Jump to content

  • Articles

    Manage articles
    Show all categories
    Duane Rollins
    The first step to eventually opening the Voyageurs Cup up to teams below the fully professional was made today.
    The country's two semi-pro leagues, the Première Ligue de Soccer du Québec (PLSQ) and League1 Ontario, have agreed to play a inter-provincial cup between the two league's champions.
    According to multiple sources familiar with the situation, the CSA has started planning to eventually include the winner of the Inter-Provincial Cup in the Canadian Championship.
    It was stressed that such inclusion will happen no sooner than 2017 and only after the IPC includes representation from British Columbia/the west. The vision is of a season ending event similar to hockey's Memorial Cup, with the winner advancing to play in the following year's Canadian Championship for the Voyageurs Cup.
    The first match this year will be played at the Bell Centre in Brossard (8000 Boulevard Leduc, Brossard, QC) on November 1st at 8 pm and the second game will take place on November 8th at 8 pm at the Pickering Soccer Complex (1975 Clements Road, Pickering, ON).
    CS Longueuil was the regular season champion in the PLSQ, with just one loss. Toronto FC Academy captured League1 honours with an undefeated season.
    Michael Mccoll
    "Yeah, everything that's been happening just feels dreamy," Froese said at training on Monday. "Honestly, the night after the game, and right after the game, I just kept replaying it. The crowd, the people, the support. It's just unbelievable.
    "I wasn't sure I was going to [play] when I went. I just went on the field and tried to enjoy every moment of it, watching everybody and everything. It was great."
    A whirlwind for sure, but how much of those 45 minutes on the pitch (52 I guess with all the stoppage time!) did Kianz get to enjoy and savour, or did it all just fly by?
    "No, it flew by, like a lot of the stuff that happened in it. I remember some of it and some I don't. It's tough. It feels blurry now. I don't remember much."
    He might not recall much of the action, but all he needs to know is that he didn't look one inch out of place out there. He was involved, he showed some nice footwork out wide and caused Seattle's defence some problems. Carl Robinson described him after the game as having "no fear" and Froese wasn't afraid to put himself about a bit, with a couple of crunching tackles soon settling him down, including a nice one that sent Jalil Anibaba flying through the air.
    "I felt comfortable," Froese admitted. "I'm happy that Robbo believed in me to put me in, in such a big game that we needed to win. The guys were great. They talked to me and they were on me all the time, 'hey come, tuck here, tuck there' so I had extra help to go for it."
    Another aspect that helped was that this wasn't Froese's pro debut as such. The 18-year-old played 77 minutes for the Caps in their 2-1 loss in Toronto in their Canadian Championship semi-final first leg match-up. That experience, along with playing for Canada at last year's U17 World Cup in the UAE, certainly gave Froese a good grounding and appetite for more.
    "It gave me a taste of where I wanted to be," Froese told us. "Now that I see it, I know where I want to be playing week in, week out. But I need to continue to work hard on tons of stuff so that I can progress into playing more often."
    There's been talk that the Caps might send Froese, Marco Bustos and some of their other young talent over to Europe at the start of the offseason to have training stints at some top clubs and get more experience. Bryce Alderson spent time at QPR last year and it's believed that the Whitecaps have a number of options available to them.
    For now though, Froese still has some Residency matches coming up. The U18s have six remaining matches in the USSDA this year and Kianz will have an important part to play. The Whitecaps will also want to see how he reacts with going back to the Residency environment after first team action. It's all part of the development plan and seeing the right attitude is very important to them.
    It's certainly not something they have to worry about with Froese, who knows the benefit of still growing within his own age group as well as against pros. It also gives him the chance to share his experience with the rest of the Residency squad, all of whom will be eager to follow in his and Bustos' footsteps, and have already been in touch.
    "I've spoken to my teammates and a lot of the guys. A lot of conversations," Froese said. "It's going to be the same [going back to Residency]. Obviously that's where it all started and that's where you go to continue to get game fit and game sharpness."
    The Residency games also give Froese the chance to develop different aspects of his game and the U18s have seen him play as an out and out striker, a 'false nine', on the wing and as both an attacking and defensive midfielder. For Kianz, the more experience he can get in different positions, the better a player it will make him.
    "I think it helps me understand the game better because you have to understand everyone else's roles too," Froese told us. "It gives me more positions that I can play in too. I think it's helped me. Everything the Residency has done has just helped me in general."
    Which of course bodes well for all the other players coming through from the Residency in the next couple of years. It's certainly exciting times in Whitecapsland.
    Michael Mccoll
    That first week of training saw a very young and inexperienced Caps squad running drills and scrimmages up at UBC. Having lost their Golden Boot winning Camilo and with a first time head coach in charge, it was looking like it could be a long season ahead.
    But slowly, Carl Robinson put together a squad devoid of flashy signings, but players who work well as a team (maybe Omar Salgado aside). The results have been excellent, and yes, it could still all go very badly tits up, but the foundations he has set for future seasons have been laid and if they can get both the playoffs and a Champions League place, then that likely far exceeds most people's expectations before the season began and can only be viewed as major season of success for the Whitecaps, and Robinson personally. Even getting one of them looked unlikely just three weeks ago after the 3-0 thumping down in Portland.
    The signing strategy between the Caps and TFC this season has been diverse. Maybe not all through personal choice.
    Toronto spent heavily on the salaries of three big name Designated Players, $13,855,000 guaranteed compensation to be exact, and one of them clearly wants away and nearly got his wish. You can add in any transfer fee money paid on top of that.
    There is no way that talent should have been assembled and that amount of money spent and they fail to make the playoffs, or at the very, very least, win the Voyageurs Cup. That's not for us to debate too much just now, and they could still pull off a great escape of massive proportions, whilst the Whitecaps implode. For me, it's just reeks of Bob Bradley now coming in to "save" them in the offseason and keep his son (willingly) there. Not that he's exactly set the heather alight with Stabæk (midtable Norwegian mediocrity) and is yesterday's man in MLS as far as I'm concerned. It's a young coaches league now. Anyhoo...
    The Caps on the other hand benefitted from one of Toronto's biggest mistakes when they picked up Matias Laba (for only $300,000), along with the wonderful addition of Pedro Morales ($1.41 million). Both will hopefully be around for some time.
    They also freed up a lot of money with the departure of Kenny Miller, not to mention Jay DeMerit's salary, and they've still got most of Camilo's allocation money to spend, as they didn't receive that until July. Kendall Waston has come in (at $201,242) and been dominant. He was a beast against Seattle, mopping up every ball that came his way in the air, and has formed a strong partnership alongside O'Brien.
    Of the 28 players on the Caps' current MLS roster (including Marco Bustos who will be eligible to play from January), half of them are returning players and 18 players are aged 24 or under, including 8 homegrown players. That's a settled squad that will be together for a long time (hopefully and in theory). That seems to be a key factor in MLS for the most successful teams like Real Salt Lake. None of the constant changing of personnel that Toronto have and are likely to go through again the in offseason.
    Sure would have loved for the Caps to have splashed the cash and brought in a big name striker (he will be coming in January) and yes, that might ultimately cost us a deep run in the playoffs, but what business model is looking best right now between Vancouver and Toronto?
    The Whitecaps got a bargain in Mati Laba, and for all the flak we direct at the Caps front office, whoever did the negotiating to ensure that it was a permanent transfer and not a loan deal deserves plaudits.
    The Caps will use allocation money to keep him here for a few years and ironically that could be coming from the extra money they get for reaching the Champions League, a lot of which is thanks to Laba and at Toronto's expense.
    Laba has been fantastic this season and might just nick my 'Player of the Year' vote away from Morales due to being consistently solid in his play. The Argentine was immense on Friday in Seattle and the play of him and Russell Teibert completely shut down Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins in the middle of the park and snuffed out the Sounders.
    So it's all positive at the Whitecaps right now. But we're also very aware, as are the players and management, that it could all come off the rails very quickly. If Portland win on Friday night, they're back above the red line. The Caps then have to go and face a struggling San Jose side who will be out to finish their home season with a bang and say farewell to Buck Shaw Stadium with a win. Players are playing for contracts too. It's not going to be an easy ride.
    I can't see Portland getting two wins, so it's all very much in the Caps hands and there is still the big possibility that RSL will go into to Portland on Friday and come away with the three points they need to keep them in third place in the West and avoid a first round playoff game against the Caps (as much as I'd rather we face them than Dallas). It's a cracking end to the regular season all round.
    For us though, what's the most positive aspect of all, and what we give most thanks for, is the work that Carl Robinson has done this season to lay the foundations for years to come at the Caps.
    Players will move on at the end of the season. Some may be less surprising than others. New players will come in to add to the already blooded core of young talent. Making the playoffs this season is the cherry on the top of it all right now, and with the way the Whitecaps have played against the top sides in MLS this season, the rest of the cake is very much there for the eating. Or maybe we should make that pumpkin pie to tie it all in nicely.
    Squizz
    While the Reds remain mathematically still alive in their quest for a berth in the MLS playoffs -- they'll need to win their final two and have Columbus lose their final two -- their season was essentially finished at the moment Jermain Defoe's penalty was saved by backup Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric on Wednesday night at BMO Field.
    So that leaves the club, yet again, at a crossroads. More importantly, it leaves many supporters at a crossroads.
    Because if TFC -- as they almost certainly will -- misses the playoffs again, it will have come after signing three high-profile foreign Designated Players, after the boss (who's already on his way out) promised a playoff appearance, after season-ticket prices were frozen... essentially, after the club used every available tool in its arsenal to convince fans that no, TFC wasn't teetering on the verge of utter and complete irrelevance.
    Well, sadly, here we are, and TFC is teetering on the verge of utter and complete irrelevance. And barring the unlikely in the next two weeks' worth of league results, the Reds are about to fumble over the edge.
    (This, of course, makes the ongoing expansion of BMO Field -- which never actually comes close to being full anymore -- all the more farcical.)
    As I've said on social media, I have profound respect for those who'll continue to stick it out with the team. While the number of hardcore supporters has continued to dwindle in the stadium's south end (coinciding with a rise in the number of cheap-ticket-hunters who want to "have the real experience", sitting down in the precise seat assigned by their ticket), there remains a solid core of good people who, much to the detriment of their own health, will still be there next year.
    And there will remain those who, even if they can rarely make it to the stadium on game day, will continue to live and die by the team's results, even as the franchise inevitably goes through its ridiculous yearly cycle of scorching and salting the earth on which it stood, in search of a brand new solution, new management, new players, new text-message contests and so on and so forth.
    Once again, to all of you, my hats are off.
    But there will be those for whom this eighth year of misery -- after so much was promised -- will represent the moment when enough is enough. They'll decide that however much Nick Hornby's romantic vision of the unshakably-devoted lifetime supporter is something to be valorized, the reality is that putting gas in their own car and food on the table for their kids should probably take precedence over buying a new scarf and cable package to follow whoever happens to be trotted out on the field in Year Nine's version of the TFC Annual Revolving Door.
    And to all of you, for whom this may be the final time you bother to read something online about Toronto FC... well, y'know what, I can't blame you.
    There was a time I would have blamed you. That time wasn't too long ago, actually. See, I'm one of those people stubbornly beholden to ideas like loyalty, and for much of my life, I've balked at those who didn't share the exact same conception of it as I did. You pick your side and you're with that side forever and that's that -- that was my simplistic notion of loyalty, whether it came to sports, politics or anything else.
    As I said above, though, people grow up.
    Take me, for instance. I now live thousands of kilometres away from BMO Field, so getting to the stadium for matchday is definitely not in the cards. I've got new responsibilities that have severely curtailed my ability to follow and comment upon the game (as you may have noticed). And having watched the last two games on TV alongside my two-year-old niece (who, thankfully, has already decided she hasn't much interest in TFC), I've been reminded that there's more to life than hurling obscenities at the tragicomedic athletic failings of a collection of people I've never met.
    So, what does this mean? Is this the moment at which I pronounce to the world that I'm swearing off TFC for good?
    Against all my better judgment, it isn't. Following this team has continued to get more and more difficult, not just logistically but psychologically, over the course of 2014. But as someone who's gone through a period of profound personal change in the last six months, staying invested in this team has helped me stay connected to what's been a very important part of my life for nearly a decade now -- a wacky, irreplaceable community of people who similarly persist in inflicting this doom upon themselves.
    The way that many of us make it seem worthwhile -- whether following Toronto FC, Canada or any other perennially underachieving squad -- is to convince ourselves, and each other, that when success is finally had, when the promised land is finally reached, we will be repaid for our faith in a way that no johnny-come-lately could ever comprehend or experience themselves.
    This, of course, is nonsense, since it is predicated on the belief that said success is inevitable; that because there are those of us who refuse to abandon ship, we will eventually see the shore, that we are somehow owed such salvation.
    We are owed nothing. Long periods of suffering do not ensure redemption. For proof, ask any fan of the Chicago Cubs.
    It's stark and it's distressing, but it is the truth. And it's why I can no longer find fault with people whose commitment to this ridiculous cause has hit an intractable wall.
    Because we all know that if TFC misses the playoffs, as they almost assuredly will, then the team will once again go through its yearly fire sale. Panic sells, panic buys. All in the name of tangibly demonstrating that next year, things will be different: "See? Shiny new players, shiny new seats! Shiny new team! Shiny new results!"
    Of course, the only new thing TFC could actually do at this point is not panic.
    Is this an awful team? It isn't (though it sometimes plays that way). Is the core of the team fundamentally rotten? No, it isn't. Does this team need changes in a few key positions? Yes, it does. Does that mean the entire roster should be completely overhauled, with some new name-brand foreign star brought into the mix, regardless of whether or not he's committed to this team?
    Of course it doesn't. What the team needs is some measure of consistency; allowing the group of good, capable players the team has under contract to have more time to gel, more time to form camaraderie, more time to build success.
    But by now, we all know that consistency is anathema to TFC.
    Actually, that's not entirely true. The team does consistently miss the playoffs. And the team does consistently alienate, exhaust and shrink its once-fervent fan base with its inability to actually stick to one plan for more than a few months on end.
    So if you've decided that after eight years, your emotional energy and wallet contents are better spent on your family, your friends or some other endeavour that doesn't cause you to routinely fall into existential rabbit holes, then I can't blame you. Really, truly and honestly. There is so much more to life than punishing yourself by watching a team like TFC continue to do what TFC does.
    Then again, this entire post might look completely ridiculous in two weeks' time. Perhaps the improbable will happen; perhaps Toronto will collect the precise combination of results it needs (from its own squad and from other teams in the East) to clinch TFC its first-ever spot in the playoffs. MLS, like every other North American professional league, is built on the ideal of parity -- so while improbable, this occurrence is far from impossible.
    Of course, scraping into the playoffs as the fifth seed is hardly the pinnacle of glory; in fact, in some ways it could only serve to wallpaper over the cracks and lead to a false sense of security, followed by a precipitous fall in the subsequent season (see: Montreal Impact).
    But whatever the next two weeks (or more) hold, I will foolishly cling to the notion that following and supporting Toronto FC is something worthy of my time. If you're afflicted with the same sports-tinged brand of cognitive dissonance as I am, then you know what I'm talking about, and I'll see you next year.
    And if not, well, we'll see you again when the day finally comes that Toronto FC somehow puts it all together.
    Sorry, if the day comes.
    Aaron Campbell
    The Good:
    Russell Teibert and Matias Laba
    There were a couple options for the 'good' portion of this article. The play of Andy O'Brien and Kendall Waston, the guts that Kekuta Manneh showed or the great support from the Whitecaps fans down in Seattle.
    In the end the great play of Laba and Teibert shutting down the defensive midfield attack is the one for me. They played well off one another and killed any build up Dempsey tried to make.
    In the past 10 games of this partnership they have bonded and formed a great duo. This has given the Whitecaps a chance to have Gershon Koffie heal properly and not have to rush him back.
    The Average:
    Erik Hurtado's Hold Up Play
    I know that isn't his game to play a hold up striker type of position, but if you are in a critical game and up a goal with 15-20 minutes to go, you need to keep the ball in the Sounders side of the pitch and kill the clock.
    Too often the ball would go into his feet with his back to the keeper and he would lose it right away. He didnt have a soft enough touch to keep the ball at his feet and get the ball out wide so an attacking player could run it to the end line.
    It's too late to change anything this season but it would be nice to see a player like that next season. Kind of like what Kenny Miller would do when he was here.
    The Bad:
    Kendall Waston's Yellow Card Accumulation
    9 MLS games and 5 yellow cards. That has to be close to some sort of record for a new player to a league. Over the course of a 34 game full season that would be 18 yellow cards on current going.
    That being said there is no way I would want him to change the way he plays. Even after picking up his yellow card this game he played the best 15 minutes any Whitecaps defender has ever played in the MLS era.
    So Waston keep up the great play and just make sure the games you do miss because of yellow cards you rest up and get ready for the next battle.
    Michael Crampton
    Which brings up an interesting question: should Toronto FC fans even want their team to win tonight? Incredibly, even after the seemingly devastating loss to Houston, the Reds still control their own destiny. The chance of actually hosting a first ever playoff game at BMO Field was diminished substantially, but the route to at least getting a foot in the playoffs is still within their absolute control.
    It’s easy to see what would happen too. A win in New York would have TFC right back on the Red Bulls heels, and maybe even back over the red line depending on Columbus’ result in Philadelphia. The PR machine would go into overdrive again ahead of the final home game of the season versus Montreal. It’d be a truly meaningful final game of the season at BMO Field for only the second time in the club’s history. As I’ve written all summer, it’s what we said we wanted.
    But is that really a rollercoaster we want to climb back on board? After the long, slow post-World Cup decline, and the newest incidence of self-inflicted management turmoil, how many Reds supporters, among those still paying attention, can state with no equivocation that they believe this team even deserves to be in the playoffs?
    Consider: this is the same team that started the season by beating the (for now) Supporter’s Shield leading Seattle Sounders, and Eastern Conference leading DC United. It’s worth remembering that the victory over United didn’t even seem impressive at the time.
    Heading to New York, the obvious allusion is to the most famous disaster in TFC history, the infamous final day 5-0 loss in 2009. If I’m being honest, however, this doesn’t remind me of that time at all. Back then, there was no equivocation about the desire to win, or doubt that the Reds could do it. New York were having a historically awful season, and with the preceding win over Real Salt Lake it seemed like Toronto had all the momentum. Part of why that loss was so devastating was that it destroyed the narrative that TFC was, however slowly, at least going in the right direction.
    Now, five years later, failure has come to define the TFC experience.
    So, rather than New York ’09, the feeling I’m reminded of as we head into the last few weeks of the regular season is the depths of the awful in early 2012. By losing their first 9 games of the season Toronto FC did something historic. It’s a record that is likely to stand for years, and may never be eclipsed. And the truth is that, once it got started, it became more interesting to see how bad it could get.
    When I was in really dark moods I even enjoyed seeing the implicit hubris of Aron Winter’s project punished. Warped as it may have been, there was a morality to watching team after team defeat TFC.
    Toronto’s other big record is not having made the playoffs for seven straight years. It’s a foundational element of what people understand the club to be. At this point, with the way 2014 has gone, would barely scraping into the playoffs really be more satisfying than adding an eighth consecutive year to that record? Frankly, it just wouldn’t feel very TFC.
    That’s not how you’re supposed to feel about your team, but it’s honest. Toronto FC aren’t “loveable losers” like the Chicago Cubs, or plucky underdogs toiling against superior opponents. They’re the arrogant rich kid who is the stubborn architect of their own demise. The ancient Greeks would have understood: TFC aren’t a comedy, they’re a tragedy.
    Of course, having said all that, Toronto FC could win tonight. New York will be missing players, and are hardly invincible. A successful three game run-in to the playoffs would be out of character (and out of nowhere) but it would certainly be exciting. I’m sure I, along with every other TFC supporter, would be swept along with it. It is a chance to redefine the TFC experience.
    But if, as is more likely, it doesn’t end up happening? I’m not sure it’s fair to call what I’ll feel disappointment.
    Michael Mccoll
    Carl Robinson made only one change to his starting line-up and that was a forced one, with Sebastian Fernandez suspended. That paved the way for Kekuta Manneh to come in to where he made headlines around the world with his hat-trick heroics almost a year ago to the day.
    Like that game, Seattle carried the early play and Lamar Neagle had the first shot of the game just 70 seconds in, with a low drive that David Ousted easily held.
    The home controlled possession without really threatening the Whitecaps' goal, with Obafemi Martins having a half chance 20 minutes in, but Steven Beitashour reacted quickly to block his shot.
    Manneh had been pretty easily contained this time around, but he showed what he was capable of on the half hour mark, when he collected the ball, cut inside and fired off a low shot that Stefan Frei had to turn round his near post.
    Vancouver's defence were holding solid as Seattle tried to turn up some pressure and with the Whitecaps squad already depleted, it looked like things may go from back to worse when Manneh went down injured with minutes of the half remaining.
    The Gambian hobbled off after treatment, only to come back on seconds later and open the scoring in an amazing turnaround in the 45th minute.
    Pedro Morales found Manneh in loads of room on the right and the speedster, fuelled by adrenalin, ran at the Sounders defence, turned inside Chad Marshall and buried it low under Frei for the opening goal of the game.
    Manneh pulled up hobbling in his celebrations and with the half time whistle coming shortly after, he hit the deck again and had to be carried off the pitch by two Whitecaps trainers.
    That was perhaps the Whitecaps most important half of the season. Now came the next one.
    Manneh was unable to come out for the second half, which meant a debut for the Caps' new homegrown signing Kianz Froese. What a game and what an atmosphere to make your MLS debut.
    The Caps pushed for a quick second right at the start of the second half and Erik Hurtado nearly got it when he was sent clear but was denied by the legs of Frei to keep it a one goal game.
    It was to be a nervy period after that with Seattle pressing but Vancouver keeping them comfortably at bay.
    There were some edge of the seat moments at the minutes ticked down, the closest of which came in stoppage time when Kendall Waston cleared a Brad Evans header off the line.
    The Caps killed the game of to perfection though to once again sit in the driver's seat in the race to the playoffs.
    Two Cup Finals left.
    FINAL SCORE: Seattle Sounders 0 - 1 Vancouver Whitecaps
    ATT: 55,765
    SEATTLE: Stefan Frei; Brad Evans, Chad Marshall, Jalil Anibaba (Andy Rose 82), Leo Gonzalez; Marco Pappa (Chad Barrett 62), Osvaldo Alonso, Micheal Azira (Gonzalo Pineda 65), Lamar Neagle; Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins [subs Not Used: Marcus Hahnemann, Kenny Cooper, Gonzalo Pineda, Zach Scott, Djimi Traore]
    VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien, Kendall Waston, Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba, Russell Teibert, Mauro Rosales (Mehdi Ballouchy 71), Pedro Morales (Nicolas Mezquida 81), Kekuta Manneh (Kianz Froese 46); Erik Hurtado [subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Ethen Sampson, Sam Adekugbe, Johnny Leveron]
    Grant
    The 5-0 thrashing Canada suffered at the hands of Argentina in Buenos Aires in the spring of 2010 comes to mind. Oooh! How about repressed flashbacks to that 8-1 loss to Honduras? It’s frightening to ponder what Rademal Falcao and James Rodriguez may do to David Edgar and Doneil Henry over the course of 90 minutes.
    So sure, we could all sit here and project all manner of doom and destruction. Or we could cautiously hope (perhaps with the assistance of recreational narcotics) things turn out not totally horrible for Canada. The Colombian press sees this roster as a retweaking of the successful World Cup side. Pending injuries, there are five new faces added to the mix. According to this piece in El Tiempo, Pekerman’s two primary objectives are finding a replacement for legendary 38-year-old defender Mario Yepes and scaring out different options when attacking down the flanks. Perhaps that’s why the Colombian FA chose relatively weak opponents. Target practice. Hell, it's still more dignified reasoning from a Canadian perspective than facing Argentina for the sole purpose of providing a guaranteed walkover for the World Cup send-off party.
    Speaking ahead of the El Salvador match, Pekerman confirms he plans to provide playing time to as many players as possible, and that both Falcao and Martinez are carrying minor injuries. Okay, so that's slightly less terrifying. Two domestic-based midfielders -- Yimmi Chará of Tolima and Edwin Cardona of Nacional -- arrive for the first time to the Colombian senior side and its likely Pekerman will give them a run out in the wider midfield roles. Goalkeeper Camilo Vargas of Independiente Santa Fe will also earn his first minutes in the national team, another lineup choice Canadian supporters could theoretically be optimistic about.
    Pekerman wants to experiment. Beyond official Fifa dates in November and next March this might be his only other time to truly do so before the 2015 Copa America. He'll test some fresh-faced midfielders or central defenders, as well as an internationally green ‘keeper. Falcao, Rodrieguez and Jackson Martinez probably won't play the full match and there's going to be all sorts of substitutions by both sides. And we'll know a bit more about what to expect after Colombia's match versus El Salvador Friday evening. So there you go, it might not be so bad.
    Who are we kidding? Canada is doomed. Let's just hope it's not one of the all-time bad ones.
    Duane Rollins

    CSA responds

    By Duane Rollins, in 24th Minute,

    The CSA's statement in full, without editing:
    On Thursday 9 October 2014, the Canadian Soccer Association has filed a response to the application by the players on national teams participating in FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015TM requesting an expedited hearing before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario on the use of football turf for the competition.
    The Canadian Soccer Association opposes the application to expedite the hearing in this matter on the basis that the complainants – only 7 out of 550 players, none of whom are residents of Ontario or under contract with a Canadian team – have been aware of the type of surface that had been selected for the competition for as long as three years yet have chosen to wait to the last minute to exercise their rights and bring a complaint forward, without providing justification for the delay.
    The Canadian Soccer Association is prepared to vigorously defend its position and believes the complaint is entirely without merit; it should not however have to do so in an expedited process.
    The use of high quality turf is integral to soccer in Canada, and the suggestion that having matches played on first class football turf rather than grass would be discrimination based on gender trivializes that important human right.
    Should the complaint proceed, the Canadian Soccer Association will demonstrate that there is no proven increased risk to players from the use of football turf over grass, as supported by numerous independent studies. Moreover, a string of studies have repeatedly confirmed with scientific evidence that there is no difference in the playing patterns when played on quality-controlled turf, contrary to arguments put forward in the complaint.
    Quality football turf is an essential component of this competition and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015TM National Organizing Committee’s efforts to promote and grow the beautiful game in Canada. As a standard practice, an independent consultant joined the FIFA delegation in Canada over the past two weeks to inspect the six stadiums' playing surfaces to ensure they meet the FIFA 2-Star football turf requirements. Additionally, the National Organizing Committee has engaged a certified testing agency, which is currently testing all stadium pitches to ensure that the performance standards of the FIFA 2-Star programme are met in all venues. All certification steps for stadium pitches are expected to be completed by early 2015.
    Hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup will give Canada the opportunity to further develop women's football both domestically and internationally, and the Canadian Soccer Association is proud to be giving back to Canadians and women's sport in a substantial and impactful way.
    The Canadian Soccer Association has retained Joseph Arvay Q.C., a prominent constitutional law attorney experienced in civil liberties and human rights claims, as counsel on this matter.
    End statement --
    On note: A CONCACAF source informed CSN that two of the seven women involved in the filing have requested that their names be removed. They say that they were mislead into thinking they were signing a petition rather than a human rights complaint.
    Rose_Rago
    The Undermanned Houston Dynamo sparked their playoff hopes, while dimming those of Toronto when they slipped past TFC 1-0 at BMO Field Wednesday Night.
    It was a well-placed long ball from Kafi Sarkodie in the 35th that sprung Giles Barnes on the right flank. Barnes controlled the ball past Nick Hagglund and took a right footed shot from a difficult an angle.
    The game began with an onslaught of offensive pressure from both side. TFC nearly tallied in the 30th minute when Jermain Defoe was sent from a Michael Bradley feed. Defoe cut in but sent the shot sailing wide. Wednesday night marked his return to the starting lineup after playing 30 minutes off the bench against The LA Galaxy. He was the only designated player up front as head coach Greg Vanney opted to sit Gilberto for a second straight match to nurse a hamstring injury.
    Toronto FC entered the break having out shot Houston 11-6 and carried that momentum into the second half.
    It was in the 10th minute that TFC had a golden opportunity to draw level. Luke Moore was hauled down in the box by AJ Cochran. After signaling for a penalty referee Armando Villareal initially issued a red card to David Horst. But the official quickly corrected the mistake and sent Cochran off. Defoe stepped to the spot but his right footed shot was stuffed by goalkeeper Tyler Deric.
    Despite failing to capitalize on a goal scoring chance, TFC continued to attack the goal and capture 62 percent of ball possession. They finished with 26 shots, 17 more than their opponents. Houston ensured that Toronto never looked dangerous in the final third as they kept their back line tight, much to the chagrin of many a TFC supporter.
    The win was only the second for Houston at BMO in nine match ups. The visitors also lead the all time head to head battle 5-4-9.
    Both sides entered the match in desperate need of three points in a tight eastern conference post season race. Houston inched closer to the final playoff spot with 39 points, four back of fifth place Columbus Crew. The Reds have the edge on the men in orange in standings by one point.
    TFC need control their next three matches while also keeping an eye on what’s happening around table if they have any chance of making first post season appearance. The Philadelphia Union are also one point back of TFC and face the Crew two more times.
    Toronto visit fourth place DC United, host the woeful Montreal Impact then round off the regular season on the road to second place New England Revolution.
    James Grossi
    Russell Teibert
    Teibert started his ninth-straight match for Vancouver in their 2-0 win over Dallas on Saturday night – it was his nineteenth start and 26th appearance of the season. With another start next weekend, Teibert will surpass the career-high he set last year; he has already established a new mark for appearances, having made just 24 in 2013.
    From the left-side of the midfield, Teibert was very active in the early Vancouver attacks, playing an initial ball to Mauro Rosales that led to Sebastian Fernandez’ first look at goal and inserting himself in the build-up that led to Fernandez opening the scoring in the fourteenth minute,
    , who played wide to Rosales to hit the decisive cross.With Vancouver padding their lead four minutes later, Teibert shifted into a deeper holding position, sacrificing forward movement to line up alongside Matias Laba in a two-man shield in front of the back-four.
    The Niagara Falls, Ontario-native left a little to be desired in his passing, completing roughly half of his attempts; playing long, looking to spring Vancouver’s speed from deep, while a valid strategy, is not a kind one for passing completion.
    He would rack up seven recoveries, and two each of interceptions, clearances, and tackles, helping to ensure Vancouver remained in possession of that fifth and final playoff spot in the West.
    Tesho Akindele
    Akindele began Dallas’ match in Vancouver on the bench, coming on for Ryan Hollingshead at half-time with his side trailing by two goals – it was his 23rd appearance of the season; only his sixth as a substitute.
    Taking up the right-side of midfield for the most part, he would swap with Andres Escobar regularly and range all over the pitch, popping up wherever he could find space.
    With the Whitecaps securely in the lead, chances were few and far between; his best look came on a passage where he stepped around the challenge of Russell Teibert in the arc, only to lose his balance, failing to get off a shot. His one effort directed towards goal was blocked.
    Despite a quiet match, the Calgary, Alberta-native made waves this week when Dallas released the promotional video, espousing Akindele’s campaign for Rookie of the Year. It is a little odd that MLS clubs have taken to raising awareness themselves in this way, but Dallas’
    is simply superb.Jonathan Osorio
    Osorio started his third-straight match for Toronto in their 3-0 loss at Los Angeles late on Saturday night – it was his 21st start and 24th appearance of the season.
    Stationed on the right-side of the midfield, Osorio had a difficult task of getting forward and tucking in-field to get involved in the attack, while helping out Warren Creavalle with the left-side of the Galaxy attack of Landon Donovan and Robbie Rogers.
    Despite that burden, the Toronto, Ontario-native did manage to get forward regularly and ranged all over the pitch – perhaps one of the reasons Creavalle was so isolated on several attacks. He had one shot, a decent look at goal in the twelfth minute, collecting a pass from Creavalle, but it was blocked, and made a good pass for Dominic Oduro that led to a TFC break, but Oduro shot straight at the LA defenders.
    Osorio wasn’t afraid to mix it up either, getting in Marcelo Sarvas’ face, shoving him to the ground, after the Galaxy midfield lunged in roughly on Jermain Defoe – he would see a yellow card for his troubles; it was his first of the season and just the second of his young career.
    He had another good attacking run, but could not get on the end of an inviting Justin Morrow ball.
    Kyle Bekker
    Bekker returned to the Toronto starting lineup in Los Angeles for the first time in three matches – it was his tenth start and sixteenth appearance of the season.
    Paired in the central midfield, taking up the more advanced position ahead of Michael Bradley, Bekker, at times, almost looked as though he was tasked with an attacking midfielder’s role, pressing very high up the pitch.
    His passing was superb, completing all but five of some thirty-plus attempts, playing one lovely ball down the left for Justin Morrow, who was unfortunately offside, getting a neat touch to win a bouncing ball at the top of the Galaxy box – setting up an early shot on goal for Luke Moore, and drifting into wide positions himself, playing in a good ball for Moore, who could not turn his shot on goal, winning a corner kick instead.
    The Oakville, Ontario-native would take some criticism for his lax marking,
    on the left-side of the area as AJ DeLaGarza’s right-sided cross found the Irishman for his second goal of the match.The fault on that goal lay more with a pair of TFC defenders collapsing on the run of Gyasi Zardes, but Bekker could have done more.
    He was replaced by Collen Warner in the 80th minute.
    Issey Nakajima-Farran
    Nakajima-Farran made a fourth-consecutive appearance for Montreal in their scoreless draw at Chicago on Sunday – it was his eleventh appearance of the season for the Impact and seventh from the bench.
    Replacing Dilly Duka in the 91st minute, Issey had very little time to get involved, but the Calgary, Alberta-native did manage to play one excellent leading ball for Marco Di Vaio having run up the right, before curling the service into the striker’s path, drawing Chicago keeper Sean Johnson way out of his area to quell the threat.
    Dwayne De Rosario
    De Rosario made a fourth-straight appearance from the bench for TFC, entering their loss in LA in the 75th minute, replacing Luke Moore – it was his sixteenth appearance of the season, all but four have come from the bench.
    With the match all but decided, the Scarborough, Ontario-legend put in a solid bit of running, but could not find any purchase to get his side back in the match.
    The Rest
    Kofi Opare, Sam Adekugbe, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan, Maxim Crépeau and Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé were on the bench for their respective sides.
    Each week James takes a look at the contributions of Canadians in the league and the league as a whole.
    You can follow James on twitter @grawsee or read more of his writing at Partially Obstructed View
    Guest
    Yet his fledgling strikeforce failed to ever really take flight. Sure, there have been a few exceptional moments, but the Whitecaps talent up top, or lack thereof, has been the target of much handwringing by fans, media, and even the club itself. Bob Lenarduzzi and Carl Robinson have both spoken about the clubs ambition to sign an impact striker, likely a Designated Player.
    It’s hard to blame their restlessness. Darren Mattocks, despite having every opportunity to run with the starting striker role has looked uninspired and disinterested. Omar Salgado has been shipped out as he couldn’t even make it through training without clattering teammates and arguing with coaches. And while Erik Hurtado has shown moments of quality, he’s shown equal amounts of cluelessness.
    Robinson has tried pretty much everything. Riding the hot hand, flipping between the strikers, even trying Fernandez as a partner in a two striker set up. No-one has been able to take a firm grasp of their opportunities and lay claim to the starting spot.
    But as the season winds down, Hurtado has put together a couple of decent performances in a row and the Whitecaps have found their winning ways. Hurtado has scored just one goal in his last 17 appearances, and while his cement feet and poor decision making have been on display at times, Erik has actually done well holding the ball, defending from the top, and making some simple passes that lead to quality chances.
    The recent scoring has come from Sebastian Fernandez and Pedro Morales. While they are being played as midfielders, it should be no surprise to fans that both have a scoring touch. Both end up in very good attacking positions on a regular basis, and both have the ability to finish.
    The biggest emergence of late has been the quality play of Mauro Rosales. While he’s yet to open his account in 2014, he has shown he can score on occasion, and he certainly has the skill set required to pot a goal every now and again. More importantly, Mauro’s inclusion in the attack means that opposing defences can’t just clog up the area around Pedro Morales to suffocate the Whitecaps.
    So maybe the magic recipe for Vancouver doesn’t include a finisher at the tip of the spear. It’s likely at this point that Carl Robinson has clued in that the best answer isn’t having your three clever midfielders feed chances in to the feet of a bumbling ox, but rather, have the ox clear a bit of the path ahead for your best players.
    It’s not a very smart long term plan, but the defending has been pretty good, and the midfield has been strong, so maybe Hurtado going up top, running about for 75 minutes, challenging for every header, bumping into the centre backs, and deferring the attack to the real game changers is just the recipe for success for Erik and the Whitecaps.
    And that’s what made Hurtado earn plaudits after the Dallas game. He pressured from the front, he showed for his team mates, and he even made a few smart passes. He didn’t really ever challenge FC Dallas’ goal, but he did just enough to get the rest of the team around him able to make a play.
    We’ve seen goals for Jordan Harvey, Gershon Koffie, and even Russell Teibert. Fernandez, Morales, and even Rosales look like they’re good bets when they get the ball in the box.
    So maybe, just maybe, Erik Hurtado just doing the spade work will be enough for the Whitecaps to surprise.
    James Grossi
    Five candidates this week, beginning with
    in Philadelphia to salvage a draw for Chicago on Thursday. Saturday saw a further three nominees, with Vancouver’s after an excellent break, making good use of Tony Tchani’s lovely defense-splitting ball, and against Toronto. But perhaps the pick of the lot was for Seattle in Colorado – no doubt one of the goals of the season.On to the results…
    Midweek Result in a Sentence (or Two)

    A dour evening looked destined for a scoreless draw until the Union’s Amobi Okugo pounced on a Danny Cruz cross from the right, left-footing his finish straight down the middle to give the hosts an 88th minute advantage. But an error from Algerian international Rais Mbolhi, under-hitting a clearance that fell to Robert Earnshaw in the 92nd minute, allowed the Welshman to equalize with a delicate left-footed chip.
    Results in Brief

    The weekend began with a mouth-watering encounter as two teams that had battled most of the season for Eastern supremacy took to the pitch at RFK Stadium in DC. United, who tallied just sixteen points last season, entered with a six-point advantage and unbeaten in two, while winning their last five at home.
    Kansas City, on the other hand, have stumbled of late, dropping five of their previous six matches amd allowing New England to overtake them into second-spot in the conference.
    Some score-less draws are a bore, while others are so good one barely notices the lack of goals; this was the latter, with both sides engaging in an attacking, physical battle – most exemplary of the fighting spirit was the play of central midfielders Davy Arnaud and Paulo Nagamura; a preview of the two months ahead, no doubt.
    DC’s attacking brain-trust of Luis Silva and Fabian Espindola were in fine form, Silva setting up Espindola with a layoff to the top of the box – KC keeper Andy Gruenebaum was equal to the task. Sporting’s best chance would come late, when Dom Dwyer cushioned a header to CJ Sapong, but Bill Hamid was able to block and cover.
    The draw was probably a fair result in the end
    With the sharing of the points, DC clinched their place and can ease up ever-so-slightly should they choose, getting some rest to those in need – fatigue, after a difficult league and Champions League campaign has seen their form drop; they have won just one of their last five league matches. Similarly, KC have won just twice in their last ten matches, hardly the sort of form one expects from them, or would want to have heading into the playoffs.

    Saturday began with another epic Eastern encounter with New York looking to rebound from that humiliating loss in Los Angeles last weekend and Houston fighting for their playoff lives, unbeaten in five, but still trailing the congested pack around the playoff spots.
    The Dynamo were under-pressure from waves of Red Bull attacks from the off – Bradley Wright-Phillips would mercifully strike the bar in the 23rd minute after Thierry Henry put a ball into the area from the left for Lloyd Sam, who cut back onto his right-foot to test Tyler Deric. The Houston keeper parried the effort straight to the league’s top goal-scorer and was spared by the crossbar.
    Henry himself would find the next good look, striking a right-footed free-kick from about 25 yards off the bar as well. Houston were desperately clinging to the point.
    That all came crashing down as the second half began. Richard Eckersley, back from his near-year-long banishment to the depths of the squad, played a long ball down the right for Sam to chase. The speedy wide attacker curled his run towards goal before playing a pass to the near-post area for the streaking run of Wright-Phillips. Neither the Wright-Phillips, nor the defender tracking him would make contact, the service falling to Deric, who could only push it wide in surprise. Unfortunately for him, his touch put the ball towards the back-post, where Henry was ghosting in completely unmarked for a simple right-footed finish into the yawning goal.
    Houston would look for the equalizer, though constantly under threat of New York counters; it would not be their night however, the Red Bull desires exemplified by an alert run to and block on his own goal-line from Henry – the sort of material from which captains earn their stripes.
    The final minutes would be tense for New York, as Tim Cahill was harshly dismissed three minutes after entering the match for a rash challenge on Oscar Boniek Garcia – a tough end to a week that saw the Australian International take criticism for comments that riled up the age-old club-versus-country debate.
    With the 1-0 win, New York would leap over Columbus into fourth-placed – the Crew set to play a match in New England later that night – while extending the unbeaten home run to an impressive nine matches. For Houston, the loss was their first in six games, denting their playoff hopes somewhat – they would remain viable in eighth-place come Monday, but fall a further two points off the pace, seven behind Columbus in fifth.

    Action swapped over to the Western Conference for an early match, relatively speaking – time zones and all, between Vancouver and Dallas.
    The Whitecaps entered in good form, having won their last two at home, including an impressive come-from-behind result over Salt Lake last weekend, and in possession of the final spot in the West, leapfrogging over Portland. But Dallas had had the better of them in recent meetings, unbeaten in their last seven encounters, though the last two in Vancouver had ended in draws.
    Vancouver, who have struggled for goals of late, requiring a pair of penalty kicks and a late tally to defeat Salt Lake, wasted no time in taking the initiative with Sebastian Fernandez putting them ahead after fourteen minutes.
    Pedro Morales picked out Mauro Rosales with a cross-field ball to the right, who tried to play inside to Erik Hurtado, before receiving the ball back wide to hit a cross towards the back-post. Fernandez rose up to meet it, soaring over Je-Vaughan Watson to guide his header on to the top left-corner of the goal, beating Raul Fernandez for the opener.
    Four minutes later, he would add a second, beating the Dallas keeper with a left-footer low to the short-side, when he was found in space down the left by Rosales after Morales forced a turnover in midfield. The brace contained his first two goals from inside the area, his previous three having come from long-range strikes.
    Dallas would look to find a way back into the match with Blas Perez appearing to spring the offside trap in the 33rd minute, latching on to a Michel through-ball and beating David Ousted, only for the assistant referee’s flag to be raised in protest. Replays suggest he was onside and the goal should have stood.
    Perez was central to much of the visitor’s efforts to reply and his battle with Vancouver centre-back Kendall Waston was an entertaining one. But the most fight shown by Dallas came after the final whistle, when Coach Oscar Pareja needlessly gave Vancouver assistant coach, Martyn Pert, a shove, for which he will likely be disciplined.
    The 2-0 win, their second-straight overall and third-straight at home, ensured Vancouver would stay ahead of Portland, opening the gap to four points, for the time being – Portland would play later that evening. Dallas meanwhile, lost a fourth-match in their last six, allowing Vancouver to close within five points of fourth in the conference.

    Back in the East, two playoff contenders took to the pitch in a fiery match, as New England and Columbus dueled over vital points. Astute observers may recall that the two met in a home-and-away series in the final two weeks of last season that would determine who would sneak into the playoff – the Revolution did so at the Crew’s expense.
    New England entered in superb form, having overtaken second in the East by winning six of their last seven matches, drawing level with Kansas City and trailing DC by six points when the round began. Columbus too were striving forward, unbeaten in four and winners of their last two to secure fourth-place, though New York’s earlier win would bump them down to fifth.
    Marred by a bouncy, fake-pitch marked with gridiron lines, the visual aspect suffered, but the play was engaging with Columbus nearly taking the lead inside of thirty seconds when Tony Tchani threaded in Ethan Finlay for an early chance that whisked wide of the right-post.
    Revolution keeper Bobby Shuttleworth would be called upon repeatedly, denying Aaron Schoenfeld in the eighteenth minute with a miraculous save, before New England snapped out of it and finished their first good look at goal in the 20th minute.
    Jermaine Jones swung a pass wide to Teal Bunbury on the right, who crossed a ball into the middle. It was too high for Charlie Davies, but fell to Lee Nguyen at the back-post, who right-footed a calm, low effort into the Columbus net.
    The Crew would respond in short order, five minutes after falling behind, when Tchani again threaded in Finlay as the wide attacker curled his run to get behind Jose Goncalves down the right-channel, before beating Shuttleworth with a low right-footer.
    Jones would draw a fine save from the Columbus keeper, Steve Clark before half-time, with a long-range drive that the keeper saw late and Shuttleworth would be called upon again after the restart, when Tchani again picked out Finlay, tipping the effort over the bar.
    Two more crucial saves from the Revolution keeper would keep the game level, allowing Jones to score the winner in the 67th minute when he found himself on the end of a bouncing left-sided Chris Tierney free-kick that bounded through a crowd to fall at the back-post, the German-American nodding a header down and in to seal the victory.
    Waylon Francis would see red in the 70th minute, all but ending any chances of a comeback, when he received a second booking for preventing Davies from taking a quick throw-in.
    With the 2-1 win, the Revolution retook second place from KC, extending a two-point gap and drawing within four of conference-leaders DC. The loss would see Columbus stay below New York in fifth, with Toronto hot on their heels.

    The evening would close with a pair of late, West Coast matches, the first of which saw Toronto head to Los Angeles to take on the Galaxy.
    Both sides entered on two-game winning streaks in the midst of unbeaten runs, but the comparison ended there, as LA were unbeaten in nine and competing for the top spot in the league, while TFC’s modest three-game unbeaten run had kept them in position to strike at fifth in the East.
    Fresh off a 4-0 mauling of New York in which they scored after eight minutes, LA would have to wait 22 minutes to break the deadlock, Toronto having gone toe-to-toe for the opening twenty minutes of play. Michael Bradley bit hard on an unwinnable ball and was easily by-passed by a one-two between Marcelo Sarvas and Baggio Husidic that resulted in Sarvas threading in Robbie Keane down the left-side of the area, from whence he beat Joe Bendik low to the far-side of goal to open the scoring.
    Three minutes later, the match was all but done when LA and Keane doubled their advantage. Landon Donovan found AJ DeLaGarza with a ball to the right and the full-back sent an inviting cross back to the huge gap of space near the penalty spot, where Keane met it with an almighty right-footed volley. A remarkable finish, made more so by dint of the Donovan assist that saw him surpass Steve Ralston into sole possession of the all-time MLS record with 136 in his career.
    Toronto would steady themselves and find the odd chance, most notably when Luke Moore struck the base of the left-post with a low drive, but the highlight for the visitors was undoubtedly the return to the pitch of Jermain Defoe, who got a half-hour’s run out in preparation for the final four matches of the season.
    LA would add a third in stoppage-time when former TFC striker, Alan Gordon, a man who loves to score against his former sides, beat Bendik with a right-footer to the bottom left-corner of the goal from distance, rounding out the 3-0 result.
    The win, their third-straight, extended LA’s unbeaten run to ten matches and put them, for the time being – Seattle would not play until Sunday – into first in both the West and the league. Toronto, who saw their streaks end, remain on the outside looking in and must brace themselves for a tough week, with crucial matches at home to Houston and away to New York over the coming days.

    Saturday’s final match saw two teams fighting for their playoff lives. San Jose, winless in ten matches were on the verge of elimination, while Portland, given Vancouver’s win earlier in the evening, needed a win to keep within range of that fifth spot in the West.
    A tense first half that saw half-chances fall each way – Darlington Nagbe saw his effort pushed over the bar by Jon Busch, while Chris Wondolowski got on the end of a rebound after Donovan Ricketts parried a Sam Cronin drive, but could not keep his effort on target – gave way to a second half that contained the majority of the action.
    The Earthquakes would find the breakthrough in the 56th minute when Shea Salinas, the catalyst for much of San Jose’s joy this season, cut inside on Alvas Powell to send a cross in from the left, picking out Wondolowski at the back-post. His initial attempt, a header, was saved by Ricketts, having fought in between a pair of defenders; this time when the rebound fell to Wondolowski, he made no mistake, putting a left-footed touch past Ricketts.
    Foreshadow of San Jose’s bad luck came quickly on the heels of them taking the lead when Busch had to react quickly to prevent a Jason Hernandez clearance that caromed off Victor Bernardez from entering their own goal four minutes later and shortly after that another near-catastrophic bounce off a defender was prevented by the alert keeper.
    But in the 71st minute there was no remedy for another stroke of misfortune. Nagbe held up play through the middle before playing out wide to Powell on the right. The right-back went down that side, working past Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi to send a ball to the near-post for Wallace. Shades of a possible handball helped control the service, allowing the Portland attacker to turn in the box and hit a hopeful left-footer towards goal, the drive kicked up off the back of the attempted block of Hernandez to sail awkwardly into the top left-corner of the goal.
    Three minutes later another bizarre finish would give the visitors the lead. Liam Ridgewell met a Gaston Fernandez corner kick from the left high at the near-post. His header struck Wallace in the face, caroming off him to loop agonizingly beyond the grasp of Busch and over Cordell Cato, defending the back-post on the goal-line, to doom San Jose to another winless night.
    Their night was made even worse, when recent-signing, right-back Pablo Pintos was shown a red card for a lunging challenge on Wallace, coming in with both feet high, catching the Timbers player on the follow-through of his clearance.
    The 1-2 win for Portland was the first away win all-time in the series between the two clubs, allowing the Timbers to stay within a single point of Vancouver for that final spot in the West. With the loss, San Jose were officially eliminated for a second-straight season after having won the Supporters’ Shield in 2012.

    Sunday began in the West, with another side scrapping to remain relevant.
    Colorado too were on the verge of elimination, requiring a win to maintain a mathematical hope of qualification, though of course, such chances were slim, especially considering they were winless in ten matches, equaling a club record set back in 2007.
    Seattle, their opponent, had rebounded from a pair of away losses with a good win over Chivas last weekend, but needed to take the three points in order to stay level with LA in the quest for the Supporters’ Shield and top spot in the West.
    It took just eleven minutes for the match to crack open when Chad Marshall met a corner kick and his header struck the arm of Marvell Wynne, prompting the referee to point to the penalty spot. Clint Dempsey stepped to the task, eyeing Clint Irwin to his left before dinking a cheeky right-footer straight down the middle.
    The Sounders would add a second in the 28th minute through Obafemi Martins, who got on the end of a Marco Pappa ball down the right-side of the box, out-waiting Irwin and making an angle for himself with a slight-shimmy, right-footing into the open net.
    Five minutes later Seattle sealed the result and Colorado’s fate. Pappa collected a delicate back-heel from Dempsey to break in down the right-side of the box, put a devastating cut-back on a pair of defenders and the keeper, drawing them out of the frame, before lifting a deft little chip over the prone Rapids and into the Colorado net - a truly stunning passage of play.
    Colorado would pull one back before half-time through Deshorn Brown, who found himself alone at the back-post when a Chris Klute ball from the right was collected by Dillon Powers who in turn helped it on to the far-side. His low right-footer would beat Stefan Frei to the short-side, possibly after a kind deflection off DeAndre Yedlin.
    Martins would add a fourth – his second of the match and seventeenth of the season – with a simple right-footed finish at the back-post after Lamar Neagle broke in down the left, eluding Klute to send a slow-roller through the six-yard box that neither Irwin, nor Shane O’Neill could get a clearing touch upon.
    Seattle would have continued the romp had they had their way – Osvaldo Alonso attempted to beat Irwin from long-range, nearly catching the keeper off his line, requiring a scrambled leaping save; Dempsey nearly completed a brace of his own in the 85th minute, hitting the post with an acrobatic effort after a one-two with Martins, Irwin would deny Andy Rose on the rebound.
    The 1-4 loss would doom Colorado to a season without playoffs, their second in three years, having made three of the last four. The full-points, their second-consecutive win, was enough to put Seattle back into the top spot, level with LA on points, but in the lead with two more wins than the Galaxy.

    Up next came the least promising match of the weekend, with Chicago, the draw-kings, looking to keep their expiring season alive against a Montreal side that was the first to be mathematically eliminated some weeks ago.
    Chicago, who entered winless in five after Thursday’s draw, had made some history midweek with their seventeenth draw of the season, setting a new record for most draws in an MLS season. Montreal were hoping to avoid a historic mark of their own, winless in their travels this season with twelve losses and three draws; this match would be their third-to-last chance to avoid becoming the sixth MLS club to go an entire season without a win on the road.
    As could be expected, Chicago came out the more interested of the sides, drawing an early save out of Evan Bush when Quincy Amarikwa got on the end of the Lovel Palmer cross – they would repeatedly test the Montreal keeper without causing undue concerns on the behalf of Impact fans.
    The lifeless match did have one minor spark of controversy – were this a different time of the season or a match between teams with something to play for, no doubt more would be made of the offside call in the 38th minute.
    Andres Romero clipped a ball into the box that was cushioned into the middle by a Justin Mapp header, falling to Jack McInerney who put it into the net, only for the raised flag to cancel out the potential winner. Replays appear to show that McInerney was not offside and the goal should have stood.
    The only other noteworthy points were that Chicago was wearing some snazzy third kits and Mapp reaching the twenty-thousand minutes-played plateau, becoming the 54th player to do so in the league, an excellent testament to his longevity. Compared to DC-KC from Friday night, this scoreless draw was an entirely unappetizing spectacle.
    Not only did Chicago improve their ‘record’ but they were officially eliminated, ten points back of fifth with three matches remaining. Montreal have two more chances to avoid yet another black mark on their forgettable season, with road trips to Toronto and New York still to come.

    The round would conclude with a bizarre encounter between playoff candidates Salt Lake and the already-eliminated Chivas USA.
    Expansion classmates from the 2005 season, the two clubs could not have taken more varied trajectories and yet on the pitch, the all-time series has been surprisingly even. Making matters all the more intriguing, both sides entered in a funk – Chivas had lost their last seven matches, stretching their current winless run to twelve matches. Salt Lake had lost two of their last three and were winless in their last four away matches, including losses in the last two.
    Salt Lake bossed much of the early passages of play, but could not find a way through the sturdy Chivas defenses. The match would turn when Salt Lake defenders Chris Schuler and Nat Borchers bonked heads, causing a river of blood to pour from the nose of Schuler, and prompting his removal from the match – he was replaced by Rich Balchan.
    It would be a tough day at the office for Balchan.
    Two minutes after the half-time restart, an errant pass from the substitute would fall to Cubo Torres, who surged in on goal down the right-channel, sending a right-footed chip towards goal. His attempt would strike the top of the bar, falling to Felix Borja, who reacted quickest – once more taking advantage of Balchan who did well to recover, only to fall asleep on the descending ball – right-footing the rebound past Rimando for his first MLS goal.
    Fifteen minutes later, Balchan would again be at the centre of disaster, called for a penalty kick when his legs got tangled with Torres – it appeared as though the contact was outside the area, but nevertheless, the penalty was awarded. Balchan’s despair would be lessened when Rimando would read Torres’ under-hit right-footed attempt, diving to his left to make the save.
    The win would snap both the losing and winless runs for Chivas, but more remarkably, it was their second of the season over Salt Lake, collecting clean-sheets in each, preventing the visitors from getting a shot on goal until the 84th minute.
    Salt Lake must wait another week at least before shoring up their playoff position and have Dallas breathing down their neck to avoid the play-in match, with a single point between them.
    CanCon
    The extended review of the Canadian performances will be posted as soon as possible – a short turnaround for Toronto has made this week a hectic one.
    All told, it was a rather quiet week for the Canadians with only three starters and three substitute’s appearances throughout the round – but there was a particularly awesome video from Tesho Akindele.
    Overheard
    Plenty of soundbytes from the round:
    Frank Yallop on Chicago’s disappointing season that will end with a historic mark: “All season, we’ve just been the tie kings, if you like. At this point, with our group, it’s growing and we’ve got to add quality to it next season. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ve got a lot of points out of games that maybe we shouldn’t have. I still think in those 17 ties, there was six games that we should have gotten the three points. Not all of them, but some of them. And that makes a difference in the table. I’m not going to say I’m proud of that stat, but if you have 10 wins and 17 ties, you’re rolling. But it isn’t that way. We haven’t won enough games and it shows on the table.”
    Philadelphia goalkeeper, Rais Mbolhi shrugs away his costly error: “What can I say? It was a difficult match for me tonight. But mistakes happen. It was not the first one. It’s not the last one, obviously. I know how to handle this kind of situation. It’s hard for me tonight but I’ll be fine.”
    Chivas new-goat, Nigel Reo-Coker on the magic of football: “It was just great to get a win, it was just a relief, but we aren’t going to dwell on it. We know we have to continue. It’s the last month of the season. Football is such a fantastic and wonderful game. Why can’t we go on a run? Why can’t we win every remaining game from now to the end of the season? It’s a possibility, its football, that’s what makes it such a beautiful game. But like I said, we have to take the positives from today’s performance. To do that against one of the better teams in the league, to not give up any chances and to have the better chances, you know, if we watch that video back there’s a lot of positives we can take from today’s performance.”
    DC’s Ben Olsen on the town’s playoff atmosphere: “There was a good vibe in the city, even driving here. I took the long way through the city, and I got a little bit of the Nats vibe. The city was vibrant. Take RFK out of it - you know it’s an old, beat up building, and I’ll be happy when it blows up – but there’s not a better show in town. When our fans show up and put on a performance like that, there’s nowhere else I want to play. It’s a great atmosphere, and I’m happy to reward them with getting into the playoffs. It means a lot to these guys and for those of us who have been around a while.”
    Landon Donovan, spoke humbly about his assist record: “To be honest, it wasn’t on my radar until the last month or so. It wasn’t overly realistic in my mind, but when the team plays like this it was just natural, and it seems like every time we get a chance, guys are either close to scoring or they’re scoring, so for me it’s been easy. My job is just to put the ball in a good spot. And with players like we have, it makes it easy.” He has fifteen assists in his last thirteen appearances, woof!
    And finally, Jon Busch on seeing out the rest of the season post-elimination: “There’s plenty of motivation. You’re playing for points, you’re playing for pride in the jersey, you playing for pride in your own play, you’re playing for contracts; the list goes on and on.”
    See It Live
    A selection of the best saves from the round: Andy Gruenebaum on Fabian Espindola; Bill Hamid on CJ Sapong; Bobby Shuttleworth on Aaron Schoenfeld; Joe Bendik on Robbie Keane; Jon Busch prevents near own-goal; Clint Irwin on Osvaldo Alonso from distance; Evan Bush on Quincy Amarikwa; and Nick Rimando’s penalty-kick save.
    There was Oscar Pareja’s shove on Martyn Pert,
    ; Thierry Henry hustling to shutdown Kofi Sarkodie; Alexander Lopez passing a note from Coach, Dominic Kinnear, to AJ Cochran; some epic striker-defender battles, including Blas Perez v. Kendall Waston and Fanendo Adi v. Victor Bernardez; a questionable banner in San Jose; and an ugly collision between Salt Lake defenders, Nat Borchers and Chris Schuler.Controversy
    The referees did their best to stay out of the limelight, but still, there were more than a few debatable calls:
    Blas Perez was ruled offside, quashing a Dallas comeback before it had begun. So too was Montreal’s Jack McInerney, who appeared to find a breakthrough in Chicago.
    Tim Cahill’s red card seemed a little harsh, while Pablo Pintos fully deserved his.
    Should a
    have prevented him from equalizing for Portland?And was Rich Balchan’s foul that led to Chivas’ penalty kick actually outside the area?
    Upcoming Fixtures
    A pair of critical midweek matches as Toronto and Houston are desperate for the full points, while Portland will look to do a four-day double over San Jose to leap over Vancouver for the final spot in the West.
    The weekend brings with it a full slate of nine matches, with a pair of Friday fixtures, five on Saturday, and two on Sunday. The latest installment of the Cascadia series between Seattle and Vancouver looks good, as does that New York-Toronto match; same goes for Dallas-LA on Sunday.
    Wednesday: Toronto-Houston; Portland-San Jose. Friday: Kansas City-Chicago; Seattle-Vancouver. Saturday: Montreal-New England; Philadelphia-Columbus; New York-Toronto; Salt Lake-San Jose; Chivas-Colorado. Sunday: Houston-DC; Dallas-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
    Michael Mccoll
    Carl Robinson thought so as well and wanted more of a look at the Notre Dame alumni and Mena became one of seven players that the Whitecaps sent down to their USL PRO affiliate Charleston Battery this season.
    "I came here (Vancouver) in preseason and I seemed to do pretty well," Mena told AFTN when we spoke with him after training last week. "Robbo and the coaches thought it would be a good idea to head down to Charleston.
    "I had two knee surgeries before that, so I was out of commission for a good two years and they thought that would be a good spot for me to get some games in and so I did it. I went over there and it was a great time. Nice and warm! But it was good. The partnership seemed to go pretty well. There were a lot of guys from Vancouver there, so like I said, it was a good time."
    It's been a long, tough road for the 25-year-old to get his shot in the pro ranks. Two long term injuries would have sounded the death knell for many a professional player, never mind one just coming out of the college ranks and trying to establish himself.
    "I did my ACL in my senior year, August 2012. Then I had another setback in March 2013. That put me back another six to ten months. I kept in contact with the Whitecaps the whole time after they drafted me and they were very, very good about it, so I was able to come into preseason when I was ready."
    Mena was picked first by the Whitecaps in the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft, 10th overall, after making 55 appearances with Notre Dame, where he contributed six goals and five assists overall.
    Primarily a left sided midfielder, Mena can also play as a forward and he played PDL with West Michigan Edge, Kalamazoo Outrage and Indiana Invaders. During his 2011 season with Indiana, Mena scored 14 goals in 16 appearances, and also contributed four assists.
    That form put Mena on the radar of some MLS sides, but he decided to head back to Notre Dame for a 5th Senior year, only to suffer a season ending injury in preseason, followed by that second aforementioned injury after he was drafted by the Caps.
    Last season, the year after Mena left Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish won the NCAA College Cup. Did he have any idea of just what a good side he was a part of and the impact the team he left behind would soon have?
    "I knew. Honestly, my senior year I felt we had what it took as well, but we definitely had a few season ending injuries in the preseason. We had another one of our guys tear his ACL the first week of preseason, I ended up tearing my ACL a week after him and we had a couple of other injuries that season.
    "But just the way that the guys battled through that season, even though we didn't get what we wanted, you kinda knew they were going to be special the next few years and what do you know, they win it the next year."
    After missing such a stretch of time in such a key period for a young North American player, Mena was a little apprehensive coming into the ‘Caps camp in January, but they soon made him feel right at home.
    "From my point of view, I was a little nervous about that, just coming back. I was out for a good 18 months I would say, almost two years, so just jumping straight back into the game, especially now out of college and you're just going straight back into a pro environment.
    "I had never been in a professional environment and just coming off that injury, I was a little nervous but I knew if I just kinda stuck with what I learned in college and just remembered how I knew how to play, that I could just ease my way back into it. I thought I did a pretty good job of that. It was a little difficult, but I had to stay determined, motivated.
    "The guys here, honestly, were welcoming and they made that a lot easier as well. I never felt really like the new guy, I guess. They just welcomed me with open arms and it was awesome. It just took off from there."
    The ‘Caps coaches like what they saw but obviously needed a gauge of what he could do against pros and in competitive matches, so Mena was sent down to Charleston, where he signed a pro contract with the Battery, as opposed to officially being one of the Whitecaps loanees.
    Mena headed down to South Carolina along with Aminu Abdallah, Mamadou Diouf, Jackson Farmer, Michael Kafari, Andre Lewis and later Omar Salgado. Being there alongside players he had got to know in training camp was also a big help for him in settling in to a new side and the pro ranks.
    "I would say that for sure. I was with these guys for the first two months of preseason, so going down there with guys that I knew made the transition easier, cos you are going to a new team, guys you've never met before. Just knowing people down there was a good feeling."
    That might have been a good feeling, the heat not so much, and Mena had to have his long locks shaved off due to the humidity!
    So how much contact did the Whitecaps have with him whilst he was down in Charleston?
    "They were definitely very good about keeping contact. We had a coach down there as well that kept in contact with the coaches here, weekly reports. We would give feedback to the coaches back here about how we think we did and how things went. They were very good at keeping contact throughout the whole season."
    After making 27 appearances and grabbing two goals for Charleston, the midfielder is back training with the Caps now that the USL PRO season is finished. That was enough to be joint leader in appearances on the team and he clocked up 1178 minutes.
    As to what the future holds in store for Mena, that’s all still up on the air. One of the things that went against draft pick Michael Calderon this year was his similar age. When you have a good crop of Residency talent coming up at a much younger age and with more years of development ahead of them, it’s harder for guys like Mena. They have to impress.
    Has he done enough to merit a MLS deal? Will the ‘Caps want to take a closer look at him in their own USL PRO team next year? Or will he move on to pastures new?
    "That's just something that we'll have to talk about in the future. Right now, I just know I'm back for the rest of the season and just looking to kind of make a run and earn a spot."
    Guest
    The Scorpions went up in the first 10 minutes, with a curling FK from the right flank from CM Rafael Castillo, which bounced right in front of the 6-yard box, sneaked in the post without a touch from either team, as Fury GK Romuald Peiser was fooled by both the movement of the ball and that of the San Antonio attackers. While the first half was dominated by San Antonio’s quick and precise ball control, Ottawa remained in the game with some good defensive plays from Peiser and CB Mason Trafford and fashioned some decent chances.
    The equalizer came in injury time, as CM Sinisa Ubiparipovic curled in a cross from the left flank that winger Oliver did well to attack in the air. San Antonio GK Josh Saunders made a great save off the header, and the rebound came to CM Tony Donatelli, who struck a fierce shot that Saunders once against did very well to keep out. The ball came out once again, this time to RB/CB Ryan Richter, who fired it into the roof just out of the reach past Saunders, sending the players and the coaching staff into celebrations.
    Starting Lineup
    The starting lineup witnessed more changes, as Ottawa played its 3rd game in a week, as the shuffle of the lineup in the middle of the week was shifted once again. There were 5 changes to the starting XI, including changes to all of the front 3 in Marc Dos Santos’s 4-3-3 formation.
    At LB, Ramon Soria, who has started most of the games in the Fall Season, came in for O’Brian Woodbine, who had an auspicious start to his Fury career mid-week. Ubiparipovic, who was rested midweek, came in for Donatelli, as CM Nicki Paterson retained his spot after a fine midweek outing.
    The manager changed up the entire front 3, as the depth of the squad was utilised to bring in 3 fresh new attackers. After the strong performances by Carl Haworth, Vini Dantas and Oliver in midweek, P.R. Mayard, Tom Heinemann and Philippe Davies led the front line for the Fury.
    CSN OFFC MotM
    CB Mason Trafford for his 2 crucial defensive interventions two-thirds into the game, which gave Ottawa chance to equalize later in the half, with honourable mentions to RB Ryan Richter and winger Oliver.
    Lineups and Stats
    Ottawa (4-3-3) – Peiser 6; Soria 6, Trafford 8, Jarun 7, Richter 7; Ubiparipovic 7, Ryan © 7, Paterson 6; Mayard 7, Heinemann 7, Davies 6
    San Antonio (4-1-4-1) – Saunders, De Roux, Cann, Janicki, James, Forbes (Soto 70′), Castillo (Hassli 90′), Menjivar, Elizondo, Restrepo, Gentile (Zahorski 83′)
    Ottawa Subs – Dantas 6 (Heinemann 62′), Donatelli 6 (Paterson 68′), Oliver 7 (Jarun 75′)
    Ottawa Goals: Richter (90+1′); Assists: Ubiparipovic, Oliver, Donatelli (90+1′)
    San Antonio Goals: Castillo (11′)
    Ottawa Injuries and Suspensions: None
    Ottawa Stats Leaders: Shots – Paterson (3); Challenges Won – Soria, Trafford, Jarun (10)
    Ottawa Tactical Notes: Remained 4-3-3 the whole match. When Jarun came off, Richter shifted to CB, Davies shifted to RB, Mayard shifted to RW and Oliver came on at LW
    Ottawa NASL Overall Record: 8th; 7-5-11; 26 points
    San Antonio NASL Overall Record: 2nd; 13-4-6; 43 points
    You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at OFFCReview.wordpress.com, and at @OFFCReview.
×
×
  • Create New...