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    Aaron Campbell
    The Good:
    Re-emergence of Pedro Morales
    Big players step up in big games and guide their team to victories. They take advantage of opportunities given to them. The goals don't have to be pretty, they all count.
    Over the past few games Morales has played okay, borderline well. The problem is that with what he has shown previously, and with his huge salary by MLS standards, the Whitecaps supporters and management want great, amazing and did you see that in every match, not just playing well game to game.
    After he missed the first penalty many supporters where thinking he blew the chance to score and those don't come too often lately for Morales or the Whitecaps.
    He made sure on his first goal that it was going into the back of the mesh. The goal for the brace was great but without a lot of the build-up play from Kekuta Manneh and Steven Beitashour there is no chance for Pedro.
    Let's hope moving forward we see this version of Pedro and not what we have seen the previous few games. The ‘Caps need it.
    The Average:
    Kendall Waston’s Defensive Play
    I will start this off by saying I love what he has brought to the team since he has been here. I will take the yellow cards and the games he will miss due to suspensions. I will take his heading ability and ability to draw penalties in the box.
    The main concern I have is when the opposing player has the ball with his back to him, sometimes he is too over eager to get the ball on a tackle instead of being in a proper position. If he closes too strong it will lead to great free kick positions. Or if an opposing player sees him moving up too quick to get to the player with the ball, they will slip behind him to receive a pass in the space Waston just left that has opened up.
    I know you have to take some mistakes, yellows and tough penalties with a player like Waston to get the good he offers.
    The Bad:
    Sebastian Fernandez’s Reputation for Diving
    It's sad to see that a few classless plays in the beginning of the season still haunts Fernandez this far into the season. He has been waved off from getting a penalty in the previous two games and this one.
    The referees know what he has done in the past and let's hope next season it will be a clean start. He has to keep at his game and keep attacking, sooner or later he will get a call in his favour.
    Robinson was furious when he didn't get the call in the first half and you saw him working the fourth official. A manager has to do that for his player.
    Steve Pandher
    It looked as though the first half would be an entertaining one as both teams had early chances to get on the scoreboard first. In the first few minutes it was Joao Plata who collected the ball at the edge of the box and fired a shot on goal which was easily stopped by David Ousted.
    Just two minutes later the Whitecaps had their first chance when Sebastian Fernandez found Pedro Morales in the six yard area, after showing some nice footwork to skip past Kyle Beckerman. Unfortunately the 'Caps captain was unable to get a proper foot to the ball and he sent his attempt over the net.
    The remainder of the first half was uneventful until added time when a penalty was awarded to the Caps after Kendall Waston was brought down in the box when attempting to convert a corner. Once again it was up to Morales and once again he was unable to provide the goal as his weak attempt was easily stopped by Jeff Attinella.
    The first ten minutes of the second half looked similar to the majority of the first half but then RSL struck off a corner when Nat Borchers converted a Javier Morales corner in the 57th minute. The corner was setup when Morales was robbed by Ousted from about 12 yards out.
    It only took the Whitecaps five minutes to respond as Pedro Morales made up for his first half misses and converted a penalty to tie the match at one. The second penalty call of the match happened when Erik Hurtado was tackled high by Carlos Salcedo.
    A few minutes later the home side had a chance to make it two when second half sub Nicolas Mezquida sent in a cross to the near post which Hurtado flicked on goal but he was stopped by Attinella. Another chance came for the Caps when Morales received a pass from Darren Mattocks but Attinella parried his shot over the bar.
    The pressure finally paid off for Vancouver as they took the lead in the 77th minute with Pedro Morales picking up his second of the afternoon. It was sub Kekuta Manneh who made a run into the box and then cut the pass back finding Steven Beitashour. The defender sent the ball back towards Morales who was able to deflect it between Attinella and a RSL defender.
    Manneh then had a chance to put the Caps up by two when his shot from inside the box was stopped by Attinella after a run that saw him go by a couple of defenders while ignoring open teammates. Fortunately the Whitecaps, RSL was unable to create any dangerous opportunities for the remainder of the match as Vancouver secured the victory.
    The three points, along with Portland’s loss to TFC earlier in the day, has put Vancouver above the red line and into a playoff position with four games to go. It didn’t look like it was going to happen after a first half of missed chances and when things looked direr when the visitors opened the scoring.
    Luckily for them they were able to bounce back and gain the win, their second straight at home, and give hope for a playoff berth. They will have a chance to repeat the result at BC Place next Saturday when they take on another strong Western Conference opponent in FC Dallas.
    FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 - 1 Real Salt Lake
    SCORING SUMMARY:
    57' - RSL - Nat Borchers (Javier Morales)
    62' - VAN - Pedro Morales (penalty kick)
    78' - VAN - Pedro Morales (Steven Beitashour, Kekuta Manneh)
    ATT: 19,395
    VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien, Kendall Waston, Jordan Harvey; Matías Laba, Russell Teibert; Mauro Rosales (Nicolás Mezquida 64), Pedro Morales, Sebastián Fernández (Kekuta Manneh 77); Erik Hurtado (Darren Mattocks 68) [subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Sam Adekugbe, Mehdi Ballouchy, Ethen Sampson]
    SALT LAKE: Jeff Attinella; Chris Winger, Carlos Salcedo, Nat Borchers, Abdoulie Mansally; Luke Mulholland (Sebastian Velasquez 82), Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Luis Gil (Ned Grabavoy 69); Alvaro Saborio (Sebastian Jaime 69), Joao Plata [subs Not Used: Lalo Fernandez, Aaron Maund, Cole Grossman, Devon Sandoval]
    MATCH STATS:
    Shots: Vancouver 17 - Real Salt Lake 16
    Shots on Goal: Vancouver 9 - Real Salt Lake 7
    Saves: Vancouver 6 - Real Salt Lake 7
    Fouls: Vancouver 14 - Real Salt Lake 8
    Offsides: Vancouver 0 - Real Salt Lake 3
    Corners: Vancouver 6 - Real Salt Lake 8
    CAUTIONS
    36' - VAN - Steven Beitashour
    60' - RSL - Carlos Salcedo
    63' - VAN - Russell Teibert
    79' - VAN - Pedro Morales
    REACTION:
    VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
    CARL ROBINSON
    Thoughts on the match:
    "I'm hot. I'm sweating. It was a great game to watch if you were a neutral, difficult to watch if you were either manager I believe. The game had everything. It had chances, it had penalties, it had missed decisions, it had wrong decisions, it had right decisions. It was a good game of football. Fortunately enough we came out with the victory today so it helps. It three points, three big points for us, and it stands us in good stead for next week."
    Did he watch the Portland result earlier and did that dictate line-up and tactics?
    "I did watch it and after about 15 minutes I probably turned it off. In this league, as everyone knows, it's sometimes hard to play a team that is maybe fighting for it's lives, as well as a team that are the top of the table as well."
    On the play of Pedro Morales
    "It was a conversation we had (to take Pedro off after halftime as he was tiring); I made the decision to keep him on and thank god I did. He makes a difference to us. Pedro will get the headlines today for the goals. I thought in the first half he was probably below the levels that he should have been. As everyone knows, we were struggling for goals and we miss a penalty just before halftime. That was probably my hardest team talk. The boys played well, but we missed chances again. It’s a broken record but I just said you’ve got to keep going and that will make it even better when we do win. They came out and scored; bit sloppy from us on a set piece again. But the fight and the character they showed today – not just Pedro but every single player in my group today – I’m very pleased for them because it’s been tough. It was an important win."
    On the play of substitute Nicolas Mezquida:
    "Games around the world are won and lost by substitutes. I kept the same team this morning; yesterday I thought about changing it as Nico has been brilliant in training. He got his just reward today. He came on and showed what he could do. He was fantastic."
    On the team’s turnaround in the second half:
    "I think we saw (Pedro) get back to a passing range we’re used to seeing from him. Sometimes you have to find defining moments in seasons. And maybe this was our defining moment."
    On the play of David Ousted:
    "David has been excellent for me. At key crucial times, he came up with big saves. He was playing as a sweeper at times; he got in front of Jaime, which is a great but risky decision but it was the right decision. He’s one of 14 guys who were crucial to getting these three points."
    On bouncing back from the loss in Portland:
    "It’s not easy when you miss a penalty. I think last week we felt sorry for ourselves; not for want of trying. We’re talking about leaders. I’ve lost a few leaders this year but it’s time for these guys to step up. And I challenged them this week to step up. In big games you need big players. And today we had some big players."
    On Portland Timbers' Will Johnson’s injury:
    "He’s a friend, he’s a winner, he’s a fighter. I’m really gutted for him. We’ll send our best wishes from the club. You don’t want anyone to get seriously injured. There’s no edge for us. We don’t want that. We don’t want players missing games. I want to get in the playoffs because we deserve to get in the playoffs. Disappointing for Will. I wish Will a speedy recovery and I’ll speak to him next week."
    DAVID OUSTED
    Thoughts on the match:
    "Great win. It feels fantastic especially the way we won coming from behind. So hopefully this is the start of a couple of good games for us."
    On what was said during halftime:
    "Carl (Robinson) said to keep doing what we were doing. I think we played a really really good first half. I think we pressed them, we were good on the ball. And that was the message keep doing what we were doing and keep the intensity and I think we did it in the second half."
    On how the team responded to Portland’s loss last week:
    "I think the reaction was the right one. We got behind each other and we got back into it. At the end that was one of the reasons why we came out with a win today. The mentality of coming back and supporting each other even though we again go behind even though we were the better team."
    On how much the player’s meeting earlier this week helped their play:
    "It’s always hard to say. I do think it has an effect. I think you saw the senior players getting behind everybody and communicating a lot. And you felt it at halftime, people were disappointed with not being ahead but it wasn’t going to get us down today."
    On what Pedro Morales has meant to the team:
    "Pedro has been good. He showed today that he has the right mentality…missed a penalty and went right back out and got two goals anyways. I think especially the guys around him got us back, you saw that and I think Pedro felt that as well. So he missed the penalty but everybody was at it again and supported him."
    The importance of Steven Beitashour’s play when Ousted came far out to challenge in second half:
    "Unbelievable. I came out and tried to block it, I got a little bit of it. But he got on, Beitashour made an absolutely fantastic pay. I think he’s tired now and his hip is a little out of place now but that was fantastic."
    STEVEN BEITASHOUR
    Thoughts on the match:
    “The intensity was there, it felt like a playoff match and we have to treat every game like it’s the playoffs because every point counts right now. It’s a race with Portland now and that’s a great starting step.”
    On his assist on the second Morales goal:
    “I saw him. I looked up and I said ‘Pedro I’m passing you the ball’….no that was a shot. But right when I was lining up for it I pictured skying it. So I said ok don’t sky it just put it on your foot and keep it on the ground. I took a lot off of it. I was ready to swing for a home run. That’s why I pictured it going way up. So I just said be safe, put it on target and hopefully something good comes out of it. That was good, it helped us a lot so we just need to continue that momentum to next week.”
    On the team’s response in the second half:
    “I thought we played real well in the first half to be honest. I thought we did all the little things correctly all the things we’ve been working on in practice. And to go behind in the second half…our response was great. If you look at the Portland match, our response wasn’t great and we felt let down. But this time we just got together, and picked up the intensity and it showed and we came back from that.”
    On the impact of the subs tonight:
    “In the beginning of the year I thought the subs did great for us, they came off the bench and gave us that spark we needed. And today they did a great job and we need them. It’s not just whoever is starting, it’s the three subs and everyone on the bench and the guys at training. So this is a whole team effort and today we did a great job. They were definitely fired up.”
    On Pedro Morales’ performance:
    “To bounce back from that, it’s tough to miss a penalty kick. So to bounce back the way he did was great. That’s why he’s our leader, and we feed off of it, so he did a great job. Not just the goals but distributing the ball and his intensity and closing them down as well. And we need that. Every game from now on has to be that intense.”
    On the impact his former team San Jose earthquakes have in the playoff race:
    “At the same time guys are fighting for their jobs. They aren’t going to be giving anyone an easy time. So it’s good that they’re playing Portland twice. I think they’re going to give them a tough time they match up well together. So hopefully they’re going to give us some favours but if not we’ve got our own destiny, we have to take care of business that’s the main thing. So tonight was a great step towards that, we’ve just got to continue doing that.”
    On the team performances:
    “If you look all around the table I thought everyone played well. David Ousted did a great job keeping us in that game. Andy O’Brien and the big man Kendall Watson just winning every ball. And the guys in the middle getting every ball, and that’s just how you win games. The little things. Fighting and battling. So Pedro definitely carries us offensively and we run through him. So if we can do all the little things and get to the ball and run off of him, I think we’ve got a great team and we can do well.”
    RUSSELL TEIBERT
    Thoughts on 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.”
    If he tried to take the second penalty shot:
    “No, no I didn’t. I gave the ball to Pedro because he’s been a leader all season long. He’s been great on penalties all season long. And nine times out of ten he’s going to score. One doesn’t go in but he’s going to bang another one in.”
    On the importance of seeing Pedro bounce back in the second half:
    “The game’s 90 minutes long. And sometimes in periods of the game you’re not doing what you want to do. I think Pedro was great all game long. Maybe at certain points in the first half he wasn’t getting on the ball as much as he wanted to, but that’s the type of player he is. He comes in the second half and scores two goals and gives us the victory.”
    On the fact that the club had not won a game after trailing or being tied after the first half:
    “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.”
    On the Portland vs Toronto game:
    “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.”
    Reaction to Portland’s Will Johnson’s injury:
    “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.”
    On if Johnson’s injury will affect Portland’s playoff chances:
    “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.”
    On Carl Robinson’s halftime message:
    “It’s really been a team effort all year long. Like I said before this match, the boss, the fans, the training staff they can only do so much. And it was really down to us tonight. And we’ve showing that we can step it up, and we can play when the pressure is on, and we can win when the pressure is on. That’s a massive result for us tonight, and it’s a result that we can’t be content with and we can’t stop now. Because it’s one game, it’s one result and at the end of the day if we lose the next four games it’s not going to mean anything. So we can be happy but we know we need to keep pushing because that’s what we need to make the playoffs.”
    PEDRO MORALES
    Thoughts on the game:
    “The team, my partners are very happy for today. For the way we needed the win today especially with Portland’s loss against Toronto. My teammates were very good today, good attitude. We had so many chances for a goal, but it is important today for a win, for three points. Very, very important.”
    On his missed penalty kick:
    “What happened is the goalkeeper is good. Every time I shoot on the same side, this time I lost. But my partner Jordan Harvey in the second penalty talked to me, he said ‘One more again’ for confidence. And I shot on the same side and a goal.”
    On his goal from Steven Beitashour:
    “I think when Beitashour shot the ball was out. I just put my legs in a good position and it was easy for me.”
    On leading by example in the second half of the game:
    "I think my teammates, when we finished the first half, they were very confident for me, [saying] 'Pedro, let’s go, no problem, take one more opportunity.' In the second half I felt so much better and more confident in my play. I got two important goals for the team."
    REAL SALT LAKE
    JEFF CASSAR
    Thoughts on the match:
    “The quality that Real has been typically known for just wasn’t there. The fight was there, the intensity was there, but we just didn’t play good enough soccer tonight. Credit to Vancouver, they were aggressive. We were aggressive too, just not good enough tonight.”
    On his decision to rest/not rest his starters:
    “Any players that I put out there, I think are first-teamers and starters. There were four or five changes to our lineup from our last lineup [against Colorado]. “
    On whether the penalty kick calls were correct:
    “I’m not pleased about it. I’m just not pleased about it. Obviously, we put ourselves in those positions, but I’m not pleased. Really disappointed. It’s tough enough to go on the road and try to get a result, but it’s even tougher when you’ve got two PK calls against you.”
    Thoughts on Attinella’s play:
    “I thought he did a great job. Obviously he made a huge save on the PK, but really commanded his box well, looked very comfortable and really did a great job.”
    More thoughts on the overall match:
    “I actually thought our soccer was pretty good. You know, it’s a team that had their backs against the wall, and you saw them tonight that they were fighting hard on every play. There was no give up on that team, and that’s a credit to coach Robinson. They kept going. We kept going, too, but it just wasn’t our night.”
    JEFF ATTINELLA
    Thoughts on Real Salt Lake’s play:
    “We battled, and we were unfortunate not to get a result. Two PKs against, that’s pretty tough, and then a shot that’s going wide that happens to land at somebody’s foot. The ball didn’t bounce our way, and we battled - you’ve got do that on the road in a tough place when the team’s fighting for the playoffs. We were just unfortunate, but we fought hard enough to get a point, that’s for sure.
    On getting his first start after a long break:
    “That’s my role right now. I get a couple of days notice, and I’ve just got to be ready. I’m kind of used to it at this point, but it’s always exciting to get to play. Obviously, you just want to get a result.”
    On Pedro Morales’ first PK, which he stopped:
    “I had a good scouting report, I went the right way, and he didn’t hit it as well as he hit the second one, that’s for sure. I just got a hand to it. PKs are such a toss-up, as you saw with the next one that he buried. It’s always good to get the save, but in the end, it didn’t matter too much.”
    KYLE BECKERMAN
    Thoughts on the game:
    “I thought it was an entertaining game for the fans, which is great. It’s just unfortunate not to come out with a result.”
    On how much more difficult the game is after two PKs against:
    “It’s always going to be tough, especially against a team that’s been struggling to score. I think in quite a few of their last games, the only time they have actually scored is through PKs, and then that gets them going. It’s unfortunate that the two PKs were called against us, but sometimes you have to go through it, and that’s what we did tonight, and we weren’t able to get a result.”
    On what they can take from this performance moving forward:
    “I think the important thing was the effort that we gave tonight. I thought everybody fought for each other and really had each other’s back …the main thing you can get from it is if you can work for each other and really react to mistakes, which I thought we did that. We’ll take that and see if we can get better next week. We’ll work hard this week in practice and come out next week firing.”
    Grant
    I am not aware of any previous incidents involving Palomo and gross journalistic inaccuracy, but it's always important to remember that until we receive official confirmation this remains one guy's word. With that in mind, here’s a good summary of the report it in English.
    Rather than relying on a group stage in which only the winners advance to the semifinal round (the one right ahead of the Hex; the one Canada keeps failing at), Concacaf nations will advance through three home-and-away knockout rounds to get to the semi-final group stage. The top six ranked nations in Concacaf receive a bye directly to the semifinal round. The surprising catch here is that Concacaf intends to use the August Fifa rankings, which don’t take into account matches played at the recently competed Copa Centroamericana.
    That fact has elicited howls of protest, literally in some cases, especially from commentators on ESPN Deportes popular drive-time radio show Jorge Ramos y su Banda last Wednesday. It’s easy to see why fans of certain Central American nations would be bitter in regards to that seemingly arbitrary decision. The August rankings have Trinidad and Tobago sitting in sixth place, with Haiti in eighth. That means the Trinidadians would avoid the initial knockout games altogether, while Haiti would only play in one round of them. The guys on Jorge Ramos' show were (predictably) eager to point out that Concacaf president Jeffrey Webb hails from the Cayman Islands, which is a member of the Caribbean Football Union. In terms of really getting the jam, look no further than Guatemala. Los Chapines shot up to sixth in the September ratings from 15th in August.
    What does it mean for Canada?
    Canada sits ninth in the August rankings, meaning Les Rouges would enter the second round of home-and-aways played next June on Fifa dates, which won't conflict with July's Gold Cup. (There is a lengthy thread on the Voyageurs supporters' group forum where you can pore over incredibly detailed research on how Canada's Fifa spot is calculated. Suffice to say, Canada dips to 15th in the Sept. ranking and is headed further down.) If Concacaf goes with August rankings, Canada would most likely face opponents such as Antigua and Barbuda, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua or St Kitts and Nevis in this second round. Of course, it all depends on how the draw is structured and whether it is somehow seeded. The following home-and-away, slated for September 2015, could (big emphasis on could) entail a far trickier opponent. We're talking El Salvador or Guatemala here. And as someone who idles away a great deal of time following Central American soccer, that terrifies me.
    Either way, next summer is shaping up to be a swell month for Canadian soccer fans, what with a spot on the Copa America on the line in the Gold Cup and the possible advent of sudden-death World Cup qualifying.
    Michael Mccoll
    Just in case you've been living under a rock for the past year, here's a quick refresher. The CSA have deemed that the Voyageurs Cup will be competed for later in the season from next year, so whichever Canadian club finishes highest in the MLS standings this season will represent Canada in next year's Champions League. Which does feel like the only way the Whitecaps will claim that honour sometimes!
    Vancouver and Toronto are currently level on points in the standing, but not only do TFC have a game in hand, they also have the most wins tiebreaker right now.
    If both teams were to win out (I know, I amuse myself sometimes), then that would see Toronto claim the spot. So a TFC win tomorrow makes achieving that goal slightly more difficult with the games running out.
    Now if you were to ask me to pick between just one of the options, the Whitecaps in the playoffs or the Whitecaps in next year's Champions League, what would I pick? What would you pick? What would Carl Robinson pick?
    In reality it's likely that if they make the playoffs, the points they've massed will also mean they clinch the Champions League spot too. I think that's what it's going to take. But if I was only allowed one, well, when I first thought about writing this article I thought my answer would be the playoffs every day of the week. But then I got thinking. If the Whitecaps make the playoffs, they face an away game in Dallas or Real Salt Lake and realistically are going to go one and out.
    So you're qualifying for just one game and possibly a quick disappointment. Qualifying for the Champions League gets you six more games at least, a Cup competition to go for and some valuable experience and minutes for Vancouver's younger and fringe players.
    It's a tough one.
    Of course, you then also have to look at what the likelihood of both scenarios happening will be? Will the Whitecaps even make the playoffs this year, not even looking at any other factor? Right back Steven Beitashour is certainly full of confidence.
    "It's two points," Beitashour answered incredulously when he was asked at training on Thursday if the Whitecaps still had a chance at making the playoffs. It was a bizarre question. "Five games, 15 points out there," he continued. "Two points. There's no way they're going five for five, so there's going to be a lot of points out there to grab and it starts on Saturday."
    "What they do doesn't affect us if we don't just win. We just try and control our own thing. At the end of the day we have five games to go, we know that, but we can't look past Salt Lake."
    The Toronto-Portland game kicks off at 10am PT. An ungodly hour for football and likely right in the middle of the Ryder Cup winding up for the day. Typically selfish east coast bastards. On the plus side though, it does mean that the game will finish four hours before Vancouver kicks off their crucial game with Real Salt Lake.
    The Whitecaps will know what the Timbers will have done and whether they're looking at closing a five point gap or facing the chance to get above the red line again. Will they be watching?
    Russell Teibert won't be until later, but he knows which scenario he's rooting for in the game.
    "I'll watch the Portland-Toronto game after the fact," Teibert said. "I won't pay no mind to it before. We know we can only control what we can control and that's our game, our match, that's our individual performances, that's how we play as a team. We can't control what Portland does but I'll give my boys from Portland a little shout and hopefully they'll do us a favour.
    "We know that even if [Portland] lose, if we don't win it doesn't mean anything. We need to go out, we need to perform, we need to win the game."
    So the players at least know that watching and relying on other teams slipping up or other teams do us favours doesn't count for much if they don't get the job done themselves over the next five "cup finals"
    The Ontario lad is cheering on TFC to do the Caps a favour and coach Carl Robinson is also hoping for the same from his old team.
    "Maybe Defoe's back and he can bang in four more goals," Robinson joked yesterday before continuing the same message as his players.
    "Listen, we need to concentrate on our own business. We didn't take care of our own business last week because we weren't at our levels that we need to be barring the first 20 minutes, so we've got to get back to that."

    The Whitecaps are looking for a Toronto win. Me? Well I'm cheering for an asteroid strike, the stretcher-bearers and failing that either a draw with injuries to key personnel or an absolute thumping of the Timbers by TFC.
    Even after all this, it could still come down to goal difference, and as we all sadly know, goals are exactly Vancouver's strong suit right now.
    Michael Mccoll
    Or are they right?
    Have the Whitecaps not been getting some decisions of late? Are the football gods still angry at games being played on fake grass under a closed roof? (Or is that just me?) Is all it is going to take is getting in the groove and then just watch these uncoiled springs go?
    I’m a firm believer that you make your own luck in football, and life. Every team can look back at the decisions that didn’t go their way, the calls they didn’t get, and of course some of them can cost matches and vital points. Are the Caps just getting a spell of these calls of late or are they simply not good enough to be fighting for the postseason this year and that makes for a good deflector?
    It is understandable why the Caps might be feeling this way. One thing has looked certain and that is that Sebastian Fernandez can’t seem to get a penalty call go in his favour to save his life. He was taken down in the box during the second half in Portland on Saturday when the score was still 1-0. That could certainly have been not just a game changer, but a playoff one.
    Simon Borg and the boys at MLS’ Instant Replay have certainly felt that the Whitecaps had been hard done by of late and although Caps coach Carl Robinson wouldn’t be drawn too much on the issue, he did point to their analysis.
    "I watch the Instant Replays and listen to their opinions and they're brilliant," Robinson told reporters at training on Tuesday. "Sometimes I agree and sometimes I don't know and I watch it, and it's two weeks now that the guys think that we should have had a penalty. We haven't and that's not masking over a disappointing performance for us. So we've got to move on and we will move on.
    "I think we're not getting that many breaks at the moment as I would like but that's no excuse."
    So is Seba paying the price for simulation earlier in the season, including that infamous face holding one in Portland in June that saw him land a one match ban?
    "Maybe. I'm not sure. I hope not," Robinson said. "I know referees have been told that if there's some simulation they must book players. In the last two games I think we've seen it against us as well, a little bit of simulation and refs usually do clamp down on it. I don't think that if anyone thinks anyone is diving or cheating or trying to gain an unfair advantage they should book them and if they don't it's a free kick. It's a very fine line."
    But bad breaks and bounces seemed to genuinely be how some of the Whitecaps players are seeing things right now and that the luck will change soon and the goals will start to go in and the points will go on the board. Never mind the horrible defending, uncreative midfield and impotent attack.
    When Russell Teibert was asked how the team viewed some of the goals that the Caps had been conceding of late, he didn't agree that there was a trend of poor marking and poor tracking back.
    "A fluke goal like the one in Dallas. How can you talk about that?," Teibert responded. "It's one of those things that sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way. Then we're in Portland, we're dominating the game and Valeri gets free and he hits a cracker that ends up in the back of the net.
    "Sometimes the ball bounces for the other team, sometimes the ball bounces your way and unfortunately for the past couple of games, the ball hasn't bounced in our favour. That's how sport is sometimes, that's how professional soccer is and you have to battle through it.
    "Maybe teams that don't have the locker room that we have, that don't have the belief that we have, would give up. But this locker room has a lot of belief, has a lot of character and we'll push through the tough times. We know we're going to make our way out of it."
    When your team’s in a rut, you like to think that it’s all going to turn around. Everything’s going to be just fine in the end if you have a little faith and believe. Unless you’ve had 30 years of watching and supporting East Fife. Then you know it’s all fucked. I imagine TFC fans must feel the same.
    Believing you're going to get out it and actually doing what you need to do to get out of it are two different things altogether. Can the Whitecaps do that? Do they have the personnel to do that right now?
    "I think fans, us, the coaching staff all expect that at some point it's going to go in, right?" Steven Beitashour responded when asked if fans were just to grab onto the hope that things will change for the better soon and the necessary goals will come if they just keep the faith.
    Getting some of those calls to go the Whitecaps way would undoubtedly have helped in some games, but so would goals, and plenty of them. They can't rely on getting favourable calls to save their season, and nor should they according to goalkeeper David Ousted, who took a more realistic view on the recent bad beat stories.
    "I'm looking forward to the last five games, we've got a lot of decisions coming our way," Ousted joked at training when he was asked it the Whitecaps were due some luck. "It always evens out at the end of the season and I think it will.
    "We can't look at decisions not given or referees. We need to look at ourselves and if we're at it. If we can see after the game that we didn't get a decision or whatever it is, then we'll take it from there. But we have to put in a performance. We can't let the referee do it for us.
    "I still think everybody believes in this. We can make it in. I think Portland will drop points and we will be there to pick up those two points that we're behind."
    But the only way to do that is to get goals, goals and more goals. Maybe just five will do. One goal a week to secure three points a week. It is possible, but even managing one a game from the team right now is looking a little far fetched to many. Not Russell Teibert though, who felt that Vancouver played really well for the first 30 minutes down in Portland before fading.
    "I know you guys might be tired of hearing that and the end product is what we've been lacking recently, but we've scored goals all year long and it's inevitable that we're going to score goals until the end of the season. It's going to happen. It's bound to happen.
    "I can't tell you when. It could be this weekend. We could score four or five, we could score one or two. We know it's going to happen at some point. These are the times that are the most exciting. It's a big game for us this weekend against Salt Lake. No matter what happens in the week before we're putting it past us and we're looking forward."
    It's good not to have negativity in the dressing room and if the players don't believe in themselves, then no-one else is going to, but there also needs to be a dose of reality mixed in there as well. It may not make your life as happy, but it has to be done. No-one is expecting the players to come out and say "we're pretty crap up front" and yes, that wouldn't help anyone, but there has to be more offered than just blind faith.
    The fans are alright with having faith and hope, they just need to see Whitecaps players taking advantage of some charitable defences to help them keep it. Vancouver players and management are all saying the right things, now they need to back their words up with actions.
    Guest
    Starting Lineup
    GK Romuald Peiser started in net, after recording his first shutout the week before at Tampa Bay, while LB Ramon Soria and CB Mason Trafford continued to make up the left side of Ottawa’s defense. CB Omar Jarun started on the bench for this game, possibly due to the leg injury he suffered in the previous match, with the (yet again) surprise return on loan by RB Ryan Richter, who came back into the starting XI. CB Drew Beckie started in place of Jarun.
    Ubiparipovic returned to the starting XI after recovering from his back flare, with the captain Ryan filling in his usual spot at DM. Donatelli earned the nod over CM Nicki Paterson for this match, in a fiercely competitive battle for starting berths in the strong Ottawa midfield.
    Mayard continued his run in the starting XI at LW, as the front 3 remained unchanged from the win at Tampa Bay the previous week, with Heinemann and Oliver in at ST and RW, respectively.
    GK and Defense
    Peiser had a good solid game, where he did not have to make as many heart-stopping saves as he did the past few games. He made his diligent saves, and came off the line the times he was needed, putting off the Atlanta attackers just enough to ensure that they did not have the time needed to lob the ball over his head when they got free past the last defender.
    Beckie had a fine game, heading the ball out with regular basis and getting stuck in when needed. However, his partner Trafford had a bit of a struggle with the physical play of Atlanta ST Jamie Chavez, winning less than half of the aerial challenges between the duo, which often resulted in possession in good field position for the Silverbacks.
    Richter had a good game offensively, and looks like he has developed a stronger understanding with the players around him, such as Donatelli and Oliver. Some of the interchanges between the three made for some of the best plays from the Fury during the game. He did have a bit of an ugly clearance with his weaker foot in the early minutes, which he will have to improve. Soria was a solid presence as usual, but was given the runaround in the 1st half by the pace of Atlanta RW Alex Harlley, nephew of Togolese ST Emmanuel Adebayor. He had a better 2nd half making challenges and got forward on the counters, creating some good chances.
    Midfield
    Donatelli and Ubiparipovic often hold the key to Ottawa’s success, as their composed midfield play and passing will often unlock the opposing defenses, but only if they are allowed to do so with the space and time needed to make those passes. This is particularly true for Donatelli, who is not exactly the most fleet-footed player in the team. He needs the time and space to do so, but when he finds it, he can make delightful chipped passes to free up the attackers, whereas Ubiparipovic is often quicker and plays shorter passes more.
    Donatelli had a hand in all 3 Ottawa goals, with a nice cross from the right flank that led to Heinemann’s volley, then a nicely lofted pass down the right flank for Mayard, who eventually crossed it to Heinemann and led to Oliver’s tap-in, and finally, the presence to draw a defender to him and feed it on the right to Oliver, who crossed it for Haworth’s insurance goal. Donatelli also freed up Mayard with a delightful 40-yard pass down the middle in the 65th minute mark which could have sealed the game, and nearly scored himself off a Richter cross just two minutes later. He had a similar chance near the end of the 1st half as well from an Oliver cross.
    Ubiparipovic showed his quick feet and constant probing of the defense, whether with his dribbling or with nice short through passes to open up the wingers. While he didn’t have a hand in any major chances for the Fury this game, he was the player that was consistently linking the midfield and offense and pushing the ball up.
    Ryan’s game was a pleasure to watch as well, with the right one-touch passes in the heart of midfield needed to feed the ball to the advanced midfielders, or back to defense if the attack needed to be re-organized. He was lucky not to end up with an injury after a bad studs-up challenge by Atlanta AM Pablo Cruz. Paterson came in for Ubiparipovic and continued the fine link-up play between midfield and offense.
    Offense
    Oliver deservedly took home the plaudits after another fine goal-scoring performance, for his 3rd consecutive match. The winger/striker has shown natural goal-finishing skills with his heading ability, and showed this game that he can poach off of rebounds as well. In addition, he provided a wonderful chipped ball for Haworth’s goal, and was on hand to create and take advantage of numerous other chances, including nice crosses from the right flank and a shot that just blazed over the bar in the 2nd half. The one thing that we didn’t see from Oliver this game was taking on defenders 1 on 1, but it did not seem to be needed this game at all.
    Heinemann also had a fantastic game, and was nearly unplayable in the 65 minutes he was on, winning a high number of aerial duels, and getting on the end of all sorts of crosses that led to the first two goals. A well done performance that I believe has gone under-appreciated this week.
    Mayard looked more comfortable with the team than he did all season, linking up with all those around him, though he did lose the ball time to time. For the 1st goal, it was interesting to see the 3 Fury attackers in the box compared to only 2 Atlanta defenders, and that sort of presence in the penalty area can only lead to more chances from crosses for the Fury. His pull-back cross to Heinemann for the 2nd goal was top-notch.
    Dantas and Haworth both had excellent games off the bench, with Dantas recently performing a super-sub role. His dogged determination in midfield won the ball back and led to the 3rd goal, while he ran hard to create chances for himself. Haworth controlled the ball well to ensure that Ottawa would not drop back holding the lead, and nearly carved up the Atlanta defense with a run from the right flank, before getting on the end of Oliver’s cross from a difficult angle. Haworth can always be counted on for an energetic performance from the flanks.
    Next Match Preview
    After an upsurge in form that has delighted the club and its fans, Ottawa comes in full of confidence back home to welcome Minnesota United FC on Sunday at 3:00pm EDT (Rogers TV, NASLLive.com). Minnesota is just coming off a table-topping performance with a 0-2 away win at San Antonio, who previously led the Fall Season charts, and will be full of confidence themselves, having lost only 1 game in the entire Fall Season.
    Ottawa has lost by a score of 2-1 in both matchups between the two teams so far this season, with a heartbreaking loss in the 96th minute in the club’s first ever home match in NASL in April, followed by a controversial loss in August from a hotly debatable penalty call that led to the Loons’ winner.
    Minnesota won the Spring Season title and tops the Fall Season as well, with 24 points from its 11 matches (7-3-1), while Ottawa is now 8th with 12 points from 11 matches (3-3-5). Minnesota has a comfortable lead in the yearly standings as well, and has only lost once in 11 games. AM/LM Miguel Ibarra was the star of the clash of the titans last week, with a brace to take the game past San Antonio, and being named NASL Player of the Week for his performance. CM Greg Jordan provided both assists, while ST Christian Ramirez is easily the frontrunner for both the NASL Golden Boot and Golden Ball at this point with his electrifying goal-scoring display.
    Minnesota usually plays in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-1-4-1/4-3-3 formation, depending on the opponent and its personnel. As Ottawa has yet to win at their new stadium this season, Minnesota may seek to take advantage of this hoodoo, but the players and the supporters are full of confidence that this match may be the positive defining performance of the season.
    RB O’Brian Woodbine will be in contention for the matchday squad after his signing last week, though he may still have to build up his match fitness.
    CSN OFFC MotM
    RW Oliver for his coolness around the penalty area, with honourable mentions to ST Tom Heinemann and CM Tony Donatelli
    Lineups and Stats
    Ottawa (4-3-3) – Peiser; Soria, Trafford, Beckie, Richter; Ubiparipovic, Ryan ©, Donatelli; Mayard, Heinemann, Oliver
    Atlanta (4-2-3-1) – Ati, Gonzalez, Roushandel (Sousa 79′), Espinoza (Canovas 77′), Carr (McCauley 46′), Sandoval, Gavin, Poku, Cruz, Harlley, Chavez
    Ottawa Subs – Dantas (Heinemann 63′), Haworth (Mayard 71′), Paterson (Ubiparipovic 76′)
    Ottawa Goals: Mayard (3′), Oliver (38′), Haworth (83′); Assists: Heinemann 2 (3′, 38′), Oliver (83′)
    Atlanta Goals: None
    Ottawa Injuries and Suspensions: None
    Ottawa Stats Leaders: Shots – Donatelli, Oliver, Mayard (3); Challenges Won – Soria, Ryan (11)
    You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at OFFCReview.wordpress.com, and at @OFFCReview.
    James Grossi
    Jonathan Osorio
    Osorio returned to the Toronto lineup on Saturday after missing two matches with a hamstring concern to help his side beat Chivas USA 3-0 – it was his nineteenth start and 22nd appearance of the season.
    Taking up a central midfield position in advance of Michael Bradley, Osorio was very impressive, bringing a measure of liveliness and verve to a plodding Toronto outfit – something coach Greg Vanney admitted has been missing from the side in attack.
    The Toronto, Ontario-native would involve himself thoroughly in the build-up, picking up an assist on Jackson’s opening goal in the 23rd minute,
    – it was his fourth assist of the season.Aside from moving the ball very well - misplacing just four of innumerable passes, Osorio committed himself to making runs into the box, troubling the Chivas defenses and opening up lanes for teammates – such as when Luke Moore burst in, only to hit the crossbar.
    Bossing the midfield, Osorio was suffered two fouls, including one from Nathan Sturgis that saw the Chivas midfielder booked for thumping into the back of the TFC player, catching him with a painful knee to the spine in the 38th minute.
    He would leave the match in the 68th minute with Toronto three-goals up, to be replaced by Warren Creavalle.
    Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé
    Gagnon-Lapare maintained a starting spot in Montreal’s lineup on Saturday against San Jose, helping his side achieve a 2-0 win on the night, though they could not stave off elimination – it was his second start of the season and third appearance.
    Having appeared at the base of the midfield in his first two outings, Gagnon-Lapare exhibited his versatility by manning the left-back position and keeping a tight-lid on the energetic runs of Cordell Cato, a rather tricky winger when on his game.
    The Sherbrooke, Quebec-native was not only solid defensively, assisting in keeping Montreal’s seventh clean-sheet of the campaign with six recoveries, two interceptions, a tackle and a clearance, Gagnon-Lapare was willing and able to get forward, overlapping on Ignacio Piatti to make space for the Argentine to roam.
    He was credited with three key passes – whatever those are, and displayed a fair bit of attacking flair with this excellent run to get on the end of a Heath Pearce ball before cutting inside to poke a ball forward for Jack McInerney, who shot wide.
    The homegrown rookie also showed excellent reading of the match, picking off a loose pass to spring Marco Di Vaio on a later occasion, leading to a Felipe look at goal.
    The win was the first he had tasted in MLS as a player with the Impact first team; all that having gone the full ninety minutes midweek against New York in a successful Champions League effort that put Montreal in the driver’s seat for progressing from their group.
    Will Johnson
    Having missed his first league match in over a year when he was rested for last weekend’s draw against Colorado, Johnson returned to the Portland starting eleven for their 3-0 win over Vancouver on Saturday – it was his 28th start of the season for the Timbers.
    Resuming his defensive midfield role alongside Diego Chara, Johnson played a sturdy defensive game having exerted himself fully midweek with one of his more dominating performances of the year, scoring a goal and collecting a pair of assists in Portland’s 4-2 win against Honduran side CD Olimpia –
    .Tasked largely with keeping a tight watch over Vancouver’s playmaker, Pedro Morales, Johnson was limited in his forward movements – he did not have a single attempt at goal, but kept Morales, and thus Vancouver, off the score-sheet with the aid of his teammates.
    The Toronto-born midfielder’s passing was tidy, if largely limited to the middle third of the pitch, and he racked up just three recoveries and an interception, while committing two fouls to the one he suffered.
    That one foul suffered came courtesy of countryman, Russell Teibert, and led to Portland’s opening goal after a quick free-kick
    .With the win, Portland leapt over one Canadian club, Vancouver, into possession of the fifth spot in the East; next weekend, Johnson and company travel to Toronto, where he can perhaps doom another Canadian side to a season without a post.
    Russell Teibert
    Teibert made his seventh-straight start for Vancouver in their disparaging loss at Portland on Saturday – it was his seventeenth start and 24th appearance of the season.
    With the Whitecaps abandoning their diamond midfield, Teibert lined-up alongside Matias Laba at the base of the midfield and did very well to keep a close watch on a rampant Portland attack through most of the opening half-hour, until his foul on Will Johnson led to a quickly taken free-kick that caught the defenses napping – one can see Teibert’s reaction to Valeri’s strike at the end of the clip above.
    Prior to that, the match had been very even, with the Niagara Falls, Ontario-native as lively as ever, making an early steal to burst up the middle, later muscling past Johnson by nutmegging his international teammate to get in a shot towards goal – it was blocked and went out for a corner (the first of two such blocked efforts).
    Teibert’s passing was very good, misplacing just four all night, and inserting himself into many of Vancouver’s more dangerous moves, including one that saw a one-two with Pedro Morales before scooping a ball in for Erik Hurtado, alas the pass was headed clear.
    He was given the run-around by Darlington Nagbe on one occasion, necessitating a shoving foul – one of three that afternoon from Teibert. And he was more than willing to track back, helping to quell the threats of Diego Valeri and Fanendo Adi on the break – a preview of what was to come in the second half.
    With Vancouver going in search of an equalizer, the match opened up and Teibert pressed forward, leaving gaps at the back for Portland to exploit on the counter, which they did twice. Neither Adi goal was particularly Teibert’s responsibility, but it was telling that on each he was caught way up-field, unable to assist in shoring up the defenses.
    Wandrille Lefèvre
    Lefevre started a second-straight match for Montreal in their win over San Jose on Saturday – it was his twelfth start and fourteen appearance of the season.
    Taking up the right centre-back spot – the opposite of his usual place, alongside Heath Pearce, Lefevre was crucial to Montreal keeping a clean-sheet and even helped to spur attacks, cutting out this hopeful cross with a stabbed clearance towards Marco Di Vaio, leading to Ignacio Piatti’s audacious chip attempt. In fact, his passing out of the back, always a strong point, was incroyable, misplacing just five of some forty-plus attempts.
    The French-born defender of course contributed at the back, racking up ten clearances, seven recoveries, three tackles, and an interception, including this one last-ditch tackle on Chris Wondolowski to hurry a shot out of the dangerous San Jose striker, leading to an almighty collision at the end of a lunging slide.
    Lefevre was spared any blushes on a later look, when he was caught flat-footed by a Shea Salinas ball from the left, allowing Atiba Harris a free-header, only for the big Earthquake to direct his effort wide.
    A fine outing from the ever-improving defender, who also appeared at the end of Wednesday Champions League match, replacing Piatti in the 81st minute to shore up the Impact result over the Red Bulls.
    Issey Nakajima-Farran
    Nakajima-Farran came on from the bench for the second-straight match, replacing Andres Romero in the 69th minute with game scoreless, helping Montreal go on to beat San Jose – it was his ninth appearance for the Impact, five of which have come as a substitute.
    While not involved directly in either of Montreal’s late goals, Issey played a dynamic role in forcing the San Jose defenses to think, backing them up with runs and drawing them into the midfield with shots from distance – both his efforts were from very long range, firing straight at Jon Busch on one occasion and drifting one wide of the post on another. Implanting the idea of such a threat can open up spaces for teammates, who would go on to add a pair of goals in the final ten minutes of play.
    The Calgary, Alberta-native’s impact on the stat-sheets was minimal, with three completed passes and three recoveries, a foul each way, and a loss of possession his only marks, aside from the shots. But one cannot discount that the Impact would go on to win with the aid of his running.
    Tesho Akindele
    Akindele made a second-consecutive start for Dallas in their 2-1 loss at Los Angeles on Saturday night – it was his seventeenth start and 21st appearance of the season.
    Playing up top with Blas Perez, Akindele had a relatively quiet match with the Galaxy dominating large stretches of the match – in the absence of Fabian Castillo, there was a little less space for him to operate within and he was largely starved of service throughout.
    Without a single attempt on goal and denied access and time on the ball in the final third, the Calgary, Alberta-native did play a small role in Dallas’ only goal,
    , providing him the space to leap over the LA defender, getting on the end of the Andres Escobar cross.Akindele would make way for Adam Moffat in the 75th minute with the match level at ones, a move that back-fired as Moffat was twisted up by Robbie Keane, leading to Alan Gordon’s game-winner in the 84th minute.
    Dwayne De Rosario
    De Rosario began Toronto’s win over Chivas on the bench, coming on in the 76th minute, replacing Daniel Lovitz – it was his fourteenth appearance of the season, ten of which have come from the bench.
    Entering to raucous applause, but with the match already decided, the Scarborough, Ontario-native helped see out the result with his brief cameo.
    The Rest
    Sam Adekugbe, Karl Ouimette, Louis Beland-Goyette, Kofi Opare, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan, and Kyle Bekker were all unused substitutes for their respective sides.
    Anthony Jackson-Hamel came on in the waning moments of Montreal’s Champions League victory over New York on Wednesday, replacing Dilly Duka in the 91st minute to kill a little time. Beland-Goyette was an unused sub that same night.
    All videos 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
    James Grossi
    Four candidates take centre-stage for consideration. In chronological order, up first from Friday night is
    after some nice interplay with Ned Grabavoy, picking out the top right-corner of the Colorado goal. Not to be outdone, , arriving in the box to get on the end of a cross from Jorge Villafana against Vancouver. Rounding out the quartet, a pair of spectacular free-kicks as and each guided a bending right-footer over the wall and past opposition keepers.Which takes the cake?
    On to the matches…
    Results in Brief

    The weekend began on Friday with the third-match of the annual Rocky Mountain Cup series between Salt Lake and Colorado. Having won the previous two meetings, the bragging rights that accompany the trophy were already Salt Lake’s, but points and pride remained on the line.
    Not so long ago Colorado looked destined to be a factor in the Western race, but a seven-game losing streak put an end to such hopes; the Rapids would face their rivals having ended the losing, but still winless in eight. Salt Lake, on the other hand, were looking to rebound from a loss in Seattle, solidly in third in the West.
    Against all odds and the run of play, it was Colorado who struck first with Jose Mari latching on to a blocked Carlos Alvarez shot that fell to him some distance from goal. Mari positioned himself over the ball, lashing a well-sculpted shot low towards the left-side of goal, bending the surprise finish past a flat-footed Nick Rimando in the 21st minute.
    It only served to awaken and anger Salt Lake, who would respond eleven minutes later, piling on four goals through the next thirteen minutes to take over the match.
    Joao Plata got the first, smashing his right-footer into the top corner of the goal after receiving a neat back-heeled pass from Ned Grabavoy. The second, scored a minute later, was attributed to Javier Morales, bending a left-sided, in-swinging corner kick towards the near-post. Designated player Sebastian Jaime, in the midst of his first start, made the run, as too did Colorado defender Thomas Piermayr; the service appeared to take a touch off one or the other, though Morales would be credited with the goal, straight from the corner.
    Four minutes after that in the 37th another Salt Lake set-piece would prove Colorado’s undoing as Morales’ free-kick was mishandled by keeper Joe Nasco, who could not catch the service, dropping it at the feet of Chris Schuler who literally thrust it over the line.
    The misery was all but complete in the final minute of the first half, when some textbook Salt Lake build-up allowed Morales to send a low ball into the heart of the Colorado box from the left. A sliding Marc Burch tried to cut it out, sending his clearing attempt caroming off keeper Nasco and into the Colorado goal.
    Nasco would make amends for his error, repeatedly preventing Salt Lake from adding further damage through the opening phase of the second half, but another spilled delivery would prove his undoing in the 63rd minute. The keeper dropped another Morales delivery (a corner kick from the right), falling to the foot of Carlos Salcedo, who forced a right-footer through a crowd to score his first in MLS and Salt Lake’s fifth of the evening.
    The 5-1 finish would prove the most-lopsided result in the history of the contest, as Salt Lake swept the season series, becoming the first club to do so, ensuring they could celebrate their seventh Rocky Mountain Cup of the last eight seasons in style, while keeping the pressure on the two clubs ahead of them in the standings. Colorado’s hopes of making a late climb into the playoffs took a further dent, stretching that winless run to nine matches and falling to an eighth loss over that spell. They have been outscored thirteen-four in their last three matches – averaging four-plus goals against is not a great way to turn around one’s struggles.

    Saturday began early with a tasty appetizer that saw Pacific Northwest foes Portland and Vancouver take to the pitch, dueling over the fifth and final spot in the Western Conference. Separated by just a single point, with Vancouver clinging ahead, the winner of this match would put themselves into the driver’s seat, at least temporarily, as this looks to be one of the many hot spots to keep an eye on over the closing weeks.
    A physical encounter that saw the Timbers take the match to the Whitecaps, who picked up two bookings inside the opening 25 minutes, was burst open in the 28th minute when Diego Valeri got on the end of a left-sided Jorge Villafana cross, powering his finish past David Ousted. Valeri had done well to get forward and find a channel of space between the Vancouver defenders, who were caught napping by a quickly taken free-kick.
    The match settled into an even contest for the next half-hour, spanning half time, before Portland added to their lead in the 66th minute. Valeri again was at the heart of the move, stripping Matias Laba deep in the Vancouver half before slipping in Fanendo Adi, who tucked a neat right-footer past Ousted after out-pacing Steven Beitashour en route to the Whitecaps goal.
    Three minutes later Adi would add his second and Portland’s third, all but ending the contest. Diego Chara played up-field to Darlington Nagbe, who threaded Adi in down the left-side of the area. The big striker deftly snuck a finish under the moving Ousted, slotting a left-footer past the keeper, much to the chagrin of the shocked Whitecaps.
    The 3-0 win, their second by such a score-line over Vancouver, was enough to see Portland leapfrog Vancouver into possession of that fifth spot, now ahead by two points and riding a four-game unbeaten streak. Vancouver have had plenty of chances to secure their position over the last two months; with only two wins in their last thirteen matches, stretching all the way back to June, should they miss out it will be entirely of their own doing.

    The round continued with an Eastern Conference clash, as two teams currently riding unbeaten streaks, but still on the outside looking in, took to the pitch in Philadelphia. Level on points with Columbus, behind on tie-breakers, the Union, unbeaten in four overall and seven at home, were hoping to rebound from the disappointment of losing out on the US Open Cup to Seattle on Tuesday – the Sounders won 1-3 in extra-time to hoist their fourth Open Cup in the last six years. Houston, themselves unbeaten in three, sat a little further back, five points adrift of that final spot, but with a game in hand; a win would help them take another step in their on-again, off-again post-season push.
    It was a tight match that saw neither side willing to open themselves up in search of a goal. That said, each did see plenty of chances in a close-fought opening half. Conor Casey sent an early effort over the bar, while Omar Cummings drew a fine stop from Rais M’Bolhi, who returned to the Philadelphia nets having returned from international duty – the flag negated the need for the stop, but still, it was made.
    David Horst did just enough to get a piece of a later Casey effort, then Carlos Valdes did the same at the other end, preventing a Ricardo Clark blast from troubling the keeper. Houston keeper Tyler Deric came up big in the open seconds of the second half, getting a big paw on yet another Casey shot.
    With time ticking down, Philadelphia looked to have found the spot of luck that often decides such close encounters when Vincent Nogueira cutback on Houston defender AJ Cochran, who stuck out a leg, upending the attacker in the area, but much to the displeasure of the visitors, no call was forthcoming.
    Impressive rookie Pedro Ribeiro would hit the outside of the post from a tight angle deep in stoppage-time, but in the end, the score-less draw was a fair enough result. Both sides would remain unbeaten, but, given results to come, would fall further behind – Philadelphia two points and Houston seven – by Monday’s tally.

    Hot on the heels of the start in Philadelphia were three more simultaneous matches each heavy with implications for the Eastern Conference, as Montreal hosted San Jose, New York Seattle, and Columbus New England.
    With playoff positioning in both conferences coming down to the wire, fans have been blessed by an absence of dead rubbers in MLS this season. This was perhaps the first.
    Granted, at kickoff both teams were still mathematically viable, with Montreal sitting deep in the East basement with 21 points from 28 matches - sixteen points shy of the playoffs and San Jose a full nine points off the pace in the West, needing to make up that ground in the seven matches remaining.
    Playing without pressure and buoyed by the Champions League result that saw them take the advantage over New York in their CONCACAF group, the Impact took the match to the Earthquakes, playing with a freedom and flair that, had it been there all season, would undoubtedly have led to a better points haul.
    San Jose keeper Jon Busch was tested early and often, forced to rush off his line as early as the third minute and required to be on his toes throughout the first half, especially when Ignacio Piatti attempted to chip him in the 37th minute, necessitating a touch over the bar.
    The Earthquakes, who handed a debut to recently-signed right-back Pablo Pintos and saw the return of Matias Perez Garcia from a month-long injury spell, found some looks in the second half, most notably when Shea Salinas made space on the left to swing a lovely cross into the box. Atiba Harris got on the end with a free-header, but could not direct his effort on goal.
    Montreal would make pay for such wastefulness in the 81st minute, when Jack McInerney broke the deadlock, ending his own long, goal-less stretch (dating back to June), walking the rebound from a stinging Marco Di Vaio shot in at the far-post. A throw-in from the left to the Italian had caught San Jose napping, forcing a rushed save out of Busch, who could only push the rebound into McInerney, who bundled it over the line.
    Seven minutes later, Dilly Duka would pad the advantage, shimmying inside on Sam Cronin to find the space to send a right-footed shot to the far-side of the Earthquakes goal from the left-side of the area.
    The 2-0 win, their sixth of the season, would end a three-match winless run, but was not enough to stave off elimination, as results elsewhere would officially make the Impact the first side eliminated from the chase for the 2014 MLS Cup. The loss was the latest blow to a San Jose who are headed in the wrong direction, stretching their winless run to nine matches at the worst possible time, extending their deficit to eleven points from the playoff line, with one less game to play.

    If Montreal have found a certain freedom in their situation, their CONCACAF opponents, New York, have risen to the challenge, securing their place above the fated line in the East, particularly on the strength of their home form, where they have won their last five and are unbeaten in seven.
    Seattle, riding a four-game winning streak of their own, but perhaps hung over from Open Cup celebrations, would rest several starters, with Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins, DeAndre Yedlin, Gonzalo Pineda, Brad Evans, and more left out of the starting eleven.
    It would take just 29 seconds for that decision to back-fire, as the fit-again Bradley Wright-Phillips reacted quickest in the box, pouncing on the rebound from an Ambroise Oyongo drive to right-foot the opener past Stefan Frei. Wright-Phillips, who had been unselfish moments earlier, passing up a look after Lloyd Sam had found him from the right - instead playing on to Oyongo in space on the left, made no mistake when karma returned a chance to him.
    Having begun like a shot, the match stabilized with each side tightening up and seeing only half chances go each way; that is until the second half and Wright-Phillips cracked it open again with a further pair of goals two minutes apart beginning in the 54th minute.
    The first came from the penalty spot after Dylan Remick, starting in place of Leo Gonzalez, felled Sam with a lunging tackle from behind on the right-side of the Sounders box, after the speedy New York wide attacker had burst past him, beating him to the outside. Wright-Phillips would convert the penalty, right-footing his effort to Frei’s right; the keeper would go correctly, getting a hand to the effort, but could not keep it out.
    His third of the match was a tidy right-footed finish high into the roof of the net at the back-post, getting on the end of a Roy Miller ball after a one-two with Thierry Henry allowed the Costa Rican full-back to surge into the left-side of the Seattle area. The hat-trick would bring Wright-Phillips up to 24 goals on the season, three shy of leveling the all-time, single-season mark shared by Roy Lassiter and Chris Wondolowski, with five games remaining.
    Seattle would respond, soiling New York’s clean-sheet in the 62nd minute having brought on Dempsey and Martins. It was Dempsey who got on the end of a Lamar Neagle ball in space down the left-channel, left-footing a finish past Luis Robles, after an Osvaldo Alonso ball had put Neagle forward down the right.
    Three minutes later, Red Bull would reinstate their three goal advantage, Tim Cahill banking a left-footer in off the base of the far-post after Oyongo’s cross from the left was cut out by Djimi Traore, falling to Cahill above the left-post.
    The Sounders would look to respond immediately, but a fantastic double-save from Robles, first on a deflected Marco Pappa shot, then on Dempsey’s follow-up header, both in the 69th minute dispirited any hopes of a comeback.
    With the 4-1 win, New York would ensure they held on to the fourth spot in the East, while awaiting other results to see whether they made up ground on New England ahead, or opened a further gap on Columbus behind. Spoiler alert – they would achieve the former, closing the gap on the Revolution from four points to one, while keeping ahead of Columbus by just a single point. Seattle, who became the first side to clinch their place in the post-season, saw their winning streak end, losing for the first time in six matches; allowing Los Angeles, who would host Dallas later that night, the chance to make up some ground in both the Supporters’ Shield and first place in the West.

    As the above cross-conference clashes played out, an all Eastern affair was on the cards in Columbus, where the Crew hosted the Revolution with critical points on the line.
    Columbus, who were unbeaten in their last two matches and winners of their last three at home, entered clinging to the fifth spot in the East, five points behind New England, whose fine run of five-straight wins had seen them climb into third in the conference, trailing only DC and Kansas City.
    The two met twice at the end of last season, in a home-and-away series, that saw New England win both, securing their playoff spot, dooming Columbus to an early ending.
    With so much on the line, it was no surprise that neither side could find the advantage in a highly-contested match that saw some five bookings throughout. Half-chances came to each early, with Aaron Schoenfeld sending a low drive inches wide of the left-post, while Lee Nguyen, in scintillating form, drew a fingertip save out of Columbus keeper, Steve Clark, in the 15th minute.
    New England keeper Bobby Shuttleworth would come up with a similarly vital intervention, denying an Eric Gehrig header on the half-hour; Gehrig would rattle the woodwork on a Federico Higuain corner kick before the half-time whistle saw the sides pause score-less.
    Three minutes after the restart, the breakthrough would finally come when Darius Barnes barged over Ethan Finlay, allowing Higuain a dangerous look at goal from 25 yards out, slightly to the right of centre. Higuain would stand over the dead-ball, sending an arcing right-footer sailing over the wall, curling into the top right-corner of the New England goal, beyond the diving reach of Shuttleworth.
    Nguyen would attempt to respond with a free-kick of his own in the 67th, guiding his effort over the wall and on target, but Clark was equal to the task.
    Columbus would be offered a glorious chance to seal the result in the 84th minute, when AJ Soares dove in on Justin Meram, tripping up the attacker as he cutback, but Higuain, who took the spot kick, would see his casual effort saved by Shuttleworth – it was a poor attempt, far too close to the keeper, marking the third time Higuain had wasted such a chance.
    But the Crew would hold on, in part thanks to another fine save from Clark, tipping a Charlie Davies shot around the post.
    With the 1-0 win, Columbus extended both their unbeaten run and their home winning streak, to put themselves two points ahead of Philadelphia, now in sole possession of fifth in the East, remaining a single point behind New York. New England passed up the chance to draw level with an idle Kansas City, while their leads over New York and Columbus would shrink to one and two points, respectively.

    With a high-profile clash between Los Angeles and Dallas set to close out the night, a rollicking six-goal thriller in Chicago stole the show as the most entertaining match of Saturday.
    The Fire, who entered the match seven points adrift, desperately needed the full points to continue to hang around on the fringes of the playoff race, sitting down in ninth place in the East. Conference leaders DC, who had been held score-less and winless through their last two matches, sat two points ahead of Kansas City and a full seven behind Seattle in the chase for the Supporters’ Shield.
    It would take just sixteen minutes for the hosts to take the lead through Quincy Amarikwa, who cut inside on DC left-back Taylor Kemp to place a low left-footer curling to the far-side of goal after Harrison Shipp’s ball found the forward in space on the right.
    Sixteen minutes on Chicago would double their lead from the penalty spot after Perry Kitchen was adjudged to have shoved Amarikwa over in the box. The Fire have struggled in converting penalties, missing four of the nine they have won, including one against Toronto last weekend that proved costly. Jeff Larentowicz, who had seen his effort saved against TFC, had apparently been practicing, dispatching the chance with a well-struck, perfectly-placed right-footer to Bill Hamid’s left; the DC keeper moved correctly, but could not reach.
    DC would be awarded a kick of their own before half-time in controversial circumstances. Sean Johnson parried a Luis Silva free-kick, leading to a scramble in the box. Perhaps a little too eager, Johnson clattered into a group of players, sending Steve Birnbaum sprawling; whether the call was on the keeper or Chicago defender Bakary Soumare, was unclear, as was the reasoning for such a weak penalty. Nevertheless, Silva stepped to the spot, dispatching an unstoppable right-footer high to the keeper’s right. Johnson got a hand to the effort, but could not prevent it spinning up and over the line.
    It would be Silva again, who leveled the match after the restart, curling a right-footed free-kick from 27 yards out, slightly to the right of centre, over the wall and into the top left-corner of the goal, beyond the reach of a scrambling Johnson in the 54th minute. A brilliant hit.
    DC would use that momentum in their favour, scoring a third-straight goal to take the lead in the 68th minute, when Bobby Boswell followed up a goal-line clearance from Gonzalo Segares after the big centre-back had nodded a ball forward for Kitchen, who right-footed an effort on goal. It was unclear whether the initial ball crossed the line before it was cleared, a point rendered moot by Boswell’s undeniable right-footer.
    But Chicago, draw masters that they are, would respond ten minutes later, through Matt Watson, who scored his first goal in MLS in his third season in the league. Amarikwa again was involved in the move, laying off to Watson outside the area on the right, from whence his deflected effort found the left-side of the goal past Hamid.
    The entertaining 3-3 draw would see Chicago tie their own record (jointly held by New York) for the most draws in a single-season in MLS with their sixteenth of 2014; their hunt for the playoffs however, would suffer, falling a further two points adrift, now nine. DC would go winless through a third-straight match, picking up second draw in that spell, passing up the chance to open a wider lead on Kansas City and losing ground on the Supporters’ Shield.

    Saturday would close with what should have been a clash between two of the West’s best, with Los Angeles hosting Dallas, only for Dallas coach, Oscar Pareja, to rest two key players – Fabian Castillo and Matt Hedges - with an eye on Wednesday’s home match against Seattle.
    LA entered the match unbeaten in seven matches, having drawn their last two, after a five-game winning streak saw them assault the Western standings, surging to within three points of table-toppers Seattle at round’s start.
    Dallas have seen their form drop off of late, a ten-match unbeaten run giving way to a pair of losses, before returning to winning ways last weekend against Vancouver.
    The Galaxy would boss much of the early play, but failed to craft any real chances. And it was Dallas who would take the lead in the 54th minute, against the run of play, when Blas Perez got on the end of an Andres Escobar cross at the back-post, sending a looping header sailing over Jaime Penedo, who returned victorious from his time with Costa Rica at the Copa Centroamericana, where he took the top goalkeeping honours.
    A Dallas mistake would gift LA a way back into the match. Defensive midfielder Victor Ulloa, who has done so very well in the absence of Hendry Thomas, could not get a Dan Gargan cross from the right out of his feet in time, failing to make the required clearance, allowing Gyasi Zardes to poke to ball away and back to Robbie Keane lurking at the top of the area. The Irishman would right-foot the equalizer into the right-side of the Dallas goal past Raul Fernandez.
    A chippy and chirpy match that saw six bookings would continue in that vein, requiring a bit of class and some late-magic to fracture the building draw. Landon Donovan played out wide to Keane on the left, who jinked and junked past Adam Moffat and lifted his head to send a pinpoint ball into a dangerous position, where Alan Gordon, no stranger to late goals, popped up to power a header down to the near-side.
    The 2-1 win stretched LA’s unbeaten run to eight matches, but more importantly drew them level on 54 points with Seattle – the two will meet over consecutive weekends in a home-and-away series in the final two weeks of the season – while also clinching a playoff spot for the Galaxy, the second team to do so. The loss was Dallas’ third in their last four, though whether it was worth it to rest players for a home match will have to wait until Wednesday to be seen.

    Sunday’s lone fixture pitted two of the league’s strugglers against one another as Chivas USA, losers of five-straight and winless in ten, travelled to Toronto to face a TFC side that had not won in six matches.
    Chivas were all but officially eliminated, sitting at the bottom of the West, thirteen points off the pace at the start of the round. Toronto entered in seventh in the East, three points off of Columbus; results elsewhere had extended that deficit to six by kickoff.
    Eager to see new manager Greg Vanney collect his first win, TFC took the match to Chivas from the off, but had to wait until the 23rd minute to find the breakthrough. Jonathan Osorio collected a bouncing ball on the right, playing up to Gilberto, who was attempting to break into the right-side of the box. The Brazilian neatly touched a ball back to countryman Jackson with a back-heel, setting up a left-footed shot that kicked up off of Eric Avila to find the left-side of the goal past a helpless Dan Kennedy.
    Buoyed, Toronto would add a second before half-time when Luke Moore right-footed in a volley from a Michael Bradley corner kick that was cushioned down and sent back into the middle from the back-post by Nick Hagglund in the second minute of stoppage-time. Moore, who was denied by the crossbar a lovely finish earlier, would not pass up this chance, having got himself ball-side on Donny Toia.
    TFC would add a third nine minutes into the second half, Gilberto this time getting on the end of another corner kick, sent in low by Daniel Lovitz to the near-post, where it was met by Bradley with a brilliant dragged-touch towards the back-post. Steven Caldwell, who returned from his long injury spell, wrestled with Bobby Burling, allowing Gilberto, lurking unmarked at the back-side, to right-foot his finish into the open net, and set off some raucous celebrations.
    Each side would see a player sent off, when Chivas’ Nigel Reo-Coker and Toronto’s Jackson squared up to each other in the 66th minute, receiving red cards for their roles in a handbag session.
    The 3-0 win, their first in seven matches, ends that long winless streak and breathes life into Toronto’s playoff chances, three points shy of fifth with a game in hand. The loss, their sixth-straight, extends their winless run to eleven matches and all but mathematically eliminated Chivas, who sit a full fifteen points shy of Portland in fifth in the West, with six matches remaining.
    CanCon
    As usual the extended Canadian Content review will be posted tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon. After last week’s bumper edition, just eight Canadians saw the pitch this weekend, six of whom were starters. The top three spots go to Jonathan Osorio, who returned from injury and helped spark a victory for Toronto; to Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé, who helped Montreal find a win from the left-back slot; and equal parts to Will Johnson and Russell Teibert, who met in a crucial Western Conference clash.
    Overheard
    A selection of some of the best quips of the week:
    Colorado’s Pablo Mastroeni on his side’s 5-1 loss in Salt Lake: “I think we played we probably our best 25 minutes of the season, coupled with probably our worst 25 minutes of the season. I think anytime you’re gifting goals the way we did tonight, it’s impossible to win.” Gifting goals is bad.
    Seattle’s Djimi Traore on a poor outing in New York: “I feel ashamed. It was an awful performance from us. We came in with a lot of expectations and we didn’t perform well. They have good players and today they all performed well. If we don’t perform at that level, we get punished and that’s what they’ve done to us.” He went so far as to apologize on Twitter.
    Chicago’s Frank Yallop, who last week commented on Toronto’s disallowed goal, saying he too was baffled by the decision, had some issues of his own this week: “If you look at the first goal for them, I don’t see the call, and their second goal is not a foul. The free-kick is fantastic, take nothing away from the kid, but those things change games. I thought we played well tonight, I thought we deserved to win, but we didn’t.”
    Continuing, “We deserved to win that, because two calls go against us in the match that cost us the game. Momentum is everything. We’re 2-0 up, he gives a phantom penalty-kick, I don’t know what the call is, so they go to 2-1 and they’ve got life. He gives them another foul that was not a foul, Razvan wins the ball, pokes it away and he gives the foul to a good player in a good spot. It was a great free-kick area for a great finisher like Silva is.” What goes around comes around? It all evens out in the end? Seeing how Chicago benefitted from a call against Toronto and then DC reaped the rewards of that ‘re-balance’ it is hard to believe.
    Quincy Amarikwa, who was asked what he spoke to the referee about after the phantom penalty decision, was a tad more diplomatic: “I had a discussion with him. I wanted to know if he was calling the penalty on Sean [Johnson] for coming out and being strong in the box or if he calling it on something he saw that Baky [soumare] did. It’s a tough gig being a ref, you can never be right and everyone’s mad at you. I would have liked things to go our way, but what can you do? He said from his first impression that, that he thought Baky came in with his elbow a bit high. It was pretty crowded in the box there, the only way to know for sure is to go back and look at the tape.”
    See It Live
    A selection of the best saves from the round:
    Hands down, the best of the lot was Luis Robles spectacular double-save on Seattle duo Marco Pappa and Clint Dempsey.
    David Horst’s block on Conor Casey; Carlos Valdes’ block on Ricardo Clark; Tyler Deric denies Casey in that same match; Jon Busch scrambles to touch Ignacio Piatti’s chip over; Bobby Shuttleworth denies Federico Higuain’s weak penalty attempt; Steve Clark on Charlie Davies; Bill Hamid on Harrison Shipp’s free-kick – neat routine from Chicago; Sean Johnson denies both Luis Silva and Michael Seaton.
    Salt Lake’s
    was amusing.New England’s Jermaine Jones has yet to become accustom to MLS officiating, blowing his top when Tony Tchani’s rather obvious pullback was not called, despite a fist-full of shirt and arm.
    Lovel Palmer was denied a second goal is as many weeks by his own teammate, Bakary Soumare.
    And Luke Moore’s glorious finish would have been one for the scrapbook, were it not for that pesky crossbar.
    Controversy
    Marc Burch was perhaps lucky to only see yellow when he hauled down Salt Lake’s Robbie Findley on a break, while Columbus’ Justin Meram and Dallas’ Victor Ulloa were equally fortunate to only see yellow for their fouls on Kelyn Rowe and Juninho, respectively. Vancouver’s Kendall Watson escaped any punishment for catching Fanendo Adi with a flailing arm.
    Philadelphia felt hard done by when the referee waived away this foul by Houston’s AJ Cochran on Vincent Nogueira in the waning minutes. DC’s Perry Kitchen was penalized for a shove on Quincy Amarikwa, while the decision at the other end that gave DC a penalty was just plain baffling. Makeup call?
    A minor point, but
    – expect the DisCo to rectifying the situation retrospectively.Upcoming Fixtures
    The Champions League continues with Kansas City hosting Real Esteli and Portland welcoming Alpha United on Tuesday, while Wednesday sees DC at home against Tauro FC and New York down in El Salvador against CD FAS.
    A single midweek fixture, the aforementioned Dallas-Seattle tangle, makes way to a full slate of weekend matches with one on Friday, six on Saturday, and a pair on Sunday.
    Wednesday: Dallas-Seattle. Friday: Kansas City-New England. Saturday: Toronto-Portland; DC-Philadelphia; Seattle-Chivas; Vancouver-Salt Lake; Columbus-Montreal; Colorado-San Jose. Sunday: Houston-Chicago; Los Angeles-New York.
    Some very tasty fixtures beginning with that midweek meeting in the West and an encounter between two of the better ball-playing sides in the league on Friday. Sunday’s LA-New York clash could be good, but will likely end one-sided.
    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
    Aaron Campbell
    The Good:
    Caps still have a shot at the Cascadia Cup
    With the past two 3-0 losses to Portland, Vancouver haven't done themselves any favours in the race for five Cascadia Cups. That being said they still have a shot at retaining the Cup this season.
    The current standings have Seattle 8pts, Vancouver 7pts and Portland 7pts. The only game remaining is Friday October 10th - Whitecaps at Sounders.
    The Caps must win this to get the majestic cup in the supporters' hands once again. A loss or a tie means the cup will have a new home in the Emerald City next season.
    While the playoff door is not completely shut, it is closing fast. Losing out on the Cascadia Cup and not making the playoffs will make this season a complete disappointment.
    The Average:
    The play of David Ousted
    In the last two games, David Ousted's play has not been terrible but hasn't been good at all. Five goals against in two games will very rarely get you wins.
    He took the blame for the loss in FC Dallas, as he should have. In training last week he talked about it being time for the team to play with attitude, that didn't happen at all.
    With five games remaining Ousted has to play better. He needs to win games that the team shouldn't be winning with their lack of quality play. Time for him to steal victories and get this team in the playoffs.
    The Bad:
    Matias Laba
    Worst game in a Whitecaps jersey. Maybe right up there as the worst game in his career too?!
    After he picked up his 7th yellow of the season he became a ball watcher and looked like he was afraid to tackle in case he got a red.
    He doesn't have room in his game to play cautious, he has to play tough and challenge in that midfield to be effective.
    Guest
    By Rose Rago
    Toronto FC ended a six game winless drought in dominate fashion against western conference basement dwellers Chivas USA on Sunday with a 3-0 victory at BMO Field.
    Despite the slide TFC were on headed into Sunday’s contest, the Reds were welcomed by a sold out crowd, the 14th consecutive for the club.
    Toronto found the back of the net halfway through the opening frame courtesy of two Brazilians Jackson and Gilberto. The play started when Mark Bloom intercepted a Chivas pass to find Jonathan Osorio in the middle. Osorio poked the ball to Gilberto who sent a back heeled chip back to a trailing Jackson. He took a few short touches before blasting a shot that deflected back keeper Dan Kennedy for his fourth of the season.
    Two minutes into stoppage time before the break, Luke Moore notched another for Toronto. Michael Bradley sent a corner kick to the far side of the box that met the head of Nick Hagglund. The Cincinnati native headed it towards the front of goal where Moore volleyed it in for his sixth tally.
    Toronto would extend their lead to three only nine minutes into the second half. Bradley flicked a corner towards Stephen Caldwell who let it roll between his legs to Gilberto. The Brazilian DP took a right footed shot from very close range to the high center of the goal for his seventh of the year.
    Caldwell spoke of how he felt physically in his return from a quad injury, “I feel good, I was a little bit leggy the last 15 minutes but my injury felt absolutely fantastic,” said the captain
    “I thoroughly enjoyed being back out there and hopefully another good week ahead of me and I'll be even better next Saturday.”
    Things became heated in the 66’ when Jackson and English midfielder Nigel Reo-Crocker tangled in a shoving match. It started with Jackson’s obvious disapproval of a Reo-Crocker challenge. The Brazilian retaliated with a challenge of his own which lead to the fight. Both were shown red by referee Edvin Jurisevic.
    The closest the struggling Goats came to a goal scoring opportunity resulted from a corner kick in late in the match. Chivas converted it towards goal in the 83’ but “Big Country” Joe Bendik made the save. Bendik recorded his fourth clean sheet of the year, and eighth all time with the club.
    “I thought we played well. I thought for the most part we were in control of the match on both sides of the ball. I thought we were purposeful in our possessions, sometimes a little too backwards, but I think we can still become a little bit more aggressive and forward thinking,” said head coach Greg Vanney who earned his first win as head coach.
    “Overall I’m very happy. The guys have worked hard the last couple of weeks. Obviously they were very close to picking up three points last match in Chicago and to get these three points I think we’ll just continue to build confidence in this group and where we are going.”
    Despite the team’s struggles of late, most expected TFC to earn three points against a Chivas team that has only six wins on the season. They are currently owned and operated by the league and will be sold to new ownership as early as October 6th when the MLS board of governors meet. Their participation in 2015 is in question as there’s also a strong possibly that new ownership could forfeit the season. This would allow time to rebrand and rebuild, along with establishing a new lease with Stub Hub Center (which they share with the LA Galaxy) until they ultimately find a new home of their own.
    With Sunday’s victory Toronto FC ties franchise total wins in a season with 10 previously set in 2009 season. The win also brings TFC to 37 points, three within striking distance of the final playoff spot in the east held by the Columbus Crew. Toronto also have a game in hand.
    It was announced that BMO will not renew its kit sponsorship with the club at the end of the season. With all the uncertainty surrounding the club’s shot at the playoffs as well as Jermain Defoe’s tenure in Toronto, this is not an ideal time for TFC to attract a new sponsor. What will ultimately change that uncertainty are results. With only six games remaining, winning has become more important than ever before.
    Toronto’s next match is on September 27th when they host Portland Timbers.
    Michael Crampton
    Chivas truly are as close to a dead-club-walking as you’re likely to find. For the players and club officials, there have been questions of motivation since the beginning of the season, but a brief mid-season up-tick seemed to herald the possibility of respectability if not playoff relevance. Since then regular service has resumed. The Goats have lost five straight matches and haven’t won since July 12th. In total they’ve only taken 1 point from the last 30 available. At this point it’s as pitiable as TFC during their 2012 worst.
    Former Seattle Sounder captain Mauro Rosales escaped football purgatory in Southern California in a trade that saw Nigel Reo-Coker head down from Vancouver. Reo-Coker once captained West Ham United in the Premier League. Now, after not being able to hold down a spot in the Whitecaps central midfield on DP wages and being reduced to a sometimes right back, he’s playing out the string on a team that won’t even exist next year.
    Missing Rosales, Chivas will also be absent their one exciting star Erick “Cubo” Torres. The young Mexican forward has regularly been the only thing that made them worth watching and his 14 goals in league play earned him a first cap for the full Mexican national team earlier this month. Even Torres hasn’t scored since July 20th, however, and is suspended for the match against TFC.
    Reds fans will likely get the chance to see former-favourite-of-some Eric Avila. Memorable for his occasional role in Toronto’s epic run to the Concacaf Champion’s League semi-final, Avila has spent the past two seasons with Chivas USA. Last season seemed to herald the possibility of a breakout at one point when Avila managed three goals and two assists but this season has seen a return to his more traditional level of production with no goals and a mere one assist. Probably the most remarkable thing is that Avila has managed to hang around in MLS for seven seasons, logging over 8000 minutes in that time, without ever living up to the hopes of those willing to give him an opportunity.
    So everything seems to set-up nicely for a Toronto FC side desperately in need of a win. Winless in six themselves, the Reds are the only team threatening Chivas for futility over the past month. The club has certainly acknowledge the mounting pressure and started a full-on marketing blitz to re-engage with a fan base left reeling after another bout of “only in Toronto” instability since the turn from August to September.
    The controversial end to Toronto’s match in Chicago changed the discussion from another week of exposition of the team’s faults and, if the official line is to be believed, could serve as a rallying cry. As bad as the last five weeks have been, it’ll only take a couple wins to see TFC right back in the playoff race. Thoughts of third place and avoiding the knockout round are now a pipedream, but for Toronto, simply getting any post-season action would still represent a degree of success.
    The potential return of captain Steven Caldwell could be vital to those chances. Scotland may have voted to stay part of the United Kingdom, but the truth is that Toronto FC might need their Scottish centre back more than Scots need England. Greg Vanney’s tactics haven’t stopped TFC from conceding goals and have probably been fortunate not to allow more. Caldwell’s organizational abilities seem essential if that trend is going to change.
    The opportunity to start the salvage of a season is there. They say they’re not giving up. Sunday afternoon those words will be tested. The playoff line moved a little farther away Saturday night and if TFC really want fans to believe that the playoffs are possible, it will take more than words to convince.
    Michael Mccoll
    Carl Robinson brought Steven Beitashour and Andy O'Brien back into the starting line up after resting them against Dallas last weekend, with Erik Hurtado confining Darren Mattocks to the bench after his goal in Texas on Saturday.
    The game was to be lively and end to end from the off and it was the Whitecaps who got the first chance just 49 seconds in when Sebastian Fernandez ran in on goal and hit his shot a foot or so wide of the left post.
    Hurtado was getting a lot of room to play but he took too long to bring down an excellent long ball from Fernandez in the 9th minute and the opportunity went from a one on one with the goalkeeper to Portland getting six defenders back.
    The play was going from one end of the pitch to the other, but it was the Caps who were getting the goalscoring chances.
    Jordan Harvey sent a ball across the face of the goal but there was to be no takers and Portland breathed another sigh of relief. The Timbers responded with a quick break and David Ousted had to be out quick to snuff out the danger.
    Russell Teibert has been struggling offensively this season but he made room for himself after some nice link up work with Mauro Rosales in the 18th minute, only to see his fierce shot hit off a Timber for a corner.
    Vancouver's inability to take those chances was punished in the 28th minute when Portland took the lead, pretty much against the run of play.
    As has been the Whitecaps' downfall for much of this season, poor marking and poor tracking cost them dearly when Diego Valeri was allowed to run in unmarked and volley home a Jorge Villafana cross from 12 yards out for the opener.
    It was a stunning finish that gave Ousted no chance, and a tough time now lay ahead for the Caps.
    More sloppy Vancouver defending went unpunished in the 38th minute when Fanendo Adi powered through the backline and played the ball to a wide open Alvas Powell, but Ousted stood tall and blocked his near post shot.
    That was to be the last real action of the half and Portland headed in a goal up and back in the playoff places in the West.
    There were no changes for either side at the half and Vancouver came out again all guns blazing, but without managing to get off the shots needed.
    The Caps should have had a penalty in the 54th minute when Fernandez had his ankle taken out as he tried to skip through two Timbers defenders, but it may have been a case of his reputation preceding him referee Hilario Grajeda waved away the claims.
    Portland started to control the play and looked dangerous every time they broke forward. Darlington Nagbe had a shot from the edge of the box that whipped over and then followed that up in the 62nd minute with a shot which Ousted could only parry but the danger was cleared before Fanendo Adi could pounce.
    The Nigerian wasn't to be denied however and he got his goal four minutes later when Valeri dispossessed Matias Laba just inside the Portland half and he streaked clear with a two on two break before playing the ball inside for Adi to simply slot home and make it 2-0 Portland.
    Vancouver threw everything forward. Too much so and when O'Brien and Waston ended up in a heap on top of Pa Modou Kah in the 69th minute, Portland streaked forward and Adi easily stroked home his second, and the Timbers third, through Ousted's legs.
    And that was all she wrote. Both teams had a couple of half chances, but even with some substitutions, the Caps attack looked woefully impotent. There was an appeal for a Darren Mattocks penalty, but again the referee wasn't interested.
    Vancouver now have five games to save their season and go from being the chased to the chasers. Will that help them play more relaxed? Even if it doesn't, can anything help them finish their chances?
    Real Salt Lake come to town next Saturday. A team that just hit five goals and destroyed Colorado last night. It could be a long five weeks.
    FINAL SCORE: Portland Timbers 3 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
    ATT: 20,814
    PORTLAND: Donovan Ricketts; Alvas Powell, Pa Modou Kah, Liam Ridgewell, Jorge Villafana; Diego Chara, Will Johnson, Diego Valeri; Rodney Wallace (Gaston Fernandez 87), Darlington Nagbe, Fanendo Adi (Maxi Urruti 72) [subs Not Used: Andrew Weber, Ben Zemanski, Jack Jewsbury, Norberto Paparatto, Michael Harrington]
    VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien, Kendall Waston, Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba, Russell Teibert, Mauro Rosales (Kekuta Manneh 65), Pedro Morales, Sebastian Fernandez (Nicolas Mezquida 76); Erik Hurtado (Darren Mattocks 76) [subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Ethen Sampson, Sam Adekugbe, Mehdi Ballouchy]
    CARL ROBINSON:
    On the overall game:
    "They got a good grip of the game when they scored their first goal. The first 20-25 minutes, I thought we were excellent. We weren't able to capitalise on that after a very good start and they have their very first shot and they score a goal, and goals change games, as we all know.
    "Then there wasn't really very much in the game, but one or two mistakes cost us in the end and obviously the 3-0 scoreline is not great for us. Performance wise was good, result wise was awful."
    Did Caps fade after a bright start?
    "I think we did. That's a fair assessment. But to come away from home and to start as bright as we did for 25 minutes and take the game to them, without getting the goal. But it doesn't matter what you do between the two penalty boxes it's what happens in penalty boxes that matters."
    Portland have eight unanswered goals now against Vancouver, do they just have the mark of this team?
    "Maybe. I know Caleb before the game, his comments were that the 3-0 would stand them in good stead. He must have had a crystal ball because it finished 3-0 again today."
    Are his team wilting under the pressure?
    "I don't think we're wilting. With teams, you try and take your chances when you can. If you don't take your chances then people can say whatever you want. I'm the manager of this team and if you want to say it's wilting then I'm wilting.
    Is it game over if Vancouver don't score the first goal?
    "You could be right. We have to get a goal somewhere to start maybe, because when we go a goal down we're probably not playing with the same energy or desire or confidence that we should do. But we've got to learn because we're not going to always score the first goal.
    "In the early part of the season we always scored the first goal. We were a team that was playing with confidence and creating chances and not wilting. Today we conceded the first goal and we lost our way a little bit, that's why getting in at halftime was important, but we managed to regroup again. The second goal was always going to be the crucial goal and fortunately enough for them they got it and unfortunately for me I didn't get it."
    Playoff battle over these next five games:
    "There's 15 points to play for. We're chasing them now. It's a different scenario when you're chasing a team rather than when a team's chasing you. So the ball's in their court. We can concentrate on our business and make sure that if we play like that, and get more people in the box to try and have the desire to score goals, we won't be far away."
    Will it give the team the spark they so badly need to be the chasers and not the chased?
    "I hope so because something's got to change," Robinson admitted. "We've had chances to pull away and haven't. They've had chances to catch us and they haven't. Today was their chance, they took it, they caught us and they're ahead of us now. So the dynamic might change a little bit but all you can concentrate on is your own business."
    On facing an in-form Real Salt Lake next after their 5-1 demolition of Colorado:
    "They were not bad, weren't they. We'll see next week after the game. It's a big challenge for us and if we want to play in big games, important games, we've got to cope with this pressure. There's a little bit of pressure on next week, some would say massive pressure, but put the pressure on me and let them play the way I know they can play. If we can do that and if we can get a chance or two and take a chance or two, then hopefully we can get a win."
    On bouncing back from this:
    "We've got to rebound back. The beauty of this game is that when you do lose you feel at the bottom of a pit, but when you do win, it makes it all the more relevant. You take moments when you win and realise that you've got to lose to win and we've got to take that on board today. We'll take it on the chin, I'll take it on the chin. We didn't win today, we conceded three goals, so I'm at fault so we'll go next week."
    DAVID OUSTED
    On the loss
    "I'm devastated right now. It's not a good way to lose, it's not a fun place to lose. I know you don't want to hear it, but there is five games left. We can't feel sorry for ourselves, we can't get down. We need to continue to work. If this ends our season, that's not ok, so we need to get back to it. We have Salt Lake next week and that's another big, big game."
    Message to the fans
    "We can only apologise to the fans. They've been great. They were great when we were coming in to the stadium and they got people talking about them. We can only apologise for what they're viewing right now but promise them that we won't give up, we won't stop fighting for the club or for them. Again, I go back to the five games left and we have to show them in these five games that we can come out with wins."
    On the playoff battle over these next five games:
    "I think Portland will drop points and if they do we need to capitalise on that. I believe we can push our way into the playoffs. It needs to be focussed on ourselves. We can't look at Portland, we can't look at everybody else. We need to look at performing in these last five games."
    Is it game over if Caps don't score first?
    "No. i still feel that 1-0 is 1-0. It's one goal. It's one chance that's got to be put away but no, it would be nice to just get ahead in a game and let them chase a little bit. We still need to continue what we're doing."
    Team better suited with being the chasers than the chased?
    "I think we need to come to terms with us being chasing and keep doing that for the rest of the season. I don't think we need to worry about anything else except getting points for ourselves. We can't look at anybody else. We need to chase those points and do it every weekend and then we'll look at it."
    ANDY O'BRIEN
    On the loss:
    "I thought for the first half hour we did OK. Then the goal took the wind out of our sails because it was their first attempt. It was a super finish. You can’t take anything away from them. It was disappointing sort of how we reacted to the goal. It’s something we have to take on the chin and dust it off. Irrespective of this result, there’s still a lot of work to be done. If we won this game, there’s still a lot of points to play for. Now we’re chasing them, so we’ll see how they react to that."
    On the team’s difficulties scoring goals:
    "We did have a few opportunities. They got men behind the ball and I think they were looking to break on us. Maybe in that first half hour we were trying to play and get the ideal goal. We have players that can shoot from distance. It’s great, hindsight, being able to look back on it. I’m sure we’ll analyze it. I know I’ll do. There’ll be things that we could have done better, but initially, even after the game, that was my observation of the first half hour."
    On the difficulty of getting the mentality right after a loss:
    "I think the way the league is set up is to go out and win games. We’re in a position now where we need to chase them. Even if we won this game, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Five games left now, so we’re looking forward to the next game."
    On if chasing Portland for a playoff spot will take pressure off:
    "I don’t know. You say we’re a young group and the only way you learn is by playing. A situation like this will stand us in good stead. In terms of the strikers, we’ve seen some fantastic goals this season. It’s been in sort of lumps and periods where we haven’t scored goals. We’re not going to throw anyone under the bus. We’ve got five games left and they’re a very important five and it starts with Salt Lake in the next game."
    On the feeling of watching the Timbers break away for their third goal:
    "I have to watch my language, but you need to get off your backside and get back as quick as you can. It was unfortunate. On another day that could end up dropping down at somebody’s feet like it did to [blas] Pérez last week for FC Dallas. It didn’t go our way. We have to dust ourselves down and get on with it."
    PORTLAND TIMBERS
    CALEB PORTER
    Overall thoughts on the game:
    "It was going to be a big game we knew that. It was going to be all six games, but like I told you guys leading into this game whoever won this game was going to be in the driver’s seat, so we control our fate. We take care of business in the next five then we are going to be in the playoffs, but we’ve got some work to do still.
    "I’m really pleased with our performance. This was a pressure game. This is crunch time. I knew that our experience in these situations last year when we got results under pressure was going to be pay off. I thought for me that was the biggest difference was that mentally we looked like we were confident, experienced and mature. I thought we were very patient and composed. I thought it was our best defensive game all year, I don’t even know what the stats are but from my standpoint I thought it was our best defensive performance of the year."
    On Vancouver's performance and containing them:
    "That is a good team, it’s a talented team and they didn’t get very many good looks all day long. I think a big part of it was our backline, our holding mids, all the way up through our front guys. It was team defending – sound collective defending, very organized. I thought our shape was very good. I thought we were disciplined. We were patient. It took us 27 minutes to get the first goal. In some games we haven’t been patient, we haven’t been organized, we’ve been a bit reckless trying to get that first goal and I thought today we looked very mature."
    On disciplined display:
    "When you get in games like this when, you’ve got to get results. We can’t be reckless. We don’t need to be flying up the field. We don’t need eight, nine, ten guys getting forward. I thought today our balance was right. I thought our shape was right. I thought our discipline and our patience allowed us to get the first goal and once we did I was really pleased second half we continued to stay disciplined and patient and scored on a couple of counters to put the game away."
    On Fanendo Adi’s play:
    "I told him before the game, ‘play like a man today’, was what I told him and he looked like a man. He was a beast. And he’s going against two of the strongest guys in the league [Andy] O’Brien and [Kendall] Waston. Those guys are tough matchup and I thought at times he manhandled them. A big part of our positive play in the attack was we were able to play through him and he was able to hold the ball up. It allowed us to get our midfielders into the game, it allowed us to get up the field. Then he obviously scored two great goals. People forget he’s still a young player, he’s only 23 years old and he’s still learning this league. He’s only been here a couple months. He’s only going to get better as he settles in. I thought he played like the true target, number nine that we want him to be, which is bang the centrebacks, hold the ball, get on the end of stuff and finish the couple plays you get, which is what he did."
    On Diego Valeri orchestrating the game:
    "He’s been instrumental for us this year. Obviously, he tied the single-season assist record, took the first goal and that was what for me opened the game up. It was a great finish. And I don’t know if there is anything more I can say about him. He’s in my opinion one of the best players in the league, if not the best."
    On whether Valeri still surprises him:
    "Yeah, he does. He’s special. He’s playing the best soccer of his career. It was funny I was walking through the locker room with him the other day when he was in there and I said to him, ‘you know you are playing the best football of your career right now’ and I wanted to see what he would say. And he said, ‘I think I am’. He’s had some good seasons. In the Argentine league and with Porto, but he is his prime right now and he is in a groove and that’s what you want out of your big time players at this stage in the season. You want an Adi to get a couple of goals. You want Darlington [Nagbe] to have a good game. He got an assist. You want Valeri to produce. He had a goal and an assist. This is what we need. Hopefully we will just continue to let this roll. I’ll stay out of those guys’ way and we will continue to produce. But again the thing that has been lacking at times wasn’t lacking today and that was the defending and for me that’s why we won the game."
    On whether he has settled on this line-up:
    "Well, it wouldn’t be too smart to change it at this point. I think we’ve got some other guys that are always going to be sniffing around to start. Maxi’s [urruti] shown he can produce, Gastón [Fernández] shown he can produce. We’ve got a deep team. This team, if you look at both Vancouver games, has felt like the type of team we need to be both sides of the ball and if you are looking at evidence those are probably our two best games of the year and we played the same line-up. The other thing is they have gained some confidence together. They’ve gained some chemistry. We haven’t been able to like I’ve said in the past get into a groove. So we are in a bit of groove with this line-up. This line-up does have the right dimensions in terms of team speed, enough technical ability, enough defensive organization and grit. It’s like pieces of the puzzles. I put my hand up there are a few games I haven’t put the puzzle together the right way, but I think we’ve certainly gotten it right recently with this group."
    On why this current defensive unit is successful:
    "I think our wingers our defending. That’s huge. There have been some games when our wingers aren’t defending outside backs. Our holding mids, I felt today was their best defensive game of the year. Chara and Johnson being on the same page, connected. That is a big part of how we play. We need the holding mids to protect the centrebacks, to protect the hole. I thought today both of them were outstanding.
    "I thought again today the balance was right. The outside backs got forward, but also got back. They weren’t both up the field at the same time. The d-mids got forward, but one was always sitting. The pulley system was working; the see-saw was working there. I thought the wingers chipped in to defend. A lot of times if they don’t we are defending with six guys versus seven or eight guys with the wingers getting tucked in.
    "The other thing is overall we all were a bit more patient and in control. We weren’t flying out all the time trying to win the ball. We were disciplined and our team shape, our compactness was much improved. So hopefully we can build on that because clean sheets at this stage of the season means you’re going to be a team getting points, getting results because we will find goals."
    Michael Mccoll
    We hear from those homegrown signings, Marco Bustos and Kianz Froese about their new MLS deals and we get the thoughts of Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson on the pair.
    Those were the only two signings announced on Monday before the MLS roster freeze and Whitecaps President Bobby Lenarduzzi tells us why and talks about the USL Pro situation, the season run-in and more.
    Keeping with the young theme we hear from Christian Dean about his first MLS start in last week's game against Dallas and from the guy that scored Vancouver's goal down there, and who everyone hopes is going to go on another streak, Erik Hurtado.
    Turning attention to back to the remainder of the MLS season, we hear from Robinson and some of the players about being in a full playoff mindset already and how each of these remaining six games is already basically a playoff game if Vancouver want to reach the postseason once again.
    Robinson also looks ahead to this weekend's big Cascadia Cup clash in Portland and we hear from some of the players - goalkeeper David Ousted, centreback Andy O'Brien and midfielders Matias Laba, Mauro Rosales and Russell Teibert.
    A busy show for a busy week!
    Have a listen!
    You can listen to this week's podcast on iTunes HERE.
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    Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!

    Duane Rollins
    In a relationship it's often the smallest things that can prove to be a breaking point. You might feel ignored, taken for granted and unfulfilled for years but, for whatever reason, you won't take action.
    Then one day your partner walks into the door with a DQ Blizzard, and you love DQ Blizzards, and the bastard didn't think to ask you if you wanted one.
    Breaking point. If the resentment wasn't so strong and been going on for so long it would have been nothing. But, damn it you wanted a DQ Blizzard.
    So it was with the CSA and MLS about a year ago. The CSA had long felt they were invited to Thanksgiving diner by MLS only to be seated at the child's table. So, when the relatively minor announcement was made about MLS and USL-Pro partnering to upgrade the MLS reserve league the CSA lost it.
    You see, they hadn't been consulted. MLS must have assumed that if the three Canadian teams were OK with the plan then the CSA would simply rubber stamp it.
    This proved to be the DQ Blizzard of the MLS/CSA relationship.
    If there were worries about what MLS thought about CSA policy and direction prior to that snub they went away completely. The CSA stopped thinking of itself as being in a monogamist relationship with MLS and started to look for other willing partners.
    It wasn't long until they had started to seriously flirt with Traffic Sports. In fact, things got serious and Traffic promised to help them start their own league.
    Soon the CFL was involved as well and plans were well underway to create a Canadian league, which would fly under the NASL banner.
    But, it didn't stop there. Together both dreamed of the biggest prize -- the 2026 World Cup. Traffic would help the CSA win the bid and, assumedly, Traffic would then have a favourable path to securing valuable rights associated with that bid.
    Flash forward to yesterday with Don Garber stressing the importance of doing more in the Canadian market. You can draw a straight line to the dissolved relationship with the CSA and the CSA's involvement with Traffic to that new found hoser appreciation.
    The 2026 bid and the battle between SUM and Traffic for the CONCACAF market is for exceptionally high stakes. Canada is now smack dab in the middle of that battle.
    With the US looking to bid for 2026 as well, it's in the USSF's best interest to pull Canada away from Traffic. The CSA and Traffic would be a powerful team in that 2026 bid and they absolutely could beat the US and SUM in a 1-on-1 bid. Forget the noise around bids -- stadium plans, infrastructure, etc -- it's the politics that matter in the end. Right now, Canada's bid is, at the least, equal to the US bid there.
    In fact, a strong argument can be made that Canada would win the bid as it stands today.
    So, MLS' outreach is absolutely cynical and absolutely tied into 2026.
    Good for Canada. It isn't 2006 anymore. It's no longer clear whether Canada benefits from involvement in MLS. With some tweaks it might though. At last Canada is in the position to force the changes it needs from MLS and to become something closer to an equal partner in the league.
    It's already almost certain that Canadians will be counted as domestic players on US teams starting in 2015, according to several people in the know.
    That's the DQ Blizzard Canada had been wanting for years.
    The thing is Canada now needs more than tasty ice cream treats to be appeased. MLS blew it. MLS needs to do some serious repair work to make Canada come back now.
    They need to give Canada a league. That's what Traffic is promising, after all.
    An 8-10 team Canadian league that would operate alongside the three MLS teams. No one is suggesting TFC, IMFC or VWFC leave MLS, just that a division 1a be set-up beside them. In 20 years, who knows. But, for now they can coexist.
    If MLS wants to help build the Canadian 1a league then the CSA will likely listen. The MLS brand would give the Canadian league an instant credibility amongst casual Canadian sports fans that the NASL would not.
    So, if MLS-Canada is offered then the CSA should grab it. The establishment of a Canadian league is more important than the World Cup bid. It would need to be a serious plan though because walking away from Traffic would mean likely walking away from 2026.
    If MLS doesn't want to go that far, Canadians will take their chances with NASL-Canada and make a serious run at 2026. No one should be shocked if Canada wins the bid.
    The divorce papers haven't been signed yet. What's it going to be MLS?
    Just how badly do you want 2026?
    Michael Mccoll
    "I had no doubts about throwing him in at all," Robinson told us about Dean's start at the weekend. "People sort of said it was a big risk for me to throw him in away at Dallas but every decision you make is a risk and it was one that I had always planned. I had planned to do it earlier on in the season when we went away to Chicago, to play him. Unfortunately something had happened so I couldn't and this was the chance for him and I think he did very well and coped very well and he should be proud of his performance."
    Dean's first MLS start came in his home state. His family live in Houston but they couldn't make it out for this one, but his birth mum's best friends were at the game which was made the whole experience even nicer for him.
    Saturday may have been Dean's first MLS start as a Whitecap but he had previously started both of Vancouver’s Canadian Championship semi-final matches against Toronto in May, and made three substitute appearances in MLS prior to the Dallas game, for a combined total of 33 minutes.
    Despite the lack of top level experience, Robinson felt that Dean coped admirably and liked the aerial presence and the aggressive nature of the partnership he formed with new signing Kendall Waston, telling TSN 1410 radio after the game, "by the looks of them, they could be a fantastic partnership.". Having watched the game tape once again, Robinson was still full of praise for his rookie centreback at training yesterday.
    "He did very well," Robinson told reporters. "I thought he started the game, not a little bit nervously but a little bit cautious. I think he grew into the game. He tried to play offside once or twice on his own and I said to him we don't do that, there's no need to do that with your pace. Little bits of details that he will get during games and from playing regular. I was very pleased with him."
    Dean and Waston certainly looked to be a promising partnership for the Whitecaps for the future. A little raw and both have aspects of their defensive game that they need to work on, but the double aerial threat they provide in the opposition's penalty box would give many a defence some sleepless nights.
    For Dean's part, he enjoyed playing alongside Waston and is already a big fan of the Costa Rican's play.
    "Unbelievable. The guys a monster!" Dean told us. "But also he's solid on the ball, in possession and defensively. I'm learning from him as well because he's big and athletic like I am and watching him play these past couple of games, I've learned things from him. Just playing with him showed me that I'm capable of playing with him and it's also really fun. He's a great player."
    Waiting for his first MLS start, never mind some serious minutes, has been understandably frustrating for Dean. As a college player, he was used to starting and did so in all 55 of his appearances for the California Golden Bears in his three years in NCAA. To go from being one of the first names down of the teamsheet, to seldom even getting on the bench has taken some getting used to for the player.
    "It's been a little difficult, honestly," Dean admitted. "It's the first time really in my life actually that I've never started a game, so this has been a little difficult time but it's a learning process. Even if I mature here and make it over to Europe one day, I'm probably not going to start there some games so I have to be ready for that, so I think doing that here has kind of matured me in a way that has made me ready for what comes in the future."
    Frustration, disappointment and impatience is natural for every rookie wanting to start establishing himself in the pro ranks, but those feelings won't have been helped by watching his former Golden Bears teammate, and fellow centreback, Steven Birnbaum play 15 games and 1350 minutes for DC United in MLS this year.
    But rather than sit back and complain about his lot, Dean has knuckled down in training, using the experience of his good friend to spur him on to his own success and impress the Whitecaps coaching staff, and he is delighted to see what Birnbaum has achieved with DC this season.
    "Steve is one of my best friends in the world," Dean said. "He taught me how to play centreback. It's unbelievable to see what he's done. He's come in and he's kept his spot. For me, I'm just trying to learn and I still have a lot to learn. It's something that'll come eventually. I'm just happy for the guys that have gotten all the starts."
    This is certainly a learning year for Dean in many aspects, but he's come to a club with a lot of experience in the centreback position in the form of veterans O'Brien and DeMerit, two players who have played at the top level of the game. Both have taught him a lot, as have all the centrebacks in Vancouver at the moment, so what does Dean feel have been the biggest aspects of his learning curve after his move from NCAA to MLS?
    "I've learned a whole lot positionally-wise. Mentally, a lot," Dean told us about his transition from college to pro football. "The mental jump is huge coming here, especially watching [O'Brien and DeMerit] and watching them play. Even from Johnny and Carlyle who both have international experience. I think mentally it's just been a huge jump for me."
    With so many ahead of him in the competitive centreback pecking order in Vancouver right now, Dean knows that he has to show well in training to continue to be in and around the gameday squad. Athleticism and skill aside, another aspect that he has going for him is his versatility and ability to play in the left back role if required. It's something Dean is aware of, but his goal is to be marshaling that centre of the defence.
    "I have full back in my repertoire," Dean acknowledged. "It's what I played Freshman and Sophomore year, and high school. It's something I can do but I'm trying to transition to centreback and learn the position as much as possible. If need be I'll play left back. If they need me to play, I'll player wherever, if they want me to play goalie! It's just something that most likely I'd like to play centreback."
    Despite Dean doing well against Dallas, O'Brien should be back in the starting eleven to partner Waston for Vancouver against Portland on Saturday in the big Cascadian derby. With playoff points on the line, it's a match that Dean would love to play in, whether this one or sometime soon.
    "If I get the opportunity to play in Portland, I'm going to take full advantage of it," Dean said. "It's something that would be very exciting, it's a rivalry game. Cascadia Cup means a lot to our fans and a lot to us. It would be insane to play in that stadium with all their fans yelling at you and screaming at you. It would be fun."
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