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    Grant
    The young Canadian finally made his league debut as a 46th-minute sub into a meaningless late-season match against Santos de Guapiles. But a debut is a debut... and what a debut.
    Aleman himself popped up on Twitter to share a video* of this eye-catching slalom through half of the Santos players on the pitch. The match report (Spanish) described the play as 'Maradonaesque,' about the highest praise a young player can be offered in that part of the world. Assuming Aleman limits further emulating of Maradona's behaviour to strictly on-field activities (pausing, of course, to watch a video of Diego
    ) this is a wonderful dip of the toe into Costa Rican club football waters.Yes, second-place Herediano was clearly eyeing the playoffs when manager Jafet Soto rolled out what La Nacion described as his 'B team' to face Santos de Guapiles. Yes, La Nacion also described the game as two sides simply going through the motions. And yes, Aleman probably won't figure again once the money matches start, but this appearance has people in Costa Rica and Canada talking, something nobody has been doing about Keven Aleman over the past four months.
    * Hat tip to fellow CSN writer Daniel Squizzato
    Duane Rollins
    Recently there has been a leaflet making the rounds in Ontario. It is about the Youth Soccer League of Ontario, a league for all those that want us to man up and keep standings in u-4 leagues. Because character. Or Something.
    Anyway, they asked for the information to be distributed. So, distribute it I will.
    Of course they didn't say I couldn't FJM it.
    Youth Soccer League of Ontario
    Winning....and losing....builds character....
    (Me: See, CHARCTER!)
    The Executive Committee (Me: i.e. One guy that is losing money because the OSA is insisting on actually following development standards), YSLO (Me: Am I the only one that always reads this as 'YOLO'?) wishes to take this opportunity to express appreciation to the 2014 Members who chose to participate in the YSLO. You were strong minded and 'stepped forward' whilst others chose to wait and see (Me: You heard them. The true heros of Canadian soccer are the rebels fighting to keep the status quo that helped us lose 8-1 in Honduras)....if YSLO would operate (Me: Operated unsanctioned). Teams played, experienced and capable Referees officiated and fields were available (Me: BREAKING: Municipalities will, in fact, rent fields to those willing to pay for them) and, all parties were more than adequately insured (Me: wellll...more like no one got hurt, thankfully, so the insurance wasn't tested) contrary to all that was 'misstated with negative intent' by individuals who incorrectly claim that a player CANNOT be a part of any other soccer organization if that player wishes to attain a 'higher level'. (Me: If by 'higher level' they mean “Future U-Sector beer league second round draft pick” then they are bang on. Plesae note that I was once a USIL second round pick. They made a huge mistake) Life is about choices (Me: Indeed, it is. For instance I'm choosing to FJM this)....and YSLO is moving forward....
    YSLO is already operating, into the 2015 Outdoor Season, on a very positive and constructive basis, with many more opportunities being available for Members - Players, Coaches and Families, here in Canada as well as in the USA and Worldwide (Me: Examples? Or is demonstrating things only for those that lack character earned by losing 11-2 in a u-4 game?) .
    2015 League Applications have already started to be received and are now available for teams to submit - copy attached (Me: Don't forget to attach the cheque).
    Note....YSLO teams play for Results/Standings and Awards....and as stated....winning and losing builds character....and awareness as to life and life skills.... (Me: DAMN THOSE HIPPY FREAKS AND THEIR 'RESEARCH' ON HOW TO DEVELOP PLAYERS!!1!!!!!!!)
    Pursuant to the recent Advisory Committee Meeting, the format of scheduling and several administrative procedures have been streamlined and improved to facilitate Member teams in this process.
    Highlighted items identified at the recent Advisory Committee Meeting:
    - All games will be scheduled at approximately 6 field complexes, in various parts of the Province - at this time 11 areas have been identified, and these will be 'short listed', pending receipt of applications, to ascertain final locations based on geographic areas of teams. (Full list of areas from which 6 will be selected is attached). Games will once again be played on Weekends, with a break in the schedule during the second half of July, to allow for Family vacations/camps etc..
    - League fee (Me: Again, make sure those cheques are attached) will include:
    1. team league entry
    2. insurance for players (Me: Could we see some more info about this insurance?), coaches, team executive, referees and your training field
    3. YSLO passes for players and team officials
    4. field costs for games scheduled by YSLO
    5. referees fees for games scheduled by YSLO
    - Deadline for submission of applications is January 15, 2015 ( a discount is available if application and full fee is remitted by December 15, 2014)
    - Teams will be assigned into tiered Divisions based on past records, as available, or as can be determined by the Executive Committee, YSLO
    - In keeping with the predominant participation of teams in USA Tournaments/Showcases - the birth dates to be used in determining age groups in the YSLO league is the August 1st cut-off (as in the US). (If teams wish to still use the Calendar basis - January 1st - December 31st - this is acceptable) (Me: Just make sure the cheque is attached. We'll sort the rest out. It's not like we're sanctioned or something). Therefore as an example - Under 11 will be born August 1, 2003 or later/Under 12 will be born August 1, 2002 or later (i.e. Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec, 2002, Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr/May/Jun/July, 2003 etc.) - see attached application
    - YSLO will accept single teams and teams from Academies/Schools of Excellence and Clubs. (Players registered with OSA based organizations are also eligible to form teams and participate as YSLO plays on Weekends as compared to the majority of OSA based league games being scheduled during the week) (Me: Parents might want to check the OSA's opinion on this one)
    YSLO Tournaments: - play for Results/Awards including MVP and 'Golden Boot' (as applicable)
    - June 6/7 - Simcoe County Challenge - Girls/Boys Under 8 - 18 inclusive (Me: It's well known that the Simcoe County Challenge u-8 Golden Boot is one of the world's most prestigious tropies)
    - June 26 - 28 - Niagara Elite International Cup - Girls/Boys Under 8 - 18 inclusive
    - July 25/26 - York Region - Stouffville Cup - Girls/Boys Under 8 - 18 inclusive
    - September 4 - 6 - Essex County North American Cup - Girls/Boys Under 8 - 18 inclusive
    NOTE - Dates/locations for the YSLO Champions Cup - tba - this is the Ontario championships (Me: Is it? Really?) in ages Under 11 - 18 Girls/Boys leading to eligibility into the US Champions Cup to be held during the Fall, 2015, in the USA (Me: America!).
    Top ranked YSLO teams have already been invited and are participating in high level (Me: So, name them) US Tournaments/Showcases (Me: Im sure those showcases were free, right?)for 2014/2015
    Me: If you are terrified by change and think Canadian soccer is doing just fine right now then by all means sign up for this glorified house league. Otherwise going with the people actually trying to fix the system and to enforce standards. Even if you don't get a plastic trophy.
    James Grossi
    No doubt this weekend’s nod goes to
    , for his first-time half-volley on a Landon Donovan corner kick, expertly guiding his right-footed bouncer past Stefan Frei to squeeze in off the base of the left-post from the top of the box, putting the Galaxy into the driver’s seat in the Western Conference decider.On to the results…
    Results in Brief

    New England advances 4-3 on aggregate
    The weekend kicked off on Saturday as the Eastern Conference was set to be decided on the plastic surface in New England. The Revolution entered the match with the advantage, returning home with a 2-1 lead from the first leg, while riding an impressive eight-game unbeaten run, not to mention winning their last seven at home, looking to return to the MLS Cup Final for the first time since 2007.
    To do so, they would have to outlast a New York side hungry to return to the final for the first time in seven years, having last taken part in the season finale back in 2008, losing to a Guillermo Barros Schelotto-inspired Columbus. Trailing by a goal after a disappointing home loss, the Red Bulls faced further tribulation, as top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips was suspended with yellow card accumulation, as was Roy Miller, a vital cog in their defensive unit – despite being prone to playoff gaffs.
    New York however was buoyed by the fact that Thierry Henry would make his first appearance on the troublesome surface at Gillette Stadium, risking his Achilles health for the team.
    In front of a record crowd for a playoff match in New England, the Revolution were content to sit back, absorbing the early pressure. As such, the first several half-chances fell New York’s way: a Lloyd Sam square ball was just beyond the reach of Peguy Luyindula inside the first ten minutes, while Bobby Shuttleworth needed to be alert to tip an Henry cross away from the waiting head of Tim Cahill in the middle.
    The visitors would find their breakthrough in the 26th minute when Henry beat Andrew Farrell on the left to send another ball into the box. Jose Goncalves looked to have position on Cahill in the area, but the Australian’s desire proved undeniable, stabbing a finish through the legs of the defender to get enough of a touch on the ball to send it over the line, leveling the aggregate score at two, though New England still held the away-goal advantage.
    The match would open up after that, each side seeing weak handball shouts waived away before Jamison Olave guided an Eric Alexander effort over the bar.And it was New England who would strike next, somewhat fortuitously, with Charlie Davies getting on the end of a Chris Tierney cross in the 41st minute to get the Revs on the scoreboard.
    Tierney played a short corner from the right, improving his angle of delivery by receiving a return ball at the side of the eighteen-yard box. His service into the heart of the area was redirected by Davies, guiding it on to the left-side of goal – replays however showed that the ball may have last touched his hand, before nestling in at the far-post.
    New England would take the advantage into the half, both leading on aggregate and with the away goal rule in their favour, and New York would begin the second half rattled, twice conceding terrible scrambled giveaways above their own box, leading to a pair of half-chances.
    Those nerves would settle by the 52nd minute, when Luyindula reinstated the New York lead and leveled the away-goal tally, pouncing on a loose ball at the left-post when a Sam cross from the right bounced off of Farrell to sit invitingly in the area. Luyindula was quickest to react, left-footing a low finish past Shuttleworth for his third goal of the playoffs.
    Cahill, who had scored their first, was also involved in the second, leaping for the initial cross, putting off Farrell enough to prevent him clearing the ball, but he could not take the chance that came his way in the 65th minute, wasting a glorious look with a right-footed volley that rose over the bar.
    Five minutes later that wastefulness would bite back, as Davies added his second of the match – and fourth of the playoffs – ghosting in between the New York centre-backs to get on the end of another inviting Tierney cross, this time from the left, to guide his header down to the near-side of goal.
    Davies’ brace would reinstate New England’s aggregate advantage, but, as Henry reminded his teammates, New York needed just one goal to overturn the series, the away-goal decider tilting in their favour.
    New England keeper Shuttleworth was called upon to stay sharp with New York pushing forward, tipping an Ibrahim Sekagya looping header over the bar, though such attacks left massive gaps at the back, which the Revolution hoped to exploit – they may have had Jermaine Jones not tripped himself on a Teal Bunbury ball that would have put him in alone.
    Try as they might, the visitors could not find the much-needed third goal of the afternoon, and New England would see out the pressure to earn their spot in next Sunday’s final, but not without emotions flaring up, resulting in a minor spot of handbags.
    Worthy of note, this may well have been Henry’s final match in MLS, as it was announced on Monday that he would not be returning with the Red Bulls for 2015, but whether retirement is calling has yet to have been decided.

    LA advances 2-2 on away goals
    Come Sunday, action moved over to the West, where LA took a one-goal advantage into Seattle for the second leg of the series.
    Having won the first leg by the lone goal, the Galaxy were looking to return to the MLS Cup Final for the third time in the last four years, and current form – having won their last two and gone unbeaten through three, yet to concede a goal in the post-season – had them looking good.
    To do so however, they would have to quell the threat of a Seattle side looking to make their first finals appearance and become the first club in MLS history to win the treble, hoping to add the cup, to their Supporters Shield and US Open Cup titles. Unfortunately for them, they had not won in three matches and had gone over two hundred minutes without scoring, having netted just once in the playoffs.
    That said, their spirits were undoubtedly buoyed by the return of both Osvaldo Alonso and Lamar Neagle to the starting eleven, though it was clear that Alonso was laboured, far from fully fit. LA too welcomed back a starter, with Leonardo ready to go in the centre of defense, but lost AJ DeLaGarza to fitness, to be replaced by Dan Gargan.
    Much like the first leg, it was a tentative contest in the frigid conditions of Seattle’s plastic pitch, the ball bouncing here and there on the frozen tundra of synthetic blades and fake dirt pebbles. The first chance fell the visitors way, when Landon Donovan – himself perhaps playing in his final MLS match – found Robbie Keane at the top of the Sounders box, only for the usually precise Irishman to shank his shot high and wide.
    Seattle would have a tempting look of their own minutes later when DeAndre Yedlin finally broke through the opposition marking, banking a pass to himself off Robbie Rogers to send an inviting ball into the area only for LA keeper, Jaime Penedo to cut out the threat.
    The Sounders would find the breakthrough, leveling the series at ones in the 26th minute on a scrambled play that forced open the deadlock. Obafemi Martins, a driving force of the Sounders attack all night, surged into the area, only to be thrown to the ground by Leo Gonzalez. Had advantage not fallen to Clint Dempsey, perhaps a penalty would have been warranted, but play carried on as Dempsey collected on the right and aimed a ball into the middle that banked off Gargan to fall invitingly inside the six-yard box with Penedo out of position.
    With Omar Gonzalez having shaded wide to cover, Brad Evans, arriving late from the back-side had a clear path to goal, forcing the ball over the line with a sliding finish.
    That goal spurred on the home side - two minutes later Dempsey had the ball in the back of the net, only for the offside flag to deny him and a minute after that Penedo was called upon to get a strong hand to a low Neagle drive.
    Dempsey would grab that goal in the 32nd minute when his bobbling shot from the top of the area found its way past the LA keeper, who got a piece, but could not prevent it crossing the line. The play began with a Yedlin ball into the area that was poorly dealt with, falling straight to Dempsey. At first, it appeared as though Penedo made a mess of the play, but replays showed a devastating deflection off of Gonzalez left the keeper little chance of making the save.
    Stung from a tough ten minutes, LA regrouped with the start of the second half, drawing a crucial intervention from Zach Scott, who redirected a Stefan Ishizaki ball bound for Donovan over the Seattle goal in the 54th minute. The Galaxy would capitalize on the ensuing corner kick, taken by Donovan, when it fell to Juninho at the top of the area and his first-time right-footer beat Stefan Frei to the bottom left-side of the goal, banking in off the base of the post to tie the match on aggregate, giving LA the advantage on away goals.
    Frei would be called upon twice in the next ten minutes to keep his side in the match, denying Donovan on a long, clear break up the left with a strong leg save and then getting a piece of a dangerous Ishizaki header.
    Seattle would press desperately for a goal to overturn fate with two chances falling to Dempsey in the final ten minutes. Rogers would come up with a big block in the final minute of regulation, while Dempsey’s right-footed volley on a bouncing ball as the clock reached ninety would rise over the bar.
    Despite losing the match 2-1, LA would move on to the final courtesy of the away-goals rule, Seattle, who progressed past Dallas on that same rule, would face the same fate themselves this round, their cup hopes ended by LA for the third time in the last five seasons, dashing their treble aspirations.
    The Galaxy will join New England in the MLS Cup Final, making their ninth appearance in the year-end match, and their third in the last four seasons. Should they win, they will become the first club to win five MLS Cups.
    Overheard
    It was a momentous night for Charlie Davies, who finally resumed the spotlight in the American soccer scenes, five years after the accident that nearly not only ended his playing career, but his life. His brace, his second of the playoffs, saw him become the first Revolution player to score four goals in a post-season, while leading his side to the final: “For me, personally, it’s unimaginable really. These five years, really just grinding it out, things would go against me and there’s a lot of tears and pain. Through it all I just continued to fight and stay with it and things have turned out for the best.”
    With the cloud of Thierry Henry’s future hanging in the air, several Red Bulls took the opportunity to herald his contributions to the club and the league, while Henry himself merely stating, “Well done, New England” before walking away – his decision would come to light on Monday instead.
    Mike Petke meanwhile was more effusive: “I am so freakin’ proud. I’m so proud of my guys for these two games – especially today; how they came with this energy and this attitude and listened to the game plan and deserved to win”, before heralding his opponent, “Not taking anything away from New England. New England did a great job. They got it done … We lost today and I wish New England the best. They gave us a hell of a series. We did enough to win, but at the end of the day we didn’t.”
    Seattle’s Sigi Schmid took the opportunity of his final post-match press conference of the season to address the fans: “I'd just say thank you and we're sorry, because we want to win it for them. We really do."
    Landon Donovan meanwhile reflected on one final game in his soccer career:"In the few minutes at halftime that I had time to ponder, I wanted to make sure that this wasn't it. I wanted to make sure, regardless of the outcome that I put it all in and it worked out well."
    But cautioned: "We haven't won anything yet. This is just the first step along the way. The first part was the Salt Lake series, and now Seattle. Nobody's had to do it harder than we have. These are two very good teams. To beat the best team in the regular season during a series like this is very difficult. Now we get one game at home to win a championship, so if anyone had said at the beginning of the year, we'd take it in a heartbeat and we're going to go with everything to win it."
    Before closing on: "I'm sort of just in this moment right now. I just want to prepare myself for one last week and do everything I can to help this team win. I really want to go out a champion."
    See It Live
    A selection of the best sights from the weekend:
    Beginning with some impressive fan participation, where both matches were very well attended and featured some quality tifo work. In New England, a nice Game of Thrones reference warned of the dangers of Lee Nguyen, while the Seattle pregame display was as solid as ever; not to mention a packed march to the match pre-game.
    There were some handbags at the end of the Eastern Conference Final, resulting in a pair of yellow cards to New York players Ambroise Oyongo for the initial challenge and Lloyd Sam for his rage – note how Jermaine Jones was right in the middle of it, but escaped sanction.
    Jones however could not escape isolation when he stepped on a Teal Bunbury pass, wasting a chance to seal the result late, while DeAndre Yedlin’s bank-pass to himself was pretty sweet.
    Then there was Clint Dempsey laying hands on the official in protest, drawing a humourous response from the referee. And a great scene with Landon Donovan expressing his gratitude to Juninho for prolonging his career with a kiss.
    A handful of the best saves of the round: Bobby Shuttleworth on Ibrahim Sekagya; Jaime Penedo on Lamar Neagle; Stefan Frei on Landon Donovan and then on Stefan Ishizaki.
    And the trophy presentations, in both the East and the West.
    Controversy
    It was a rather clean round, but should New England’s first goal have been disallowed because it appeared to be
    ?Upcoming Fixtures
    After nine months of action, the 2014 MLS season comes down to one last match, as the MLS Cup Final is set for next Sunday afternoon with four-time champions, the LA Galaxy hosting four-time runners-up, the New England Revolution; the match will be officiated by the World Cup PRO crew, headed by Mark Geiger. Should be a good one.
    Sunday: Los Angeles-New England
    All video & quotes courtesy of MLSsoccer.com
    Each week James takes a look at the league as a whole.
    You can follow James on twitter @grawsee or read more of his writing at Partially Obstructed View
    Duane Rollins
    Sportsnet is reporting that TFC has found its latest Saviour.
    This time the cape is being fitted on Garth Lagerwey, the man behind the scenes in Salt Lake City during that small club's rise to glory (well, MLS glory anyway). Although head coach Jason Kreis got the headlines those in the know always felt that Lagerway was at least equally responsible for the success.
    Kreis left last year, blinded by the bright lights of NYC and the money of MCFC. Lagerwey is out of contract in December and many in Utah think that he is about to follow his former manager out of town.
    RSL has succeed in MLS despite being in the smallest market. It's been frugal and has mostly avoided signing DPs. Even when it did go that route – and it's clear now that a successful MLS team is going to need at least one DP. The days of DPs can't win titles are done – it was the low end, non-flashy kind of players. In other words, players that fit a specific role and that were carefully selected by the RSL staff.
    If there is an anti-TFC in MLS it's RSL. They, and Lagerwey, have done pretty much the opposite of what TFC has done. That includes winning.
    So, on the surface it would seem like a very good move to bring in a guy that helped create that success. If TFC has learned anything over the last eight years it should be that its instincts are generally wrong.
    So, TFC fans should be hoping this happens, right?
    Maybe.
    There is little doubt that Lagerwey checks off a lot of boxes that TFC fans have been screaming to have checked off. Most notably he's actually experienced at his job and has actually had recent success. However, if you examine the actual rumoured move it still has a faint scent of TFC on it.
    For instance, TFC already has a GM in Tim Bezbatchenko. Even if Lagerwey came in as a President you'd have to think that Bez would be threatened. Most TFC fans would want Lagerwey to be the guy picking the team and if he isn't then what is there to get excited about? Legerwey may want to take more of a business role, but few TFC fans are going to get excited if he's coming to sell tickets and market re-build number nine.
    Firing Bez may excite some in the fan base but it does nothing to change the perception around MLS that MLSE is a disaster to work or play for.
    And not firing him creates yet another TFC power struggle, or at least the perception of one.
    All of this is without any guarantee that it would work. We don't know how much of RSL's success was on him. We don't know if he can replicate something that worked in 2008 in 2014 in a league that is much different now than it was then – there is already evidence that RSL isn't the same now as it was a couple years ago.
    Toronto sports fans have a bit of an obsession with management. Maybe it's because MLSE has been so poor for so long, but there seems to be a belief that there is a miracle worker out there that's going to fix everything.
    It's unclear whether that person exists. So, as much as Lagerwey might be sexier than the status quo, he might not be better. In fact, the environment that would be created by bringing in yet another new voice, yet again, might be another disaster just waiting to happen.
    Duane Rollins
    Passing completion percentage:
    Steve Clark – Columbus – 75.9%
    Erik Kronberg – SKC – 71.2%
    Nick Rimando – SLC – 64.7%
    Joe Bendik – TFC – 60.1%
    Clint Irwin – Col – 58.7%
    David Ousted – Van – 58.6%
    Jon Busch – SJE – 58.2%
    Luis Robles – NYRB – 55.3%
    Zac MacMath – Philly – 54.1%
    Raul Fernandez – FCD – 54.0%
    Stefan Frei – Sea – 53.0%
    Bill Hamid – DCU – 52.9%
    Jamie Penedo – LAG – 52.2%
    Dan Kennedy – Chivas – 49.6%
    Tally Hall – Hou – 49.5%
    Sean Johnson – Chivas – 48.8%
    Troy Perkins – IMFC – 48.6%
    Donovan Ricketts – PDX – 48.6%
    Bobby Shuttlewortrh – NER – 47.0%
    So, maybe Bendik isn't as bad at the distribution as fans think. But, how many of those passes were long? How often does Bendik hit his man on a goal kick?
    Completed long passes per 90 can try and tell us.
    Busch 11.4
    Johnson 8.
    Clint Irwin 8.0
    Rimando 8.0
    MacMath 7.9
    Hamid 7.6
    Perkins 7.6
    Kennedy 7.5
    Fernandez 7.3
    Hall 7.3
    Shuttleworth 7.2
    Clark 7.2
    Kronberg 7.2
    Bendik 6.9
    Ousted 6.7
    Frei 6.1
    Robles 5.9
    Penedo 5.8
    Ricketts 4.9
    Not quite as strong, but still close to a mid-pack numbers. Perhaps fans should reconsider their position that Bendik is poor at distribution?
    Is he as good as people think at shot stopping though? Let's look.
    First we look at a keepers ability to control his area. Again, this is a difficult thing to measure. Not attacking a ball might be the right move sometimes, but you cant measure that. About all you can measure is how often a keeper wins the ball in the air per 90 minutes.
    So, we did:
    Ousted 0.6
    Hamid 0.5
    Clark 0.5
    Hall 0.5
    Robles 0.4
    Kronberg 0.4
    Johnson 0.4
    Perkins 0.4
    Frei 0.4
    Paedo 0.4
    Rimando 0.4
    Kennedy 0.4
    Irwin 0.4
    Busch 0.4
    Shuttleworth 0.3
    MacMath 0.3
    Fernandez 0.3
    Bendik 0.2
    Ricketts 0.2
    As written above it's not a perfect measure of a keeper's presence in the box. It's just a measure. It's up to you to decide how much value to place on it.
    Lastly we looked at the most basic keeper stat of all -- how often does a keeper stop the ball.
    We all understand that not all shots are the same and a keeper that faces a lot of high quality shots will probably stop less shots than a keeper that barely has to move to win a game.
    With that caveat, here's the numbers:
    Hamid 76.3%
    Rimando 73.9%
    Busch 73.2%
    Fernandez 72.5%
    Clark 72.5%
    Penedo 71.0%
    Ousted 70.5%
    Ricketts 70.4%
    Shuttleworth 70.1%
    Robles 68.9%
    Kronberg 67.1%
    Frei 66.4%
    Johnson 66.2%
    Bendik 66.1%
    Perkins 65.3%
    Kennedy 62.0%
    MacMath 61.6%
    Hall 60.3%
    Irwin 59.8%
    Since we've gone this far we might as well crunch the numbers to get a final ranking. Using a weighted formula, we worked the stats and came up with the following:
    Rimando
    Clark
    Busch
    Hamid
    Ousted
    Kronberg
    Fernandez
    Johnson
    Irwin
    Robles
    Penedo
    MacMath
    Hall
    Frei
    Bendik
    Perkins
    Kennedy
    Shuttleworth
    Ricketts
    Is the list 100 percent perfect? No. We've been clear on that. But, it's a discussion starting point.
    Discuss away.
    Guest
    Soria had a solid year playing at both LB and CB, displaying a good level of consistency that helped fill the void of Maykon to injury and later to a mutual departure. He was a fan favourite for his steadiness and versatility, but he found himself relegated to the bench for the run-in of the season with the signing of O’Brian Woodbine.
    Caceros is a local favourite who is born and raised in Ottawa, having gone through both the Fury academy and the senior club during Ottawa’s USL PDL days, as well as a stint with the defunct Ottawa CSL side, and has strong connections to the Ottawa footy community. He did not get much playing time and his departure was not unexpected, but Ottawa supporters will certainly be following his next move closely.
    Mayard started the season slowly but was a important factor in the resurgence of the club midway through the fall season, with his energetic running down the left flank contributing a new dimension to the Fury offense. However, he was displaced in the starting XI after a good run and was unable to crack the starting lineup again.
    Dantas had a strong and memorable season, and his departure has caused the greatest amount of anguish among Fury FC supporters. He will go down in Fury folklore as the first goalscorer in the NASL club’s history, with a header against Minnesota in the 50th minute, and was versatile enough to play as a winger and a CAM in addition to his usual striker role.
    While he showed great touches and passing skills that belied his robust appearance, the fact that he was not considered an automatic starter while occupying one of the 7 international spots in the roster, similarly to Soria, counted against him in the very end. He was a great producer on the pitch, however, and his points per minute, including both goals and assists, must certainly be one of the highest in the team, with a number of strong cameos off the bench. Dantas may have left the club to look for starting opportunities in another club or a league if he was unable to force himself into reckoning for a starting spot.
    The supporters have expressed their gratitude to the 4 players and their best wishes for the players for the 2015 season and beyond. They formed a strong basis of the Fury family in a truly memorable first 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.
    Squizz
    Goalkeeper Erin McLeod, celebrating her 100th senior cap for her country, wore the captain's armband in the match. Prior to the match, her teammates had prepared her a giant dolphin-shaped cake to celebrate. They didn't think to ask whether or not she actually likes dolphins (they're OK, in her opinion), and she didn't think to ask why the icing on the cake read "Happy 6th Birthday Timmy"; instead, they all laughed and enjoyed the well-meaning gesture.
    McLeod, for her part, celebrated the occasion -- and also marked a throwback Monday, this is totally a thing now, maybe -- by meticulously gelling her hair into 100 dangerous-looking multi-coloured spikes. Two soccer balls were deflated, a la Lisa Simpson playing volleyball, during the pre-game warmup. Also the referee brought some noise about "dangerous to opposing players" or whatever jazz that's all about, probably some new rule no one's ever heard of 'cause maybe she's Norwegian lolololo amirite?
    Anyway, after a 15-minute delay in which the Swedes put together their own chairs and tables on which to enjoy a snack of pickled herring, the game eventually got started.
    Canada's lineup featured the usual suspects plus Jessie Fleming (who'll be a usual suspect before long) and Allysha Chapman. There is no evidence to suggest she has anything to do with the company that produces ice cream, but there is also no readily-available evidence, so we'll assume that she's totally an heir to an ice cream empire.
    The first half consisted mainly of the players quoting articles from The Economist to one another, boastfully comparing their two countries' liveability indexes and similar such markers of their greatness. Then someone spoiled the fun by mentioning the relative conditions of the nations' aboriginal populations, making everyone feel all bashful and eager to change the subject.
    That change of subject did wonders for the soccer-playing element of the game, as just before the half, Sophie Schmidt -- through sheer force of will alone -- caused the ball to materialize into the path of Jonelle Filigno who (we can only assume) literally scythed her way through the Swedish defence to score the game's only goal. That was met with congratulations from most of her teammates, with the exception of Kaylyn Kyle, who scoffed, "That's not how they use a scythe where I come from!"
    Hey, yeah, the second half happened too, and the players -- certainly not the author of this piece, no way -- ran out of creative ideas so there wasn't much to report. Canada head coach John Herdman, continuing his ongoing experiment of observing the game from different vantage points, drove to a nearby 7-Eleven and ordered (reportedly) a large raspberry Slurpee. "Full credit to the girls," he later said. "They had a tough go of it, I think. Couldn't see much of the game, truth be told, but it's all a process. We want to be on that podium next year!"
    Indeed you do, John. Indeed you do.
    James Grossi
    With only four to choose from, just a single candidate this week and, despite his lack of popularity around these parts,
    takes the plaudits with his cracking left-footed curler to open the scoring in New York.On to the results…
    Results in Brief
    The round began in New York with the Red Bulls playing host to the Revolution in the Eastern Conference Finals.
    It had been sometime since either of these MLS originals had reached this stage of the playoffs, for New York they last graced it back in 2008, while for New England in had been one year more, last reaching this stage back in 2007 – the third of three-straight cup finals.
    Both sides arrived in good form, New York having progressed through the knockout round and past East leaders DC United – they lost the second leg, but had ridden their strong home form thus far, having won their last two and gone unbeaten in three at Red Bull Arena. Added to that general form, the hosts had won both meetings between the clubs this season and gone unbeaten through the last six. New England, however, were the form team in the league, unbeaten in seven overall, with just one loss in the last three months; countering the Red Bull home form, the Revs were unbeaten on their travels through four, having won the last two.
    With 1200 travelling fans in one corner of the ground and the spectre of the match being Thierry Henry’s final in MLS, play took off from the start and did not slow until the half-time whistle.
    The Revolution pressed with abandon, drawing a crucial early save from Luis Robles who got a strong hand to a Jermaine Jones header. The Red Bulls countered with a look of their own, a Peguy Luyindula run drawing a strong shoulder-barge from Jose Goncalves and shouts for a penalty from the New York faithful.
    But it was New England who would take the lead in the seventeenth minute. Jones played out wide to Teal Bunbury, who took on full-back Ambroise Oyongo, beating him to the inside to walk across the top of the box before unleashing a left-footed curler that nestled inside the far-post past a helpless Robles.
    Already a tense and furious match, the first of ten bookings would be shown in the 23rd minute to New England’s AJ Soares – from then on, no more than eleven minutes would pass between booking, and that pause was spread across half-time. Three minutes later Jones was lucky to avoid more strict sanction, when his horrendous scissor tackle took down Dax McCarty, drawing only a yellow.
    New York would equalize a minute after that, Bradley Wright-Phillips playing Johnny-on-the-spot in the 27th minute after Luyindula broke in down the left-side of the area; his initial rushed shot was saved, but from the ground his follow-up effort struck the bar, falling for Wright-Phillips, who may have been offside, to nod in the equalizer. The play had begun with a solid Ibrahim Sekagya tackle in midfield, allowing Oyongo to play up towards Henry, who sagely let the pass run into the path of the streaking Luyindula.
    It was Wright-Phillips’ fourth goal of the post-season, having continued his golden boot form, but his good luck would end there, woefully sending a free-header in first-half stoppage-time over the bar and then picking up a silly booking in the sixtieth minute for preventing Bobby Shuttleworth from rolling out a restart quickly that will see him miss the second leg with yellow card accumulation.
    There was no way the pace of the first half could continue and the match settled into a rhythm, appearing destined to end in a draw, that is until a late counterattack saw the Revolution slice open the Red Bull defenses in the 85th minute, handing the series advantage to the visitors.
    Chris Tierney’s touch launched the attack, finding Lee Nguyen who streaked up the middle of the pitch before playing wide right to Bunbury. Unselfishly, the goal-scorer played a ball for Jones, himself making a lung-bursting run to the left-post, managing to remain onside to tuck in the finish with a sliding left-foot.
    The 1-2 win, their first ever at Red Bull Arena and first in eleven matches in New York, would hand the Revolution the advantage as they return home for the second leg with a one-goal lead; their two away goals serving to enhance that lead with the away-goals rule in effect. They will progress with a win, a draw, or even a 0-1 loss. The Red Bulls will be without the services of the suspended Wright-Phillips, but Henry has announced his intention to play, despite the troublesome turf surface at Gillette Stadium.
    A few hours later, the Western Conference Finals would kick off with the Galaxy welcoming the Sounders to the StubHub Center in the outskirts of Los Angeles.
    Having met over the last two weeks of the season to determine which would win the Supporters Shield and take top spot in the West, these two were well-acquainted; the Sounders having drawn in LA and won 2-0 at home on the final weekend of the regular season, would earn both plaudits.
    Seattle may have been unbeaten through two, but the last two meetings in LA had ended square, while the Galaxy had not lost at home since opening day, a run of seventeen-straight matches. LA’s five-goal explosion against Salt Lake in the previous round masked the fact that it was their defense, and some heroic goalkeeping, that had got them to this stage of the playoffs.
    Given the rambunctious nature of the Eastern meeting, it was unlikely that this match would live up to the standard set by its counterpart and it was altogether a much more cautious affair. Understandably so, as Seattle were without the services of two first-choice players, midfield engine Osvaldo Alonso out with a hamstring issue and Lamar Neagle away to deal with a personal matter.
    One thing that did carry over was the prodigious use of yellow cards, though to a lesser degree, the first coming after just three minutes, when DeAndre Yedlin caught Robbie Keane in the face with a stray arm.
    The early chances came LA’s way, Keane failing to connect cleanly on a Stefan Ishizaki cross, Gyasi Zardes drawing a sharp save from Stefan Frei, who got down low to deny the effort, and then Keane again hooking an awkward attempt over the bar.
    Seattle did draw a fantastic double-save out of Jaime Penedo, the star of the first leg in Salt Lake, in the 20th minute, denying Obafemi Martins’ initial attempt and then staying big to block Clint Dempsey’s follow up.
    Penedo would be called upon again at the start of the second half, getting a strong hand on a deft Dempsey chipped attempt after the American international linked up with Martins, whose back-heel allowed him in down the right-side of the area.
    Frei was then tested, reacting quickly to prevent an own-goal off the knee of teammate Leonardo Gonzalez from an LA cross in the 52nd minute. Seconds later, Frei and the Sounders would not be so lucky, as a Marcelo Sarvas effort from the top of the box deflected off Chad Marshall, handcuffing the keeper to find the back of the net after AJ DeLaGarza’s pull back found the midfielder high.
    Seattle’s woes were nearly compounded on the hour mark, when Zach Scott blocked off a Keane run, prompting LA to call for his expulsion. Scott had picked up a booking in the 37th minute, catching Keane with a high forearm, but he would skate through further punishment, despite several more fouls as the match wound to an end.
    LA had repeated chances to increase their advantage, Ishizaki bending free-kick over the wall only to strike the bar, before connecting with a Keane cross at the back-post; Alan Gordon too sent his look over the bar with a late chance, but Seattle held firm, thanks largely to an outstanding performance from Defender of the Year candidate, Marshall, who pressured a hurried effort out of Gordon.
    The Galaxy will take the 1-0 advantage with them to Seattle, extending their playoff shutout streak to 270 minutes with a third-straight clean-sheet. On a similar note, the potent offense of the Sounders has scored just once through three playoff matches and been shut out in the last two; Alonso having gotten on the end of Marco Pappa free-kick back in the first leg against Dallas their sole tally of the post-season.
    Overheard
    A sampling of the most intriguing quotes from the round:
    Thierry Henry committed to playing on the dreaded turf in the New England area, relaying one of the reasons why he has not thus far: “I’m playing. You happy? The only thing is if … my Achilles don’t last, then I will be on holiday if we don’t go through. I’m sure guys wouldn’t care if I can walk or not after that. That’s just the way it is.”
    New York’s Bradley Wright-Phillips with a rather shocking admission post-match: “I didn't know the rules of the yellow card accumulation. I’m angry, obviously. I'm angry. Stupid yellow card and now I have to pay.”
    LA was not pleased with the official’s decision to keep both sides at even strength. Robbie Rogers offered: “I was surprised after Scott got the yellow card, that he had, like, five more fouls. I mean, it's an absolute joke. [He stayed] because they didn't want guys to get a red."
    Landon Donovan too chimed in on that turn of events, adding a touch of foreshadow for the return leg: “The officials made it clear that no one's getting sent off. So we have to make sure we're aware of that next weekend, and we'll play with that in mind, and I'm sure they will, too. It's going to be even more physical, and that's OK. We can play that way.”
    Even Seattle boss, Sigi Schmid reflected on that good fortune: “I thought we benefited a little bit [from the referee’s decisions]. In most games, I think that referee would have pulled that yellow, so I'm not going to pretend I didn’t see that. … Yeah, we were fortunate that Zach stayed on the field.”
    See It Live
    A selection of the finest moments of the weekend, beginning with several of the best saves: Luis Robles on Jermaine Jones; Bobby Shuttleworth on Dax McCarty; Stefan Frei on Gyasi Zardes; and Jaime Penedo on Clint Dempsey.
    There has been much debate about players calling for a card, but to see Bruce Arena making the motion from the sideline when Zach Scott blocked off Robbie Keane’s run was something else.
    There was a plethora of travelling fans at both matches, adding to the atmosphere, including a nice exchange between Jay Heaps and the New England fans post-match.
    Meanwhile, Jones responded to the accusations that New England were divers with this tweet – shots fired indeed.
    Controversy
    Jermaine Jones was lucky to stay on the pitch after his high scissor tackle on Dax McCarty.
    While there were hints off offside on goals from both
    and .Upcoming Fixtures
    The second legs are set to be played next weekend with the East wrapping up on Saturday as New England takes their advantage home to the turf outside of Boston, while the West will come to a conclusion on Sunday with Seattle looking to overturn LA back home.
    Saturday: New England-New York. Sunday: Seattle-Los Angeles.
    All video & quotes courtesy of MLSsoccer.com
    Each week James takes a look at the league as a whole.
    You can follow James on twitter @grawsee or read more of his writing at Partially Obstructed View
    Duane Rollins
    It's been a good week for Canadian soccer.
    A rare win over our southern neighbours in u20 play was followed up by an even rarer result in Central America for the senior team. However, the best news of all was saved for last.
    Another pro team was born.
    Toronto FC confirmed what we here at CSN reported last month: That the club would operate a USL-Pro side next year.
    Now that is a Bloody Big Deal for those that like our MLS with a side of Canadian development.
    See, the CSA made it clear that an emphasis on Canadian minutes would be a requirement of any USL-Pro side it was to sanction. More than 50 percent of the roster must be Canadian and more than half (6 of 11) of the starting line-up must be from the land of poutine.
    Put aside your cynicism -- and there were some, mostly from Vancouver, looking to downplay this yesterday -- this is an important development. The most common dismissal came from those that thought that this was simply a re-naming of the MLS reserve squads.
    The MLS reserve league played in front of crowds of tens, when they were bothered to play at all -- games were frequently cancelled. There were no roster limitations and "guest" players were often involved just to make up the numbers. Those guest players were sometimes pulled from the front office staff or Sunday beer leagues. No, literally.
    Although a couple academy players would get a run out from time to time it was weeks between games and there was no consistency. In essence the reserve league was a series of closed door scrimmages.
    USL-Pro teams will operate as fully professional sides, with weekly games, daily training and some degree of media attention and pressure.
    They will have full rosters. They won't just be an extension of the team's MLS extras. Yes, a few players will be from the 24-30 roster spot of MLS, but the majority of the teams will be made up for players specifically signed to the USL-Pro side.
    In Toronto's case that will almost certainly be made up from graduates of the TFC Academy. These are players that would have just drifted into careers in real estate and construction in the past. Most will eventually end up there anyway, but some will prove they belong at a higher level.
    Some may even become a Canadian Dom Dwyer. Canada needs Dom Dwyers.
    So does TFC. And, as someone that watched a lot of TFC Academy games this year I can tell you that people are going to be presently surprised at the quality of the players that will likely make up the USL-Pro roster.
    Below an educated guess on what TFCA grads are most likely to get a chance to impress.
    Anthony Osorio -- yes, he's related. He came to TFCA late, but has a similar development history as his brother. A 94.
    Mark Anthony Kaye -- maybe the brightest prospect. Played nine games for Wilmington this year, scoring twice. He has a chance at signing a senior contract but will absolutely be part of the USL-Pro side. A 94.
    Jay Chapman -- ranked as the eighth best prospect in the NCAA this year, the Michigan State standout has gotten all that he can out of the NCAA.
    Dylan Sacramento -- it's a toss up as to whether the 95 should be the top player on TFCA next year or start a pro journey. Flashes of potential, but needs to be more consistent. It says here you might as well push him up a level. We know what he is in League1.
    Chris Manella - similar to Sacramento. It's time to push him to find out if he's a pro. A 94.
    Marco Rodriquez -- maybe League1's best player last year, but he's a 92. It's now or never.
    Eli Roubos -- a 96, they may want to protect his NCAA eligibility -- he's at Oregon State -- but his potential is through the roof. Might as well get him in a fully pro environment now.
    Mo Babouli -- by far the most fascinating player. He came from a non traditional pathway and he's not soccer young anymore (a 93), but...he can score. He has an unteachable nose for net. TFC needs to test him at a higher level because if he can score there then maybe, just maybe, this is the elusive Dom Dwyer we talked about.
    Marcos Nunes -- a similar game to Kaye and a very intriguing prospect as a 96.
    Jordan Hamilton -- he'll be with the senior team, but the ability to get him minutes in USL-Pro is why the Reds can afford to bring him home.
    Add those players to young Canadians like Ashtone Morgan and Kyle Bekker who need minutes beyond the ones they are getting at TFC -- and include the young players already on homegrown contracts -- and feel free to get excited. Bloody big excited.
    Grant
    Both teams have cause to question the exact point of Tuesday's match. When Panama concentrated on kicking the ball rather than Canadian players they clearly enjoyed better chances. But whether it was their own ineptitude or the athleticism of Milan Borjan, they were unable to capitalize on them. Borjan’s showcase of excellent saves was the most positive aspect Canada can take from it’s final match of 2014. At 27, he’s our guy in goal and there is no question about it.
    It was a Canada performance similar to those turned out in the latter stages of the Stephen Hart regime: tough to score against yes, but fluid midfield play, attacking soccer and shots toward the opposition goal (goals? lololo) remain beyond what this group of players appear capable of.
    The positive spin on this result is that it was... a result. A result earned in the sweaty, hostile environs of Central America, a valuable point were it to have occurred in actual World Cup qualifying. The negative spin would be to raise a pertinent question: how many times would this approach work out of 10? Panama was unlucky not to have scored on one of their set-pieces. And you don’t need to be a paid researcher of Concacaf history to know that Canada finishing this game up a man puts the entire proceedings in bizzaro land. It should have been the other way around, given some of the wild studs-flailing challenges attempted by the visitors.
    On social media, many pointed to the positive contributions of Russell Teibert and Jonathan Osorio after the duo made their eagerly anticipated entrance in the second half. Encouraging yes, but Canada still didn't manufacture a stellar scoring chance even after Panama's Anibal Godoy was sent off.
    If you were really searching for positives you could point out Panama was two days from ploughing El Salvador in their own stadium. Eerily similar to how Colombia throttled El Salvador in October then immediately struggled to put hot moves together against Canada. By soccer transitive property, Canada is way better than El Salvador.
    The best news from Tuesday was the U20 men's victory over the U.S. Those players aren't going to be a solution for the national team in the short-term however, and big challenges await next year. A spot in the 2016 Copa America is on the line in the Gold Cup seven months from now. And it also looks like Canada’s journey to the 2018 World Cup in Russia will kick off around the same time. David Hoilett or Lucas Cavallini might help offensively, but neither is a guarantee or even a game-changer with the potential impact Carlos Vela showed on his recent return to Mexico.
    This isn’t meant to be a slaughterhouse of hopes and dreams. Canada manager Benito Floro is doing what he can with the technical ability of the players available. The immediate goal should be to grind out a quarterfinal placing in the Gold Cup and take advantage of the fact all the other teams competing for the Copa America spots are floundering. If that's the case, a 0-0 draw in Panama is a damn fine thing.
    Perhaps scoring help will arrive by 2016 in the form of fence-sitters or the current U20 squad, and the painful to watch stinginess can be married with something resembling an attack. In the meantime supporters trundle on knowing what they've known since Canada was eliminated from the last World Cup - commitment levels aside, our guys possess limited flair. We can hope and pray they produce results, but they’re unlikely to have us standing and shouting 'bravo!' in the process.
    Grant
    Regardless of Panama’s place in the grand order of world soccer, Los Canaleros at the very least took a step toward erasing some painful memories on Friday, securing a well-earned 3-1 victory on the road against El Salvador. It was Panama’s first ever victory in the Cuscatlán stadium. The win also proved the team could indeed finish off a close match in the latter stages. Panama has become disturbingly adept at conceding late, most recently in the Copa Centroamericana semifinals against Costa Rica.
    Following that disappointing third-place tournament finish, star keeper Jaime Penedo acknowledged the team’s frustration at missing the final and assured fans the team “was headed for big things.” Conveniently for Penedo, he won’t be around this month to put his money where his mouth is. The LA Galaxy keeper is busy with MLS playoffs, making him one of two notable absences from the Panama squad, along with FC Dallas forward Blas Perez. That ensures a different look at both ends of the field.
    Against El Salvador on Friday, Nicolás "Yuyu" Muñoz lead the attack for Panama while Joseph Calderón started in goal. Muñoz plays his club football in El Salvador and therefore promised not to celebrate if he scored. That chance to stare solemnly at his giddy teammates arrived just twenty-two minutes into the match. Two minutes later midfielder Aníbal Godoy added another and El Salvador could not recover. In terms of what else happened, this Spanish-language report highlights an important save from Calderon in the early going, as well as the many midfield interventions by the pair of Godoy and Gabriel Gomez.
    In an indication of how seriously Gomez is taking these matches, he only made one substitution in the second half. It was a good one, with Roberto Nurse coming on for Munez and scoring the security-blanket goal late in the match.
    Canada will see five changes in the lineup it faces on Tuesday. Perhaps the most notable switch will be up top, where Luis Tejada replaces Muñoz. This is the one Panamanian media and fans are watching. Tejada has 11 goals in 22 appearances so far for Peru's Cesar Vallejo this season but hasn't figured much in Gomez’s plans this year. As for how the Panama manager sees Canada? He said he watched the Colombia match in October and was impressed with Canada's patience and how well they closed down spaces.
    Michael Mccoll
    All this and more in an innuendo laden episode. Have a listen!
    You can listen to this week's podcast on iTunes HERE.
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    Michael Crampton
    I was not impressed by much of what I saw at the end of 2014. The only way to rationalize Greg Vanney doing (marginally) worse than Ryan Nelsen, over any comparable stretch and with the same group of players, is to accept the (untestable) "death-spiral" hypothesis and blame Ryan Nelsen. Which, really, is a pretty remarkable piece of intellectual jujitsu.
    I was not impressed by how Greg Vanney was installed as coach of TFC. Rightly or wrongly, Tim Bezbatchenko made a move that made Vanney and himself focal points for the team's failure. It exhibited either hubris, or a lack of PR savvy. Hopefully it was more of the latter than the former.
    But:
    In the interests of fairness, I'm ready to start fresh.
    There have only been a couple TFC managers that I've had a pre-existing "good feeling" about, and plenty that I was predisposed to being discouraged about.
    Instead of holding on to my frustration over the way 2014 ended, I'm going to (attempt to) reset my opinion of Greg Vanney to the same one I had when John Carver was announced: I've got no f*cking idea who this guy is, and won't be able to have anything like a reasonable opinion on his suitability until he's had some time in charge. If Vanney had been appointed this winter, that's exactly the attitude I would have taken, so it's the one I'm going to employ.
    So:
    No fine parsing of interviews trying to glean predictive nuggets.
    No looking back to the on-field performance in those last 10 games.
    The moves the TBez/Vanney team make over the winter will be fresh data on a blank canvas. Even then, they'll only start to frame an impression of the direction they plan to move Toronto FC. We’ll have to wait until 2015 is well in-gear to really get an idea of who Greg Vanney is.
    Greg Vanney, if he’s the person Toronto FC decides should be head coach in 2015, deserves the chance to fail that’s been denied too many previous incumbents.
    Moving on:
    Part of the perception of my "negativity" is my constant frustration with the unearned trust that swathes of the online fan base seems to invest in each new manager, only to be later disappointed when those unrealistic expectations aren't met. There's a "leadership cult" at TFC that imagines a level of immediacy of agency that managers can only rarely affect. (Aside: The perverse consequence of that cult is that every loss, let alone (annual) season long failure, must be explained as a function of some incorrect decision the manager made and blamed on him.) When the manager is new and popular, chipping away at that trust is perceived as negative.
    The rare times I've been on the "positive" side of an argument over a manager's efficacy -- Preki in retrospect, Paul Mariner, and Ryan Nelsen this summer -- it's been because I've been expressing doubt over the certainty that the manager either is failing or has failed. Thus, the real object of my ire is revealed: certainty. At first, most often, it's the certainty that a manager will be successful. Later, the certainty that they have failed, are failing, or will fail in the future.
    Even in the most obvious cases of failure, such as Aron Winter's catastrophic start to the 2012 MLS campaign, I'm willing to accept that we can't actually know what would have happened if he'd been left in charge. I certainly felt that seven wins from 44 MLS games, and the downward trajectory from a really poor 2011 to a disastrous 2012, qualified as reasonable grounds for giving up, but it’s not impossible that it was premature. Aron Winter could have been successful. All we can really say is that he hadn’t been.
    The supreme expression of this desire for certainty was probably the infamous “In Carver We Trust” banner that once hung in the South End of BMO Field. At the time, even though it raised eyebrows, the banner may have been a fairly innocuous expression of normal fan/manager/club solidarity. But the way John Carver’s lingering personal popularity informs the recollection of his year and a bit as head coach leaves it with a different tinge. John Carver’s team finished third last overall in his only full year in charge. They didn’t win a home game for over three months that summer. They lost the inaugural Canadian Championship to a second division club, only winning one of four matches against that level of competition. Whether he was pushed or jumped, one way or another he ultimately resigned only weeks into his second year in-charge. Yet he’s still largely remembered fondly, occasionally suggested as TFC’s best ever coach, and sometimes even mooted as meriting a second spell. In Carver We Trust… because we have to? Because we like him? That’s never been clear to me.
    When is “success” not enough?
    The bizarre reflection of the above, the other consequence of TFC’s leadership cult, is that I’ve often felt that if our fan base doesn’t “believe” in a coach, they’re not willing to recognize success! Those who would seek to salvage Aron Winter’s reputation often point to his back-to-back Canadian Championships and epic CONCACAF Champions League run. That’s actually more than fair. Regardless of the fact that his stewardship resulted in two league seasons that were effectively over by early summer, those successes can be legitimately pointed to, and aren’t erased from his record.
    But in MLS itself? Preki radically overhauled an aging, over-budget 2009 team and had his group of unspectacular grafters solidly competitive until a mid-summer injury crisis amongst his forwards. I thought Paul Mariner’s four wins in his first ten games in-charge a fairly impressive turnaround for a team with a 1-0-9 record, but he was being roundly criticized even before the endless late-season winless run that followed. Ryan Nelsen may have done nothing to inspire confidence in 2013, but somehow the solid start to 2014 seemed to count against him during the long, wobbly summer that followed.
    Ultimately, none of those runs, however short, were deemed good enough. Truthfully, none of them would have, or did, result in that much sought after playoff spot. But each had to be explained away with references to luck, sample-size, or an allusion to other teams “figuring out the simple tactics”. Apparently, even success only counts when it’s achieved the right way, by the right person. It may even hurt a TFC manager’s chance of survival by standing in contrast to eventual slumps.
    Will this tendency affect Greg Vanney? We’ll see, but right now it seems like he enjoys slightly more favour than ire, depending on where you look. That said, it almost seems that Ryan Nelsen was more popular in early 2013 when Kevin Payne’s endorsement and happiness over Mariner’s dismissal combined to anoint him as the club’s next putative saviour.
    Finally:
    Sometimes, there even seems to be a belief that our collective "faith", or lack thereof, has some sort of causal relationship with a manager's success or failure. No one comes right out and says it, but it’s implicit in much of the discussion. I’m almost certainly guilty of it myself.
    That’s crazy.
    Notwithstanding the self-important wankery and preening arrogance above, I take comfort from the knowledge that my opinion of Greg Vanney really doesn’t matter. His success or failure, if he even gets the chance, will have nothing to do with my and your feelings on the subject.
    So why bother even writing all of this at all?
    Because I’m a fan. And I still care. And I'm probably not going to be able to stop thinking, talking, and writing about TFC.
    And when the inevitable happens and I’m defending Greg Vanney in ten months after a mediocre summer sees TFC edging towards another playoff miss, I want to be able to point back to this essay to explain why. Sorry, I’m petty like that.
    Or they could just shock everyone and actually not fail. I’m pretty certain that’s not impossible either.
    James Grossi
    A trio of nominees, beginning with New England’s
    , who capped off their impressive series win over Columbus with a cracking finish roofed high into the net. Up next was LA’s , who opened the scoring in the Galaxy’s win after a nice build-up that spread Salt Lake’s defenses wide open. And finally another Galaxy goal, the fourth of the night, with capping off yet another sweeping move with a strong finish.On to the results…
    Results in Brief

    New York advances 3-2 on aggregate
    The weekend began on Saturday with the first Eastern Conference clash between feted Atlantic Cup rivals DC and New York. The Red Bulls entered with the advantage, having won the first leg 2-0 at home, but weighed down by the fact that DC had eliminated them in their previous four playoff encounters. Further buoying DC’s hopes of a comeback, was that the home side had won the last five meetings between the two, including two recent DC wins at home, but just two teams in MLS history had ever overcome a two-goal deficit from the first leg.
    A tight opening half hour in which DC looked to press the play, the first real moment of import came in the 33rd minute when a Bradley Wright-Phillips effort appeared the strike the out-stretched hand of Bobby Boswell, but the referee waived play on.
    Without Luis Silva, who could not recover from his hamstring strain in time, DC were lacking in their much-relied upon midfield build-up, choosing instead to launch long attacks to little success. They would finally find the much-needed opener in the 37th minute when Fabian Espindola switched the ball out wide left to Taylor Kemp, who hit a perfectly-shaped ball in between the New York centre-backs for Nick DeLeon to get on the end with a header down and past Luis Robles.
    Wright-Phillips would be denied an equalizer by a fine save from Bill Hamid five minutes later and United’s late pressure in search of a second goal would come to naught.
    That intensity would continue with the restart, Espindola flashing a header wide of the post having gotten goal-side of Jamison Olave, who was otherwise excellent in his return to the Red Bull lineup. But a bit of Thierry Henry magic in the 57th minute would throw a spanner into the hopes of a United comeback. Taking on Sean Franklin down the left before picking out Peguy Luyindula the near-post for a tidy right-footed finish across to the far-side of goal, Henry had initially been found after Dax McCarty begun the attack with a ball up to Wright-Phillips, who in turn found Henry out wide - video replays showed that the ball was nearly allowed to run out of play before the New York captain got in his cross; such thin margins between success and failure.
    Stung, but not yet defeated, DC would press more, their hopes further boosted when Roy Miller, a defender not unfamiliar with playoff nightmares, was shown a straight red card in the 78th minute for catching Franklin on the shoulder with a high, pointless boot.
    DC continued to search, but New York held firm, seeing out the remaining twelve minutes of regulation time, only for the fourth official’s board to signal they would have to protect against a further five minutes of stoppage time.
    Needing to score four to overturn the result – and the weighty away goal – it proved to be a task too far, despite Franklin securing some consolation and a wild finish with his goal in the 91st minute, smashing in a left-footed blast after Steve Birnbaum headed down a ball from wide. Robles got a piece, but could not prevent it trickling over the line.
    But it was too little too late and New York would progress past DC by a 3-2 aggregate, despite losing 2-1 on the night. They will host the first leg of the Eastern Conference Final when play resumes, making their first appearance that deep in the post-season since 2008’s run to the Cup; of course, they would have to wait until Sunday to find out who their opponents would be. For DC, an undesirable end to a magical season, becoming the third-straight top seed in the conference to drop out at the first hurdle, while a red card to Espindola after the final whistle means the explosive Argentine will be unavailable for the start of 2015.

    New England advances 7-3 on aggregate
    Just who would be facing off against New York would be decided in Sunday’s first match with the Revolution hosting the Crew, though, given the 2-4 New England win in Columbus last weekend, it was pretty much already decided.
    Riding a three-game winning streak and unbeaten in their last nine, New England not only had a two-goal lead and four away ones in their back-pocket, but had also won their last nine matches at Gillette Stadium. For their part, Columbus had won their last two away games, but faced with the monumental task ahead, the stark reality that they had never even beat New England in six playoff matches did not bode particularly well.
    Further limiting their challenge, the Crew would be without the talismanic Federico Higuain, as well as short of the offensive talents of Aaron Schoenfeld and Bernardo Anor, drafting Hector Jimenez, who spent the majority of the season at the left-back, into Higuain’s central role.
    Desperate, the Crew would take the game to the Revolution through the opening phases, but were unable to find a breakthrough – Bobby Shuttleworth twice denying Jairo Arrieta in the opening 35 minutes. Charlie Davies would see the Revs best early chance, but Steve Clark was equal to the task.
    Any hopes of a dramatic and historic comeback were dashed when Lee Nguyen opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, placing a right-footer from the top of the area in after his late run was picked out by Teal Bunbury, who had swapped flanks with Kelyn Rowe to push up the left and find space to attack the Crew.
    Nguyen is in scintillating form, scoring in a sixth-straight match, but when Columbus studied the tape there would be plenty of recriminations: the defense held off and Tony Tchani failing to track the run of the ever-dangerous Nguyen.
    Rattled, Columbus nearly conceded a second shortly thereafter, collecting themselves in time to find an injury-time chance, when Shuttleworth again denied Arrieta, pushing his header over the bar. New England could sense the frailty and came out for the second half intent on putting away the series, drawing consecutive saves from Clark, before finally catching Columbus up-field to double their lead on the counter.
    Most interestingly, it was captain and centre-back Jose Goncalves who nabbed that goal in the 55th minute, racing up the left to join Davies in the attack, receiving the squared pass and placing a bouncing effort towards the left-side of goal, his left-footer just barely eluding Clark to find the twine.
    Columbus’ afternoon went from bad to worse in the 61st minute when Ethan Finlay was harshly shown a straight-red card for catching Shuttleworth in the face with a trailing boot as the two both went for a loose ball in the box. Finlay had every right to attempt to win the challenge and the red card would rightly, though inconsequentially, be rescinded by the Independent Review Panel.
    Tchani made amends for his earlier error, netting the lone Columbus goal of the game in the 69th minute, rising up highest over some half-hearted New England defending to direct a header towards the top right corner from a Justin Meram delivery. But Bunbury would reinstate the two-goal lead in the 77th, racing onto a slipped Daigo Kobayashi ball down the left-side of the area to smash high past Clark at the near-post.
    Meram would be sent off as well, seeing a second yellow card in the 85th minute, reducing Columbus to nine men and joining Finlay for an early shower; the rest of the team would follow shortly thereafter.
    Winning 3-1 on the day and taking the series 7-3 on aggregate, the Revolution storm into the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2007, where they will face New York - should be a heck of a series.

    LA advances 5-0 on aggregate
    The Eastern Conference all decided, the action swapped over the West for what should have been a stunning encounter, the two sides, Los Angeles and Salt Lake, delicately poised after a scoreless draw in the first leg.
    LA may have been unbeaten in the last four meetings, seeing out a rope-a-dope performance thanks largely to the heroics of goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, but Salt Lake had it all to play for on the night. Tipping the balance in their direction Salt Lake had not conceded in 403 minutes of play, collecting clean-sheets in their last four matches, while LA had not scored in their last two playoff matches, both against Salt Lake.
    But hidden underneath that vulnerable façade was one of the best teams in MLS and a rather explosive attack; particularly at home, where the Galaxy had not lost since opening day, a span of sixteen matches, of note, that loss came to Salt Lake back in March.
    That which took over four-hundred minutes to build came crashing down inside of ten, when Los Angeles grabbed the first in the tenth minute through Landon Donovan. Stretching the field wide to open up the Salt Lake defenses, Juninho picked out Stefan Ishizaki, inserted into the starting lineup for that very purpose, wide on the left. He held up play, waiting for reinforcements before squaring to Marcelo Sarvas who dinked a ball over the back-line for the streaking run of AJ DeLaGarza, who in turn found Donovan sneaking in off the back-shoulder of Tony Beltran to redirect the opener in past Nick Rimando.
    The Galaxy would add a second ten minutes later, this time scoring through Robbie Keane, who cleverly – and barely – managed to get back onside from an offside position to touch in a squared ball from Donovan after Juninho played him in down the left-side of the area.
    Stunned, Salt Lake was battered by an LA attack that came in waves, Donovan whisking a shot over the bar and Rimando being called upon in the 43rd minute to deny Gyasi Zardes with a strong kick-save when the young forward stole in down the left-side of the box.
    Having reached half-time down by just two, Salt Lake hoped to regroup and make a contest out of the match, but Los Angeles had different ideas, all but killing off the match with a third in the 54th minute, Donovan again the goal-scorer having beaten Rimando to a long threaded ball from Keane towards the left, rounding the keeper and depositing his second of the night with a left-footer into the open net.
    If that lead were not enough, Sarvas added a fourth in the 63rd minute, finishing off another stunning build with a right-footer from the top of the area. Juninho once more initiated the attack playing forward to Zardes, who back-heeled into the path of Robbie Rogers on the left. The full-back cut in-field, playing a ball towards Sarvas that the midfielder left to Keane, who unselfishly played a return ball off the dummy.
    The humiliation was complete in the 72nd minute, when Donovan completed his hat-trick – the first in the playoffs of his illustrious career and just the third all-time – thanks to a Keane ball lifted over the back-line, springing Donovan, whose right-footed touch found its way under Rimando for the fifth LA goal of the night.
    The Galaxy would advance to the Western Conference Final in good spirits, having equaled their best all-time playoff margin of victory, while simultaneously handing regular-foes Salt Lake their worst ever post-season defeat. A humbling that will cause much consternation in Utah with several months to consider what went wrong.

    Seattle advances on away goals after 1-1 aggregate score-line
    But LA would have to wait until Monday night to find out who they would be meeting in the next round, as Seattle and Dallas took to the pitch in Seattle.
    Both teams entered in solid form, Seattle unbeaten in three and Dallas two. Dallas had not lost to Seattle in the last two meetings, but the Sounders had won the last four at home and had that precious away goal to their advantage.
    It was a cautious start, each wary of committing numbers forward, lest they be caught out by the pace of the opposition. Fabian Castillo found the first real chance of the match, working his way in from the right, only to rush his shot, slicing wide of the far post in the ninth minute.
    The first of a series of penalty shouts would come a minute later, when Brad Evans went down in a shoulder-to-shoulder battle with Dallas right-back, Moises Hernandez – the referee, the vastly experienced Baldomero Toledo, barely acknowledged the incident. Dallas would have call of their own overlooked in the nineteenth minute, when Zach Scott bit into Castillo, forcing him to the ground, but play continued once more.
    The Sounders would press for the remainder of the first half. Marco Pappa’s sneaky quick free-kick caught out Chris Seitz, but Blas Perez in the wall was alert, deflecting the threat away. Chad Marshall would get on the end of a corner kick, directing a header towards goal, but Michel was well-placed on the line to clear away the danger. And a final chance before the half-time whistle fell to Clint Dempsey, linking up with Obafemi Martins to craft a shot, but Seitz was equal to the challenge.
    Seattle were dealt a serious blow when Osvaldo Alonso was forced off the pitch with an apparent hamstring strain – a devastating loss if unavailable in two weeks time – and Dempsey saw his penalty shout waived away as he tried to tip-toe his way past a pair of defenders before hitting the deck.
    Dallas would regroup and press for that much-needed goal through the final fifteen minutes, a score-less draw would suit Seattle, having nabbed that away goal in Dallas last weekend. One final penalty shout, with Scott this time tripping up Andres Escobar, appeared to interest Toledo, who zoomed towards the infraction, as he usually does before pointing to the spot, only to let play go on – very much uncharacteristic restraint from the veteran and oft-controversial official.
    The visitors would throw everything forward, switching to a three-man back-line and piling on forward after forward, but they could not find that elusive goal and Seattle would become the first team to progress via the recently-instated away goals rule and the first Supporters Shield winners to progress in three years, while keeping their hopes of a treble – Supporters Shield, Open Cup, and MLS Cup – alive. Dallas could hold their heads high, putting in a spirited effort, only to run out of time in the end.
    CanCon
    Tesho Akindele was the lone Canadian – patience – to see the pitch in the latest spell of playoff action, starting a third-consecutive post-season match for FC Dallas in their scoreless draw at Seattle, dropping out on the away goals rule having drawn the first leg 1-1 at home.
    From the right-side of the midfield, the Calgary, Alberta-born Akindele was energetic all night, but showed moments of rookie indecision at key times, attempting to find space that would not come, looking for clean shots rather than playing by instinct. A solid defensive look from Seattle did little to help him in his search for a second career playoff goal.
    His best chance came early when Blas Perez touched in towards him above the left-post, but Akindele could not get off the shot, attempting to touch past Chad Marshall resulting in a corner kick. He then had space to make a marauding run up the left, but could not corral the pass on the slick surface, instead seeing it roll out for a Seattle throw-in.
    He did manage one shot, sending his right-footed effort rising over the bar from the left-corner of the box and once more could not quite get his feet right to turn on a Je-Vaughan Watson ball in from the right, attempting to swivel on a diagonal run late.
    A solid first year in MLS under his belt, all that remains for Akindele is the Rookie of the Year decision, as both Harrison Shipp in Chicago and Steve Birnbaum in DC challenge him for the silverware. Fingers crossed and…
    Overheard
    Juicy comments were at a minimum: teams that had lost were in no mood to make jokes, while winners knew full well that the quest was only beginning.
    That said, there were two very decent insights with Omar Gonzalez revealing the extra dimension to the Galaxy’s huge win and Jeff Cassar lauding his tormentors.
    Gonzalez: “Just before the game started, we were walking out and he [Donovan] was like, 'I don't want this to be my last game.' I told him it's not going to be. From the opening whistle, he was on, we kept spraying balls to his side, and he was collecting them and making magic happen.”
    Can any one stop LA?
    Cassar: “We got stretched out and ran across a team that was fantastic. We could never regain control of the ball; there was just too much time and space for LA, and our possession just wasn’t there. We were giving the ball away too often and too early, and it was just setting them off. Against LA, if you’re not good with the ball, they’re going to make you pay. We paid a lot.”
    See It Live
    It was very nice to see some 1200+ travelling New York supporters make the trip to DC to cheer on their Red Bulls; more of that please.
    Plenty of fine saves throughout the four matches: Bill Hamid on Bradley Wright-Phillips; Bobby Shuttleworth on Jairo Arrieta; Steve Clark on Charlie Davies; Nick Rimando on Gyasi Zardes; Michel’s goal-line clearance on Chad Marshall and Chris Seitz comes up huge on Clint Dempsey.
    Plus Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready playing a Jimi Hendrix-style national anthem in Seattle was most enjoyable for this former-axeman.
    Controversy
    A slew of controversial incidents as well:
    More than a few penalty shouts including Bobby Boswell’s handball and at least four in Seattle, with Moises Hernandez barging Brad Evans off the ball, Zach Scott upending Fabian Castillo, Clint Dempsey betting blocked out by both Je-Vaughan Watson and Zach Loyd, and Scott again, this time on Andres Escobar.
    There was some concern that the
    before Thierry Henry could set up Peguy Luyindula, while Robbie Keane’s alertness in was tricky, phases of play being one of those very difficult to explain offside challenges.Then there was Roy Miller’s red card, which was a tad harsh, though he would have been off with a yellow anyways. Fabian Espindola probably earned his, though the video offers little by way of analysis, and Ethan Finlay’s red was undeserved – as noted, it was rescinded, but that does little to give Columbus much of a chance at a comeback (not that one was likely at the time).
    And what about Charlie Davies flinging himself clumsily into Michael Parkhurst – it could have been a bone-breaker, but Parkhurst got his studs out of the turf just in time.
    For those where video was unavailable, check out
    for further discussion.Upcoming Fixtures
    A week’s hiatus, as the playoffs pause for the FIFA International break, before returning in two weeks’ time for the conference finals on November 23rd when two very interesting series begin.
    Sunday: New York-New England; Los Angeles-Seattle.
    All video & quotes courtesy of MLSsoccer.com
    Each week James takes a look at the league as a whole.
    You can follow James on twitter @grawsee or read more of his writing at Partially Obstructed View
    Michael Mccoll
    [And if you want to catch up on last year's "Keep, Trade or Release" picks, here are the links - GOALKEEPERS / DEFENDERS / MIDFIELDERS / FORWARDS]
    MIDFIELDERS
    BRYCE ALDERSON
    AARON (KEEP - Incomplete) - Bad year for injuries.
    JAY (TRADE/SELL - D) - A rough year for Alderson as he was buried down the depth chart in the Whitecaps strongest position. Even when he did play, he didn’t stand out (for good or bad.) To me, it seems like Alderson should find somewhere new to get a fresh start.
    MICHAEL (RELEASE - D) - The way I look at it with Alderson is would you keep him around if he wasn't Canadian? And the answer has to be no. For the good of the player, it's time to set him free to go and get meaningful minutes somewhere before his development is stunted further. Too far down the pecking order here.
    STEVE (KEEP - D+) - While there wasn’t much opportunity for playing time, there is a little disappointment that he wasn’t able to push his way into the eleven.
    MEHDI BALLOUCHY
    AARON (RELEASE - D) - Great to see him back on the pitch after all the injuries. Had some pretty brutal outings though.
    JAY (RELEASE - D) - Ballouchy never really did anything wrong, but never really impressed either. A useful MLS role player, but way down the depth chart, especially with Residency players pushing.
    MICHAEL (RELEASE - D) - It's good to see him fight back from his injury horrors, but he is another player too far down the depth chart and will struggle to get minutes next season, so he needs to move on and get them elsewhere. Showed some positives when he played, but not enough.
    STEVE (RELEASE - C) - It took a little time for him to get on the pitch after coming off surgery and he looked average when he made it there. Only reason to keep him is if the Caps aren’t able to find another MLS vet that is an upgrade.
    SEBASTIAN FERNANDEZ
    AARON (KEEP - C+) - Had some diving and embellishing moments he would like to have back. All together a good first season.
    JAY (KEEP - B-) - While the statistics didn’t show it, he was an important part of the Whitecaps attack. He obviously has the abilities, but needs to make better decisions at times. Hopefully another loan deal can be worked out to avoid a big salary increase due to a transfer fee.
    MICHAEL (KEEP - C) - I'm saying keep but wouldn't be too upset if his loan wasn't extended. He has the potential but was a frustrating player to watch at times this year, maybe because he was playing out wide. Seemed frightened to shoot inside the box at times but was spectacular outside of it. We could have done with a bit more and I would have liked to have seen what he could have brought as an out and out striker a bit more.
    STEVE (TRADE - B-) - He provided some memorable goals during the season but there were long runs where he was invisible on the pitch.
    KIANZ FROESE
    AARON (KEEP - Incomplete) - Has a bright future in a Whitecaps jersey.
    JAY (KEEP - B.) - Good year in Residency and in the Voyageurs Cup was capped off with a bit of a shock appearance in a Seattle away match where he acclimatized well. Appears to be slightly more "MLS ready" than his other residency counterparts.
    MICHAEL (KEEP - B.) - Hard to grade obviously, but basing it on his performances for U18s and PDL, as well as MLS. As Jay say, looks MLS ready and he will get a lot of minutes next year in both the first team and USL Pro. Looking forward to seeing his future development and how him and Bustos feature.
    STEVE (KEEP - B-) - Impressed in the Voyageurs Cup semi-final and after he signed a MLS contract made an remarkable debut in Seattle. Will play a big part next year at each level of the club.
    GERSHON KOFFIE
    AARON (TRADE - B-) - Was a tough season for Koffie. Will have to step up next season. Might be a make or break season for him.
    JAY (KEEP - B.) - After a topsy-turvy 2013, Koffie was able to find his feet beside Matias Laba as a box to box destroyer. He will be pencilled in as a starter once again and will be expected to make another step forward.
    MICHAEL (KEEP - B-) - I've been on Koffie's back before for not showing what he can do on a consistent basis. Seemed to find his role in the team in the DM role with ease. Could do with a little more offensive presence from him, but on the whole a good season, which could have been even better but for injury.
    STEVE (KEEP - B.) - Was really coming into his own and forming a nice partnership with Laba before an unfortunate injury knocked him out of the stretch run.
    MATIAS LABA
    AARON (KEEP - A) - Thank you TFC for trying to buy a playoff position. Was a master all season long controlling the midfield.
    JAY (KEEP - A+) - My player of the year for his ever-present tenacity and intelligence in midfield. A huge reason the club was so good defensively this year, and also why they were so good in transition.
    MICHAEL (KEEP - A) - Was my Player of the Year for the sheer consistency he provided. A couple of off performances and of course a silly red card that will long be remembered, but thankfully that didn't prove costly in the end. He may find himself in a lone DM role next season but will hopefully be in Vancouver for many years to come as he and Kendall Waston would be some players to build the defence around.
    STEVE (KEEP - A-) - What Pedro Morales meant for the attack, Laba contributed that much to the defence. Was the league leader in a number of defensive categories and Robinson has made it clear that he will be returning to Vancouver next season.
    NICOLAS MEZQUIDA
    AARON (KEEP - C-) - Didn't get any really meaningful minutes. Would have liked to see what he can offer.
    JAY (KEEP - D) - Mezquida was one of the bright spots of the preseason, but after being usurped by Morales, couldn’t find much success in limited minutes. Plenty of ability there, so hopefully one more season with some more minutes will allow Mezquida to blossom.
    MICHAEL (RELEASE - D) - Was impressed with him more than Fernandez in the preseason but then Morales signing hit his minutes. He looked great in training then didn't quite do it for me when he got his chances in the first team. He could find himself behind homegrowns now in depth chart, but what might save his spot is that he is super low value at $65,000.
    STEVE (KEEP - C+) - Looked promising in the preseason but then Morales arrived and Mezquida saw little of the pitch. Showed flashes when he did make it there.
    PEDRO MORALES
    AARON (KEEP - A-) Great first season for Pedro. Injury concerns made a lot of headlines. 15 straight months on play was wearing on his body.
    JAY (KEEP - A-) - When he was on his game, he looked like the best player in the league. Unfortunately, there were quite a few times that he wasn’t. A good break should ensure consistency returns to Morales’ game.
    MICHAEL (KEEP- A-) - Was unstoppable when in full flow but tired and looked jaded as the season went on, which was understandable. How he looks after some rest is now what everyone is awaiting. Caps needs even more next year.
    STEVE (KEEP - A-) - Morales was a difference maker in the attack for the Caps as he contributed to more than 50% of the team’s goals. However by the end of the season Morales had played for way more than a year straight and it showed.
    MAURO ROSALES
    AARON (KEEP - B.) - Really hope he stays next season. Has been a leader on the pitch and has fitted in nicely.
    JAY (KEEP - B+) - An absolute professional who was the exact tonic the Whitecaps needed. Fits Robinson’s vision, provides leadership, and still has the ability. Hopefully both parties can find a salary number that works.
    MICHAEL (KEEP - B+) - My admiration of Mauro is well documented already! Class act both on and off the pitch. He looked great as a number 10 in Dallas. Caps need to get him finding the back of the net though. Hopefully a deal can be worked out.
    STEVE (KEEP - B+) - He gave the Caps a different option in the attack once he was acquired midway through the season. At a reduced price he would definitely be a keep for next season.
    RUSSELL TEIBERT
    AARON (KEEP - C+) - A very good season for Teibert but he lost his offensive touch from the previous season. Stepped up with his leadership.
    JAY (KEEP - C+) - It’s been an odd year for Teibert who seems to find different ways to reinvent himself (both on the pitch and in the salon.) If nothing else, Teibert is a useful utility player and at times looked like the best pair for Laba in midfield.
    MICHAEL (KEEP - C) - Four years into MLS and we still don't know what Teibert's best position actually is. He had an okay season. Nothing more. Seemed to lose all offensive danger as he settled into a DM role. For me, Koffie and Laba are the starters in a two man defensive shield, but it's likely Robbo will go with a 4-4-2 next season, so hard to see where Teibert fits in as a regular starter.
    STEVE (KEEP - B-) - Teibert replaced Koffie in the lineup for the final 12 games of the season and the team didn’t miss a beat. Will be hard to keep him out of the eleven if he continues to play at that level.
    FORWARDS
    CALEB CLARKE
    AARON (KEEP - Incomplete) - Another tough year with injuries.
    JAY (RELEASE - C) - Injured this summer, and never in the Whitecaps team picture anyway. It’s time for Caleb Clarke to part ways with the Whitecaps formally.
    MICHAEL (KEEP but likely SELL - Incomplete) - It's not so much whether the Caps want to keep Clarke here, as to whether the player wants to play in Vancouver. I believe his contract is up at the end of this year, so he'll move on. Shame, because a fit Clarke down the stretch would have served the Caps well.
    STEVE (KEEP - Incomplete) - He returned from loan in July but was fighting an injury that made him unavailable for selection. While he would be a perfect fit as a number three striker, his future most likely is returning to Europe.
    ERIK HURTADO
    AARON (TRADE - C+) - Struggled most of season with control and his touch. Played a bit better as an up front back to defender striker.
    JAY (KEEP - C) - Except for a string of five games where everything he touched turn into gold, Hurtado had another tough season. While he found a roll towards the end of the year and drastically improved his hold up play, he still leaves a lot to be desired. The only way Hurtado should stay is if his salary remains low and he ends up as your third or fourth choice striker.
    MICHAEL (TRADE - C+) - I think the Caps will keep him and he would serve some use coming off the bench. His hold up play towards the end of the season impressed, but that's not what you want your main striker constantly doing. Showed he can score and using him so much down the stretch may attract interest from others in MLS.
    STEVE (TRADE - C+) - Other than one stretch of games, Hurtado didn’t provide much in the scoring department. The Caps might keep him as a depth player but there could be better options as well.
    DARREN MATTOCKS
    AARON (TRADE - C) - He has to be moved. Too often he gave up on himself and his teammates.
    JAY (TRADE/SELL - D-) - Mattocks looked good early on, working hard and both creating and receiving chances. It seemed as soon as some adversity crept in that he gave up and went back to old Darren. Poor finishing, poor soccer intelligence, poor work rate, and doesn’t seem to want to improve any of them.
    MICHAEL (TRADE - C) - It looked like we had a new Darren but in the end it was the same one that came out. So many missed opportunities. His trademark arched back with his head in his hands pose will be seen in pastures new next season. Way too expensive to keep, even if he had scored a few more anyway.
    STEVE (TRADE - C-) - With Camilo moving on, Mattocks had a chance to make the striker position his own but he disappointed with his lack of scoring touch. The Caps will surely look to move the striker in order to make space for a better fit.
    KEKUTA MANNEH
    AARON (KEEP - B.) - Will need more minutes to become a quality starter. Showed he is a big game player.
    JAY (KEEP - C+) - The sophomore slump strikes for Manneh as he struggled early, but he steadily and ended up with decent numbers at the end of the year. Manneh is obviously a game changer, and has all the ability you could ever want. I expect a big season from him next year.
    MICHAEL (KEEP - C) - Another player that can frustrate the hell out of me at times. We all know what he can do. Seattle definitely know. He's rated highly by those elsewhere in the league who perhaps don't see the poor games and performances he's turned in. Definitely much better off the bench and I don't see that scenario changing too much next season, although he needs to show improvement or it will be worth looking at a future trade.
    STEVE (KEEP - C) - Manneh struggled to get minutes at the beginning of the year because of an offseason injury and then went cold during the summer. Still a lot promise but needs to translate it onto the pitch next year.
    OMAR SALGADO
    AARON (TRADE - D-) - Brings too much trouble off the pitch. Might be time for a change of scenery.
    JAY (TRADE/SELL - F) - I found it odd that Salgado was such a head case on the squad, because in person he seemed like a friendly and calm guy. Either way, it was a massive disappointment in a year where Omar could have had a chance to be given a starting spot.
    MICHAEL (TRADE - F) - Ok, maybe an F is a bit harsh, but for me it stands for more than just 'Fail'. Salgado impressed me preseason and I really thought he had a shot this year, but then that old attitude problem came out and there was a stream of disruptive incidents at training and in games. He needs to go for the sake and sanity of everyone and he will. Whether it's within MLS or to Tigres in Mexico, who have made an offer, remains to be seen.
    STEVE (TRADE - E) - So much potential shown in the preseason but attitude problems have killed his career in Vancouver. Despite having so much talent the club can’t afford to keep him and risk it causing a rift in the locker room.
    So there's our thoughts on the Whitecaps midfielders and forwards from the season past. Share your thoughts below. The announcements should start coming this week on which players are moving on. Interesting times.
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