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    <center><iframe src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/151274132?et=YFx0-Kv5xUqBA3VSzS-rZw&sig=XgDV05MX6iqWOiN1Bffu-1_CKU1ZJjxyJX9QZH_B57I=" width="594" height="480" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="display:inline-block;"></iframe></center>
    <i>Match report and post game reaction from Vancouver Whitecaps' 1-0 loss to Los Angeles Galaxy. With quotes from both locker rooms.</i>
    <b><u>Report:</u></b>
    Vancouver Whitecaps had never won against the Galaxy in LA heading in to this one and despite an excellent first half performance where they created the better chances, they head back to Canada still looking for their first victory down there.
    A Robbie Keane strike two minutes into the second half was the official difference between the teams, but LA dominated possession for much of the match as they ran out 1-0 winners.
    The Whitecaps had their chances, and LA goalkeeper Jaime Penedo came up big in the first half to keep Vancouver at bay.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Carl Robinson wasn't afraid to ring the changes and go for an attacking line up down in LA. A far change of what has been seen in recent seasons.
    Despite Matias Laba being suspended, Nigel Reo-Coker could still not find a place back in the starting line up, with Russell Teibert dropping back to the holding midfielder role and playing alongside Gershon Koffie in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
    With Kenny Miller also dropping to the bench, this allowed Vancouver to bring in Sebastian Fernandez and Kekuta Manneh on the wings, as the Whitecaps looked to use their pace with Darren Mattocks up front.
    The home side enjoyed some early chances and David Ousted was called into action to save from Robbie Keane in the 8th minute.
    Vancouver settled though and had a good spell of pressure in the 19th minute which first saw Pedro Morales hit over, after some good attacking work by both Caps' centrebacks, and then Darren Mattocks run at the Galaxy defence and force a save out of keeper Jaime Penedo.
    Both sides were getting a fair share of the possession and the Whitecaps were holding their own.
    They had a great chance to do even more than that in the 32nd minute when Manneh played the ball forward to Morales and the Chilean took five short touches before playing Manneh back in and his fierce shot was parried by Penedo.
    With five minutes of the half remaining, Landon Donovan got the better of Andy O'Brien on a Dan Gargan cross, but couldn't direct his header on target.
    As the seconds ticked down, Morales played a little chip forward and the bounce of the ball and Manneh's pace caused problems for Gargan, allowing the Gambian to break free and force another big save from Penedo.
    That was to be the last action of the half. A half that had seen the Whitecaps with the better chances but neither side could find the breakthrough.
    Robinson warned that the first 15 minutes of the second half were key and where games were won and lost. His players obviously didn't and fell a goal behind two minutes after the restart, in what was to indeed prove to be the matchwinner.
    Stefan Ishizaki got the better of Jay DeMerit and whipped in a cross which was met by a shockingly unmarked who was allowed to ghost in by Gershon Koffie and finish with ease from five yards out.
    The Caps didn't learn and allowed Keane to be unmarked again minutes later, but this time he set up Donovan, who fired into the arms of Ousted.
    LA were comfortably in control of the game after the goal, with Vancouver struggling to get any threat going and Robinson went for a double substitution with just over 20 minutes remaining to try and freshen things up through Kenny Miller and Erik Hurtado.
    It worked a little bit but there was still no meaningful penetration.
    Nicolas Mezquida soon followed and the Uruguayan nearly had an immediate impact when he whipped in a corner with his first touch of the game and Miller flicked it goalwards but straight at Penedo, who punched the danger away.
    LA made some subs of their own and one of them, Canadian international Rob Friend, wasted a great chance to put the game out of reach for the home side, running on to a long header forward and firing wide left when one on one with Ousted.
    The Galaxy turned up the pressure in the closing minutes and Friend headed a Keane cross wide before the Irishman himself had a chance to kill the game off in the 88th minute when Friend flicked a header on to send him one on one with DeMerit. Keane easily got the better of the Caps captain but fired over when he looked odds on to score.
    LA comfortably held on for the win. Vancouver had no way back and struggled to get much attack going in the second half.
    Heavily outpossessed and struggling to create in the middle once again, the Whitecaps need to regroup quickly and come up with a new gameplan before LA head north to BC Place next Saturday.
    After some of the poor performances tonight, there should be more changes.
    FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles Galaxy 1 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
    ATT: 20,847
    LOS ANGELES: Jaime Penedo; Dan Gargan, Omar Gonzalez, Leonardo, A.J. DeLaGarza; Juninho, Marcelo Sarvas (Rob Friend 79), Baggio Husidic, Stefan Ishizaki (Gyasi Zardes 79); Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane [subs Not Used: Brian Perk, Tommy Meyer, Kenney Walker, Samuel Rosa, Kofi Opare] ]
    VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour; Jay DeMerit, Andy O'Brien, Jordan Harvey; Russell Teibert, Gershon Koffie, Sebastian Fernandez (Erik Hurtado 70), Pedro Morales (Kenny Miller 70), Kekuta Manneh (Nicolas Mezquida 77); Darren Mattocks [subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Ethen Sampson, Johnny Leveron, Nigel Reo-Coker]
    <b><u>Reaction:</u></b>
    <b>Carl Robinson on the loss:</b>
    "The boys played very, very well. Obviously one minute of lack of concentration at the start of the second half cost us....Disappointed with the goal but very pleased by the performance."
    "We didn't take our chances, which was unfortunate, and obviously we didn't get anything out of it."
    <b>Carl Robinson on performance of young line up:</b>
    "Russell was fantastic, as was Gershon Koffie. I think today some of my young players came of age. It's a tough environment to come and play against a very good team. A very organised team, a successful team and we showed we can go head to head with them which was pleasing."
    <b>Carl Robinson on starting Miller and Reo-Coker on bench:</b>
    "Kenny's played the first five games after having no preseason, so I wanted to look after him as well. Rest Kenny. Nigel's been out for two weeks and working his way in. I just felt that I needed young legs in there so I went for Russell and Koffie. I spoke to the guys today before the announcement and they were good. They were fine and responded great.
    <b>Carl Robinson on need to have scored in first half:</b>
    "I think it would have been a different game then because they would get a reaction. I thought we were slightly on top in the first half. Towards the end of the half we could have got one or two goals on the counters, which was good, but that didn't happen. Obviously there was the lack of concentration at the start of the second half which was unfortunate for us."
    <b>Jordan Harvey on the game:</b>
    "We weathered the storm in that first half and finished the half well. Going into the second half we had some confidence, but one lapse and Keane gets into the box and scores a goal. I thought we showed some resilience in that second half. We were trying to fight back."
    <b>Jordan Harvey on not taking chances:</b>
    "Anytime you're on the road you have to capitalise on your chances. We didn't tonight and we had quite a few in that first half and a couple of half chances in the second half but on the road you have to score those."
    <b>Russell Teibert on the game:</b>
    "We played well, we stuck to the gameplan, we did what the boss wanted us to do. Unfortunately we didn't come out with a point or a result but we just have to take them into next week."
    <b>Russell Teibert on the performance of a young Caps team:</b>
    "It was a good performance. It was very encouraging for the players to come in and do well. To show that young players on the Whitecaps can compete with the best."
    <b>Bruce Arena on game:</b>
    "We got a goal. That helped. I think going into half time they were going to hit a wall in the second half. They worked really hard the first 45 minutes. They had to chase the ball a lot. They were going to lose some of that energy in the second half. Certainly, getting that goal early changed the game. They can’t sit back and be content. And, the game opened up a little more. We created more chances. Unfortunately, we didn’t get another goal or two."
    <b>Robbie Keane on Vancouver:</b>
    "They were good, very well organized, if I do say so myself. They have a good manager, so I have to say that. But they were very well organized and made it difficult for us at times. I knew that if we kept the ball moving, and we got the first goal that it would open the game for us, and that was the case."
    <b>Landon Donovan on Vancouver:</b>
    "They’re a fast team, quick team. I thought they played well in the first half actually. We worked hard; I think our passing wasn’t great. That being said, we still created a few chances, fortunately Jaime [Penedo] made a couple of good saves. We wanted to do better in the first half, but I thought our second half was very good, and in the end we deserved to win."
    <p>
    Guest
    The feeling coming into the first NASL match for Ottawa’s Fury FC was that the team’s leadership and wealth of creative midfielders would propel them. After falling 2-0 in their inaugural match to the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, head coach Marc Dos Santos is likely not terribly excited with the play of his midfield core.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Captain Richie Ryan and veteran Nicki Patterson were invisible for most of the match. Ryan, who at times couldn’t even convince his centreback to let him set up plays from the back, made some woeful passes on the night. Omar Jarun, the Palestinian international, who himself is proving to be a liability as a distributor of the ball, ignored a call from Ryan in the second half as the team tried to find their rhythm, instead passing to his central partner, Mason Trafford, who did pass to Ryan. Ryan prompted hoofed the ball into touch. In the absence of the flowing midfield passing, Jarun elected to hoof the ball to the strikers time and time again.
    Highly touted Brazillian Maykon had some bright spells early but fell off in the second half and seems to be less than fit to play a full 90. Pierre-Rudolph Mayard, who replaced Vini Dantas in the 65th minute, showed some spark working well with midfielder Siniša Ubiparipović to organize high pressure, but, the Canadian was forced to retreat away from the front line to cover for Maykon for much of his 15 minutes on the pitch.
    Ubiparipović was a bright spot for the Fury. The dead ball specialist gave the Fury the opportunity to nod home from its numerous corner and free kicks in a chippy match that saw four cautions, 29 fouls and some rash challenges from both sides, including a late shove by Drew Beckie that could have been worse than the yellow he received. Beckie was joined by fellow Canadian youth international Carl Haworth in the starting lineup. The young striker played 76 minutes before coming off for Tony Donatelli.
    For their part, the Strikers, who finished Spring 2013 with just two wins, were the aggressors for much of the match. After some early chances by the Fury that had Ft. Lauderdale on their heels, Rafael Alves scored a 13th minute deflection goal from a free kick that no one seemed to want to touch. Then, after a brutal giveaway from Jarun, Darnell King converted on a two-on-none rebound chance after Fury starting GK Devala Gorrick made a terrific save.
    If Dos Santos hopes to see this team develop into a fluid 4-3-3 that relies on playing the ball on the ground and creating chances with penetrating passes, he was horribly disappointed tonight.
    Guest
    Welcome to the first edition of the CSN power ratings!
    It's the TSR rank. As a reminder, TSR is Total Shots Ratio and it's been demonstrated to be the single best predictor of a team's success over the long term. Pretty much everywhere it's applied.
    It's still early, but not so early to not have a look.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    1. Los Angeles .696
    2. Kansas City .661
    3. Montreal .603
    4. Colorado .544
    5. San Jose .543
    6. Portland .531
    7. Houston .520
    8. Philly . 496
    9. Chicago .493
    10. Columbus .487
    11. DC United .484
    12. Toronto .481
    12. New England .481
    14. Seattle .473
    15. Chivas .472
    16. Vancouver .456
    17. New York .433
    18. Dallas .380
    19. Salt Lake .349
    Again, fairly early. However, some things jump out, particularly at the bottom. Both Dallas and Salt Lake are seen as top teams in the league thus far. Are they doing it with luck?
    Let's look at PDO -- the combining of shot percentage and save percentage -- to find out. It's been widely demonstrated that a team's PDO number should be within a couple decimal points of 1.0 over a long period. And deviation above that mark can be seen as a team having unusual good luck; a lot below means unusual bad luck.
    The key lesson is teams can only ride/suffer luck so long. It always corrects.
    So, if you're a gambler and you see a team that's struggling in the standings and has a bad PDO number you could just have found yourself some value.
    The PDO numbers (from luckiest to least lucky):
    1. Dallas 1.200
    2. Salt Lake 1.100
    3. Vancouver 1.066
    4. Columbus 1.062
    5. Colorado 1.036
    6. Toronto 1.025
    7. Seattle 1.024
    8. Houston 1.011
    9. Philly 1.000
    10. Galaxy 0.988
    10. Chicago 0.988
    12. New York 0.984
    13. Kansas City 0.964
    14. DC United 0.962
    15. Portland 0.942
    16. Chivas 0.941
    17. San Jose 0.935
    18. New England 0.912
    19. Montreal 0.904
    Before we go on a quick point. A guy from Toronto just published numbers showing Montreal to be the least lucky team thus far in 2014 and, likely, the most likely team at the bottom of the table to burst forward based on these numbers.
    So can we not suggest selection bias in the comments?
    Other than Montreal there are some other takeaways here. Dallas, for one. The Texans are profoundly overrated by almost every subjective ranking system out there. Gamblers should bet hard on a correction.
    Portland seems likely for a correction upwards too. DC United also has some intriguing numbers.
    As for Toronto...a little lucky (although within a normal range) and a bit over performing so far. Don't plan the parade, but don't panic.
    Guest
    Saturday, springtime and, on the back of a statement win in Columbus, the sense that maybe, just maybe, the long winter of Toronto FC has finally come to an end. Visits by the Colorado Rapids have regularly brought joy before, even in seasons where the most minute traces of joy were hard to find. Should that pattern continue TFC will have begun an important second phase to their season in the same way they began (and completed) the first.
    Yes, mark it down: weather included, Reds supporters should be fully looking forward to attending a match at BMO Field!
    Not that Colorado can be discounted or taken for granted.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] A win in Vancouver last weekend -- handing the ‘Caps their first loss of the season in the process -- moved the Rapids up to fourth in the West. With seven points from four games Colorado is a mere two points behind Toronto and their only loss was at the death of a wild game versus Sporting Kansas City where they were behind, then ahead (for an instant), and ultimately lost in stoppage time while down a man.
    The red card culprit in the loss to SKC was a player closely identified with the first version of TFC: Marvell Wynne. As with so many teams around MLS, the Rapids have taken some of the many players churned through Toronto over the years and made them useful parts of a team better than any Reds outfit seen prior to 2014. Wynne won an MLS Cup title with the Rapids back in 2010 and is now part of a quartet of onetime TFCers alongside Edson Buddle, Nick LaBrocca, and Nathan Sturgis.
    None of those players are outright stars, and they regularly find themselves fighting for playing time, but their contributions to a playoff team in 2013 should, once again, remind Toronto fans to not undervalue the importance of role players in MLS. The Reds big signings have, by and large, been working out almost better than could be expected, but success in MLS takes more than a few big signings.
    As mentioned the Rapids were a playoff team in 2013, but underwent an unwanted leadership shake-up in the offseason with the departure of head coach Oscar Pareja to FC Dallas. While the poaching of Pareja had been widely rumored at the conclusion of 2013 there was the perception that the Rapids front office was somehow caught unprepared for such an eventuality. Colorado supporters didn’t seem to be too impressed by a, frankly, TFC-like search for a replacement that ultimately resulted in the already in-house Pablo Mastroeni being formally announced the morning of opening day.
    Mastroeni is a club legend in Colorado and consequently enjoys a considerable degree of goodwill. There was definitely a feel-good factor to his appointment and, to his credit, a respectably strong start to the season has probably assuaged what doubts existed over the process through which he was installed.
    For TFC the match is the first of an important sequence of five home games from their next seven league matches leading up to the June World Cup break. The Reds have gotten out of the blocks in remarkable fashion with nine points from the first four games of the season, three of which were played away. Adding at least another 10 to 12 points to that total -- not that more couldn’t be achieved -- should be the objective over the next two months and would leave the team in excellent position to attack the rest of the season.
    That’s the real advantage TFC have already earned themselves from their quick start: games can be approached as opportunities to gain points rather than with the fear of dropping further back. They don’t have to be perfect.
    Even good MLS teams will regularly lose a few games at home over the course of a season. The ones that don’t, like Houston or Salt Lake’s long streaks, stand out in our memory and very often enjoy some particular climate or geographic advantage over most visitors.
    So while Reds supporters should be hopeful, optimistic even, about the team’s chance for victory, the reality is that a draw, or even an unfortunate loss, wouldn’t be catastrophic or reason for panic. That’s different, and exciting, and another sign that 2014 is already a season like no other in Toronto.
    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 kicked off the new series last week with Houston Dynamo’s Andrew Driver, and continue it this week with the man who proved to be a real thorn in Vancouver's side this past weekend - Colorado Rapids' goalkeeper, Clint Irwin.</i>

    Call me an old football romantic, but I like a story of an unexpected hero. The underdog who comes from nowhere to be the star.
    That tale played out in Colorado last season, with former Canadian Soccer League goalkeeper Clint Irwin starring in the lead role.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    There were very few people out there who picked the Rapids to be serious playoff contenders. With some young, but promising, draft picks in place, and a string of early injuries, you could see why it was felt by many to be another rebuilding year for the 2010 MLS Cup winners.
    But the rookies came good and a lot of Colorado's success stemmed from the impressive play of Irwin in his debut MLS season.
    It wasn't in the original script. The 23 year old Irwin came to Colorado as the third string keeper, having only made three appearances the season before for his hometown Charlotte Eagles in USL Pro.
    He was behind first choice keeper Matt Pickens and back up Stewart Ceus. By the fourth game of the season, he had won the starter's spot and he wasn't to relinquish it for the rest of the year.
    Pickens had started the season off with a slight injury, allowing Ceus to start First Kick against Dallas. He had a bit of a howler and Pickens was back in goal for the next game, with Irwin on the bench. When Pickens went down with a broken arm in the third game of the season against RSL, rookie Irwin came on and never looked back.
    He went on to make 33 appearances for the Rapids last season, keeping ten clean sheets as Colorado made the playoffs.
    It was a great first year in Colorado for Irwin and the team. How do they both follow up on that this time around?
    <i>"As a team we're just looking for more success. We have a belief in here that we can not only compete in this league but do well. Our goal isn't just to make the playoffs.
    "We have Pablo behind us and he wants to instill in us that we can win the MLS Cup. After a game like this (win in Vancouver), that belief is only going to grow."</i>
    Who'd be a goalkeeper? The outfield players get the most plaudits after wins, but you get held up to most scrutiny when your mistakes cost you a game. As a back up, you often need the latter to happen to get your shot.
    Getting you chance to impress doesn't come along all too often, but when it does, you need to take it and that's exactly what Irwin did. At one stage though, a MLS career seemed to be a long way away.
    After a strong college career at Elon University, where he set single season and career clean sheets records, Irwin caught the attention of New England in 2011 but didn't make the cut and he ended up playing in the Canadian Soccer League that season.
    <i>"I was on trial with a bunch of teams. First in MLS with New England, and then with various teams in NASL and USL. I just really didn't get picked up. Then I got an email from a team up in Ottawa, Capital City FC, and that was really my only option at the time.
    "So I went up there and was just trying to continue my career. I think it's great for young players. I know it's had it's difficulties since then, but I think if they can get it or something similar up and running it'd be great for Canadian soccer and even some of the American guys that fall through the cracks."</i>
    Irwin made 22 appearance that season and even <a href="
    " target="_blank"><u>scored a goal</u></a> against Windsor Stars. His play earned him a chance with Charlotte Eagles and his career has been on the rise since. Good to see some sort of CSL success story.As luck would have it, a quad strain picked up by Irwin meant that Colorado started another season without their first choice keeper. Rookie John Berner came in and did well, but, as Vancouver found out to their peril, Irwin is now fully recovered and made his first appearance of the season last weekend in the win over Vancouver.
    How did it feel to be back out there?
    <i>"It felt great. First half I felt I was a little rusty, just trying to get back in the swing of things. I had played a couple of reserve games but it's different when you come on the road in front of 20,000 people. But it felt good to back out there and just get back in the rhythm."</i>
    And back he was, coming up with a vital save to turn a Pedro Morales shot around the post and keep his Rapids side within one goal.
    <i>"It was just one where you try and make yourself as big as possible and come up with the save. At 1-0 you're thinking 2-0 is going to be difficult to come back from and I'm just trying to keep us in the game a little bit."</i>
    It proved to be key, with the game changing completely 12 minutes later. Matias Laba's sending off and two wonderstrikes from Jose Mari and the Rapids headed home with an unlikely win, but one which saw us speak with a very happy Irwin after the match.
    <i>"I thought the team played really well. We kept the ball well. Maybe we could have been more penetrative with our balls in our runs, but we hung in there, came up with two great goals from Jose Mari and it’s just a great result for us on the road."</i>
    Last year it came down to the wire for both Colorado and Vancouver. The Whitecaps wasted their chance to put themselves in the driving seat in the penultimate game, handing the Rapids that final playoff place.
    With the way things are shaping up, you wouldn't dismiss those same two teams battling it out for the fifth and final playoff spot this year around as well. As such, Irwin is fully aware of the importance of winning such a game against a potential key playoff rival.
    <i>"It’s very big for us. I think at the end of the season last year we played two of our last four games against Vancouver. We came up here and really struggled and they really stuck it to us. This is a really difficult play to play and I think Vancouver plays really well here. The fact that we can take three points from here is going to be huge for our season."</i>
    With Pablo Mastroeni coming in this offseason to replace Oscar Pareja, the pressure is on the first time coach to continue the Rapids rebuild. What was very noticeable last weekend is that all the players seem to have already bought into what he is hoping to do in Colorado. It's a striking similarity to what Carl Robinson has got here in Vancouver.
    Irwin has liked what he's seen so far of his new coach.
    <i>"We have a lot of the same players, so the approach hasn't changed much. We want to keep the ball. We want to play attacking. Pablo doesn't make any defensive substitutions. He just wants us to keep going and focus on the belief and it's been refreshing."</i>
    A lot of eyes are on Colorado this year. Will they surprise again? Will the standout rookies suffer that infamous, and somewhat overstated, sophomore slump?
    Some of them may indeed drop off in form a little, but you get the feeling that Clint Irwin isn't going to be one of them and could, once again, be a key difference maker between the Rapids making the postseason or not.
    <p>
    <i>[We'll bring you another "Around The League" next week and staying in Colorado, we'll chat with MLS 2013 Rookie of the Year, Dillon Powers]</i>
    <p>
    Guest
    This past off-season did not lack for story lines when it came to TFC. A bloody big deal and all that.
    There was so much action that by the time the season started the decision to re-sign Dwayne DeRosario had almost been forgotten. It was a decision that was not without controversy when it took place and even among those that supported the return there was an admission that there was a degree of risk involved.
    DeRo is not a young man in soccer terms. There was always a chance he could be physically done.
    The early returns have been inconclusive to the eyes. He's had plenty of playing time and has had some chances, but he has yet to score a goal back in the red.
    So, we decided to look deeper at his play so far. What are DeRo's advanced stats so far this year and how do they compare to other starting forwards in MLS.
    Find out below the jump.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    So far DeRo has generated 1.8 shots (per 90 minutes played. All figures are per 90 min), 0.3 key passes and been fouled 1.3 times.
    Additionally he's been dispossessed 1.5 times and has turned the ball over 1.8 times.
    In isolation the numbers look low, but are they? Let's look:
    First we ranked the 39 regular forwards that have played thus far in 2014 in the category of shots plus key passes. Since goals are so rare S+KP is used as a measure of offensive output.
    1. DI Vaio (Mtr) 11.5
    2. Keane (LAG) 7
    3. Henry (NYRB) 6
    4. Gilberto (TFC) 5.7
    4. Plata (RSL) 5.7
    4. Dempsey (Sea) 5.7
    7. Brown (Col) 4.8
    8. Wondolowski (SJ) 4.6
    9. Dwyer (SKC) 4.4
    9. Defoe (TFC) 4.4
    11. Fernandes (Phi) 4.2
    11. Amarikwa (Chi) 4.2
    11. Torres (CUSA) 4.2
    14. Magee (Chi) 4.0
    14. Lenhart (SJ) 4.0
    16. Bruin (Hou) 3.8
    17. Bunbury (NER) 3.6
    18. McInerney (Mtr) 3.5
    19. Saborio (RSL) 3.4
    19. Mattocks (Van) 3.4
    21. Neagle (Sea) 3.2
    21. Cooper (Sea) 3.2
    23. Wenger (Phi) 3.1
    24. Espinola (DCU) 3.0
    24. Urruti (PDX) 3.0
    26. Zizzo (SKC) 2.8
    26. Johnson (DCU) 2.8
    26. Miller (Van) 2.8
    29. Wright-Phillips (NYRB) 2.6
    30. Friend (LAG) 2.5
    30. Cummings (Hou) 2.5
    32. Le Toux (Phi) 2.4
    33. Fernandez (PDX) 2.3
    34. Castillo (Dal) 2.2
    34. Perez (Dal) 2.2
    36. DeRo (TFC) 2.1
    36. Arrieta (CBS) 2.1
    38. Bundle (Col) 2.0
    39. Barrera (CUSA) 1.4
    So, not the most promising start to the return. Although Gilberto's numbers should give TFC fans some hope that the goals from him will come soon enough.
    Speaking of goals, there is little doubt that finishing is a huge part of a forward's play. As stated, it's too simplistic to gain too much out of just looking at the leading scorers, but you do need to factor it it if looking to place a full value on an offensive player.
    To try and balance that CSN created a formula we're calling Offensive Impact. It not only takes goals into consideration, but also looks at how often a player has a negative impact on the attack by giving the ball away.
    The formula for OI is (Goals x 2) + (S+KP) + fouls suffered - turn-overs.
    How does DeRo stack up in OI?
    1. Dempsey 14.4
    2. Torres 10.6
    3. Di Vaio 10.5
    4. Keane 9.9
    5. Plata 8.4
    6. Defoe 8.1
    7. Saborio 8.0
    8. Henry 7.4
    9. Bruin 7.3
    9. Magee 7.3
    11. Cooper 7.2
    12. Gilberto 6.0
    12. Urruti 6.0
    12. Lenhart 6.0
    15. Wondo 5.6
    16. Perez 5.4
    17. Miller 5.2
    18. Cummings 5.0
    19. Dwyer 4.8
    20. Fernandes 4.7
    21. Mattocks 4.0
    21. Friend 4.0
    23. Brown 3.8
    24. Amarikwa 3.6
    24. Fernandez 3.6
    26. McInerney 3.5
    27. Arrieta 3.1
    28. Wright-Phillips 2.8
    28. Castillo 2.8
    30. Neagle 2.6
    31. Le Toux 2.2
    32. Wenger 1.9
    33. Zizzo 1
    33. Johnson 1
    35. Bunbury 0.4
    36. DeRo 0.1
    37. Espinola -0.5
    38. Barrera -0.8
    39. Buddle -2.0
    So, it gets worse.
    Early days -- a couple goals can swing these numbers a great deal -- but the DeRo return, statistically speaking, has not lived up to the hope of many.
    Guest

    League1 launch

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    League1 is ready to launch.
    After more than a year of planning, the Ontario semi-pro circuit announced its founding 10 clubs today. Additionally, the league indicated the structure of the league and its opening date.
    League chairman Dino Rossi said that the league aspires to be the top of the pyramid for all players in the province and that the clubs selected to launch the league have all committed to operating at the highest level.
    The quality of the league should be about similar to the USL PDL level.
    The ten clubs selected to launch the league are King City's ANB Futbol, Pickering's Durham Power FC, Internacional de Toronto (west Toronto), Kingston Cataraqui Clippers, Scarborough's Masters FA, Toronto FC Academy, Mississauga's Sigma Academy, Vaughan Azzurri, Windsor Stars and Woodbridge Strikers.
    The league will operate as a single table without playoffs. Each team will play home and away against every other side in the league. Additionally, there will be a cup competition, with the cup final operating as the climax of the season.
    Rossi indicated that they plan to reach out to the Quebec federation to see if there might be some way to integrate the two D3 leagues into a inter-provincial completion.
    "Even if it's just a one-off playoff between the two champions," Rossi said. "Now that we have the details in place we can start to look at that type if thing."
    Rossi indicated that everyone involved in the league would like to one day see teams eligible to compete for the Voyageurs Cup in the Amway Canadian Championships.
    The league will launch the last weekend of May.
    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.
    Once more it was a fairly sparse weekend for Canadians getting on the pitch, only six saw any time this round, while a further five went unused on the bench – the injuries in Toronto did not help the CanCon quota.
    The top three spots go to Issey Nakajima-Farran, Kyle Bekker, and Will Johnson, with special nods to Russell Teibert and Dwayne De Rosario who put in excellent shifts for their clubs.
    Find out what they did to deserve recognition and who else earned their keep this week.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Issey Nakajima-Farran
    Nakajima-Farran made his second-straight substitute’s appearance for Toronto FC in their 0-2 win in Columbus, replacing Dwayne De Rosario in the 69th minute as Toronto held dearly to a one-goal lead.
    Initially in the middle before moving out to the right when Andrew Wiedeman came on ten minutes later, Issey, as his shirt proclaims, provided some fresh legs and put in a shift clogging up the middle of the park as Columbus threw numbers forward in search of an equalizer.
    Despite clinging to the lead, Issey was not afraid to get forward when the chance was afforded him – he had a shot blocked in the 75th minute, before being whistled for a foul second later, not allowing Hector Jimenez to start a counter with him out of position.
    That willingness to take the chance when given paid off in the 85th minute when he noted the good work of three teammates by the left corner flag, and when Jackson chipped up to Justin Morrow and Morrow took on Wil Trapp to get in a cross it was Issey who arrived at the near-post, getting in front of Columbus left-back, Waylon Francis, to take advantage of the chance, touching past the keeper with his right boot:
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/g3hybwJKFTw?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    It was his first goal in MLS, not bad for 52 minutes on the pitch through two appearances.
    The Calgary, Alberta-native completed four of six passes, took two shots – one blocked and the goal, committed and suffered a single foul, won two tackles and a header, and made one recovery, while losing possession four times in his 21 minutes of play.
    Kyle Bekker
    Bekker made his first start of the season (and just the fourth of his MLS career) in Toronto’s win over Columbus – it was his second-straight appearance having seen twelve minutes as a substitute last weekend.
    Paired in the centre of the pitch with Michael Bradley, Bekker was extremely impressive, though of course he has his detractors.
    Granted he seldom exhibits the sort of high-action intensity that many fans love, but what Bekker really brings to the game is a level of understanding, the old proverbial football-brain that not every player has, especially in an often overtly physical league like MLS.
    As astutely mentioned on the broadcast, when one can read the play it will make up for the lack of that extra step and by putting oneself in the right positions the game will come to you.
    Have a look at his defensive chalkboard, which charts recoveries, clearances, blocks, and interceptions – that spread is a large part of why Toronto won on Saturday and why Bradley was able to get forward to cause trouble as regularly as he did.
    Columbus were not at their best, but it takes the right skill set to shut down Federico Higuain, who was repeatedly bested by Bekker, who read his intentions, intercepting passes and cutting out crosses on several occasions.
    The Oakville, Ontario-native completed 33 of his 44 passes, won five headers, committed and suffered a foul each way, and lost possession twelve times, mostly due to those errant passes – but his defensive numbers, fourteen recoveries, five interceptions, and two clearances, more than make up for those detractions.
    Post-match Bekker was asked about the experience of winning in Columbus, he replied, “It was an incredible experience to come to Columbus and play on this pitch with these guys and get a shutout here against a team that’s been killing it lately is incredible.”
    On the basis of that performance, he will likely see a little more playing time, especially when Jonathan Osorio is out or when Bradley is away for the World Cup.
    Will Johnson
    Johnson made his fifth-straight start for Portland in their heart-pounding 4-4 draw against Seattle on Saturday.
    Paired, as usual, with Diego Chara at the base of the Timbers midfield, Johnson was central to the midfield battle, engaging in a particularly tasty contest with Gonzalo Pineda that saw each of them booked through the first 35 minutes for fouling the other.
    Johnson saw his yellow card in the 35th minute for a late blocking challenge that Pineda made the most of, while Pineda saw his in six minutes earlier – the two engaged in a bit of yapping, with Will getting right in the face of Pineda after the booking, but the rendezvous was full of smiles, genuine or not.
    With Chara marauding forward, picking up two goals from long runs, Johnson stayed back for the most part, picking his moments to foray forward carefully – more often than not opting to stay back.
    His physicality was very evident in the combative match, getting whistled for a foul after bouncing off the much-bigger Kenny Cooper in the early going before taking a heavy blow from DeAndre Yedlin in the 59th minute, raking his studs into the Canadian’s thigh and rattling his bones in an aerial challenge that put Johnson on the ground, face down, for a good minute, requiring treatment.
    He is not the sort to milk that kind of thing – he hobbled off the pitch, but returned to the fray shortly thereafter.
    The Toronto-born midfielder completed 49 of 57 passes, took one shot – blocked; suffered three fouls and committed two – one of which earned him his first booking of the season. He won five headers, all four of his tackles, made ten recoveries and two clearances, losing possession eight times before making way for Steve Zakuani in the 89th minute.
    It was the first time he was removed from a league match for the Timbers having joined the club prior to the start of last season.
    Russell Teibert
    Teibert made his third-straight start in Vancouver’s 1-2 loss to Colorado on Saturday – it was his fourth start of the season.
    From his position on the left-side of midfield, Teibert was his usual vibrant self, running at the opposing defenders whenever possible and getting on the ball regularly.
    He played one particularly nice ball over the top for Kenny Miller, which drew a challenge out of Clint Irwin – Miller considered asking for a penalty, but it was a half-hearted request at best.
    Teibert also had a crack from a poor angle just before half-time that sailed wide and had a dreadful free-kick in the 66th minute – the less said about that the better.
    The Niagara Falls, Ontario-native completed an impressive 51 of 58 passes, attempted two shots – one off and one blocked; won three of four tackles, a pair of headers, and a single foul, made eight recoveries, while conceding possession ten times.
    It has been hard to pinpoint exactly what Teibert’s role in Carl Robinson’s revamped Whitecaps side is, what with all the new additions, though it is telling that whenever available, he has a place in the starting eleven, whether on the left or the right.
    Dwayne De Rosario
    De Rosario made his second start of the season for Toronto in Columbus having entered from the bench in the previous two matches – he has appeared in all four of TFC’s matches this season.
    Operating as a second-striker, dropping off the frontline to fill in the gap when out of possession and coming deep to collect the relief ball out of the back, De Rosario was vital to Toronto success in a tricky away fixture without several starters.
    He had a nice little trick corner-kick routine with Bekker that the ball cut to the top of the box for De Rosario, rather than sent into the heart of the box – he couldn’t quite get the connection right as the ball bobbled and his shot rose far too high.
    De Rosario had a second good look at goal in the sixth minute, when Alvaro Rey forced a turnover and slid a ball for the Canadian to run onto, but Columbus keeper, Steve Clark was equal to the shot.
    <script height="300px" width="533px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=4bfc225f82bf46c48dfb065eda97f74f&ec=Mzc29xbDqDgPGRH0Aaps8EQIGtaYndC1"></script>
    And he made a wonderful pass to play in Michael Bradley later, dragging his right-leg behind his standing leg to put the ball into the path of his teammate – a Cruyff pass of sorts - before going for an audacious attempt from near the halfway line, hoping to catch Clark off his line; he did not miss by that much, but overly hopeful is an apt description.
    But it was his ceaseless running, closing down the ball and getting back into positions to provide that outlet and a modicum of relief, that really highlighted his contribution – earning him the praise of coach Ryan Nelsen for his effort afterward.
    The Scarborough, Ontario-native completed 19 of 26 passes, took three shots – one on and two off; made eight recoveries and two clearances, winning a pair of fouls, two headers, and a tackle, while conceding the ball just seven times before making way for Issey Nakajima-Farran in the 69th minute.
    But not before buying a moment of respite for his side during a spell of Columbus pressure by going to ground in need of treatment.
    Post-match he spoke with the media:
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    Patrice Bernier
    Bernier was again held in reserve in Montreal’s 2-2 draw against New York on Saturday to make a second-straight substitute’s appearance, replacing Hernan Bernardello in the 72nd minute with all the scoring already recorded.
    With the result already settled, Bernier helped see out the match, completing fifteen of twenty passes (in just eighteen minutes plus four of stoppage-time), registering one recovery and winning one header, while conceding possession five times, with those stray passes.
    It will be interesting to watch how Frank Klopas uses the Brossard, Quebec-native in the coming weeks.
    The arrival of Jack McInerney may lead to a two-striker formation, which will necessitate fielding one fewer midfielder and one never wants the captain to be left off the field, though having that sort of calming influence to introduce later has its advantages.
    It may be telling to examine how Klopas used Logan Pause, who is two years younger than Bernier, last season in Chicago, often as that calming influence or to fill a gap when others were unavailable. Or, it could just be that with Bernier coming off surgery and the early season field conditions, never mind the turf at Olympic Stadium, less than ideal, it is better to play it safe with the veteran.
    The Rest
    Karl Ouimette, Jordan Hamilton, Sam Adekugbe, Nana Attakora, and Rob Friend were all unused substitutes on the bench for their respective sides.
    For Hamilton, who became TFC’s ninth homegrown signing back on January 9th, it was his first time in the matchday side.
    Oh, and here’s Adekugbe rocking out on the piano:
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    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
    There are voices within Canadian soccer, specifically at the head of certain provincial soccer associations, who have apparently decided to make take a stand against the CSA and its leadership as it relates to some of the more significant program changes the CSA have announced and implemented over the past two years.
    In an apparent effort to try to wrestle back some degree of control over the national association, a group of disgruntled provincial and territorial presidents have decided to back a somewhat unexpected candidate in the upcoming CSA vice-president election.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Rob Newman, who ran for the CSA Presidency in 2012, before losing out to Victor Montagliani, has been nominated (by Northwest Territories) to run against VP incumbent Steve Reed of British Columbia. Newman had previously served as one of two Vice Presidents during the Dominique Maestracci era.
    CSN has learned that Newman, who hails from Saskatchewan but currently resides in BC, is unlikely to be supported in his bid for the VP seat by the Saskatchewan Soccer Association, even though he served as President of the SSA before moving up to the CSA Board of Directors.
    Newman’s support comes from a group of unhappy provinces, led by Quebec and their President, Martial Prudhomme, who actively oppose such things as the CSA technical staff’s decision to eliminate the annual provincial all-star tournament. The All Stars tournament was viewed as a sacred cow for several Provincial Associations, especially those who enjoy lucrative provincial government funding tied to their results at such tournaments. However, CSA technical staff had been pushing for years to change it significantly or eliminate it altogether, but with no success.
    Under the old governance model, the cutting of a major (but increasingly ineffective) program like the All Stars Tournament could never have happened. The Provincial Presidents, who until May 2012 were all guaranteed a spot and a vote at the Board Table, would never have approved a proposal that many provinces would have perceived as negatively impacting programs back home. Under the old system, the best interests of the National Governing Body were routinely ignored, deferred and generally given short shrift. This is why CSN so strongly supported the new Governance model and the new era of positive change that it promised and, mostly, has delivered.
    Change was never going to be easy but the CSA Board of Directors is now, largely, made up of the exact types of people we wanted to see steering the CSA ship. It is now, more than ever, truly a skill set board populated by highly accomplished professionals from various industries. On the surface, Newman would fit right in. He’s had a fairly successful professional career and has a significant amateur soccer governance experience.
    Nonetheless, when a candidate with a fairly strong CV is not being supported by his home province but he is being encouraged (mostly behind the scenes, according to sources close to the CSA) by the same guy who supported regressive policies such as the the ban on Sikh players wearing turbans (although Newman is not on record of opposing the use of religious headgear), one is left to ask question about possible hidden (or not so hidden) agendas as they relate to the all-star tournaments.
    Our sources close to the CSA indicated that senior officials in the association (both on the Board and staff) are concerned that, if victorious at the May AGM, Newman will simply be a puppet for those provinces who would support the reversal of some of the biggest program changes which the current CSA leadership view as vital to moving the organization in a more positive direction.
    CSN will continue to follow this story.
    Guest
    Do you believe in miracles!!!1!11!
    In the lead up to Toronto's game Saturday you would have thought that there had been no greater mismatch in football history. The Canadian minnows were doomed against the powerhouse from Ohio.
    No chance was given. Get out of town with dignity still in place and call it a victory.
    A point was too much to ask for. Three? Absurd.
    The pre-game predictions forgot a few key points.
    For one, this is MLS. Although watching seven years of Toronto Torontoing makes it difficult to understand, the simple truth is that there is no such thing as an impossible task in this league. Sure, Columbus probably deserved to be the favourite, but to give no chance to TFC.
    No. That was silly.
    It was especially silly when you factor in the other thing that the doom and gloomers forgot.
    Toronto has Michael Bradley.
    It's not that simple, but it is. When you have the best player of the 22 on the pitch you will always have a chance to win. There aren't many players in MLS as good as Bradley. Which is why there aren't many games TFC will be no hopers in this year.
    It's going to take some time for that to sink it. However, Saturday's game should be evidence enough that it's a lesson worth learning.
    This isn't the same old group of misfits wearing TFC red anymore. It's time to get used to that and to move on from the bad old days.
    Guest

    MLS Week in Review – Round 05

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    As if last week’s cracking round was not enough to draw the eye towards the early season, MLS Rivalry Week ratcheted up the entertainment this weekend with a series of hard-fought matches.
    Beginning with a Cascadia Derby that will live long in the memory, moving on to a Trillium Cup that turned the all-time series on its head, before taking a trip through Texas where the Battle for El Capitan turned on a questionable red card decision.
    As if that were not enough, a rematch of last season’s MLS Cup provided plenty of eye-catching action, though goals proved more difficult to come by, before Sunday’s LA derby put a neat little bow on the round.
    All told, nine matches were played (eight on Saturday and a lone fixture on Sunday), resulting in four draws and a surprising four away wins – implying that just one home side took the full points this round, DC; though of course, Los Angeles and Chivas both play at the same ground.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Some 31 goals were scored throughout, including more than a handful of gems and the astonishing eight-goal thriller in Portland. Two own-goals and a pair from the penalty spot counted amongst that number and there could well have been more, as a further two penalty kicks were saved and a third caromed off the post.
    An equal number - 31 - yellow cards were shown this round, two of which led to the first red card of the weekend in Vancouver, which was followed two more, of the straight variety, in Houston and Kansas City before the night was through.
    Before the results, the goals of the round:
    In chronological order, the first nod goes to Portland’s Max Urruti and his clinical, shaped finish that left Seattle’s Stefan Frei no choice other than to pick the ball out of his net for a fourth time:
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bVF59IvoiRc?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Just when it looked as though his delay had cost the chance, he pulls that off.
    Not to be outdone in the class department, Colorado’s Jose Mari offered up this bending beauty to level the match in Vancouver at ones – his second was equally top-notch:
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/32KgDHyTPYo?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Just plain unstoppable that was.
    And finally, the Galaxy toy with an already beaten Chivas, passing the ball as though in training to slice through the Ameri-Goats meager defenses for their third of the afternoon:
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JiBOiTddNB0?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    On to the games matches…
    Results in Brief
    Portland 4 – Seattle 4
    Wow; there is little else to say.
    Rivalry week can be criticized as a cheap marketing ploy, designed to draw eyes to the league early in the season, but any such complaints were silenced with the opening volley of the round, as a back-and-forth eight-goal thriller in front of a vibrating crowd in Portland will go down in history as a famous match in MLS lore.
    Kenny Cooper would kick off the festivities a mere three minutes in, stabbing in a low Jalil Anibaba drive from a yard out at the right-post after a Gonzalo Pineda corner kick found him deep at the back-post. His low shot back into the crowd may have been heading in, but Cooper took no chances against his former club and classily opted to not celebrate too much in front of the home fans who once cheered his name.
    Six minutes on those same fans would herald another, as Diego Chara leveled the match with a right-footed blast from outside the box that sailed into the top left-corner of the goal, having forced a turnover out of Pineda in midfield before running unmolested towards goal.
    The match truly underway, Diego Valeri would see the Timbers take the lead in the fourteenth minute after Darlington Nagbe surged up the left, found Michael Harrington, who saw his mystery red card overturned midweek, on the overlap. The left-back in turn found Valeri marked by Anibaba at the near-post – nothing that a quick turn a fire couldn’t handle; the Argentine’s snap left-footer kissed off the underside of the bar as it powered over Stefan Frei in the Seattle goal.
    Not to be outshone, Clint Dempsey, still grumpy from a rough transition back to MLS, re-equalized ten minutes on after Cooper cut out a poor pass from Portland centre-back Norberto Paparotto on the attacking right, Ossie Alonso nodded the ball on to Obafemi Martins, who slipped Dempsey in alone down the left, where his low left-footer found the bottom right-corner of the goal, past a sliding Andrew Weber.
    Returning from half-time with the match tied at twos, Chara again would be granted far too much space as he bore down on goal through the middle in the 55th minute, smashing a glorious right-footer from 25 yards once more into the top left-corner past a helpless Frei.
    Two minutes later Max Urruti again victimized the Seattle keeper, curling a beauty into the top right-corner after pressuring a turnover out of Anibaba in the Sounders half.
    The two-goal cushion should have been enough to see the Timbers secure their first win of the season, but Lamar Neagle, who entered the match on the hour-mark, had other plans, breathing life into a stale Seattle attack.
    It took him 25 minutes, but he turned the match, beating Harrington wide right and busting towards goal to poke a cross that was touched by Martins towards the streaking Dempsey, whose second of the afternoon drew the Sounders within one.
    Two minutes later, in the 87th minute, it was DeAndre Yedlin’s turn to dart in from the right and cause trouble, running onto a poked Martins pass to force a stray tackle out of Ben Zemanski, earning his side a chance to equalize from the spot. Dempsey would step up, beat Weber to his right having eyed the keeper the other direction and complete his first MLS hat-trick.
    Portland’s Caleb Porter was philosophical afterwards, separating the dejected competitor from the encouraged coach in his assessment of the match; his counterpart, Seattle’s Sigi Schmid admired the fighting spirit of his side, and must hope that the Dempsey of this day would be the one seen in those to come.
    What a game; what a way to start off the round.
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    Montreal 2 – New York 2
    Montreal would take an early lead through Andres Romero, only for goals from Jonny Steele and Peguy Luyindula to hand visiting New York the lead at half-time; Luyindula would squander the chance to seal the match in the second half and Felipe would make the opponent pay for such profligacy.
    It took just five minutes for Montreal to storm out to the lead against New York on the abominable carpet at Olympic Stadium. Hernan Bernardello forced a turnover in midfield, his tackle bounded to Heath Pearce, who played up to Felipe in attack, The Brazilian slipped a ball inside the slow-turning Armando for Romero to reach in stride around the outside on the left; his low right-footer beat Luis Robles to the right-side of goal.
    Red Bull would claw back into the match in the 31st minute, when Kosuke Kimura’s long ball down the left sprung Lloyd Sam. He backed off Pearce and sent a cross to the back-post, where Steele beat Eric Miller to the service to head in an equalizer.
    And Luyindula would put the visitors ahead three minutes later, capitalizing on a poor Marco Di Vaio pass straight to Steele on the left. The Northern Irishman threaded Luyindula in down the right-channel to beat the on-rushing Troy Perkins with a low right-footer to the left-side of goal.
    Luyindula would waste a chance to solidify his side’s lead on the other side of half-time after helping to win an attempt from the spot. It was his ball over the top that played in Bradley Wright-Phillips, who was bundled over by Matteo Ferrari, earning the penalty kick, but the Kinshasa-born Frenchman’s right-footed effort struck the post in the 49th minute, handing Montreal a shot at redemption.
    Ten minutes on, Felipe once more proved crucial, initiating the attack by spreading a long ball towards the right corner flag from Justin Mapp to collect. Mapp turned back to the outside, making space for a cross towards the penalty spot, where the darting run of Felipe split the stationary defenders, to flick a header down and on to the far-side of goal.
    The diplomatic result would please neither coach, as each side must search on for their first win of the season. Montreal’s Frank Klopas was astonished that their statistical advantage did not translate into a result, while New York’s Mike Petke took the positives of a road-point en route to a fourth-straight draw.
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    Chicago 2 – Philadelphia 2
    Mike Magee would open the scoring only to miss a chance to play the hero from the spot with the final kick of the match after Juan Luis Anangono’s late header drew the Fire back from a pair of Union first half strikes from Mo Edu and Leo Fernandes.
    Last season’s golden-boot winner would open his account after sixteen minutes thanks to some good work from Quincy Amarikwa on the left. The lively striker nipped in front of Amobi Okugo to steal possession and made a bee-line towards goal, playing a little pull-back for the near-post run of Magee, who touched in with a trailing leftt-boot.
    Philadelphia would level the match exactly sixteen minutes later when Vincent Nogueira’s blast was blocked by Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, only to fall to Edu at the left-post, where he turned and fired a low left-footer across Sean Johnson on to the far-side of goal.
    Seven minutes later Fernandes would continue his hot start to the season and put the visitors in front with a free-kick from the right touch-line when his left-footed delivery bounced through the crowd jostling in front to find the back of the net untouched.
    Chicago would rally for an equalizer that eventually came from the most unexpected of sources, the much-maligned Anangono. Magee provided the service, hitting a free-kick deep to the right-side of goal, where the big Ecuadorean won a header back towards goal, crossing the line before Bakary Soumare made sure it counted with an extra touch.
    And Anangono would play a role it the last-minute dramatics, winning a penalty kick when emergency centre-back, Aaron Wheeler, put a high boot into the striker’s chest, absent-mindedly reaching for a long ball in the box in the 95th minute. Magee would step to the spot, but Zac MacMath was equal to his low right-footer, sent too close to the keeper’s right, saving the initial attempt and blocking the follow-up as well to preserve the point for his side.
    Frank Yallop’s Chicago collect a fourth-straight draw, but will lament passing up on the chance to taste their first win of the season at the death; John Hackworth and Philadelphia must come to terms with the problem of conceding late, which has cost them six points already this season, as three wins have turned to draws in the final phase of matches.
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    Columbus 0 – Toronto 2
    As unlikely as it may have seemed, a severely short-handed Toronto get one over on their Trillium Cup rivals, throttling Columbus’ previously perfect start to the season with a gritty road performance and goals from Michael Bradley and Issey Nakajima-Farran.
    Few gave the visitors, without the services of starters Jermain Defoe, Jonathan Osorio, Steven Caldwell, and Doneil Henry little hope of besting the high-flying Crew, but Bradley had other ideas, putting them ahead after just eleven minutes.
    A half-cleared ball fell to Justin Morrow who played out to Mark Bloom on the right, Bradley alertly ran into space pointing for a ball, which the right-back duly delivered and though the angle was ridiculously tight, the American international powered a low right-footed blast through Columbus keeper, Steve Clark.
    The early strike gave Toronto something to cling to, which they saw into half-time without much concern. Columbus would intensify the pressure from the start of the second, bringing on attacking reinforcements throughout, drawing several saves from Julio Cesar and a key block or two from the makeshift centre-back duo of Bradley Orr and Nick Hagglund.
    With the clock ticking down, TFC sought to kill some time by the left corner flag, only for a weak clearance to fall to Jackson, who spotted an opening. He dinked a pass to Morrow, who found space for a cross to the near-post where Nakajima-Farran got in front of Waylon Francis to touch in an insurance goal with his right boot.
    Gregg Berhalter and Columbus will rue coming out so flat and getting ahead of themselves as the news of Toronto’s absences trickled in to poison their resolve and halt their three-game winning start at the fourth. Ryan Nelsen hailed the effort of his charges, who rebounded from a disappointing outing in Salt Lake last week with a solid victory on the road.
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    Vancouver 1 – Colorado 2
    Vancouver’s unbeaten start to the season looked assured when Darren Mattocks opened his account, but a contentious red card to Matias Laba turned the tide, opening the door for a pair of jaw-dropping strikes from Colorado’s Jose Mari.
    The brash persona of Mattocks demands that he score goals, but since that awkward rant of an interview that received such wide condemnation over the summer, he has returned to the Whitecaps as a different player – rather than letting his mouth to do the talking; his play on the field has spoke volumes.
    Through the first four matches, the Jamaican had yet to find the back of the net, but his self-less, energetic play had helped Vancouver to an unbeaten start, picking up a pair of assists and creating space for his teammates with his endless running on countless occasions.
    It appeared as though that hard-work had finally paid off in the fourteenth minute, when he turned in the rebound from a Pedro Morales shot, only for the offside flag to deny his first goal of 2014 – he would have to wait 53 more minutes, but he would not be denied again.
    In the 67th minute, the two teams played a spot of head-tennis in the midfield, before Sebastian Fernandez’ header was flicked on by Mattocks towards Kenny Miller. Miller did very well to hold off the attentions of his marker, Shane O’Neill, before flicking the ball into the path of Mattocks, streaking in alone away from Drew Moor.
    Clint Irwin had denied several previous Whitecaps attempts and got a piece of Mattocks’ right-footed effort, but could not prevent it from spinning into the goal, putting the home side ahead.
    Colorado had done little to threaten, but were handed a life-line in the 77th minute, when Laba was dismissed for a second bookable offense, handling the ball to stop play after he deemed himself fouled by Nick LaBrocca in transition.
    The Rapids would seize that advantage straight from the restart in the 79th minute, when the ball was sent wide left to Marc Burch, who in turn found Mari in a pocket of space above the left-corner of the box. Andy O’Brien hesitated to apply pressure and the Spaniard unleashed a sweetly-hit left-footer that swerved sumptuously into the top right-corner of the Whitecaps goal, around a helpless – and slightly stunned – David Ousted.
    Two minutes later, Mari struck again with an equally skillful touch. Charles Eloundou, the teenage Cameroonian debutant, collected a long ball on the left-side of the box and cut-back a ball into the space atop the Vancouver box. Nathan Sturgis touched the ball back to the former Zaragoza man, who passed a right-footer into the right-side of goal – much to the surprise of players and commentators alike.
    The loss, their first of the season and the first of Carl Robinson’s young coaching career, will have come as a nasty sting to the home side, who decried the soft decision to reduce them to ten. Fellow first-year head coach Pablo Mastroeni collects his second win of the season, while his side finally score a goal that did not involve a penalty kick, having scored four from the spot and once on the rebound from a saved attempt.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4gKaWGKSbsE?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    DC 2 – New England 0
    DC finally see their long winless streak end thanks to a Jose Goncalves own-goal and a Chris Rolfe injury-time insurance strike, hopefully turning the page on an eight-month barren spell that stretched back to last August.
    It was August 3rd, 2013 the last time that DC United won a match in MLS play (3-1 against Montreal at RFK Stadium, to be exact) – fifteen matches had come and gone in the mean time without a win for Ben Olsen’s struggling side, but that dismal spell, the second-longest winless run in MLS history, came to a crashing halt on Saturday against New England.
    The first half was a tight affair and it took a moment of madness to break the deadlock and own-goal, that most hated of scorers, would prove decisive.
    Fabian Espindola drifted out wide left and laid a ball down towards the end-line for left-back Cristian Fernandez, who took on Daigo Kobayashi to sneak a cross into the centre of the box. Goncalves looked to have it covered, but a left-footed, stabbed clearing attempt went all wrong, nestling instead on the wrong side of the post and into his own goal.
    Both sides would see half-chances come and go through the second half before the recently-acquired-from-Chicago Rolfe, was picked out in tons of space by Espindola’s cross from the left and his right-footed touch doubled the home side’s lead and sealed the result.
    Olsen had to be relieved at his DC side finally getting that monkey off its back and will look to parlay this success into further results. His counterpart, Jay Heaps, was dismissed from the touchline for reasons unknown, should take some solace for a rough start (three losses, a win, and a draw) in the knowledge that four of those matches were away from home.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/M4ms-AKSm5U?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Houston 1 – Dallas 4
    Houston looked to overpower their instate rivals, dominating the early throes, but a penalty kick, a red card, and an own-goal – the unholy triumvirate – not to mention the return of a former player, turned the tide in the visitors’ favour.
    All of Houston’s good early work was undone in the 31st minute, when Michel calmly converted from the penalty spot with his left-foot after Ricardo Clark stuck a boot in on Mauro Diaz as he wound up for a shot, winning his side the spot kick.
    Clark would find redemption ten minutes on when he flicked a dangerous Brad Davis free-kick from the left end-line on to the right-side of goal, losing his marker, Zach Loyd, and out-leaping the rest of the Dallas defense.
    But a questionable red card to David Horst on the hour mark would reduce the Dynamo to ten men and Dallas would penalize the infraction straight from the restart, when Je-Vaughan Watson, who was traded between the clubs prior to last season, met Diaz’ left-sided delivery with a standing, downward having wrestled position on Giles Barnes at the back-post.
    Seven minutes later it was another set-piece, a right-sided corner kick from Michel, that proved costly for the hosts, when both Will Bruin and Barnes battled with Watson for position, only for the ball to bounce off Barnes into his own goal.
    And Watson would complete the route himself two minutes on in the 70th, when Fabian Castillo moved in-field from the left to find Diaz in the centre, who deftly laid a ball inside the right-back Corey Ashe, for the streaking Watson, who rolled a finish past Tally Hall into the left-side of goal.
    Dominic Kinnear and company may have questioned the decision that changed the course of the match, but know that on the night they were their own worst enemy, falling to second-straight loss, while Oscar Pareja’s Dallas solidify their grasp on the early Supporters’ Shield race with thirteen points from five matches, four more points than their nearest competitors.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/v61tG67gvKo?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Kansas City 0 – Salt Lake 0
    In a rematch of the 2013 MLS Cup, Salt Lake back-up keeper, Jeff Attinella stood tall in place of the injured Nick Rimando, backstopping his side, who were thoroughly outplayed, to a scoreless draw in Kansas City.
    A week removed from their drubbing of Toronto, but without Rimando and Tony Beltran, who returned from midweek international duty with the US match against Mexico with knocks, Salt Lake were second best against a flying KC side in search of a third-straight win.
    Outshot twenty-to-five and out-possessed by a margin nearly three-to-two, Salt Lake relied heavily on Attinella to preserve the clean-sheet, despite the barrage he faced.
    First Dom Dwyer, then Seth Sinovic, then Chance Myers (Attinella saving even when KC were offside), and finally Benny Feilhaber, each tested out the keeper, only to come up second best in a series of spectacular saves. Dwyer looked to finally have bested the stand-in star in the 63rd minute when Attinella raced off his line to force the striker wide, only for Dwyer’s low shot to hit the base of the post – the rebound fell kindly to Sal Zizzo, but Nat Borchers had retreated to get in a crucial block.
    Much of the pre-match build focused on the genuine dislike between the two clubs, and as time dwindled that emotion built, resulting in several rash tackles, a bit of retribution, a flurry of yellow cards and a red to Uri Rosell, who went in heavy on Devon Sandoval after the big-haired striker left a boot in on Sinovic minutes earlier.
    Sporting’s Peter Vermes noted afterwards that sometimes the game is not fair, while Salt Lake’s Jeff Cassar joined the chorus heaping praise on the stellar, point-saving play of Attinella.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fl5aV5QXZ9A?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Chivas 0 – Los Angeles 3
    Sunday’s lone fixture saw Los Angeles take on cross-hallway foes Chivas and easily dispatch them on three goals from Robbie Keane, Stefan Ishizaki, and Baggio Husidic.
    The Galaxy have dominated their in-town rivals, going unbeaten through the last five meetings, winning ten of the last twelve and eighteen of the 28 all-time meetings.
    It may have been a Chivas home match, but LA made themselves comfortable it due time, taking 37 minutes to open the scoring after spurning several good chances through the opening.
    Marcelo Sarvas began the attack by playing out to Ishizaki on the left, who hit a raking cross-field ball for right-back Dan Gargan, who in turned placed a dangerous header towards goal. His knock-down eluded Carlos Bocanegra and forced goalkeeper, Dan Kennedy, off his line; his touch would go straight into the leg of Keane, who virtually walked it in to the goal.
    Five minutes on Ishizaki would double the advantage after Juninho burst through the midfield via a one-two with Landon Donovan before laying a ball down the left-side of the box for the Swede. Just as it appeared that he had been forced too wide, Ishizaki delicately hit a tasty chip over Kennedy into the far side-netting, exhibiting the class that saw him recruited in the off-season by LA.
    The Galaxy would find their third on the other side of half-time, when Baggio Husidic capped off a wonderful spell of ball-movement with a low right-footer past Kennedy in the 56th minute. Donovan played wide right to Sarvas, who pulled back to Keane atop the box; Keane in turn touched forward to Donovan, who laid it back off to Husidic – toying with a beaten Chivas like a cat with a mouse, in front of David Beckham no less, who would not have enjoyed such an unsporting contest.
    Wilmer Cabrera bluntly assessed the disappointing outing as the worst since he took charge – no doubt this will serve as motivation, no matter how soul-crushing it was at the time. Bruce Arena, who trotted out his diamond 4-4-2 once more, will like the goal-scoring, but love the clean-sheet.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oFMp7E-akwY?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    CanCon
    As usual, the extended review of the Canadian performances will be posted tomorrow (Tuesday) midday – at the risk of going Toronto-centric, very strong outings from Kyle Bekker, Dwayne De Rosario, and Issey Nakajima-Farran will duel with continued, if understated, matches from Russell Teibert and Will Johnson for the top spots.
    Overheard
    Columbus’ Will Trapp did not enjoy losing a Trillium Cup match at home, "I'd say [it feels more like a rivalry]. They came into our home field and beat us. That's unacceptable." It may indeed be a manufactured derby, but a few more competitive meetings could see if evolve into something more.
    MLS fans and media alike wrestle with an inferiority complex, as such Colorado’s Jose Mari, formerly for Real Zaragoza, was asked to compare MLS to La Liga, In response, he offered, “More than anything else the attacks here are a lot faster. It’s also very hard, you have to be on the right side of the field all the time. But the reality is I’m very surprised with how high the level is here in MLS and I’m very happy to be playing here.”*
    Chicago’s Quincy Amarikwa’s silent half-time interview – courtesy of technical difficulties – was chuckle-worthy, though a shame, as he is an interesting guy, while the Colorado’s TV crew were caught as much by surprise as Vancouver was at Jose Mari’s second goal finding the back of the net.
    See It Live
    Plenty of little bits from across the weekend:
    The most obvious penalty of all time – Aaron Wheeler on Juan Luis Anangono and Jose Goncalves’ comedy own-goal – perhaps worse than Victor Bernardez’ from last week – showed the weak side of defenders:
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OAZml-rn7tY?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    While Fabian Espindola losing his boot in a challenge with the big Portuguese centre-back and a series of saved or missed penalty kicks – Peguy Luyindula, Mike Magee, and Oscar Boniek Garcia – evidenced forwards not at their best.
    Clint Irwin’s leg-save on Pedro Morales with three Vancouver players bearing down on goal was immense – but strangely not available as standalone video, while Jeff Attinella could sweep the save of the week category by himself – with his best two coming on Seth Sinovic and Benny Feilhaber.
    Controversy
    Matias Laba’s handball that led to his second booking and dismissal turned the match in Vancouver, but was he fouled by Nick LaBrocca, as he assumed, in the build-up?
    Similarly, David Horst’s red card in Houston flipped that match on its head; harsh call or fair for such a scissoring challenge to the ankles?
    What about Uri Rosell’s red in Kansas City?
    And should Lewis Neal have seen one for his early tackle on Andrew Farrell?
    Upcoming Fixtures
    Another full schedule of nine matches on the docket for next weekend, with eight matches on Saturday and a single fixture set for Sunday.
    Saturday: Toronto-Colorado; Montreal-Chicago; Philadelphia-Salt Lake; New England-Houston; DC-New York; Dallas-Seattle; Portland-Chivas; Los Angeles-Vancouver. Sunday: San Jose-Columbus
    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
    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 2-1 loss to Colorado Rapids? Aaron Campbell makes his selections. Do you agree?</i>
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    11 - Russell Teibert
    Showed hustle tracking back but was not involved at all in the attack. 5 games in and he hasn't shown his offensive attack from last season.
    10 - Jordan Harvey
    Was out of position a lot in the first half. DeMerit had to cover that time after time. Sooner or later teams are going to capitalize on this. Has been lucky this season no team has taken advantage of his mistakes.
    9 - Pedro Morales
    Struggled all game long. Made more bad passes in first 25 minutes then he did in first 4 games combined. Should of scored on pass from Mattocks or have let the ball go to Miller who was wide open.
    8 - Kenny Miller
    Didn't have any chance to really play off Morales' passes. Rapids defended his attack well.
    7 - Matias Laba
    If he didn't pick up his second yellow he would of been number 3 on this list. Played well and helped defend the MF. Big mistake grabbing the ball to get that second booking. Have to play to the whistle. Don't think you will get a call all the time.
    6 - Andy O'Brien
    Has been solid all season long. Has been able to help control the defensive box.
    5 - Jay DeMerit
    Loved his physical play on the Rapids forwards but still looks a step behind all other players on the pitch.
    4 - Gershon Koffie
    Was surprised he was subbed out. The move came back to haunt Robinson when Laba was shown his second yellow.
    3 - David Ousted
    Had no chance on either goal. Players in front of him gave up. Made some nice saves in the first half to keep it 0-0.
    2 - Darren Mattocks
    Game after game, chance after chance. Finally found the back of the net. Had chances for two other goals. Great pass to Morales where it could have put the Whitecaps up 2-0.
    1 - Steven Beitashour
    Great defensively and joined the attack time after time. Was throwing crosses into the box from all different angles.
    <b>The Changing of the Guard Countdown</b>
    3 - Erik Hurtado
    Wasn't able to get involved in game with coming on in the 90th min.
    2 - Kekuta Manneh
    Being down to ten men really hurt the ability for Manneh and the forwards to attack the Rapids defenders.
    1 - Sebastian Fernandez
    Came in for Koffie and added a offensive spark to the team in the second half.

    <p>
    Guest
    We've added a new photographer to the AFTN ranks, Tom Ewasiuk, and he shot his first Vancouver Whitecaps game for us on Saturday. He 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.
    Here's are some of his photos from the 2-1 loss to Colorado Rapids on Saturday.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    You can find his full gallery from the game on Dropbox <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jpyv933z0htg49t/EL6Jl9rx6z" target="_blank"><u><b>HERE</b></u></a>.
    <center>********************</center>
    <center>
















    <p>
    Guest
    Vancouver Whitecaps have lost their unbeaten start to the season and it mostly self inflicted.
    Colorado Rapids came to BC Place and left with a 2-1 victory thanks to a Caps sending off, a Rapids comeback and two wonderstrikes.
    We pick over the bones of the game and look at the main turning points, with audio from Caps head coach <b>Carl Robinson</b>, captain <b>Jay DeMerit</b> and <b>Kenny Miller</b>.
    It was a deflated Vancouver dressing room but we headed into the Colorado one where it was a much different place to be.
    We chat with Colorado head coach <b>Pablo Mastroeni</b>, captain <b>Drew Moor</b>, goalkeeper <b>Clint Irwin</b>, MLS rookie of the year <b>Dillon Powers</b> and two goal hero <b>Jose Mari</b>.
    And there's still time to look at what the result means in a Western Conference capacity and Saturday's first Cascadia Cup clash of the season.
    [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/5118246/url/http%253A%252F%252Faftn.podbean.com%252F2014%252F04%252F06%252Fepisode-55-the-aftn-soccer-podcast-colorado-post-game-show%252F/initByJs/1/auto/1?skin=3" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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