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    Michael Mccoll
    Fans only get to see the on-pitch Rosales on matchday, and before the Dallas game a small smattering on the Southsiders forum questioned just how much of a benefit it was bringing a player of his age and on his salary to the club at this late stage of the season, especially when the team was crying out for a proven goalscorer.
    Now without sounding like a broken record, it’s the work that he does away from the actual game that is why he’s so important to the Whitecaps right now. He’s been working hard with the ‘Caps group of young strikers to help them see the game in a different way and to raise their own skill and workrate.
    You can see some results. They’re maybe not earthshattering just yet, but they are there and there has been some noticeable improvements.
    He initially did a lot of work with Kekuta Manneh and in recent weeks he’s been spending a lot of time working on his link up play with Erik Hurtado and Sebastian Fernandez, as that pair established themselves as Vancouver’s go-to front two.
    Fernandez grabbed his first two goals for 14 games on Saturday, both assisted by Rosales, and there could have been more. After the game, the Uruguayan told reporters, "Mauro is a great player. He has been supportive of us on and off the field."
    Even though he’s at the other of the pitch, David Ousted has seen the influence Rosales has had on the Whitecaps in his short time here.
    "He's come in with a lot of experience," Ousted said. "Mauro knows this league and you can see just on his level that he’s a good player. He shows it every day in practice and every match that he means a lot to this team and brings some experience."
    Rosales just sees that imparting of knowledge as part of his job and what should be expected of a veteran like himself. It must also have been very clear to him when he came to the club just how unpolished the Whitecaps strikers were.
    He’s enjoying the time he’s getting to spend working with them, building up understandings of where each other will be and expected to be on the pitch, especially when it pays off like it did on Saturday.
    "It's part of the work that we are doing with the guys", Rosales said. "We always talk about having minutes, having time with them. Everyday just knowing each other is much easier. As soon as I get more minutes with them, more days with them, I'll be much better.
    "It's important for us to get the strikers playing up front goals and to get confidence. This is what we need for the last push."
    Barring Manneh or Mattocks going on a tear, Erik Hurtado seems to have locked down the main striker’s position till the end of the season. Rosales has been working with him training, especially on link-up play between the pair, and even though there was no goal against Dallas, Hurtado’s workrate and hold-up play was excellent and better than what we’ve seen from him for much of the season.
    "Seeing Erik today, running a lot, working very hard for the team to create space, just holding the ball, let us have a little bit of breath to manage the game and everything was outstanding today," Rosales felt. "Sometimes you have to do what you don't like best and sometimes you have to do what's the best for the team. He showed today a character and a professionalism and we are happy for that and also getting the three points against a very tough team."
    And of that link-up play with Hurtado, Rosales added:
    "We are getting better with each other. Sometimes we don't combine as much as we want, but sometimes the game just demands another thing, not just playing between the lines. He did very well today just holding the ball, even against three guys today.
    The focus now from Rosales and the Whitecaps is on the massive game on Friday away to Seattle.
    Portland’s come from behind win at San Jose on Saturday night kept the pressure on Vancouver and kept the ‘Caps playoff lead to a solitary point and it’s very likely that the Whitecaps will go into Friday night’s encounter behind the Timbers, as they play the Earthquakes again on Wednesday.
    There’s also the smaller matter that a win for Vancouver sees them retain the Cascadia Cup, but a draw or a loss, sees the Sounders grab their fourth trophy, equalling the Whitecaps’ record.
    For Rosales, it’s bound to be an emotional night as he heads back to Seattle.
    Having spent three MLS seasons with the Sounders, he played against them for Chivas back in April. That was at the Stub Hub Center through and this will be his first game back in Seattle as a visiting player.
    "It's going to be a very nice game for me, just coming back in front of the fans that gave me a lot of satisfaction when I was there, but now defending Vancouver," Rosales admitted to AFTN, but he's looking at the far bigger picture.
    "We're in a position where we're needing everything from each other and we are going there to battle, to get the points. We are facing the leader of our Conference and everybody needs to be concentrating, facing the game like we did today and just trying to get the points. This is more important than just me going there."
    Whenever I've written about Rosales for MLSsoccer.com, the love that the Sounders still have for the guy shines through in the comments, so does he expect to get a warm reception on Friday?
    "I hope so," he told us with a smile. "I think I did very good over there and they always support me, even playing here, playing in Chivas, playing anywhere. They always support me and this is something I will appreciate forever and it's something really nice to have supporters from both teams just helping you out."
    How much they'll support him if he grabs his first Whitecaps goal or contributes a couple of assists against them will remain to be seen! The story almost writes itself.
    Duane Rollins
    It's probably unfair that the Women's World Cup is going to be played on plastic.
    That's an instinctive position. It's also why many people believe that the women who put a complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario must be in the right.
    Surely this is a slam dunk for the women, many think. We hate turf. Everyone hates turf. The men don't play on turf.
    It's unfair!
    As stated, it probably is. However, the HRTO is a tribunal set up to enforce the Human Rights Code of Ontario.
    According to several lawyers CSN has spoke to since the complaint was filed, the answer is...
    Maybe. Depends. They'll need to see the defence first and so far all they've seen is what the women have written in the complaint.
    The reason they need to see the defence is simple: fairness doesn't matter.
    Harsh, but (legally) true. Several decisions by the HRTO are clear. "The Tribunal does not have the ability to make determinations on issues of general unfairness" is an oft written decision -- often at a summary hearing, before the case even gets to a full hearing.
    This needs to be stressed. Unfair isn't discrimination.
    For this particular case to be viewed as discrimination, lawyers say, the women will need to demonstrate that the playing surface is inferior. Prove it as so. Proof does not equal "people don't like it." Or, "I just know it's worse." Or, "my knee was skinned."
    In practice here it likely means the women need to prove that artificial turf does, in fact, put them at a greater risk of injury. Serious injury. There is an element of assumed risk involved in participating in any sport and it is almost certain that none of the rug burn photos being bandied about are going to hold an ounce of relevance in this case as they will fall under that assumed risk category.
    When it comes to putting turf on trial, those that hate the surface may want to think twice. After all, if a human rights tribunal finds that there is no increased risk, then it will be one more strike against the SOCCER MUST ONLY EVER BE PLAYED ON GRASS crowd.
    But surely they will be able to prove it's more dangerous, some may think.
    A literature search of articles published in scholarly journals since 2010 (start of 3G turf era), eliminating articles paid for by the turf industry, reveals the following.
    1) The Effect of Playing Surface on Injury Rate (Sports Medicine November 2010, Volume 40, Issue 11, pp 981-990)
    Link: http://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/11535910-000000000-00000
    Summary of findings: "...Many peer-reviewed studies cite a higher overall rate of injury on first- and second-generation artificial turf surfaces compared with natural grass. Despite differences in injury type, the rate of injury on third-generation and natural grass surfaces appears to be comparable..."
    2) Comparison of injuries sustained on artificial turf and grass by male and female elite football players (Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, Volume 21, Issue 6, pages 824–832, December 2011)
    Link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01118.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false
    Summary of findings "...There were no significant differences in the nature of overuse injuries recorded on artificial turf and grass for either men or women..."
    3) Incidence of Injury Among Adolescent Soccer Players: A Comparative Study of Artificial and Natural Grass Turfs (Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine: January 2010 - Volume 20 - Issue 1 - pp 1-7)
    Link: http://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Abstract/2010/01000/Incidence_of_Injury_Among_Adolescent_Soccer.1.aspx
    Summary of findings: "...There was no significant difference in the incidence of acute injuries between the 2 surfaces during training and competition..."
    4) Injury risk on artificial turf and grass in youth tournament football (Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, Volume 22, Issue 3, pages 356–361, June 2012)
    Link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01174.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false
    Summary of findings: "...After adjusting for the potential confounders age and gender, there was no difference in the overall risk of injury or in the risk of time loss injury between artificial turf and grass..."
    5) Risk of injury on third-generation artificial turf in Norwegian professional football (British Journal of Sports Medicine 2010;44:794-798)
    Link: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/11/794.short
    Summary of findings: "...No significant differences were detected in injury rate or pattern between 3GAT and NG in Norwegian male professional football..."
    6) A Review of Football Injuries on Third and Fourth Generation Artificial Turfs Compared with Natural Turf (Sports Medicine, November 2011, Volume 41, Issue 11, pp 903-923)
    Link: http://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/11593190-000000000-00000
    "...In conclusion, studies have provided strong evidence for comparable rates of injury between new generation artificial turfs and natural turfs..."
    No. 6 and No. 3 showed some minor differences related to long term training. No. 3 found more incidents of back pain being reported by the players and No. 6 found an increase in ankle problems. However, in both cases the differences weren't enough to change the conclusions.
    Those conclusions? The same conclusion of every independent study on 3G turf?
    There's no difference in injury rates between grass and artificial surfaces.
    Ironically, those that most dislike artificial surfaces could end up doing more to legitimize them than anyone else has to this point.
    Michael Mccoll
    Have a listen!
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    Michael Mccoll
    You can find his full gallery from the game HERE.


    Clouds gather over BC Place, but it was a perfect storm for the Whitecaps


    Dominic Mobilio's family gather for his moving 'Ring of Honour' induction


    Curva Collective's excellent Dominic Mobilio tifo


    The Whitecaps starting XI


    Some last minute warming up and huddling


    After some chances at both ends, Mauro Rosales whips in a perfect delivery


    And Sebastian Fernandez rises to head home the 14th minute opener


    Seba celebrates his first goal since July 5th


    The Caps keep the pressure on and Pedro Morales knocks a ball loose for Mauro Rosales to pick up


    Rosales sets up Fernandez to bury the second low past his Dallas namesake


    And Seba celebrates once again


    David Texeira has a great chance to pull one back for Dallas


    But he didn't bank on the tackle of the year from Matias Laba. Stunning.


    The second half was quiet apart from David Ousted coming out quick to deny Tesho Akindele


    Victory!


    After the final whistle, Michel takes offence at Kekuta Manneh's showboating


    And still he mouths off. A sore loser? No, just a loser


    As is his coach Oscar Pareja who shoves Vancouver's Martyn Pert in the chest


    Both coaches have to be held back


    As you can see


    Pareja and Michel's walk of shame


    Matias Laba does the 'humba' with Curva Collective

    You can follow Tom on Twitter, where he goes under the name Residual Image.
    Rose_Rago
    Robbie Keane scored two goals only minutes apart and Landon Donovan captured the MLS all-time assists record to help the LA Galaxy make quick work of Toronto FC 3-0 at the Stub Hub Center in Carson California Saturday Night.
    It seems only fitting that, on what would be TFC's final dance with Donovan (unless by some twist of fate these two sides meet in the MLS Cup Final), that the poster boy for American soccer would set another MLS record before his retirement.
    It was on Robbie Keane's second tally of the night in the 25th that Donovan altered the record books. His 136th assist came when he sent a clean diagonal through ball up the right flank to AJ DeLaGarza who sailed a cross to an unmarked Keane. His highlight reel worthy half volley hit the side netting leaving goalkeeper Joe Bendik and the rest of TFC's defence flat footed.
    Keane’s first goal came three minutes prior. Marco Sarvas played a give and go with Baggio Husidic in the Toronto Box to part two defenders with a centering pass to Keane. He slipped passed Reds’ Captain Steven Caldwell and fired the ball in to the right side.
    Donovan's helper was his 19th of the season, which set a new career high for the American and tied a MLS single season record set by Guillermo Barros Schelotto for the Columbus Crew in 2008.
    Keane's two tallies give him 19 on the year, five back of New York's Bradley Wright-Phillips who leads the league. The Irishman’s goals marked his 13th multi-score game since becoming a member of the Galaxy and his fourth of the season. His performance continues to keep him in the conversation for league MVP honours.
    TFC entered Saturday’s contest with back to back wins. Coach Greg Vanney made some changes to the line-up that most recently topped the Portland Timbers 3-2 after trailing 2-0. Warren Creavalle stepped in at right back due to Mark Bloom’s knee injury. Gilberto also didn’t see action as he was nursing his hamstring which forced Dominic Oduro to play up front and Jonathan Osorio on the wing in midfield. Kyle Bekker was slotted in the middle alongside Michael Bradley
    Early in the first half LA lost Robbie Rogers to a hamstring injury. This allowed James Riley to see his first touches since tearing his meniscus late March.
    Toronto matched LA in shot totals but failed to get more than one on target in comparison to the Galaxy’s seven. The lone shot on target came in the sixth minute from a Luke Moore shot that Jaime Penedo was able to gather.
    Another great opportunity for the Reds came halfway through the first when Daniel Lovitz fed Luke Moore, but his attempt hit the post.
    The Reds welcomed back Jermain Defoe after he spent two months sidelined with a groin injury. Easing back into the lineup, Defoe entered the game in the 60th minute for Daniel Lovitz. He drew a foul and managed three shots. After the match Defoe said he felt good, and didn’t have any soreness from play. He was impressed with how his team responded in the final frame, “If we are to take any positives from the game it’s probably the way we moved the ball in the second half.”
    Defoe had an opportunity to connect with Osorio but his pass was cut off in the six yard box.
    Former TFC player Alan Gordon notched the final goal for LA deep into second half stoppage time off a feed from Sarvas. This his fourth goal off the bench since joining the Galaxy in August. Flashback to June 2011 when Gordon scored his second of the night in the 94th as a member of the Reds in a match against the Galaxy.
    Toronto fail to gain any ground in a hunt for their first playoff appearance in franchise history. They sit three points back of the Columbus Crew for fifth but have a game in hand on all those they contend for a playoff spot with.
    LA meanwhile has have scored three or more goals in eight of their last 14 matches, to extend their unbeaten streak to 10 games. With the win The Galaxy pull three points ahead of the Seattle Sounders in the race for first in the west as well as the Supporter’s Shield. Seattle battle the Colorado Rapids Sunday afternoon.
    TFC host the Houston Dynamo Wednesday night at BMO field before rounding out the regular season with matches against New York on the road, Montreal at home, and away to New England.
    Steve Pandher
    The first ten minutes of the match saw both teams get their chances on goal with Blas Perez missing high with a header and then Fernandez missing high with his shot after being setup by a nice pass from Mauro Rosales.
    The two hooked up with better results in the 14th minute as Fernandez scored his first of the match, as well as first since July 5th against Seattle. It was Rosales who found himself free enough on the right side to send an inch perfect cross that the Uruguayan headed past the diving Raul Fernandez.
    His next goal wouldn’t take three months but four minutes as Fernandez got his brace and doubled the lead for the Whitecaps. It was Rosales again who played the role of the setup man, pouncing on a loose ball. As he bore down on goal he found the winger streaking down the left side and Fernandez made no mistake with his low shot.
    Just after the half hour mark it looked as though the visitors had pulled one back when Blas Perez had put his shot in but was called offside by the linesman. However the Caps caught a break as replays showed the Panamanian striker was a step or two onside.
    Another chance for Dallas came five minutes later when David Texeira was setup with a shot from inside the box but Matias Laba came in with a perfectly timed sliding tackle to deflect the shot out for a corner.
    The second half proved to be mostly uneventful as Dallas applied pressure at times but was unable to create any dangerous chances. Their best opportunity came with over ten minutes to go when Canadian Tesho Akindele made a run on goal but was stopped by a charging Ousted.
    The real fireworks came at the final whistle when Dallas manager Oscar Pareja got into a shoving match with Vancouver assistant Martin Pert. However, nothing could dampen the Whitecaps night as they captured the three points and continue to hold onto the final playoffs spot in the Western Conference.
    They must now leave the friendly confines of BC Place and travel down the I-5 to face the Seattle Sounders where they continue their playoff push and with a win could capture their second straight Cascadia Cup.
    Final Score: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 - 0 FC Dallas
    Attendance: 20,183
    AFTN Player of the Match: Mauro Rosales
    Scoring Summary:
    14’ – VAN – Sebastián Fernández (Mauro Rosales, Erik Hurtado)
    18’ – VAN – Sebastián Fernández (Mauro Rosales)
    Vancouver: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Andy O’Brien, Kendall Waston, Jordan Harvey; Matías Laba, Russell Teibert, Mauro Rosales (Kekuta Manneh 82’), Pedro Morales (Medhi Ballouchy 88’), Sebastián Fernández; Erik Hurtado (Darren Mattocks 67’) [substitutes not used: Paolo Tornaghi, Sam Adekugbe, Johnny Leverón, Nicolás Mezquida]
    Dallas: Raul Fernandez; Je-Vaughn Watson, Zach Loyd, Matt Hedges, Moises Hernandez; Andres Escobar, Victor Ulloa (Kellyn Acosta 81’), Michel, Ryan Hollingshead (Tesho Akindele 45’); Blas Perez, David Texeira (Jair Benitez 65’) [substitutes not used: Chris Seitz, Adam Moffat, Walker Zimmerman, Danny Garcia]
    Match Stats:
    Shots: Vancouver 8 – FC Dallas 11
    Shots on Goal: Vancouver 3 – FC Dallas 2
    Saves: Vancouver 2 – FC Dallas 1
    Fouls: Vancouver 16 – FC Dallas 15
    Offsides: Vancouver 0 – FC Dallas 4
    Corners: Vancouver 3 – FC Dallas 5
    Cautions:
    60’ – DAL – Je-Vaughn Watson
    78’ – VAN – Kendall Waston
    90’+4’ – VAN – Sebastián Fernández
    Referee: Ricardo Salazar
    REACTION:
    VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
    CARL ROBINSON
    Thoughts on the match:
    "Attacking-wise and counter attacking-wise I thought we were excellent", Robinson told reporters after the game. "The two or three opportunities that we did have, we were very clinical in our play and obviously it led to two very goals. I thought the defensive aspect wasn't good enough. I said to the guys at half time that we were too open, we were a bit kamikaze football. We were gung-ho and were 2-0 up, so I had to address a few things and credit to the back four, second half especially, they defended properly and showed a lot of character out there, so I'm delighted. The game was won in the first half, but for me, the game was managed fantastically well in the second half."
    On the play of Sebastian Fernandez:
    "Just his movement. If you watch him [at training] and you see him, his work ethic is fantastic. He's technically a very, very talented player and he's got ability. When he gets into the final third, he makes things happen. We see it all the time and now it's about transferring that onto the pitch. The last three or four weeks, even though he hasn't scored since June or July, his work ethic and his valuableness to the team has been fantastic."
    On the play of Mauro Rosales:
    "I thought it was his best game since he has been here and I think sometimes we’re very lucky to have him. I wanted to get him off earlier but he said “five minutes” and I let five minutes go and he said “another five minutes” and then another… He was excellent. His technical ability is amazing and he had a massive influence on the game."
    On the tension between the two teams:
    "I think it's two coaches, it's two teams, and it's very passionate, we want to win. We went there three weeks ago and we took it on the chin. We lost 2-1 in a game where we probably could have got something. Today was our day, but they are a very good team. Credit to Oscar he has done a fantastic job there. There's feelings in games. Every game there's a little bit of tenseness and thing like that. It's important it doesn’t boil over and from my group today it didn’t boil over."
    On the upcoming game against Seattle:
    "I said two games ago, we have five cup finals, and we have to take it one game at a time. We are running out of games, it is important that we respond appropriately the next upcoming games. We have two wins now, but we know we have a massive game against Seattle next Friday and those are the games you want to play in. They are big games, and obviously the Cascadia Cup is on the line and we want to win. We will go there full of confidence, but it will be a tough game."
    On the defensive play:
    "Dallas went a little more direct the second half and I tend to put smaller people on in the half which is not the best idea with their direct play but they are a handful. We all know how good they are at counter-attacking. We managed to address that in the second half, we won the second balls and we are going to have to do that against Seattle."
    On the overall performance of Dallas:
    "Dallas have nothing to lose, they are already into the playoffs. We are not in a similar position, unfortunately, we are chasing and we need to secure that final playoff spot. There is a different kind of pressure, and I said to the boys at half they have nothing to lose they are going to play hard. We have a lot to lose, that is why the discipline was important and the information they took on board in the second half they carried out and all credit to them. They played really well."
    On the altercation at the end, what was Pareja's grip with Pert?
    "I'm not sure. I don't know, I didn't see him. I went to shake the two assistants hands and then I went to referee and I had a laugh with the referee."
    On the performance of referee Ricardo Salazar:
    "I thought he was excellent. Sometimes it's easy to criticise referees as coaches. Some people do it tongue in cheek and other people just do it verbally and you get fined. But they deserve credit when they do well and I have no doubt about it that he's arguably, if not the best one in the league.
    On Vancouver’s position in the standings, is 4th possible?
    "I said at the start of the season we want to be in contention come the last game of the season. A good victory tonight. We'll sleep well after 94 minutes of hard work. We've still got a mountain to climb, we're still try to climb that mountain and we'll still meet that challenge head on, starting with Seattle next week."
    On the play of Matias Laba:
    "He has played fantastic ever since he has come here and big credit goes out to the club. His work can go un-noticed by people, but it does not with me. I think today it was a perfect example of how important he is for our team. We talk about Pedro, Mauro and Kekuta but Laba is vital for our team."
    On Darren Mattocks leaving for international duty:
    "I will never stop players from playing for their national country. It is a privilege. If they play well at club level, then they'll get the opportunity at national level. I’ll have a conversation with Darren and see where we are with that."
    With four players on yellows, did it cross his mind to sub them off and save them?
    "It did, and there were a few little close moments with a ball getting kicked away and a little trip here and there that were making me cringe a little bit. At the end of the day, if they're on four yellow cards, it's important that they manage the game correctly. If you try and avoid a yellow card, trust me, you'll get booked. It's one of them you'll get booked for a nothing challenge. I said to the guys that were on a yellow card, go out and play. Don't think about it, go out and play. As soon as you try and think about getting a yellow, you'll get a yellow card."
    SEBASTIAN FERNANDEZ
    On the overall game:
    "It was a very good game for us. The importance is not the score, importance is the win. We need to keep going and work through the week and show everybody that we can get into the playoffs."
    On his first goals since July:
    "I was lucky. I saw the ball in the air and tried to get the header and score."
    "My teammates, are always supporting me. It's important for me and for everybody. This is a great group, a great team. We must keep going."
    On playing with Mauro Rosales:
    "Mauro is a great player. He has been supportive of us on and off the field."
    On picking up the yellow card and the suspension:
    "It was my mistake. I still have other games left to continue going."
    DAVID OUSTED
    Thoughts on the match:
    "Fantastic. I thought we did very well. First half, we got our goals. Seba played fantastic and got two goals. Second half, we did well defending. Overall, we played a good performance."
    On playing with Mauro Rosales:
    "He's come in with a lot of experience. Mauro knows this league and you can see just on his level that he’s a good player. He shows it every day in practice and every match that he means a lot to this team and brings some experience."
    On winning consecutive matches for the first time since May:
    "It feels fantastic. It’s a good time to get on a streak. Hopefully we continue to play this way. I love the intensity. I love how we’re going into every tackle and the belief in this squad that can win every game."
    On intensity of possible playoff clash between Caps and Dallas:
    "If these two teams meet, I think it's going to be a brawl, to say it lightly. You just see that people get into every tackle and they did as well. They're a team that works really, really hard and wants to compete every time. If we get to there, I think it's going to be a great much but we've still got a lot of work to do."
    On the Pareja/Pert postgame clash:
    "It's always fun to see Martyn get up there," Ousted said. "He cares a lot and the players back him up."
    On Seba now being suspended:
    "Too bad. I thought it was a harsh yellow card. We're happy that he got going and we can use that going forward. Now other people have to step up in his place."
    On keeping Dallas at bay and another clean sheet:
    "I felt in control. With players like Perez and Akindele, they'll put pressure on but I thought we dealt with it really well and both crosses and chances were limited."
    On Laba's big goal saving tackle in the first half:
    "Absolutely fantastic. Mati did world class to get there. They broke us down a little bit, got a good chance and Mati came out of nowhere."
    KENDALL WASTON:
    Thoughts on the game:
    "We had to win and thank god we won. We knew it would be a tough game because they won in Dallas, so today we had to look for the three points because we want to continue in the playoff spot. The team worked very hard from the beginning of the game and that's why we won."
    Did it feel like a playoff game already?
    "Yes it seemed because they were battling to score and we could defend very well today from the forwards. That was the key to winning today."
    On potential playoff meeting:
    "We are thinking first of all of staying in the playoff spot and hopefully we can win the next game in Seattle. It's going to be hard but none of these games are easy. So first of all we have to stay in the playoffs and then see who we are going to play against. Now we know each other. The key to everything was when we got in the box, we try to score and today we scored two excellent goals."
    On defensive play:
    "The best thing was the communication that all of us have and the commitment of each one, including the forwards. In certain times of the game you saw the forwards in our backs, like Kekuta jumping and battling with bigger guys than him. That was the thing that the coach told us at half time, that everybody gotta run."
    MAURO ROSALES
    His best performance as a Whitecap so far?
    "I feel that I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it a lot. It's part of the work that we are doing with the guys. We always talk about having minutes, having time with them. Everyday just knowing each other is much easier. As soon as I get more minutes with them, more days with them, I'll be much better.
    "This is what I want. To be in a position to help the team. To raise the team in any levels and help them. This is what I do."
    On not wanting to come off:
    "I was feeling very good and obviously trying to help the team. Probably I was a little selfish in trying to stay in the team, but knowing that we had a lot of good players on the bench. I felt very well just playing with them and enjoying it.
    "I was doing my best and doing my best for the team. This was the reason, not trying to be selfish and not let the other ones play! It's part of my work to try and keep getting better and I hope that I can just build better performances like I did today."
    On assisting Seba in getting two goals:
    "It's important for us to get the strikers playing up front goals and to get confidence. This is what we need for the last push. Seeing Erik today, running a lot, working very hard for the team to create space, just holding the ball, let us have a little bit of breath to manage the game and everything was outstanding today.
    "Sometimes you have to do what you don't like best and sometimes you have to do what's the best for the team. He showed today a character and a professionalism and we are happy for that and also getting the three points against a very tough team."
    Link up play with Erik Hurtado:
    "We are getting better with each other. Sometimes we don't combine as much as we want, but sometimes the game just demands another thing, not just playing between the lines. He did very well today just holding the ball, even against three guys today.
    FC DALLAS
    OSCAR PAREJA
    Thoughts on the match:
    "I thought we had a good15 minutes before they scored a goal. After we gave away the first goal, it was difficult. We had the initiative to put high pressure and go look for the game right from the first minute. We had a few chances to score that we could not take advantage of it and then Vancouver came up and took the game away with those two goals. After that, it was a different game. We tried to keep the initiative, but we didn’t have too many ideas today. Vancouver was happy with the goals that they scored early in the game, and they held it well. I have to give them credit."
    On whether the Perez offside call right before halftime would have changed the game:
    "It would be for sure. Disappointed with that situation, but I just assume that that’s part of the game. I don’t want to stick with that frustration, though it could have changed the story, for sure."
    On whether this could be a preview of a potential playoff matchup:
    "We need to clinch first, and now we are thinking about LA. My mind doesn’t let me go that far. When I have such a big responsibility to play the next game and try to take care of our business, which is to get ourselves into the playoffs. After that, we’ll see."
    On growing rivalry between the two teams:
    "The rivalry is with all the teams really. The intensity, the energy and obviously the urgency the teams have now to get the points is important. That makes the games more interesting for sure and that is part of the decision. But the rivalry is with everybody, it's nothing special."
    The postgame incident with Martyn Pert:
    "Nothing. Nothing. Nothing happened."
    TESHO AKINDELE
    Thoughts on the match:
    "I think it was a tough game – they were obviously fighting for their lives for the season and to stay in the playoffs, so they brought a lot of energy. They caught us on two counterattacks, but other than that, I thought it was pretty even."
    On the adjustments they made after halftime, being down 2-0:
    "We just knew that we had to go all out. When you’re losing 2-0, there’s no point holding back, so we just tried to push forward a little more. Unfortunately, we just didn’t create the chances today."
    On whether a rivalry is growing between the two clubs:
    "I think so, playing in the Western Conference, you see the same teams three times a year. With how the schedule was, we’ve seen these guys three times now in such a short time, and there’s definitely a bit of tension coming in."
    MATT HEDGES
    Thoughts on the match:
    "Disappointing. We came out soft and slow, gave up two goals, and we never really recovered. I think we definitely started to play better as the game went on, but by that point, you’re 2-0 down, and they can control the match by sitting there and doing whatever they want. It’s disappointing."
    On what message Pareja and the coaches stressed at the break, down 2-0:
    "They just try to be motivating. We came out really slow, and it’s frustrating because big things were on the line – clinching a playoff spot was possible today, in this game. So, to come out slow like that was unacceptable, and that’s what he was reiterating to us. We had to increase the effort in the second half, and that’s basically what he was telling us."
    On the growing rivalry:
    "I think it was already there. Last year and the year before, there have been some interesting games between the two teams and I think it’s continuing to grow as a rivalry. It’s good for the league, having rivalries grow organically like this instead of being forced."
    Michael Crampton
    And there is little suggestion that LA, already qualified for the playoffs, have reason to take their foot of the pedal. Considering TFC’s game-in-hand against all of the sides they’re chasing in the Eastern Conference standings it’s clear that the Reds actually have the larger margin-of-error. For Toronto, points in this match are a bonus, rather than a necessity.
    In comparison, the Galaxy are tied atop the standings with the Sounders in what has boiled down to a two-horse race for the Supporter’s Shield. The Sounders have already bagged this year’s US Open Cup and, with the chance of a historic domestic treble, it’s unlikely LA will simply cede the second major honour of the season. The right to play for the biggest prize of the season, MLS Cup, won’t be decided until November – and Arena has proven a master of dashing Seattle’s ambitions therein – but the games before then are the latest manifestation of the rivalry between Arena and Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid. The Sounders and Galaxy will meet in decisive back-to-back games to end the season but dropping points at home to Toronto FC before then would be less than advantageous in the build-up to that series.
    From a Toronto FC perspective, the other interesting subplot to the match is that, unless they somehow meet in the MLS Cup Final, this is the last time Reds supporters will see their team face Landon Donovan. The California native announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season earlier this year bringing a seemingly premature end to what has probably been the most successful MLS career in the league’s emerging history.
    Even more than David Beckham (who had his fans), Landon Donovan was, amongst TFC fans, probably the most reviled player in MLS when the Reds commenced play back in 2007. Donovan’s intimate association with the American national team and poster-boy of American soccer status practically made him an avatar for most of the things that early Toronto fan culture made a specific point of rejecting. The worst songs and loudest boos were always reserved for Donovan when he visited BMO Field.
    It may just be my own perception, but the sense I get is that much of that loathing has subsided in the seven years since. The reality is that for all the accusations of entitlement, watching Donovan, and seeing what he has meant to the growth of MLS, has made it much harder to hold a grudge. No fair minded observer can argue that he hasn’t been successful, be it in MLS, with the U.S. national team, or even in his stints in the Premier League.
    If the last match Donovan plays versus TFC has a final irony it is this: with Donovan’s surprising and controversial omission from the American World Cup squad it is actually the Canadian side that will field an American World Cup star. Toronto FC fans, who once specifically despised Donovan precisely for his American role, can only hope that Michael Bradley can do for their side what Donovan has done for the Galaxy. It’s a strange and unlikely change in perspective, but hopefully says something about the maturation of the Toronto fan base and the club’s too long delayed nestling into the conventions of MLS. Certainly, years of trying to do things their own way never proved successful.
    Duane Rollins
    A familiar name from Toronto FC's early days may be soon returning to run the club's USL-Pro team.
    With construction delayed at Vaughan's Ontario Soccer Centre's main field (where plans are underway to build a 3,000 seat stadium) until next Spring, TFC is in need of another option if it is to start USL-Pro play in 2015.
    As previously reported on CSN, the plan was to partner with the Ontario Soccer Association to operate the team out of the new stadium. However, it is now clear that the stadium will be not be completed until next Fall.
    Negotiations are now well underway to partner with Wilfrid Laurier University women's head coach and player agent Barry MacLean to operate the team out of Waterloo, Ontario.
    MacLean was front and centre in the early days of the club as the player agent of several of TFC's Canadian players. Former GM Mo Johnston was criticized for over utilizing MacLean as a source of players.
    Although it is important to stress that there was never any proof of improprieties having occurred, the MacLean-Johnston relationship became synonymous in many fan's minds with the struggles and problems during the early days of TFC.
    A source close to the situation suggested Waterloo's RIM Park as a possibly location for the stadium. There are several high end playing fields located there, but stands would need to be built to accommodate the USL-Pro minimum requirement of 3,000 seats.
    WLU's University Stadium could already host the team. That stadium seats 6,000, but has permanent Canadian football lines on the artificial playing surface.
    CSN contacted MacLean Friday for comment. As of this time he has not responded.
    Previously Toronto FC confirmed to CSN that Waterloo was one of the sites being considered.
    We will update as more information becomes available.
    Guest
    ST Vini Dantas had a well-taken solo goal in the 20th minute, driving up the middle and slaloming past a couple defenders before slotting it home, and then CM Nicki Paterson finished off one of the nicest team moves by the Fury players this season in the 33rd minute. The play started with Dantas flicking the ball gorgeously to the right side for RW Oliver, who was left open to slide the ball across the 6-yard box for Paterson to run onto and finish with aplomb.
    The win solidifies Ottawa’s 8th place in the combined NASL standings, and still leaves the Fury with a mathematical chance at one of the 4 playoff spots, though it will take a miracle at this point, with numerous teams fighting it out for 4th place, and with Ottawa 8 points out of 4th place with 5 games remaining.
    Starting Lineup
    The starting lineup was significantly changed from the Sunday game vs. Minnesota, with no less than 5 changes to the starting XI.
    While GK Romuald Peiser retained his spot at net, the defense saw 2 changes, with CB Omar Jarun coming in for Drew Beckie, and in a more surprising move, O’Brian Woodbine, a natural RB, coming in at LB in place of Ramon Soria for his club debut.
    In midfield, Paterson came in for Sinisa Ubiparipovic, who has been carrying a minor knock. Up front, LW Carl Haworth made a return to the starting XI for the first time in a month for P.R. Mayard, while Dantas started in place of Tom Heinemann.
    CSN OFFC MotM
    ST Vini Dantas for an excellent goal and a sumptuous flick that led to the 2nd goal, with honourable mentions to CM Nicki Paterson and LB O’Brian Woodbine.
    Lineups and Stats
    Ottawa (4-3-3) – Peiser 7; Woodbine 8, Trafford 7, Jarun 8, Richter 7; Paterson 8, Ryan © 7, Donatelli 8; Haworth 8, Dantas 9, Oliver 8
    Atlanta (4-2-3-1) – Ati; Roushandel (Gonzalez 87′), A. Bangura, Canovas, Espinoza; Gavin, Poku; Sandoval, Cruz (Burgos 80′), Rivera; Chavez (S. Bangura 70′)
    Ottawa Subs – Davies 8 (Oliver 70′), Heinemann 7 (Dantas 72′), Mayard (Haworth 90′)
    Ottawa Goals: Dantas (20′), Paterson (33′); Assists: Dantas, Oliver (33′)
    Atlanta Goals: None
    Atlanta Red Card: Burgos (89′)
    Ottawa Injuries and Suspensions: None
    You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at OFFCReview.wordpress.com, and at @OFFCReview.
    Michael Mccoll
    "It's vitally important," coach Carl Robinson told reporters on Thursday. "Getting into the playoffs is the first goal that we set and if you manage to get in then it's being in form when you're hitting the playoffs. You see, year in, year out, a number of teams that get into the playoffs, sneak into the playoffs, when they're not playing very well end up going out.
    "It's important that focus is maintained. It's important that you do get a bit of momentum going into the playoffs because it is a lottery when you get there. It's just a one off game or a two-legged game if you get past that first stage and anything can happen. It's still a long way off, and it's a hard trek to get there, but we're willing to meet the challenge head on."
    The playoff race in the West looks like it may go right down to the wire and Vancouver know that if they are to make it to the postseason they will have to do it by producing some of their best form in the remaining matches. It's a factor which left back Jordan Harvey feels that can only serve them well.
    "That is an advantage," Harvey admitted to AFTN. "If you do get on form these last four games leading into the playoffs, that's huge. That's what most teams are successful with. We have to get in form, we have to get some more points and that will allow us to carry that [form] in."
    If Vancouver can clinch fifth spot in the Western Conference, they will likely face a first round playoff match away to FC Dallas or Real Salt Lake.
    Last Saturday's defeat of RSL gave the Whitecaps a slight mental edge over one of their prospective postseason opponents and they are unbeaten against Real Salt Lake all season, including two hard-fought draws down in Utah. The 'Caps are hoping for more of the same mental boost when Dallas head to BC Place this weekend.
    For veteran defender Andy O'Brien that psychological side of the game is one of the important keys for the Whitecaps down the stretch and beyond.
    "I think you need to be composed, especially from a mental point of view because there's so much emphasis in getting into the playoffs," O'Brien said. "There's a lot of pressure to get in there and then once you're in there, you've got a job to do and it's not as if you down tools when you meet one objective.
    "It's got to be a progression thing. We want to go, if possible, into the playoffs with four good results now and take that on to whoever we may play should we get there. It's important that we keep ourselves mentally prepared and physically prepared for it."
    Duane Rollins
    The group of elite female players fighting the use of artificial turf at the 2015 Women's World Cup played their legal card yesterday.
    The women filed a complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. The HRTO is a quasi-legal body that may be unfamiliar to those outside of the province. In an effort to understand the legal thinking behind the women's decision to file with the HRTO, and to make an educated guess at the possible outcomes of the filing, we present the following look at what the HRTO is, what its history of decisions suggests, and what jurisdiction it has.
    WHAT IS THE HRTO?
    Simply put, the HRTO resolves claims of discrimination and harassment brought under the Ontario Human Rights Code. It claims it does so "in a way that is fair, just and expeditious."
    The Ontario Human Rights Code ("The Code") is "a law that protects people in Ontario from discrimination and harassment in the areas of employment; housing; goods, services and facilities; contracts; and, membership in trade and vocational associations."
    Specifically, The Code prohibits discrimination and harassment on any of the following grounds: race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, citizenship, ethnic origin, disability, creed, sex, including sexual harassment and pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, family status, marital status, age and, in claims about housing, receipt of public assistance.
    All good stuff. But, does it apply in this case? After all, none of the complainants are from Ontario. Rather, they are foreign nationals voluntarily participating in an international soccer tournament. For now let's ignore that question. We will move forward in our examination of the HRTO under the assumption that the complainants are eligible to have the case heard.
    If eligible, the claim is almost certainly focused on the need to provide equal facilities to the women.
    WHAT DOES THE HRTO CONSIDER TO BE DISCRIMINATION?
    First of all it's important to know that "not all unfair conduct or unequal treatment is covered by the Code." A large part of the claim is based on a perception that it's unfair to make the women play on turf when the senior men never have had to.
    It's unclear whether this perception is legally relevant. For that to be the case, The Code must apply. Once again, The Code only applies in cases where unequal treatment was found to have occurred in the areas of employment, housing, goods, services and facilities, contacts and membership in trade and vocational associations.
    Since the only possible area that could apply here is facilities, the history of international soccer events in Ontario appears to be relevant. It's possible that the normal use of soccer facilities in Ontario will factored as well.
    The men's professional team the Ottawa Fury play on turf and the 2007 men's u-20 World Cup was played on turf in Ontario.
    For the sake of the discussion, let's assume the pro team play is found to be irrelevant. However, it's difficult to see how the HRTO would view the 2007 u-20s as irrelevant since it would seem to be in violation of its own mandate to not make distinctions based on age.
    Another argument the women may make is that forcing them to play on turf constitutes an "undue hardship."
    On that, The Code states that "employers, landlords and service providers (the relevant body here) are required to accommodate (make alternate arrangements for) human rights related needs unless doing so would cause undue hardship due to cost or health and safety concerns.
    Is playing soccer on grass a "human rights related need?" Based on the examples provided by the HRTO -- providing sign language interpreters for persons who are Deaf when receiving medical treatment at a hospital, providing time off work to attend pregnancy-related medical appointments, or modifying dress codes to allow the wearing of religious clothing -- that might be a stretch.
    There would seem to be a ready made defence for the CSA in the language that allows for flexibility in facilities if providing accommodations would constitute an undue hardship to the CSA based on cost.
    DOES FILING THE CLAIM GUARANTEE THE HRTO WILL HEAR THE CASE?
    Short answer: No.
    Now that the case has been filed the HRTO will review the case and will either move forward, dismiss, or ask the applicants to submit more information.
    The entire rules of procedure protocol is too involved to summarize here, but we will highlight a couple potential pitfalls below. If you'd like to read the rules in full you can do so here: http://www.hrto.ca/hrto/sites/default/files/Whats%20New/Section%2034%20Rules%20-%20ENGLISH%2026-05-10.doc
    The biggest complication for the women might be timing. The HRTO requires that the complain be made within a certain timeframe.
    Specifically, it requires that it's filed "within one year of the date on which discrimination is alleged to have occurred."
    This is where things get very dicey for the women on two fronts. If their argument is that the discrimination occurred at the time the tournament was awarded then the one year period has passed. The women must then argue for an extension, which can be allowed in certain cases.
    For that to happen, the HRTO must find that there was "a good reason for filing late and that the delay will not negatively affect other people involved in the application."
    It's reasonable to assume that the CSA will argue that requesting the switch this late would negatively affect them.
    The other possibility is that the women are arguing that the discrimination will occur when they play on the turf. In that case discrimination has yet to occur. The HRTO is not set up to mandate change, but rather to award damages to those who have been discriminated against.
    That begs the most relevant questions of all.
    WHAT CAN THE HRTO DO? WHAT ARE THE WOMEN HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH?
    The HRTO can award damages. Since it is not a court, but rather a quasi-legal tribunal, it CANNOT FORCE THE CSA OR FIFA TO PLAY ON GRASS. It also only has jurisdiction in Ontario, where only Ottawa is hosting games.
    This is where it becomes difficult to understand why the women chose this venue.
    We can only speculate.
    One possible reason is that there is a lower threshold in place for the the HRTO to hear a case than there would be for the case to be heard in a Canadian court.
    In 2009, the BC Supreme Court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to hear a gender discrimination case brought forward by female ski jumpers against VANOC (Vancouver Olympic Games Organizing Committee) and the IOC. In that decision, the court expressed sympathy to the women's case -- they wanted to force the Vancouver Olympics to include women's ski jumping -- but was clear that it did not have the mandate to force the IOC to change its program.
    With VANOC, the court ruled that it was not within VANOC's power to force change upon the IOC and therefore VANOC could not be held responsible for a decision made by the IOC.
    The Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear an appeal of that verdict. As such the BC ruling could be argued to have legal precedence in this case.
    By going to the HRTO the women do not have to overcome that legal precedent.
    In terms of jurisdiction the only possible argument the women could be making is that Ontario is the home province of the CSA so the filing must be made in Ontario.
    ALL THAT SAID IS IT STILL POSSIBLE THAT THE WOMEN COULD WIN?
    If by win you mean "receive compensation" then yes. If you mean force the tournament to be played on grass then, as illustrated above, no.
    It's very likely the women understand they can't force the change to grass through legal means and are instead looking to use a ruling in their favour to shame the CSA into making the change by gaining the Canadian public's sympathy.
    Based on the past history of the HRTO it's possible they might get a favourable ruling (if they can get the case heard, which is likely their biggest obstacle).
    The HRTO is an exceptionally left leaning body. Even in a left leaning country like Canada, it has made extremely controversial rulings in favour of complainants.
    As one example, in 2009, It awarded a black woman $5,000 after it determined she had been a victim of racial profiling by police. On the surface that's hardly controversial until you read the judgement. There, the HRTO admitted It found no evidence that police officer "consciously subscribes to any such (racist) attitudes or belief systems." Additionally, it found "no direct evidence that the complainant's race or colour was a factor in the incident."
    Rather, the HRTO concluded that "the officer's actions were motivated by a deep-seated prejudice...because a white person in a position of authority has an expectation of docility and compliance from any non-white person they encounter."
    The ruling was widely criticized with many pointing out that assumption of systemic racism -- even when the possibility of its existence is viable -- should not be enough to label someone as having made a racist decision. In an effort to provide the complainant with a fair hearing, the HRTO had violated the defendant's right to be assumed innocent.
    That's a common complaint about the HRTO (and a quick Google search of HRTO decisions makes for some interesting reading). Since it's not a court, it operates on a reverse onus basis -- rather than a complaint needing to prove they were discriminated against, the defendants must instead prove they didn't discriminate.
    Whether that's a fair way to operate isn't for this space to determine, but it is likely relevant to the question of why the women chose to file with the HRTO.
    SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
    Basically we wait. The first step will be the HRTO determining whether they will hear the case. That should happen fairly quickly (they have 10 work days to respond--Oct 15).
    It's possible the CSA will file a application for a Summary Hearing. A SH is used to determine whether the case "should be dismissed in whole or in part on the basis that there is no reasonable prospect that the Application or part of the Application will succeed."
    The HRTO can also call a SH on its own.
    If the case does proceed the HRTO has a mandate to push for mediation to resolve the case. This could be another goal of the women, who have long claimed that FIFA and the CSA refuses to work with them to find a solution.
    If mediation does not resolve the dispute (and the HRTO cannot force the two parties to agree to mediation) then their will be a public hearing where witnesses are called and evidence is presented in support and in defence of the case (again it's not a trial because the HRTO isn't a court).
    Ample time must be provided to allow both sides time to receive and review all relevant papers and evidence. Typically, at least 45 work days are required.
    Even with the request for an expedited hearing it's hard to image this being heard before the new year.
    Basically this will either be thrown out and (likely) done (they could still file in another jurisdiction -- likely BC) in the next month, or it's going to drag on for a few more months yet.
    James Grossi
    Will Johnson
    Johnson took to the pitch in Toronto for Portland in their 3-2 loss on Saturday – it was his 29th start of the season. His afternoon would end after seven seconds.
    A turnover in midfield allowed Johnson a chance to get on the ball, but a heavy touch led to a fifty-fifty challenge with Toronto’s Mark Bloom, each lunging in hard to win the ball – note video is tough to watch for the squeamish. The Toronto-born Johnson came off the worse, his outstretched right leg caught the brunt of the force and it was apparent immediately that all was not well, Johnson signaling to the sidelines his distress.
    Post-match, it was revealed that the Timbers Captain had suffered a broken leg – both tibia and fibula; he underwent surgery on Sunday and will be out for six months. The injury means that this will be the first season in the last seven that Johnson will not appear in the MLS Cup Playoffs, having made five-straight appearances with Salt Lake and leading Portland to the post-season last year.
    Toronto coach Greg Vanney expressed a sentiment that the entire league has echoed, beginning his post-match conference thusly: “I want to send my best to Will Johnson. I hope he has a speedy recovery. I always thought he is a classy player and a hard-working guy so I send my best to him.”
    Michael Bradley, a long-time friend of the Canadian’s, also commented: “As a player and as a competitor, you hate to see anybody get hurt, but that’s one of [my] closest friends; it’s not nice at all. They both went in very hard. On the one hand you expect that they would both pop right up, and on the other hand that play had a hard edge going to it. You could even hear the way they crashed into each other and you kind of knew that that was a hard one.”
    While Bloom offered his assessment of the tackle in question: “It’s just a situation where he took a bad touch that got away from him and at the beginning of the game, you want to set a tone so we both went in for the tackle. I thought we both went in clean, no one went in dirty and it’s just unfortunate that someone had to come out like that."
    Johnson took to twitter on Sunday to express his appreciation for all the support he has received.
    He was replaced by Ben Zemanski in the seventh minute after a lengthy delay.
    Russell Teibert
    Teibert started his eighth-straight match for Vancouver in their 2-1 win over Salt Lake on Saturday – it was his eighteenth start and 25th appearance of the season.
    From the left-side of the midfield, Teibert was everywhere, covering tons of ground as he both pressed up in attack – taking two long-range cracks at goal, each sailing wide – and doing well to track the movements of Javier Morales, once forcing him to check back under pressure, leading to a weak shot from Kyle Beckerman.
    His passing was very good, misplacing just five of some sixty attempts, but he was unable to collect a poor pass from Andy O’Brien that led to a dangerous turnover in midfield that required a save from David Ousted.
    The Niagara Falls, Ontario-native would see a yellow card in the 63rd minute for hauling down Joao Plata in transition – it was his fourth booking of the season and the third of five fouls he committed on the night.
    Aside from the actual play, Teibert showed a good deal of leadership. It was he who retrieved the ball from the back of the Vancouver net when Salt Lake took the lead in the 57th minute – they would equalize five minutes later. And it was he who stepped in to separate Nicolas Mezquida and Kekuta Manneh as the two exchanged words over a missing pass deep in the match.
    He spoke at length post-match about the game: “It’s a step in the right direction. We can be content with the performance. We’ve got four games left, four games to make the playoffs but right now I think we can be happy.”
    On finally winning having not entered half-time with a lead: “We won now, so we can put that in the past, that’s history. Going forward there’s no looking back anymore. There’s no looking back at records that might be negative like that one. I think it’s about being positive and looking forward to the next game, and trying to win the next game and being positive about everything; having belief in each other and belief in this team and belief that we can win it at home and win on the road. As you can see it tonight the fans really push us on. And maybe some people are doubting us, but this locker room believes, our fans believe, and our organization believes that we can win.”
    And on watching the Toronto-Portland match, Johnson’s injury and whether the loss of the Timbers’ Captain will affect Vancouver’s playoff chances: “I think a couple of guys were watching the match and following it. It may have been in the back of our minds but we really didn’t discuss it. We knew we had a big chance and we took that chance. And that’s what great teams do. That’s what good teams do and that’s what teams that will make the playoffs do.”
    “I had seen what had happened. And you know, God bless him. You never want to see that happen and I feel for him. So I’m definitely going to send him a message later on tonight. And I just hope for a speedy recovery for him.”
    “I don’t really want to speak about that. It’s an injury, it’s an injury you don’t really want to see happen to anybody, especially a friend. And I feel for Will and again I hope he has a speedy recovery.”
    He handled that last question with particular maturity.
    Jonathan Osorio
    Osorio made his second-straight start for Toronto in their epic 3-2 come from behind victory over Portland on Saturday – it was his twentieth start and 23rd appearance of the season.
    Playing as the more advanced of the central midfield pair with Michael Bradley, Osorio was central to a lot of Toronto’s positive forward work, taking one crack at goal from distance when space opened up for him – it curled wide - and swinging the ball wide to help find space from which TFC could attack – finding Dominic Oduro on the right on one play that led to Portland centre-back nearly putting the ball in his own net and then finding Dan Lovitz on the left to set up a Gilberto look.
    His passing in the final third left a little to be desired, completing less than half of his attempts, but he did play a key role in Toronto’s equalizing goal, s
    , allowing Nick Hagglund to get free at the back-post to nod in Bradley’s bouncing delivery.Still working his way back from that hamstring injury, the Toronto, Ontario-native would make way for Kyle Bekker in the 75th minute with TFC searching for the winner.
    Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé
    Gagnon-Lapare made a third-consecutive start for Montreal in their 2-0 loss away to Columbus on Saturday – it was his fourth league appearance of the season, all but one coming in the last three weeks.
    Stationed once more out-of-position, tasked with a left-back’s role, Gagnon-Lapare had a bit of a tough outing against a quick and troublesome Crew.
    Inside of two minutes he was beat by the
    , catching the Sherbrooke, Quebec-native playing a little too narrow, allowing the Columbus wide attacker to roof the opener past Evan Bush in goal. Gagnon-Lapare showed good speed to attempt a block, but was already beat.He would again be caught out by a Finlay run, this time with a ball to the inside that required intervention from the Montreal keeper and when he did return to staying compact, he was exploited wide once more when Hector Jimenez found space to send in a dangerous cross.
    Gagnon-Lapare was pulled all over the place by a rampant Columbus attack – the Crew move the ball well when on song and are very good at using width as a weapon. Whenever the rookie tried to press, the Crew would have an outlet, such as when Gagnon-Lapare stepped in to Finlay, only for Federico Higuain to slip in behind him.
    Despite those struggles, he would collect three interceptions, three recoveries, one clearance and a tackle. His only foul of the match would prove costly…
    The night was made even worse in the 57th minute when he was controversially whistled for a penalty kick, getting tangled with Finlay as the pair ran into the Montreal box. Gagnon-Lapare did indeed put an arm on the Columbus runner, but whether it was enough to cause the tumble is a matter for debate.
    He was not best pleased with the decision, protesting vehemently and seeing a yellow card for his troubles – it was his second booking of the season.
    Higuain would convert the look and Gagnon-Lapare would be replaced by Marco Di Vaio in the 61st minute, as the Impact looked for a way back into the match.
    Montreal Coach, Frank Klopas, himself not pleased with the call – Klopas was sent to the stands for the close of the match – praised the youngster: “I think the kid has done well. I still have a lot of confidence in him. I know it wasn’t going to be with Finlay’s pace but I have all the confidence in him to put him back there. I think he has had two very good performances. Young players are going to have ups and downs and we have to show him confidence and I believe in him.”
    Gagnon-Lapare himself assessed the performance honestly: “I think we got to be a bit more compact defensively, try to push the other team wider. I think that cost us the first goal, so we will have to work a bit defensively.”
    And commented on the penalty call, “I didn’t have a chance to see the replay yet… those things happen fast in a game. They had more speed on a few occasions, but we came back in the second half with more energy. I still have a lot to learn in that position. They were attacking my side with two players, which was tougher to manage tonight.”
    That said, he still had a sense of humour about it, noting on his role in the penalty kick: “Maybe I wasn't subtle enough.”
    Tesho Akindele
    Akindele began Dallas’ Wednesday night match against Seattle on the bench, coming on in the 54th minute for Jair Benitez with Dallas holding a 1-0 lead – it was his 22nd appearance of the season and fifth from the bench.
    The Calgary, Alberta-native ranged all over the pitch in his forty minutes, variously popping up deep on the left in his own half near the right corner flag in attack – he goes in search of those spaces and is more than willing to get back and contribute defensively.
    Seven minutes after coming on, he made an excellent diagonal run to get away from Seattle right-back DeAndre Yedlin, starting wide on the left before darting centrally, but he could not reach the through-ball from Blas Perez. He pulled off the same move eleven minutes later, this time receiving the ball to break in from the right this time, but Yedlin recovered and forced him well, eventually conceding a corner. Akindele was very much on his own in attack on that play, no other Dallas player was in the area, so a corner wasn’t a bad result.
    Akindele would factor in on Dallas’ third goal of the night, securing the 3-1 win in the 88th minute. Perez would get on the end of a Michel corner kick, but not until after the Canadian’s
    , clearing the path for the Panamanian.Maxim Tissot
    Tissot would make his first start in exactly two months in Montreal’s loss at Columbus – it was his sixth start and seventeenth appearance of the season.
    Like Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé he would be caught out by the early Crew move, allowing Ethan Finlay to drift off him, exposing a gap between himself and his left-back leading to the opening goal.
    Playing on the left-side of the midfield, Tissot hugged the touchline as the Impact looked to stretch the field of play. The Gatineau, Quebec-native was lively, but was a little isolated out on his flank in attack; defensively, with Columbus regularly looking to exploit that side, Tissot had his hands full with Hector Jimenez rampaging forward while Finlay kept Gagnon-Lapare on his toes, and, to make matters worse, Federico Higuain regularly drifted there as well.
    He did manage at least one promising move forward, receiving a pass from Dilly Duka, running square across the top of the area before feeding a return ball down the side of the box that led to a dangerous ball into the goalmouth that bounced off a pair of defenders, falling beyond the reach of a lurking Jack McInerney.
    Tissot was caught by Finlay with a late challenge in the 67th minute, drawing a yellow card.
    Issey Nakajima-Farran
    Nakajima-Farran made a third-consecutive substitute’s appearance for Montreal on Saturday it Columbus, replacing Andres Romero in the 82nd minute – it was his tenth appearance for the club, six of which have come in reserve.
    With the Impact trailing by two goals, Issey sought a way to help them back into the match, which he nearly accomplished second after coming on, laying off a ball to Marco Di Vaio at the top of the area, leading to a handball shout that was not forthcoming.
    Montreal would get their desired penalty in the 91st minute, when the Calgary, Alberta-native was upended by Columbus defender Tyson Wahl, but Di Vaio would see his spot kick denied by Steve Clark in goal.
    Kyle Bekker
    Bekker began TFC’s win on the bench, coming on to replace Jonathan Osorio in the 75th minute with Toronto in search of the full points – it was his fifteenth appearance of the season, six of which have come from the bench.
    Taking up a central position, his passing and positioning was excellent, misplacing just one of twelve attempts. The Oakville, Ontario-native picked out Dwayne De Rosario in space at the back-post with a lovely cross just four minutes after coming on, but De Rosario could not keep his shot on target.
    His reading of the game has always been an asset, making two interceptions in the closing minutes to help see out the result.
    Dwayne De Rosario
    De Rosario entered TFC’s match on Saturday in the 69th minute, replacing a tiring Daniel Lovitz on the left side of midfield – it was his third-straight substitute’s appearance and his fifteenth of the season, all but four of which have come from the bench.
    Spurring the crowd with Toronto having drawn one goal back, a minute after his introduction Toronto would equalize through Nick Hagglund and De Rosario would have a glorious chance to play the hero when a Kyle Bekker cross picked him out in space at the back-post.
    Unfortunately, having brought down the delivery, the Scarborough, Ontario-native could not bend his right-footer from a tight angle around Donovan Ricketts, instead sending it sailing high and wide.
    The Rest
    Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan, Kofi Opare, Sam Adekugbe, and Maxime Crepeau were unused substitutes on the bench for their respective sides.
    All video and quotes courtesy of MLSsoccer.com
    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
    The Fury FC equalized in the 54th minute in what may go down as Ottawa’s goal of the year, with a sumptuous left-footed free kick right outside the penalty area from DM Richie Ryan that found the top right corner sending the Fury supporters into a frenzy. The second half was marked by a number of headed chances for Ottawa from Heinemann, as well as good chances for Minnesota, with the ball hitting the crossbar on 3 separate occasions during the half. Minnesota delivered the killer blow after a counter-attack down their right flank led to an Ibarra-Ramirez connection, which has defeated numerous NASL defenses this season.
    There were a number of fine performances from Fury FC players on the weekend, with Ryan getting the plaudits that he has deserved all season but has not been given in his usual calm play in the middle, as well as consistent play from Ubiparipovic and Heinemann, and a surprisingly effective performance from Mayard. However, the Fury defense was tested severely by the strongest offense in the league, and they could not contain Minnesota this past weekend in what had to be the biggest game of the year.
    Starting Lineup
    The starting lineup remained unchanged from the week before, a rare treat for an expansion side, with a 4-3-3 formation consisting of: (from left to right) Peiser; Soria, Trafford, Beckie, Richter; Ubiparipovic, Ryan ©, Donatelli; Mayard, Heinemann, and Oliver.
    If anything, the surprise of the matchday squad was how deep the bench looked, with a number of players who have started a significant amount of games for the Fury this season who is fighting for a spot in the starting XI after missing games through injury and/or suspensions.
    While the competition for the GK spot between Peiser and Gorrick have been oft-discussed over the fall season, Omar Jarun, Nicki Paterson, Phil Davies, Carl Haworth, and Vini Dantas all started the game on the bench, with all the players with numerous starts between them this season, and the players surely eager to prove themselves at training and on the pitch.
    GK and Defense
    Peiser had a decent game, with two excellent saves in the 2nd half, but when a team concedes 3 goals, one cannot expect the keeper to be happy with his performance after the game. The 1st goal was probably the most saveable of the three, but Peiser has had other excellent games and has remained one of the best players for the club this fall.
    Richter had the best game among the Fury FC defenders on Sunday, showcasing calm play with the ball on the right flank and keeping the game moving. It is a bit hard to believe that OFFC and TFC were attempting to convert him to CB at the beginning of fall, considering the mighty struggles he had in that position in the 2-3 games he played CB for Ottawa during the summer. Soria was his usual solid self, with no obvious mistakes, but also getting beat on pace time to time, with the one that hurt the most the footrace to the ball at the 89th minute that led to Ibarra’s assist for Ramirez.
    Trafford had an interesting game, as some fans will surely point towards his sliding interception in the 2nd half that robbed Ramirez of a sure goal as an indication of his importance to the team. The sliding interception was a fantastic piece of defending, as well as a great tackle on Ibarra in the 1st half, but the sliding interception only became necessary due to the fact that he was the slowest among all the players running into the box on the cross, when he should have tracked back faster as soon as Minnesota played the ball into a dangerous position on the left flank. This has been a trend that has occurred throughout the season, as he has sometimes been guilty of ball-watching when the ball is played out onto the flanks.
    On the other hand, Beckie, who has been the most consistent defender for the Fury FC this year, had surely his poorest game of the season. He was found all over the penalty area, making some crucial interceptions and clearances, attributable to his efforts and hustle. However, he had made at least 1, if not 2, crucial misplays on attempted clearances that came to haunt the Fury in the 1st half. He apologized to the fans after the game on Twitter, as he did not live up to his own high standards for the day.
    Midfield
    Ryan was captain fantastic for Ottawa, with the hashtag #RyanHeart a very suitable description for his performance for Sunday. In addition to his usual calm collected technique and distribution from the middle of the pitch, he stroked in a delightful curler of a free kick, and will surely be recognized for NASL goal of the week. His 40-yard diagonal balls to the wingers were working very well during the game as well.
    Ubiparipovic had another fine performance, as it’s been noted week after week that he is the main attacking thrust for Ottawa all year. He won the PK after a great little run from his LCM position to get on the end of a nice through ball. The only negative was him holding on to the ball longer than needed and getting crowded out in midfield on a couple occasions.
    Donatelli had a very quiet game by his usual standards, and did not make an impression on the game at all, as he may have been specifically pinpointed by Minnesota manager Manny Lagos as a danger man for Ottawa. Paterson came in for Donatelli and contributed more to the attack than Donatelli did for the last 20 minutes of the game, but his advanced position meant that he was unable to track the Minnesota midfielder who sprang free Ibarra for his game-winning assist to Ramirez.
    Offense
    Heinemann has gotten better and better over the last few weeks, with some fantastic performances recently, and he had another one against Minnesota. He won more headers than ever before, but he also showed nifty touches to take the ball past defenders, which we had not seen before. His confidence at PKs is will appreciated for the club, and once his headers start finding the corner of the goals instead of the keeper, Heinemann could score a large number of goals before this season ends.
    Mayard had his best performance of the season, showcasing his strengths on the left flank. While his technique still remains a bit to be desired, he can link up with the players around him, and also produce an extra burst of pace to whip in a dangerous cross from the left flank when in position.
    In contrast, Oliver witnessed a dip in form this weekend, after going on a fantastic goal-scoring spree this month. The vast number of his crosses from the right flank was blocked by the first or second defender, which simply was not good enough to win against the best team in the league, though credit must go to the Minnesota defense. Haworth came on and produced his usual energetic display, while Dantas came on for the last 5 minutes but was not given enough time to provide his incredible last-minute displays.
    Next Match Preview
    Ottawa plays its first mid-week game in some time, welcoming Atlanta on Wednesday at 7:00pm EDT (Rogers TV, NASLLive.com) after defeating them 0-3 away just 10 days ago. Since that match, Atlanta suffered another loss at home to San Antonio by a scoreline of 0-1.
    This is the first time that Atlanta makes its way to Ottawa, with the two previous fixtures between the two sides both occurring in the state of Georgia, with both teams splitting one wins apiece. Mayard, Oliver and Haworth got on the scoresheet in the 0-3 away win for Ottawa, with Heinemann playing particularly well during the match in his ST role.
    Atlanta has slipped below Ottawa in the yearly standings, as it has collected 21 points from its 21 matches, with Ottawa having 22 points from the same number of games. Atlanta, meanwhile, props up the rest of the league for the Fall Season, and has made a new signing this week to bolster its frontline, adding ST Shaka Bangura, while Brazillian AM Kerlon, known internationally as “the Seal”, is training with the club.
    The Silverbacks lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in their home loss to Ottawa 10 days ago, but came out in a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond formation for their last match vs. San Antonio, as manager Jason Smith looks to shake things up. CM Kwadwo Poku and winger Alex Harlley looked particularly dangerous against Ottawa in their previous match-up, though both players came off the bench in their match against San Antonio.
    CSN OFFC MotM
    DM Richie Ryan for his excellent goal, as well as his usual steady play in midfield, with honourable mention to ST Tom Heinemann
    Lineups and Stats
    Ottawa (4-3-3) – Peiser; Soria, Trafford, Beckie, Richter; Ubiparipovic, Ryan ©, Donatelli; Mayard, Heinemann, Oliver
    Minnesota (4-1-4-1) – VanOekel; Davis, Dias, Calvano, Venegas; Pitchkolan ©, Vicentini, Jordan (Burgos 67′), Mendes (Daley 79′), Ibarra; Ramirez
    Ottawa Subs – Paterson (Donatelli 68′), Haworth (Oliver 76′), Dantas (Heinemann 84′)
    Ottawa Goals: Heinemann (15′), Ryan (51′); Assists: Ubiparipovic (15′), Heinemann (51′)
    Minnesota Goals: Ibarra (20′), Mendes (23′), Ramirez (88′)
    Ottawa Injuries and Suspensions: None
    Ottawa Stats Leaders: Shots – Heinemann (4); Challenges Won – Heinemann (12)
    You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at OFFCReview.wordpress.com, and at @OFFCReview.
    Michael Mccoll
    You can find his full gallery from the game HERE.


    The Whitecaps starting XI v RSL


    The pre-match huddle gets the lads fired up


    Joao Plata tired his luck from distance before Pedro Morales missed from six yards out


    Will Sebastian Fernandez get another penalty call this season?


    Kendall Waston certainly seems to be getting them!


    The Hair Bear Bunch pick on a baldy


    Pedro Morales steps up for the penalty - aka Mr Reliable


    Oh....


    Brave Jaydon's Make-A-Wish dream comes true


    Nat Borchers gets his nead and his beard onto a corner


    And much to David Ousted's anguish, it's 1-0 Real Salt Lake


    But within minutes Pedro Morales gets another chance from the spot and makes no mistake this time


    And boy, is he happy


    But wait, Sebastian Jaime is streaking clear


    David Ousted comes out to put him off and it works


    Steven Beitashour gets in a last ditch game saving leg in


    Much to David Ousted's joy. Was hard to tell is he was yelling with joy or anger at first!


    The Caps respond by Pedro Morales making it 2-1


    And the crowd go wild!


    Nicolas Mezquida does the post game humba with Curva Collective
    You can follow Tom on Twitter, where he goes under the name Residual Image.
    James Grossi
    Five candidates for this week’s honours – feeling generous here – starting with a pair of midweek tallies from Dallas, where
    has shown some signs of having adapted to MLS with this right-footed half-volley to open the scoring – all three of his goals have come against the Sounders. Not to be outdone, Seattle’s contributed this right-footed screamer of his own to level the match fifty minutes later.Maintaining the theme of smashing hits, Seattle’s
    contributes this stunner on the weekend, drawing the Sounders level once more, having fallen behind to a scrappy Chivas goal, while San Jose’s got an equalizer of his own, but left it until late to rescue a point for the Earthquakes in Colorado. was a tad more subtle with his finishing, beating New York’s Luis Robles with this delicate chip to give LA the lead after eight minutes of play.Who will take this week’s prize?
    On to the results…
    Midweek Result in a Sentence

    Oscar Pareja’s gamble, resting Matt Hedges on the weekend against LA, paid off, with his side taking the points at home off Seattle on a David Texeira brace and a fourth in their last three matches from Blas Perez with Lamar Neagle hitting some consolation for the Sounders.
    Results in Brief

    The weekend proper began with a mouthwatering all-East encounter on Friday night with second-place in the conference and home-field advantage in the playoffs on the line. Kansas City entered in possession of second, but faltering, having lost five of their last seven matches, relinquishing first to DC, and allowing a resurgent New England within three points. The Revolution, on the other hand, were in fine form and looking to rebound off a narrow loss in Columbus that prevented them from extending their five-match winning streak.
    It took just 22 minutes for the match to open up, after the two sides had exchanged half-chances, with Kelyn Rowe ghosting unmarked behind Igor Juliao onto a Kevin Alston cross from the right to side-foot in a left-footed finish. Alston had begun the play with a throw-in to Jermaine Jones before receiving a return ball down the right-flank before picking out Rowe attacking the back-post.
    New England would double their lead thirteen minutes later when Jose Goncalves forced a turnover in midfield out of Paolo Nagamura and surged up-field. Frozen by the centre-back’s run, the Kansas City defenders backed off, allowing the Revolution captain space for a shot, which he duly left-footed, beating Eric Kronberg to the bottom right-corner of the goal.
    The Revolution would take their lead into half-time only for Kansas City to respond within ten minutes of the restart, leveling the match with two goals in two minutes. The first came from Nagamura himself, peeling off the shoulder of Goncalves to get on the end of a long Kevin Ellis ball forward and beat Bobby Shuttleworth with a right-footer bent around the keeper from a tight angle having burst into the right-side of the area.
    Dwyer would nab the second, his twentieth of the season, after a nice build up that saw Graham Zusi hold off the biting challenges of Jones before playing wide to Toni Dovale, who hit a looping ball to the back-post where Nagamura was on hand to pop a header back onto the doorstep for Dwyer to force over the line from close range.
    Stung, New England would survive further Sporting pressure, despite being penned back for large stretches of the final half-hour. Shuttleworth would come up big, denying a Nagamura drive from handing the initiative to the home side before designated player Jones found space for a shot in the 85th minute.
    Lee Nguyen, having drifted to the left to get on the ball, found the German-American with a square ball, setting up a low right-footed shot from distance that eluded Kronberg to find the bottom right-corner of the KC goal. It was his first goal in MLS, stepping up when it mattered most.
    Several minutes and a few booking later, New England would have their desired result, winning by the odd-goal in five to leapfrog Kansas City into second-place in the East by dint of having one more win than their vanquished foes, while picking up their sixth win in the last seven matches. With the loss, Kansas City, who once seemed impervious at the top of the conference fall to third, humbled with a five loss in their last six matches.

    Saturday began with an early match of critical import, as both Toronto and Portland were fighting for their playoff lives. Toronto hoped to have their season on the turn, putting a six-game winless run in the rear view by going unbeaten through two, sitting just shy of the final spot in the East. Portland too were hovering around the final spot in their conference, entering in possession of fifth by two points, ahead of Vancouver.
    The match began on a sour note, as Toronto-born Timbers captain and Canadian International Will Johnson suffered a devastating injury in a sliding challenge with TFC right-back, Mark Bloom, fracturing both his tibia and fibula; a bitter loss for the Timbers.
    After a long pause the match resumed and it took Portland just thirteen minutes to take the lead when Fanendo Adi pounced on a mistake from Toronto’s Nick Hagglund. The first-year centre-back dawdled on the ball a little too long, allowing Diego Chara to block his pass, which ricocheted into the path of Adi, who made no mistake, breaking into the right-side of the area to beat Joe Bendik with a right-footed shot.
    The Timbers would double their lead three minutes later when a partially-cleared corner kick fell to Chara atop the box. The Colombian found Diego Valeri wide on the right, from whence he drove a low ball into the heart of the six-yard box, where it kicked up and in off the outstretched leg of Steven Caldwell, who would be charged with the own-goal, beating Bendik high at the near-post area.
    Down but not out, TFC would show signs of life; Dominic Oduro skinned Jorge Villafana on the right and sent an inviting ball through the box that fell to Gilberto, only for the Brazilian to get his footing all wrong with a gaping net at his mercy. Minutes later another Oduro ball into a dangerous position would nearly lead to a Portland own-goal, Pa Modou Kah clearing the trouble off his own post and Gilberto’s attempt on the rebound coming off the desperate and prone defender from yards out.
    The second half would begin by foreshadowing what was to come, when a Michael Bradley free-kick was met by Mark Bloom, his header drifting just wide of the right-post in the 50th minute. Portland wasted a glorious chance to pad their lead when Valeri laid Villafana down the left and he teed up a clear look at goal for Rodney Wallace, who sent his bouncing shot well wide.
    Eight minutes later Toronto would begin their comeback, when Dan Lovitz’ initial corner kick was returned to him on the right; the rookie lifted his head to send a cross into the heart of the box. Hagglund, guilty of conceding the first, made amends, meeting the delivery at the back-post to force his header back across to the top right-side of the Portland goal – his first in MLS.
    Another eight minutes and Hagglund would double his tally, this time getting on the end of a left-sided Michael Bradley free-kick at the back-post, leveling the match at two. Bradley’s free-kick from high near the corner flag was sent low into the six-yard box, bouncing past Gilberto and Adi before falling to the rookie at the back-post, who nodded in the equalizer – and celebrated accordingly.
    Sensing the points were there for the taking and in desperate need of them, Toronto would take the game to Portland, culminating in a free-kick on the left after Valeri hacked down Justin Morrow. Bradley again stood over the ball, curling a right-footer towards a crowd assembled at the back-post. The delivery sailed over several players, freezing Portland keeper, Donovan Ricketts, as it flew in untouched at the back-post in the 89th minute to give TFC the 3-2 advantage; a result they would see out.
    With the win, their second-straight, Toronto extends their unbeaten run to three matches and put themselves back into control of their own destiny, ending the weekend in sixth, just one point out of a playoff position and with a game in hand. Portland would see their own unbeaten run ended at four, opening the door for Vancouver to retake that fifth spot in the West, though with four matches remaining, there is plenty of time for it to change hands several more times.

    The round continued with another crucial Eastern clash that pitted conference leaders DC against Philadelphia, who entered the weekend two points off the playoff pace. With New England having won on Friday, DC were offered the chance to extend their advantage at the top, shoring up their position, while keeping themselves within range of the Supporters’ Shield, though still well off the race in the West.
    DC, who were playing their fourteenth match in the last two months – having clinched progression in the Champions League midweek - were reeling from the hectic schedule, having gone winless through three league matches and shutout in two of them. Philadelphia meanwhile were riding a five-match unbeaten run that had slowed, picking up draws in their last two.
    The game would be decided after just ten minutes, when Luis Silva got on the end of a Chris Korb ball, helping his header on to the left-side of goal from the edge of the six having gotten in-between the Union centre-backs. Nick DeLeon began the play with a long, cross-field ball to the right that was met by Korb, who played back to Sean Franklin before receiving the return and dinking a cross to the heart of the area.
    Philadelphia would suffer a further blow twelve minutes later when Sebastien Le Toux landed awkwardly in pursuit of a ball, rolling his ankle in clash with Taylor Kemp that forced him out of the match.
    United would look to extend their advantage, drawing a stunning double goal-line clearance out of Carlos Valdes before half-time, and for all the Union huff and puffed, they could not find the equalizer – one miscommunication between Danny Cruz and Conor Casey summed up their attacking exploits well, the former playing a square ball into space that would have allowed the striker a clear look at goal, only for the latter to make the wrong run, wasting the chance.
    The 1-0 win, although hardly their prettiest of attacking exemplars, snapped DC’s winless run and put them a full six-points ahead of both New England and Kansas City for the top spot in the East. Philadelphia, falling to just their second loss in their last twelve matches, would find themselves a further point out of contention for the post-season, their goal-scoring exploits having dried up, without a goal in their last two matches.

    The action shifted over to the West for the next two matches, the first of which featured an unexpectedly entertaining five-goal first half between league-leaders Seattle and perennial strugglers Chivas USA.
    The Sounders, who were looking to rebound from a pair of losses, had won the last seven meetings between the clubs and could sense Los Angeles breathing down their necks, with a two-horse Supporters’ Shield and first in the West race shaping up nicely. Chivas entered in the midst of a six-game losing streak and eleven-match winless one, but welcomed back striker Cubo Torres from his suspension and international absence.
    Torres had scored fourteen goals this season, while the rest of his club had managed only eleven more, and on his return from a four-game hiatus, it took the Mexican hit-man just twelve minutes to open the scoring, shocking the crowd in attendance.
    Akira Kaji played a ball forward down the right for Felix Borja to chase, the attacker did well to turn inside and muscle past both Jalil Anibaba and Brad Evans to test Stefan Frei with a close-range right-footer that the keeper blocked, only for the rebound to fall kindly for Torres, who stepped around the challenge of Chad Marshall and left-footed a simple finish into the open net – it was his fifteenth goal of the season.
    Not to be outdone, Seattle’s Obafemi Martins would level two minutes later – his fourteenth of the season (he would add his fifteenth later) – with a screamer from distance, collecting the ball from Marco Pappa atop the area only to find space materialize in front of him as he drifted slightly to the left, hitting a left-footer from some 25 yards to the right-side of goal, celebrating with his trademark flips.
    That elation was short-lived, as Chivas would reinstate their lead in the 18th minute. Torres won the ball in midfield, poking up the left for Leandro Barrera to race in on goal. His left-footed effort beat Frei, but not the bar, bouncing down near the goal-line before falling to Torres on the doorstep. Unable to get a shot off, he wisely put a low ball into the middle, where Borja was wrestling with Anibaba for position, that caromed off the duo, bouncing past Frei and into the Sounders net – it would be determined that the final touch came off the Seattle defender, who was charged with an own-goal.
    Seattle would look to equalize immediately once more, and would have were it not for a strong hand from Chivas keeper, Dan Kennedy, that denied Clint Dempsey a header in the 23rd minute. As it was, the Sounders would have to wait until the 37th minute to find their second. Lamar Neagle would be the beneficiary of a broken play, getting on the end of a cruel bouncing ball to streak in alone on Kennedy, opening up his body to beat the keeper with a right-footer after Osvaldo Minda poked a Dempsey ball bound for Martins back towards his own goal, only for it to bounce off Chivas defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and straight to the lurking Neagle.
    Tired of toying with Chivas, Seattle would kill the match in first-half stoppage-time, when some fine interplay between the Seattle strikers saw Dempsey move in from the left to collect a ball from Martins, crisscrossing and playing a back-heeled return into the path of the Nigerian, who in turn, laid a through-ball for the streaking Dempsey who curled his run into the left-side of the area, beating Kennedy with a left-footer to the right-side of the goal – a back-breaker to concede at the end of the half.
    Martins would pad that one-goal advantage six minutes after the restart, when a scramble at the top of the Chivas box was poked to him on the right by Neagle and Martins turned away from pressure, banking a right-footed effort of Donny Toia to beat Kennedy for a fourth time – his fifteenth goal of the season would see Martins surpass Eddie Johnson’s single-season record of fourteen for the most all-time by a Sounders player.
    The 4-2 win would allow Seattle a brief lead over LA atop the league and the West, while putting those losses behind them, while Chivas would fall to a seventh-straight defeat and were officially eliminated; though still winless in twelve, they did manage to snap a three-match goal-less run.

    Up next was another all-Western affair that saw a struggling Vancouver side welcome Salt Lake to town, a team they had not fared well against in recent encounters.
    Salt Lake, who were on the verge of clinching a playoff berth of their own, were unbeaten in the last six meetings with Vancouver, though the previous two meetings this season had ended as draws. Hosts Vancouver had been handed a wonderful chance to move into the final spot in the West, when Canadian cousins Toronto defeated Portland, then holders of the spot, earlier that day.
    Before they could win however, Vancouver, who had lost their last two, would have to overcome the fact that goal-scoring was letting them down, having gotten just three in their last seven matches and been shutout in six of their last nine.
    The Whitecaps would be handed a glorious chance to take the lead at the end of a close-fought first half when the referee controversially pointed to the spot after Kendall Waston took a tumble in the Salt Lake box in stoppage-time. Alvaro Saborio was adjudged to have wrestled him to the ground, though evidence after the fact appeared weak at best.
    Pedro Morales would step to the spot, sending a right-footer low to the goalkeeper’s right, but Salt Lake keeper Jeff Attinella was able to palm away his weak effort, making the save, and Chris Wingert was alert enough to clear away the rebound.
    Having passed up that chance, Vancouver would fall behind in the 57th minute, when Salt Lake’s Morales – Javier - would send a left-sided corner kick into the box that was met by Nat Borchers near the penalty spot, guiding his header down and on to the far-side of goal to break the deadlock, having escaped the marking of Andy O’Brien.
    Morales, Vancouver’s this time, would not pass up his second look at goal, beating Attinella with a penalty kick hit to the same place, but with more emphasis this time, after Carlos Salcedo was penalized for his rash lunge in on Erik Hurtado in the 62nd minute, allowing Vancouver to level the match at ones.
    Morales, Vancouver’s again, would prove the difference between the two sides in the 78th minute, when he redirected a Steven Beitashour shot in to the back of the net after Kekuta Manneh burst into the left-side of the area and played a ball to the top of the box that eventually fell to the right-back.
    Salt Lake would see a handball shout of their own waived away in the final ten minutes and Vancouver would pass on the chance to seal the win, when Manneh opted to go alone, rather than play in Nicolas Mezquida down the right, seeing his effort saved by Attinella – Mezquida was not pleased.
    Regardless, Vancouver would see out the result, snapping that losing skid, and hopping over Portland into the fifth and final spot in the West. For Salt Lake, the loss, their second in three matches, would see them drop further off the pace of conference leaders Seattle and Los Angeles, trailing by eight points come round’s end. Their lead over fourth-placed Dallas was shrunk to a single point, while they will have to wait, at least until next weekend, to clinch a seventh-consecutive playoff berth.

    The action swapped back to the East for the evening’s next match, as Columbus were looking to shore up their position with a win over already-eliminated Montreal.
    With Toronto having drawn level on points, Columbus, who had won their last four at home, were faced with a good chance to collect points, facing a side that had not won on their travels all season.
    And it took just two minutes for the Crew to assert their dominance, when Justin Meram did well to retain possession on the left before finding Wil Trapp with a square ball to the middle. Trapp laid a lovely, inviting pass down the right-channel for the surging run of Ethan Finaly, who broke free behind Maxim Tissot and caught Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare playing a touch too narrow, to beat Evan Bush with a right-footer roofed to the short-side.
    Montreal would toughen their resolve and make a game of it for the next hour, holding Columbus at bay and finding limited chances of their own, but the decision of the referee, much to the chagrin of Frank Klopas, would seal their fate in the 58th minute.
    A weak Callum Mallace pass caught Hassoun Camara pushed up-field, allowing Waylon Francis to play up to Federico Higuain, who quickly put a ball into that exposed space for Meram to chase down. Just as Meram cut into the Montreal area, the referee, who shall not be named, blew the play dead, penalizing minor contact between Gagnon-Lapare and Ethan Finlay, who tumbled easily in the Montreal area.
    Higuain stepped to the task at hand, beating Bush with a low right-footer to the keeper’s right; Bush went correctly, but could not reach the well-struck kick as it sailed into the side-netting. Incensed, Klopas would be sent to the stands shortly thereafter and his side spared further blushes by dint of a double-post hit.
    Montreal would earn a penalty kick of their own in stoppage-time, when Issey Nakajima-Farran was upended by Tyson Wahl in the Columbus box. Marco Di Vaio would step to the spot, only to see his right-footer, sent to the keeper’s right, denied by Steve Clark, who managed to get a strong trailing hand to the effort, which it must be said was put at a good height for the keeper to save.
    The 2-0 win would extend Columbus’ home dominance to five matches and stretch their current unbeaten run to four games, having collected four clean-sheets in their last six games. With the loss, Montreal remain winless away from home and are yet to win two games in a row this season.

    For Saturday’s final match, play returned to the West, where a pair of teams facing elimination took to the pitch in desperation, each in need of points to maintain relevance in the playoff hunt.
    With Vancouver’s win, their deficits were increased to nine and twelve respectively, leaving mathematical extermination in the not so distance future. Making matters all the worse, both sides were in the midst of dire nine-match winless spells, while the previous two meetings between the clubs this season had both ended in scoreless draws.
    And of course, given all those obstacles, neither would find their way to victory on the night.
    Each would see half-chances come and go, as the character of the match took on that of a pair of tired boxers, flinging punches at each other as they reeled after long, discouraging seasons.
    That is until Colorado found some energy in the second half and started to pressure a tiring San Jose side. Deshorn Brown had the ball in the back of the net in the 76th minute after Vicente Sanchez laid him in down the left, but the forward impatiently could not hold his run, prompting the assistant referee to raise his flag, cancelling the strike.
    Sanchez then whistled a tight-angled free-kick through the goalmouth, opting to go for the far-post himself rather than put a tempting ball into the area in the 82nd. Two minutes later, Colorado would find their desired goal.
    Marc Burch sent a long, cross-field ball to Dillon Serna on the right, who checked in-field before laying a ball down the outside for Chris Klute. The Colorado right-back in turn sent a first-time cross low to the near-post area, where Gabby Torres got a right-footed touch on the service, directing it on San Jose keeper, Jon Busch, who could not handle the quick effort, pushing it high into his own net in the process.
    The Rapids looked to have their much-needed win, but the Earthquakes, who are no strangers to late results, would steal one at the death, when a long punt up-field from Victor Bernardez was collected by Matias Perez Garcia. The Argentine, making his first start after missing a month due to knee surgery, shifted to the right before reversing a pass into the middle for Atiba Harris, freezing the defenders with the movement to allow space for a thunderous left-footed bolt that found the left-side of the goal in the 94th minute.
    The draw, and corresponding single point, would do neither side any good, each extending their winless runs to ten and inching closer to mathematical elimination. The last-minute denial of the victory will be heart-breaking for the Rapids, who equaled a franchise-worst winless run in the process. San Jose, who remained three points behind Colorado afterwards, have a few more disappointments to go before reaching franchise-worst proportions with a thirteen-match run back in 2011 in their past.

    The first of two Sunday matches mirrored Saturday’s closer, as two teams all but adrift of the playoff race looked to maintain relevance. When the round began, Houston were seven points away from fifth place, while Chicago sat two further behind; Saturday’s results had added at least one to that mark, while New York’s match later that night could push it a further two beyond their grasp.
    There was a certain symmetry before kickoff, both sides entering on the back of two-straight draws and having drawn their last two meetings by score-lines of 1-1. The comparison ended there, as Houston entered in solid form, still hoping for a miraculous late-season surge to the playoffs, in the midst of a four-game unbeaten run, their longest of the season; Chicago were winless in three games.
    Despite Chicago fielding a very attacking lineup, it was Houston who took the lead after fifteen minutes when Ricardo Clark popped up on the left to send a cross into the area that was met by Omar Cummings towards the back-post. The Jamaican forward, playing in place of the injured Will Bruin, had gotten in-behind midfielder-turned-centre-back Jeff Larentowicz and inside full-back Gonzalo Segares to touch in with a stretched right-foot.
    The Fire brought plenty of fight to the match, but could not find the necessary quality and were lucky to not fall behind after a lovely passage of play saw Oscar Boniek Garcia play a lovely outside of the boot ball forward for Giles Barnes, who attempted to chip the Chicago keeper, drawing a back-pedaling save from Sean Johnson.
    Houston would double their lead in the 67th minute, when Luis Garrido found Kofi Sarkodie in space wide on the right and the full-back sent a curling ball to the back-post, where it was met by Brad Davis. Unable to muster a good chance at goal from his position, Davis wisely opted instead to nod the delivery back into the middle, where it was met by Garcia below the penalty spot, guiding a left-footer to the top left-corner of the goal, ensuing the three points stayed in Houston.
    The 2-0 win not only extended their unbeaten run to five matches and allowed them to close the gap to fifth to five points, but may just have instilled another notch of confidence, having so handily dispatched a desperate team with two quality strikes.
    Chicago, though spared another draw, see their winless spell stretch to four matches, falling even further adrift, now a full ten points shy of the dividing line.

    And finally, Sunday’s nightcap provided an excellent counterpoint to a weekend that began with a clash of titans in the East; though in different conferences, LA-New York matches are often highly-anticipated, if regularly disappointing, encounters.
    Optimism of a ‘good game’ was all but stunted by a quick look at the facts: The Galaxy, having clinched a playoff berth, were in lock-step with Seattle for first in the West and the league, riding an eight-match unbeaten run and had won their last four matches at home. New York, though unbeaten in four, were winless in their last six away matches, clinging to fifth in the East by a single point after Saturday’s results.
    Granted, New York had won the last two meetings, adding some reason for neutral hope, but eight minutes in, the rout was on.
    Landon Donovan charged up the left side only to stumble fortuitously over the ball, halting his run. Forced to a stop, he found Robbie Keane on the right, who beat Roy Miller with a fake and shimmy to the outside before lifting a devastating right-footed chip that sailed over Luis Robles and into the New York goal.
    Stung by the early concession, Red Bull would compose themselves and make a match out of the next forty-odd minutes, despite the Galaxy attacks crashing in waves. Gyasi Zardes would have two looks from the left before a Chris Duvall giveaway allowed Donovan to send an effort dipping over the bar.
    Thierry Henry looked to spring Bradley Wright-Phillips, chasing his 25th goal of the season, but Jaime Penedo was out quick to close down one look. Another chance would come the Englishman’s way shortly after the half-hour, but he could not get his feet sorted and his next attempt could only find the outside netting from a tight angle.
    With the second half came more LA goals, as Donovan himself added the second in the 50th minute, picking Duvall’s pocket once more when the rookie tried to usher a long ball to safety with his chest, unawares of the pressing Donovan, who stole possession, burst in from the left and finished across the keeper with a firm right-footer to the right-side of goal.
    Zardes would add their third in the 69th minute, chasing down a Stefan Ishizaki leading ball down the right, playing back to his teammate, before curling to collect yet another return ball as he moved in-field. Zardes then played a one-two with Donovan, making space down the right-side of the area for a right-footed finish to the left-side of goal.
    And Keane grabbed the fourth in the 82nd minute, breaking into the right-side of the box to get onto the end of a Donovan ball over the top. The Irishman would scuff his first shot, but collected the loose ball, stepped around Ibrahim Sekagya to touch a right-footer into the open net.
    With that assist, his third of the night, Donovan tied Steve Ralston’s all-time assist record of 135.
    The impressive four-goal win allowed LA to equal Seattle’s point haul of 57, while extending their unbeaten run to nine games, including wins in their last two, and stretching their home-winning run to five straight. New York, who crashed out of the Champions League with a scoreless result in El Salvador midweek, would fall two points behind Columbus and just a single point ahead of Toronto, though still in the playoff spots.
    CanCon
    The extended review of the Canadian performances of the round will be posted tomorrow (Tuesday).
    It was a rough weekend in MLS for the Canadians, beginning with the devastating injury suffered by Will Johnson just seconds into Portland’s match in Toronto. Montreal rookie Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare had a tough outing too, while Jonathan Osorio and Issey Nakajima-Farran were involved in the goals for their respective sides.
    Overheard
    Peter Vermes offers some positives in the midst of his side’s struggles: “After three games in nine days, it's a massive effort by our team. I'm extremely proud of the way they played. I actually thought that we were good in the first half and that we were unbelievable in the second half... I don't think I've ever said this to them before, but I said if you play the way you play tonight - if we put the goals aside - it's not that you're going to be competitive in this league, but you're going to win a lot and you're going to win often. It's extremely painful for the guys to walk out of here with nothing, but when you look at the long term and play three games in nine days with the intensity that we played with, it's a good sign for the future.” Management is about carrots and sticks, good managers know when each is necessary.
    Toronto new boy, Greg Vanney expressed a sentiment that the entire league has echoed, beginning his post-match conference thusly: “I want to send my best to Will Johnson. I hope he has a speedy recovery. I always thought he is a classy player and a hard-working guy so I send my best to him.”
    Michael Bradley too offer thought for his injured friend: “As a player and as a competitor, you hate to see anybody get hurt, but that’s one of [my] closest friends; it’s not nice at all. They both went in very hard. On the one hand you expect that they would both pop right up, and on the other hand that play had a hard edge going to it. You could even hear the way they crashed into each other and you kind of knew that that was a hard one.”
    There has been a lot of debate about the fad of not celebrating when scoring against one’s former club – a sentiment that Atiba Harris has no time for: “It’s always fantastic to score against your old team, to kind of show them what they gave up.”
    Landon Donovan finds himself on the verge of more history; he spoke about it post-match: “I’m proud of it. To get an assist record you have to have a lot of people scoring goals so it’s not just putting the ball in the right place, its people finishing. They scored three very good goals tonight, which helped. I’ve had a lot of guys score a lot of goals on my behalf so it’s a credit to all of them too. I’ve always tried to be a guy who makes the right play in front of the goal. So if that means making the pass that leads to the pass that scores, if that means making the pass that leads to the goal, or if that means shooting when you need to shoot. I try and make good decisions in those moments, they come fast and it’s not always easy to make the right decision, but I’ve tried to always make the right decision when I can. More often than not, when I’ve made the right decision, guys have gotten in good spots and scored. So that’s something that I’m proud of. I’ve always wanted to be that type of player. I didn’t want to be one dimensional; I wanted to have all sorts of different parts to my game and I hope that showed.” There are lessons to be learned from Donovan.
    Thierry Henry shrugged post-match in true Gallic fashion: “I’ve only got one thing to say…Well done LA.”
    See It Live
    A sampling of the best saves from the round: Eric Kronberg on Chris Tierney; Carlos Valdes’ double goal-line clearance; Dan Kennedy on Clint Dempsey; David Ousted on Javier Morales; Steve Clark on Callum Mallace and then on Marco Di Vaio’s penalty kick; Joe Nasco on Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi; and Sean Johnson on AJ Cochran.
    Plenty of other nuggets: Graham Zusi dissent; Will Johnson’s injury (tough to watch); Gilberto’s epic miss; Kekuta Manneh and Nicolas Mezquida get in each other’s face; Columbus’ double-post hit; David Horst’s angry face after a tangle with Quincy Amarikwa; a scintillating passage involving Giles Barnes, Oscar Boniek Garcia, and Sean Johnson; unfortunately, video of Omar Gonzalez’ galloping run was not available, but it was fun to see.
    Controversy
    Aside from a few debatable calls, the referees took Garber’s advice, letting the teams decide the results – other than that match in Columbus:
    Charlie Davis was booked for embellishing a slap to the face from Igor Juliao, who will no doubt be punished by the Disciplinary Committee for raising his hands.
    Did Maurice Edu’s late trip on Nick DeLeon deserve more than a yellow card? DC thought so.
    Was
    ? Probably not; doesn’t really matter as it was forced in anyways, but was on Seattle’s fourth?Plenty of talking points in Vancouver, where Sebastian Fernandez went over the leg of Nat Borchers – not called; while Alvaro Saborio’s tug on Kendall Waston was. Vancouver thought they should have had another when Fernandez was shoved in the back by Abdoulie Mansally – no call, though they got a second when Carlos Salcedo clattered Erik Hurtado. Salt Lake wanted a handball call late – it was not forthcoming.
    What about the call on Montreal’s Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare in Columbus? Frank Klopas was not best pleased with the referee, who also waived away an Impact handball shout before granting one when Tyson Wahl upended Issey Nakajima-Farran.
    Upcoming Fixtures
    The weekend begins early next week, as fans are treated to a rare Thursday night encounter, following by one on Friday, five on Saturday, and three on Sunday.
    Crucial matches the lot of them, aside from maybe Chicago-Montreal. DC-KC on Friday looks the pick of the bunch.
    Thursday: Philadelphia-Chicago. Friday: DC-Kansas City. Saturday: New York-Houston; Vancouver-Dallas; New England-Columbus; Los Angeles-Toronto; San Jose-Portland. Sunday: Colorado-Seattle; Chicago-Montreal; Chivas-Salt Lake.
    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
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