to create an aura of Euro-style independence at the club, to give TFC a sense of identity apart from the rest of the league.
    In doing so, Winter is paddling upstream. Players are journeyman in MLS, changing shirts with ease every year. It’s hard to give them a sense of “what it means” to play for a five year-old franchise club as much “owned” in a sense by MLS as MLSE. And if the end result is winning the MLS Cup, one wonders if a "real football environment" is even necessary considering other clubs regularly win it without one. But Winter seems to be going after something bigger, something longer lasting, something you can't simply "brand" by adding a United or a Real to the team, or bringing in half time cheerleaders, or adding real grass. His attempt to do so has tellingly put him in conflict with the league itself, and his failure to make Toronto a "real" club will be as much MLS' as his own.
    Guest

    Long Balls: Long Overdue.

    By Guest, in Some Canadian Guys,

    Better late than never may be OK when scoring in injury time (just ask Simeon Jackson), but it's less than good with a weekly goal roundup. So apologies, dear readers, for the lateness with which I fill in for Grant (away on holiday, the lucky bastard) and write this week's edition of Long Balls.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It'll be a sweet consolation, though, to see that our boys abroad made good this week (well, a few of them), not the least of which being the long-suffering Simeon Jackson, back to his freaking awesome ways with a thunderous hat trick for Norwich City over Scunthorpe United. Sure, Canaries captain Grant Holt had already bagged a treble of his own by the time Simeon saw the field, and sure, Scunthorpe collectively looked about about as capable and athletic as
    That's not the point. The point is that Simeon Jackson bagged three goals. And that he is freaking awesome. <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="410" height="240" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mQ5rjPUvg0c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Not to be outdone (well...to be outdone slightly) recent international absentee Iain Hume potted a brace in Preston North End's heroic upset over Swansea City. Can the Lilywhites save themselves from what seemed to be an almost certain relegation? Well...I dunno, cause they went on to lose to Reading on Tuesday. But hope springs eternal: Seven points to salvation for Hume & Co.
    Npower Championship–watchers will have licked their lips (only figuratively, I hope) at this prospect: A Canuck derby! Burnley v Ispwich! Edgar v Peters! ...well, neither played and disappointment abounds. (Ipswich won 2-1, for the record.)
    Our German second-division contingent continued its march to the 1. Bundesliga, with Marcel De Jong putting in his usual 90 mins as Augsburg won 2-0 over Arminia Bielefeld. Rob Friend stuck with what works, riding the pine all the way to Hertha Berlin 2-0 Paderborn.
    The less said about this week for Dutch Hutch (I hate that nickname, too, but I couldn't help myself), the better: PSV surrendered three points and first place in the Eredivisie to Twente, then got a Hulking 4-1 battering by Braga in the Europa League. Hutchinson was out there for the whole shebang, too, getting nothing more than a yellow card for his troubles.
    But we can return to the good news pile with updates of what Canada's keepers have been up to. Lars Hirschfeld has backstopped Norwegian outfit Vålerenga to a 2-0 record with two clean sheets, a record as tidy as Lars' haircut. (Note: For a reminder of why we're happy to have Lars, compare his solid save at 2:45, below, with the second goal the other guy lets in. Yikes.)
    <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="410" height="240" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RZtdqXhFuts" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Milan Borjan, for his part, helped Rad to a 2-2 result – a big point league-leaders Partizan, keeping Rad in the Europa League zone by a clear seven points.
    And so we head off into the next round of play for our brave boys abroad. The next round of matches being tomorrow, actually. Man, this column is late – apologies again, and be relieved that Grant will be back for the next edition to Captain the SS Long Balls into more timely waters.
    Guest

    About support

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    A couple weeks ago I had a conversation with a friend of mine that got me thinking about what it means to be a fan. As is often the case the conversation started with me talking about Manchester City and my irrational belief that I will one day see them raise a trophy.
    My friend, who it should be noted is a Manchester United fan (although in fairness to him he was a United supporter before they were Manchester United ), suggested that winning was a bit over rated. The nature of support didn’t necessarily require a shiny piece of silver at the end of the day.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I agreed to a point (have I mentioned my love of City?), but suggested to him that it was awfully easy to take that view when you cheer for Manchester bloody United.
    Still, I sort of understood where he was coming from. Winning is just one possible outcome of any particular game. Although we all desire that result most of all the question is whether our experience of supporting is truly enhanced by it. On the surface you would think that it is, but the reality is that we still have to pay the hydro bill the day after a big win by our team – our life is not personally changed by the result.
    Flash forward to today. Following the TFC game I strolled over to the home of the Red Patch Boys, Shoeless Joes. There I bought a beer for the club’s president Boris Aguilar as thanks for his help on a couple MLSsoccer.com stories this week. As it happened, he was being interviewed by a student journalist about why the RPB does what it does.
    For several minutes I stood and listened. Although I did not disagree with anything that was being said I felt compelled to add my perspective (shocking, I know). What I said was that supporting a soccer team is different than supporting most other sports teams. There is a sense of community and connectedness that makes what we do matter. I mean let’s face it – strip it down and our desire to see one group of 11 men in short pants beat the other one is irrelevant and irrational.
    Except it isn’t. It isn’t because we share the experience with people we love. When our team wins it makes us happy and we share that happiness with those around us.
    And that’s why my friend was wrong. Although our bond with fellow supporters is no less strong after a loss it’s the pursuit of those fleeting moments of joy that really drives us to come out week after week.
    Let’s be honest – unless we support Manchester United we lose more than we win. Frustration is as often the emotion we feel as joy. But, when it goes right...
    Man, there is no feeling like it. A shiny trophy may not change my life for the better, but the ssxperience of watching it will remain with me and enhance my life until the day this sport finally kills me.
    I guess I should bring this back to TFC. There is little doubt that this season is going to be frustrating at times. However – and call me naive or a sucker if you want – we all need to find those special moments within the whole.
    Otherwise what’s the point?
    Guest
    If ever a game deserved the "roller-coaster ride" moniker, today's Vancouver Whitecaps - Sporting Kansas City clash would be the one. The Whitecaps came out strong at home and created plenty of chances in the early going, but Kansas City's Danish keeper <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Nielsen">Jimmy Nielsen</a> stood tall and kept them off the scoreboard. It looked like the sides would be level going into halftime, but <a href="http://www.eightysixforever.com/2011/4/1/2085942/ninety-minutes-hate">object of local derision</a> Teal Bunbury notched a superb goal for the visitors in first-half stoppage time.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    That goal seemed to have a demoralizing impact, however. Vancouver came out rather weakly after the half, and the initiative seemed to have passed over to KC. A defensive breakdown led to Bunbury's second tally in the 58th minute, and the game seemed to largely be a lost cause. Things got even worse when Kei Kamara notched Kansas City's third goal four minutes later, giving the visitors what looked like an unsurmountable 3-0 lead. It looked like a potentially awful loss for Vancouver, not just in the result but in magnitude and the weak way the team played in the second half in front of their home crowd.
    Things didn't stay that way, though, and one of the chief reasons appeared to be coach Teitur Thordarson's insertion of Nizar Khalfan and Davide Chiumiento. Khalfan struggled last week against Philadelphia and was on the bench to start this one, but he was thrown in for Greg Janicki right after Kamara's goal made it 3-0, shifting Vancouver's lineup from a 4-4-2 to more of a 3-5-2. Chiumiento was battling through a hamstring injury, so he was unable to start the match, but Wes Knight played rather capably in his stead. However, Chiumiento's entrance on the right flank gave Vancouver some much-needed midfield creativity. The Whitecaps began pressing forward once again, and they were soon rewarded.
    Khalfan showcased his spectacular potential with a run all the way down the left side in the 73rd minute. It didn't look like it would amount to anything, as he wound up with a very difficult angle to goal, but he pulled off a superb cross that went right to Atiba Harris. It glanced off his thigh and went past Nielsen into the net.
    At the time, Harris' goal looked like something that might prove a useful moral victory, but wouldn't have much of an impact on the final outcome. However, it catalyzed another momentum swing, and Vancouver suddenly started pushing forward with everyone. They created several more solid chances, but each was denied by Nielsen or narrowly missed, though, and it looked like it might be too little, too late. Finally, in the five minutes of added stoppage time, Brazilian striker Camilo da Silva Sanvezzo managed to get a shot past Nielsen, and he followed that with another one in the next minute to tie the game and give the Whitecaps a point.
    The final outcome doesn't remove all the concerns that arose from this game. There was some very sloppy defending by Vancouver, particularly on the third goal where Kamara was left all alone in the box, and they're going to have to tighten that up. The Whitecaps also seemed to lose all their drive and intensity after Bunbury's first goal, and everything started to fall apart there. They aren't going to be able to pull many games out if they fall this far behind, so they'll definitely have to work on maintaining a consistent effort for the entire game. Still, in addition to picking up an extremely valuable point, they demonstrated they can play offensive football, they can score and they can never be written off. A day that looked like it might be one of the darkest for the MLS Whitecaps instead wound up with a glaringly-bright silver lining.
    Guest

    The choice DeRo made

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    I find myself more than merely annoyed at Toronto FC's trade of Dwayne de Rosario to New York Product Placement.
    And none of that annoyance is for the man who actually made the deal.
    Incoming TFC boss Aron Winter faced a huge rebuilding job when he arrived in Toronto. The fact that his captain and leading scorer was the most selfish player on the team certainly didn't help.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Okay, Dwayne, I get it. It's a business. Soccer is a job, and no doubt, you got jobbed.
    I don't blame you for feeling that way. We all got jobbed by Johnston -- you more than most. I never for a second doubted you when you talked about promises that hadn't been kept. But there's a thousand ghosts lined up at Gate 4 who've been there -- and been done -- as well.
    I'll even give you that Mo never should have signed Julian de Guzman to that million-buck-plus DP deal. That's a lot of salt to wham into what must have been a pretty deep wound.
    But there's a deeper point that eludes me. Check that -- it eluded you.
    How bad could it really be -- honestly -- to pocket 400 G's a season to captain your home-town soccer team, and score all those lovely goals in front of all those ravenous, raving red fans?
    You're not a young player anymore. You've won a nice collection of championships stateside. And you weren't exactly going broke up here.
    Ask that 1997 Dwayne de Rosario -- the speedy, light-footed bastard who stupefied A-League defences with the Toronto Lynx.
    You remember that kid? The one who didn't cut it in Europe, and wound up kicking around endlessly in the B-league Carolinas until some team in Major League Soccer finally took a chance on a Canadian?
    You weren't exactly young by then, either, mate. And you won a bunch of titles. Even ripped home a golden-goal in overtime to put one more ring on you fingers.
    Go back and ask that 1997 kid how cool it would be to play MLS in Toronto for the money you made last year? I guarantee that kid isn't making cheque-writing signs on a day all the fans were stinging from the announcement of a huge increase in the price of season tickets.
    Again -- to be fair -- Toronto FC up until now has been a dysfunctional disaster. I've fled some toxic workplaces in my time, too. You gotta do what you gotta do.
    But why wouldn't you give Aron Winter more to work with? He's not the guy who promised you the moon and left you in a crater. He's not the guy who gave de Guzman that contract. But he might yet be the guy with the system and the touch and the savvy and the grit to make this team a winner down the road.
    Wouldn't that have been worth something to you?
    I'd love to get hold of the pup who said you should be making DP coin. Seventeen other teams say no, and you still think they owe you.
    Well, it's a new start for all of us now. We don't exactly have a captain on the roster, but we didn't really have one before, either. You get to ride the declining years of Thierry Henry's backwash. There ought to be some minor glory in that.
    I'm sad and sorry for all the lies Mo told ya, Dwayne.
    I'm sorrier still that you couldn't rise above it, and be the real leader of Toronto FC.
    Onward!
    Guest
    In advance of Vancouver's <a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/node/3340">clash with Sporting Kansas City</a> today (4 p.m. Pacific, Sportsnet Pacific), the key question may be which Whitecaps' squad we're likely to see. The team that <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1382-Thoughts-from-a-tumultuous-Whitecaps-opener">demolished Toronto FC 4-2</a> in their home opener two weeks ago was generally an offensive, creative-minded squad, but the injury-reduced side that <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1414-10-man-Whitecaps-fall-to-Union">fell 1-0 to Philadelphia</a> last week was far less attacking-minded and less interested in keeping possession. That's not all down to strategy and personnel, either; Vancouver obviously approached the Philadelphia game with a more conservative mindset, but they weren't able to even execute a solid defensive plan for the entire game. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    There are still injury and suspension concerns that will prevent the Whitecaps from fielding a full-strength side, but it's going to be interesting to see how they approach this one. There are plenty of risks to an offence-oriented approach, especially against a team like Kansas City that has an impressive offensive cast of their own, but defending all game carries its own problems. With a likely raucous crowd in attendance, it might make sense for Vancouver to go for it a bit more than they did last week to try and keep the fans in the game.
    On the roster front, the most notable news is up front. The team appears set to retain their typical 4-4-2, but designated player and talented French striker Eric Hassli will miss this match thanks to the red card he picked up last week. However, Atiba Harris <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter-preview/vancouver-return-home-host-attack-minded-kc">is expected to be available</a> despite the injury he suffered against Philadelphia. Omar Salgado is technically available thanks to FIFA's recent ruling, but he's away on international duty with the U.S. U-20 side; thus, either Chinese striker Long Tan or Brazilian striker Camilo is expected to pair with Harris to start. Neither has seen significant action for the Whitecaps so far, so this may be a trial by fire for them.
    In midfield, the team looks likely to again have to go without the playmaking abilities of the injured Davide Chuimiento in the middle, and they'll also have to find a replacement for wunderkind Russell Teibert (who's off with the Canadian U-20 team) down the left flank. They do have some options, though; Terry Dunfield and Gershon Koffie seem likely to start in the middle again, but the recently-signed Kevin Harmse is also available. Wes Knight replaced Teibert midway through last week's match, so he may slide in there again, while Nizar Khalfan will probably keep his spot on the left despite not being terribly impressive last week.
    On defence, Greg Janicki's solid performance last week should likely see him get another start in the middle. Who's starting next to him is a matter of debate, though, as both Jay DeMerit and Michael Boxall are back from international duty, but have <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Good+news+news+Whitecaps/4539171/story.html">their own health concerns</a> (although Boxall <a href="http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Whitecaps+starting+lineup+could+look+very+different+than+that+faced/4546918/story.html">trained Friday</a>), and <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?1442-Whitecaps-officially-add-Akloul">recently-signed</a> defender Mouloud Akloul is still likely a few weeks away. DeMerit's likely out and Boxall's likely in, but if he isn't healthy, Harmse could slide in here, or Alain Rochat could start in the middle again, which would mean the wingback positions would again likely be manned by Blake Wagner and Jonathan Leathers. If Boxall is good to go, Rochat probably slides over to left back and replaces Wagner (who could potentially move to left wing in place of Khalfan). Either Jay Nolly or Joe Cannon <a href="http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Whitecaps+starting+lineup+could+look+very+different+than+that+faced/4546918/story.html">could get the start in goal</a>.
    Kansas City has their own injury and suspension issues to worry about, though. They're particularly going to miss designated player Omar Bravo, the talented Mexican striker who picked up a red card last week against Chicago. Experienced central defender Julio Cesar also may not be available, as he missed last week's match thanks to a foot injury that required 18 stitches. Even Teal Bunbury may be held to reduced time, as he only came in off the bench last week as part of working his way back from a dislocated elbow (but he did score). Regardless of when he comes in, though, he should get <a href="http://www.eightysixforever.com/2011/4/1/2085942/ninety-minutes-hate">quite the reception</a>.
    This could be a very interesting match, as it features two sides that both have some firepower but are somewhat reduced from their usual strength thanks to injuries and suspensions. Saturday's clash may prove to be about who's able to adapt more easily. It's also going to be notable to keep an eye on the crowd, and how their presence compares to the incredible force <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mls/news?slug=ab-bucholtz_whitecaps_crowd-031911">displayed in the opener</a>. If they can make Empire Field an intimidating venue for Kansas City, that might be enough to nudge the Whitecaps over the top.
    Guest
    A month and a half ago I griped about Stephen Hart's scatter-gun approach to team selection, or rather, the scatter-gun approach that any Canada manager must adopt.
    But with another friendly come and gone and the minutes from it tallied, I grudgingly now admit that there is something resembling a core of regular Canada players gelling at a glacial pace.
    We will see these players on display at the Gold Cup in two months. Here is the good, the satisfactory but still a source of mild apprehension, and the so obviously worrying that those responsible should not be sleeping on a regular basis.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Good
    Goal
    Suddenly Canada's situation between the posts is no longer terrifying. If either Lars Hirschfeld or Milan Borjan get injured for a lengthy spell over the next two years we might hear some bums squeak, but after Borjan popped up last year and turned in two decent performances, Canada has a tandem it can ride through World Cup qualification. How many other Milan Borjans are out there who could play in Canada's outfield? Which when taken literally is kind of a creepy question.
    Leftback
    With Mike Klukowski's return and the continuing good form of Marcel de Jong in Germany, Canada looks solidly set at leftback.
    Centre of the pitch
    With Atiba Hutchinson at the forward point of a three-man central midfield (against Belarus he played further back), whose base would be two of either Julian de Guzman, Will Johnson, Pedro Pacheco or even de Jong, Canada is well-stocked through the middle. And in order to head off any furious comments, when I say "well-stocked" I'm speaking relative to the other middling countries in Concacaf. None of these boys would play for Barcelona.
    An interesting case is Terry Dunfield, now getting regular minutes with Vancouver. An imaginary, slightly-better-in-all-aspects version of Terry Dunfied would make a perfect foil for Julian de Guzman in the defensive midfield roles, but for the moment Canada can only count on the actual Terry Dunfield. I love his enthusiasm, but I fear he will decapitate a Honduran and somehow get the entire Canadian starting 11 sent off.
    Josh Simpson
    While Hart may not have perfected where in the last-third Josh Simpson should play, his mere existence warrants mention in "The Good" category. Talented, eager for Canada to succeed and enjoying a breakout scoring season with his Turkish club, Simpson is a lock in Canada's starting XI.
    The Satisfactory But Still A Source Of Mild Apprehension
    Middle of the pitch
    The two men who make up the centre of Canada's defence, the lower chunk of the spine of the team, will consist of some combination of Kevin McKenna, Andre Hainault, Adam Straith, Dejan Jakovic and David Edgar. Only Jakovic really gives me the comforting sense of rock-like sturdiness you want from a central defender. McKenna is an obvious choice to do just that, but he is aging and has just recovered from an injury-plagued season. And while it's hardly fair to judge Hainault based on some blunders made against Argentina last May, I'm going to judge him based on some blunders made against Argentina last May. Plus he may be required elsewhere. (Hint, further right). Edgar and Straith are too young, and don't play enough with their clubs.
    The So Obviously Worrying That Those Responsible Should Not Be Sleeping On A Regular Basis
    Two-thirds of the forward line
    Simeon Jackson is as much a lock under Stephen Hart as Josh Simpson or Atiba Hutchinson. He's appeared in nine of Canada's last 10 friendlies for a total of 621 minutes, and has scored one goal, which even he admits he wasn't actually trying to do on that occasion. Rob Friend has been on the field for 446 minutes over those same 10 matches, many of them at the same time as Jackson's, and has scored no goals. That's not an impressive return from two guys occupying two of the three forward positions in Hart's 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 or whatever it is.
    Rightback
    Where to start? How about at the fact we don't seem to have one. And while that is technically not true, it is accurate to say we don't have someone who plays this position with their club. (Commenters, correct me?) The solution for the Belarus match was Nik Ledgerwood, but he generally plays in midfield. Maybe Jaime Peters will look elsewhere in the offseason and find a club that actually plays him, but what if this theoretical club sticks him where he belongs in midfield too? Hart could always throw Hainault, Attakora or Edgar in there, but that just seems like a heart-wrenching goal on some sweaty Central American pitch waiting to be conceded.
    Guest
    There is no point being angry at Dwayne De Rosario for his forced exit from TFC. No, that would be a misplaced emotion. You’d be better off just feeling sad.
    DeRo is likely the most purely talented Canadian soccer player of at least his generation. The argument can be made for all-time. He can do things with the ball that you generally associate with those born in San Paulo, Turin or Buenos Aires
    Canadians that excel in this sport tend to be like Jason de Vos – big, tough and intelligent with an unmatched work ethic. They don’t get by on instincts and flare. But, DeRo did and that’s why he was so watchable.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    However, you’ll note that the argument is not being made that he is the best Canadian footballer of all time, or even his generation. Most talented and best being different things. DeRo is a freelancer, almost impossible to slot into a system and in the wrong setting a nightmare to coach. One of Stephen Hart’s greatest accomplishments as manager of the national team is he somehow gets DeRo to do what he’s told (and gets better results out of him for it).
    Although he’s always good for one of two dramatic track backs a game – almost for show – he does tend to be a defensive liability as well.
    The cheque writing episode of 2010 epitomizes all that is DeRo. He scored a brilliant goal, pulling TFC back into a game. Then he followed it up with a selfish act (the celebration) before ending it by dropping a defensive assignment and allowing San Jose to score the goal that pretty much nailed the playoff coffin shut for 2010.
    He could have been so much more. He could have grabbed a hold of this city and dragged its still reluctant majority into BMO Field and made them like it. He could have been the face of the team for three or four more years and maybe even have lead the team to a championship.
    If he had done so it would have been a first. See, DeRo is not a leader and has never been the main focus of any of his championship teams. He’s an extra piece that completes a championship puzzle. He isn’t who you build the team around. That much is clear now.
    He’s going to be brilliant in New York. No longer the face of a team he can go back to being a creative genius without any other responsibility. He probably will win another MLS Cup and no one would be shocked if he was a big part in the win.
    Toronto is likely better off too although it will take a while for that to be clear. What is clear tonight is that DeRo – Scarborough’s own – has wasted his best chance at being special rather than merely talented.
    Too bad.
    Guest
    Tomorrow afternoon, the Vancouver Whitecaps will try and get back to their winning ways against Sporting Kansas City. Canadian soccer fans will welcome Teal Bunbury back over the border for the first time since he turned traitor. Both teams will be looking for a key result against a team they must think they can get three points against.
    And, without question, news about a bunch of teenagers will matter much more to Vancouver in the long run.
    Today, the long-rumoured became official, as the Whitecaps announced an expansion of their Whitecaps Residency program. The number of players in the program will increase by more than 200%, but much more than that, the Whitecaps will begin recruiting players from young age groups. They'll participate in the United States Soccer Development Academy program with their youngsters taking on the best American teams in the northwestern United States. And they'll start most of this process immediately, with the rest coming in time for the 2011-12 season.
    You can't blame me for forgetting about a mere league game in light of this. Sporting Kansas City is an opportunity for three points, but this Residency expansion is a chance for much more than that.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Vancouver Whitecaps Residency team had a reputation as the best in Canada, the best in the Pacific Northwest, and one of the best in the English-speaking parts of North America. You can see why with just a cursory glance: they've sold promising players like Ethan Gage and Adam Straith to major European leagues, they've already developed Russell Teibert for the Whitecaps' starting lineup and Philippe Davies for their bench, and a number of others are coming along well. Meanwhile, even Residency alumni who failed to make the Whitecaps such as Alex Semenets are catching on with lower-division teams in North America. This is a record to be envied for what is still a relatively young program.
    But it's not what it could be. The Residency has never recruited players below the U-17 level. Moreover, competitive play for the younger age group has been lacking in recent years. The Vancouver Whitecaps Prospects competed in the Pacific Coast Soccer League through the 2009 season, but it was really not much of a competition: the Prospects took on men twice their age and were endlessly bottom of the table. That program disappeared for 2010 under the logic that watching 17-year-olds get destroyed by adults wasn't really that helpful in terms of development. The USSDA league will allow these players to compete against their peers at last.
    The recruitment of youngsters is probably much more important. The Whitecaps have drawn most of their Residency material from assorted British Columbia elite youth clubs. British Columbia has a good youth soccer scene but most of it isn't what you could call "professional" and it's not generally considered the best in the country. It's hard not to draw conclusions from the fact that the three current senior Whitecaps that came out of the Residency, Teibert, Davies, and third-string goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre, played youth soccer in other provinces: Teibert in Ontario, Davies in Quebec, and Sylvestre in Florida. Bryce Alderson, generally considered the best current prospect on the Residency, is another Ontario alumnus. With the exception of Adam Straith (who trained in Victoria, BC), the British Columbia natives haven't made up the elite of the Residency program.
    Now the Whitecaps have more control of the origins of their young players and that can only be good. If the coaches at the U-14 and U-16 levels are as professional as they've been to date in the Whitecaps residency, it'll give young British Columbians the best possible start to their soccer careers. These young players will be in the Whitecaps system for as many as eight or nine years before they turn twenty and graduate the Residency program, and by then not only will they have received a comprehensive soccer education but the Whitecaps will know <i>exactly</i> how much they can rely on the youngster and to what extent.
    Nobody needs to be told that these changes are good for Vancouver and good for Canada. But, in ten years' time, we might be astonished at the difference it winds up making.
    Guest
    Canada takes on Costa Rica tonight in the final match of Group C action in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship.
    As I wrote in my MLSsoccer.com match preview, Canada will be looking for a result tonight even though both sides have already advanced to the next round.
    Kick off is scheduled for 8pm EDT / 5pm PDT, and the game will be streamed live at CONCACAF.com. Join us to have your say.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <iframe src="http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=84c2dc5382/height=550/width=470" scrolling="no" height="550px" width="470px" frameBorder ="0" allowTransparency="true" ><a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=84c2dc5382" >Canada v. Costa Rica (CONCACAF U-20)</a></iframe>
    Guest
    Plenty of heads are still spinning (some may be rolling) following the announcement that erstwhile TFC captain Dwayne DeRosario has been traded to New York... but the MLS season moves relentlessly forward, with the Reds' next game coming on Saturday afternoon against Chivas USA.
    DeRo's departure has produced plenty of questions, with an obvious one being "Who's going to be TFC's new captain?" Somebody's going to wear the armband on a regular basis going forward. So I ask, Canadian footie fans, who's it going to be?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Here are, in my mind, the leading candidates:
    Stefan Frei: By virtue of having to incessantly yell at often-disorganized, occasionally-incompetent defenders for three years, the 'keeper has emerged as one of the team's true leaders. This is to say nothing of the fact that his actual performance has, on countless occasions, gained points that the Reds had no business earning. The TFC faithful perpetually muse about the possibility of Frei heading off to Europe, but for the time being, the team could do much worse than handing the armband to its #1 goalkeeper.
    Julian de Guzman: Surely this would cause its share of outrage amongst the Reds fans who feel his signing has been an unmitigated bust. But presuming JDG can get back to full health, he could be poised to change a lot of people's minds under Aron Winter's new tactical system. And hey, nothing would ease the transition into the post-DeRo era like handing the armband to another Canadian international midfielder from Scarborough, Ont. who, for large portions of his career, has had funny-looking hair.
    Nana Attakora: Many still call him "young Nana", but the only remaining original TFCer is not only the longest-tenured member of the club, he's also grown into being an integral part of its on-field success. He's got plenty working against him, of course: He still is young (22) and comes across as a rather soft-spoken lad, which may not be conducive to the whole "rallying the troops" aspects of the captaincy. But I do distinctly remember a game last season in which he angrily barked directions at another defender for almost the full 90 minutes... Garcia? Hscanovics? Usanov? It's all a blur now.
    It's unlikely Nana would get the designation... but hell, he's probably got a leg up on his partner at centre back:
    Adrian Cann: He did wear the armband on several occasions in 2010, and was named the team's MVP at season's end. Then again, that selection was regarded by some as an attempt not to convince the actual MVP (DeRo) that we was worth the extra money he was seeking. And, of course, there's the little matter of Cann's own contract-related walkout during the 2011 preseason. Hell, if they gave him the armband, he may try to flip the thing on Craigslist, so this would be a hazardous choice.
    Maicon Santos: Well, he's featured prominently in TFC's marketing material this year. Then again, that's probably because he's one of the only recognizable returnees from previous seasons. And hell, he's Brazilian, so that's gotta be worth something, right?
    Dan Gargan: See my previous comment on the matter.
    Elbekay Bouchiba: He's never played a game for Toronto FC. But he's 32 and Dutch, so perhaps Winter believes he can fill that leadership role. Plus he played in Qatar for a while, which is a valuable connection to have in international soccer these days.
    Javier Martina: Yeah, why the hell not? He scored two goals against Portland, everyone likes him, he's got big hair. And he's Dutch which, as we've been led to believe recently, means he's awesome at everything related to soccer, forever and ever.
    Chad Barrett: ... ah, shit.
    Jim Brennan: Considering he was nursing 42 different injuries during most of his first go-round as TFC's captain, there's no reason that "age" or "retirement" or "inability to run" should preclude him from giving it another shot.
    Nobody: It worked for the Maple Leafs for a while. But, of course, it wouldn't work in soccer, since the captain performs the all-important, irreplaceable in-game function of... uh... calling the coin flip?
    Stefan Frei, to me, seems like the most reasonable choice here. In fact, I'd be surprised if anyone other than him or de Guzman gets the nod. But Winter and company don't seem particularly beholden to sentimentality, so I'm sure they'll select the team's next captain based strictly on well-thought-out, practical criteria.
    Or they'll draw straws.
    What do you think?
    .
    Guest
    In a statement confirming the shock transfer of TFC talisman Dwayne De Rosario to New York, Aron Winter paid the appropriate lip service to the value of the players he got in return.
    "We have acquired two very strong players that I believe will have an immediate and long-term impact at our club," Winter said, of midfielder Tony Tchani and defender Danleigh Borman.
    Sure. Fine. That's all well and good. But Tchani's 21, and has only managed one goal in his 29 games for the Red Bulls and Borman is a left back. De Rosario, on the hand, is Toronto FC's all-time leading goal scorer, and has scored – or contributed to – half of Toronto's goals this season. (Yes that's only two of the four, but still).
    So, as much as Toronto needs a left back (Adrian Cann ain't cutting it over there), and as much as Winter may be able to mold a young guy like Tchani, neither is a replacement for DeRo.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So what else did Toronto get? Well, they seem to have gotten rid of a problem in the dressing room. DeRo was a captain in name, sure, be his final days in Toronto made him look more like an individual rather than a team player. Regardless of what was actually going on, for the team to move forward in the direction the new front office wants it to, there needs to be some healing. And in De Rosario's case, it seems, some dealing.
    What Toronto also got was a hole in the proven goal scoring department, and an opportunity to bring in a purpose build winger. DeRo – a natural No 10, behind-the-striker kind of guy – was good enough to make the wing work, and his spot isn't really well filled by the forwards left at Winter's disposal. Consider the options up front at the club now: There's the presumed starters (for now) in Maicon Santos, Javier Martina and Alan Gordon. The first two look good, Maicon in the middle and Martina out wide. But Gordon is no winger, and is only a serviceable centre forward, really. The others are promising and ripe for development down at Ajax-by-the-Lake, but not ready to bear the burden of a starting role: Joao Plata is just 19 years old, Keith Makubuya and Nicholas Lindsay both only 18. While TFC is probably better off without De Rosario's attitude, they're looking set to miss his ability.
    But Dwayne's move to New York gives Toronto another happy plus, one that will whet the appetites of every supporter: cap room. (I don't know the exact figures at this point, but I don't think the new fellas are bringing down $425,000 between them).
    So the question arises – does Winter have a direct replacement in his sights? Toronto's new coach has been clear that the changes he's making are going to take time, but he has also appeared very astute in his team building so far. It would be strange, then, for Winter to suddenly leave a big hole in TFC's attack. Don't be surprised, then, to see someone new coming into who isn't a displaced No. 10, but a natural attacking left winger.
    And the names are being bandied about alread. The vast rumour machine that is the internet has come up with one just today: Craig Bellamy. Utter nonsense? Most likely, I'm bound to say, especially it comes at a time when the speedy Welshman is admitting that, playing in Cardiff, he's happy for the first time in his professional career. But, while it's probably safe to dismiss this as so much bunk, but how awesome would that be? (As long as you ignore the fact that Bellamy is a one-man dressing-room-harmony wrecking ball.)
    What do you think? Is Winter going to use the cap room to bring in a purpose-built winger before the window closes on April 15 (or in the mid-season July 15 – August 14 window)? Who do you think it will be? More importantly, who do you want it to be?




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