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    Guest
    <i><b>Pitch Perfect</b> is our feature where we break down various moves of perfection in Whitecaps matches that lead to Vancouver goals. We haven't done one for a while, although we certainly could have, but we also have the flip side of that feature looking at the Caps' defensive mistakes - <b>Pitch Imperfect</b>...</i>
    <center>**********</center>
    Defensive lapses against the LA Galaxy have cost the Whitecaps dear these past two weeks. Vancouver may have twice fought back valiantly on Saturday against LA, but there will be disappointment in the camp about how they fell behind in the first half and were left playing the chasing game thereafter.
    Here we break down the defensive mistakes that led to Stefan Ishizaki's first half opener for Los Angeles.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    The play starts after a corner was cleared near the middle line when DeLaGarza picks up the ball. A couple of things to point out are that Morales is on the right side of the midfield marking Husidic, as well as Miller pushing up a bit too much. This creates too much space for the Galaxy which forces Koffie to move up and fill it in.

    The ball comes to Juninho and despite Koffie’s efforts, the Galaxy midfield still outnumbers two to one at this point. Morales is already losing track of Husidic and Gargan sees all the space on the right and starts to move forward.

    Sarvas receives the pass from Juninho and because Koffie over pursues Juninho, Teibert must vacate his space to pressure Sarvas. Morales seems to have no idea where Husidic is and Beitashour is not paying attention either, as he is likely assuming Morales is defending him. Because of the previous corner Omar Gonzalez is still up the field which forces Beitashour to mark Ishizaki. Gargan continues his run into the open space and the majority of Galaxy players recognize this as they signal Sarvas to move the ball there.

    Gargan has the ball now and has all the time in the world to notice Husidic waving his arms. Laba must now cover for Teibert and challenge the right back. It would be easier for Harvey to challenge Gargan but with Keane in between him and DeMerit there is no way the defender can pressure Gargan. Ishizaki starts to make a move to the middle of the box.

    The cross is just about to be sent in by Gargan with Laba trying to disrupt it. However in doing that Laba left a gaping space at the top of the box which both Teibert and Koffie fail to cover. As a result, the Caps are outnumbered five to four in the attacking area around the box. Ishizaki is now in the middle of the box using Gonzalez as a pick on Beitashour. Not one of the defenders see Husidic make his run to the far post.

    Husidic gets his head to the ball to the right of the six yard area with Beitashour attempting to block the attempt. O’Brien has Gonzalez while Harvey marks Keane, leaving DeMerit the free defender. Unfortunately the captain is not paying attention to what is happening behind and is ballwatching.

    Ishizaki has a free header at the edge of the six yard area while DeMerit can only watch. If he had held and stayed where he was when Husidic headed the ball back to the middle then DeMerit may have been able to challenge the attempt. He may have been just moving with the backline as a group or was worried about a cross to the six to Keane but a look back and he would have seen both Ishizaki and Donovan.
    A lot of blame to go around the whole team, but the main culprit for me was Morales who completely released Husidic.
    <p>
    Guest
    <i>"Caps Countdown" is our Vancouver Whitecaps player rankings with a twist. The starting eleven is ranked from eleven to one, from worst to first. Who was the 'man of the match' and who, if anyone, had a game to forget in the 2-2 draw with Los Angeles Galaxy? Aaron Campbell makes his selections. Do you agree?</i>
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <b>STARTING XI:</b>
    11 - Jordan Harvey
    Was in the proper place on the first goal but should have stepped up to keep the ball out of the net. Was caught completely out of position on the Keane goal.
    10 - Gershon Koffie
    Second game in a row where he has come out at the beginning of the game, and come out at half, slow. He settles down as the play goes on. Might be time for Reo-Coker to get a start if he is match fit.
    9 - Russell Teibert
    Showed no attacking prowess in the game. Seems like every time he was pressured he would pass the ball back to a defender. Felt like he is uncomfortable to try to make the turn up field and join the attack.
    8 - Jay DeMerit
    He should have been subbed off at the half instead of Andy O'Brien if the latter hadn't picked up the early booking. The team needs at change at the CB position. Is looking two steps slow and has struggled in the air this season.
    7 - David Ousted
    The two goals against were goals that should have been stopped. Was caught out of position on both of them. With all the games coming up in the next few weeks it may be time for Tornaghi to get a start at Real SaltLake.
    6 - Kenny Miller
    Was hidden in the first half. He opened up the play more only once he settled in the number 10 role when Morales was subbed off.
    5 - Andy O'Brien
    Played very well when in one on one situations. Was very strong in the air all half long. Was unlucky go get the yellow card 32 seconds into the game which led to him being subbed out at the half.
    4 - Pedro Morales
    Had some very nice passes early to set up Mattocks and Miller. It is worrying hearing that after the game his lower back was giving him problems. The crappy BC Place turf may be having a bigger effect on him than the team is letting on.
    3 - Steven Beitashour
    Got up in the play on the wing a lot this game. Team high 5 crosses into the box. Needs to be a little better with the placement of those crosses. Has settled down defensively the past few games.
    2 - Matias Laba
    Helped control Donovan and Keane in the middle third of the pitch. Very strong presence with or without the ball in the middle of the field.
    1 - Darren Mattocks
    Showed hustle all game long, which led to his goal when he ran hard at the goalkeeper and made him make a mistake. Showed great vision on the pass to Manneh to get the game tied.
    <b>SUPER SUBS:</b>
    3 - Johnny Leveron
    Filled in nicely for Andy O'Brien. Personally thought he should have replaced Jay DeMerit.
    2 - Erik Hurtado
    Brought speed to the offensive third of the pitch after he came on. Got lucky with a bad touch to get the assist on Mattocks goal.
    1 - Kekuta Manneh
    Brilliant strike in the 86th minute to salvage a point for the Vancouver Whitecaps.
    <p>
    Guest

    Sober Second Thoughts: Number 5

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    So, Toronto lost. Gilberto was robbed (and needs to score soon, eh?). Bradley looks exhausted.
    It's 3-3 after six games. Many people thought two wins would be a possibility after what was undoubtably a tough start to the schedule. So, three wins is OK. But, they were 3-1. So two straight losses is disappointing.
    In short, TFC in a MLS team. That's more than we could have claimed for most of the last seven years so we take it and we move on.
    But, this week's column isn't really about TFC. We have all year to talk TFC. We only have today to talk about the first ever home game of a new Canadian pro team.
    The Ottawa Fury launched Saturday. I was privileged to be there.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It was the third time I've seen a new Canadian team launch -- TFC in 2007, Vancouver in 2011 (and, yes, I understand that launch was for MLS, not the Whitecaps brand launching) and now the Fury in 2014.
    If you want to include half-baked indoor teams on the list I was also at the first and only home opener of the Toronto Shooting Stars.
    Regardless, for all our perceived differences as Canadians, the three (non-half-baked) debuts looked remarkably similar. In all cases it was a celebration of the sport and of the community that surrounds it.
    That word -- community -- is not something often associated with professional sport in this country. We hear about fans, sure, and, sadly, consumers but rarely about a community. But, that's what you find around pro soccer teams in Canada. You see people that have embraced a sport that, for years, wasn't all that easy to follow without spending silly amounts of money on speciality television channels or getting on a plane to Europe. In recent years a local option arrived on the scene, but even then it was too often dismissed by people who claim to be fans of the sport -- "Eurosnobs" to use the vernacular of local-first soccer fans -- as being substandard.
    So, for those that did buck convention twice -- those that are fans of not just soccer, but local soccer -- there is a bond that runs deeper than you'd find down at the local NHL rink. It's a bond that appreciates that we're all in this together.
    The local game only grows and thrives through the efforts of those that choose to support it. That's true of any sport, but it's especially true in the case where there are undeniably more skilled options of the sport available to watch on television (as expensive as those speciality channels are they are still cheaper than a season ticket).
    Here in Toronto, I've seen first hand how the community does grow the sport and make it thrive. On Saturday, I was reassured that the sport will be just fine in Ottawa.
    I was reassured when I saw the Bytown Boys gathered in the Georgetown Pub before the game and when I saw the Stony Monday Riot gang at the Original Burger after.
    I was reassured when I saw the flags in the supporter's section and when I saw the excitement on the faces of youth soccer players attending their first ever pro game.
    And, I was reassured when I saw noticeably more people in the support's section in the second half than were there in the first.
    Based on the play on the pitch it's going to take some time to make the Fury a winner. Based on the atmosphere in the stands, the club is already a success.
    Guest

    Fury FC fall to Minnesota United FC

    By Guest, in OttCityFootie,

    BY: Tyler Follett

    Oliver Minatel takes a hard foul from a fellow Brazilian, Minnesota United FC’s Tiago Calvano.
    Tiago was given a warning on the play but no card. Tyler Follett photo
    OTTAWA -- Ottawa Fury FC fell 2-1 in their first-ever home game to Minnesota United FC after a dagger in injury time in front of 3,457 fans at Keith Harris Stadium.
    The goal – scored off a free kick given up by substitute Andres Fresenga just outside the 18 yard box – came after injury time was up according to Fury coach Marc Dos Santos, and any definition of time I’ve ever heard of.
    “It’s hard, it’s very hard because we feel that we came back in the second half with a lot of energy,” said Dos Santos.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    “We tied the game because we deserved to tie it. And while we were growing in the game and I felt that maybe we were going to score the second.”
    Windy conditions at kickoff limited both teams in the first half.
    The opening thirty saw tentative play from both teams, with few scoring chances, until a breakthrough in the 36th minute by Minnesota FC.
    Miguel Ibarra scored a goal out of nothing in an impressive solo effort on the right side, with Fury keeper Gorrick having little chance.
    The Fury started the second half looking like a different team. After making no changes to the lineup at half, the backline began to pressure more, swallowing Minnesota when they had possession before they could even enter the final third.
    Phillipe Davies and Pierre-Rudolph Mayard were active on the flanks, linking well with Oliver Minatel.

    Pierre-Rudolph Mayard evades a Manuel Ibarra tackle in midfield.
    Ibarra starred in the attack for Minnesota. Tyler Follett photo
    In the 50th minute Tony Donatelli sent a nice cross in Vini Dantas headed home as the Brazilian notched the Fury’s first ever goal.
    The pressure continued after the goal, as the Fury had several chances at a second goal.
    In the 76th minute, as Minnesota made one of their rare second half forays in the Fury final third, Omar Jarun took a boot to the head in the box. He was helped off the field and received medical attention, looking worse for the wear after the game.
    The injury forced fullback Drew Beckie to centreback to cover for Jarun, while Andres Fresenga was subbed on to take Beckie’s place to complete the makeshift backline.
    The ensuing 10 minutes saw several Minnesota players suffer knocks requiring physio attention and a substitution, cutting into the Fury momentum.
    Minnesota started sending three and four attackers testing the makeshift Fury backline for a second goal.
    After chances both ways, a free kick was given up just outside the 18 yard line by Andres Fresenga deep into stoppage time.
    The cross was headed home by striker Christian Ramirez in the 97th minute, with his second in as many games.
    The dagger took the wind out the sails for a team that deserved to get their first points on the day.
    The team was left to rue a late goal and questionable decision not to even give the Fury a chance to score a second.
    “If they get a goal like the one they got the first one, very good goal, that’s one thing. Playing after the time that’s what upsets me,” said Dos Santos. “The ref can’t be scared of just playing the right time.”
    There were many positives to take out of the second half, which saw the Fury sustaining continuous pressure and looking threatening in the final third.
    “We grew, we grew in the game, we grew in the second half, it’s too bad. We’re so close to success, so close to winning or tying games, but it’s details,” said Dos Santos.
    The game showed a glimpse into the Fury’s depth, as they were missing three key starters – Tom Heinemann, Nicki Paterson and Sinisa Ubiparipovic to injury.
    Tony Donatelli and Philippe Davies filled in for Paterson and Sinisa, while Dantas started up top in place of Heinemann.
    Dantas felt afterwards like many, that the game was in their reach.
    “If it wasn’t for some injuries, some guys going down, physios coming on the field, I think that momentum would have carried to another goal,” said Dantas. “Because we were pressing, we were creating things, we were getting in their final third and I think it was just a matter of time for it to come. Then injuries started happening, and it’s a battle.”
    Captain Richie Ryan was tasked, not only with leading Fury FC in their home debut, but with leading a midfield missing key contributors.
    An experienced distributor with the ball, Ryan knew to slow down the play when things got hectic for a team playing with some inexperienced players.
    “We believe in ourselves as a squad, we know how good we can be,” said Ryan.
    “There’s a few little things that we need to get stronger with, take responsibility for. To make sure we don’t lose games with goals in the last minute of the game is one of them. I’m sure we’ll learn sooner rather than later”
    The Fury will be able to soon forget about the result with a visit from FC Edmonton this Wednesday night in the opener of the Canadian Championship.
    Edmonton, who fell to the New York Cosmos 1-0 Saturday, will also be looking to break a slump.
    “There’s only one way to bounce back,” said Ryan. “We got beat 2-1 unfortunately but put this to the back of our minds, come back Monday morning and prepare for Wednesday night.”
    Guest
    Vancouver Whitecaps' fighting spirit was in abundance as they fought back twice to take a point at home to the LA Galaxy.
    Our LA postgame show looks back at the main talking points of the game. Did the Caps go with the right formation? What about those early substitutions? Should we be buying a book called 'Where's Pedro'? What are the Whitecaps missing going forward? What's going to happen now with the still dropped Nigel Reo-Coker? And of course, we look at the goals. All four of them.
    We also hear from both locker rooms.
    <b>Carl Robinson</b>, <b>Darren Mattocks</b>, <b>Kenny Miller</b> and point securing goalscorer <b>Kekuta Manneh</b> bring you some inside from the Vancouver side, whilst <b>Bruce Arena</b>, <b>Omar Gonzalez</b>, <b>Dan Gargan</b> and a not very happy <b>Robbie Keane</b> give us some LA insight into the result.
    Whilst <b>Rob Friend</b> tells us what it was like to be back playing football again in BC and how close he was to signing for the Whitecaps last summer.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    And there's still time to bring you the latest Whitecaps Residency news and details of next weekend's BC Provincial Cup quarter finals.
    Have a listen and Happy Easter everyone!
    You can listen to this week's podcast on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/aftn/id628306235" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>.
    Or download it for your later listening delight <a href="http://aftn.podbean.com/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>.
    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 <a href="http://aftn.podbean.com/mobile/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> 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 <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/michael-mccoll/the-aftn-soccer-podcast?refid=stpr" target="_blank"><u><b>Stitcher Radio Network</b></u></a>. Download the app and listen to the AFTN podcast on your device, along with over 15,000 shows <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/michael-mccoll/the-aftn-soccer-podcast?refid=stpr" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>.
    Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!
    <iframe width="100%" height="100" id="audio_iframe" src="http://www.podbean.com/media/player/audio/postId/5132710/url/http%253A%252F%252Faftn.podbean.com%252F2014%252F04%252F20%252Fepisode-58-the-aftn-soccer-podcast-vancouver-v-la-postgame-show%252F/initByJs/1/auto/1?skin=3" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
    <p>
    Guest
    Vancouver Whitecaps and Los Angeles Galaxy battled it out to a 2-2 draw at BC Place on Saturday afternoon.
    AFTN photographer Tom Ewasiuk was there capturing the game for us. Here's a selection of his photos from before, during and after the match.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    You can find his full gallery from the game on Dropbox <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oqwu68l72sqw1v8/BTUQJ4-5rC#/" target="_blank"><u><b>HERE</b></u></a>.
    <center><b>.jpg]
    The game started off with a tribute to the Hillsborough 96
    .jpg]
    Vancouver's starting line up
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    LA's starting line up
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    A flying Darren Mattocks nearly gets his head on Kenny Miller's cross
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    Nothing to do with the game, but I like this picture!
    .jpg]
    1-0 down, a misunderstanding between Penedo and Leonardo lets Mattocks in
    .jpg]
    And he buries it low from the tightest of angles
    .jpg]
    And boy is he happy!
    .jpg]
    Darren's celebration time
    .jpg]
    Kenny Miller encourages the young 'uns to get on with the game and get a second
    .jpg]
    But before you knew it, Robbie Keane does what he does best and clinically finishes for a 2-1 LA lead
    .jpg]
    But with time running out Kekuta Manneh beautifully buries a cut back from Mattocks
    .jpg]
    And the players celebrate
    .jpg]
    As the crowd goes wild
    .jpg]
    The fans celebrate a hard won point by playing "Pin the wig on Landy"
    </b></center>
    <center>** Tom goes by the name <a href="http://www.twitter.com/residualimage" target="_blank"><b><u>Residual Image on Twitter</u></b></a>. Give him a follow. **</center>
    <p>
    Guest
    <i>Match report and post game reaction from Vancouver Whitecaps' 2-2 draw with Los Angeles Galaxy at BC Place. With quotes from the Caps' Carl Robinson, Darren Mattocks, Kenny Miller and Kekuta Manneh.</i>
    <b>Report:</b>
    A late strike by second half sub Kekuta Manneh saved a point for the Whitecaps as they came back to draw Los Angeles Galaxy at two. The opening goal was by Stefan Ishizaki of the Galaxy in the first while second half scores by Darren Mattocks and Robbie Keane completed the scoring.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The Galaxy opened the scoring late in the first half when Ishizaki converted a free header just outside the six yard box. It started from the right side when Dan Gargan sent in a cross to the far post which was headed back across by Baggio Husidic for the Swedish import to finish.
    There were chances for the Caps to open the scoring in the first when Darren Mattocks just missed connecting on a cross from Kenny Miller in the six yard area. Jaime Penedo then came up big with a diving save when he got his hands on a Pedro Morales that was deflected on its way to the net.
    For the majority of the first half the Galaxy were the more organized team keeping Vancouver from creating many chances. The Caps were unable to challenge LA’s ability to control the wide areas which is where the opening goal and the majority of their chances came from.
    Coming out of the break the Caps made some significant changes to their lineup as Johnny Leveron and Kekuta Manneh came on for Andy O’Brien, who was on a yellow after picking up a booking just 32 seconds into the game, and Russell Teibert. The changes didn’t have much impact as the Galaxy continued to be the dangerous side and Robbie Keane almost put them up by two with a shot that just missed the target.
    From the hour mark the Whitecaps started pressing harder and it paid off for them about seven minutes later when a hustling Darren Mattocks scored his second of the season to even the match. Confusion between Leonardo and Penedo allowed Mattocks to gather the ball and score from a very tight angle.
    The home side continued to pour on the pressure and almost took the lead when Gershon Koffie was set up at the top of the box but blasted the ball over the net.
    After defending a couple of attacks the Galaxy settled the game down and then capitalized as Keane put them ahead by a 2-1 score. The ball was sent into the box by Gonzalez where Canadian Rob Friend headed it to Keane and the striker made no mistake beating Ousted.
    With less than five minutes left in regular time the Whitecaps responded and Kekuta Manneh blasted a shot from outside the box. Steve Beitashour sent a cross to the far side of the box where Darren Mattocks controlled it and sent it to Manneh who took a touch and beat Penedo to even the score.
    Both teams had chances in the final moments with Manneh stopped at the far post by Penedo and David Ousted holding onto a dangerous header by Friend. However there would be no more scoring as both teams settled for a point.
    Final Score: Vancouver 2 -2 Los Angeles Galaxy
    Att: 21,000 (4th straight sell out)
    Vancouver Whitecaps
    David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien (Johnny Leverón 46th min), Jay DeMerit, Jordan Harvey; Gershon Koffie, Matías Laba, Pedro Morales (Erik Hurtado 65th min), Russell Teibert (Kekuta Manneh 46th min); Darren Mattocks, Kenny Miller
    Substitutes not used
    Paolo Tornaghi, Nigel Reo-Coker, Nicolás Mezquida, Sebastian Fernandez
    LA Galaxy
    Jaime Penedo; Dan Gargan, Omar Gonzalez, Leonardo, A.J. DeLagarza; Juninho, Marcelo Sarvas, Stefan Ishizaki (Rob Friend 72nd min), Baggio Husidic (Gyasi Zardes 72nd min); Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane
    Substitutes not used
    Brian Perk, Tommy Meyer, Kofi Opare, Kenney Walker, Samuel
    <b>Reaction:</b>
    <b>Carl Robinson on getting something from game:</b>
    "Totally important that we got a result today. I think in the last two games we've shown that we can compete with one of the top teams in Major League Soccer in LA."
    <b>Carl Robinson on first half performance:</b>
    "It was hard work. I think we made it hard work. I don't think in the first half we had the belief we could go toe to toe with them, at home, in front of our fans, and I think we were playing safe.
    <b>Carl Robinson on the introduction of Kekuta Manneh at half time:</b>
    "I made a tactical switch to try and inject a little bit of life with the kid coming on, Kekuta, who I toyed with the idea of playing with from the start. Maybe me, being a young head coach, thought is it better for me to be in the game then unleash the young 'un, but I made the decision at half time."
    <b>Carl Robinson on replacing Andy O'Brien at half time:</b>
    "I've just been talking to Andy in there. I took Andy off just because I was worried he would get sent off. After being pig sick losing at home when Mati Laba got sent off and he was touching the dodgy border in regards to picking up a second yellow card, I made the call early this time and replaced Andy with Johnny."
    <b>Carl Robinson on how competitive the Caps can be:</b>
    "Are we going to be able to compete straight away? Yeah, I think we showed in the last two weeks, we can. It's important we maintain that level as well and after the last two weeks I'm really proud of the guys in there."
    <b>Darren Mattocks on team performance in fighting back:</b>
    "The team, I really got to give credit, you know. Fantastic determination. Work ethic was good by the team."
    <b>Darren Mattocks on the extra help he received for his goal:</b>
    "It was God. It all God to be honest. In the 66th minute I asked the Lord to deliver me and in the 67th minute I scored. If that's not fate, I don't know what is."
    <b>Darren Mattocks on his hustle for his goal:</b>
    "It's a combination of my speed and my anticipation. As a striker you've got to anticipate for a player to mess up and they did that. I didn't even look at the goal to be honest. As a striker you've got to know where the goal is. It was a very tight angle."
    <b>Kenny Miller on the game:</b>
    "I felt we were not quite at it in the first half. Obviously the boss made a couple of changes at half time to get us a bit more impetus and forward thinking. I thought we got back into the game and deservedly so. After that, I thought we were pretty much in control of the game and it was another sucker punch at the other when they got the goal. But again, we showed great character to come back. It was a fantastic finish by Kekuta."
    <b>Kenny Miller on Caps late push:</b>
    "If there was any team that was going to win it, it was gonna be us. Yeah, we're happy to get the point after being down twice, but again disappointed. I felt we could have maybe nicked it today."
    <b>Kenny Miller on urging teammates to cut short celebrations and go for the win:</b>
    "It's a goal and it's got us back into the game, but with five minutes left on the clock, the result, it's not a draw. I want to go on and win the game. We've still got a chance to go and win it and I genuinely felt that with the way we went about it in the second half, we were the team that was looking to go on and win the game."
    <b>Kekuta Manneh on his goal:</b>
    "I've been doing it all week. I've been working on it, my shot, in practice. Every single day, for five minutes. When Darren got the ball, I knew he was going to try and take the defenders on and I just hold up my run at the edge of the box and he laid it off for me and the first thing that came into my mind was just strike it on target and see what happens. So I think hard work pays off."
    <p>
    Guest
    Toronto FC is set for a visit to Frisco, Texas Saturday evening for a match against table-topping FC Dallas and, as has been the case since the loss to Real Salt Lake in late March, injuries remain the major dilemma.
    Jermain Defoe has, to date, still scored more than half the team’s goals but, for the third straight game, will be unavailable. Now Dwayne De Rosario, who had become a virtual starter-by-default in Defoe’s absence, has joined the Englishman on the injured list.
    While Reds fans will be less concerned, some degree of reshuffling will also be necessary in the midfield.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Jeremy Hall has picked up a calf strain though, with luck, Toronto will hope to see the return of at least one of Michael Bradley or Jonathan Osorio to their regular starting role even if both remain listed as questionable.
    Away from home and facing the highest-scoring team in the league, it will be interesting to see if Ryan Nelsen opts for anything different formationally in the absence of three of his four (remembering Bright Dike) top attacking threats. Should Andrew Wiedeman be handed the start alongside Gilberto in any sort of two-forward system, it’s hard to see what options Nelsen could leave himself on the bench short of another unexpected appearance from Jordan Hamilton.
    While the Reds have surprised so far in 2014 to some degree, figuring out FC Dallas might be even trickier. As mentioned the Toros sit top of the entire league with 13 points from their first six matches. With 15 goals for they’ve actually tripled Toronto FC’s offensive production so far!
    On the other hand, there has been the suggestion that they’ve been luckier than a team should expect to be over the course of a season and that their free-scoring results are more likely an early season aberration. Last weekend they lost their first match of the season to Seattle – a team TFC has already defeated away from home – as a re-energized Clint Dempsey lead the Sounders to a win in his home state of Texas.
    So, while new head coach Oscar Pareja has Dallas playing exciting football, there shouldn’t be any suggestion that getting a result is beyond Toronto FC. Too many of the Reds results have gone against expectations – now both positively and negatively – and already reflected what might be an even more pronounced level of parity and openness in MLS than usual.
    Pareja always preached the merits of the possession style during his time in Colorado so Toronto supporters shouldn’t be surprised to see another game where their team cedes the majority of the ball to their opponent. Ryan Nelsen’s contain-and-counter tactics failed in Salt Lake City against a similarly possession oriented opponent as Javi Morales continuously found space behind Toronto’s central midfielders. That was with two forwards ahead of him, however, and, in comparison, against Columbus’ 4-4-1-1 the Reds produced their best display of the season.
    The 4-2-3-1 formation that Pareja has favoured so far shares more affinity with Columbus’ 4-4-1-1 than RSL’s diamond 4-4-2 so there’s the chance that Toronto’s regular defensive alignment may likewise match-up better against Dallas.
    A week ago, before TFC’s loss to Colorado, I suggested that the team was entering a second, more home-game heavy, phase of their season. Incongruously, the match against Dallas is best viewed as the end of the challenging opening phase of their season. With a break approaching next weekend Toronto will have the opportunity to rest and recuperate and hopefully return some of their walking wounded to the line-up ahead of a heavier May schedule.
    But the best news for the Reds? It’s that, in many ways, the worst will already be over. By the end of the weekend Toronto will have completed three of their four Western Conference road trips with only a late season visit to Los Angeles still to come. With a more than creditable nine points already in the bag anything from the match in Frisco is a bonus, and even sliding into their first back-to-back losses of 2014 wouldn’t be catastrophic.
    Guest
    <i>In our "Around The League" series, we chat with some of the more interesting and sometimes lesser known players from the team that Whitecaps meet in MLS action. We've kicked off the new series with Houston Dynamo’s Andrew Driver and Colorado Rapids' goalkeeper Clint Irwin. We continue it this week with Irwin's Rapids' teammate, MLS Rookie of the Year, Dillon Powers.</i>
    Colorado Rapids midfielder Dillon Powers had a rookie Major League Soccer season to remember.
    His five goals and six assists played a key part in his team making the playoffs and earned him MLS Rookie of the Year honours in the process.
    It was a great first season in the senior ranks but the year unfortunately ended early for Powers when a concussion forced him to miss the last three regular games of the season and the playoffs.
    Understandably, it was a scary and unsettling time for the rookie.
    <i>"A couple of games before we came up here for the back to back series with Vancouver I got a concussion against Seattle. It left me out with headaches and some nausea and a lot of light sensitivity and noise sensitivity. Really not feeling right for the greater part of three or four months.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    "I'm finally back, cleared all the protocol, not having headaches. It was certainly not a fun time. It was scary because the brain, we still don't know so much about it.
    "I got a lot of advice from Pablo [Mastroeni] who went through it himself. I also talked with Taylor Twellman quite a bit because he had obviously had concussion problems and he knows a lot about it. I waited until I was fully ready and now I'm back and I'm feeling good."</i>
    Powers has started all five of Colorado's games so far this season, grabbing his first assist in last Saturday's 1-0 win in Toronto.
    The Rapids have continued their good form under new head coach Pablo Mastroeni and sit second in the Western standings with a game in hand.
    It's been a great start for the exciting young side that only saw their new coach officially appointed a week before Colorado played their first game of the season.
    Mastroeni had been interim coach since January when Oscar Pareja upped sticks for Dallas, but although there is a new man in charge, it's just business as usual from what Powers has seen.
    <i>"A lot of the stuff they stress is fairly similar. It's not a night and day change. I think Pablo definitely brings a different feel to the team. He really wants to play a very simple brand of soccer where you pass. move, next guy comes in. He's really made that clear that that's what he wants to do. To move the ball and move off the ball. That's the two biggest things he stresses."</i>
    Colorado surprised many last season with their play, with their rookies standing out amongst it all. The pressure is on the Rapids to continue that growth and for guys like Deshorn Brown, Clint Irwin and Dillon Powers to continue their development.
    It's something Powers is aware of but takes in his stride.
    <i>"I do put a lot of pressure on myself to continue to improve. I'm not trying to reach a certain number of goals, assists or whatever, but I think if I can continue to improve and feel like I'm improving each game then I'll be happy with that."</i>
    Before heading to MLS, Powers was a key player with Notre Dame, scoring 10 goals and contributing 22 assists in his 78 games for the Fighting Irish. He played in a good team in his senior year, but last season they won it all, the NCAA College Cup, which came as little surprise to Powers.
    <i>"We had a very good team my senior year. It really felt like that was our year to win it. After I left it was hard to tell just how great they would be but the one thing I knew was that they had a very good group of guys. Good leadership. So that can obviously take you a long way."</i>
    Whilst at Notre Dame, Powers played the 2012 USL PDL season alongside the Whitecap's Kekuta Manneh. Both players had great rookie seasons in MLS, but Powers knew at an early age that Manneh had what it took to make it in the senior ranks.
    <i>"He was really special. We very kind of very much better than the teams we were playing so it's hard to judge. I only played two or three games with Kekuta but in tight spaces he's unbelievable. He's incredibly quick and he was scoring loads of goals. Then soon enough I realised he was going to MLS and it's cool to see that it's translated into success at this level as well. I think he's very talented and he has a tremendous upside."</i>
    Both players are now in the second seasons and looking to impress their new coaches, but if they both continue the development we've seen so far, we could see a lot more tussles between the two of them for many years to come.
    <p>
    Guest
    The LA Galaxy are back in town to take on Vancouver Whitecaps. Will it be back to back LA wins or can the Whitecaps salvage something from this key game?
    We bring you our pregame podcast for the match and what better way to get an insight in the Galaxy than by speaking with their play by play man <b>Joe Tutino</b> and we also hear some thoughts on the game from Whitecaps assistant coach <b>Martyn Pert</b> and captain <b>Jay DeMerit</b>.
    The AFTN crew look ahead to the game and ponder the Vancouver line-up, how to stop Robbie Keane, the merits or pitfalls of back to back games and they take a look at the mysteries of the LA salaries.
    And there's still time for a fun chat with <b>Jordan Harvey</b> about getting his coaching career off to a winning start.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Have a listen!
    You can listen to this week's podcast on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/aftn/id628306235" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>.
    Or download it for your later listening delight <a href="http://aftn.podbean.com/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>.
    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 <a href="http://aftn.podbean.com/mobile/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> 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 <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/michael-mccoll/the-aftn-soccer-podcast?refid=stpr" target="_blank"><u><b>Stitcher Radio Network</b></u></a>. Download the app and listen to the AFTN podcast on your device, along with over 15,000 shows <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/michael-mccoll/the-aftn-soccer-podcast?refid=stpr" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>.
    Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!
    <iframe width="100%" height="100" id="audio_iframe" src="http://www.podbean.com/media/player/audio/postId/5131307/url/http%253A%252F%252Faftn.podbean.com%252F2014%252F04%252F18%252Fepisode-57-the-aftn-soccer-podcast-vancouver-v-la-galaxy-preview-show%252F/initByJs/1/auto/1?skin=3" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
    <p>
    Guest
    Last week, beIN Sports’ Phil Schoen reported that the long-rumoured 100th anniversary Copa America to be held in the U.S. in 2016 is, well, no longer a rumour. However, the interesting news from a Canadian perspective centres around what Honduran Football Federation president Rafael Leonardo Callejas told local media (Spanish link) about the qualification process.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Reports last year from Latin American said Concacaf planned to send six teams to the special edition Copa -- the U.S. and Mexico would get automatic spots, while the next four best finishers at the 2015 Gold Cup would receive the rest. At the time I wrote what that scenario might mean for Canada.
    The new plan (at least according to Callejas), is that in addition to the U.S. and Mexico, the winners of the 2014 editions of the Copa Centroamericana and the Caribbean Cup would each receive a spot. The remaining two places would go to the “next two best teams” at the 2015 Gold Cup.
    CSN has reached out to the CSA's spokespeople for clarification, bearing in mind that this 2016 Copa America has yet to be officially announced. In case it needs stating: Canada does not participate in either the Copa Centroamericana or the Caribbean Cup. Generally speaking, the former is either won by Costa Rica or Honduras, while the latter goes to Trinidad or Jamaica. This new scenario would put Canada at a disadvantage to its Concacaf rivals who would basically get two chances to qualify
    At this point it looks like Canada would have to finish in the top two at the 2015 Gold Cup -- excluding Mexico, the U.S., Costa Rica/Honduras and Trinidad/Jamaica. Clear as mud, right? My best guess is that the men's team would most certainly need to win a quarterfinal at that tournament (the last time that happened was 2007) to secure an appearance in its most prestigious international competition since the 1986 World Cup.
    Guest
    Vancouver Whitecaps travelled to a Galaxy not that far, far away at the weekend, just in LA. Although Los Angeles can feel like you're on a different planet sometimes.
    It's the stories of back to backs in this podcast. The 1-0 loss in LA was the Caps' second straight loss but they have the chance for redemption right away as the Galaxy head north to BC Place this weekend. We pick over the bones of the defeat on Saturday and look ahead to what it might mean for the team this coming weekend.
    There's audio from Tuesday first training session back after the game and we hear some thoughts from head coach <b>Carl Robinson</b>, captain <b>Jay DeMerit</b> and <b>Jordan Harvey</b>.
    We've been wanting to do this since he came to the club, so we finally catch up with Whitecaps' assistant coach <b>Martyn Pert</b> for an interesting chat about his time in Vancouver and MLS so far and about his many travels. We talk about the time he was in charge in Ecuador for a month, middle east football and the Qatar World Cup, those tumultuous times at Cardiff last year, travelling around 16 clubs in Europe in 16 weeks and the comments of Andrea Pirlo on pre-match warm ups.
    And there's still time to look at the MLS standings and take an early look at how things are shaping up.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Have a listen!
    You can listen to this week's podcast on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/aftn/id628306235" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>.
    Or download it for your later listening delight <a href="http://aftn.podbean.com/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>.
    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 <a href="http://aftn.podbean.com/mobile/" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> 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 <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/michael-mccoll/the-aftn-soccer-podcast?refid=stpr" target="_blank"><u><b>Stitcher Radio Network</b></u></a>. Download the app and listen to the AFTN podcast on your device, along with over 15,000 shows <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/michael-mccoll/the-aftn-soccer-podcast?refid=stpr" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a>.
    Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!
    <iframe width="100%" height="100" id="audio_iframe" src="http://www.podbean.com/media/player/audio/postId/5129229/url/http%253A%252F%252Faftn.podbean.com%252F2014%252F04%252F15%252Ftheres-still-time-the-aftn-podcast-episode-56-perty-time%252F/initByJs/1/auto/1?skin=3" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
    <p>
    Guest
    An extension to Canadian Soccer News’ MLS Week in Review, this article provides a closer look at the performances of the Canadian players who saw the pitch this week.
    The top three spots this round go to an imperious Will Johnson, a tenacious Russell Teibert, and dead-ball specialist, Kyle Bekker, with honourable mentions for Karl Ouimette, Jordan Hamilton, Tesho Akindele, and Kofi Opare.
    Find out what they did to deserve recognition and who else earned their keep this week.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Will Johnson
    Johnson started his sixth-straight match for Portland in their 1-1 draw against Chivas USA on Saturday night.
    Unsatisfied with his side’s inability to find a win, Johnson took it upon himself with his most attacking display this season.
    He opened the scoring in the 7th minute, taking advantage of Carlos Bocanegra’s shoe change, to drive into the box via a centre-back shaped hole, to receive a neat poked pass from Darlington Nagbe and drill a low right-footed shot past Dan Kennedy to the bottom left-corner of the goal:
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/h5VNhEf_XjA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    It was his first of five shots on the night and his first goal of the 2014 season, having accrued nine last year.
    He would nearly add a second before the half was done, making an opportunistic run into the wide open right-side of the box to receive a pass from Diego Valeri, but his right-footer aimed to the top right-corner of the goal could only find the outside netting:
    <script height="300px" width="533px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#ec=5tcWIxbTrLa4sNfTMCpNp2hkHshxhghV&pbid=4bfc225f82bf46c48dfb065eda97f74f"></script>
    Chivas would take advantage of Portland’s inability to press the home advantage and add a second goal in the 79th minute, when Cubo Torres equalized.
    But Johnson would have one last chance to will his side to victory from a 92nd minute free-kick, slightly to the right of the arc, about 25 yards from goal. His right-footed effort would clear the wall, but did not bend quite enough, striking the outside of the woodwork:
    <script height="300px" width="533px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=4bfc225f82bf46c48dfb065eda97f74f&ec=U1dmQxbTqqz4Mfark6oujZ5VtsDifrBu"></script>
    The Toronto-born midfielder was all over the pitch, completing 35 of 47 passes, attempting five shots – one on target for the goal, and four off, including two direct free-kicks, winning four headers and a pair of tackles, committing and suffering a foul, while making nine recoveries and four clearances. He conceded possession twelve times throughout.
    Russell Teibert
    Teibert made his fourth-straight start for Vancouver in their 1-0 loss at Los Angeles on Saturday night – it was his fifth-start of the season, having missed one match due to injury.
    Tasked with a different role against the dangerous Galaxy attack, Teibert was stationed alongside Gershon Koffie as the two formed a very active shield in front of the Whitecaps back-line. The duo of Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan are notorious for their ability to drop back into the midfield to find pockets of space and wreck havoc upon vulnerable opponents.
    In recent weeks, it has been hard to determine exactly what new coach, Carl Robinson’s intended role for Teibert was – the attacking flare which gained him extended notoriety last season seemed to have dried up, though he was more involved in the matches, which seemed contradictory.
    Well, there was little doubt as to his instructions in this match – track Keane and cause him trouble, as Robinson sought to eliminate the effectiveness of his former Wolverhampton teammate.
    It did not take long for a feisty Teibert to get under the Irishman’s skin, who reacted by shoving the Canadian away and yapping at the referee after Teibert dared put an arm on the legend – it was the first of many such pesky confrontations throughout the match.
    At half-time, Teibert was asked about engaging in few tricks from his hockey playing days with a hook, he answered, “just playing the game,” and when asked if he enjoyed the more aggressive role, he said, more-or-less, “Yes, aggressive, disciplined, it’s hard-work, and I enjoy that.”
    But Keane would have the last laugh, as he scored the winner just 71 seconds after the restart. It would be unfair to blame Teibert, as Koffie was the one who failed to track his runner and Andy O’Brien was caught ball-watching as Keane snuck behind; could he have recognized the danger and abandoned his role? Perhaps.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/e2ryLiR1XoM?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    In need of an equalizer, Teibert pressed forward a little more through the latter stages of the second half, making one very nice play in particular, reading a LA pass in the centre-circle and alertly swooping in at pace to intercept the ball and spring a counter. But the match was already lost.
    The Niagara Falls, Ontario-native completed 37 of 44 passes, made five recoveries, three interceptions, and two clearances, committed and suffered a single foul, and won his only tackle of the game, while conceding possession nine times.
    His disappointment (with a hint of pleasure at the mention of the Keane tussles), having put in such a hard shift, was palpable in his post-match interview:
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    Kyle Bekker
    Bekker followed up his impressive outing in Columbus with an even better showing in a losing effort against Colorado on Saturday, making a second-straight start – his third appearance of the season.
    What drew the eye against the Crew was his defensive awareness, racking up some strong numbers in support of Michael Bradley on the road, but with Bradley out, it was his attacking contribution that was most impressive.
    Paired in the middle with Jeremy Hall, Bekker was the primary ball-mover, attempting a whopping 66 passes, while tending to nearly every free-kick, including corners.
    He had one particularly impressive run, cutting through a number of defenders and eating up 40 yards of pitch with a series of lovely one-twos, but where he really made his impact was from dead-balls.
    He nearly put TFC ahead in the 76th minute, when his right-footed attempt from twenty yards out (well to the right of the arc), was whipped around the wall and nearly snuck in past Clint Irwin, caroming off the outside of the post:
    <script height="300px" width="533px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=4bfc225f82bf46c48dfb065eda97f74f&ec=JpaDIxbTpxqQm_0LI6YcDFV1rriIVp9C"></script>
    And in stoppage-time, having gone behind after Edson Buddle scored on the break up-field after his first post-hit, he had the fortitude to waive Gilberto off a 94th minute free-kick, curling another right-footer over the wall to kiss off the intersection of the woodwork:
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    Last season Bekker caved under pressure from the likes of Bobby Convey, shying away from such efforts – was a positive sign to see the confidence emerge to take the result into his hands.
    The Oakville, Ontario-native completed 43 of his 66 passes, took two shots – those free-kicks, won four headers and three tackles, and committed three fouls, while making seven recoveries, three interceptions, and one clearance. Somewhat concerning was his 23 turnovers – though for some reason, corner kicks seem to count as both passes and turnovers in the chalkboard matrix.
    It was far from a perfect outing, but it’s those glimpses that should see him garner far more minutes this year than last.
    Afterwards, Coach Ryan Nelsen commented on his outing, “I thought he was brilliant today and one of our standout players. He is showing a high level of maturity which has been showing through his hard work.”
    And Bekker himself, was interviewed, giving some cracking answers, including the following exchange: Question – “What were your thoughts when the ball left your foot on both free kicks?” Answer – “Goal”
    Karl Ouimette
    Ouimette was immense in his first start of the season as Montreal battled Chicago to a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon – it was his second appearance of the season.
    As the left-sided centre-back, paired with Matteo Ferrari, Ouimette battled all match with the in-form Quincy Amarikwa – a difficult task to be sure.
    His defensive contributions were very impressive – racking up ten recoveries, nine clearances, four interceptions, and three blocks – as his chalkboard evidences.
    Though he was partially to blame on Amarikwa’s equalizer, as both he and Collen Warner go up with Jeff Larentowicz for a header from the corner kick, leaving Amarikwa alone when Mike Magee puts the rebound back into the middle:
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Uo_eH5eyrUo?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    It appeared as though Warner was the guiltiest party, leaving his man, but one would want a central defender to recognize the danger posed by a hot striker and recover a useful position rather than ball-watch in such a situation.
    The Terrebonne, Quebec-native completed an impressive 39 of 46 passes, won six headers and five of his six tackles, committed and suffered a foul each way, and lost possession eight times, as well as racking up those impressive defensive numbers.
    Post-match he commented, on what he has done to stay sharp and work his way into the team, “I’ve been working hard the whole year at every training session. I just have to do even better next time and keep evolving as a player.”
    Issey Nakajima-Farran
    Nakajima-Farran made his first start for TFC in the loss against Colorado – it was his third-straight appearance for the club having joined two matches into the season.
    Replacing the injured Alvaro Rey on the left-side of midfield, Issey (can only type Nakajima-Farran so many times), was very lively, ranging all over the pitch to pop up and cause trouble for Colorado, linking very well with Justin Morrow on the overlap and the two TFC forwards when they dropped off.
    He did struggle to get his shots off in a timely fashion, as both attempts were blocked, but may have followed up his goal in Columbus with another, if Dwayne De Rosario had left this cross to Issey, who made a very sharp run to get into the box for Jackson’s cross:
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    It is that situational awareness, a football intelligence of when to make runs – as with his goal in Columbus - that will make Nakajima-Farran a very useful piece of a Toronto side that had many questioning their depth after the first few names on the team-sheet.
    The Calgary, Alberta-native completed 32 of 38 passes, took two shots – both blocked, won three headers and both his tackles, committed one foul and suffered three, while making nine recoveries and one interception. He lost possession eleven times.
    Dwayne De Rosario
    De Rosario made a second-straight start for TFC in their loss to Colorado – it was his fifth-appearance of the season, figuring in all of Toronto’s matches.
    Paired up top again with Gilberto in the continued absence of Jermain Defoe, De Rosario was once more very active in the attack. He missed that headed chance shown above, had a weak shot easily dealt with by Clint Irwin at the start of the second half and then nearly opened the scoring in the 59th minute, rising up sharply to meet a corner kick headed back into the middle by Jackson, but went over the bar:
    <script height="300px" width="533px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#ec=VkMjIxbTqL63_nMeO0R6VnR0luMKEdAl&pbid=4bfc225f82bf46c48dfb065eda97f74f"></script>
    He would make way for Andrew Wiedeman, shortly thereafter, in the 67th minute, seeming to be struggling with a slight muscle tweak – he was listed as questionable heading into the match with a calf contusion.
    Though he has yet to factor on the score-sheet this season, De Rosario, has been a dangerous, if slightly muted, attacking presence for Toronto. It will be interesting to see how he figures in Toronto’s plans once he shakes off these muscle injuries and hits his stride.
    The Scarborough, Ontario-native completed eleven of his nineteen passes, had four attempts at goal – one shot on, one blocked, and two headers, over and wide, committing and suffering a foul each, while adding one recovery and one clearance in his 67 minutes of play.
    Patrice Bernier
    Bernier began the match on the bench for the third-straight match in Montreal’s draw against Chicago on Saturday, entering the fray after half-time, replacing Andres Romero to shore up the midfield as the Impact transitioned from a two-striker system to a 4-2-3-1 – it was his fifth-appearance of the season and third from the bench.
    Chicago would equalize through Amarikwa nine minutes into the half and the rest of the match played out without either side really threatening; Bernier excelled with his usual excellent ball-movement, but was a little off on that dreadful carpet, misplacing ten passes – he, amongst others, cannot wait for Stade Saputo to open for the summer at the end of April.
    His hockey skills looked a little rusty as he let Jeff Larentowicz get the angle on him as the two battled for a ball heading for the touch-line, paying the price with a crunching body check.
    The Brossard, Quebec-native completed 24 of 34 passes, won five tackles and three headers, committed a pair of fouls, suffering one, and made four recoveries, two clearances, and one interception in his 45 minutes of action.
    Rob Friend
    Friend made his third-appearance of the season for LA in their 1-0 win over Vancouver on Saturday night, replacing Marcelo Sarvas in the 79th minute – it was his second such as a substitute.
    With Vancouver pressing for an equalizer, Friend was tasked with providing an aerial target and outlet, which he handled well, winning four headers and getting thoroughly involved despite having just eleven minutes on the pitch.
    Three minutes after entering, with virtually his first touch of the game, he was sent in alone when Robbie Keane alertly dummied a long Omar Gonzalez header, drawing Jay DeMerit out of position, but Friend scuffed his chance wide:
    <script height="300px" width="533px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=4bfc225f82bf46c48dfb065eda97f74f&ec=B0cGQxbTpk3GNMgfM3v_jRRIwk-ULHbD"></script>
    It was a chance that came a little too quickly, as David Ousted was out in a hurry to close the angle, which wasn’t particularly great in the first place – but still, would like to see him be a little more clinical than that.
    He had another good look, from a more familiar pattern of play, rising up over Jordan Harvey for a header, but again he went harmlessly wide:
    <script height="300px" width="533px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=4bfc225f82bf46c48dfb065eda97f74f&ec=UxdmQxbTpnXbyHOaNxqlpa7sC8a2hJI8"></script>
    To be kind, it was a bit of an off-night for him in the scoring department….
    The Rosetown, Saskatchewan-native completed six of his eight passes, won four headers, made three recoveries, and attempted two shots – both wide, losing possession just twice, while suffering a single foul.
    Jordan Hamilton
    Hamilton made his MLS debut in Toronto’s loss to Colorado on Saturday, replacing Mark Bloom in the 89th minute as TFC pressed for an equalizer.
    He looked lively, if a little unsure of exactly what to do in a frantic closing minutes full of long hopeful punts and numbers pressed forward.
    The Scarborough, Ontario-native completed his only pass – helping a simple touch to Andrew Wiedeman – and then got into the box for Gilberto’s cross, only for a necessary touch from Shane O’Neill to prevent the ball from falling to him near the penalty spot in the 94th minute. What an introduction that could have been.
    Tesho Akindele
    Akindele also made his MLS debut in the waning moments of Dallas’ 2-3 loss to Seattle on Saturday.
    Entering the match for David Texeira in the 86th minute, after the Sounders had taken the lead through Clint Dempsey, Akindele was very active, pestering a turnover out of Djimi Traore who tried to shield a ball out for a goal-kick.
    The Calgary, Alberta-born forward failed to complete his one pass – a cross-field ball to Zach Loyd at the back-post looking to open up the opponent’s defense, but won his one tackle – on Traore, and lost possession that one time with the cross.

    .The Rest
    Ashtone Morgan, Kofi Opare, Kyle Porter, and Nana Attakora were all unused substitutes for their respective sides, Toronto, LA, and DC times two, respectively.
    Opare returned from a right adductor problem that has dogged his preseason in LA Galaxy II’s match last Monday evening, going the entire ninety minutes in a 4-2 win over Oklahoma Energy FC, making a huge late block as the Energy looked for goals.
    He said afterwards, “I want to present Bruce with an option in case he needs another defender. I want to show him that I am available if he needs me, but from a personal standpoint, it’s important to just be ready whenever in case I get the call to ask the team.”
    Paul Stalteri was in attendance when Toronto lost to Colorado, watching the match with Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley from the comfort of a private box.
    All video and quotes courtesy of MLSsoccer.com
    Each week James takes a look at the contributions of Canadians in the league and the league as a whole.
    You can follow James on twitter @grawsee or read more of his writing at Partially Obstructed View
    Guest

    MLS Week in Review – Round 06

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    After the goal-explosion of the past two weekends, MLS can be forgiven for coming back earth in round six.
    Nine matches took place over the weekend, with eight on Saturday and a lone Sunday fixture in San Jose, resulting in four draws and two more away wins.
    It should be noted that no match was decided by more than a single goal this weekend, indicative of that much-discussed parity. The last few seasons of MLS have been marked by one or two teams falling away from the pack, propping up the league from their position in the basement – based on the opening salvos, it is hard to say whether that will be the case this season as no team has looked entirely out of its depth.
    A mere twenty goals were scored this round, a stark contrast with last round’s 31, though by rights there could have been at least one more, had not the penalty kick been well-saved in Philadelphia. Of course, Stephen Keel would have rather there been one less, his own-goal drew the natural reaction to such a situation – head in hands.
    With the calming of the action came a calming of the officials, who, in the more-mellow spirit of the round, flashed just 28 yellow cards and did not eject a single player this weekend – were it not for the eight-card monte in Dallas, a very chippy match indeed, that number would be further reduced. In fact, there were two ‘clean’ matches this round that did not see a single booking.
    All told it was a weekend of top goal-scorers continuing their good form, winless sides extending their search for elusive victories, immediate dividends from an early season trade, and one heart-warming tale, at a much-needed time.
    Before the results, the goals of the round:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Up first is Kevin Alston’s cracking strike, his first-ever MLS goal, that stood the test as the winner in New England:
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    While hardly the most picture perfect, it was an emotion-laden hit, and that celebration spoke volumes about what the man has meant to the club and the club to him.
    Then came Clint Dempsey’s glorious free-kick, kissed in off the underside of the bar:
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    Perfectly taken and unstoppable, even the net was disgusted at its execution, immediately spitting out the ball.
    Speaking of execution, consider Robbie Keane’s goal against Vancouver:
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    Notice how Stefan Ishizaki toys with Jay DeMerit, backing him into position to make space for that inch-perfect cross.
    On to the matches…
    Results in Brief
    Philadelphia 2 – Salt Lake 2
    The sole remaining unbeaten side in MLS emerged from a hard-fought affair in Philadelphia with a point, but will despair at once more dropping two via a late concession.
    Luke Mulholland opened the scoring after six minutes – it was Alvaro Saborio who stepped to the spot after Austin Berry was deemed to have fouled Olmes Garcia, barging him over at the edge of the area; there was some debate whether the action took place outside the box, but no matter, the referee pointed to the spot.
    The Costa Rican’s near-perfect penalty record took a hit as Zac MacMath, for a second-straight weekend (having denied Mike Magee in Chicago), dove sharply to his left, but was alert enough to get his trailing hand on the ball to make the save.
    Unfortunately for the keeper, his defenders were not as alert, allowing Mulholland to arrive first to the loose ball on the right-side of the area and pounce, tucking a right-footer inside the far-post.
    Salt Lake would see that lead into half-time, but upon emerging, the recently-arrived Andrew Wenger would tally his first for his new club.
    Brian Carroll would cut out a hopeful cross from Salt Lake, touching to Sheanon Williams, who nodded over the pressure of Mulholland and ran into space down the right. He spotted the building run of Vincent Nogueira and threaded the needle, finding him between two defenders to continue the break. Nogueira backed off Chris Schuler, while sizing up the run of Wenger at the back-post, and hit an excellent cross, which Wenger chested down and swept in past Jeff Attinella, deputizing for Nick Rimando once more, with his right-foot in the 55th minute.
    Philadelphia would continue their resurgence, seeing a good penalty shout of their own waived away when Mulholland was deemed to have won the ball on Leo Fernandes in the box, but it was Salt Lake who would capitalize on a sloppy play to reinstate their lead.
    A broken play fell down the right-side of the Union box, where Berry, rather than hoof a clearance, tried to touch around the attentions of Javier Morales – big mistake. The Argentine blocked and collected near the end-line, cutting back a pass towards the top of the box for a late-arriving Kyle Beckerman, who needed no invitation to right-foot a low shot into the bottom left side of goal.
    But holding leads has proved troublesome for the Lakers and for the fourth time this season, they would see victory settle to a draw, as Maurice Edu would rise up completely unmarked to a 90th minute left-sided, out-swinging Cristian Maidana corner kick, helping it on to the far-side of the goal.
    And it could have been worse, as another penalty shout from the home side went unanswered.
    John Hackworth chose his words carefully, but will have enjoyed the character and fight shown by his side, if not the lack of total concentration. Jeff Casssar will be proud of his unbeaten side, while wishing a few of those four draws had remained as wins.
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    Toronto 0 – Colorado 1
    A depleted TFC knocked and knocked, but could not force open the door against a sturdy Colorado-side, who took advantage of a goal-mouth scramble to seal the fine road victory.
    One year ago it was Edson Buddle who capitalized on a slip from defender Logan Emory to pounce on a loose ball and score in the waning minutes to take a 1-0 win at home in Colorado over his one-time employers.
    Once more it was Buddle who was on hand to power in the winner - a touch earlier that last season, in the 77th minute in Toronto.
    Right-back Thomas Piermayr made a strong run up the right flank and picked out Dillon Serna with a cross-field ball, the youngster hit a fierce drive back into the middle that was blocked and fell back towards him. He collected, touching back to Dillon Powers arriving in the box through a crowd of defenders, Powers managed to drag the ball with him on his run to the end-line by the left-post, bringing a pair of markers with him. His deft cutback left the two out of position and found Buddle lurking by the edge of the six yard box above the near-post, where his quick, opportunistic left-footed strike squeezed past Julio Cesar to the short-side.
    Without the services of Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley (obligatory DP reference achieved), not to mention three other starters, Toronto struggled to really threaten, their best chances coming from a pair of Kyle Bekker free-kicks that each found wood, but no net.
    For head coach Ryan Nelsen, it was a disappointing result, the match was there to be won, but as happens sometimes, goals go against. While Pablo Mastroeni will be pleased with the resilience of his side, who picked up a second-straight road win (having won in Vancouver last round) and their first-ever point in Toronto, where they won the MLS Cup in 2010.
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    Montreal 1 – Chicago 1
    What happens when two winless teams, who draw a lot, meet? Well they drew, exchanging goals through Jack McInerney and Quincy Amarikwa either side of half-time.
    The two traded half-chances, including a big save on Felipe by Sean Johnson, through the first forty minutes before the Brazilian midfielder nodded a bouncing ball in the centre-circle towards Marco Di Vaio.
    Di Vaio, retreating off his marker, hooked the ball in behind the Chicago defense into the path of McInerney who tore in on goal alone. Struggling to settle a bouncing ball on the indomitable turf, McInerney waited patiently and did well to blast a strike on goal, straight at Johnson. The keeper would get a leg on the shot, but not enough as it kicked up into the net to open the scoring in the 43rd minute – that same trade paying dividends once more.
    On the other side of half-time, Di Vaio himself would have an excellent look after Felipe squared a ball across the area to the Italian, but his right-footer sailed over the bar.
    Chicago would make hay of that miss, leveling the match five minutes later on a left-sided corner kick from Harrison Shipp. Jeff Larentowicz met the service at the back-post, nodding across the face of goal, hitting the bar in the process. The rebound fell to Mike Magee at the left-post, who sharply put the ball back through a crowd in the middle to find Amarikwa at the top of the six, where the in-form striker notched his third goal of the season.
    Montreal boss, Frank Klopas, who was facing his old club, lamented a lack of energy that saw his new one pick up a third-straight draw, rather than that elusive first win six matches into the 2014 season. His opposite, Frank Yallop, too suffered through yet another draw, their fifth-straight - one shy of tying an MLS record.
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    New England 2 – Houston 0
    Two clubs very familiar with one another, due to their repeated meetings in past MLS Cup Finals, met once more on the freshly-laid plastic at Gillette Stadium, where the home side strolled out winners on goals from Kevin Alston and Jerry Bengtson.
    An uneventful first-half, most notable for a heavy tackle from Rico Clark on Jose Goncalves that saw the Revolution captain leave the game and Lee Nguyen stinging the palms of Tally Hall from fierce drive, it was Alston who finally broke the deadlock in the 68th minute, having suffered an own-goal scare early on.
    New England cycled the ball from right to left with Andy Dorman finding Alston out wide, he played in to Daigo Kobayashi, who tried to feed a return ball into the full-back’s path, only for Kofi Sarkodie to cut it out. Kobayashi collected the block and found Teal Bunbury by the arc with his second attempt. Bunbury could not get past Jermaine Taylor, but got enough of the ball to force it behind the defender, where Alston arrived to hit a thunderous right-footer past Hall in goal.
    It was his first goal in MLS after six seasons in the league and it came in his first home start since last March, shortly after which he was diagnosed with leukemia. It was celebrated properly.
    Houston struggled to find their flow away from home and fell behind by two in stoppage-time, when Hall came rushing off his line to an AJ Soares long ball, entering into a foot-race with Bengtson, who won the ball, rounded the keeper, and bore down on the keeper-less cage. Rookie defender, AJ Cochran did his best impression, but could not prevent the Honduran from tucking a right-footer into the near-corner.
    Tom Soehn, who manned the touch-line with Jay Heaps serving a suspension for his ejection in DC last weekend, will hope the goals, doubling their total output, will spur the offense in the coming weeks. Dominic Kinnear will be very disappointed with his side falling to a third-straight loss and may be losing another important player, as Clark may join Brad Davis on the sideline for his tackle on Goncalves.
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    DC 1 – New York 0
    Speaking of teams all too familiar with each other, the first encounter of this season’s Atlantic Cup took place on Saturday night, with DC United riding the positive energy from ending their depressingly long-winless streak with an early goal that stood up as the winner.
    After enduring so many struggles, it took just four minutes for the hosts to find the much-needed breakthrough.
    Fabian Espindola, who has really driven their attack, hit an in-swinging corner kick from the right-side that was met by Bobby Boswell at the near-post. The big defender flicked on a header to the back-post, where Davy Arnaud escaped his marker, Eric Alexander, to nod in with a diving header – his first goal for the club having arrived in the off-season from Montreal.
    Equally important, DC rode the waves of Red Bull pressure to see out the early goal – especially through the second half as Johnny Steele dragged a low shot wide, Thierry Henry saw a reaching header sail over, then played in Roy Miller with a back-heeled drag pass oozing of class for chip shot that drew a big save out of Andrew Dykstra, Peguy Luyindula hit a near-post blast kicked off the top of the upright, and Lloyd Sam went wide from a free look eight yards out.
    For Ben Olsen, two weeks is all it takes to turn a bad streak into a good one, as DC won back-to-back matches for the first time since October of 2012, but the question that lingers, is … does starter Bill Hamid resume his position when fit, with Dykstra posting two clean-sheets in his absence?
    Mike Petke on the other hand will marvel at how his snake-bitten side, who have yet to win this season through six matches, were unable to find an equalizer despite numerous chances.
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    Dallas 2 – Seattle 3
    The Clint Dempsey show rolled on, this time to his home state, as the American quieted any doubters with another scintillating performance after struggling through the first six months of his return to MLS.
    Having opened his account against TFC in the second round of the season and served a two-match suspension for general hand-flickery, Dempsey has returned a man on a mission, notching five goals in his last two matches.
    But it was Dallas who took the lead at home after ten minutes, gifted the opener when Stefan Frei rushed off his line to collect a loose ball, only to be beguiled by the spin and the savage wind, that kicked the ball up awkwardly and helped it over his outstretched arms. David Texeira, who put that initial spin on the ball from a Michel pass up the gut, was on hand to head the missed ball into the open net and celebrated his first MLS goal with no sign of shame.
    Twelve minutes later Dempsey countered with some fierce English of his own, tucking a devilish free-kick in, kissing off the underside of the bar from nearly thirty yards to elude keeper, Chris Seitz. The ball immediately exited the goal and Obafemi Martins nodded in, just to make sure.
    The match, already fractious, got down-right physical, and Dallas were handed a chance from the penalty spot when DeAndre Yedlin needlessly (and with malice aforethought) put a forearm into the chest of Texeira to hold off the forward, all but gifting a goal.
    Michel would make the young defender pay for his moment of madness, coolly putting in his effort off the base of the right-post, after eyeing Frei the other way.
    After half-time though, there was only one team on the pitch, as Seattle returned with intent, driven largely by the efforts of Dempsey.
    It was his low, goalmouth ball to Martins that was turned in by Stephen Keel for an own-goal, after Marco Pappa hit a lovely left-sided cross to the back-post. Hedges flicked clearance fell unkindly to Dempsey who made pay in the 75th minute.
    And ten minutes later it was another Pappa move, cutting in from the left to play up to Martins by the arc that started the move. Martins drew out both Dallas centre-backs, before laying off to Dempsey arriving to make a run off his back-shoulder. Dempsey laid a ball out wide right for Chad Barrett, who unselfishly returned the favour rather than shoot, finding Dempsey in the six for a simple left-footed finish.
    It was the first loss of the season for Dallas, ending Oscar Pareja’s unbeaten start to his tenure and snapping a three-match winning streak. For Sigi Schmid, finally getting his high-octane attack flowing will be a boon, but for the rest of the league, it is more a warning.
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    Portland 1 – Chivas 1
    Portland’s early season woes continue as Will Johnson’s early strike is cancelled out by goal-hound Erick Torres deep into the second half.
    Capitalizing on Chivas’ Carlos Bocanegra leaving the pitch to address some improper foot-ware, Max Urruti pounced on a Kalif Alhassan cross that Eric Avila could not control and laid off to Darlington Nagbe. Confronted by a pair of defenders, Nagbe deftly poked through a ball into the path of late-arriving Johnson, who struck a strong right-footer into the bottom left-corner of the goal in the 7th minute.
    Portland would have several chances, riding that momentum, to find a second – Dan Kennedy was called upon to make a huge, lunging save on Urruti and Johnson himself could only find the out-side netting when played into space down the right-side of the box with a rocket of a shot.
    The match turned when rookie and head-ware aficionado, Thomas McNamara suffered what appeared to be a bad knee injury in the 63rd minute, halting play while he received treatment and was carried off the pitch.
    ‘Cubo’ Torres would turn a modest spell of Chivas pressure into an equalizer in the 79th minute. Leandro Barrera, one of the many impressive newcomers to MLS, played square to former Timber Andrew Jean-Baptiste from the left and the big defender returned the favour, popping a ball down the left-side of the box for Barrera to chase.
    The tricky Argentine fought past Alvas Powell and made space to deliver a cross into the middle, where Torres was on hand to touch in a right-footed finish, his fifth goal of the season, to level the match.
    Timbers captain, Johnson, would see a chance to steal back the point with a late stoppage-time free-kick, but his right-footed effort caromed off the post from 20 yards.
    Caleb Porter’s Portland, projected to be a contender this season, are now winless through six matches, conceding a late goal to change the result’s status for a third-straight match. Wilmer Cabrera’s Chivas however rebound from a disappointing display in the LA derby by salvaging a point in a trick away fixture, though their winless streak extends to five matches, stretching back to an opening day win.
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    Los Angeles 1 – Vancouver 0
    Los Angeles get the better of Vancouver in the opening match of a home-and-home back-to-back series when the Whitecaps defensive lockdown stumbles for a fraction of a second, just enough for Stefan Ishizaki and Robbie Keane to combine to do the damage.
    Facing down the high-profile Galaxy, Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson opted to field a sturdy defensive formation that featured Russell Teibert and Gershon Koffie sitting deep in the midfield to counter the dropping off of Keane and Landon Donovan that causes such trouble.
    A stoic first-half performance that saw Keane’s frustrations at Teibert’s over-attention – and a stray hand or two – result in a spot of shoving and the exchange of words was undone within 71 seconds of the restart.
    Juninho hit a long pass down the right-flank for Ishizaki to chase, beating Jay DeMerit to the bouncing ball, the savvy Swede backed off the defender and waited patiently for runners to arrive, positioning DeMerit perfectly to swerve a cross past him, in-between David Ousted and Andy O’Brien to find Keane arriving at the back-post unmarked for a simple left-footed volley into the back of the net.
    Vancouver’s speed caused momentary troubles for LA’s defense, but nothing to worry Bruce Arena, as his side would see out a second-straight win. Robinson admired the effort his side put into their tactical game-plan and will no doubt have a very different look to throw their way come the return leg next weekend back at home.
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    San Jose 1 – Columbus 1
    Sunday’s lone fixture saw San Jose and Columbus trade goals from their superstars on either side of half-time, with Federico Higuain putting the Crew ahead, only for Chris Wondolowski to level shortly thereafter.
    Braced for a physical contest, Columbus came out swinging, collecting a pair of yellow cards in the early goings for their over exuberance before San Jose collected one of their own – to Brandon Barklage for persistent infringement.
    With the half-time whistle moments away, Columbus took advantage of a little too much space offered by their opponents with a nice build reminiscent of their play in the season-opener against DC.
    Giancarlo Gonzalez played up to Josh Williams high on the right; he found Hector Jimenez in-field, who hit a searching cross-field ball to Waylon Francis on the left. The dynamic left-back took a very attacking touch down the side of the box and pulled a pass back to the penalty spot, where Higuain arrived in stride to help it on to the right-bottom corner with a cool left-footer.
    But San Jose had a little attacking flair of their own up their sleeve, bringing the very impressive Yannick Djalo on for his first extended appearance in MLS – he saw some eleven minutes last match, against New England two weeks prior.
    The Portuguese maestro would nearly score from a few half-chances, later, but it was his help in winning a corner kick in the 51st minute that proved decisive. Shea Salinas, whose service this year has been inch-perfect, hit another lovely in-swinging corner from the left that sailed over the crowd at the near-post to pick out a staggeringly wide-open Chris Wondolowski to power it down and in to the near-post.
    San Jose’s Mark Watson has found a gem in Djalo (who wears Dja’ on his back), just the sort of spark plug that the Earthquakes have been looking for to provide a Plan B and force defenders from congregating in the middle as the trees go up for long balls – to have that short threat along with the long one will open up space and, hopefully for their sake, reinstate that home-form that has abandoned them.
    Gregg Berhalter’s Columbus rebounded well from the disappointment of losing at home to Toronto last weekend and maintain their unbeaten run on the road, but will not be pleased with conceding an equalizer from a set-piece and leaving the clear danger-man so wide open. Back to the drawing board.
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    CanCon
    A cracking weekend for Canadian talent as Will Johnson put in his most dominant performance of the season, Kyle Bekker did his best Michael Bradley impression, and Russell Teibert took the new dimension to his game to a higher level.
    Special mention will be made of Karl Ouimette’s first start of the season and young Jordan Hamilton seeing his first few minutes in MLS.
    For once, plenty to discuss this round in Tuesday’s (tomorrow) post.
    Overheard
    On the Philadelphia broadcast, a moment of serendipity as Andrew Wenger scores for the Union mere moments after Jack McInerney’s goal for Montreal is announced - the two exchanged spots in a recent trade.
    Genuine heart-warming moments can be few and far between in this oft-cold world, so when Kevin Alston smashed home that goal, smiles were born – Alston said, “It’s amazing to finally break the seal. It’s six years later and I’m just glad it’s finally here. I can say I scored at least one in my career.”
    And Andrew Farrell summed it up well, “It felt really good to get that goal, especially at home. It was an awesome feeling, especially for Kevin and everything that he’s been through. It’s a great story.”
    See It Live
    A pair of examples from the darker side, as Stefan Frei suffers due to wind and spin, those most hated of goalkeeping foes:
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    And Stephen Keel’s later levels the gaffe score, exhibiting quite the own-goal face – though to be fair, he had to do something, Obafemi Martins was on hand and likely would have scored had he not touched the ball:
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    Controversy
    With the officials largely keeping to themselves this round, only some minor controversies to consider – was this infringement by Philadelphia’s Austin Berry on Salt Lake’s Olmes Garcia inside the area?
    Unforunately, neither of Philly’s shouts were available in the highlights, but keep an eye out for Simon Borg’s Instant Replay, due out tomorrow.
    But what about the Dallas penalty kick? What was DeAndre Yedlin thinking with that forearm shiver? And did David Texeira make a meal of it or what?
    Will Houston’s Ricardo Clark see further punishment for his late, heavy tackle on Jose Goncalves that saw the New England captain exit the match?
    And there were a few handbags swung at the end of the San Jose-Columbus match, wonder if the referee will put anything in his report.
    Upcoming Fixtures
    The first midweek fixture of the season steps out on Wednesday, while with the weekend cometh a staggering nine-match Saturday.
    Wednesday: New York-Philadelphia. Saturday: Chicago-New England; Philadelphia-Houston; Colorado-San Jose; Vancouver-Los Angeles; Columbus-DC; Dallas-Toronto; Kansas City-Montreal; Salt Lake-Portland; Chivas-Seattle.
    Parting Thoughts
    Send some positive vibes the way of the Soccer Don, Don Garber, as it was announced that he has begun to undergo treatment for prostate cancer.
    Love him or not, he has overseen a radical and rapid transformation of the league since taking the helm in 1999 with all the professionalism and respect a fan could hope for and expect - somewhat fitting that Alston would score that cracker this weekend, eh?
    Don issued a statement, “Obviously no one wants to hear that they have cancer.*However, I am being treated by exceptional doctors at two of the top hospitals in the world and am confident, as are they, that the prostate cancer will be successfully treated, with a full recovery.* I plan on keeping a normal schedule and will continue managing the league and Soccer United Marketing during my course of treatment.* With the support of my family, friends, colleagues and doctors, I am feeling very strong, energized and extremely focused.
    “Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men.* It will affect one in seven men during their lifetime. “I hope through my experience that I will be able to create awareness of prostate cancer and encourage men to get regular testing, the surest way to ensure a successful outcome for those who get the disease."
    Best of wishes to Don as he takes care of himself and continues his stewardship of the top level of professional soccer in the US and Canada.
    All quotes and videos 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
    Guest
    <i>"Caps Countdown" is our Vancouver Whitecaps player rankings with a twist. The starting eleven is ranked from eleven to one, from worst to first. Who was the 'man of the match' and who, if anyone, had a game to forget in the 1-0 loss to Los Angeles Galaxy? Aaron Campbell makes his selections. Do you agree?</i>
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <b>STARTING XI:</b>
    11 - Sebastian Fernandez
    Was invisible all game long. Didn't get involved in the attack at all.
    10 - Gershon Koffie
    Came out slow at the beginning of the game and came out slow at half. Had some okay moments once he got going.
    9 - Jay DeMerit
    Has looked slow this season and that didn't change today. Overall, an okay game but still wasn't good enough.
    8 -Jordan Harvey
    Got involved up front a lot in the first half. Was out of position most of the second.
    7 - Andy O'Brien
    Failed to pick up Robbie Keane on the game winning goal. One small mistake against the Galaxy can cost you.
    6 - Pedro Morales
    Had some nice passes to Manneh and Mattocks. Looks like he was fighting an injury. All these flights may be taking a bigger toll on his back then they are letting on.
    5 - Steven Beitashour
    My pick for Whitecaps defender of the year so far. Was very active at the start of the game and sound all game long.
    4 - David Ousted
    Made some huge saves to keep the Whitecaps in the game.
    3 - Kekuta Manneh
    Him and Mattocks linked up well all night long. Had some chances to put the ball in the back of the mesh but thwarted.
    2 - Darren Mattocks
    He keeps playing well but will have to score consistently sooner than later. Did very well with Manneh and Morales.
    1 - Russell Teibert
    Had big shoes to fill covering for Laba and played a sound defensive game. Calmed Koffie down at the start of the game and played well off him.
    <b>SUPER SUBS:</b>
    3 - Nico Mezquida
    Came in for Manneh and played well offensively. Made a good case for more playing time in upcoming games.
    2 - Kenny Miller
    With Morales playing like he was hurt, Miller came in and filled in nicely. Brought a calmness to the pitch.
    1 - Erik Hurtado
    Was very involved in the play after coming in for the struggling Fernandez. Still needs to work on his first touch.
    <p>
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