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    Michael Mccoll
    Darren Mattocks misses the target from a good opportunity
     

     
    Matias Laba's going with the "Hot girls at the World Cup screen shot" look
     


    Jack, Mack and Ernie. I think that's the name of those three
     


    Is that kung fu? No, he hasn't even had a drink (old Scottish joke)
     


    Don't make David Ousted angry. You wouldn't like him if he's angry
     


    Sadly Andres Romero didn't listen
     


    But all was good
     


    Shoes off, if you love the Caps
     


    #ButtHurt
     


    David Ousted to the Caps' rescue again
     


    The crossbar comes to the Caps rescue
     


    But then Carlyle Mitchell and Jordan Harvey come close in reply
     


    E Money's goalscoring streak is broken. I blame the new hair
     


    Whitecaps' 'Man of the Match' David Ousted
     
     
     
    ** Tom goes by the name Residual Image on Twitter. Give him a follow. **
    Michael Mccoll
    REPORT:
    There was no knock on effect from the World Cup excitement at BC Place on Wednesday evening
    Vancouver Whitecaps extended their unbeaten MLS streak to eight games with an uninspiring 0-0 draw with lowly Canadian rivals, the Montreal Impact.
    Both sides hit the woodwork but that was the closest they came in a game with little goalmouth action.
    With captain Jay DeMerit out for at least six to eight weeks with an ankle injury, and Nigel Reo-Coker having to head back to New York for the birth of his child, Vancouver were forced to make two changes to their backline, with Trinidad and Tobago centreback Carlyle Mitchell coming in at right back and Honduran Johnny Leveron partnering Andy O'Brien in the middle.
    Caps' coach Carl Robinson also took the opportunity to try out the electrifyingly fast front three of Erik Hurtado, Kekuta Manneh and Darren Mattocks against a slow Montreal defence that has the worst goals per game average in MLS this season.
    It was the visitors who threatened early, with Hassoun Camara deflecting a Maxim Tissot shot goalward four minutes in. David Ousted parried but quickly recovered the rebound.
    Vancouver's plan for a fast paced attack just wasn't clicking and it took Darren Mattocks until the 21st minute for it to cause the Montreal defence some problems, but after breaking into a free shooting position he fired his effort in the side netting.
    Jack McInerney got on to the end of a long ball in the 26th minute and bore down on goal but fired well wide with O'Brien closing him down, as the spark failed to be lit by either side.
    It was a poor first half, with the teams managing just three shots on target between them.
    Ousted was by far the best Whitecap out there in the first half and made a double save in stoppage time as the teams went in level.
    Vancouver looked livelier from the moment the second half kicked off, with Manneh firing a long range shot which Troy Perkins turned around for a corner just 24 seconds in.
    The Whitecaps came the closest yet in the 50th minute when new captain Pedro Morales hit a low free kick through a mass of players in the box and forced a sprawling save from Perkins.
    The Impact replied with a Karl Ouimette header that went wide moments later, as the game briefly took a more attacking turn before Montreal settled into defensive mode.
    Mattocks wasted a good run by Gershon Koffie to fire wide in the 72nd minute and Montreal went up the field and Tissot crashed a looping shot off the Caps' bar.
    The crossbar may have been rattled but Vancouver weren't and they went up the pitch and forced a corner in the 77th minute. Mitchell flicked it goalbound, Perkins parried and Jordan Harvey crashed the rebound off the Montreal bar from close range.
    The woodwork came to Vancouver's rescue once more in the 83rd minute when McInerney rose unchallenged to head a free kick off the right post, with Ousted beaten.
    There was no further goalmouth action and the teams had to settle for a share of the points in a match Vancouver will feel they should have won going in to it, but Montreal will be disappointed by the end of it.
    FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 0 - 0 Montreal Impact
    ATT: 21,000 (7th consecutive sell-out)
    VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Carlyle Mitchell, Andy O'Brien, Johnny Leveron, Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba, Gershon Koffie, Kekuta Manneh (Sebastian Fernandez 62), Pedro Morales, Darren Mattocks (Russell Teibert 75); Erik Hurtado (Omar Salgado 87) [subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Christian Dean, Mehdi Ballouchy, Nicolas Mezquida]
    MONTREAL: Troy Perkins; Hassoun Camara, Heath Pearce, Matteo Ferrari, Karl Ouimette; Gorka Larrea (Wandrille Lefevre 76), Patrice Bernier (Santiago Gonzalez 87), Issey Nakajima-Farran (Eric Miller 67), Andres Romero, Maxim Tissot; Jack McInerney [subs Not Used: Evan Bush, Adrian Lopez, Mamadou Danso]
    POST GAME REACTION:
    VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
    Carl Robinson
    Thoughts on the match:
    "Well it wasn't very enjoyable watching, was it? I didn't enjoy watching it, and I don't think the players enjoyed playing in it. Bad day at the office I think we call it. We take a point, against a team that was happy for a point. They could've won it, I think we could've won it in the second half but performance levels weren't to the level we've played at all year."
    On if considered points lost against a team lower in the standings:
    "Of course it is. Now we have to make up two points somewhere along the line. We go to Colorado on Saturday, a tough place to go, a Western Conference team, and we'll go there and try to win and pick up four points in two games. Yah it's two points lost, but they're gone, and I can't get them back unfortunately, but we have to try to make them up somewhere."
    On training leading into the match:
    "Going on the performance in training last week, they were excellent. Maybe I should've given them two weeks off, then I would've gotten a good reaction this week. Giving players time off is always a difficult time because whoever wins, it was the right thing to do, and whoever loses, it was the wrong thing to do. It was the right time for us, mentally I think we needed a break, physically by the end we were getting cramped. So some of the guys who haven't played the majority of minutes. Carlyle was excellent tonight, but we'll review it and analyze it. The performance could be better, of course it can. They're not going to come here and lay over, and they didn't. They thoroughly came, and got something that they probably deserved."
    On the play of David Ousted:
    "I think he was excellent. Towards the end of the first half we looked a little vulnerable, and David came up big for us tonight. There's going to be points in the season where he has to, and he has already, and today I thought was an excellent performance by him, so credit to David.”
    On starting three faster players up front:
    "I think Montreal defended great, I really did. Frank is missing probably his three best players, so when players are missing, other players come in and they do very well, and I think the guys defensively from Montreal were excellent. Three speedy guys obviously had a quiet evening, all of them were below the level they should have been, and I tried to freshen it up, and slightly change the formation, but we'll get back to work tomorrow."
    On Montreal’s defensive tactics:
    "They were going to come back and sit deep, that was the reality that I knew Frank would do, and they did it excellently today. Sometimes you pick your team based on what you think is the right team to win the game, and I thought three speedy guys were going to win us the game today. Maybe in hindsight it would've been better to put three of the technical guys on, or two of the technical guys, and bring the speedy guys on in the end, but like I said, I can't take that back. I'm sure when we draw nil-nil, maybe someone will say we need to send a forward, which is great.”
    On having Steven Beitashour back Saturday against Colorado:
    "Yes. I spoke to Beta, and hopefully he will meet us there, which is a good sign."
    On Nigel Reo-Coker missing the game to be with his wife who's expected to have a child:
    "Nigel called me last night, or this morning at 3:45 a.m. in the morning. For some reason I had my phone on, which my wife wasn't too happy about. At 3:45 a.m., the third call I answered, and he asked me if he could go back because his wife is about to give birth. Couldn't say no, and I think he wanted to go back, it was the right thing to do, and I wanted him to be there when he becomes a father. I didn't sleep ‘til 5:30 a.m. Who was going to play right back? And I changed my mind five times. Reality is Beta’s away, Nigel has stood in brilliantly while he was away, and so it was like putting a square peg in a round hole. And I thought of putting Jordan there, and Russell there, and eventually I came up with Mitch. But credit to him today, I thought he was excellent, he's a centre back and he's very athletic, and he was excellent today with a very positive performance.”
    Andy O'Brien
    Thoughts on the match:
    “I think we’ll take positives from it, and I think that’s eight games unbeaten now. So I think that’s a sign of a team that can achieve anything by the end of the season. As a team if you don’t play well you have to make sure you don’t get beat and we’ll take positives from that.”
    Thoughts on the first half of the game:
    “We were a little bit flat. You can put it down to the fact that we had a period of time off, like I said before the game. But we need to dust ourselves off now and get back in the game.”
    How can you improve on the weekend? Do you think this game dragged you down?
    “No I don’t think it dragged us down. I think you know, being in the game long enough sometimes it doesn’t bug you. You know we can’t dwell too much on it. In terms of single performances we played very well. David was outstanding in the first half, so you know there are some positives.”
    How big is Saturday’s game having lost the possible two points from tonight?
    “We don’t see it as two points lost. Like I said before the game, Montreal were not in a position that they wanted to be in. I watched the highlights from their game against DC, the penalty that came in off the post. So they were pleased by the look of them after the game tonight which is probably a complement to our play and that they got points off this.”
    On Carlyle Mitchell and Johnny Levron’s play.
    “We aren’t talking about players that have got no experience or are new to the league. They’re international players. Mitchell played out of position today for him but it showed his athleticism going forward. They did a lot…Johnny did a lot again.”
    David Ousted:
    Thoughts on the team’s performance:
    “We were hoping that the break didn’t have any impact on us but we’ve got to say that after this match it looked like it did. So we have to get back to work, we’ve got a tough game on Saturday.”
    Thoughts on the result:
    “It was definitely not the result we were looking for. We were looking for that win at home, but you know, this shows you there are no easy games in MLS. I think we took it a little too lightly today.”
    On the back line without Jay DeMerit:
    “Definitely some adjusting needed to be done. Mitchell coming back with Nigel gone with the birth of his little daughter. So it was some adjusting, but I thought they did really well.”
    On his early saves:
    “It’s always nice getting saves in. That being said, I was trying to get the guys going forward, but like we said today was just not our day.”
    On Saturday’s game:
    “We are going there to the altitude against a strong Colorado team, a Western Conference rival, so we need to be ready for that game, and really be aware that they are going to come at us hard from the start. So we need a different attitude from today and to get out there.”
    MONTREAL IMPACT
    Head Coach Frank Klopas
    Thoughts on the match:
    “First half, we talked about being a little bit better with the ball because we were forcing too many plays, looking to hit them in transition, but then we came on the road against a very explosive team. Our back four, I thought we defended very well, everyone was committed to that part of the game. We had some very good chances to get the three points. They also did, but we found a way to get a point in a very difficult place and we have to continue. It was a good game to rebound after the break, but now we have to focus on Sunday, and understand, now we‘ve got to get on the road and start rolling up the points.”
    On Maxime Tissot’s performance:
    “Well, he’s good. He’s got a lot on him. He can cover a lot of ground. With him, you need games to get more comfortable. I said, ‘Look, when you get opportunities like this, you have to take advantage of them,’ and I think he played very well tonight. He got forward and, yes, sometimes he could do better in possession and making decisions, not forcing the ball, but that’s going to happen. The kid wanted to show and play well. I don’t want to say it in English, but I think the whole team showed a lot of cojones.”
    On the seven natural defenders who were on the pitch at once for his squad:
    “We put in Wandrille, I know he’s played in the back, but I know also that he’s played in the middle. I know Eric, with the U-20, with the national team, I’ve seen him play in the middle. I saw him at the combine, and these are guys that are comfortable with the ball. They’re good sized, they defend well and they were fresh. I would prefer to have some more options attacking-wise, but I did the best with what I had going tonight and the guys did a great job.”
    Midfielder Maxime Tissot
    On whether getting a point feels good:
    “It does. Most importantly, we didn’t allow a goal on the road, which is very important. After that, we had some chances to score and we didn’t bury them, but I think we’re getting out of here with our head up high and we’re looking forward to the game on Sunday.”
    On whether it’s nice to be involved in the attack:
    “I’ve played a bit of left midfield with the Academy, so it’s not like it’s a new position for me. I still have some stuff to work on, of course. I gave some bad balls in the first half, but I tried to correct that in the second half, and I think I did. It’s a good position for me, I like playing there, and hopefully, I can play, whether it’s left back or left midfield.”
    How the game raises the spirits of the club:
    “I think we can take a lot of positives from this game. I mean, we had a break, the World Cup break, and I think we want to start the second half of the season fresh. I think that’s a good step that we took tonight, and now we have to continue in that direction.”
    Midfielder Patrice Bernier
    On how they matched with Vancouver’s speed:
    “We did very well today. We knew that if we gave them too much space, they have a lot of firepower up front and they move very fast forward. We managed that very well, especially in the first half, where we didn’t give too much. We probably gave a little bit off of set pieces, but in terms of the play, we didn’t give Morales, Manneh, Mattocks, or all those guys that they’ve got forward who’ve got speed, who can go to goal very fast, many chances. We made a few mistakes, but overall, I think it was a very good, organized game and a defensive standard that we have to maintain to get results down the line.”
    On playing with seven defenders at one stage:
    “That’s not true. One centre back who came in was a centre midfielder. We have some injuries, but we had some young guys that came in and did the job. They did well, they came out of position, they hustled, that’s what we need towards the end – it’s a long trip, we’re playing on turf, and everyone needs to be committed. They came in, did a very good job, and we got a result.”
    Defender Matteo Ferrari
    On wanting to establish themselves physically:
    “It was in my mind to give a message to Hurtado and also to my teammates. We were there today, and we wanted to come back with some points. I think we started in a good way, with a good attitude. It was not a good game to watch, but at the end, the fact that we were solid is a big step for us.”
    On the defensive structure of the team being a positive:
    “It is, because it was a tough trip for us. It was a long trip, we played on turf, we were missing some players. Everything was against us today. I’m sure there’s nobody that bet one dollar on our victory, or even tie. Like I said, we wanted to show everybody that this is a new start for us and we believe that we can come back to where we were last year. We’re solid, we’re strong, also we have good quality, and now it’s important for us to get some points.”
    Steve Pandher
    Part one today takes a look at the players who were part of the U16 team that bounced back this season to make the playoffs after missing them last season in a rebuilding year. The team finished first in their division and it was a complete team effort which really made it hard to narrow the top places.
    As per every year, the following rankings are a snapshot of where the players are in their development combined with the potential they show to develop into professional footballers and taking current age into account.
    Because potential is so hard to predict, it is not an even measurable with the player’s current status. We feel there isn’t a reason any of the lower ranked or unranked players couldn’t develop into future professionals.
    The rankings are put together after getting input from a number of sources. Included in this review is an independent scout who has seen the Residency players in action on a number of occasions.
    2014 U16s ONES TO WATCH
    5 – Joshua Cuthbert
    POS: RB
    HT: 5'9"
    YR: 1997
    HOMETOWN: Victoria, B.C.
    STATS: 23 GP, 18 GS, 0 G
    OVERVIEW: In his second full season with the U16s, Cuthbert continued to make progress at the rightback position. Has a very solid two way game and delivers an excellent ball into the box from the wide areas and was recently called to the U18 camp for Canada. The Caps may finally have their homegrown prospect in this position.
    OUTLOOK: Cuthbert will move up to the U18s where he will look to establish himself as the everyday right back.
    SCOUT’S TAKE: Another player who has progressed very well in the 2013-14 season. A pacey, attack oriented full back who can also tackle and defend with an equal skill set. Athletically gifted, Cuthbert also has a good mentality and is committed in a tackle and in one v one defending. Tactical awareness and his heading duels are areas he can improve. Cuthbert’s next step is to be an influence in games at the 18s level, and to continue to advance his overall development, but from everything that has been seen from him this year, all is pointing to him becoming a major player on the team.
    4 – David Norman Jr.
    POS: CM
    HT: 5'11"
    YR: 1998
    HOMETOWN: Coquitlam, B.C.
    STATS: 22GP, 18GS, 1G
    OVERVIEW: The holding midfielder continues his rise through the ranks of the residency program with another impressive season. Norman’s excellent blend of technical ability and toughness will make him someone to watch over the next few years.
    OUTLOOK: While still eligible for the U16 program there may be a chance that Norman will advanced to the next level. If he does remain at the same level then expect him to take on a leadership role with the team.
    SCOUT’S TAKE: Norman has continued his development as one of the strongest holding midfielders for the Whitecaps, playing his best soccer in the last four months. He has a skill set typical to many great holding midfielders around the world – excellent tactical awareness, good link between defenders and attackers, and an ability to break up the opponents attack either with dispossessions or strong tackles. He has an exceptional mentality, football IQ, and work rate in addition a strong desire to become a professional player. Norman has a lot of upside to be a top player, but he will have to improve his strength and pace, as well as discipline in not taking too many yellow cards in the wrong areas or at the wrong time.
    3 – Kadin Chung
    POS: FB
    HT: 5'7"
    YR: 1998
    HOMETOWN: Port Coquitlam, B.C.
    STATS: 23GP, 16GS, 2G
    OVERVIEW: A very impressive season for the converted winger who showed attacking flair from both sides of the backline. He contributed with scoring and both of his goals this season were highlight reel types where he went through a number of players to score.
    OUTLOOK: As a player still learning his position, Chung will most likely remain at the level but there is a chance he could see some U18 action during the season.
    SCOUT’S TAKE: Coming out season for Chung as he displayed his exceptional attacking skills. He is very good at getting involved going forward and is particularly good at running at defenders, getting good service into strikers, and when presented with the opportunity, finishing his chances. He is also a good one on one defender. There is lots of upside for Chung. One of the younger players in the program, he will need to work on his mentality, tackling ability, and challenges in heading situations to take his game to the next progression.
    2 – Thomas Gardner
    POS: CM
    HT: 5'9"
    YR: 1998
    HOMETOWN: North Vancouver, B.C.
    STATS: 24GP, 20GS, 7G
    OVERVIEW: Mostly playing in a centrally attacking role for the U16s, Gardner is one of the most technically gifted players in the program which has seen him get called up by the U16 national team. In addition to his playmaking ability, centrally or on the wing, he also has the capability of contributing with a timely goal.
    OUTLOOK: Similar to Norman, Gardner could go up to the U18s or remain at the current level and this will depend on where the coaches feel he can further best develop his skills.
    SCOUT’S TAKE: One of, if not the best dribblers in the Residency Program. His dribbling and good passing skill set, allows him to score or set up a team mate for a goal completely out of nothing. He is best at the number 10 position, but he also has an impact on the game from playing out wide or as a box to box midfielder. Gardner is also very athletic, particularly his endurance and ability to perform at a high level of fitness for the entire match. Overall a very good prospect, but to continue his progress, he will need to become stronger mentality wise around decisions on when to dribble, pass, and shoot in addition to improving his defending side of the game in order to evolve his game to the levels expected of him.
    1 – Dario Zanatta
    POS: FW
    HT: 6'1"
    YR: 1997
    HOMETOWN: Victoria, B.C.
    STATS: 24 GP, 18 GS, 21G
    OVERVIEW: Starting his first season as the regular striker, Zanatta experienced a breakthrough season scoring 21 times. He even impressed in a couple of opportunities with the U18s when the team was missing players due to international callups.
    OUTLOOK: Zanatta will be moving up to the U18 level and will take on the starting striker position as he looks to continue his goal scoring prowess.
    SCOUT’S TAKE: A player who has emerged after a tough year at U16 in 2012-13, to be a sensation at the U16 and U18 levels in the 2013-14 season. Zanatta has a rare football IQ and innate ability to be in the right place at the right time to score goals with either foot, off a dribble, from short or long range, with his head, or from set pieces. This has helped him to be one of the top scorers in all of the USSDA. All strikers need to score, but Zanatta brings so much more to the game. He has an excellent passing sense, sees the game well, and is learning to play as an out and out striker. To go to the next level, Dario needs to work on his ‘back to goal game’, ability to bring teammates into the game, athleticism. This will be a big year for the young striker to see if he can push on and get training opportunities with the first team.
    HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
    There were a number of players for one reason or another that didn’t make the Top 5 but definitely deserve a mention. Any one of these players have the ability to become future professionals in soccer.
    There were a few players that were very close to cracking into the top 5 including midfielder Francisco Saporito, who brings his high work rate to the midfield in addition to his skill. Another player who could have easily been in one of the five spots is Terran Campbell, whose size and athleticism makes him a handful to defend.
    The Caps have had great success in developing keepers and the next one could be Aidan Aylward, who split duties this year with the U16s. Because the team was very deep, winger Daniel Sagno didn’t see as much playing time but he was a threat the majority of the time he was on the pitch, scoring 8 goals.
    Ottawa native Vana Markarian joined the program midway through the season while two others, striker Aymar Sigue and defender Eric de Graaf missed parts of the season due to injury. Sigue saw time with both the U16s and U18s and scored 10 goals. He is already looking towards his college career.
    So that concludes our look at the "Ones To Watch" in the U16s, we'll be back with out U18 round-up at the weekend.
    FURTHER READING:
    2013 Whitecaps Residency Ones To Watch (The Top Five)
    2013 Whitecaps Residency Ones To Watch (Places 6 to 10 and bubbling under)
    2012 Whitecaps Residency Ones To Watch (Top Three)
    2012 Whitecaps Residency Ones To Watch (Places 4 to 10)
    2012 Whitecaps Residency Ones To Watch (Places 11 to 15)
    2012 Whitecaps Residency Ones To Watch (Places 16 to 20)
    Michael Mccoll
    With the Whitecaps U18s and U16s down in Indiana this week competing hard in the USSDA playoffs, it brings back many happy memories for Callum, who was the starting keeper in the Caps' run to the 2012 USSDA Championship game.
    "I have really fond memories of not only the playoffs, but just the team and the guys that I played with," Callum told AFTN when we caught up with him at Whitecaps training on Monday.
    "This is a special time of year where you get to compete for some real silverware, because a lot of the time it's just regular season, you're playing exhibition games, friendlies and stuff. But when you actually get a chance to play against some of the best teams in North America it's a lot of fun."
    The core of that Caps U18 side that made the 2012 Championship game went their separate ways soon after. As we've said before on here, it felt like the end of an era with some players making the step up to the MLS team, some heading over to Europe and others going down the college route.
    The latter was the path chosen by Irving and he headed south to Kentucky Wildcats of the NCAA's Conference USA.
    Callum earned the starting goalkeeping job in his rookie preseason but was soon sharing goalkeeping duties with Junior stopper Jack Van Arsdale. Irving made three starts and kept one clean sheet before Van Arsdale put in a fantastic display against highly ranked Kentucky and kept Callum out of the team for the rest of the season.
    It's hard on a young player to up roots and go down all that way and not play, so did Callum ever question whether making the choice to go into NCAA with Kentucky was the right one?
    "I mean initially, it's tough. You go down there expecting one thing and a whole completely different other thing happens but it's not due to any other reason than it just wasn't good enough for myself and you kind of look at yourself and go, how can I bounce back from this?
    "Am I going to take it positively or negatively and I think that now looking back on it, there's no other better decision I could have made than to get into a scenario where things aren't just handed to me where I wasn't just assumed to be a starter, I had to work for it and this past season I really earned my place and I think I grew a lot from that, learning from my failures, so I think, as much as I would have loved to have played, I almost learned more not playing."
    And he took that learning and bounced back to claim the starter's position from Van Arsdale in his sophomore season, making 16 appearances and keeping six clean sheets on the way to a .719 save percentage.
    Unfortunately Kentucky didn't make the NCAA playoffs, crashing out with a 1-0 loss to Charlotte at the Conference semi final stage. So how would Callum sum up last season for both himself and the Wildcats?
    "For me, personally, it was a good year. Overall, judging by personal performance it was good but when I look at the whole year as a team, we just couldn't click. We had certain things that would go well and then one thing would break down. We didn't quite click and that cost us in a few big games.
    "So overall looking back it's a bit disappointing but we have a lot of returns coming in the fall, a good recruiting class, so I'm positive looking forward and I hope that I can continue my play from last year and even step up another level and hopefully get the team a deep push in the tournament."
    Callum is back in Vancouver for the summer and training with both the Whitecaps' MLS and PDL teams until August 8th, as he keeps his NCAA eligibility and Caps' MLS rights in tact.
    What has the contact with the Whitecaps been like when he's been down in Kentucky and has Carl Robinson told him that he's still in his and the club's plans?
    "I talk to mostly Marius [Rovde - the goalkeeping coach]. Goalkeepers, you know, we're kind of a different breed. We have dialogue going on, just talking about what's going to happen when I come back in summer.
    "I talk a lot with Raegyn [Hall], the Residency coach, because the obviously the first team's extremely busy and they have a lot of things on their plate, with keepers and stuff like that. There's usually too many keepers, there's too much so that you can't really do training.
    "I'm in contact with Raegyn a lot and I get a lot of work with him and the PDL and the U23s. I'm hoping that I'm still being looked at, but it's mostly just put in my work and see what happens. I can't really control the future right now, so it's just coming back, getting some training, see what I think, see what they think and moving on."
    Callum has been back to train with the Caps several times now in the past two years.
    We often hear about the lack of training at the college level and the limited work they are allowed to do with coaches over the course of the year. A lot of draft picks we've spoken to of late also find it a big step up from training with a college team and an MLS one like the Whitecaps.
    Does Callum notice a big difference when he heads back to Vancouver and what aspects in particular, and just what is it like training at a NCAA team?
    "As far as overall quality, it's a lot sharper [with the Whitecaps]. Naturally, this is what they do as a living, at college there are some other distractions. If you have a big squad at college as well, not everyone is going to be there every training session to put their 100% in, which means some of the older guys and leaders have to really bring the group up. Where in this, everyone is just fully in to it every session and the quality is just so high, so high, so high and you're really focused.
    "But as far as the training, you are limited for a few months at the beginning of spring, but that allows you to do a lot of your own sessions with the team, a lot of individual work and it also allows you a bit of an offseason because if you're going 24/7, 365 that doesn't allow you a lot of time to relax or maybe get into the gym and maybe put some work in there, get your fitness levels up, different things like that. Recovery from injuries from the season.
    "The college season is pretty quick. It's pretty physical. Those couple of months off are slightly necessary and then you kinda build it up and you get a couple of good games in spring. So overall I think it might seem that there isn't a lot of training, but it is what you make it and if you want to train a lot you can."
    Much is made of players, especially young Canadian talent, going down the college route, especially in NCAA.
    Detractors always argue that the skill development and quality game time is simply not there, but we always argue that so few players will actually carve out a living in the game that it's great for them to get an education behind them for their other aspects of their working life if thing don't pan out the way they hope.
    Whenever you speak to any of the Whitecaps Residency alumni that have gone to college, they're really enjoying it and glad they made the decision. Callum is no different, so what advice would he give any of the current Caps' Residency guys that are weighing up whether to go to college or not?
    "I would recommend it. Personally I've had a great time. It's one thing for college, especially with me living in Vancouver my whole life, playing for the Whitecaps, I hadn't got a lot of exposure about living away from home, meeting new people and having to push myself out of my comfort zone.
    "I think going there, you can learn a lot more than being on the field. You can mature a lot as a person. For me, as a goalkeeper, physically I've matured a lot since going away.
    "I highly recommend to guys that maybe the professional, they're not quite knocking on the door yet, but you can go there for a few years and come back, and it can be highly beneficial.
    "Again, I feel like the college route, it is what you make it because there are so many opportunities to get better, it's just whether or not you want to."
    Good luck to Callum when he returns to Kentucky in the fall. We'll be following Callum's, and all of the Residency alumni's, fortunes over the course of the season in our regular Caps In College feature once again.
    And of course, we still hope to see him in a Whitecaps jersey again one day.
    FURTHER READING:
    Residency Week 2012: Callum Irving - Canada's future number one
    Michael Mccoll
    "The playoff draw is exciting. Every game will be challenging," Fagan told AFTN. "It's another great learning opportunity for the players. Everyone at the club is pleased for the players, as we had a strong season with many consistent performances."
    The U16s start their campaign on Tuesday but the U18s got underway this morning with a 2-2 draw against Solar Chelsea in their opening match in Group F.
    The draw is not too bad a result for the Whitecaps, against a team who finished third in a strong Frontier Division of the Western Conference and are seeded 17th overall, just two behind the Caps.
    In typical USSDA fashion, the Caps were originally drawn to play wildcard side Oakwood SC before a late switch was made with the stronger Solar Chelsea team.
    Despite the strong opponents, the U18s will be disappointed to let a 2-0 lead slip away in the closing minutes.
    Terran Campbell had opened the scoring for the Caps and Ali Musse made it 2-0 before Solar Chelsea fought back to take away a share of the spoils.
    The U18s are back in action on Tuesday when they take on Georgia United at 7am PT, before facing the number one seeded Bethesda-Olney on Thursday morning in what could be the big group decider.
    If the Caps' needed any confirmation as to the danger the top seeded Rockville, Maryland side pose, they thrashed Georgia United 6-0 in their opener today.
    Although a win in the first group game is always what you prefer, the Caps U18s are likely to still advance if they can win their final two matches.
    If they need any inspiration, then they only have to look at the Caps U18s side from two years ago who actually lost their opening group game in the playoffs but fought back strongly and eventually made it to the Championship game.
    One man that was pivotal to that fighting comeback was goalkeeper Callum Irving and the young stopper, who was named 'man of the match' in the Championship game loss to Dallas, has some advice for the Caps Class of 2014.
    "Just worry about yourself, because we lost our first game in the Academy Playoffs but we controlled the next two games, won them and let the rest play out," Irving told us.
    "You can't really worry too much about what's going on around. You just got to stay focussed on how you play, getting the results you need and then whatever falls into place, falls into place."
    The Caps U16s are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2012 after missing out in a rebuilding year last season.
    "The players endured a tough season last year in terms of results, but what they gained having gone through that is invaluable" U16 head coach Fagan told us, but they face a tough battle if they are to get to Finals Week in July.
    The Caps are seeded 13th at the U16 level and their Group C is the only one to feature two sides that won their divisions. The big showdown potentially comes in Friday's game against Weston, who won the Southeast Division of the East Conference and are seeded 7th overall.
    New Jersey side Match Fit Academy are first up on Tuesday in a game that kicks off at 11.30am PT, with Houston Dynamo U16s next up at 11am on Wednesday morning.
    So a hard week is in store for both teams if they want to head to Final Week in July.
    AFTN will bring you full coverage of the playoffs over the course of Residency Week, along with interviews with current and alumni Residency players and our annual "Ones To Watch" countdown.
    You can get our full preview of the U18s and U16s' groups and their opponents HERE.
    Good luck to all of the guys. We'll be cheering you on from afar.
    Duane Rollins
    Gilbarreto.
    It's not nice -- not for Gilberto, nor for poor, misunderstood Chad Barrett. But, the mash-up of former Reds plumber Barrett and current DP Gilberto is something that has happened in the first half of the MLS season.
    This isn't an easy market. It will turn on you in a heartbeat. Often to its own detriment (Google "Larry Murphy--run out of town" for an example of how). However, that doesn't mean the market force isn't sometimes right. Mista, for instance, likely deserved his sending off.
    The point being we should neither dismiss concerns about Gilberto nor make a run to Target for pitchforks.
    Instead we should take try and take an objective view of his play. As always in this space, we will use numbers to try to do that.
    What we did is identify the biggest underachievers in MLS in the pre-World Cup period. Limiting it to regular playing forwards with fewer than four goals we identified 12 players.
    Both Barrett and Gilberto were in that 12, although we might have stretched the criteria to include The Chad because it was just too perfect.
    What we were looking for is any clue of whether one of those 12 players might break out in the post-World Cup period. We looked at three measures -- shots plus key passes, aerial wins and turn overs plus fouls.
    Here's what we found.
    Shots plus key passes is a measure that identifies scoring chances created. Although goals are clearly vital to a forward, the truth is there is a bit too much luck involved to only look at them. Creating chances is a fuller measure of a forward's reach.
    The rankings:
    1. Landon Donovan (LAG) - 5.7
    2. Marco Di Vaio (Mtr) - 4.9
    3. Steven Lenhart (SJ) - 4.8
    4. Giles Barnes (Hou) - 4.5
    5. Gilberto (TFC) - 4.0
    6. Andrew Wenger (Phi) - 3.1
    7. Jairo Arrieta (CBS) - 2.9
    8. Kenny Cooper (Sea) - 2.9
    9. Kamani Hill (Col) - 2.4
    10. Darren Mattocks (Van) - 2.3
    11. Eddie Johnson (DCU) - 2.2
    12. Chad Barrett (Sea) - 1.5
    As it relates to Gilberto his 4.0 number indicates that, statistically speaking, he should be due for more goals. It also suggests that Chad Barrett should not be compared with Gilberto, no matter how perfect his name mashes with his.
    Aerial battles are pretty self-evident. Not every forward is good in the air, but being good in the air is a useful skill for a forward.
    1. Lenhart - 6.8
    2. Johnson - 4.3
    3. Gilberto - 2.8
    3. Barnes - 2.8
    5. Mattocks - 2.3
    6. Wenger - 2.1
    7. Barrett - 1.7
    8. Cooper - 1.1
    9. Hill - 1.0
    10. Arrieta - 0.5
    10. Donovan - 0.5
    12. Di Vaio - 0.3
    Again, top half. Not at the level of Lenhart, who is one of the most intriguing players in MLS (especially when you see the turn-over stats).
    Speaking of...
    Turn over plus fouls is an illustration of how often a player gives the ball to the opponent. Obviously. Fans don't always see fouls as turn-overs, but that's exactly what they are.
    1. Barrett - 1.9
    2. Barnes - 2.6
    2. Cooper - 2.6
    4. Arrieta - 3.0
    5. Donovan - 3.1
    6. Hill - 3.2
    7. Di Vaio - 3.6
    8. Johnson - 3.7
    9. Wenger - 4.0
    10. Gilberto - 4.1
    11. Mattocks - 4.5
    12. Lenhart - 6.9
    And, yes, the majority of Lenhart's turnovers are fouls. Bloody goon. Although, in fairness, the guys that are aggressive in the air do get more fouls. Just not all of them throw elbows like Gordie Howe.
    A few things jump out: Yes, Gilberto's numbers suggest a forward correction. However, he's not the best of the underachievers. Gilberto needs to do more. Period.
    Whitecaps fans might be concerned with Mattocks. We'll let them decide for themselves.
    Barnes is an interesting pick-up by Houston that few people are talking about.
    What are your thoughts?
    Michael Mccoll
    And there's lots of Scotland/Wales/England banter too.
    But it's not all World Cup chat. The Whitecaps returned to training this week, keen to build on their recent good run of form but to also shore up their defensive lapses.
    We chat with Carl Robinson, Andy O'Brien and David Ousted about whether the World Cup break will be a momentum killer, how to stop the Caps' leaking goals and what it's like to be a defender in this modern age of going down at the first contact.
    And there's still time to play you some more snippets from something that makes every World Cup complete for us, "quality" official and unofficial World Cup songs, including Canada's official song for the 1986 World Cup.
    Have a listen!
    You can listen to this week's podcast on iTunes HERE.
    Or download it for your later listening delight HERE.
    We also have an iPhone app, so you can now add our podcast to your phone as an app. Visit the podcast's mobile site HERE and then at the bottom of the screen just click the "Quick Launch" icon and the podcast will be added to your home screen and appear as an app.
    And if that's not enough, we've joined Stitcher Radio Network. Download the app and listen to the AFTN podcast on your device, along with over 15,000 shows HERE.
    Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!
    Michael Mccoll
    That said, bringing you the coverage and content we do comes at ever increasing costs. Whether that be the couple of hundred dollars a year we spend on hosting our podcast or all the money spent of gas and parking travelling around the lower mainland to bring you action and reports from BC's Provincial Cup and college scene, or everything else inbetween.
    No-one's asking us to do that, I know.
    So the decision was made that myself at AFTN and Duane at 24th Minute would each run a fundraising drive.
    Now, first thing to make clear is that me and Duane are doing this independently from each other. No money donated to the 24th Minute or Two Solitudes podcast campaign will be heading AFTN's way, and no funds raised by us, will be heading their way.
    I'll be honest here, doing a fundraising drive doesn't sit comfortably with me. Neither does running ads on the site to help fund costs. I just don't feel that one part of CSN should be raising money on it's own.
    I know Kickstarter and Indiegogo are the in things to raise cash for stuff these days, and we did think about doing that, but it's not for me. At least not right now.
    When AFTN started as a fanzine in Scotland in 1989, we made the decision never to run paid ads in it and we ran it as a completely non-profit making publication. In reality, it didn't even break even with our costs, but everyone has a hobby that cost money and that was ours.
    Now we have a team here in Canada. An active team, that I'd like to give a little bit of expenses to each month so that they can keep bringing you the same quality product without being too much out of pocket.
    And so we come to the fundraising pitch.
    I'm doing things a bit differently from Duane. We are not setting any firm targets. We'll take his plan as a base and say that ideally we'd like to raise $2400, which will work out at $200 per month.
    If it's more, fantastic. If it's less, still fantastic. We appreciate all support.
    That money would be split on a pro-rata basis on our team based primarily, but not solely, on their output and go towards their expenses, not to keep them in beer and pizza.
    The great thing about our site is that there is no pressure for anyone to write anything. I want my team to write when they have the feel and the passion to do so. If a whole month goes by without an article, then that's fine by me. I don't want stuff just churned out for the sake of it.
    We won't be setting any minimum standards of article numbers per week, but we do pledge to continue to bring you the same quality coverage that we currently do, which is pretty substantial if we're being frank.
    It's it ain't broke, then why fix it? And why would you not write what you want to write after all?
    Our fundraising campaign will run from today until midnight PST on June 30th. We'll still take donations after that point in time, but just won't be promoting the hell out of it. And yes, we will follow Duane's lead and likely make this pitch this time next year.
    Now, something else I want to make clear.
    AFTN will continue no matter how this fundraising campaign goes. There's no threat to take the site away, but we may not continue it on Canadian Soccer News past the end of this year in any event, even with the fundraising.
    It WILL continue though, either elsewhere or we've been looking into an expanded standalone site like we still have back in Scotland.
    AFTN is 25 years old this year in it's various forms. I 'd love to see it going for another 25 years, whether we make money out of it or not.
    That's not why I started it and that's not why I'd stop it.
    I fully understand other people have different viewpoints and personal circumstances, but these are mine.
    So all that said, if you would like to donate, then it would be very much appreciated and certainly put to good use.
    There are four ways you can donate:
    1) EMT money transfer to mcmccoll @ hotmail.com (make password AFTNdonation)
    2) PayPal donation to aftncanada @ hotmail.com
    3) Cash donation provided in person at a Caps game, be it MLS, PDL or Residency
    4) A mailed cheque (email me at aftncanada @ hotmail.com for address)
    In terms of what's an appropriate donation, that's up to you. No amount is too small.
    Additionally, we are also looking at raising money for the podcast, but this will be separate from this and who knows, may even involve a Kickstarter campaign. Ideally we are looking for a title sponsor and maybe a couple of other ads in the show to raise money for new equipment.
    If you're interested in that, then drop me an email at: aftncanada @ hotmail.com and we can chat about terms.
    Anyway, thanks for reading this far. Way, way longer than it was meant to be.
    And thanks for all your support these past few years, whether that be financial or not. We truly appreciate it.
    Michael
    Squizz
    John Herdman has said repeatedly over the last 18 months that Canada's goal at the upcoming Women's World Cup is to be in the final. And, you know what, as the tournament draws near, he could very well be onto something.
    That is, if we're talking about the U20 tournament this summer.
    The core of that under-20 team was on full display on Wednesday night at B.C. Place, as part of the senior squad's friendly battle against the powerful Germans. Kadeisha Buchanan, Rebecca Quinn and Sura Yekka lined up at the back behind Jessie Fleming, who was eventually replaced by Ashley Lawrence.
    Any one of those five -- or several of them -- could emerge as true stars of the U20 Women's World Cup, and have true potential for the Canadian program on a long-term basis. Heck, one or several of them could shine at the senior Women's World Cup next year. But on Wednesday night the Germans helped remind us that, oh yeah -- these are still kids we're talking about.
    While the defensive trio of Buchanan, Yekka and Quinn performed admirably in last month's 1-1 draw with the U.S. in Winnipeg, they seemed a little less settled against the Germans, with second-half goalkeeper Erin McLeod called upon to make numerous big-time saves to keep the game close. Had the Germans been more clinical with the chances they were able to produce, the scoreline surely could have ballooned beyond a narrow one-goal margin.
    On the other end of the pitch, Canada struggled to create decent scoring chances against an organized German side. Sophie Schmidt was, oddly, lined up as a striker to begin the match, and rewarded fans with a looping, weird, surely-unintentional shot that managed to elude German 'keeper Nadine Angerer and confused TV viewers, even five seconds after the ball had gone in. (Well, it confused me anyway, but perhaps that's just my wonky depth perception.)
    This was the second of four big tests for Canada this year, as the WWC on home soil (turf) draws ever nearer. On paper, you'd say Canada has passed so far, with that creditable draw against the top-ranked Americans, and a razor-thin loss to the No. 2-ranked Germans under their belts (and a pair of matchups with reigning World Cup champs Japan in October yet to come).
    Sure, we can talk about how Germany could have had more goals, and about how Schmidt could try that shot 1,000 more times and probably never get it to go again. Ultimately, though -- especially in big knockout tournaments -- scorelines don't always do justice to the participants. The official record will show Germany defeated Canada by the narrowest of margins, which on its face is an encouraging sign for the Canadians.
    Also encouraging is that, despite some miscues during the Germany game, the quintet of youngsters have all appeared relatively comfortable on the field against the world's top two sides (albeit, sides that were missing some of their top players).
    But there are warning signs as well. Once again, an opponent found a way to shut down Christine Sinclair. She's become more entrenched in her second striker/attacking midfielder role in the past two years, a role at which she's adept. But if Sinclair is no longer the focal point of Canada's goal-scoring efforts, who is?
    Is it Schmidt, a midfielder? Josee Belanger, who up until a year ago was retired from the national team? Melissa Tancredi, who's made exactly two appearances for Canada since the 2012 Olympics?
    It could be Jonelle Filigno, Adriana Leon or Christina Julien, all of whom have shown promise. But are they ready to step up into the spotlight and put Canada on their back in 2015, the way Tancredi did in 2012 and Sinclair has done countless times throughout her career?
    The other lingering question is the health of Lauren Sesselmann. She was undoubtedly a big part of Canada's success at the London Olympics, and her versatility and skill set are nearly impossible for the Canadian team to replace. Her recovery from a knee injury will also have a big part to play in determining how far Canada can make it at next year's World Cup.
    Because at the World Cup, there's no holding back. The U.S., Germany and every other nation will have their full teams at the ready. They'll have the motivation to perform, and the plans to make it happen. Will Canada be able to say the same?
    How the under-20 team does at their World Cup this summer may just provide us with a very important piece of the answer to that ongoing and ever-present question.
    James Grossi
    Will Johnson
    Johnson started a sixteenth-straight match for Portland in their come-from-behind 2-2 draw at home to FC Dallas on Wednesday night – he has started every Portland match this season, subbing off only once, for a minute.
    Paired with Diego Chara at the base of the Timbers midfield, Johnson was again heavily involved in the action, wasting no time with incidents in each box within the first ten minutes. First, he slipped as he retreated to block an Adam Moffat shot after Donovan Ricketts pushed away Fabian Castillo’s shot – Moffat would hit the post, then his close-range header from a Diego Valeri cross was denied by Raul Fernandez - Rauwshan McKenzie would put in the rebound, but Johnson was flagged for offside.
    Seeing as the Timbers were at home, Johnson was allowed a more attacking bent, regularly popping up in the opponent’s box. He had one shot blocked on the line by Moises Hernandez and sent another wastefully whistling over the bar when the Dallas keeper went walkabouts and spilled.
    His passing was crisp, sending Steve Zakuani down the left, leading to a Fanendo Adi shot that dragged wide of the far-post and was unselfish in front of goal, opting to set up teammate Gaston Fernandez rather than take a chance himself, but again the Dallas keeper denied the look.
    And it was his pass down the left-side of the area that led to Adi winning a penalty kick as Je-Vaughan Watson upended the big forward:


    After a lengthy argument over who would take the penalty with Fernandez, Johnson coolly slotted home his fifth goal of the season in the 79th minute – it was his second-straight match with a goal from the penalty spot:


    He has now scored in Portland’s last three matches and has four in their last six.
    The goal breathed life into the Timbers’ hopes for revival, providing the encouragement needed to find a late equalizer – though the two Dallas red cards helped.
    The Toronto-born midfielder had four shots on the night – a clear indication of his willingness to get forward and registered eight incomplete passes – a sign of him trying to force the attack on occasion, playing a low-percentage/high-reward balls. He also made eight recoveries, won three tackles, and a clearance.
    Post-match Johnson remarked on the result, “At this point in the season, where we’re at, we have to win these home games. We’re disappointed in the mistakes we made in the first half and how we came out. Our energy wasn’t right and we made mistakes that showed that. We came out in the second half and it was much better. But it’s still bittersweet. We obviously had a lot of chances out there, good chances, too. On one hand it’s difficult to come back from two goals and get a draw, but at the same time it’s tough because there were some really good chances out there that we missed.”
    And played down the debate with Fernandez over who would take the penalty, "It's two passionate guys going for the ball, wanting to do the right thing for the team. I don't know exactly what was said. You lose track of things in the heat of the moment. Once we got back in here I gave him a big hug. I respect him as a teammate. I think he's a great addition to this club. I can't speak highly enough about him and when he came on, he brought a big spark.”
    Tesho Akindele
    Akindele started his fifth-consecutive match for Dallas in Portland – it was his sixth start and ninth appearance of the season; eight of which have come in the last six weeks.
    In tandem with Blas Perez atop the formation, Akindele was again the roaming counterpoint to Perez’ central role, popping up all over the pitch – have a look at his passing matrix to see just how much grass he covered.
    He nearly scored within minutes of kickoff, latching onto the rebound from Adam Moffat shot off the post, only for Jorge Villafana to recover with a sliding block – it was his only shot of the match.
    As usual, his boundless energy and positive play caused problems for the Timbers, forcing a turnover out of Rauwshan McKenzie in the corner, leading to a Perez blast into the outside netting.
    It was in that spirit that the Calgary, Alberta-native helped craft Dallas’ second goal of the match, collecting a pass deep in his own half, turning up field with a lung-busting run down the right, and skipping over a desperate tackle from Diego Chara before pulling back a pass to the high near-post.
    Fabian Castillo dummied the delivery which fell to Perez, who right-footed past a helpless Donovan Ricketts:


    His first professional assist doubled Dallas’ advantage – Akindele now has a goal and an assist on the season, both coming in their last five matches.
    With a solid 0-2 lead, Dallas opted to sit back, inviting Portland to attack and absorbing pressure – a tact that proved fatal, with the aid of a penalty kick and two red cards. In that mindset, Akindele dropped off the front-line to clog up passing lanes and contribute defensively down the left.
    He was replaced by Nick Walker in the 87th minute, mere seconds later the result unraveled – coincidence?
    Patrice Bernier
    Bernier returned to the Montreal starting lineup after being rested for the Voyageurs Cup to make his seventh start of the season in their 2-4 loss to DC. With twelve league appearances, he has featured in all bar one of the Impact’s matches this season, as well as their cup matches.
    Reunited with Hernan Bernardello at the base of the midfield, in the double-Bern system, Bernier has an unlucky night on the whole, as Montreal struggled to recover from their cup-winning celebrations – it was another off-night amongst many this season for the Impact.
    While he covered a lot of ground and got forward well, making twelve recoveries and three interceptions, Bernier was victimized on DC’s second goal of the match when Luis Silva picked his pocket to a ball in the midfield. Silva played up to Espindola, who hit a low cross for Nick DeLeon:


    The Brossard, Quebec-native was equally snake-bit on the other side of the ball, stroking a sweet free-kick from inside the arc off the crossbar in the 37th minute:



    And then saw his 75th minute penalty kick - after former Impact teammate, Davy Arnaud, handled in the box – strike the base of the left-post, smashing his previously-perfect record of ten from ten at the spot in MLS:


    Had Bernier somehow managed to hit the right-post, he would have completed a woodwork hat-trick of misfortune.
    Post-match he commented, “We come back in the game and take the lead, but we fall mentally. We give up four goals in a half and give away this game when we should be playing like our lives depended on it.”
    Continuing, “It’s unacceptable, because we're given thrashings, so to speak, at home. On the road is one thing, but at home, where we have to show some heart and will, it’s unacceptable.”
    Wandrille Lefevre
    Lefevre made his fifth-straight start for Montreal in their loss to DC United – all 450 minutes he has played in the league this season have come in the last five games.
    As the left-sided centre-back, alongside Heath Pearce, Lefevre, as with the rest of his teammates, had a tough night on Wednesday.
    He was partially at fault on DC’s opener, falling to track the diagonal run of Luis Silva – video below – and was then barged out of position on their third by Fabian Espindola, opening a clear path to goal that allowed Silva his free run and finish:


    The French-born defender was heavily involved in the Montreal passing build-ups, though his cross-field accuracy was a little off on the night; he did rack up an impressive eleven recoveries, four interceptions, three clearances, and a tackle.
    He picked up a yellow card in the 81st minute for clattering into Conor Doyle from behind – it was his second booking of the season.
    Post-match he admitted, “We didn’t come out like the last three games we played. Looking at us defensively, we made mistakes, concentration mistakes, especially after the goals.”
    Karl Ouimette
    Ouimette started a second-straight match at left-back for the Impact in their loss to DC – it was his sixth start and seventh appearance of the season.
    While he was very lively and involved in moving the ball forward up the left, once playing a good pass for Felipe that led to a cutback for Hernan Bernardello’s long-range whistler, defensively he looked, on occasion, like a defender playing out of position.
    He was caught slow to note the space vacated by Heath Pearce jumping forward, opening a channel for Luis Silva’s run and Fabian Espindola’s pass that led to the opening goal after just six minutes:


    He was then beat by Nick DeLeon to Espindola’s cross for DC second in the 23rd minute – video above.
    It was a tough night for the Impact defenders all around.
    The Terrebonne, Quebec-native did make six tackles, five recoveries, four clearances, and an interception, but still, it was a night to forget.
    Issey Nakajima-Farran
    Nakajima-Farran started a second-consecutive league match for Montreal in their loss to DC on Wednesday night – it was his third appearance since joining the club from Toronto.
    More often than not on the left-side of the midfield – though he occasionally swapped flanks with Andres Romero – Issey had several good runs into the box, taking on the DC defenders, but failed to find much purchase. His best cross was easily cut out by the head of Bobby Boswell.
    The Calgary, Alberta-native contributed four recoveries and a pair of clearances before making way for Marco Di Vaio in the 53rd minute as Frank Klopas sought to change the formation with the Impact trailing by two goals.
    Maxim Tissot
    Tissot made his fifth appearance of the season for Montreal against DC, subbing in for Hernan Bernardello in the 69th minute – it was his third appearance from the bench.
    Taking up the left-sided midfielders’ role, the Gatineau, Quebec-native looked to provide a bit of verve as the Impact sought a means back into the match, making several strong runs up that side to little avail.
    He made one particularly dangerous run and found Jack McInerney with a cutback, but the striker’s shot whistled wide of the post. It was from the ensuing corner kick that Davy Arnaud was called for a handball.
    The Rest
    Kyle Porter was on the bench for DC United for a second-straight match – will he see some action in their US Open Cup match on Tuesday night against Rochester?
    All video and quotes courtesy of MLSsoccer.com
    Each week James takes a look at the contributions of Canadians in the league and the league as a whole.
    You can follow James on twitter @grawsee or read more of his writing at Partially Obstructed View
    Aaron Campbell
    (Points system used is as follows: (place=points) 11th = -4, 10th = -3, 9th = -2, 8th = -1, 7th = 0, 6th = +1, 5th = +2 , 4th = +3 , 3rd = +4, 2nd = +5 and 1st = +6. The subs where issued points as: 3rd = -2 , 2nd = 0 and 1st = +2)
    So, just for a bit of fun, and with all the statistics and math behind my system, I present to you my Caps Countdown Season So Far Player Rankings....
    24 - Marco Bustos
    AVG: -2.00
    1 GP / -2 PTS
    23 - Nigel Reo-Coker
    AVG: -1.38
    8 GP / -11 PTS
    22 - Jordan Harvey
    AVG: -1.23
    13 GP / -16 PTS
    21 - Christian Dean
    AVG: -0.67
    3 GP / -2 PTS
    20 - Sebastian Fernandez
    AVG: -0.46
    13 GP / -6 PTS
    19 - Johnny Leveron
    AVG: -0.33
    6 GP / -2 PTS
    18 - Jay DeMerit
    AVG: -0.20
    10 GP / -2 PTS
    17 - Kekuta Manneh
    AVG: -0.14
    14 GP / -2 PTS
    16 - Kianz Froese
    AVG: 0.00
    1 GP / Even
    15 - Bryce Alderson
    AVG: 0.00
    2 GP / Even
    14 - Nicolas Mezquida
    AVG: +0.22
    9 GP / +2 PTS
    13 - Gershon Koffie
    AVG: +0.45
    11 GP / +5 PTS
    12 - Russell Teibert
    AVG: +0.46
    13 GP / +6 PTS
    11 - Omar Salgado
    AVG: +0.50
    4 GP / +2 PTS
    10 - Kenny Miller
    AVG: +0.56
    9 GP / +5 PTS
    9 - Andy O'Brien
    AVG: +1.07
    13 GP / +14 PTS
    8 - Carlyle Mitchell
    AVG: +1.5
    2 GP / +3 PTS
    7 - Erik Hurtado
    AVG: +1.5
    12 GP / +18 PTS
    6 - Stephen Beitashour
    AVG: +2.0
    10 GP / +20 PTS
    5 - Matias Laba
    AVG: +2.23
    13 GP / +29 PTS
    4 - Darren Mattocks
    AVG: +2.36
    11 GP / +26 PTS
    3 - David Ousted
    AVG: +2.76
    13 GP / +36 PTS
    2 - Pedro Morales
    AVG: +3.0
    13 GP / +39 PTS
    1 - Marco Carducci
    AVG: +5.0
    2 GP / +10 PTS
    James Grossi
    Just two for one’s viewing pleasure this round; up first, Jack McInerney, courtesy of a lovely long pass from right-back Hassoun Camara:

    And second, from that same match, Luis Silva, who took advantage of the patch of the space presented to him with this dipping effort from distance:

    On to the results…
    Results in Brief
    Montreal 2 – DC 4
    The evening’s first match saw Eastern Conference foes Montreal and DC meet for the second time this season. Their first encounter back in May, ended all square with Jack McInerney and Eddie Johnson exchanging goals in the second half.
    It took mere seconds for the first incident to take place, when Felipe hacked down Fabian Espindola straight from the kickoff. Espindola would get his revenge in more ways than one – returning the favour with a sneaky off-the-ball clip, for which was booked in the 33rd minute, but not before making the Impact pay where it counts.
    After just six minutes, Espindola laid a little ball down the right-side of the box for Luis Silva’s run, which his strike partner tidily finished with a right-footer under Montreal keeper, Troy Perkins.
    McInerney would level six minutes later, latching onto a lovely, long through-ball from Hassoun Camara, to finish across Andrew Dykstra and the Impact would take the lead in the 21st minute, when Andres Romero picked the pocket of Sean Franklin, then cut back inside on the recovering defender to sneak a left-footer over the line through a crowd – it was his third in as many league matches.
    DC would respond two minutes on, when Nick DeLeon notched his first of the season, getting on the end of a low, left-sided cross from Espindola with a darting run in front of Karl Ouimette.
    Espindola was not yet done, registering his third assist of the night on Luis Silva’s second goal – a cracking, right-footed strike from distance that dipped over the outstretched arm of Perkins, when Silva was allowed far too much space to run towards goal in the 39th minute.
    Silva would complete his hat-trick in first half stoppage-time with a 49th minute penalty kick after Camara was adjudged to have pulled down Steve Birnbaum on an Espindola free-kick into the area. Silva’s strong right-footer to the keeper’s right, after sending Perkins sprawling to his left, gave the Montreal keeper little hope of denying the well-struck effort.
    Montreal would win a spot kick of their own in the 75th minute when Davy Arnaud was called for a handball, as Marco Di Vaio attempted to control with a juggle in the DC box. Patrice Bernier, who had a perfect record of ten goals from ten attempts, missed his first chance of the season, dooming any hopes of a comeback.
    Frank Klopas, who had hoped that recent victories over New England in the league and the Canadian Championship over Toronto would spur his side to a rejuvenation as they head into the break, was left to rue a dropped opportunity. Instead they sit firmly at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and league on ten points from thirteen matches, though with games in hand on those above.
    Ben Olsen’s DC, on the other hand, after a woeful 2013, have nearly doubled their output and enter the rest on top of the East with 25 points from fifteen matches.

    Portland 2 – Dallas 2
    The other match of the evening pitted a pair of Western foes against one another, each in desperate need of a chance to make up ground on those ahead of them in the standings. It was their second encounter of the season as well, having also played a 1-1 draw back in March.
    Portland, riding high off a weekend win at Salt Lake, endured an eight-match winless start, but have climbed up the table in recent weeks. Dallas suffered an eight-match winless run of their own after a blinding start to the campaign, and were hoping to build on a strong 3-2 win over Colorado on Saturday.
    The match began like a shot with Dallas drawing a pair of goal-line interventions from the Timbers inside the first three minutes, when Fabian Castillo’s low shot was pushed into a dangerous area by Donovan Ricketts and Adam Moffat’s follow-up effort struck the post, while Tesho Akindele’s attempt was cleared off the line by Jorge Villafana.
    In the tenth minute, the hosts had the ball in the back of the net, only for the assistant referee’s flag to deny them the go-ahead from Rawshaun McKenzie, after Will Johnson’s header was saved by Raul Fernandez, prompting the flag to be raised.
    It was Dallas who would strike first, breaking the deadlock in the 27th minute when Blas Perez chipped a ball behind the Timbers defenses from the right-flank and Castillo latched onto it, finishing low across Ricketts with a right-footer, after controlling the service off his chest.
    Dallas would double that advantage before half-time. Akindele collected the ball deep in his own half, bore down the right-flank, skipping over challenges, before pulling back a pass to the high near-post. Castillo cleverly dummied the rolling ball, leaving it to Blas Perez with a better angle from the top of the box for a powerful right-footer into the far-side of goal.
    Come the second half, the Timbers would press for a path back into the match, while Dallas gradually sat deeper and deeper in a vain attempt to soak up the pressure.
    The home side would be offered a lifeline in the 79th minute, when Je-Vaughan Watson lunged in on Fanendo Adi, taking down the big striker and prompting the referee to point to the spot. Captain Will Johnson would convert the penalty kick, his second in as many matches, after holding off Gaston Fernandez, who desperately wanted to take the spot kick himself.
    With Portland smelling blood, Dallas dropped even deeper and were made to pay with a seven minute stretch of madness that saw two red cards – Moises Hernandez sent off for a wild lunge on Danny O’Rourke in the 87th minute (no stranger to lunges himself) who made the most of the contact, and Blas Perez, dismissed with a second booking within two minutes, garnering a straight-red for an apparent stomp on Pa Modou Kah in the 92nd after picking up a yellow card earlier.
    Kah would avenge Perez’ error two minutes later when Max Urruti put a ball into the Dallas box, which the big defender was able to bring down and poke into the top right-corner with his right boot in the final minute of stoppage-time, earning his side a hard-fought, if fortuitous, point.
    Caleb Porter will be content to enter the break having lost just once in their last nine matches, but will be perturbed by Portland’s propensity to concede early and often.
    Dallas’ Oscar Pareja was no doubt dismayed by losing two points at the death, though whether he blamed his players, or the officials, who sent off two and called a penalty, will likely be a factor in how he views the World Cup break.

    CanCon
    Despite the limited action there were plenty of Canadians on the pitch midweek, with Will Johnson and Tesho Akindele squaring off in Portland, while a quartet of Canadians – Patrice Bernier, Karl Ouimette, Wandrille Lefevre, and Issey Nakajima-Farran - started for Montreal and a fifth, Maxim Tissot, joined from the bench.
    Check in tomorrow to see how they did in the extended Canadian Content section, out midday.
    Overheard
    Mere days after this very review commented that Philadelphia “can regroup, with manager, John Hackworth, safe in the knowledge that they have found their scoring boots” Hackworth was removed from his head coaching position, roughly two seasons after having taken up the post - he was announced on an interim basis on June 13, 2012. He became the first manager to suffer the axe this season.
    The rationale?
    According to club CEO, Nick Sakiewicz, "We are a very ambitious club and although we are just in our fifth season we expect to win and be in the top tier of MLS. Today we will begin a serious global search for a team manager who will help guide us to our goal of competing to win the MLS Cup. Philadelphia is a major market and we expect that there will be significant interest from a wide variety of qualified candidates to become Philadelphia Union’s team manager."
    He continued, "Our great fans, partners and community deserve a winning team and we will be doing everything in our power to win. We appreciate the work, time and efforts John Hackworth put into building the club and his influence on our growing youth academy. He is a first class person and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
    Later, Sakiewicz reflected, “I never in my dreams would have thought that I would have done what I did today. But that’s soccer. That’s professional sports. If I had just slogged along until the end of the season, I wouldn’t be doing my job to the fans. I wouldn’t be doing my job for the sponsors and all of my partners. You’ve got to win.”
    Before adding, about potential candidates, “I haven’t even checked my iPhone, but the resumes are flooding in I’m being told. There’s a lot of interest in coaching in MLS overseas – big coaches. You guys will hear some big names.”
    Technical director and Assistant Coach, Rob Vartughian, was also relieved of his duties.
    Hackworth will be replaced by Assistant Coach, Jim Curtain on an interim basis for the time being. He commented the following in his introductory press conference, giving some foresight into what he plans to implement, “Good teams win 1-0 games in this league. The teams that do that at the end of the year are the teams that are toward the top of the table – the Kansas Citys, the Salt Lakes. They grind out 1-0 results and they’re good in both boxes.”
    Stadium News
    David Beckham’s Miami machinations suffered a blow, sending them back to the drawing board, when their second site, a downtown stadium, was declined by the city. Don Garber reiterated, “We cannot go to Miami unless we have not just a viable, but a very, very strong downtown location for a city that will be provided with a Major League Soccer franchise that can privately finance a stadium; to do it with one of the soccer world’s most important and significant icons and to make a commitment to make it one of the better teams, or most important teams, in North America."
    In other stadium news, DC United released fresh renderings of their proposed site – it’s pretty awesome.
    US Open Cup
    The Fourth Round of the 2014 US Open Cup is underway with MLS sides entering the fray. Houston and San Jose moved on midweek with a 1-0 win over the Laredo Heat and a 2-1 result over Sacramento, respectively.
    But come Saturday the next three MLS participants were upset with Chivas falling 3-2 on penalty kicks after drawing the Carolina RailHawks, Salt Lake getting bounced 2-1 at Atlanta and New York suffering a 3-0 defeat at the hands of local rivals, the New York Cosmos – that had to hurt.
    The round continues on Tuesday and Wednesday, with another eleven MLS clubs involved in cup action.
    Tuesday: Philadelphia-Harrisburg; Rochester-DC; Columbus-Indy Eleven; Dallas-San Antonio; Colorado-Orlando City; Portland-Orlando City U23. Wednesday: Richmond-New England; Chicago-Pittsburgh; Kansas City-Minnesota; Seattle-PSA Elite; Arizona-Los Angeles.
    Controversy
    Several debatable moments, despite the limited action:
    Did DC deserve a penalty kick from this play in Montreal? Apparently for Hassoun Camara bringing down Steve Birnbaum?
    And what about the call in Dallas, that gave Portland a way back into their match after trailing by two? Fanendo Adi sure went down softly on the challenge from Je-Vaughan Watson.
    Then there was the pair of red cards to Dallas, first Moises Hernandez and then Blas Perez? Both were probably correct with the first the harsher of the two decisions.
    Upcoming Fixtures
    The league will return on June 25th with a single midweek match before resuming in earnest the following weekend:
    Wednesday: Vancouver-Montreal. Friday: New York-Toronto; Portland-Kansas City. Saturday: DC-Seattle; New England-Philadelphia; Columbus-Dallas; Colorado-Vancouver; San Jose-Los Angeles; Chivas-Salt Lake. Sunday: Montreal-Houston.
    All video and quotes courtesy of MLSsoccer.com
    Each week James takes a look at the league as a whole.
    You can follow James on twitter @grawsee or read more of his writing at Partially Obstructed View
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