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    Guest
    According to several reports from across the pond, the Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) is furious with the Vancouver Whitecaps over their refusal to release Nizar Khalfan. The 22-year-old former Moro United standout, had been slated for international duty in an African Cup of Nations match against Central African Republic, TFF general secretary Angetile Osiah told Tanzania Daily News:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Generally, clubs are notified at least two weeks ahead of a fixture and the TFF are adament that they informed Vancouver by Mar. 2 and followed the proper channels of communication with the club, as stipulated by FIFA. According to the TFF, The Whitecaps' position is that they were not notified in writing of the request prior to the 14 day minimum, and they were only informed of the players invitation just this week. Now the Federation is now prepared to pursue legal action against The 'Caps.
    Which ever way you slice it, this one leaves a funny taste in my mouth. Boniface Wambura, Information Officer of the TFF has told The Guardian he expects Khalfan to arrive today (Thursday). Which seems weird since the club has not made this news public yet. I have never seen The 'Caps front office refuse to release a player. Man, Woman, or Youth - it's never been an issue for the players to leave for international duty. Jay DeMerit and Michael Boxall were both allowed to go and suit up for their respective nations, so it would be quite baffling that Khalfan would not be given the same green light to go wear his national colours.
    Vancouver are going to be thin in the midfield going into this match and with Head Coach Teitur Thordason having already noted that Russell Teibert will play a maximum of 65 minutes this Saturday, Khalfan's presence could make a world of difference. Davide Chiumiento is already nursing an injury that occurred during last Saturday's match so if the 'Caps want to keep this winning streak alive they might need to stick to their guns.
    We'll have to wait and see how this one plays out but it's a first in my memory for a National Federation to threaten legal action against a club in this manner.
    Vancouver club officials were unavailable for further comment at this time.
    Guest
    Having been raised hard-scrabble on the western Canadian tundra, fed nothing but a steady diet of Prairie Oysters and Flapper Pies, Long Balls can be forgiven for occasionally pausing to stare slack-jawed at the cosmopolitan whirl around him and conclude that Toronto is in fact “abroad.”
    Add to that the European-sized paycheques certain Canadian national team regulars collect from their North American clubs every two weeks and is it any wonder that we’re forced to ponder whether MLSers could actually be considered Canadians abroad?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    If the point of this column is to provide a weekly rundown of Canadian players eligible for the mens’ national team then yes, they could. It would be silly to ignore Terry Dunfield’s goal this past weekend, or the subsequent wild celebrations as he hurled himself into the Empire Field stands like a teenager diving into a mosh pit. Ditto for Niagara Falls native Russell Teibert’s inspired performance, made even more inspiring by the fact he’s only 18 years old.
    Besides, Canadian footballers in Europe can’t be counted on to produce notable performances every weekend. Some weeks, bafflement over how Nana Attakora managed to grow seven feet of hair in the two months since showing up neatly cropped for the CSA’s kit unveiling in Toronto will indeed be the biggest story.
    That said, Canadian Soccer News and others do a fantastic job of heaping on the MLS coverage, so as long as the European, Mexican and Japanese leagues are going, Canadians slightly further abroad will remain the focus of this column.
    This week, two gentleman who will not feature in Canada’s upcoming friendly against Belarus turned in the two best performances. Iain Hume scored his third goal in three games in the English Championship as soon-to-be-relegated Preston North End beat Coventry City 2-1.
    Meanwhile, Marcel de Jong by all accounts (and by “all accounts” I mean one account, a blurb from a German newspaper dug up by someone else) had a great match for Augsburg in a 2-0 victory over Rot-Weiß Oberhausenin in 2.Bundesliga. Check out the Google translation yourself:
    I’ve harped on this before, but it would be a big psychological boost for Canadian soccer if -- in a season where some promising club careers have stagnated -- Augsburg stays second, wins promotion and de Jong lands regular minutes next year in the Bundesliga. The rest of the performances by Canadian footballers were more run-of-the-mill than the city of Peterborough.
    Our remaining Championship contingent of Jamie Peters, David Edgar and Simeon Jackson sat on the bench over the weekend... ok, Jackson did come on in the 81st minute of a 1-1 draw with Hull City. Atiba Hutchinson and Josh Simpson turned in their usual reliable performances. Pedro Miguel Salgadinho Pacheco de Melo played another solid match in the Portuguese second division, while keeper Lars Hirschfeld returned to serious action with Vålerenga in a 2-0 victory over stereotypically named Viking in the opening salvo of the Norwegian season.
    Edit: Late-breaking news, of a sort, just submitted to me by a reader. Looks like Norwich City have brought in two young strikers on loan for the remainder of the season - links here and here - which can in no way possible bode well for Simeon Jackson's playing opportunities.
    And finally, a news item that really doesn't have a lot to do with Canadians abroad.
    Back in 1990, about the same time the Rolling Stones were creaking their way around the world on the Steel Wheels Tour, Jack Warner was first elected president of Concacaf. Like that aging group of British rockers that can’t pack in their instruments, Jack and his band of bureaucrats refuse to go quietly. He and a whole whack of Concacaf suits were nominated unopposed for seats on the Concacaf executive committee today. Fans of the band will be thrilled by news their heroes will continue rocking Fifa paperwork for four more years. Between now and 2015 we can expect Warner to fall mysteriously from a coconut tree while visiting colleagues in Fiji, and release memoirs containing detailed accounts of some of the best blowjobs he received while on Fifa-related business.
    Guest

    Whatever happened to?

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    The revolving door of players at Toronto FC can leave the most level head spinning.
    And given the sheer volume of emails, tweets and texts Canadian Soccer News receives that read: 'Whatever happened to..?' I figure there is a need for an update post, from time to time, on what ever happened to that trialist.
    Here's a brief update on the three most asked about Toronto FC trialists:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Andrew Ornoch: No longer with Toronto. He had been trialing with San Jose after he was passed over the first time by Toronto FC but what he's going to do now is anyone's guess. I've reached out to him individually for an update.
    Eddy Sidra: No longer with Toronto. He never really did enough to impress while with the club but given his ability to get forward from the back line, something they're sorely lacking at the moment, it's a little strange they couldn't find a place on the reserves for this Canadian national team player.
    Joao Plata: Signed. Everyone's favourite little man has signed his services to Toronto. For now, expect him to only find time in the reserve league but if the club finds its way into the Champions League once again (admittedly a big IF) a player of his ability would match up well against the Central American teams. Whether he'll ever have a future with the first team, will depend on him overcoming his size. I'm willing to believe that a Latin American player - traditionally the type willing to do anything to win - would find a way to carve out a space for himself.
    So, who else do you want to know about?
    Guest
    Update: Toronto FC has officially announced the signing of Alen Stevanovic
    Given the number of Toronto FC players who have been delayed joining the club, based on passport/visa issues this season, it seems like now would be a good time to invest in a good labor immigration lawyer. Or fire the one they have.
    The latest player caught up in paperwork is Alen Stevanovic - a Serbian midfielder currently plying his trade for Torino in Seria B.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Canadian Soccer News has learned that Toronto FC is waiting on his visa papers to clear before he joins MLS on loan. No timetable has been given for the resolution.
    Given Toronto's lack of depth in the midfield and that many of the breakdowns in Vancouver began because of possession lost on the wings, Stevanovic's arrival (hell any midfielder's arrival) can't come soon enough. Plus, he'd be one of the few who could put in a decent cross at this point.
    While Toronto gets it sorted out, here is some Stevanovic pron to tied you over. His willingness to run at players and beat them down the wing to complete the cross are two things to like. As is his diving in the box...


    Guest
    First an explanation: I took my longest blogging break in four years because I had to -- partly for work reasons and partly for another reason. I’m going to leave it at that. If you want to take me to task for it, go ahead. You can’t beat me up more than I already beat myself up.
    And that’s all we are going to say about that.
    As for Vancouver, well, maybe we should just leave that well enough alone too...
    Alas, we must soldier on. The game was, at times, ugly, terrible, have-to-look-away awful. For those of us in Vancouver the mistakes on the pitch were compounded by thousands of Vancouver fans with their tails up. The banter wasn’t really all that clever – “Toronto Sucks” and “Leafs Suck” were the most common insult. “We’ve got Mountains” the most bizarre and some good ole fashion aggro hanging over everything. When it comes to Toronto, Vancouver does love to hate.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The evening did end well, however, with a couple Southsiders drinking beers and sharing war stories about Canadian soccer at the U-Sector house off Kits Beach. The ease of the conversations and laughter that ended the evening reminded all of us that we have more in common that what draws us apart.
    It also reminded me of the most surreal moment of the day. After Vancouver’s NBA style pre-game show it was time for the players to come out. As usual two flags were carried out before the players. Only this time there was something different. Replacing the Stars and Stripes was a second Canadian flag.
    Two Maple Leafs, one national anthem and a TFC road trip that didn’t require clearing customs. Forget the result. Results are of the moment, forgotten not long after they happen. On this day what mattered was the history that was being made.
    It was Canada’s day and no amount of defensive disasters by TFC (and God knows there were a few) could take that away.
    A decade ago Canadian club soccer was arguably at its lowest point in history. We’ve come a long way. As my friend Ben Knight says Onward!
    Onward! indeed.
    Guest
    Tonight, we're joined by Dave Clark from Sounder at Heart to talk about Seattle's slow start, the powerhouse of a supporter's culture that has developed there and his thoughts on the Cascadia rivalry.
    Then, we're joined by John Knox, the president of the Southsiders, to speak about the Whitecaps selling away ticket allotments to Uniglobe Vision Travel, the response from Whitecaps CEO Paul Barber today and their first MLS game experience.
    We'll get into where Toronto's performance went wrong this weekend, what rumours are floating around the TFC transfer tree and if a low attendance at the home opener is a legitimate concern.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <embed src="http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config={embedded:true,videoFile:%27http://itscalledfootball.podhoster.com/download/2540/22458/march232011.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
    Canada’s most loyal supporters have been hard at it for a week already, enthusiastically debating the merits of the yet-again revamped qualification process Concacaf will use to determine which countries from the region head to the 2014 World Cup.
    For those who don’t live and breathe the minutiae of Canadian soccer but remain interested in an early look at what awaits the men's national team on the path to Brazil 2014, you have three choices: 1) check out this detailed forum thread dissecting the latest proposed format; 2) listen to the new Some Canadian Guys podcast during which we bandy back and forth about what the changes mean for Canada’s chances; or 3) read the guide below that gives the gist of what to expect.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Background
    After proposing substantial changes to the qualifying format last year, Concacaf scaled back those plans when FIFA last month denied the confederation its coveted fourth guaranteed spot at the World Cup. Concacaf heavy Chuck Blazer confirmed to Mexican reporters last week what the latest plan looks like. It is starkly similar to what was used previously.
    June 2011: Minnow round
    This won't involve Canada. A quick two-leg, home-and-away playoff played by the lowest-ranked teams in the region to see who advances on to the next round.
    September to November 2011: The first round
    Six groups of four countries play a home-and-away, round-robin format
    Only the winner of each group advances to the next round
    The region’s top-six ranked sides receive a bye
    Canada will be placed in a group with so-called regional minnows, countries like St. Kitts, Guyana or Barbados and be reasonably expected to crush said countries in every match played. A good thing too, because only the group winner moves on. There is, however, a banana peel on the ground somewhere in the form of a country like Guatemala, who Canada could be drawn in a group with. Nope, Guatemala is not FC Barcelona, but in a regional context they are decent and could very well beat Canada at home. Then things would get dicey, because even if Canada won the corresponding home fixture, the winner of the group would likely be decided by which of those two countries beat up on the others by a bigger margin. The rule of thumb with Canadian soccer is that if there’s a chance something bad will happen, it probably will. That said, failure to advance beyond this stage of qualifying - no matter who's in Canada’s group - would be an utter disaster.
    June to October 2012: The second round
    Three groups of four countries play a home-and-away round robin, with the groups made up ofthe aforementioned top-ranked six teams plus the winners of the groups in the previous round
    Top two countries in each group advance
    For those new to Canada and how it navigates World Cup qualification, this round represents the bread and butter, the red meat, the brass tax, the money shot or whatever other metaphor you prefer to describe something of importance. There are no easy matches at this stage and it is where Canada generally fails. Powerhouses U.S. and Mexico will be in separate groups, as will Honduras, who in my opinion represent the early favourite to claim the third guaranteed World Cup spot. Beyond the top-seeded country, each group will contain at least two (and in some cases three) other nations culled from Concacaf’s glut of evenly matched middle powers - the Costa Rica’s, Trinidad and Tobago’s, El Salvador’s, Guatemala’s, Jamaica’s and yes, Canada’s of the world. To put it simply, each group will contain at least three (relatively speaking) good teams trying to squeeze themselves into only two spots.
    February to October 2013: The Hex
    One group of six countries made up of the aforementioned top-two finishers from each group
    Same deal, round-robin format, home and away
    Top three finishers automatically go to Brazil 2014, while the fourth place side goes into a two-legged playoff against a team from a yet-to-be-announced confederation
    At this point, the Hex has to be Canada’s minimum goal. Failing again at the second round will be a major disappointment, and represent zero tangible progress in the past four years (I say tangible because there’s a lot of good things happening in Canadian soccer right now that won’t bear fruit until at least the next round of World Cup qualifying).
    This round of Concacaf qualifying represents some of the most exciting and desperate soccer you will watch anywhere. Central Americans take World Cup qualification fanatically seriously. British football writers often trot out the hackneyed cliche “cauldron” to describe pretty much any continental stadium that’s round-shaped, located somewhere kind of warm and filled with noisier supporters than those found in Britain. But some of the Central American locals that house this stage of the tournament actually do the word “cauldron” justice.
    For starters it’s hot, tropical hot. It looks so humid that you generally start to develop an uncomfortable sweat just watching on television. The stadiums aren't particularly modern, never mind state-of-the-art, and the seating seems to be by vague suggestion rather than assignment. Combine that with the over-the-top aggressiveness players display when protesting every single call the referee makes, and the entire proceeding feels like it could descend into chaos at any moment. I often wonder if opposing players don’t periodically glance up into the stands and convince themselves they’ll be torn limb for limb before the final whistle.
    As for Canada’s chances at this stage? Despite what you may read elsewhere, the pure talent gap with other middling nations isn’t that large, and finishing in the top three or four wouldn’t require a miracle. However, it would definitely require this group of Canadian players to come up with six consecutive games-of-their-lives over a 10-month period, and that is unlikely.
    But Canada and Canadian supporters should worry about that stage when it arrives, and in the meantime focus on the fact that -- assuming FIFA approves this latest Concacaf proposal (and though I have zero informed insight onto the process, I can't see why they wouldn't) -- qualification for the 2014 World Cup kicks off in five short months!
    Guest

    Crisis? What Crisis?

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    And of course, it’s snowing in Toronto now.
    In the past week, all the snow in this part of southern Ontario essentially vanished. No crocuses yet, but spring was surely getting set to spring.
    Overnight? Flumph! Right now? Significant blowing white stuff. And what is it we’re all getting together to do, just three days from now, on Saturday afternoon?
    Oh, yeah. A soccer game.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    And I’m so giddily looking forward to Toronto FC’s 2011 home opener, I wish we were playing the dratted thing right now. Toss those expansion Portland Timbers out there in the white stuff, and “total football” their green-and-yellow backsides off.
    Not Dutch total football; Toronto total football. Snow, howling lakeside winds, biting cold. Put Adrian Cann back at centreback, tell the defence to hoof the ball to the midfield, and then try to play total possession attacking soccer.
    Let the weather scream. Who cares? It’s showtime. It’s … gametime!
    Yeah, and that enthusiasm would last all of about three-point-seven seconds if we were all down at BeeMo right now. Well, I’m not sure that’s true, kids. I think – in the core of the support, and the hearts of a growing number of other season-ticket holders and walk-up wannabes, that a great and lovely amount of T! F! C! excitement is coming to a lovely, rolling boil.
    So let’s be clear on a few things:
    1) The games aren’t selling out right now: Who cares? That’s a business problem, not a soccer one. The hot-ticket story was great fun, but it was no problem at all getting into BMO Field for a footy match last season. Thousands of empty seats told that story every game.
    2) We don’t want another roster rebuild: Tough! Mo Johnston’s last abortive bash at bringing post-season shin-kicking to Hoggtown left a gnarled and gnasty crater when it crashed. Sure, there are useful players here, but to the last man they have awkward, ill-considered contracts that we still ain’t heard the last of. I’m not even going to try to tell you that won’t affect the product on the pitch. But it’s time to cheer for the future, even if we’re not quite clear of the past.
    3) The roster is thin: Yes! But you know what? Good! New boss Aron Winter is still feeling his way. This is a rebuild year whether the fans want it or not. Might as well run some academy kids, until it’s clear exactly what this odd hybrid of a soccer side really requires. If the emphasis – thank the soccer gods! – is finally on getting the right player instead of the big one, we still need some time – and patience – to let such needs (and solutions) emerge.
    4) You can’t really play total football in MLS: Undoubtedly! But who in MLS can adequately defend against a strong, consistent, watered-down version of it? Vancouver, apparently, but that was one game, and this Toronto team ain’t all in yet. I’d rather have them gearing towards a running, pushing 4-3-3 even if the horses aren’t yet all in the stables. Give everyone on the roster a chance to succeed or fail in the system, then replace the ones that can’t do the job. No, it might not get anyone in the playoffs this year. But four years of Mo Johnston isn’t something you just take an aspirin for. You can’t turn your back on hospitalized friends just because they are sick.
    5) The fans are tired of losing: Welcome to world soccer! Teams everywhere, with the exception of the rare, rich, ruthless minority, lose. Any struggling team in MLS will eventually benefit from the fact there will never be a great team in MLS. Big comebacks are very possible. But Winter needs to stick to his strategy, whatever happens. The challenge for the fans is to see the progress, and know the team actually has a fine chance to make wonderful things happen here, and renew the commitment to the boys on the field, regardless of what’s on the scoreboard just now.
    6) It’s snowing!: Today, yes. Years ago, I was married for a while, and the ceremony was held – outdoors – in Toronto on Saturday, May 1. History records it snowed that year on Wednesday, April 28. We still had bright, warm(ish) sun for the big day. I can’t guarantee that’s going to happen again this weekend, but – heck! – that is going to happen again this weekend! And if it doesn’t, cheering, singing, stomping and swearing is a fine old way of staying warm.
    In other words …
    Let the worries go. Empty seats, ownership, roster, tactics, losing to expansion teams – all background. All minor details, in terms of the essential mission of cheering ourselves lungless on Saturday.
    At this point, I neither know nor particularly care if this latest rebuilt version of Toronto FC is going to be anywhere near the expanded 10-team playoff dance come fall.
    I
    Just
    Want
    To
    Watch
    Our
    Team
    Play
    In
    Our
    Park
    … Our
    House!!!!!
    Who’s with me?
    Onward!
    Guest

    TIFO for the love of TIFO

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    Call it a badge of honour or call it bragging rights, but every year supporters groups spend thousands of dollars trying to outdo themselves and each other with TIFO displays.

    If you haven't seen Seattle's yet, check out the short clip I grabbed at First Kick. For my money it's the best so far in 2011.

    Although, I've heard what Toronto supporters are planning for the Portland game. I'm not going to give it away, they'd break my nose if I did, but it certainly could top it.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    What's the best TIFO display you remember?
    Guest
    We're back after one of our trademark "absences of an arbitrary length" and boy, is there ever plenty to talk about! (Yes, yes there is.) The MLS opener between Toronto and Vancouver, of course, plus the men's national team's friendly next week against Belarus and other developments in CONCACAF -- and, in Promotion/Relegation, we hit on Grant's beloved Chelsea, Jamie's (these days somewhat less) beloved Arsenal, everyone's beloved Canadian women's national team, and some other tasty stuff.
    Plus we babble about Twitter, Spider-Man, learning Korean and terrible Freudian slips... because it wouldn't be the same if we didn't.
    Listen to/download "Episode #31: Start The Season, Retire The Attitude" directly (mp3)
    Subscribe to Some Canadian Guys Talking About Soccer on iTunes
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Oh, and here's the video Grant talks about at the end of this episode. It is absolutely preposterous:


    Guest
    Now that some of the visceral emotions have worn off - Toronto with its why can't we have nice things and Vancouver with its I love my new car smell - lets take a step back and look at what worked and what didn't with Toronto's Total Football approach.
    As a refresher: total football is intended as a group of players, moving into positions and the holes they create are fluidly replaced by their teammates (If you need a deeper explanation of it you can go back to this tactics column here).
    What we saw from Toronto Saturday was a hybrid of that attacking style but mostly total confusion coming out of the back.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    What didn't work
    Two things.
    1) The Toronto back four were clearly uncertain of when they were supposed to move the ball out of the backfield and to the feet of an onrushing midfielder.
    And 2) when the midfield did properly receive the ball, they didn't receive enough support by either the wings or the defenders as fall back positions.
    The first one will come over time. Getting a sense for the rhythm of movement on the pitch is a big challenge for many of the players at the MLS level. They are inexperienced compared to leagues that traditionally play the more complicated systems and it's one they're still learning. Several times Nana Attakora looked to force passes into places that were never going to find their mark. But as he, and they, get more comfortable playing the unpopular style across the back - through the goalie, defenders and back again - they will draw impatient opponents out of position and the holes they're looking for will open up.
    Also, regarding the back four, if you're going to play the trap, you abso-freaking-loutely have to be sure everyone understands what's going on. Ahem...Mr. Harden
    The second is more concerning. As there are clearly no established starters on the wings and players will likely be moving in and out of that position all year long, it's hard to imagine those players finding the cohesiveness they need to properly lead the attack. If this is going to be a re-building year - and clearly it is - the best thing to do now is pick your starters soon and stick with them. The familiarity will mask any lack of quality
    What did work
    Whether this was by design, or the result of an opponent using a high back line, playing a receive and slash style with their forwards did work on occasion. The Dwayne DeRosario goal came as Maicon Santos tracked back to receive the ball and DeRo darted in behind the defense. Vancouver got caught in a daze of possession. As Toronto moved the ball umpteen million times across the back, on umpteen million and one they suddenly moved DeRo into a slashing attacking position and the result was, obviously, their first goal.
    But traditionally, with Total Football, the attack will be moved piece-by-piece down the pitch, then moved around the box until a shooting or crossing opportunity presents. Toronto spent next to no time in the attacking corners, and I'm not even certain if they did find themselves in that position, they'd have the personnel to manage a proper cross. But DeRo's ability up front does give them an additional dimension, at least until they can get their wingers sorted out.
    Speaking of which, I know Mikael Yourassowsky wasn't very popular in the pre-season but he was the only player I saw, patrolling the wing, who looked confident and capable enough to carry the ball forward into the attacking end. The way he ran at players and moved into the open channels with ease is encouraging.
    The final question
    Can possession oriented football work in the smash, grab and counter attack league that is MLS?
    The answer probably begins and ends with Julian de Guzman. He was the player last year who struggled the most with the physicality of MLS. Despite displaying a good ball winning ability when he was with Deportivo, too often since joining the league has his 5'5 frame been knocked off the ball.
    What he lacks in physicality, he makes up for with pitch vision and strong distribution - foundations of any successful Total Football team.
    Julian's performance - whenever he returns - will be an indicator or how successful this system can be.
    Guest
    After something like Saturday's victory against Toronto FC, it's difficult for even the most rational of Whitecaps fan to be level-headed. Sure, Vancouver was at home and Toronto's not exactly MLS Cup material (even their most boisterous supporters will concede that). But to win by a convincing score and with some style against a team which, whatever Aron Winter says, has plenty of solid MLS veterans is understandably exciting. Next stop, MLS Cup!
    Of course, we all realize there's a lot of work left to do. Recent developments are making the team's issues all the more clear, as with just one game under our belts the starting eleven is already being torn apart. The Whitecaps were already rather under strength last week against Toronto; on Saturday in Philadelphia the situation will be just that much worse. Worse yet, it's hard to see what a depth-starved team might be able to do about it. The Whitecaps just weren't prepared for a roster crunch we all saw coming, and against the lowly Philadelphia Union, it might cost them three points.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    For some of the players, it's all good news. Jay DeMerit, for example, will miss the Philadelphia match for the best of reasons: he's been called into the American national team for the first time since the 2010 World Cup. DeMerit lived up to the hype against Toronto and was an assassin in central defense, helping protect rookie Michael Boxall from the worst of Toronto's attack (apart, of course, for one goal where Dwayne De Rosario blew past Boxall like he was a concrete block). Aforementioned concrete block is also off on international duty, joining the New Zealand senior squad for the first time in his career.
    Then, of course, there are the injuries. Greg Janicki missed the Toronto game and will presumably be back in Philadelphia, but still. This is a guy who played a quarter of last season with a bandage around his head, so any injury serious enough to knock him out of the season opener is very possibly serious enough to still be hampering him in Philly. That leaves Vancouver's centre back duties down to Alain Rochat and a set of crossed fingers. Maybe Mouloud Akloul will be healed by Soccer Jesus and get a contract in time to make a triumphant return, but more likely the position will fall to Jeb Brovsky. Or maybe even Residency defender La'Vere Corbin-Ong, who was on the bench a bit last season and will be in Vancouver's reserve division game against San Jose today. That means that Bilal "Speedbag" Duckett has to come in at left back and reduces Vancouver's defensive bench to Wes Knight and asking Colin Miller to put his spikes back on.
    Up in midfield, Shea Salinas is hoping to be back from injury, which makes sense since he spent last season in Philadelphia and is presumably hoping for a triumphant homecoming. It's also a good thing since the guy who played his position last week, Davide Chiumiento, tweaked his hamstring late in the first half and is probably out. You might not be able to slide over left midfielder Russell Teibert either, partially because he's a native left-footer but mostly because he's also suffering from a leg injury, albeit a less serious one. Besides, Teibert is also in international demand, having been called to the most recent Canadian U-20 team. Perhaps central midfielder John Thorrington can fill in, if he isn't still hurt, which he probably is. Luckily Philippe Davies is still healthy for the moment, but after signing as the Whitecaps' first home-grown player he seems to have fallen off the face of the earth and wasn't even on the bench against Toronto.
    At forward, I am pleased to report Eric Hassli and Atiba Harris are both completely healthy. This is great in Hassli's case but kinda sucks in Harris's, since I wouldn't mind getting a longer look at Camilo da Silva Sanvezzo. Figures. The one guy I'd like to see out of the lineup is one of the guys almost certain to be in it.
    So what the hell can the Whitecaps do about all of this? Part of it is just "life in MLS": with roster limits and salary caps you can't afford to sign that many reserve players. But the Whitecaps still have a few roster spots left and they only have one guy, defender/midfielder Kevin Harmse, kicking around on trial trying to claim one (Harmse is also in reserve action today). Vancouver is fortunate in that they can draw strength from their Residency team. They've got promising defenders like Corbin-Ong and Derrick Bassi, midfielders like Kevin Cobby and Bryce Alderson, and forwards such as Doudou Toure and Coulton Jackson who could play in a pinch. But where are the professional journeymen who can play multiple positions? Where's Vancouver's Nathan Sturgis or its Jeremy Hall? Not the sorts of players who win games on their own, but guys who can, for the cost of one roster spot and around the league's minimum salary, play a bunch of different positions without embarrassing themselves. You wouldn't want him to start every game, but he'll do during a crisis.
    The Whitecaps just haven't got that player. They have an awkward combination of solid veterans backed up with inexperienced draftees and not much in-between to bolster the squad. Their depth has been an old problem that I've been harping on all spring, Against Philadelphia, it might be enough to do early damage to a promising season.
    Guest
    TSN announced yesterday that Saturday's Toronto FC v Vancouver Whitecaps game had drawn the largest television audience in Canadian history.
    That's a warm, fuzzy stat for those of us that have been pining for the emergence of soccer on Canada's soccer stage, but it means little else.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    In fact, I'd be more worried if Saturday's heavily promoted event wasn't the highest viewed game ever. After all, it was the first time two Canadian cities had a stake in watching an all-MLS game and the number pretty accurately reflected that.
    Last year, when Toronto FC would play its Saturday afternoon games on CBC, it would max out around 150,000-200,000. You simply double the regional audience and you've got Saturday's result.
    I've long argued that the number would be higher if CBC would have the game a chance in an evening slot. But by comparison, their Saturday evening movie would garner around 800,000 and that's pretty hard to argue against.
    If you're still looking for a stat to justify your sports existence in a mainstream world, look for a regional MLS game, played in the evening, where only Toronto FC or Vancouver Whitecaps are involved.
    Having had some time to get use to its place on the national network, the Vancouver at Seattle (Sat. June 11 - 9pm PST) or Toronto at DC United (Sat. Aug. 6 - 7:30pm EST) will be the games you can point to and say the TSN Effect is truly working.
    Update:
    TSN PR has corrected its earlier declaration. The highest rated game was between Toronto FC and the LA Galaxy in April 2007.
    Guest
    Since the designated player rule was introduced in 2007, it's been the source of much discussion amongst fans throughout the league. There have been a few successes, and a collection of high-profile busts. Toronto and Vancouver each have a DP to call their own, with the capability to add up to two more. Whether or not they'll do so is yet to be seen, but to get an idea of what a designated player can add to a team (and how the Canadian teams' DPs are stacking up), I'm planning to take a quick weekly look at how this year's crop of designated players is doing.
    This week will be a super-sized version, with some background on where each of the current DPs came from, in addition to how they performed during First Kick week in Major League Soccer. Rest assured, future editions will be much, much shorter.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Week 1 (March 14-20)
    David Beckham (Los Angeles): The original designated player -- and, ostensibly, the man for whom the rule was created in the first place -- needs no real introduction. Becks is entering the final year of his contract in what has been, to say the least, a tumultuous tenure in MLS. It'll be interesting to see whether the 35-year-old will simply play out the string, or give it his all in one final, desperate, preposterous attempt to latch on somewhere across the pond ahead of Euro 2012. Either way, he'll have a neato haircut or two.
    Becks was Becks in the season opener against Seattle, playing the full 90, taking two shots and picking up a yellow card deep into stoppage time. He added another full-90 performance on Sunday night, in L.A.'s 1-1 draw with New England, in which he also had two shots on typically dangerous free kicks. Interestingly, he suffered the most fouls of any Galaxy player in both games, proving that, if nothing else, he's still a presence on the field.
    Juan Pablo Angel (Los Angeles): The other "original" DP, the Colombian striker came over from England (after six years at Aston Villa) in 2007 to join New York. He had an up-and-down tenure there, scoring 58 goals in 102 appearances, while seeing his team go from the lowest lows (the disastrous 2009 campaign) to some pretty decent highs (winning the Eastern Conference last year).
    Evidently that turnaround made the Red Bulls feel they had to further use for the 35-year-old, whose option was declined at the end of last season. He was then picked up in the Re-Entry Draft by L.A., a team looking to replace the scoring touch of Edson Buddle, who bolted for Germany after last season.
    Angel missed the Galaxy's 1-0 win in Seattle due to illness, but came into their game with New England as a substitute in the 63rd minute. He didn't add anything to the score sheet, but considering he replaced Chad Barrett (who was in full Barrett, shot-scuffing form), Angel was just fine.
    Landon Donovan (Los Angeles): I'm guessing you don't need an explanation as to who Landon Donovan is. Plus, this article is going to be preposterously bloated as it is, so I'll cut a corner here and just direct you to the most important photo of Landycakes ever, and move right into his Week 1 stats.
    The talismanic American played the full 90 in L.A.'s first win, amassing two attempts at goal. On Sunday, his best chance on goal came in the 63rd minute, a scrambled header right in front that was smothered by Matt Reis in the Revolution goal.
    Julian de Guzman (Toronto): JDG's tenure with his hometown club has been, to put it mildly, controversial. He was effectively blackballed in Europe after speaking out about players not being paid at his previous club, Spain's Deportivo la Coruna. He signed a multi-year deal as TFC's first DP in late 2009, but became a lightning rod for criticism in 2010, with some TFC supporters wondering why the squad's highest-paid player has yet to score a goal through 30 appearances.
    What some such frustrated fans may not know is that in 2007-08, Deportivo la Coruna finished in the top half of the La Liga table, defeating both Barcelona and Real Madrid during the course of the campaign. JDG was named the team's player of the year, with the following stat line: 35 appearances, zero goals.
    Long story short? It's perfectly valid to question the wisdom of using a DP spot on someone who's been used as a defensive midfielder through most of his club career. It's also perfectly valid to question whether JDG has actually been effective in a holding mid's role at TFC. But to call de Guzman a failure because he hasn't found the back of the net, which some people have, reveals some ignorance as to what, exactly, he's out there to do.
    Anyway, he didn't play in Toronto's season-opening loss to Vancouver, as he's still recovering from off-season knee surgery. In that game, Toronto seemed horribly disorganized on the defensive side of things. We'll see if he can help rectify that situation once he returns.
    Branko Boskovic (DC): Boskovic joined DC United midway through last season, after three years with Rapid Wien in the Austrian league. The 30-year-old also had multi-year tenures with PSG and Red Star Belgrade, so he's got a decent pedigree. He made 10 appearance for United in 2010.
    Now, all the focus in United's emotional 3-1 opening win over Columbus was centered on the triumphant debut of Charlies Davies, so maybe Boskovic just blended in out there on the pitch? Nah, he was an unused substitute. Yikes.
    Thierry Henry (New York): It's important that new soccer fans be given a chance to learn about the game at their own pace, so it's important not to presuppose knowledge that may be common amongst footie fanatics, but unknown to most laypeople. That being said, as in the case of Beckham and Donovan, let's just assume anyone reading this knows who Thierry Henry is, and what he's done prior to joining MLS.
    What has he done in MLS? Last season, the 33-year-old had a pair of goals in 12 appearances for New York. In this year's season opener, his most memorable contribution was having a penalty kick stopped cold by Kasey Keller in the Red Bulls' 1-0 win over Seattle. He also attempted a very low-level scissor kick in the 4th minute, which went well wide. That was one of his four shots (one of which was on goal) in a full-90 appearance.
    Rafael Marquez (New York): When I think Rafa Marquez, I think "idiotically being sent off in a World Cup qualifier for needlessly cleating Tim Howard in the leg". Mexican fans may have a different perspective, though. They'd likely stand behind the man who captained Mexico at the 2010 World Cup, a man with 98 caps for his national side and a solid eight-year tenure at Barcelona. The Red Bulls added the, ahem, gritty 32-year-old defender as their third DP late last season, and he made 11 appearances for NYRB in 2010.
    In the season opener, Rafa held the fort at the back, pacing New York to a clean sheet victory, and managing two shots himself. He also didn't get sent off, which is always a plus.
    Alvaro Fernandez (Seattle): Upon his signing midway through last season, Fernandez was lauded as versatile by Sounders ownership, while manager Sigi Schmid said "he's pretty much a two-way guy". In other words, the sort of player whose impact is difficult to quantify on the score sheet. The 25-year-old midfielder came over from Nacional in his native Uruguay and made 14 appearances (with two goals) for Seattle in 2010. He also has 11 caps with the Uruguayan national side.
    As for the first week of 2011... he managed a shot on goal in the opener against L.A., but was subbed out in the 63rd minute. Then on Saturday, much of the same: one shot on goal before being taken out in the 68th. It's possible there's a fitness concern; or, Schmid (whose team was losing both games 1-0 at the time) decided that Fernandez could be sacrificed for someone with more offensive oomph. We'll see how this goes.
    Fredy Montero (Seattle): Speaking of Seattle's offensive oomph - Fredy! The 23-year-old Colombian made a name for himself while on loan with Seattle in 2009 and 2010, scoring 22 goals in 56 appearances and showing the sort of skill on the ball that (sorry, folks) many MLS players simply don't possess. This past off-season, Seattle acquired him outright from his previous team, Deportivo Cali, and slapped the designated player tag on him.
    He was a linchpin for the Sounders in both of their first two games, playing the full 90 in both. He created dangerous chances against both L.A. and New York, registering three shots on goal in each game, and was the most-fouled Seattle player on both nights. He could very well become a face of the entire league this season.
    Omar Bravo (Kansas City): Another Mexican star, Bravo has spent most of his career plying his trade for Chivas (the non-USA kind), racking up 107 goals in 297 appearances. The just-turned-31-year-old also has 15 goals in 62 appearances for the Mexican national team, and was reportedly quite happy to join MLS when KC got their hooks in him as a designated player last year.
    So, what did he do in his MLS debut last week? Oh, not much. Just two goals in KC's 3-2 victory at Chivas (the USA kind), claiming MLS Player of the Week honours. After the second, he made the effort of going over to celebrate with KC's traveling supporters.
    Oh, and lest you think he's all "scoring goals" and "being nice", he also earned a yellow card for tossing a hit on Jimmy Conrad that would have earned him a three-game suspension in the NHL.
    Alvaro Saborio (Salt Lake): Saborio took a similar path to Montero: he first joined RSL on loan (from FC Sion in Switzerland) last season, and had an immediate impact. He ended up leading the team with 12 goals in 27 appearances, right in line with an impressive strike rate accumulated through a career mostly spent in Switzerland and his native Costa Rica. So impressed was the RSL brass that they gave him the DP spot (and a dandy new contract) during this past off-season.
    Saborio managed two shots before being subbed out in the 84th minute of RSL's regular season opener against San Jose. But earlier in the week, Saborio opened his goal-scoring account for 2011, potting RSL's first goal in their 2-0 home win over Saprissa in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals.
    Eric Hassli (Vancouver): Chances are, you don't need to be told what the 29-year-old Frenchman did over the weekend. But in case you do: he not only potted the first MLS goal in franchise history, he also added a second to seal a victory over Toronto, before being subbed out in the 83rd minute to rapturous applause from the sold-out crowd at Empire Field.
    While he's instantly written his name into Vancouver sporting lore, it may very well have never happened this way. The Whitecaps stumbled across Hassli while scouting other talent in the Swiss league. Kind of odd that they'd slap the DP tag on such a player, but here we are. He scored 27 goals in 84 appearances during a four-year stint at FC Zurich, and while 'Caps president Bob Lenarduzzi has said Hassli's biggest contribution will be veteran presence, his MLS debut surely has many thinking he could be a dynamic offensive contributor.
    Andres Mendoza (Columbus): Who wants to be the contract-holder for a 32-year-old Peruvian with somewhat-funny hair? The Crew, evidently, do. Mendoza signed with the Crew last season, but was only confirmed as a designated player earlier this month. The striker has had a decent strike rate, but bounced around a lot during his career, playing in Peru, Belgium, Ukraine, France, Russia, Romania, Mexico and, most recently, Turkey. So he's the Peruvian Ali Gerba, it sounds like ('cept Mendoza's eight-goals-in-44-appearances strike rate for Peru pales in comparison to Ali's performances for Canada).
    Perhaps, like Gerba, Mendoza can find a comfortable home in North America. Or he'll end up in Albania by 2012. As for his MLS campaign so far... one shot on goal in a full-90 appearance, in Columbus's largely uninspiring 3-1 loss to DC United.
    Fabian Castillo (Dallas): Do you remember what you were doing in late 1992? Me, I was getting wrapped up in the excitement of the Toronto Blue Jays' march to their first World Series title. Fabian Castillo, though, likely remembers nothing, since he was a newborn at the time.
    Yes, the 18-year-old Colombian, with 18 appearances for Deportivo Cali to his name prior to this season, has been brought on as a DP in Dallas. Team president Doug Quinn says the move shows a dedication to "long term development and long term success on the field." Yuh huh. Hey, who knows. Kid could be the next Fredy Montero. Or the next Luis Angel Landin. Time will tell.
    For now, Castillo wasn't even on Dallas's roster for their 1-1 draw with Chicago over the weekend. I could investigate the reasons, but you're surely exhausted by now... which is good, because I am too.
    Check back in future weeks as we take a (much, much more succinct) look at how the league's current DPs are doing
    .
    Guest

    Here! We! … stall

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    Well, for about twenty-odd minutes yesterday, it looked like opening day was going to be a very good-news story for Toronto FC.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    As promised, they were running, pushing and controlling the ball. Dwayne de Rosario was getting the ball in good positions, and bold young newcomer Javier Martina was kicking butt on the left wing – an all-but-unseen sight throughout TFC history.
    They wanted the ball, they got the ball, they moved the ball.
    Eventually, they even scored the ball, but not before falling behind when frequently maligned Vancouver Whitecap DP Eric Hassli corralled and cannoned home the first MLS goal in franchise history. (Also the first MLS goal for any former NASL championship franchise.)
    After all the off-season upheaval – as most of yet another Mo Johnston roster needed to be lofted overboard in turgid seas – there were surprisingly only three new faces in Toronto’s starting eleven: Martina, a useful-looking Nick Soolsma on the right wing, and the scrappy Nathan Sturgis in the mid.
    And for about twenty-odd minutes, it appeared that the new blood was filling the old holes productively, and this could indeed be the dawning of the age of Toronto FC or something.
    They certainly answered Vancouver’s goal nicely. A long, perfect pass from a trailing Maicon Santos sprung DeRo home to glory – apparently for the eight-thousandth goal in league history. (No cheque-writing motion to commissioner Don Garber, in case history forgets to note it.)
    But Vancouver lashed back through Terry Dunfield, which must have been a two-way jolt for any TFC-loving Manchester City fans who travelled thousands of klickometres to be there in person. (Hi, Duane!)
    And that, it turned out, for Toronto, was that.
    The midfield push subsided as the Reds tried to get a handle on the odd formation in their back four. TFC head man Aron Winter opted for a halfback pairing of Nana Attokora and Ty Harden, pushing former contract holdout Adrian Cann out to left fullback.
    That wasn’t going well. Attakora was doing everything he could, Harden was invisible, Cann was getting lapped, and crowd favourite Dan Gargan (right fullback) made some gruesome giveaways.
    Best way to mitigate that is want the ball, get the ball, push the ball, but by then the Whitecaps were dominating their suddenly vulnerable visitors on all counts.
    Halftime stats said TFC had 63% of the ball in the first half. The machine must have broken down and stopped counting after DeRo’s goal.
    Throughout the second half, the Reds unraveled. At one point, Attakora dished the ball off five times trying to start a play, only to get it back from everyone he’d passed to. Needless cough-ups and silly fouls compounded the fractures. Vancouver’s third goal was a corner kick that bounced off Gargan’s knee, and the fourth was a two-on-the-goalie breakout with no red shirts anywhere – even on the follow cam’s wide shot.
    Kudos to Santos for blistering home a fine late Toronto goal, but despite the promising start, TFC got its kan kicked from Kitsilano to Kamloops.
    So what do we know?
    The first half hour was a blast to watch. Running, hustling creative play, lots of chances, three thumping goals. Give me lots more of that, please.
    TFC couldn’t possibly have all gotten tired that quickly. Yet the tentativeness was set in concrete by halftime, and Winter couldn’t find the words – or roster moves – to set things right. Sure, the team wants to develop players, but subbing in an academy kid (Keith Makubuya) at halftime, a goal down, on the road, might have been too graphic a demonstration of roster thinness to sit well with Reds fans.
    I did notice one telling difference between the way Toronto started the match, and the bad old habits they soon swooned into. Off the top, DeRosario was consistently getting the ball in useful situations. Service was coming – from the wings, even! – and DeRo had dangerous pass-shoot options. By the half-hour, though, he was having to come way back and fetch the ball, and all the running in the world wasn’t doing much to unhinge a pretty disciplined – and well prepared – Whitecaps back four.
    The bright start fizzled, and Toronto got trounced.
    Easy for me to say from a living room couch three time zones away, but if Winter wants this team to run and press, they can’t stop doing it half an hour in. There has to be consistent commitment. If you let the other team play comfortable soccer while sitting on a lead, they’ll be more than happy to oblige. Perhaps it wasn’t sporting that they kept running, forcing two more emphatic goals for themselves, but all concerned have to assume that might happen.
    That’s why you want to control the ball in the first place, no?
    A terrific effort from the Whitecaps. Congratulations, Vancouver, and welcome to the dance.
    Onward!
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