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    Guest

    Financial fair play farce

    By Guest, in Euro File,

    UEFA head Michel Platini continues to insist that he will be enforcing the so-called financial fair play rules starting this summer. Many fans rejoice at the idea of giving free spending clubs like Manchester City their comeuppance and look at these new rules as a levelling of the playing field.
    These rules are, at best, a hopelessly misguided and naive attempt to pander to fans’ fears. More likely, it’s an ineffective attempt to look like they are “doing something” or, at worse, a cynical attempt to protect the interests of the established clubs.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Platini might be the last honest man in world football, so I’m inclined to believe that his motivations are sincere. However, the end result of these rules will not be to make it easier for all clubs in Europe to compete, but rather to make it difficult for upstarts like City to break through.
    The need for a “sugar daddy” like Roman Abramovich or Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan is an unfortunate side effect of the reality of the game at the highest level. Although we all understand there is a social contract between clubs and their supporters that says that they should not financially ruin them (i.e. Pompey) you have to wonder what the motivation of a wealthy investor would be if they knew going in that their hands are being tied.
    Would the good Sheikh have bought into Eastlands if he wasn’t able to lead the club the the highest level? Or, would he have just held out until an established club became available? If it’s the latter, you do nothing but ensure that the gap between rich and poor widens.
    UEFA has moved to a three year rolling target and has placed lots of loopholes (more on those in a minute) into these rules. Doing so was a recognition that a little bit of debt is sometimes necessary to advance a club. Like you or I taking out a mortgage to be able to move into a better neighbourhood, football clubs sometimes need to bleed a little red to get somewhere nice.
    There is also an inherent difference between money from a benefactor and debt. The former may seem “unfair” to those that don’t have the benefit one, but it’s only the latter that has the potential to crush a team. If an owner wants to sink billions of his own personal fortune into a club why should they be stopped? It might seem tacky, but it’s not endangering the future of the club, which is what Platini claims his motivation is for implementing the new rules.
    A simple way to allow that type of investment would be to require club owners to protect the losses. Establish a threshold of over-spending that is acceptable and if an owner wants to put more money in he or she must then put a bond in escrow that matches the overage. That way if the owner bails on the club, there is money available to balance the books.
    There would even be an opportunity to use that escrow payment as some sort of luxury cap, which could be redistributed to smaller clubs. If they were really serious about evening the playing field that’s the type of set-up that would be implemented.
    Above I mentioned there are loopholes that have been put into the rules. Despite the assumption of many, this new rule will not be enforced in a black and white way.
    A club can be £37.29 million in the hole over the next three years and still play in European football so long as that expense is written off by the benefactor. Additionally, the crazy expenses that clubs like City have made up until June 2010 don’t count in the equation. There is little doubt that £37.29 is a much smaller number than City’s current £121.3 in loses, but there are few clubs in the world that could match that type of loss. It's unclear how this levels anything. It's more of an accounting exercise.
    Also, the first penalty period won’t be until 2014-15, so there is three full years of Champions League football to be played (and money to be made from) before anyone has to worry about any of this. Keep in mind that it’s estimated that a Champions League spot is worth about £60 million to English teams. And you wonder why Roberto Mancini talks about finishing in the top four so much.
    But here is the real kicker: There is a provision for subjectivity in the rule! So long as there is positive movement towards getting to the breakeven point a club can be spared. I’m sure there would be a big show of a meeting and some wrists would be slapped, but don’t expect Real Madrid to miss the '14-'15 Champions League. City could have more difficulty. They might make an example of City as they are not part of the established order.
    Most likely is that 2014-15 will come and it will be business as usual. Clubs will find the loopholes they need to still spend, but stay within a loose definition of the rule. Instead of doing something tangible to protect the sport, UEFA will simply be able to say they doing something.
    It will be good optics, but terrible policy.
    Guest
    The U.S. top flight is the 42nd best football league in the world. At least according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics it is.
    The organization is well regarded outside the English-speaking world - ie. the Spanish press reported happily today that La Liga has overtaken the EPL as the world's top league - but is the quality of play on offer in MLS really lower than in the national leagues of Egypt (23), Belarus (33), Cyprus (35) or Moldova (38)?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    I couldn't find an explanation as to how these rankings are calculated, but I suspect it's similar to how the IFFHS ranks clubs. Points would be allocated based on a league's clubs' performance within its own federation's club competition, as well as international ones. So perhaps it makes sense then that smaller European leagues would gain more points from preliminary matches in the Champions or Europa Leagues.
    And of course, MLS clubs' collective performance in the Concacaf Champions League over the past decade has been shit.
    The top-ranked Concacaf league was Mexico, at a fairly respectable and reasonable 12th spot (probably due to Club World Cup and Copa Libertadores appearances), followed by MLS in 42 and Guatemala at 59.
    Supporters have been debating this question since the league started, but today's ranking is as good a news peg as any to hang another discussion on. Where exactly does the MLS fit in the grand hierarchy of world leagues? Surely it must be in the top 20?
    Guest

    Nicholas Lindsay likely out for year

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    TFC home-grown signing Nicholas Lindsay underwent knee surgery this week and is expected to miss the entire 2011 season.
    The team did not release details of how he hurt himself, saying only that it was an "off-season injury." Unconfirmed reports are suggesting that it was the result of a fall - he slipped on ice in front of his home.
    The young player looked good in limited minutes last year and many TFC fans hoped to see more of him in 2011. However, it was unlikely that he would have featured much beyond reserve fixtures and possibly NCC games.
    Still, it's a blow to a promising prospect -- especially since Lindsay relies on his pace to create from the wing. It's hard to know how much knee surgery will affect that part of his game.
    Guest
    Nobody will ever be able to say that Vancouver's first draft was not without a healthy dose of drama. The stories and rumours coming out of the combine this year are sure fun to read.[PAGE][/PAGE][PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Two articles yesterday written by Geoffrey C Arnold, kind of scared me a little. The first says Teitur is disappointed with the fact that he wouldn't get a chance to have a up close and personal look at consensus number one overall pick Darlington Nagbe. Then a little later in the day he says that the rumour coming out of the combine is that Nagbe doesn't want to come to Vancouver.
    How weird is that? A kid who grew up and did his studies in the Mid-West, doesn't want to move across an entire Continent and into another Country. Weirdo. That's fine, it's kind of important that you know that sort of thing before you go trying to tell him that is what is best for him. An unhappy new signing is pretty much a useless new signing. Attitude is everything. If you look at the kind of players Vancouver has signed thus far you can kind of see the makeup of the kind of player Teitur is looking for. All you have to do is go back to his statements when he announced the signings of Jay Nolly, Wes Knight, and Philippe Davies. " Talent makes you interesting, but attitude makes you good"
    Nagbe is definitely not short on talent, he won the M.A.C. Herman award this year as the best player in U.S. Men's College Soccer. He was a finalist the year before. He won a national championship with the University of Akron Zips (along with 6 of the other projected first round picks). It just doesn't seem like his attitude jives with what the Whitecaps do though. The Cap's aren't AC Milan; where divas are welcome, ask around. Jay DeMerit is going to play his first professional game on North American soil this spring because he went to England with a backpack and a soccer ball to prove he could make it. He climbed all the way into the Championship and now wants to try a new challenge. He doesn't sound like the type of player to sit out a combine, hell he even went to the Whitecaps end of season camp in California to work on team chemistry. That's the kind of player that Teitur (or any coach for that matter) wants on their team.
    Perry Kitchen would seem to fit that mould. MLS soccer.com already posted an article where Kitchen says that he's started looking into what Vancouver is like as a city and a club. That shows he's at least interested in coming here, which is a refreshing change. Kitchen is a bit of a raw talent at this point though, and coaches seem to like him in a defensive roll as either a holding midfielder or a centre back. He comes off as very consistent and disciplined (which probably has a bit to do with his military background), but it doesn't sound like he's all too creative. Which is fine in those roles within Thordason's 4-4-2. Get the wingers the ball, and let them push the ball up. Word is he is the kind of player who could make an impact right from the first whistle of the season. He's even been compared to Sam Cronin. Which some people might not really think is that big a deal, but lets just remember that Sam Cronin was good enough to supplant Carl Robinson from TFC's starting line up. He sounds like the kind of player who could really benefit from a couple years training beside a guy like the aforementioned DeMerit. They're both from the Mid-West, played some time in Chicago, they'd make good roommates on the road. One could also imagine that DeMerit would be a good role model for the aspiring USMNT player.
    Those are you're 2 supposed top picks in the draft.
    DC United hold the rights to the 3rd pick in the draft. My biggest fear all weekend has been the thought that Vancouver might trade their first pick to DC, in exchange for the 3rd overall pick and another player. Then with the third pick Vancouver shock everyone and take highly sought and previously scouted Omar Salgado.
    Am I crazy?
    I sure hope not, Salgado fits the bill for what Vancouver seem to be setting out to do. While he could be a great contributor 3-4 years down the road, he's not really there yet. He would probably help push the progress of a guy like Dou Dou Toure in the residency. Don't expect him to be putting up big numbers right off the bat with the first team. It doesn't sound as though he would even be able to play for the 'Caps until his 18th birthday according to the Vancouver Province's Mark Weber. Tom Sohen has said "While there's a border between Canada and the U.S., it's one league,". Meaning that his franchise is part of a company based out of the United States, so he should be treated as playing in the United States. It makes me wonder if AS Monaco has these sort of problems? Really though what is it with this kid and paperwork? We couldn't sign him in the summer and we might not be able to sign him nearly a year later? Is he really that good that we need to approach FIFA about changing their view on his transfer status? I have always been told that if something is too good to be true it usually is. Maybe it's time to give up on this dream for now. My biggest fear is that he turns out to be Andrea Bargnani (sorry to those of you don't watch basketball) if you take him at number 1. High expectations and average results will leave a bitter taste in the fans mouths especially with this being the historic 1st draft in club history..
    What do you think? Am I crazy? Would you be happy to see Perry Kitchen chesting down balls and playing them systematically to the wings? Should the 'Caps chase Salgado? Let me know. You can reach me on twitter @pureslang i'll be immersed in combine news and notes all week.
    For the record the other 2 players I had big hopes for in the combine; UNC's Michael Farfan and Akron's Anthony (Alphabet Soup?) Ampiapitakwong, have not really fared all that well so far in the camp. Sounds like their size has been the issue... who'd have guessed that?!?
    Guest

    Philly in bed with Bimbo

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The Philadelphia Union have got their Bimbo.
    *cough*
    Beem-bo, a Mexican bakery that is starting to make inroads into the United States, have agreed to a four year, $12-million USD ($11.9-million Canadian*) shirt sponsorship deal. With the deal, the league now has 12 clubs with corporate branding on their strip (11 paid - New York is owned by Red Bull).
    The estimated value of each deal is (per year, in USD):
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Los Angeles - $5 million
    Vancouver - $4 million
    Toronto - $4 million
    Seattle - $4 million
    DC United - $3.7 million
    Philly - $3 million
    San Jose - $3 million
    Houston - $2.54 million
    Chivas - $2 million
    Salt Lake - $1 million
    Portland - unknown (minimum value allowed by league is $500,000)
    Coming on the heels that the Columbus Crew lost its $1 million sponsorship with a paint company, it's good news.
    They are going to get letters though. The correct pronunciation might be Beem-bo, but we all know that isn't how the vast majority of English speaking people are going to say it. One gets the feeling that a lot of young guys (possibly with limited interest in soccer) are going to buy a strip for their attractive and irony loving girlfriends. I'm sure that's part of the appeal for the Union. Double entendres are a cornerstone of comedy and youth marketing for a reason.
    Is there a negative to it? It's possible that particularly conservative people might be offended, but the Union have not really focused on the family market that someone of that ilk would likely come from. It's unclear whether an extremely (small-c) conservative person would be all that comfortable sitting next to the Sons of Ben anyway.
    Still, it's a factor. Although their attendance was good, Philly didn't sell out every game last year. They need families to show up. It may seem pedantic to point it out, but hopefully the Union front office considered the potential fall-out of slapping the word Bimbo on the front of their shirts.
    As an aside, It would be interesting to see what MLS would do if French Connection UK came calling with $5 million in their hands...

    * Where's the Monopoly money jokes now?
    Guest

    Searching for the darkhorse

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Holding only the 26th pick in the draft, Toronto will have to find the elusive diamond in the rough on Thursday if it is to come away with a useful player. It can happen. Inevitably a couple teams will go way off the chart with their picks and there may be a player that most thought would be a first rounder hanging around by the time TFC picks.
    They could also trade up, but we’re going to exclude that idea for now.
    Here are five players that might be around when Toronto picks that could end up having a decent career.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    1 - Michael Nanchoff – Likely the rawest of the Akron players and Generation adidas class, Nanchoff could be passed over by teams that are looking for more immediate help. He’s unlikely to feature much next year, but he is a badly needed wide player so the Reds would be hard pressed to pass him over if he’s still around. Chance he’ll be available – 5%
    2 - Chris Korb – A left full-back and another Akron product, Korb is considered the least likely of the Akron players in the draft to have a pro career. The consensus is that he’s at best a late first rounder, so there is a good chance that he’ll be there for Toronto. The Reds need a lot of help, but they especially need help at fullback. Considering the program he came from, Korb would not be a bad gamble. Chance he will be available – 90%
    3 - J.T. Murray - Another left back that was ranked as a second rounder going in. He’s had a decent Combine so far which might bump him up higher, but still a good chance he’ll be around. Picking in Toronto’s position, you would think that they would try and fill a need and, as stated above, full-back is a need. Chance he’ll be available – 50%
    4 - John Rooney – No, this isn’t a joke. He’s a bit raw, but does seem to have an eye for the net. If you ignore the last name and just look at the background he’s probably worth a second round pick. Coming from League Two makes him far from a sure thing, but pure goal scorers are hard to ignore. And so’s the name, which makes me think he’ll go a few spots ahead of the Reds pick. If he’s still there though, Toronto could do worse. Chance he will be available – 15%
    5 - Levi Houapeu – He’s this year’s sexy darkhorse pick by most draft experts/NCAA geeks. The thing about darkhorses is that everyone thinks they can get them later. So, it’s possible he’ll last to the 26 pick. From Toronto’s perspective he is a versatile player (can play up front or in the middle) and, most importantly, is a wide threat. With the style Aron Winter wants to bring to Toronto you would think they might want to solve that whole no-one-that-can-play-the-wing issue. Chance he’ll be available – 25%
    If Toronto were to end up with any of those five, Reds fans would be forgiven for being cautiously optimistic about the chance they will contribute.
    Guest
    After a short winter nap (it was only 3 weeks guys - were the death threats really necessary?), It's Called Football will be resuming this Wednesday at 10 pm EST.
    I'll update you the day of the show who will be our guests. But, I'll just say now, that two of the three are writers who have been covering the combine. The third, who isn't a 100 per cent confirmed yet, is someone who will selecting at the draft - for Toronto.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    We'll talk about possible Vancouver picks, what the latest on DeRo is and a few of the other small news items that might have happened during our time off (Kara Lang, Aron Winter, Denis Hamlett to name a few.)
    It will be good to get back at it. At the very least, just to get Duane off the streets and away from his panhandling podcast endeavor.

    Guest

    The MLS Combine - after two days

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    After two days the following players have scored at the MLS Combine:
    Joao Plata - 3
    Corey Hertzog - 2
    Cole Grossman - 1
    Paolo Cardozo - 1
    Konrad Warzycha - 1
    John Rooney - 1
    Jason Herrick - 1
    Clearly there is more to the game than scoring, but it is interesting to note that three of the seven players that have scored are not products of the NCAA system. Plata and Cordozo are both young South Americans that have been signed by the league and Rooney is Shrek's brother.
    Highlights from today below the jump.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
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    It will be interesting to see if someone takes a flyer on Rooney. He trained with Seattle and impressed enough to get an invite to the Combine. His goal today wasn't anything special, but a goal is a goal. His name might be enough to tip the balance for a team in the second round and beyond. Anything you get from a second rounder is a bonus, after all.
    Guest
    In an interview with Mike Martignago and Tyler Green on Full-Time Radio in Vancouver on Sunday, men's national team head coach Stephen Hart suggested that the most significant criterion in his selection process for the team's friendly against Greece on February 9 is whether or not a player is currently, y'know, playing.
    So with just under a month to go until the match, I figured the time was right to start theorizing about who'll be on the Canadian squad for what should be an absolutely spellbinding, riveting, roller-coaster ride of offensive fury against the Greeks. *cough for dramatic effect*
    Note that this lineup is comprised of not necessarily Canada's best possible starting 11 (or even the starting 11 that I actually think will take the pitch against Greece)... but rather, the 11 fellows who are currently seeing the most playing time at their clubs.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Naturally, anyone playing in North America is out due to the winter break. With that in mind, I present the following:

    Borjan
    Peters --- Straith --- Klukowski ---- de Jong
    Nakajima-Farran --- Hutchinson --- Simpson
    Jackson --- Radzinski --- Hume


    Yeah, I'm no formation geek, so please don't get your undergarments misaligned over my bizarre 4-3-3. Considering the inherent constraints of this exercise, I did my best to keep guys in their natural/customary positions, while still producing something vaguely resembling a usable formation.
    Goalkeeping: A few months ago, even the most gung-ho Canadian fans had never heard of Milan Borjan, the 23-year-old Serbian-born shot-stopper. But in November, he declared his eligibility for Canada (where he lived for a few years) and he's been our busiest keeper as of late, playing 12 of 16 games for FK Rad in the Serbian league this season.
    His team hasn't played since December 4, but he's played more recently than Lars Hirschfeld (winter break since October). And no one else is playing -- not Haidar al-Shaibani, David Monsalve, Josh Wagenaar, Greg Sutton, Michal Misiewicz... not sure what Roberto Stillo is up to, but if the 19-year-old Genoa property is getting any playing time, he's our backup in this situation. Yikes.
    Defence: Jaime Peters has 25 appearances for Ipswich this year, having most recently played the full 90 in Chelsea's 7-0 demolition of his side in the FA Cup on Sunday. Some have questioned his efficacy at right back, but hey, who else are you gonna put there? Marcel de Jong has played 12 of 18 games for his club this season, and can be slotted in at left back. ("What about Mike Klukowski, who's making an impact for his club in Turkey?" I'll get to that.)
    Centre back is a clusterfuck. Adam Straith hasn't played since November 5, but he's gotta be in there... while Klukowski would, in this alternate universe, get shunted into centre back from his natural fullback position for no other reason than he lost the coin toss with de Jong. Our other options at centre back are either on a winter break (Jakovic, Hainault, Attakora, Cann), not playing regularly (Edgar, McKenna) or unemployed (Hastings).
    Midfield: Thankfully we get some consistency here, as all three of Atiba Hutchinson, Issey Nakajima-Farran and Josh Simpson are getting regular playing time with their clubs in Holland, Denmark and Turkey, respectively. Also under consideration here are Patrice Bernier (Denmark) and, oddly enough (thanks to his trial work with Celtic) Dwayne DeRosario.
    Striker: Despite ostensibly having sung his swan song with the nats, Tomasz Radzinski is still an option (one which Hart indicated that he'd be open to, during the Full-Time interview). Sure, he's 37, but he's got five goals in 19 appearances for Lierse in Belgium this season (logging 1,527 minutes of playing time in the process). Iain Hume is also enjoying a renaissance, having bagged four goals since his transfer to Preston North End in September.
    And Simeon, oh Simeon... despite my professed worries about his changing role at Norwich City -- and lack of goals as of late -- he's still seeing more of the pitch than most others in the men's national team's player pool, and is a lock for any squad we field in the immediate future.
    Others: I realize that both Junior Hoilett and Jonathan de Guzman are getting regular playing time, and are eligible to be called for Canada... but a week earlier on Full-Time, Hoilett ruled out playing in the Greece game (saying he's focused on his career at Blackburn at the moment), while anyone thinking JDG2 will be showing up in any red-and-white kit next month probably needs a thorough psychiatric evaluation immediately.
    Blood the pups: There is also the possibility -- as Hart alluded to on Full-Time -- that he'll reach into the youth teams (specifically the U23 team, set for a training camp in Arizona starting this week) to fill out the roster against Greece. I didn't take this into account when compiling this lineup... in fact, I only remembered it after I was done writing, which is why I've included it as a brief note here at the end (so that you don't think I'm daft enough to be entirely oblivious to it). So, yep. That's a possibility.
    So, what does this all mean? Well, it just reinforces what a difficult job Stephen Hart has on his hands (consider what our goalkeeping situation would be if he hadn't plucked Borjan out of obscurity) and fills me with even more dread about the potential outcome of the Greece friendly.
    Not that the scoreline matters a whole lot, in the grand scheme of things, but a shellacking at the hands of the Greeks could only mean bad news for the already flawed image of the men's national team in the general Canadian sporting consciousness.
    But, what do you think? Did I miss someone? Could I have assembled this patchwork squad into a better formation? (Answer is almost definitely yes.) Let me know what you think in the comments section.
    Guest

    Draft talk

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Once again Ives is providing some great combine coverage. If you are into all things draft, I recommend surfing on over. Another great resource is Joe Mauceri's Pro Player Pipeline. Mauceri likely watches as much college soccer as anyone in the world and has provided a very good rating system for several years. You can see his 2011 ratings here.
    He rates three players -- Kofi Sarkodie (Akron), Zarek Valentin (Akron) and Will Bruin (Indiana) -- as can't miss prospects that "should easily make the roster and may get time with the first team in 2011. By the end of the year, could be an impact player."
    An additional 19 players are considered likely to make the team. According to Mauceri those players "could make roster, may take a year or more to get to the first team."
    If you're only interested in Toronto news, I'll have a preview both here and at MLSsoccer.com tomorrow (likely with Paul Mariner's voice). In the meantime, have a listen to this interview with Mariner as captured by Ives.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]


    It's interesting to note that he didn't rule out trading for a first round pick, but that he also stressed that "his bosses" were looking to build through the academy moving forward.
    Guest
    If you are a TFC fan you should consider something before you start to panic about the lack of off-season moves by the Reds thus far.
    The number eight.
    Eight is how many players who have signed with teams in the league from outside the league. Of the 18 teams only seven have made a signing. That’s mostly because the transfer window hasn’t opened and it’s why it’s reasonable for Toronto to say that they are working on things right now without revealing much more.
    If it’s the status quo two weeks from now feel free to march to Gate 4 with as many pitchforks as you please. Today, however, try and keep that number in mind.
    Eight. Here they are:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Columbus - Sebastian Miranda (Union Espanola - Chile); Houston - Hunter Freeman (IK Start - Norway); New York - Luke Rodgers (Notts County - England), Jan Gunnar Solli (SK Brann - Norway); Philly - Faryd Mondragon (FC Koln - Germany); Portland - Kerrea Gilbert (Arsenal - England); Seattle - Erik Friberg (BK Hacken - Sweden); Vancouver - Jay DeMerit (Watford - England).
    Miranda is a 30-year-old defender that has played the majority of his career in Chile playing for Unión Española. He’s a little guy that didn’t even get 10 games in Europe during a stint for Red Bull Salzburg about 5-years ago. He likely comes cheap.
    TFC fans will be familiar with Freeman, who played briefly for the Reds in 2008 as an emergency loan player from New York (the Red Bulls maintained his rights as part of the loan agreement and traded him to Houston). He’s a serviceable pro.
    The most common description of Luke Rodgers is diminutive. It’s unclear whether diminutive is something that works in MLS, but he played in Notts County while Hans Backe was there and has been on New York’s wish list for more than a year. Clearly, Backe likes something about him. Still, he’s coming from League 2. The success history of players coming from the fourth tier of English football isn’t great.
    New York’s second signing is wing player Jan Gunnar Solli. It’s an intriguing signing in that most Scandinavian movement involving MLS goes the other way. Solli most recently played forSK Brann
    Faryd Mondragon is 39-years-old. Keepers play longer, but, to repeat – he’s 39-years-old.
    Kerrea Gilbert grabbed a lot of attention as he’s a product of Arsenal’s youth system and even played two games for the senior side. The cynical thing to point out is it’s a similar signing to Rohan Ricketts a couple years ago. If I were Portland I’d keep him off Twitter.
    Erik Friberg is another interesting signing. He most recently played in the underrated Swedish league for BK Häcken.
    The best of the bunch is Jay DeMerit. Vancouver were smart/got lucky with his signing.
    The message here is that there hasn’t been a lot of action. With the transfer window set to open in five days that should change soon. Watch this spot for weekly updates to all MLS movement.
    Guest

    Ornoch and the new era

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    It appears that Andrew Ornoch is going to find his way home to Toronto FC. A big body Ornoch is the type of physical striker that tends to do well in MLS. Think Danny Dichio minus a few hundred thousand minutes of physical abuse. He's playing in Holland now, but has never really adjusted and wants to come home.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    TFC fans should be excited. Ornoch would be a good signing (and that he's Canadian is merely a nice bonus, rather than the reason why he'd be a good fit). Of course he would have been a good fit last season too when he had a trial with the club. Then everyone understood he'd help. Well, everyone but one Scottish guy that is.
    Ornoch was not offered a contract and it's been widely whispered that Mo Johnston was the driving force behind that decision. The coaching staff liked him, but not the guy signing the contracts. So, he didn't sign and TFC forgot how to score.
    It wasn't the only decision like that during Johnston's stint in charge of the Reds. There are a lot of reasons why the former Director of Soccer might have failed to fancy him -- most require the word "allegedly" to be written in front of them.
    One day that story will be told (although there was a big hint of the allegedly dropped in Ben Rycroft's It's the Tactics, stupid column last week). Until that day we can reassure ourselves that it no longer matters. It's a new era. No more damage can be done.
    Guest

    Why Alberta matters

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    We are entering an absolutely critical phase of the fight to reform the Canadian Soccer Association.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    To recap the whole thing briefly:
    - The CSA board presently includes voting seats for twelve provincial and territorial soccer association presidents.
    - However well-intentioned most of these good people may be, they are serving two masters, and cannot put the best interests of Canada’s national soccer teams first.
    - A reform package was drafted last year that would eliminate them all.
    - The pro-reform president of the Alberta Soccer Association, Chris Billings, was ousted by an anti-reform group headed by ASA first vice-president Mario Charpentier.
    - CSA director-at-large Mike Traficante (a past-president of the ASA) stands publicly accused of assisting in Billings’ overthrow. He has refused all requests from Canadian Soccer News to either clarify his position, or clear his name.
    - The measures received tentative approval at last spring’s CSA annual general meeting, with only Alberta and Quebec voting against reform.
    - Late in 2010, a revised reform package was drafted, allowing three provincial presidents to remain on the CSA board. Alberta and Quebec both approved the changes.
    - Interestingly, Ontario did not. More on that at the end of this piece.
    - The CSA’s Constitution Committee meets again next month, to draft a final version of the reform package, to be voted on at the CSA AGM in the spring.
    What we have, then, is a Canadian Soccer Association that is publicly trumpeting reform, where at least one director is actively working behind the scenes to prevent it.
    We also have a hopelessly dysfunctional situation in Alberta, where dozens of soccer people – and entire geographical districts – have been suspended indefinitely for their opposition to the Charpentier/Traficante coup.
    Late last week, an Alberta judge ordered the ASA to hold a special general meeting on January 21, and an annual general meeting by the end of April. Mr. Justice Tilleman added his opinion that the “winding up” of the ASA is looking more possible.
    Charpentier clearly does not want an SGM. The deadline to call one for January 21 passed at the end of December. The ASA board sent around a justification letter last week – which multiple concerned Albertans immediately forwarded to Canadian Soccer News.
    All that’s at stake here, ultimately, is any chance to have a professional, non-conflicted CSA board of directors charting the course of Canada’s international soccer future – including the elusive dream of returning our men’s team to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986.
    That’s why this outrageous, appalling situation in Alberta matters so much to the rest of the country. The fact that CSA directors are being directly accused of helping overthrow an elected provincial soccer association president deeply underscores the urgent need to change the way Metcalfe Street does business.
    As hinted above, the most interesting wildcard in the current deck is Ontario. Canada’s most populous province backed the original reform package, but is digging in hard against the watered-down revisions.
    I will be meeting and interviewing Ontario Soccer Association president Ron Smale tomorrow, and will have a full write-up of his thoughts and positions for you on Wednesday.
    For now, though, if you are concerned and troubled by all this, please feel free to contact Charpentier and Traficante directly.
    Mario Charpentier: president@edmontonsoccer.com
    Mike Traficante: mtraficante@soccercan.ca
    Onward!
    Guest
    It would seem the Oranj revolution continues.
    Jonathan De Guzman, younger brother to Julian (and pariah to any national team fan), told a Dutch news site today that if he could play for any club in the world, he would like to play for Toronto FC.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The 23-year-old, who turned down Premiership offers this year, is in year one of a three year deal with Real Mallorca. While it's fun to play out scenarios that include Julian as the defensive midfielder and Jonathan as the attacking mid, don't expect anything to come of this. He has plenty of years left in him for European play and if he's still interested in suiting up for the Dutch national team, he'll need to remain visible to do so.
    But if, as he's indicated recently, he's considering re-joining the Canadian program, an MLS move wouldn't be out of the question - a few years down the line.
    What do you think? Would you want another DeGuzman on Toronto? Would you accept him, even if he ultimately decides not to play for Canada?
    Guest

    Montreal Impact vs MLS

    By Guest, in It's Called Football,

    Montreal Impact Captain Nevio Pizzolitto told Noel Butler on Oranges at Halftime yesterday that the Impact will face off against three MLS teams in a pre-season tournament as part of their preparation for the 2011 NASL season.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Impact, whose pre-season training has been overseas in the past, is keeping things a little closer to home this year with the camp in Phoenix and they'll be taking on the likes of the LA Galaxy, Sporting Kansas City and Portland Timbers in the mini-tournament.
    In the wide ranging interview, Nevio also talks about the changes to this year's Nutrilte Voyaguers Cup format, his future at the club after 2011 and the fight that broke out after the Carolina game in the D2 semi-finals.
    Butler also had the chance to speak to Andrew Jennings - the man behind the FIFA's dirty secrets documentary - and he shared some tasty items on how the noose may finally be tightening around FIFA's neck.
    You can listen to both interviews here.
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