Jump to content

  • Articles

    Manage articles
    Show all categories
    Michael Mccoll
    Four trialists headed down to Arizona with the Whitecaps last week, but Earnshaw is the only one that is still sticking around. When Robinson brought him in he said the reason was twofold. The Welsh internationals go way back and Robinson wanted to help the prolific striker work on his fitness levels, while being in an environment that would allow the 'Caps coach to take a closer look at him in the process.
    Two weeks later, Robinson is still noncommittal, telling reporters on Friday that "We'll take a look at him and just see how it goes. There's no commitment from either end."
    From talking to both, you get the feeling that club and player would love things to work out. But with the new CBA still to be finalised, salary cap issues, and what to do with the current crop of strikers amongst other logistical aspects of signing a deal, you can understand both sides being cagey. There's a lot of work to do before we'll see Earnshaw running out at BC Place in a blue and white jersey.
    "It's too early to say, but really it comes down to when we sit down and where we are at that moment," Earnshaw told AFTN. "How long that's going to be, I'm not sure."
    As all investors know, past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Earnshaw has got goals everywhere he has gone during a distinguished footballing career. He's played at the top level for both club and country. But he still has to convince Robinson that he not only deserves a spot on the Whitecaps MLS roster, but that he'll also be a key contributing cog.
    That all starts with getting himself into top footballing shape again and that's the prime reason that Earnshaw is training with the Whitecaps right now.
    "For me, coming here was mainly about getting fitness because I'm probably ten days, two weeks, behind everybody else," Earnshaw told us. "I started last week where everybody else started before that.
    "I'm kind of catching up. This week, today, it felt much better. So it's really just trying to creep up on everybody else's fitness. It's getting there. I'm pleased with how last week went.
    Earnshaw met up with Robinson and the Whitecaps down in Tucson last week, playing 89 minutes over the three games against New England, San Jose and Houston. He didn't find the back of the net but the games gave him his first match minutes since October 2nd, as he strives to get back to full match fitness.
    "Arizona I thought was brilliant," Earnshaw continued. "Very good for me, very good for the team. Just to be around the guys, get a feel of the ball again and really just to pick up my fitness slowly. I actually felt better every day this week right up to today, so it's just that progress."
    The Welsh striker fits the mould of the player that the Whitecaps badly need for the young group of forwards that the club currently have. An experienced head, with a proven track record and the right attitude a veteran should be bringing to a dressing room. He wants to impart the knowledge that he's picked up from the game over the years.
    Earnshaw is clearly cut out for a mentoring role to the 'Caps young strikers but he doesn't want to put the cart before the horse and start talking too much about that, or the group, whilst not officially part of the squad.
    "It's funny. I can't talk about being here because I've not signed a contract, so it wouldn't be right for me to say this is how it is or this is what it needs. That's for Robbo to decide. I've definitely found myself over the last two or three years in that role anyway.
    But if it were to come about, it wouldn't be an unfamiliar role for Earnshaw, who has relished and enjoyed the development of that part of his game these past couple of seasons.
    "I find myself talking more. I find myself giving more advice. I find myself giving what I've learnt and what I think with more inexperienced players. I find myself kind of going into their mind a little but and saying 'I know you were thinking this but think about this' and giving advice.
    "I've found myself just going into that role anyway, so I'm definitely at that stage and I'm more open where I want to give out that experience. There's no point in me playing for, I think this is going to be my 18th season, and I still have loads of energy and want to play, but in the secondary role where you get to a certain point where you've gathered so much information, you find yourself that it's natural for me to give that out.
    "I feel that the reason that I've played 18 years is because I was willing to learn. I was learning off, I could roll off so many players that were a big, big influence on me. I was picking their brains, asking questions and for me, if that wasn't the case, I probably wouldn't be playing here now because I wouldn't have learned.
    When Kenny Miller headed back to Scotland last May, the Whitecaps attack fell on the shoulders of early twenty-somethings like Darren Mattocks and Erik Hurtado. Veterans like Andy O'Brien, and then later Mauro Rosales, tried to impart their knowledge to help the likes of them and Kekuta Manneh develop their games at the higher level, but what was missing was Miller's experience and in particular the reading of the game from a top striker's perspective.
    What runs to make, what to watch the defence doing, how to turn various situations to your advantage. The Whitecaps still don't have that and it's something that Earnshaw could certainly add and already has been.
    "Again, it's not for me to say about this team yet," Earnshaw told us. "But even here, the last ten days, I've found myself just wanting to give out the experience that I have got and I think it's only right for me because I enjoy that. I enjoy if someone comes up to me and asks a question, what about this or what was it like playing in the Premier League or all these different questions that have popped up over the last ten days or so.
    "I enjoy if someone else can learn of me, if that's possible, and giving out that info to them so that they can get better. I really enjoy when I can see players really develop on the pitch and with the teammates around me, seeing the enthusiasm to learn but then actually get better on the field and then you actually see it. That's a great thing, especially when you're a teammate as well. I think one of the greatest things you can give out to a teammate is to give them confidence but you give them an experience or make them better and that's what I enjoy."
    It's an impressive attitude to have and one that not all players in the twilight of their career sometimes show. But that's the kind of character of players that Robinson wants in Vancouver and having known Earnshaw for some time, that undoubtedly one of the reasons why he feels it's been worth bringing him into camp for a look.
    So how has Earnshaw found his time with the Whitecaps so far, especially compared to his experiences in Toronto and Chicago?
    "Every team is different, definitely," he feels. "Just different philosophies, different ways of working. Little details are different. Generally the whole package is similar because MLS has great facilities. The teams really have a great platform to play in, to train in. So that's very good. That's what I enjoy. And it gives you a chance to get better on the field then because you're not worrying about certain details that are missing that are critical to once you go out on the field.
    "But things are good. I've enjoyed it here so far. I've been here just over a week and a half and I'm very pleased with how this group has worked. I think there's a good group here. I like the players that are here. Great ability, but very young. It's very early stages. It's very early for me to say this is how it is and this is how they are because they're very young. Not a lot of experience and needing that experience."
    Earnshaw has a rich goalscoring pedigree. He's scored goals wherever he's been and holds the distinction of being the only player to have scored a hat-trick in every division of English league football, along with the FA Cup, League Cup and internationally. All that's missing is a MLS hat-trick now and it would be good to see that happen in a Whitecaps strip.
    He's played in the Premier League and he's played on the international stage, earning 58 senior caps for Wales.
    With all that experience under his belt, he could have easily carved out the remainder of his career in England, especially helping out a multitude of Championship sides over the coming years. But instead, the Welshman wanted a change. New horizons and new challenges. And that's what brought him to MLS in 2013, joining Toronto FC.
    "At the time I felt that I needed the change," Earnshaw told us. "I needed to experience football elsewhere. For me, to develop as a player, and maybe to go into coaching one day, I don't know, but to develop as a footballer, I needed to experience it in different settings, different mentalities.
    "I went to Israel. I went to Maccabi Tel Aviv. That was great. In the three or four months that I was there, it was definitely a great thing for me. I actually learned probably more in the three or four months than I probably learned in four or five years playing in the UK. That's how rapid it was.
    "Also I wanted to come over to MLS because I enjoyed the league. I saw the league, I've seen it over the last few years developing. I've seen very good players playing in the league and it's a very good league to play in. I think people are taking notice of that now, but I took notice a few year ago, so that's why I came over.
    And despite now trying to lock down a contract with his third MLS club in three seasons, Earnshaw has no regrets about heading over to North America.
    "I've enjoyed it. Everything I've experienced over in the league is what I came to experience. For me, it's not about turning the switch off now. I want to get better, I want to score goals. I want to play for as long as possible and I want to enjoy it.
    "I still enjoy playing football. I still enjoy going out there. Today you see we're doing the running. It's tough, it's not nice. It's horrible! But it's what you're there for. It's what you enjoy. You know it's part of the game - getting fit, making yourself right, kicking the ball. All those things is everything I enjoy and that's why I'm here."
    Earnshaw continued his goalscoring exploits in MLS. His first season in the league was pretty successful considering who he was playing for, scoring 8 goals in 26 appearances for TFC. Toronto decided not to take up the Welshman's option for the following season, however, which must have come as something of a surprise for Earnshaw.
    "Not really," was his honest admission. "Traditionally Toronto always change the team, change the managers. It was half expected. It was just a case of whether we agreed or not and we didn't agree a contract, we didn't agree terms, so it wasn't right to stay. And also with the players that they brought in at the time, I didn't fit in to the salary cap.
    "The salary cap is what it came down to I think. Maybe if it wasn't for the salary cap, maybe I might have stayed, but sometimes that's what it comes down to and that's the difficulty sometimes in MLS - fitting your best players within your budget and that's the difficult part.
    "It's no surprise. That's how it is. I went to Chicago and I really enjoyed it there. The training was great. The club was brilliant I got a few goals as well, which is always nice, so I really enjoyed that. These things you just experience and go through. Sometimes you stay with a team for a long time and it's unexpected, sometimes you actually move when it's unexpected and that's just part of the game."
    After bumping around in 2014, Earnshaw ended up in a brief stint in Chicago, where he added another 3 goals in 5 appearances for the Fire, only one of which he started.
    Once again he's proved he can score wherever he goes, but how has he found playing in MLS and the level of the league?
    "I burst onto the scene really because I scored in my first game, I scored in my second game and I got a few goals. I've enjoyed actually playing in MLS. Physically, it's really demanding. I find myself really having to use the cleverness a lot more because I think that's one of the key things.
    "Sometimes I find myself not so much really getting up and down and running here, there and running a million miles all the way round. I find myself having to really think what's happening on the pitch and finding space and that's one of the key things that I've found my experience has helped me find goals in MLS. So that's been good. I've really enjoyed it and it would be great for me to carry that on and carry on scoring goals."
    Earnshaw is now hoping to get the chance to do just that with the Whitecaps.
    It's still early days and his training stint could really still go either way. A couple of goals in the remaining preseason friendlies and some friendly CBA terms would particularly help his cause.
    He still has that hunger and that desire to not only succeed, but also to keep improving his game. It's refreshing to see that in a 33-year-old and it's very similar to the work ethic and ethos we see week in and week out from Mauro Rosales.
    With his track record and experience, Earnshaw could easily head back to the UK and find a club but he's really keen to stay in MLS and the Whitecaps could be his next home. He's liked what he's seen so far and the opportunities that await him here are just what he's looking for at this stage of his career.
    "If I can first of all help my teammates, give people my experience of playing in Europe, then that's a great thing for whatever team I'm at. But also because I enjoy it. I enjoy the league. I enjoy being here. I've definitely enjoyed Canada, I've definitely enjoyed the US.
    "Like I said, for me, it's not a case of where I switch off and say I'm not going to learn anymore or I'm not going to get better or I'm not going to play any longer. For me, it's about playing longer, learning more. I want to be out, I want to be playing. I want to touch the ball and score goals and celebrate. All these things is what I enjoy, so that's why I'm here. That's why I play. The enjoyment of wanting to be out there and wanting to work hard and when that ball hits the net and the whole team gets around you.
    "Those are the things that I'm here for. It's really that simple. I want to be part of a successful team and be a piece within a group of players that achieves things. That's what you aim for."
    And let's hope he finds all that with the Whitecaps, for as Valentine's Day is upon us, Vancouver and the goals and experience that Robert Earnshaw could provide them with could indeed prove to be a marriage made in heaven.
    Duane Rollins
    TFC remains in League1 for 2015, but plans to field a younger team – likely its u18s with a few overage players mixed in. The full senior academy team will play in PDL this year before returning to League1 in 2016.
    The fight over sanctioning the PDL team exposed divides at the OSA board level, CSN has been told. The board was divided between those that wanted to allow full sanctioning of the PDL side and those that believe that allowing a PDL team will undermine League1's efforts to grow. The latter group questions whether PDL will offer TFCA significantly higher competition.
    According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, the CSA is on the side of the “no PDL” group. However, it is willing to sanction PDL teams in cases where there is no equivalent level of domestic competition for Canadian teams to compete in, or if the sanctioning was granted before the creation of the domestic league.
    The compromise solution was pushed by moderate board members who felt that there should be some flexibility in the no American league if a Canadian league available policy. However, the CSA was forceful in its communications with the OSA, stressing that it would not back any compromise that was for more than a singe season.
    Duane Rollins
    Surly the Drunken and Angry Supporter (If they are looking for accuracy) would be a cute, fluffy thing that terrifies most children and likely holds up a sign during the Pizza Pizza 60th Minute Get Loud for The Boys In Red promotion that calls for the (the) West Side (to) Stand Up! on one side and MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!!! on the other.
    The thought of this makes many TFC fans consider walking slowly into Lake Ontario.
    Overreaction?
    From the outside (or the press box/corporate boardroom) it most certainly would seem so. However, from the cheap seats it's a call to arms.
    See sometimes a mascot is more than just a mascot. In this case the creation of one is a further indication that the front office is trying to control and change the game day atmosphere at BMO Field. They probably have a study they can point to that suggests that they might be able to attract a few more families out to the odd game if they rounded off some of the rougher edges in the crowd.
    The gruff ex-pat creatively describing his relationship with the referee's mother doesn't fit in their vision. Fluffy mascots (that can be sold as plush toys) do. As does music after goals (something the club asked about today as well). Cheerleaders? They're probably next.
    It's not the football that has kept the day 1 fans coming back year after year. It's the experience of being at BMO and a lot of that experience has been framed by a decision made in the early days to let the game day be about the game and only the game.
    In 2006, the club reached out to the soccer community to ask what kind of product they would be willing to support. The answer was nearly universal. Potential fans wanted something that felt authentic (yes, authentic meant “like England” for the most part). They didn't want the trappings of North American sport that, until then, most MLS teams tried to emulate.
    TFC's launch was wildly successful (in the stands) and it informed much of how future MLS teams launched. Obviously each market has it's own unique features and builders, but it's not too much of an exaggeration to say that Toronto begat Seattle, who begat Philly who...etc.
    However, as other clubs that emulated Toronto's launch got bigger and got more famous, here in Toronto the organic nature of the game day experience started to erode. Now, with everyone in management involved in creating the environment that permitted that organic growth to happen gone, you have a management group that starts to think TFC game day needs more bells and whistles.
    That thinking leads to some suit somewhere asking why there isn't a mascot.
    The answer that the suit will never hear is that a mascot is the most glaring representation of the corporate, non-organic game day experience that TFC fans asked not to see in 2006.
    In isolation a mascot isn't that big of a deal. However, when looked at as part of a bigger picture it absolutely is.
    The question on the TFC Council survey might as well have been “What are your thoughts on us further monetizing and sanitizing the game day experience?”
    It's a short, slippery slope from a fluffy cute thing throwing t-shirts into the crowd and BMO becoming a Leafs crowd in the summer.
    And if that happens there is literally no reason for many fans to keep coming back, even if the club finally does manage to capture the low hanging fruit of a playoff berth.
    Michael Mccoll
    What makes a team successful?
    Talent, skill and the ability to produce that on a consistent basis are clearly important ingredients. But other vital components to the mix are that of harmony, trust, respect and relationship building. All of those attributes, and others, help make a successful environment at a football club.
    Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson is a firm believer that how you handle your players off the pitch contributes massively to how they perform on it.
    "It's an absolute must in the game, in modern day football," is how Robinson views the importance of building personal relationships with his squad. "90% of the job is the man management side of it. Coaching is just a small percentage of getting the best out of the players.
    "It's important that I spend a lot of time individually with my players individually as well as collectively to tell them what they're good at, what they need to improve on.
    Although he plays down his own influence in it all, the much lauded harmonious locker room atmosphere starts at the top and Robinson's approach to player management kicks it all off. He's relaxed, but tough when he needs to be, and he places high importance on one-to-one relationship building with all of his squad.
    The now departed Andy O'Brien probably summed it up best.
    "He's got a nice balance between disciplining us and putting an arm round us," the veteran defender said of Robinson's management style. "He's got the relationship, not only with the younger players but also with the older players, and the ability to do that is a big thing. Man management is a massive part of the game and it's something that he possesses a lot of."
    Football is a game played as much in the mind as it is on the pitch at times. The mental strength needed by both players and management to succeed should never be underestimated.
    Players have to be mentally tough to get them through the goalscoring droughts, the dips in form, the times they ride the pine on the bench and the abuse they'll get from fans and pundits alike. Managers are no different. If you're not mentally strong, the insecure world of football management is not the career path you should likely have chosen to follow.
    That's why Robinson sees a two way flow of trust and belief between himself and his players to be crucial to the Whitecaps success.
    "They know I've got their back through thick and thin," Robinson said. "It's important that when I see some players sticking up for me, as well, that I know that they've got my back. It's part of a successful team. You need to have that within the club, within the organisation and that's slowly building here."
    It may have been slowly building in Robinson's eyes last summer, but by the end of the season is was very evident to anyone that spent even a modicum of their time around the team at training or on a matchday.
    Goalkeeper David Ousted puts a lot of the good relationship the players have with their coach down to that trust and belief shown in them.
    "That's huge," Ousted said of the trust instilled in himself and others by Robinson. "Feeling that the manager trusts you and will put some responsibility on your shoulders just makes you want to grow as a player and develop as well, so that's a big thing."
    Ousted may be an experienced player but it's still always good to have that feeling from your manager, and the same is even more true for the younger players and the rookies.
    Erik Hurtado was one of the young players that Robinson kept faith in last season and it paid off in spurts on the pitch, but in a lot more ways going forward off it.
    "It means the world to me to get that chance [from him]," Hurtado said. "A lot of the time coaches don't want to put their faith in the younger players and then let them get experience. His motto is if you're good enough, you're going to play and if you deserve to play you're going to play. That's a great attitude to have as a coach."
    It all makes for a happy dressing room. Well on the whole. You can't legislate for having a player with a perpetual pout like Omar Salgado.
    With the South American influence heavily cited as part of the great atmosphere at the club last season, there were some concerns when a couple of those players moved on in the offseason. Add in the influence a much loved player like O'Brien had on all the players, and eyes were on how quickly that harmonious locker room environment would take to resurface this season.
    Would the fun, belief and trust still be prevalent with the new mix of players brought in? The answer was quick in coming in day one of preseason training camp.
    The same spirit appears to still be in abundance and the upbeat, and at times downright jokey, nature of the entire squad is infectious.
    Whether it's new addition Pa Modou Kah nicking a camera and filming his teammates or veteran Jordan Harvey having a Gatorade shower on his birthday, this is a squad that clearly gets along and that can go a long way in terms of results on the pitch.
    Some may dismiss just how much of an impact a good dressing room can have to on field results, but Robinson's not one of those people.
    "The players believing they've got your trust, believing that they've got your belief and if they have, I think they'll run that extra yard, make that extra tackle and know they'll hurt themselves, in a good way."
    And it needs to be like that. After last year's highs, the pressure is on Robinson and the Whitecaps to take another step forward. The Western Conference has got even tougher, there's been strong, big name signings made around the league and the 'Caps now have additional games in their first ever CONCACAF Champions League campaign.
    The Whitecaps haven't gone for the big name or the big money signings. It's still a very young squad. More than ever, a close knit unit is required to continue all that Robinson and the club achieved last season. And Robinson's relationship building with his players will continue to have an important part to play in it all, especially as there will be the prospect of more unhappy players in the squad looking to get more MLS minutes than might be getting afforded to them. That will test Robinson's man management and the dressing room harmony more than ever this season.
    When Robinson's contract extension was announced a few weeks back, you'd have been hard pressed to find to find any detractors both outwith and within the club of the job the Welshman has done in his first year as a head coach.
    The players have bought into what he is trying to do at the Whitecaps and so have the fans and much of the media. It's refreshing, and somewhat unusual, to find these days. The pressure now comes in abundance in his second year in charge.
    To his players, he's seen as approachable, honest, and perhaps most importantly, fair.
    "I think he's easy to talk to," is goalkeeper Ousted's view. "He's passionate about things. He listens to the players as to what their needs are. He's played himself so he knows the little twerks and things that people can have. I think he's good at making everybody feel that they're part of the team.
    A player who has had his fair share of managers over his footballing career so far is Nigel Reo-Coker, but the now departed Whitecap echoed Ousted's thoughts.
    "His door's always open for your ideas and if you have any issues," Reo-Coker felt. "He's more than just a manager. He's got a personal touch to him where he does genuinely care about his players. He's wanting to speak to his players if he has any issues off the field and he's willing to help you in any way he can."
    And if anyone knows how Robinson handles players off the field issues, it would have been Reo-Coker.
    It's interesting to note that the bond Robinson develops with his players does appear to carry on once they are no longer under his management. Robbo and Reo-Coker kept in regular contact after the 'Caps coach traded the Englishman to Chivas USA. Robinson still hears regularly from Camilo and has previously told us that he hears from his good friend Kenny Miller almost every day since he moved back to Scotland.
    There has to be a line of course and it's one each of the management team are aware of and will speak about. They have to be the boss. They're not there to be every players friend and confidant. That said, Robinson does come across as more than just a coach to his players. There does appear to be an obvious friendship connection with Robinson and the players in his squad.
    "I think there is," Ousted continued. "Carl feels that he's a big part of the team and he is and I feel that the guys in here respect him a lot."
    What should be remembered in all of this is that last year was Robinson's first year as a head coach. He's the first to admit he made mistakes and needs to improve himself as a manager, never mind simply improving his squad.
    Coaching qualifications are all well and good but putting them into practice is not always so easy. For Robinson, his management style has helped to be shaped by some of the experiences he shared himself as a player, and there's one manager he had in particular who has played a key part in that.
    "Mick McCarthy," Robinson stated. "He was my manager at Sunderland. He wore his heart on his sleeve. He always said he wasn't the most talented player, but he'd go to war with you. If you wanted a fight in the trenches he'd be one that would be right behind you. That stood out to me as a young player at Sunderland and I've always remembered that.
    "That's what I want to try and instil here. I'll go to war for these boys as long as they give me their unbelievable effort, which they have done. Hard work, concentration and I'll back them to the hilt every day."
    Can that attitude and the squad of 2015 take Robinson and the Whitecaps to the next level they need to get to? We'll soon see.
    It takes more than money and big name to build a winning team and Vancouver have that other part in abundance right now under Carl Robinson's tutelage.
    Michael Mccoll
    Have a listen!
    You can listen to this, and all previous, episodes of the podcast on iTunes HERE.
    Or download it for your later listening delight HERE.
    We also have an iPhone app, so you can now add our podcast to your phone as an app. Visit the podcast's mobile site HERE and then at the bottom of the screen just click the "Quick Launch" icon and the podcast will be added to your home screen and appear as an app.
    And if that's not enough, we're on Stitcher Radio Network. Download the app and listen to the AFTN podcast on your device, along with over 20,000 other shows HERE.
    Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!

    Guest
    Misik was in a Canada U20 camp in 2012 (http://www.canadasoccer.com/canada-m20-off-to-usa-costa-rica-p152663), playing alongside former Fury M Zakaria Messoudi and current Fury M Mauro Eustaquio.

    Photo courtesy of Fakt Sport Poland.
    He went on to play with the Canada U21 squad that was coached by Fury FC technical director Philip Dos Santos at the 2013 Jeux de la Francophonie (http://www.canadasoccer.com/canada-names-u-21-squad-for-francophone-games--p154992; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_2013_Jeux_de_la_Francophonie#Canada). However, he was not a part of the 2013 CONCACAF U20 Championship squad for Canada.
    He spent his youth career in the Toronto and Brantford areas, playing with the Toronto Lynx academy and Brantford Inter-City SC youth club, and then progressing up to the Brantford Galaxy SC CSL side, winning the 2010 CSL Championship. From there, he made the move to Poland to play for the reserve team of WKS Slask Wroclaw in the Polish first division.
    According to Stuart MacTaggart (@FuryFanatic) of RNO, who first reported the Misik signing, the midfielder is expected to compete for one of the two CM positions as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder, most likely competing with Nicki Paterson for the RCM position.
    It’s absolutely fantastic to see the commitment that Marc Dos Santos has for young Canadian players. Welcome back to Ontario, Patryk!
    —
    OFFC: http://www.ottawafuryfc.com/news/detail/uuid/66zpj6ns2jeh1r3vmweu8kqr0/fury-fc-add-depth-in-midfield-signing-canadian-patryk-misik#.VNThrXvG_Gx
    RNO: http://www.rednationonline.ca/Articles2015/FuryaddCanadianmidfielderPatrykMisik.aspx
    —
    The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) announced the 2015 Voyageurs Cup, or the Amway Canadian Championships, dates for the 5 MLS and NASL clubs yesterday.
    Fury FC will play at home against FC Edmonton in the preliminary round to qualify for a semi-final date against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on April 22, before traveling to Edmonton a week later, with FCE’s higher rank in the league standings affording them the privilege of hosting the 2nd leg in the two-legger.
    The winner of the 5-club competition will qualify for the 2016/17 CONCACAF Champions League, with this being a shift from previous V Cup editions.

    Photo courtesy of Rogers Sportsnet and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
    As a proponent of the footy pyramid in North America, I, and others, would love to see a Canada Open Cup in the near future that will include, in addition to MLS and NASL clubs, the USL Pro, NPSL, USL PDL, L1O, PLSQ, PCSL clubs in the top 4 tiers of the Canadian soccer pyramid, and why not in the future dream even bigger and open it up for the 5th-tier provincial club teams in the future as well.
    For any of you confused by the acronyms I just spitted out, check out this Wikipedia article for a simple diagram that shows the relationships between the various tiered leagues! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_soccer_league_system
    You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at OFFCReview.wordpress.com, and at @OFFCReview.
    Guest
    With both Toronto FC and Montreal Impact firmly engrained in the footy culture of Ottawa-Gatineau, a match-up against either team has been seen as a golden opportunity for Fury FC fans in any competition, both to assert themselves against the big boys from the major cities, and/or to reconcile the love that people often felt for two, or sometimes even three, of these clubs.
    ---
    Ottawa Fury FC 2015 Pre-season Schedule
    Friday, March 6 - Toronto FC II (Unconfirmed) vs Ottawa Fury FC (Kia Training Centre at Downsview) *Closed Doors*
    Friday, March 13 - Ottawa Fury FC vs Rochester Rhinos (Complexe Branchaud-Briere - Gatineau, QC; 10:45AM)
    Friday, March 20 - FC Montreal vs Ottawa Fury FC (Olympic Stadium) *Closed Doors*
    Saturday, March 28 - Syracuse University vs Ottawa Fury FC (Syracuse University, NY)
    Tuesday, March 31 - Wake Forest University vs Ottawa Fury FC (Wake Forest University, NC)
    ---
    When the schedule was announced yesterday, there were plenty of excitement from Fury FC fans to see the names of not one but both of the two MLS clubs, as well as a home date at Complexe Branchaud-Briere, which hosted a couple of pre-season games in 2014.
    However, the initial announcement was followed up with a couple of caveats. The Gatineau game at the Complexe against USL Pro side Rochester Rhinos has been announced as 10:45AM on a Friday morning, which unfortunately will dissuade all but the most hardcore fans from being able to attend.
    In addition, the TFC and the IMFC games were declared closed-doors friendlies closed to all fans, irrespective of if they were planning to make the trip to Toronto and/or Montreal.
    Finally, the Red Patch Boys forum, dedicated to TFC, pointed out that the senior side had its MLS regular season opener on Saturday, March 7th, away at Vancouver, and were certainly not going to be in Toronto on Friday the 6th, much less play a friendly the day before their opener.
    I looked at the IMFC schedule and noticed that their senior side will be away at New England on Saturday, March 21st, and therefore would not be playing against the Fury on the 20th either.
    Finally, IMFC confirmed on Twitter that it in fact would be FC Montreal, their new reserve side in USL Pro, that would be facing the Fury in FCM's final friendly of 2015 before their regular season kicked off on March 28th.
    https://twitter.com/impactmontreal/status/562411684401537024
    We can safely assume that the other likely opponent for the Fury will be Toronto FC II, the new reserve side in USL Pro for TFC.
    This being said, the lineup of opponents for the Fury is still quite exciting from a Canadian footy point of view, with TFC II and FC Montreal heralded as possibly one of the most important steps in Cdn footy developmental history, as it finally provides a meaningful bridge between the senior MLS sides and the youth academies that the MLS Reserve League could never hope to provide.

    Courtesy of Toronto FC.
    The fact that the Fury FC will be playing their friendlies against these two sides should be lauded for the significance it brings to the development of Canadian footy over the past two years, as the number of professional Canadian sides has jumped from 4 in 2013 to 8 in a matter of two years.
    While the Fury FC media and communications team has had a history of slightly exaggerating some of their announcements, with cases such as the news on Bruce Grobbelaar, Rafael Alves and now the TFC/IMFC preseason matchups, they should perhaps realize that those who follow their announcements the closest are well aware of the significance of Bruce, Rafael Alves and the new USL Pro sides, and perhaps should feel more than comfortable in being forthright in their announcements and lead the way in acknowledging to the fans just how significant these developments are for what they are.
    After all, Rafael Alves has just been voted on OFFC Review as the most exciting signing yet of the 2015 off-season.
    You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at OFFCReview.wordpress.com, and at @OFFCReview.
    Duane Rollins
    Subjectively it’s impossible to answer, so we attempted to take an objective look at his numbers last year using data from Whoscored.com. To put in perspective we compared him to Luke Moore, a TFC non DP striker that put up similar numbers of goals and assists (7-5 Gilberto; 6-4 Moore).
    If you've read other articles on football stats you’ll know that goals are an imperfect measure since they are so rare. A more predictive measure is shots. The more shots you get the more goals you score (obviously). Yes, shot quality matters, but it’s well established that a player’s shots per 90 correlates strongly to his goals.
    Recognizing that offensive players also need to create for others, I also look at the stat of key passes. A key pass is a pass that creates a scoring chance for another player. By combining shots per 90 with key passes per 90 (S+KP) you get a nice measure of a player’s offensive contribution to a team.
    Robbie Keane led MLS in S+KP last year with 6.1. He was also the league’s MVP.
    As for our TFC pair, Gilberto had 2.4 s/90 and 1.3 KP/90 for a S+KP total of 3.7.
    Moore had 2.0 s/90 and 1.1 KP/90 for a S+KP of 3.1.
    So, in terms of pure offensive contribution, Gilberto was 0.6 S+KP better. That’s not huge, but not insignificant. He probably should have had more than one goal more than Moore did in 2014.
    As said, we’re looking at the overall game here though. So, how do they stack up in other performance measures?
    Passing saw Moore slightly more effective, with a 78.3% completion rate versus a 75.6%. Call that a wash. Both players beat opponents on the dribble 0.6 times per 90. Another draw.
    FC Dallas’ Fabian Castillo led the league with 4.1 dribbles per 90.
    Another important area for a striker is being effective in the air. Here, Gilberto had 1.8 aerial wins per 90 versus 2.7 for Moore. A significant advantage (and a bit surprising) for Moore.
    Dallas’ Blas Perez was the top forward in this category with 3.9/90. Moore was actually 5th among all forwards.
    Not all stats are positive. By combining fouls, times offside and times dispossessed we come up with a turnovers per 90 number.
    Gilberto 3.1, Moore 2.6. Moore took care of the ball better than the Brazilian. A couple comparisons: Robbie Keane 3.7 and Eddie Johnson 4.1. So, both TFC players had a decent turnover rate.
    Lastly we look at a stat I call Defensive Involvement. DI is simply the total amount of tackles, interceptions and clearances plus defensive headers.
    Gilberto had 3.4 with Moore coming in at 4.1. Another advantage to Moore.
    Among forwards Seattle's Lamar Neagle had the greatest DI with 5.3.
    Overall you could make the argument that Moore was slightly better than Gilberto, with the exception of on offense. Considering offense is the most important thing a striker does it’s probably fair to say that the two men had equitable numbers.
    Of course Moore wasn't a DP. And therein is the key. If you’re getting similar production from Moore (and he’s even willing to restructure his contract, as he did last month) then it becomes difficult to justify holding onto Gilberto.
    Except if you get into subjective arguments about promise. The eyeball test did suggest that Gilberto had more to give and it’s possible that he might have broken out in 2015. The offensive advantage he held over Moore came after a slow start as well so maybe that increases.
    Objectively, however, the numbers are what they are and in 2014 what was measured suggests that Gilberto was not significantly better than a player that was a much lower cap hit.
    Guest
    Photo courtesy of NASL.
    The signing of CB Rafael Alves from Ft. Lauderdale Strikers answered the question of the "big international" signing that the Fury FC media team had hyped for a week or two. While your correspondent looked at the team's need for a RB at the time and MDS's Portuguese connections, he had the image of Miguel Monteiro, formerly of Valencia CF, somehow joining the ranks of Fury FC, but that was not to be.
    Rafael Alves does bring significant height to the middle of the back four, and composure on the ball from the backline, and was a significant catalyst in the Strikers' late surge that carried them all the way to the finals of the 2014 post-season, also known delightfully as the Soccer Bowl. His signing, along with that of Mike Randolph, brings leadership and know-how of the league, and cannot be understated as an extremely solid signing for the club. He has been communicating regularly with Paulo Jr. on social media, as they share Brazilian and Floridan roots together. A fun fact about Rafael Alves is that he was in fact the very first scorer against Fury FC in its NASL history, in our 1st match away at Ft. Lauderdale.
    Tactically, he is expected to slot in as the starting RCB next to Mason Trafford. However, I would actually envision him having even greater success as a LCB that can go toe-to-toe with the opposing CF in the air. I would instead advocate for a more agile defender at the RCB position, to provide support and back-up to the RB, who usually has the role of facing the opponent's best dribbler.
    These players, when they are right-footed, usually line up as a LW/CAM/SS (an inverted winger, such as CR7, Hazard, Messi, Robben, Ribery, etc., with Walter Restrepo, Hanson Boakai and our own Oliver Minatel the most notable NASL examples). I believe Drew Beckie is, at the moment, our most agile defender and our best candidate for the RCB position. I will delve into a further tactical discussion of the team when the team has completed its signings for the preseason.

    Photo courtesy of MLS.
    The signing of CF Andrew Wiedeman was a pleasant surprise to Fury FC fans, as the player is immensely popular in Ontario (http://vocalminority.ca/wet-wiedeman-is-no-more-andrew-wiedeman-signs-with-ottawa-fury-fc/), especially among Toronto FC fans, of which there are many in Ottawa. Wiedeman has not featured much on the pitch in 2014, but is considered to have immense potential, having laced up for the USA U18 side earlier in his career. He has a penchant for scoring in wet rainy conditions (#WetWiedeman), and has been a key player in TFC's off-field activities, while also displaying a mean Twitter/Instagram game.
    https://twitter.com/awiedeman3/status/559822507167866880
    Tactically, Wiedeman is expected to go head-to-head with Tom Heinemann for the starting CF position. Wiedeman has shown good volleys during his time with TFC, able to get on the end of crosses into the 6-yard box, with Fury FC fans crying for predatory finishers. With his familiarity of the provincial climate, and with his good friend Ryan Richter also on the team, there is a great opportunity for Wiedeman to fire off his career right here in Ottawa.

    Photo courtesy of Ottawa Citizen.
    The re-signing of Ryan Richter, this time on a permanent basis, was warmly welcomed by Fury fans, with Richter given the opportunity to continue to dominate on the right flank for Ottawa. With an incredibly disappointing start to his Fury FC career after signing on loan from TFC in summer 2014, twice giving away the ball and earning a yellow card while playing in an unfamiliar CB role, Richter seemed as his OFFC career would not be given another opportunity. Yet, he seized the opportunity back in his familiar RB spot, wresting the starting position away from Beckie and Andres Fresenga, and has not looked back since.
    Tactically, Richter has made the RB spot his own, with his tall frame allowing him to cover a lot of ground significantly both offensively and defensively. His running style reminds me of Maicon, of AS Roma, and he has been great in his overlaps on the right flank, combining well with Haworth, Oliver and Davies.

    Photo courtesy of Express Ottawa.
    Finally, OFFC announced that they will not be bringing back LB/RB O'Brian Woodbine. The player was a favourite of mine, as he showcased blazing speed and fierce determination in his defending in the 5 matches that he played. I believe that in those 5 matches alone, he showed that he was at the highest class of NASL defenders, our own Stephen DeRoux, and I believe that he will find a home shortly, and that it would be a loss for the club if he were to sign for a league rival.
    His status as an international player was the most likely factor counting against him, but his strong play at LB in what was not his natural RB role, indicates to me that he should be an automatic starter at another NASL club were he to sign in the league. Good luck, O'Brian!
    ---
    Currently, I would project an opening day starting lineup of Peiser; Richter, Rafael Alves, Trafford, Randolph; Paterson, Ryan, Ubiparipovic; Oliver, Heinemann and Paulo Jr., in a 4-3-3.

    I, however, would not mind seeing an opening day starting lineup of Peiser; Richter, Beckie, Rafael Alves, Randolph; Paterson, Ryan, Ubiparipovic; Oliver, Heinemann and Paulo Jr., in a 4-3-3.

    The team is currently most in need of additional fullbacks on both sides and two more CMs, as well as a keeper. Ottawa currently has 2 keepers, 1 RB, 4 CBs, 1 LB, 4 CM's, 4 wingers, and 2 CFs in their senior side, as of February 2nd.
    A player that has been strongly rumoured to join Fury FC is Brandon Poltronieri, a LB/LM who played with Randolph in Atlanta in 2014, and is currently training at the OFFC facilities. Chris Hofley and Stuart Mac have reported that MDS is looking at one more CB, possibly an international, and would push Beckie out to RB.
    As mentioned in my previous post, the players are expected to report to training camp in Ottawa and take medicals by no later than February 16th, according to Graeme Ivory of Fury FC. The pre-season schedule for the 2015 spring will be coming out later today.
    You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at OFFCReview.wordpress.com, and at @OFFCReview.
    Duane Rollins
    The home opener goes May 23 when Deux Rouge (trying too hard?) play old USL/A-League Lynx rivals Rochester. (As an aside: Fitting day for a U-Sector 15th anniversary party, no?). That game is at BMO. Although no time is listed yet we can likely assume it will be after the first team takes care of Portland.
    Toron2 (meh) plays one more BMO game, June 27. That one likely comes moments after a glourious victory over DC United (running TFC’s record to a remarkable 15-0-0, assumedly).
    Then the Junior Reds (too obvious?) head up to their Vaughan Wonderland (cause, you know, the amusement park is in Vaughan…) to play 13 of 14 straight at home. Tic tac tabernac their not even the Impact is once again the opponent for the stadium opener. Of note, the one road game in that stretch is in Montreal. Oh Canada.
    The home stand ends against our friends from Quebec as well. I’m sure the players won’t at all be sick of each other by that point.
    Three straight road games end the schedule, with the regular season finale at former affiliate partner Wilmington on Sept 19.
    Then Tworiffic playoff glory for the TFC2 (that’s what it’s going to be, isn’t it?)
    Full schedule here: http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/teams/2015/74649498.html#SCHEDULE
    (Seriously, the team needs a good nickname. Help me in the comments…)
    Michael Mccoll
    Clarke became the Whitecaps' sixth homegrown player to be signed to a MLS contract in April 2012, after an exemplary few years in the 'Caps Residency program.
    The 2011/12 USSDA season had seen Clarke play a key role in the Whitecaps' U18s run to the Championship game, scoring 24 goals in 27 games over the course of the campaign. Those of us who had watched him play the past couple of seasons knew what an exciting attacking talent he was and were excited to see what he could bring, and how he would develop, in the first team.
    Things didn't quite pan out as planned however.
    Clarke didn't get much of a chance to shine under Martin Rennie. He saw time in both Reserve League and PDL action but his career MLS stats sheet reads just two substitute appearances and 15 minutes of action. Both games came late in his rookie season.
    The striker seemed to fall out of favour with the 'Caps coach the next year. Clarke was understandably unhappy at the lack of opportunities, while Rennie seemed unhappy with his unhappiness.
    Things seemed to come to a head in June. Whether to get his fitness levels up or to send a message to the young player, Rennie played a then 20-year-old Clarke in a U18s warm up match as they prepared for the USSDA playoffs. Clarke sent his own message, scoring a very impressive first half hat-trick before being subbed off at half time.
    A loan deal was looking the best outcome for both parties, and that's just what happened.
    Clarke did well in Germany and looked to have settled. With all that had happened with the Whitecaps in the past couple of years, we thought that was likely to sadly be the last we saw of him in a 'Caps jersey. But with a new attitude, a new management team in place, a new direction and a different atmosphere at the club, Clarke made the decision to ink a new deal and fight for MLS minutes.
    "I was just really happy with how the club has changed over the past couple of years," Clarke told AFTN. "I think that the team spirit and stuff is a lot better than when I left, so I thought I'd just stick around and try and make my spot in the first team."
    FC Augsburg II play in the Regionalliga Bayern, the fourth tier of German football. Clarke played 26 matches for them last season, bagging 8 goals. So how did he find the whole German experience?
    "It was really good. I got to play a lot of games. It was really crazy. I got to the play the games that I couldn't play here. But after the injury, it's just great to be back and back on the field for sure."
    With Augsburg's season coming to an end, Clarke's footballing year was to come to an abrupt halt in May as he suffered a ruptured quadriceps muscle.
    "It was just the end of the season, actually the last training before the last game of the season," Clarke explained to us as to how the injury came about. "[i was] just doing some shooting at the end of training and I kind of felt a rip as I was doing a shot.
    "It started to feel better after a couple of days and I was thinking maybe I'll get into the last game. But I got the MRI back and the tendon that connects your quad muscle to your hip, it had completely ripped off. I had to get surgery right away.
    "I was going to have it there but I flew back. I was able to get it the day after I got back, so I got it here. Since then I've been trying to get back. It's a long process."
    Clarke enjoyed his time in Germany and having another Canadian, and former Whitecaps Residency teammate, Daniel Stanese on the team helped them both settle in.
    A few of the 'Caps younger players had training stints in the UK in December. Carl Robinson mentioned last week that they had come back with their eyes opened and a new appreciation as to what is needed to make it at the higher level of the game.
    Clarke was playing on Augsburg's Under-23 team, but was training with the full first team squad as well. Did he notice the level there considerably higher compared to what he was used to in MLS?
    "Yeah, especially at the start," Clarke told us. "This is a really physical, athletic league and there it's a lot more technical, tactical. It's quicker, so you have to get to that and obviously it took a little bit to get used to. And training with the first team in Augsburg is even quicker, so yeah, it took a while to get used to but when I did it was great and I liked it a lot."
    But now he's back in Vancouver and looking to stake a claim to a starting spot in the Whitecaps team for the upcoming MLS season.
    What's different now, of course, is that Clarke will be assured playing time and crucial competitive development minutes in some form most weekends. He might play MLS minutes. He might start USL PRO games. He will almost certainly see minutes in both over the season, and possibly both on the same weekend.
    If you thought that the new WFC2 team must have played a part in Clarke re-signing with the Whitecaps, it turns out that while it's a nice added benefit, that wasn't a persuading factor to his new deal.
    "To be honest, I didn't even know before I made my decision," Clarke told us. "Obviously that helps because it's more games and it was something that was lacking last year that the younger guys weren't able to have those games, so it's good to get it now. It'll be a good thing."
    As Clarke mentioned, his rehabbing from the injury has been a long process. Carl Robinson had hoped he might have had him available towards the end of last season to provide some much needed firepower to his stuttering attack, but it wasn't to be.
    The Residency alumni looked sharp in training towards the end of last year. Robinson liked what he saw and both he and Clarke know what the young striker is capable of bringing to the MLS squad and what he needs to work on to make his impact on the league.
    "I feel that one of my strengths is finishing," Clarke acknowledged. "I scored a lot of goals there and hopefully I can bring that here. To get into the first team, I've got to get fit and sharp again first. From there, just focus on demanding the ball and being strong, being a leader up front and scoring goals of course. That'll get me in there I'm sure!"
    It's great to see Caleb Clarke back in a Whitecaps shirt. We wish him well and we're looking forward to seeing how he's developed during his time in Germany and in the 18 months since he last played a MLS match.
    So what are his goals and aspirations for the season ahead?
    "Definitely to get into MLS games and to get into a regular starting spot, coming off the bench, that kind of thing. Really help the team score goals. That's what I do, so hopefully I can do that for the team."
    Aaron Campbell
    THE GOOD:
    Ability To Work With Younger Players
    With the Whitecaps wanting to ideally field a USL PRO team that will consist of mainly players between 17 and 24 years old, Koch's history and experience will make him a good candidate for this job. These players are going to have to be pushed just right, there will be times when Koch will have to be brutally honest when they are struggling but there will also be times where he will have to be more of a friend that encourages the player than a coach.
    With young Canadian players like Marco Bustos, Kianz Froese, Caleb Clarke, Marco Carducci, Ben McKendry, Sam Adekugbe, and maybe even a Residency player like Dario Zanatta, their development this season in USL PPO is key. This can't be like when they sent players to Charleston Battery where it was a waste of the player's year and the player and team didn't benefit from it.
    This has to work. This has to be benefit the first team, Residency and most importantly the players themselves.
    Koch is the safe bet for the front office to hire. He is known to the coaching staff and players and he knows what the direction of the club under Carl Robinson is. This can be a gateway to maybe a MLS job in the future for Koch and we know he will give 100%.
    THE AVERAGE:
    Expectations For Team
    I hope supporters and casual fans realize that this team was not started to win USL PRO championships. Sure winning one would be great for the club but that's not the main goal.
    That goal is to build up young players, Canadian or not, to succeed enough to become a mainstay on the first team.
    With the mandatory roster rules of 50% Canadian and 6 out of 11 of the starters also being Canadian, these rules shouldn't be a problem for the Whitecaps. But with these young players getting these minutes this doesn't mean that it guarantees success this season. For club or player.
    Fans will have to be patient and enjoy the level of play that the USL will bring. It will be a chance for the fans to support soccer on a level where only those supporters who have followed Residency games will know. It would be great seeing a full Thunderbird Stadium supporting, chanting and cheering on these young players, but it may take a bit of time for those numbers to be hit.
    Koch's style of play will be vital to both player development, a winning team on the pitch and bums on seats.
    THE BAD:
    What If It Doesn't Work
    What if it doesn't work? What is the back up plan?
    All their eggs are in the basket for this team. If the team struggles and the fans aren't patient, the support at games will drop. This team has be supported. The players will have to feel apart of the community just like the first team.
    What if this doesn't help players move up to the first team?
    Sure you got players like Bustos, Adekugbe, Froese, Clarke and Carducci that will get first team minutes this season. They will play Canadian Championship and CONCACAF Champions League games this season and get their chance. But what about other players on the USL PRO roster? Will they get a chance to be in a gameday 18 and/or a MLS contract? What will they have to do to get that chance?
    In the long run I believe this will be a good fit for Koch, but fans will also have to be patient and look at the long term goals moving forward.
    Michael Mccoll
    Koch's talents have been in demand before from professional clubs, so what was it about the coaching job with WFC2 that finally tempted him away from the Clan after seven years at the helm?
    "I've a lot of respect for the club. I've a lot of respect for the people that work for the club," Koch told AFTN. "I definitely have a very similar philosophy to Robbo. To move to the pro ranks when you don't have to leave home, or my adopted home, is obviously a lot easier.
    "I've had a lot of opportunities to go away and go live in another country and all that type of stuff, but those weren't the right fit. I feel very passionate and very loyal to the SFU program, but this was too good to pass by."
    Koch is a student of the game. Much like Carl Robinson, when he's not coaching football, he's watching it. I've often bumped into him at local soccer matches at all levels, and it's that passion for the game which immediately drew a bond with the 'Caps coach. That love of the game and the shared philosophy of how it should be played and how players should be developed. That would have played a huge role in his appointment.
    "I think so," Koch told us. "We're people who are very passionate about the game. We love the game. We can talk very easily about the game. And then obviously having done some work with him.
    "I was here last summer watching him train all the time. I guess he was picking my brain, I was picking his brain. And then going through the whole draft process in terms of scouting players, assessing players. Seeing what he values and what I value. I think we can say we're on a very, very similar page."
    Koch spent most of the summer working with the Whitecaps MLS squad and observing the coaches. With his strong scouting network and knowledge of the college game, the 'Caps hired Koch to be their college scout in preparation for this year's SuperDraft and the South African went to both the MLS combine and draft with the club earlier this month.
    That scouting role acted as a trial of sorts. The Whitecaps could see just what kind of player Koch would identify as being able to help the club and whether that fitted into the direction that Robinson was taking the club and what they saw as their needs. The two mindsets meshed seamlessly. They were clearly on the same page.
    "Players go on trial but coaches go on trial too sometimes," Koch acknowledged. "It's sometimes tough to bring a coach in on trial when we're sometimes scattered all over the globe. I was here. Came in and worked with them and as much as they were looking at me, I was looking to see what they were doing too and very, very impressed with how things are set and excited to be a part of it."
    As regular AFTN readers will already know from our college coverage, Koch comes to WFC2 with a stellar coaching record at the Simon Fraser University Clan in recent years. He's racked up 116 wins from 144 games, won four straight Great Northwest Athletics Conference (GNAC) championships from 2010 to 2013 and took the Clan to back to back NCAA Division II Final Four appearances in 2012 and 2013.
    A graduate himself from SFU, before Koch went into coaching he had a playing career as a central midfielder, playing professionally in South Africa, Germany and Ireland in spells both before and after his time at college. SFU is part of him, so it must have been a huge wrench to move on. Did he have to seriously weigh up whether to take the WFC2 job or was it a no-brainer?
    "I had to weigh it up, definitely," Koch admitted. "This is a great opportunity and I'm excited by it, that's why I'm here, but we've done a lot at SFU. We've built something. I think we've put a fantastic infrastructure in place. Safe to say we're leaving it in a much better place than we got it. So it wasn't easy to just give up your baby essentially, but the timing was right.
    "We've done everything there apart from winning the national championship. I wish them nothing but going on and winning that national championship. We're leaving behind a very, very good team at SFU. The tools are in place. A good group of guys, they're willing to work hard. So hopefully they can achieve that goal. But the timing was right for me now."
    By Clan standards, 2014 was a disappointing year - they only made the first round of the postseason. With a large turnover of playing personnel and some key injuries, SFU took a little bit of time to find their stride this past season, but Koch pulled them together and they finished the regular season by winning eight of their last nine matches.
    After all of their previous headline grabbing heroics these past couple of years, it wasn't the way that Koch wanted to bow out from the Clan. He leaves with tinge of sadness but he knows that he's left them in a very strong and healthy state to go on and win that first NCAA crown.
    "I think for SFU fans there were some challenges we had, and I can tell you exactly what they were. Justus Hogback, that we brought in from Sweden, a fantastic striker, only played in two games. He got injured and he got a medical redshirt, so he'll be a freshman again this year. If we had him, that's another 10 to 15 goals in the season and that would have made a huge difference.
    "We also had Adam Jones from Metro-Ford and Pascal Schmidt who came over from the Stuttgart Kickers and both of them, under NCAA rules, had to spend a year of residency, so they weren't able to play.
    "If we had those three players, you're looking at a Final Four team that can challenge and win it all. Those guys now will all be eligible for next season. It's tough to leave a good group and that's a very, very good group. Having trained with them last week, the nucleus was there but this opportunity wasn't going to come up every year, so when it came up I had to take it."
    Koch's departure will be heavily felt by SFU and it will be interesting to see who they hire as his replacement to keep the success of program continuing.
    There will be other changes when SFU open their 2015 season in September too. Clan captain Jovan Blagojevic will no longer be a part of the side, drafted by the Whitecaps earlier this month. That selection was the biggest indication yet to us at AFTN that Koch was about to become the new WFC2 coach.
    Blagojevic credits Koch with his continuing improved development, affording him his chance in the pro ranks. Koch clearly had a huge input into Blagojevic's selection and he is excited to see what the local winger can now do at the next level.
    "He's a guy who has no ceiling on his game," Koch told us. "We didn't bring him in [to SFU] straight out of high school because he wasn't quite ready. We watched him and he showed signs that he could do it and literally every single year he's got better and this is why I really promoted him to the Whitecaps.
    "I think he'll come in here and step up and do better. The sky's the limit for him. It's great for him to start in USL PRO. Let's see how he does and that goes for every player. You come in, you get an opportunity, you take it, but he is certainly one of those guys who hasn't peaked or reached his ceiling by any means. So I'm looking forward to working with him. It'll be nice to have a familiar face at training.
    Blagojevic was the first SFU player to be selected in an MLS draft. The previous year Chris Bargholz garnered a lot of interest and his fellow German, central defender Alex Kleefeldt, went to train at Sporting KC last summer and there was even some talk they may have taken the senior in the draft.
    Koch didn't rule out further additions to the WFC2 training camp from the Clan but added that he "certainly won't just be zoning in on SFU players. We'll look everywhere to see if we can find the right guys."
    A number of the 'Caps USL PRO squad are already known, whilst others are easy to speculate on. So does the new WFC2 coach have an input in what players the 'Caps might look to bring into his squad, or will that be more dictated by what Robinson and the upper echelons of the Whitecaps management seek?
    "I think really by committee is how we'll do it," Koch told us. "Obviously Robbo is the manager of the club, so he has full say on all the players but we'll all work on it together, we'll identify players together, we'll discuss them and make sure that we all agree that these are the right players to bring in because there has to be a plan for the guys. There's no point me saying I'm going to bring a guy in if he doesn't fit into Robbo's plan. That makes no sense."
    Koch has a UEFA 'B' licence and is working towards UEFA 'A' licence, adding to the wealth of coaching qualifications at the Whitecaps right now.
    His SFU side were known for their very attacking style of play and Koch doesn't see that changing when he takes charge in USL PRO.
    "I think we're going to be a very attack minded team, which the first team are too. We'll play possession football but definitely focus on the outcome. Go forward and see if we can score some goals. Of course we'll play organised football at the same time. Measured. But there is a club philosophy. I fully support that philosophy. I buy into it and we'll go out and do exactly that."
    There will be many other similarities to what he has been used to up the mountain these past seven years. He will have a young squad to mould and develop, many of them recent college players. A lot of raw talent, and some egos, to hone. An interesting mix of backgrounds and nationalities.
    But amidst all of that, Koch knows that he is being tasked with perhaps the fundamentally most important aspect of the Whitecaps - that crucial missing link in player development between the Residency program and the MLS first team.
    Something which we have discussed with Koch on numerous previous occasions was also the missing link for BC players at college or in the local amateur leagues. Those outwith the 'Caps system right now. Blagojevic is there now to show that it can be done. You can reach the pro ranks from local soccer.
    Koch and the Whitecaps also hope that the WFC2 can now be that bridge.
    The Whitecaps 2 will start their preseason camp shortly, ahead of a 28 game season, but as the roster starts to take shape the 'Caps announced today that they will hold open trials for local, national and international players on February 21st and 22nd, with at least one guaranteed spot in the WFC2 preseason training camp.
    It's a chance for some of the unsung local talent in VMSL, FVSL and the college system to impress. I've seen the wealth of potential there and so has Koch. Some would thrive in a professional training environment. So if he had a message for these guys and those looking to take part, what would it be?
    "Probably one of the biggest complaints locally, in our local football community is people saying that there hasn't been the opportunities. Well here is the opportunity. The club are investing in it. There's essentially open try outs. They need to sign up obviously and come and show what they can do, but this is your chance. If you want to be part of it and you think you have the ability, show up.
    "Come show us what you've got. Opportunities like this don't present themselves all the time, so it's nice to have that opportunity here in Vancouver and it'll be great to see some of the local guys show up and people travel from across the country to see what they can do. I'm excited to assess them. We'll give honest feedback and hopefully we can make something out of somebody."
    So as Koch gets set to take the next step on his football management journey, how does he look back what the Clan achieved under his guidance? How does he see his legacy at SFU?
    "That's a tough question. I'm a proud alumni. I got my undergrad degree there, I played there, I had a great playing career, I was an assistant coach there, I was a head coach there. I have a bit of SFU in my blood. To be honest, it's quite tough to stand and see that [pointing at the UBC Thunderbirds logo]. Is it a Thunder Duck or what is it, standing over there!
    "No, I'm a proud SFU alumni and it's sad to leave to be honest. I had a moment before I pressed the send button with my resignation letter. But we've achieved a lot. I'm very proud of the work that we did and I wish them nothing but the best."
    Michael Mccoll
    "In all honesty, when it came to Alan, we didn't necessarily pursue him because we assumed he's in a good job, he's got security, would he want to take that chance and jump into the professional ranks where that same type of security isn't necessarily there?
    "But as a result of the work that he did on our college recruiting, he got to know our guys and we got to know him and it was a natural evolution. We were always looking at other candidates, but as time went on, it became clear that Alan was interested in the job and we were interested in him."
    Koch is well respected in the BC soccer community and has developed a very productive scouting network during his coaching career. His Conference winning Clan sides of recent seasons have had a heavy BC content, with a splattering of fine overseas thrown in.
    The constant in all of his recruitment is an eye for young talent and the Whitecaps will be hoping for the same from their new coach with the WFC2 team, and Lenarduzzi is confident that Koch will help not just the 'Caps but also the Canadian national team program.
    "It's a perfect partnership," Lenarduzzi added. "He knows the market. He understands Canadian soccer and what we need to do in terms of ensuring that not only are the club sides successful but that our national team program has a chance to succeed.
    "He's going to be tasked in bridging the gap between the potential of those players and how far they can go, and ideally equipping them with the knowledge that will allow a number of those young players to actually graduate through to our MLS team.
    "Right now we have eight homegrown players on our roster and our objective is to continue to add to that. Ideally we get to the point, and I think we're early in the process, where those homegrown players are not only on the roster but contributing significant minutes to our MLS side, like Russell Teibert has done."
    Koch is a student of the game. Like Carl Robinson, he lives and breathes football. The pair are very similar in many ways, not least of all in their coaching philosophy and the way they like to play the game. From the time that Koch spent with the Whitecaps this past year, it was soon very evident that he and Robbo were on the same page in terms of the kind of player both wanted to see at the Whitecaps and that made Koch the obvious choice for WFC2.
    "That actually started prior to the scouting because when we hired him, our coaching staff had a long sit down with him, just to get the feel for what he looked for in a player and the similarities were certainly there from the outset," Lenarduzzi said. "As it went further in the process, it became clearer and clear that he could be a guy that came in and do what our senior coaches were looking for in transitioning those young players through to the MLS squad.
    "We couldn't have scripted it this way, simply because, again, we didn't think that Alan would be interested in the job, but it was actually a long interview, in that it started with the college recruiting. There was no expectations on either side but as we were going through the process, both sides were thinking that this could be something, in Alan's case "I'd like to do", and in our case, we're thinking maybe he could be the guy that could be our first Whitecaps FC 2 head coach."
    The Whitecaps USL PRO season will kick off at the end of March. There might be no schedule or roster available to get fans excited just yet, but Lenarduzzi is hopeful, and confident, that fans will turn out in numbers to support the club's future.
    "We hope that we can put 3000 people out here. It's been a problem for us because we've had nothing to talk about up to now. We announced we were in two months ago. Now we have a head coach and we'll soon have players.
    "We want to create an environment at UBC, a mini environment to the one we have at BC Place, so it'll be up to us. We can't just assume that we can put a team out and there will be people that will turn up. We need to do what we've done with our senior squad and encourage people to come out and see the players of the future."
    As to what kind of Whitecaps team with the fans see on the pitch this season, Lenarduzzi feels that whilst development of the younger players will always be the prime concern, putting a winning and competitive team on the pitch is also important.
    "As far as winning goes, and it's easy for me to say that it's not important if we push two or three players into our MLS squad that that's the metric that's going to determine how successful we are, but we're in a game where winning is important. Winning actually dictates frame of mind.
    "We want to get results, obviously, and we want to be competitive. That's probably what we're looking to strive towards. Be competitive but understand that the priority of this squad is for those senior players to get minutes but more importantly for those young players to get the kind of experience to have a better chance of making our MLS squad. Not just make our MLS squad but to get minutes in our MLS team."
    Michael Mccoll
    You can listen to this, and all previous, episodes of the podcast on iTunes HERE.
    Or download it for your later listening delight HERE.
    We also have an iPhone app, so you can now add our podcast to your phone as an app. Visit the podcast's mobile site HERE and then at the bottom of the screen just click the "Quick Launch" icon and the podcast will be added to your home screen and appear as an app.
    And if that's not enough, we're on Stitcher Radio Network. Download the app and listen to the AFTN podcast on your device, along with over 20,000 other shows HERE.
    Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!

×
×
  • Create New...