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    Guest
    The Whitecaps quest to remain unbeaten all season remains intact!
    A 2-1 win over Houston Dynamo sees a perfect first month in charge of the Caps for Carl Robinson.
    We pick over the bones of the games and hear audio from both head coaches, <b>Carl Robinson</b> and <b>Dominic Kinnear</b>, as well as soundbites from both dressing rooms.
    What Caps players excelled? Who still needs to work on their game? And how is Andy O'Brien's, um, middle?
    We also take a look at Houston and how we see them fitting in to the Eastern playoff race.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    And there's still time to bring you a Residency round up from Saturday.
    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/5107054/url/http%253A%252F%252Faftn.podbean.com%252F2014%252F03%252F30%252Fepisode-52-the-aftn-soccer-podcast-houston-dynamo-post-game-show%252F/initByJs/1/auto/1?skin=3" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
    <p>
    Guest
    <i>Match report and post game reaction from Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 home win over Houston Dynamo. With the thoughts of Carl Robinson and Andy O'Brien.</i>

    While it was closer on the scoreboard, the Vancouver Whitecaps remained undefeated this season with a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo. Kenny Miller scored his third of the season from the spot in the second half after Jordan Harvey opened up his account in the first.
    The winner came just before the hour mark when Miller had to redo a penalty kick to put the Caps up by two goals. It was Darren Mattocks who earned the penalty after his run into the box was stopped by Kofi Sarkodie when he went to the ground and handled the ball.
    The home side would strike first in the 14th minute after an initial set piece failed to generate a scoring chance. Matias Laba sent the ball back to Pedro Morales who one timed a cross into the box where Andy O’Brien directed the ball into the path of Harvey and the defender beat Tally Hall to put the Caps ahead.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    With fifteen minutes to go in the match the visitors pulled within one when Ricardo Clark headed home a Brad Davis free kick. Unfortunately for them the Caps would not allow them anymore significant scoring chances for the remainder of the match.
    In his first start at home, Vancouver’s designated player Pedro Morales, displayed more of the skill that wowed fans in the opening match against the Red Bulls. Despite only picking up a second assist there was no doubt that the Chilean midfielder was the best player on the pitch.
    It was clearly a physical but fairly clean match as the Dynamo attempted to use strengths to wear down the smaller Caps. They were strengths that Andy O'Brien knew about going into the match but felt that the Caps dealt with well.
    "I've watched the first two games that they've played and they're a great combination up front and the wide players they've got but I thought we nullified the ball getting to them too much and that's credit to the boys up front, as that's credit to the first line of defence and the boys in midfield."
    With the win Carl Robinson has started his coaching career undefeated in four games with two wins and two draws and he was understandably happy with his first month in charge.
    "It's been interesting, it really has. It's not always going to be like this, and I know that, so I'm going to take it in my stride. I'm sure I'll have tough times here and I'm sure I'm going to be sitting here after a defeat trying to be positive and things like that.
    "I won't change the way I am, but most importantly I'll back those boys in there week in, week out if they play like that."
    The Whitecaps will remain at home and attempt to remain undefeated as they return to B.C. Place to play the Colorado Rapids next Saturday.
    Vancouver Whitecaps
    David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien, Jay DeMerit, Jordan Harvey; Gershon Koffie (Kekuta Manneh 76 min), Matías Laba, Pedro Morales (Nicolás Mezquida 87 min), Russell Teibert; Darren Mattocks (Sebastián Fernández 65 min), Kenny Miller
    Substitutes not used
    Paolo Tornaghi, Johnny Leverón, Erik Hurtado, Bryce Alderson
    Houston Dynamo
    Tally Hall; Kofi Sarkodie, David Horst, Jermaine Taylor (Brian Ownby 77 min), Corey Ashe; Andrew Driver (Mark Sherrod 86 min), Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis, Boniek Garcia (Omar Cummings 71 min); Giles Barnes, Will Bruin
    Substitutes not used
    Tyler Deric, Warren Creavalle, A.J. Cochran, Servando Carrasco
    Scoring
    14’ – VAN – Jordan Harvey (Andy O'Brien, Pedro Morales)
    58' – VAN – Kenny Miller (penalty kick)
    75' – HOU – Ricardo Clark (Brad Davis)
    Match Stats
    Shots: Vancouver 13 – Houston 13
    Shots on Goal: Vancouver 5 – Houston 5
    Saves: Vancouver 4 – Houston 3
    Fouls: Vancouver 10 – Houston 15
    Offsides: Vancouver 1 – Houston 2
    Corners: Vancouver 2 – Houston 9
    Cautions
    None
    <b><u>More Reaction:</u></b>
    <b>Carl Robinson on the game and the win:</b>
    "I think we played very well. We got the result we deserved but showed a lot of heart and character in the performance."
    <b>Carl Robinson on remaining unbeaten:</b>
    "It's confidence for the boys in there. Like I said, I'll back them every single day of the week as long as they give me that effort and determination they showed today, especially in that last half an hour."
    <b>Carl Robinson on what needs to improve:</b>
    "Full credit to Houston. After about 30 minutes they decided to start press us and make us kick it. We'll go back to the drawing board on certain things, because I want to try and build from the back.
    "We've got a little team, a small team in terms of the physicality compared to Houston so we'll analyze that, we'll work on it, we'll continue to build."
    <b>Carl Robinson on the Ricardo Clark goal they conceded:</b>
    "I was frustrated. I don't like conceding goals. I love scoring goals, but I don't like conceding goals! But I'm not as disappointed today, as I was against New York. The New York game was put to bed. We were in the last 15 minutes of the game when we were 4-0 up and I was disappointed we conceded that. I'm not today because I know that Houston are a very good set piece team and I knew that they would probably cause us trouble on set pieces. But to concede one goal on a set piece, it's not ideal, no, but the effort and determination. We must have defended corner, after corner, after free kick, so that's a positive I'm going to take out of that."
    <b>Carl Robinson on response to conceding the goal:</b>
    "We conceded, and we're going to concede goals, but it's about how you bounce back. We didn't look under any pressure. They put giant after giant on, and they're a big physical team. They were putting bigger players on and I was putting smaller players on. I had to speak to Perty and say are we doing the right thing here, but I thought we could catch them on the counter. It was the right decision because we won the game."
    <p>
    Guest
    After two wins to start the season the tendency will be to underplay what that means for Toronto FC. Too many years of too much disappoint have left a fan base with culture of defensiveness: don’t get ahead of yourselves, don’t get too excited, it’s only two games. And while it’s certainly not possible to qualify for the MLS playoffs based on results in March alone it’s also possible to do something TFC fans are all too familiar with: put yourself in a hole early and make the task substantially harder.
    That’s why what TFC has achieved with their start shouldn’t be understated. An unexpected win in Seattle and then holding serve at home versus DC United has left Toronto FC with six points. That’s not just more points than they’ve ever had after two games; it’s more points than they’ve ever had after three! In fact, before this year, the Reds have only managed to have six points after FOUR games once in their history.
    Toronto supporters will all remember the terrible starts. What escapes easier recollection are the mediocre ones.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Even in 2009, the only year that TFC sustained a realistic season-long hope of making the postseason, the Reds failed to build on an opening day win followed by an away draw in Columbus and were mired on five points until their sixth match. That slow start resulted in John Carver’s departure and the instability cycle continued.
    So, heading into an away match at Real Salt Lake, that’s what six points means to TFC and Ryan Nelsen: a cushion. Preseason doubts about the impact of the Designated Players (and the rest of the team around them) have been definitively put to bed. The question is no longer “can this team compete?” It’s “how good are they?”
    It’s a question not just being asked in Southern Ontario. For once, the team themselves, instead of the fans or stadium atmosphere, matter to the rest of MLS. Toronto FC at Real Salt Lake -- a match that, in the past, even the most diehard TFC fans had to force themselves to tune in to -- is amongst the ties of the round.
    After narrowly missing out on a second MLS championship in an epic penalty shootout in Kansas City the big off-season story in Salt Lake was the departure of the head coach Jason Kreis for the brighter lights of 2015’s New York City FC. Kreis, along with general manager Garth Lagerwey, was the architect of the transformation of RSL from a proto-Toronto into one of the most consistent and consistently attractive teams in MLS.
    The Lakers haven’t gotten off to a flying start under new top man Jeff Cassar, elevated from his position as a long time assistant, but, so far, remain undefeated themselves. A somewhat fortunate win in Los Angeles was followed by a late collapse that squandered two points to “Goonie Time” in San Jose and a tempestuous draw in last week’s rematch versus the Galaxy in their home opener.
    For the most part though, RSL seem to have not missed a beat and remain more than capable of playing the intelligent, possession-oriented soccer they became known for under Kreis. The central spine of Nick Rimando, Nat Borchers, Kyle Beckerman, Javi Morales, and Alvaro Saborio remains intact and with Saborio avoiding supplementary punishment for his late tackle on LA’s A.J. DeLaGarza all should see the field against TFC.
    Both sides will be dealing with absences, however, and Toronto fans are likely to get a first view of what depth exists in the Reds’ squad. For RSL, former Toronto favourite Joao Plata has been sidelined with a hamstring strain after scoring the Royals’ winner in Los Angeles and looking dangerous so far in 2014. Meanwhile, Toronto midfielder Jackson, was not as lucky as Saborio and has been suspended for a sly elbow that connected with DC United’s Davy Arnaud last weekend.
    Jackson has been the subject of some ire from TFC fans after his first two appearances in Toronto colours were blighted by heavy first touches, persistent fouling, and a seeming disinclination to take the easy pass when available. How he’ll be missed on the defensive side of the ball is an open question though as his work keeping opposing fullbacks in check seems to have been underappreciated.
    More concerning, however, is the suggestion that Jonathan Osorio may not be available to partner Michael Bradley in central midfield. While it has been the big names of Bradley and Defoe splashed across all the headlines in T.O. Osorio’s contributions have not been going unnoticed. Absent Jackson, and possibly missing Osorio’s emerging tactical awareness, it will be interesting to see if Bradley’s tendency to chase the ball in a relentless high-press will pose difficulties for the rest of Toronto’s midfield.
    Tactically, the match sets up in an interesting contrast of styles and formations. Amid the joy of the results some Toronto fans have expressed concern over the team’s lack of possession in their two victories. The Reds seem happy to allow their opponents the ball, so long as it’s not being used to create dangerous chances, while waiting to pounce on mistakes with quick counterattacks. So far it’s worked well but against a side with more capability to move opponents around and create than TFC has yet faced it could be dangerous.
    Salt Lake’s diamond midfield presents Ryan Nelsen with question of where and when to focus his team’s press. Much has been made of the U.S. men’s national team battle between Bradley and Beckerman and if the Toronto man can successfully cut off the connection between defense and attack that Beckerman so ably supplies then the Reds’ tactics may continue to work unchanged.
    The danger though is leaving Javi Morales too much space behind Toronto’s pair of central midfielders. TFC’s defense has looked better than anticipated so far but if RSL can get the ball into the Argentine in that pocket and he starts to dictate from his favoured spaces the Red’s back four will be tested in a way they haven’t been so far in 2014.
    But, more than anything else, that’s the exciting thing: two games into a TFC season and we’re actually talking about football and approaching a game with something more than dread! Savour these moments Toronto fans, they’ve been a long time coming.
    Guest
    Now it gets real. The season opener and the home opener are past and the excitement around them is done.
    And, it was exciting. After the past few years the last couple weeks has been a Godsend -- a cathartic release after a lot of frustration.
    But, that's done. This is just another game in the grind of games that makes up a MLS season. It's hard to come to grips with.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]You see as much as we could forget that the Reds have been around for seven full seasons during the last two weeks, we can't anymore. This isn't new. The third game in a 34 game season doesn't have the same pull it would have when TFC actually was new and fresh.
    The anticipation isn't as strong. The stress not as all encompassing. Instead there has been a realization that nothing has yet been won.
    And, although there is hope, there is also fear that it's been a mirage so far. That possession number hasn't been very good. What if Defoe gets hurt? Worse, Bradley.
    Two weeks of joy does not erase seven years of abuse, after all. It's too soon to believe. It's too soon to fully forgive and trust.
    In many ways, for those that have been here through it all, the season actually starts now. The Bloody Big Party is done. It's time to prove that this is real.
    Are you ready?
    Guest
    Houston Dynamo are heading to BC Place on Saturday afternoon in what will be a tough game for Vancouver Whitecaps.
    The AFTN crew look ahead to the battle of the two unbeaten sides. Who will be the key players? What changes with the Whitecaps make? How will the Dynamo cope in their first road game of the season? And what Whitecaps will turn up this week? All this and much more are discussed.
    We're joined by two guests this week. Whitecaps assistant coach <b>Gordon Forrest</b> talks about the challenge that the Dynamo pose and a man who knows Houston very well, <a href="http://total-mls.com/category/houston-dynamo" target="_blank"><u>Total MLS</u></a> managing editor and Dynamo beat writer <b>Dustyn Richardson</b>.
    And there's still time for <b>Predictapooch</b> to weigh in with his prediction for the game.
    [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/5105077/url/http%253A%252F%252Faftn.podbean.com%252F2014%252F03%252F27%252Fepisode-51-the-aftn-soccer-podcast-vancouver-v-houston-preview-show%252F/initByJs/1/auto/1?skin=3" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
    <p>
    Guest
    Doneil Henry is the weak link.
    This is what we've been told from the beginning. The Brampton-native was too raw, too Young, too Canadian to possibly be up to snuff. And, that was what Canadians were saying. American observers were even more dismissive, if they even remembered him at all.
    Ignored were the voices that suggested that Henry was an intriguing talent that seemed ready to break out. Those voices are still being mostly ignored as commentators on both sides of the border continue to suggest that TFC's back-line, and Henry in particular, are an issue.
    But, has he been? Let's look at the raw performance data of the first three weeks.
    Limiting output look at players that have regularly played at centre-half we looked at the too ten performers in four key defensive areas -- tackles, clearances, interceptions and aerial wins. Here's what we found.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Tackles
    1. Dylan Remick (Seattle) 4 (per 90 min)
    2. Aurelian Collin (SKC) 3.7
    3. Matt Besle (SKC) 3
    4. Shaun Francis (SJ) 3
    5. Victor Bernardez (SJ) 3
    6. Tony Lochhead (Chivas) 2.7
    7. Bobby Burling (Chivas) 2.5
    7. Doneil Henry (TFC) 2.5
    7. Ibrahim Sekagya (NYRB) 2.5
    7. Waylon Francis (CBS) 2.5
    So far so good for the Henry backers. However, Henry has always been known for his tackling. Let's look at the rest of his game.
    Interceptions
    1. Norberto Paparatto (PDX) 8.5
    2. Johnny Leveron (Van) 6
    3. Bakary Soumare (Chi) 5.7
    4. Chris Schuler (RSL) 5
    4. Doneil Henry (TFC) 5
    6. Bobby Boswell (Chivas) 4.5
    7. Chad Marshall (Sea) 4
    7. Eric Miller (Mtr) 4
    9. Matteo Ferrari (Mtr) 3.7
    10. Ibrahim Sekagya (NYRB) 3.5
    So, Henry is once again in the top 10, this time in the more technical category of interceptions.
    Clearances
    1. Chris Schuler (RSL) 17
    2. Jose Goncalves (NER) 14.5
    3. Doneil Henry (TFC) 12
    4. Jermaine Taylor (Hou) 11.5
    5. Giancarlo Gonzalez (CBS) 10.5
    6. Matt Hedges (Dal) 10.3
    6. Nat Borchers (RSL) 10.3
    8. Aaron Maund (RSL) 10
    8. Austin Berry (Phi) 10
    10. Victor Bernardez (SJ) 9.5
    Ok, so top 10 again. Are we seeing a trend?
    Aerial wins
    1. Ibrahim Sekagya (NYRB) 7
    2. Bobby Burling (Chivas) 6.5
    3. Chris Schuler (RSL) 6
    4. Chad Marshall (Sea) 5.3
    5. Matteo Ferrari (Mtr) 4.7
    6. Doneil Henry (TFC) 4.5
    7. Aaron Maund (RSL) 4
    8. David Horst (Hou) 4
    8. Ike Opara (SKC) 4
    8. Jose Goncelves (NER) 4
    8. Norberto Paparatto (PDX) 4
    Ok, so Henry is the only defender in MLS Currently ranked in the top 10 in the four most important defensive categories.
    Forget arguments about whether he's TFC's weak link. The argument is whether he's in the (albeit absurdly early) running for Defender of the Year!
    If you look at the overall Whoscored.com game ranking, Henry actually comes out third overall.
    1. Bernardez (8.39)
    2. Paparatto (8.08)
    3. Henry (8.00)
    That's the highest number on TFC by the way.
    Clearly, early days, but if Henry's the Reds weak link this team is better than people think...
    Guest
    Still undefeated but the cracks are starting to show. We pick over the bones of Vancouver Whitecaps' 0-0 draw with New England Revolution at the weekend.
    What has happened to the Caps' midfield creativity? What's up with Nigel Reo-Coker? Did the team miss the absence of Jay DeMerit? And what changes should Carl Robinson make for the next game against Houston?
    There's a lot more talking points too and we take a look back at all of the Week 3 MLS action.
    And there's still time, a lot of time, for this week's big interview as we have a comprehensive chat with <a href="http://www.chssoccer.net/" target="_blank"><u><b>CHSSoccer.net</b></u></a>'s <b>Dan Conover</b> about everything to do with the Charleston Battery's affiliation with the Whitecaps.
    How is the affiliation working out? Which of the eight guys that the Caps have sent down are standing out so far? How important is the appointment of new assistant coach Troy Lesesne? Will we see them in the US Open Cup? And do the Battery hold any MLS aspirations of their own?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    All this and more in the latest episode. 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/5102848/url/http%253A%252F%252Faftn.podbean.com%252F2014%252F03%252F26%252Fepisode-50-the-aftn-soccer-podcast-revving-the-battery%252F/initByJs/1/auto/1?skin=3" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
    <p>
    Guest
    Once upon a time, there was a team that topped the Western Conference....
    The Whitecaps are no longer top of the league. I hope you all got a screenshot of that wonderful moment after week one, because it might be a while before we see it again. Week one of next season perhaps.
    Carl Robinson had his Fairytale of New York. It was fun at the grand opening ball, whilst it lasted. So were Vancouver's creatively attacking midfield.
    Whatever happened to them? One minute adventurous and cutting quite the dashing figure, then, as if by magic at the stroke of midnight, they turn into pumpkins for the next two games.
    It was ugly, sister. Grim.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Now as the Whitecaps return home, still unbeaten but looking a little more ragged than when they left, Carl Robinson has a quest ahead of him this week. Can he find the right person, people, to fit in to his team?
    Who will come forward and fit the footballing glass slipper to perfection?
    Now we don't want to get too doom and gloom. Plenty of weeks left in the season for that! But, once again, Vancouver looked like a different team on the road, than at BC Place, albeit one that makes attacking substitutions and that's been a joy to behold.
    Before we look at the bad, it would be improper not to mention the good.
    As we said in our report on Saturday, if you'd offered Robinson a home win and two away draws to kick off his first managerial stint, he'd have bitten your hand off faster than the Big Bad Wolf.
    The Caps are still unbeaten, one of four such teams in the West and seven overall in MLS. Quite impressive numbers really after three weeks.
    If Vancouver were to take the vast majority of points from their home games (I'd like all, but I want to be somewhat realistic) and keep picking up points away from home when they're not playing to their best, then the end result should be a playoff spot.
    For all the faults in their first two games on the road, they've only conceded one goal and a clean sheet against a dangerous New England side on Saturday was impressive.
    The defence played well. David Ousted was Man of the Match, Andy O'Brien and Johnny Leveron played solidly well together, when they weren't booting the ball as far up the pitch as they could in the first half, and both full backs held tight.
    Steven Beitashour was sort of invisible but that's not a bad thing defensively. He just went about his job with little fuss or drama. I'd like to see him push forward more and the same with Jordan Harvey, for whom it must have been hard for him to do that when he was being attacked most of the game up that wing. The Revs clearly saw that as a weak option and, as usual, he got his detractors online, but as we said, he held tight and a clean sheet was had.
    With Jay DeMerit rested, and the centreback pairing of O'Brien and Leveron playing well, Robinson's first dilemma this week is does he bring back the Caps captain?
    Now if you've been reading or listening to me these last few months, you'll know I'm going to say no! But, looking at it more objectively, or trying to, do you want to split up a pairing that hasn't conceded and has more mobility than what a pair of ageing centre halfs offer?
    One of the other big dilemmas for Robinson this week was going to be, what does he do with Nigel Reo-Coker?
    I haven't seen anyone struggle as much on the road since I gave my wife that driving lesson last year. At least she had a rough idea of where she was going.
    Reo-Coker has had very few away games in MLS where he's shone. The last two matches aren't two of them. Saturday's game looked like a disaster waiting to happen after he picked up his early booking. He survived an early bath from the ref, but was given one when hooked by Robinson.
    He simply doesn't look up to speed yet with his fitness, awareness or Robinson's gameplan. The odd flash of magic here and there, but nowhere near enough. He's struggled to get a good bond with Matias Laba and the Argentine's performance have dipped as a result too as far I'm concerned, as he has to carry him in part.
    At least Robinson's decision as to whether to drop Reo-Coker is probably going to have been made for him, after the Englishman missed training today following a freak bike rack injury that saw the midfielder fall over one of the metal beasts and damage his head and face, with questions raised around possibly even a concussion.
    Obviously such an injury is no laughing matter, but it does make you wary that he didn't even have the mobility to get around a stationary object. As Colin Elmes (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/colinelmes" target="_blank">@ColinElmes</a>) replied to me on Twitter today, "at least the bike rack didn't come away with the ball for a goalscoring opportunity".
    Reo-Coker's injury will now give Gershon Koffie his opportunity. He needs to take it if he wants to stick around. He had a good week of training last week and did fairly well when he came on as sub on Saturday, certainly better than Reo-Coker.
    And this is the key for all of these fringe guys and what Robinson needs to see. He needs the players on the outside looking in to grab their opportunity with both hands when it comes along.
    There will be others looking to do that apart from Koffie.
    Sebastian Fernandez had a great MLS debut but then has been posted missing for most of the following 180 minutes. He is surely going to drop to bench on Saturday and whether that allows in Kekuta Manneh or Nicolas Mezquida will depend on formation and tactics. Both should see minutes against Houston.
    Up front, Kenny Miller is being wasted out wide or dropped back. He needs to be playing up front. He needs to be the striker. You saw the difference in his play when he moved back up there the past two games.
    Darren Mattocks is joint leading MLS in assists. His workrate is much better and I'm starting to like him again, but how long do you give someone who is primarily a striker to actually score goals? Does his work save his place over someone who can put the ball in the back of the net? And do we even have that person in the squad right now?
    A lot of big decisions for the Caps rookie coach this week. This is the first real test of how he approaches "adversity". I've put that in inverted commas as it's sort of hard to say that an unbeaten team is in the mire. The Whitecaps most certainly are not, but there are some warning signs and cracks appearing.
    If they want to live happily ever after, then they need to be addressed early.
    Houston are a dangerous side that go for it from the off. The Whitecaps can't afford to be caught napping and they can't keep relying on being a second half team.
    It's going to be a huge test for the team. So who are the real 2014 Whitecaps? The New York winning ones or the uninspiring New England drawing ones? Not long till we find out.
    <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.
    With all three Canadian teams in action this round, there were plenty of candidates on the pitch, but no real standout performance. The top three spots go to Jonathan Osorio, Doneil Henry, and Rob Friend, more for consistency than anything particularly spectacular.
    Find out what they did to deserve recognition and who else earned their keep this week.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Jonathan Osorio
    Osorio made his second-consecutive start in Toronto’s 1-0 win over DC United in the BMO Field home opener on Saturday – it was his twentieth start and thirtieth appearance for the club.
    Paired once more in the middle of the park with Michael Bradley, Osorio was dynamic in the middle of the park, setting up chances and causing the opponent endless troubles, notably picking up the scraps whenever there was a loose ball to be had.
    He nearly set up Jermain Defoe from an early cross and then played a wonderful long ball into space for Jackson to chase, leading to another Defoe chance:
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    He later sprung the Brazilian with another such ball, but Jackson’s shot sailed high and wide, while neither of Osorio attempts on target really troubled Bill Hamid – the first was a slow roller from the top of the box, while the other was blocked after cutting around one defender to make space for the shot at the edge of the area.
    Two further examples of his understated elegance and tenacity in the match – it was his little sideways ball to Bradley that allowed the American space to spring Gilberto leading to Defoe’s goal on the hour mark:
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    His pesky hustle to win those loose balls and skillful touch in this play goad an already testy Davy Arnaud over the edge, warranting a booking:
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    Nothing spectacular, but incredibly efficient from the young man.
    The Toronto, Ontario-native completed 32 of 43 passes, attempted two shots – one on and one blocked, suffered four fouls and conceded two, while making a whopping seventeen recoveries, four interceptions, and a clearance, winning three headers and a tackle. However, he lost possession fourteen times.
    His post-match interview can be viewed here.
    Doneil Henry
    Henry too started Toronto’s second-match of the season.
    Paired with Steven Caldwell in the centre of defense the formidable duo helped the club keep their first clean-sheet of 2014 – the understated story of the early season for TFC has been the defense.
    He showed a little class on the other side of the ball early, attacking deep on the right, evading his man, and setting up Osorio to cross for Defoe’s missed header.
    But it was on the defensive side that Doneil has grown into his starting role – stumbling on the shoddy pitch, but retaining the composure to get a piece on the ball (the old face-block), then recovering nicely to put it a sharp tackle on Fabian Espindola, who was endlessly frustrated by the physical gifts of his opponent.
    Again nothing spectacular, just consistent – Eddie Johnson and Espindola, DC’s high-profile attack, combined for just one shot all match.
    He landed awkwardly after an aerial challenge, but shook off the pain and resumed his stellar play.
    The Brampton, Ontario-native completed just six of his eighteen passes (more on that shortly), committed and suffered a foul each way, made eleven clearances, eight interceptions, and five recoveries, winning and losing a tackle.
    Most of his registered ‘passes’ were actually launches up-field, which accounted for a healthy portion of his thirteen losses of possession.
    While a no-nonsense defensive clearing of one’s lines is always recommended in emergencies, the next step in his progression will be to do a little more with the ball once it gets on his foot. He did have some very good completion numbers last season, so the unreliability of the pitch was likely a factor in Saturday’s tactic.
    Nevertheless, he earned the praise of defensive partner Caldwell post-match, who commented on his play thusly, “Very pleased.* Obviously he is a very good young good player who has proven.* It's a pleasure playing beside him.* I think we complement each other well and hopefully we can keep getting better and better and obviously clean sheets are important so it's a real bonus to get one today.”
    Rob Friend
    Friend made his first start for LA in their 1-1 draw at Salt Lake on Saturday – paired up top in a target-man’s role alongside Robbie Keane in attack.
    After impressing during his dominant second half cameo away to Tijuana in a disappointing midweek Champions League loss, Friend earned his position and put it to good use.
    He showed a tidy bit of footwork early in the match with a Zlatan-esque (yes, that Zlatan – video, unfortunately, not available) back-heel pass into the path of Keane while holding off the attentions of a defender and then played a subtle, but important role in Keane’s equalizer in the 34th minute.
    Once Keane collects the turnover in the midfield and bears down on goal, note how Friend stays onside, provides an option, and then drags Nat Borchers away from the space Keane is attacking. This leaves Chris Schuler one-on-on with Keane – it does not end well for the defender:
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    When not occupying Borchers, he had an entertaining running contest with Schuler, who rose nicely to prevent Friend getting on the end of a Keane cross.
    Friend also showed some hustle to get into position, only to have his run ignored by Baggio Husidic and nearly set up a winner in the dying seconds with a lovely cushioned header to Keane, only for Luke Mulholland to alertly track back and intercept just as the Irishman was set to smash a volley:
    The Rosetown, Saskatchewan-native completed 20 of 32 passes, won an astonishing fifteen headers and provided eleven layoffs, suffered five fouls and conceded just one, had one shot – wide, two clearances, and a recovery, but lost possession some thirteen times.
    Friend earned the praise of his teammates for his midweek exertions, wrecking havoc on the Tijuana defense, winning every ball sent his way. Landon Donovan offered this, “I thought that this would be a game where Rob would be effective. It was good for him to get on the field at halftime, it gave us an outlet and we needed [one] with the pressure that they were going to put on us, and it proved to be true. He did a great job of causing foul, getting some knock down and getting some chances.”
    While Keane commented, “We knew that with his height advantage it was going to cause them a hell of a lot of problems because they’re small in the back and that was the case. Rob isn’t one of these [target forwards] that you can just smack the ball up to him and he flicks [forward], he holds the ball up and gets involved in the play. It gave myself and Landon a lot of joy just behind him.”
    Friend himself was rather humble about it all, “It is nice to get a half into my belt. There were a lot of positives I think, and we can move on to the next game, learn from our mistakes and learn from our positives in the second half.”
    Further praises were sung here.
    Will Johnson
    Johnson continued his ironman streak for Portland in their disappointing 2-0 loss at Colorado on Saturday – appearing in a third-straight match for 2014 and extending his streak from last season to eleven-straight league matches.
    Paired once more with old friend Diego Chara at the base of the Portland, Johnson opted into a more conservative role on the road, often sitting rather than straying forward as he is wont to do. He had a good running battle with Dillon Powers throughout the match and was whistled for a foul when he was a second late on Edson Buddle.
    He remonstrated the referee at the double-punishment decision of awarding a penalty kick and red card when Donovan Ricketts hurtled into Deshorn Brown around the 70th minute and did his best to put off the taker, Vicente Sanchez, by yapping a little and lingering near the spot for as long as possible without getting booked.
    Straight from the restart, he took the initiative to get forward, but the Timbers were immediately punished – the space he vacated was abused by Powers, who surged through the middle and played out wide right to Sanchez, who earned the spot kick with a bit of veteran savvy.
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    Johnson was twice flattened by Jose Mari (one – two), who was cautioned for both offenses and dismissed. Never one to give up without a fight, Johnson attempted a cheeky Olimpico, nearly curling one in from a late corner kick, but to no avail.
    The Toronto-born midfielder completed an impressive 36 of 40 passes, had one shot – on target, suffered two fouls to the one he conceded, made five recoveries and a clearance, won two of three tackles and three headers, all while conceding possession eight times.
    Patrice Bernier
    Bernier made a second-consecutive start for Montreal in their home opener against Seattle – despite his contributions they would lose 0-2.
    Paired with Hernan Bernardello at the base of the midfield, Bernier’s ball movement, as usual, was immaculate, functioning as both the team’s metronome and pendulum, collecting the ball and moving it on in one smooth motion – if ever there is to be a Bernier action figure, it will be of him collecting the ball on one boot and sweeping it on with the other.
    His passing chalkboard is a thing of beauty.
    With Seattle staying very compact, often playing with ten men behind the ball, having taken the early lead via the Troy Perkins own-goal, Montreal struggled to break them down. Bernier gradually dropped deeper and deeper to initiate the Montreal build-up from the back, at times appearing as a third centre-back; despite his best efforts nothing would come for them.
    He was caught flat-footed on Seattle’s second goal, tracking deep into the box only for Obafemi Martins to get free of Hassoun Camara behind him – the prodigious leap from the Seattle attacker made Bernier look at fault, but he definitely needed a shout to know the open man was behind him, which probably did not coming judging from the look of surprise on his face when he let Lamar Neagle’s cross sail over him straight to Martins.
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    That was in the 58th minute and Bernier nearly made amends six minutes later when he hit one of those lovely long passes up for Andrew Wenger, who knocked it down for Felipe entering the box. The Brazilian went down with contact, but no penalty was forthcoming.
    Bernier would exit the match in the 70th minute, once more making way for Blake Smith – no doubt his ongoing recovery and the turf played a factor in his removal.
    The Brossard, Quebec-native completed 38 of 43 passes, had one shot – blocked, made two each of interceptions and recoveries, won three of four tackles and conceded possession just six times.
    Bernier is without doubt one of the gentlemen of the league – a respect that he had earned. There was one play where Neagle could have gone heavy into the back of him, but, because it was Patrice, he opted not to and was made to look foolish by the turn.
    Post-match, captain Bernier pragmatically commented, “It wasn’t a bad game, but wasn’t a good game either. We gave too much space to the other team in the first half and then we were just running after the game. Tuesday, we have to get back into playing. I won’t say that we will forget this, but we have to work on it quickly and concentrating on getting points.”
    Russell Teibert
    Teibert returned from his hamstring concern to Vancouver’s starting lineup in their 0-0 draw at New England on Saturday – it was his second start of the season on the right-side of the midfield.
    In a match that lacked cohesion, the combination of wind and turf wrecked havoc on the passing game, the only thing really worth noting was his new hairdo – it’s a short of Samurai knot thing, with shaved back and sides for the aficionados.
    There was a moment of concern when required treatment and continued to rub his collarbone area after a battle with Jose Goncalves, before making way for Kekuta Manneh in the 67th minute.
    The Niagara Falls, Ontario-native completed eleven of seventeen passes, made four recoveries and an interception, suffering one foul, while winning a tackle. He lost possession seven times.
    Dwayne De Rosario
    De Rosario was on the bench in Toronto until coming on in the 63rd minute to replace Gilberto up top alongside Defoe and officially seal his second homecoming.
    With TFC ahead, De Rosario operated more in the hole than up top, and he did an admirable job of throwing himself about, trying to win aerial challenges – not necessarily his forte.
    He nearly made his debut special, when Defoe slid him in down the left, but the bobbling pitch prevented the ball from settling and Hamid was able to deny the storybook ending to the match.
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    The Scarborough, Ontario-native completed six of eight passes in his 27 minute cameo, took one shot – on target, made three recoveries, winning a foul and a header, while losing possession just three times.
    Kyle Porter
    Porter began the match on the bench for DC in his hometown – entering the fray in the 66th minute, replacing a bloodied Arnaud after clashing heads with Bradley.
    The Toronto, Ontario-native was very lively in his 24 minutes, completing thirteen of seventeen passes, committed a pair of fouls, won a header, and lost possession five times. He had a chance to send it a tricky end-line cross, but could not wrap his foot around it, sending it sailing into the crowd.
    The Rest
    Remaining on the bench this round for their respective sides were Ashtone Morgan, Kyle Bekker, Maxime Crepeau, Karl Ouimette, Wandrille Lefevre, and Nana Attakora.
    Tesho Akindele scored a very composed brace in FC Dallas’ reserve match against Chivas on Sunday.
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    Kofi Opare was internally loaned to LA Galaxy II for their USL PRO season opener – he entered in the 81st minute to help the side see out a 3-1 victory over Orange County Blues FC.
    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 03

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    The third round of MLS action took place over the weekend with nine matches played (seven on Saturday and two on Sunday - one of which was originally set for the previous day, but had to be rescheduled due to weather concerns), resulting in five home wins, three draws and a single, lonely, away win.
    Goals were once more at a premium with just seventeen scored throughout, including an own-goal and two of three from the spot – the one attempt saved was eventually turned in on the follow-up.
    The regular referees returned with emphasis, dishing out some 35 yellow cards and flashing three reds – two straight and one accumulative.
    Before the results; the goals of the round:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Two strikes for consideration this weekend, up first, in chronological order, is Robbie Keane’s equalizer for Los Angeles in Salt Lake:
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    Wonderful use of guile, space, and the threat of a pass to back the defender into position and stroke a finish past the keeper.
    Equally impressive was Columbus’ Bernardo Anor and his crack from distance against Philadelphia:
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    His first goal had put the Crew in front and this second sealed the result – proving to be the game-winner.
    Results in Brief
    New England 0 – Vancouver 0
    Saturday started off with a match equal part dour and satisfactory; New England, who have still not scored on the season, earned a point (their first of the year) in their Foxborough home opener, while Vancouver, despite another mediocre road display, continued their unbeaten start with a second-straight draw, this time 0-0.
    Defensive force Jose Goncalves, having settled his dispute with Jay Heaps, returned to the starting lineup and helped his side put in a strong outing, picking up their first clean-sheet of the season having conceded five through their first two matches.
    Scoring on the other hand, proved elusive – thanks to one particularly fine save from David Ousted in the early goings, denying Andy Dorman from a corner – as the Revolution, even with their full-strength attacking quartet, could not end their scoreless run. The Whitecaps showed signs of life in flashes, but never really threatened Bobby Shuttleworth’s goal.
    Heaps hailed the defensive success while lamenting the continued lack of finish; Carl Robinson praised his side’s effort and efficiency in a blustery and bouncy cross-continent contest.
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    Salt Lake 1 – Los Angeles 1
    Salt Lake and LA, meeting for the second time already in this young season, battled (quite literally at times) to a 1-1 draw on goals from Alvaro Saborio and Robbie Keane in the first half.
    Joao Plata, who has been on fire this season with two goals and an assist already through two matches, nearly scored in a third-straight game inside the opening two minutes, when an Omar Gonzalez miss allowed the wee man in alone, but he shot wide.
    Undaunted, Plata would provide the ammunition for Saborio’s fierce strike, off a Javier Morales free-kick taken short. Plata collected the ball in acres of space on the left and lofted a cross over the crowd in the box to a wide open Saborio at the back-post, the Costa Rican took it down and lashed his right-footed finish finish across the keeper in the 19th minute.
    Robbie Keane would respond in kind fifteen minutes later. The Galaxy forced a turnover in midfield and the Irishman bore down on Chris Schuler down the right. Using Rob Friend as a decoy, Keane waited, faked, shimmied to freeze the centre-back, and smashed a blast to the short-side past Nick Rimando in goal.
    Neither side would find a way to break the deadlock, as the two tired teams resorted to physical play in lieu of a finish.
    First year bench-boss, Jeff Cassar will not have been pleased with his side relinquishing the lead in a second-consecutive match, but should be contented with four points from two games against heated Western foes; Bruce Arena was most unhappy with the physicality of the match, losing AJ DeLaGarza to a late hit from Saborio and James Riley to a knee concern.
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    Toronto 1 – DC 0
    Jermain Defoe again turned hero with his third goal of the young season, leading Toronto to their first-ever perfect start to an MLS season with a 1-0 win; DC, meanwhile, slip to a second-consecutive defeat, extending their winless run from last season to fourteen matches.
    The excited, if slightly anxious, fans had to wait nearly an hour – thanks to some fine saves from Bill Hamid – to see the high-profile import capitalize on a poor clearance from Bobby Boswell, who played the rebound from a saved Gilberto tester into the feet of Defoe, rather than out for a corner.
    The poacher calmly slipped his finish into the gaping cage from mere yards out.
    The pitch in Toronto looked as though it had some growing to do, as did the play from both heavily remodeled sides – lacking the familiarity to turn half-chances to looks and looks to goals. The match got a little feisty with time and Michael Bradley, who was again impressive, required a series of staples to close a gash, having clashed heads with Davy Arnaud who left afterwards.
    Toronto would see out the slim margin of victory once more, soothing some worries in the process – Ryan Nelsen will have been pleased with the strong start, but knows it is a long road ahead. Ben Olsen too must preach patience; theirs is a side whose season has just begun - and his job will likely depend on a little understanding as well.
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    Columbus 2 – Philadelphia 1
    Bernardo Anor, the quiet Venezuelan, sprang to life with a two-goal first half performance to power the Crew to a second-straight victory to open the season, despite Leo Fernandes’ introduction in the second half that looked to turn the tide the way of the visiting Union, who fell 2-1 in Columbus.
    Anor’s first came after 24 minutes, when the attacker got loose of the marking of Sebastian Le Toux on Federico Higuain’s right-sided corner kick and Christian Maidana, the man on the far-post, whiffed at his clearance attempt. He would add a second in the second minute of stoppage-time, walloping a left-footed strike from some 25-plus-yards that served past a startled Zac MacMath in the Philadelphia goal.
    Fernandes, who set up the winner as a starter last weekend, needed just seven minutes on the pitch to pull one back for the visitors, tapping in from inside the six-yard box a Le Toux ball, after Giancarlo Gonzalez’ weak clearance was predatorily feasted upon by the wily Frenchmen.
    The visiting Union, who had yet to taste defeat this season, went in search of an equalizer that would not come, as the Crew saw out the result in their home opener.
    Gregg Berhalter refused to get ahead of himself, enjoying the win, but knowing there is still much work to be done, while his opposite, John Hackworth, lamented another goal from a restart coming to haunt, as Portland’s late equalizer did on opening day.
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    Colorado 2 – Portland 0
    The Rapids made the most of their home opener, turning two penalty kick attempts into goals to hand the visiting Timbers their first loss of the season.
    It may not have been of the wintery weather forecasted to be in proportions of Snow Clasico-lore, but the blowing winds and drifting snow made for a rather miserable scene in the thin mountain air. The sides traded half-chances in the trying conditions, but one player in particular seemed put off by the clime.
    Portland keeper, Donovan Ricketts, Jamaican International, did not enjoy his afternoon, bobbling simple catches on several occasions before a moment of hesitation turned the game in the final twenty minutes.
    Dillon Powers lifted a ball over the Portland back-line for Deshorn Brown to chase. It appeared as though the solid ground would carry the bouncing ball to the keeper, but Ricketts hesitated for a split-second, then threw himself towards Brown, catching the forward in nearly the same area as New York defender, Armando, had last week – been a tough go for Brown’s breadbasket.
    A cooler head may have dealt with the threat, but Ricketts conceded the penalty, was shown red for his trouble, and was carried off on a stretcher for good measure, having taken a knock of some sort to his knee.
    Vicente Sanchez stepped to the spot in the 73rd minute, ignored the Timber mind-games, and calmly slotted in his second penalty kick of the season.
    Sanchez would stick the dagger in two minutes later, sprung down the right by a Powers ball, partially rounding back-up keeper, Andrew Weber, only to go to ground, if somewhat opportunistically, at the half-challenge. The referee bit and pointed to the spot.
    Brown would take this time, Weber saved – low to his right, but overshot the loose ball and the quick-footed Brown was fastest to the loose ball, knocking the rebound into the gaping cage.
    The home win will be remembered as the first of Pablo Mastroeni’s tenure as head coach of the club he played for just last season; Colorado continue an unbeaten start to their season. Caleb Porter and Portland will point to five minutes of madness haunting an otherwise gutsy road performance, but must step up to the challenges of playing away from home if they are to truly be an elite team in this league.
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    Kansas City 1 – San Jose 0
    Two exhausted teams coming off midweek Champions League disappointment met on Saturday evening – this one too would be decided from the penalty spot.
    Injured, tired, and in need of putting the past two weeks in the rear view mirror, both sides gutted out a scrappy performance on a less-than-green pitch. It was a match of snatched chances and mental errors.
    Ike Opara should have put the hosts in front after Sal Zizzo’s follow up chance from an acrobatic Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi goal-line clearance, but the defender got his feet all tangled, hitting the post from yards out then bumbling the rebound wide.
    A mental mistake, or possibly sheer frustration, would prove decisive, as Steven Lenhart grew tired of waiting for a bouncing ball to settle, opting to swat it away instead – Kansas City were correspondingly awarded a spot kick.
    Jon Busch was immense in the shootout on Wednesday, but could offer little resistance, as Dom Dwyer stroked his attempt by the keeper in the 57th minute.
    Chris Wondolowski would send a glorious look wide in the dwindling time, and San Jose suffered a ninth-straight loss in KC, while the defending champions finally picked up their first win, and clean-sheet, of the season.
    Peter Vermes, who had decried his side’s inability to see out matches in the first two rounds, will be pleased at protecting this result against a foe who plays until the end; Mark Watson and San Jose must find a way to not rely so heavily on late-magic, if his side is to make the next step in its development.
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    Dallas 3 – Chivas 1
    The Mauro Diaz-show continued, as the young Argentinean playmaker continued to pull the strings for Dallas, setting up their first two goals in a 3-1 display at home over Chivas.
    The first half was a physical, scoreless stalemate. All four goals came in the final twenty minutes with Diaz setting alight the touch-paper in the 71st minute from a free-kick. Hendry Thomas rose up to meet the delivery, knocking into the path of Fabian Castillo who touched past Dan Kennedy in the Chivas goal with his left foot.
    Seven minutes later Diaz again initiated Dallas’ second, slipping in Je-Vaughan Watson down the right-side of the box, the Jamaican rounded the keeper and finished into the open goal from a tight angle. Red-hot Erick Torres would draw one back for Los Ameri-Goats in the 81st minute after Adolfo Bautista won the ball at the top of the box, played wide left for substitute Kristopher Tyrpak who laid a neat ball to the near-post for Cubo to touch in his third goal in as many matches.
    Michel, again a late substitute, would reinstate Dallas’ two-goal advantage in the 86th minute, curling a deflected free-kick past Kennedy into the Chivas goal.
    Thomas would see red in the 94th minute for a harsh and senseless lunge on Bofo Bautista.
    Oscar Pareja got one over on his long-time friend, teammate and colleague, Wilmer Cabrera in their first meeting of the season, as his side remains unbeaten through three matches – winning both at home and drawing in KC last weekend. Cabrera was reticent to be overly harsh, but was not pleased with how his side gave away cheap goals, twice from restarts and the other from a turnover.
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    Chicago 1 – New York 1
    Sunday’s opening match would not be decided by all the high-profile firepower – Thierry Henry, Tim Cahill, and Mike Magee, who made his first start of the season - on the pitch, but by goals from defensive midfielders, each from a corner kick.
    Chicago’s Jeff Larentowicz would put the home side ahead after just six minutes, battling for position above the near-post to meet a right-sided out-swinging corner kick from rookie sensation, Harrison Shipp, directing it in to the top near-corner of the goal.
    But Red Bull midfield-bull dog, Dax McCarty responded fifteen minutes later from Henry’s corner, after the loose ball fell to him at the top of the area, to poke a right-footer through the crowd into the Chicago goal.
    Luis Robles was called upon to retain New York’s share of the points, making two solid saves, but neither side could find the advantage - the draw was a fair enough result.
    Chicago’s Frank Yallop was pleased enough with the point against New York in the home opener, but will need to see his side protect a lead, having conceded equalizers after going ahead in their last two. Mike Petke was quietly jubilant at his time taking a point on their travels, which have often been unkind to them, especially in Chicago.
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    Montreal 0 – Seattle 1
    Postponed 24 hours due to the threat of snow – that did indeed come – Montreal were unable to see away the challenge of a Clint Dempsey-less Seattle in the Canadian side’s home opener, falling 0-2.
    Seattle took the lead somewhat fortuitously in the eighth minute, when one-time Montreal player, Lamar Neagle, got on the end of a Gonzalo Pineda set-piece, flicking his header towards goal. The ball would rebound off the bar and bound in off the retreating figure of Troy Perkins, who was unlucky and charged with an own-goal.
    Perkins would redeem himself with a huge save on Obafemi Martins later on in the first half, but could not reprise that role in the 58th minute, when Martins rose to meet a Kenny Cooper cross and powered his finish past the outstretched hands of the keeper, getting a touch, but not enough.
    For Montreal’s Frank Klopas, the disappointing start to the season continues with a third-straight loss; to be the fair, the schedule – and the weather - has hardly been kind. Sigi Schmid and Seattle, however, rose to the challenge of picking up their game on the road, putting the absence of two starters (Dempsey and Brad Evans) and a home loss to Toronto last weekend behind them, garnering their second win of the season.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/H8oCF1LFQag?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    CanCon
    As usual, CSN’s extended look at the Canadian performances will be posted tomorrow (Tuesday) around noon.
    Strong outings from the TFC duo of Doneil Henry and Jonathan Osorio, as well as a battling start from Rob Friend against Salt Lake. The usual ever-presents – Will Johnson and Patrice Bernier – will make an appearance, while Russell Teibert returns from injury (with a new haircut, which will be broken down in detail) and Kyle Porter pops up in Toronto, as does Nana Attakora, though he stayed on the bench.
    Overheard
    Blurb of the round goes to Colorado’s Pablo Mastroeni, commenting on Vicente Sanchez ‘winning’ his side that second penalty kick to close out the challenge of Portland – “If the referee calls it, whatever it is it is. I’m not qualified to make any kind of - I can’t override any calls. I can’t take them away. I don’t waste my energy commenting on the refs, whether they’re for or against us. My focus is purely on what we need to do as a team to continue on the path and improve every game.”
    It is always interesting to hear the responses given to the pool-reporter from the MLS referee post-match – from the Colorado-Portland match:
    On why Ricketts was sent off: Ricketts was sent off for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
    On who initiated the contact on the penalty: The contact was made by Ricketts on the challenge, hence the penalty against Portland.
    Not quite robot referees, but definitely automated responses – the revolution cometh!
    In Lieu of the ‘See It Live’ segment, a few…
    News and Notes
    The usual referees returned to the pitch this past weekend, having settled their dispute. Was there a difference? Hard to say, but there sure were a lot of penalty kicks and cards this weekend; making up for lost time.
    All three MLS sides disappointingly dropped out of the CONCACAF Champions League midweek:
    LA laid an egg in the first half against Tijuana, losing 4-2 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate after carrying a one-goal advantage across the border from the first leg – a lead then squandered by conceding inside the first minute of play.
    San Jose, though decimated by injury and suspension, put up the best fight, taking the lead in the series, only to go level again – they appeared to win in extra time, only to get CONCACAF’d by an off-side decision, cruelly falling 5-4 on penalty kicks, after playing Tolcua square at twos after 210 minutes.
    Kansas City, who many had pegged as MLS’ best chance collapsed miserably. Carry a one-goal lead into Cruz Azul, Sporting conceded after two minutes, fell behind before the half-hour, and ultimately lost 5-1 on the night; 5-2 on aggregate. It was a humbling.
    Controversy
    Plenty of penalty decisions and red cards to debate this round:
    Did Vicente Sanchez fool the referee for Colorado’s second? And what to make of the almighty collision between Jamaican teammates that saw the Rapids awarded their first? There was, however, little doubt about Steven Lenhart’s handball in Kansas City.
    Should, as Bruce Arena thought, Alvaro Saborio have seen more than yellow for this late contact on AJ DeLaGarza? What do make of Colorado’s Jose Mari and his six-minute pair of bookings - one, two; soft? Hendry Thomas probably deserved his late dismissal in Dallas; what was he thinking going into a tackle like that at that time in the match?
    Upcoming Fixtures
    Nine more matches coming up next weekend, eight on Saturday and one set for Sunday.
    Saturday: Philadelphia-Montreal; DC-Chicago; Colorado-Kansas City; Vancouver-Houston; Dallas-Portland; Salt Lake-Toronto; Seattle-Columbus; San Jose-New England Sunday: New York-Chivas
    All videos 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
    The Daily Mail was there. Steve Simmons too. TFC was a Bloody Big Deal to a lot of people that couldn't have spelled Andrew Wiedeman a week ago.
    Actually they probably still can't. They were there to watch Jemain Defoe bring soccer to the Colonies/erase a decade of MLSE incompetence.
    So far so good.
    In the build up to Toronto's home opener it would have been easy to forget that there was actually a game to be played. As it's often been with TFC, the attention was on the things that surrounded it, rather than the thing itself. For once, the team stepped up to the occasion. For the first time in eight years, the fans -- whether they be ecstatic, rowdy or angry -- weren't the story.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It was refreshing. Hopefully, it's the new normal that will last long beyond the time when the a Daily Mail is back to making up transfer rumours and Simmons is fighting hockey bloggers about the importance of Corsi.
    Eventually the 2014 version of TFC will become only about the 2014 version of TFC -- the past, the losing, Tim Leiweke, stadium expansion, everything will take a back seat to the actual performance on the field. It will only be then that we can truly evaluate whether this team is simply competent (which would be a massive improvement over what Toronto fans are used to) or something to be truly excited about. The early returns are promising -- past TFC teams would have caved under the pressure of last two weeks -- but it's still way to early to know which way this will go.
    It's possible that grind of normality will start next weekend with an awkwardly timed away game to a team that lacks mainstream stars or any type of identifiable rivalry with the city of Toronto.
    For the soccer purists that's probably a good thing. There is only so much of the circus and so many frat boy tourists stuffing themselves into the supporters sections to cheer on "the FC" that they can handle.
    But, those same purists would be lying to you if they didn't admit to enjoying the show yesterday. For too long TFC had become a depressing, lifeless experience. It was nice to see the life back in the stadium.
    Hopefully the remainder of the season will be such that we never again need the type of life saving surgery that the Reds needed last year. The circus is fun, after all, but it loses it's appeal when it happens every week.
    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 0-0 draw with New England Revolution? Aaron Campbell makes his selections. Do you agree?</i>
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    <b>11 - Nigel Reo-Coker</b>
    Very slow start. Giving up way too much space in the defensive midfield. Bad at trying to tackle from behind. One of the worst games he has had in a Caps jersey.
    <b>10 - Russell Teibert</b>
    All over the pitch. Not in a good way. Needs to keep more possession in the attacking third of the pitch. Looked like he was still fighting his injury.
    <b>9 - Sebastian Fernandez</b>
    Calmed down after the 30 minute mark. Started linking up well with Mattocks and Miller but it was too little too late.
    <b>8 - Jordan Harvey</b>
    Had a great setup for a left footed strike and failed to pull the trigger. NE attacked his side of the pitch nonstop all game long. The weak link in the Caps defender chain.
    <b>7 - Kenny Miller</b>
    Was playing bad to start the game. Found his open spots late in the second half. Had a great chance on a cross from Morales but another who failed to pull the trigger.
    <b>6 - Matias Laba</b>
    Playing up and down. Shining in moments and giving up too much space up the middle in other moments. Linked up well with Morales and Koffie.
    <b>5 - Steven Beitashour</b>
    Was invisible most of the game. Often a good thing for a defender. Was sound defensively and always in the right position.
    <b>4 - Andy O'Brien</b>
    Helped cover for NRC being so badly out of position. Won a lot of headers in the defensive part of the pitch
    <b>3 - Johnny Leveron</b>
    Played too many over the top balls to start the game. Settled down the box and made some great plays.
    <b>2 - Darren Mattocks</b>
    Great hustle and pace with and without the ball. Had some great chances but still can't find the back of the net.
    <b>1 - David Ousted</b>
    Huge save on a early cross. Playing balls into the box really well. Made three to four huge saves in the first half. Finally earned a clean sheet and didn't let in a questionable goal.
    <b>The Changing of the Guard Countdown</b>
    <b>3 - Kekuta Manneh</b>
    Struggled with his 1st touch but settled in nice. I believe he earned the start next game over Teibert.
    <b>2 - Gershon Koffie</b>
    Was in the right spot and a big upgrade on NRC in the midfield. Linked well with Laba and helped slow down the NE attack.
    <b>1 - Pedro Morales</b>
    Calmed the midfield down when he came on at half. Very nice touches with the ball.
    <p>
    Guest
    <i>Match report and post game reaction from Vancouver Whitecaps' 0-0 draw with New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on Saturday afternoon. With the thoughts of Carl Robinson, Andy O'Brien, David Ousted and Jay Heaps.</i>
    <b><u>Report:</u></b>
    If you'd offered Carl Robinson a win, two draws and an unbeaten record in his first three games in charge of the Whitecaps, he'd have gladly bitten your hand off.
    Zombie tendencies apart, Robinson will have mixed emotions after watching his side stumble to a 0-0 draw in New England, where a strong defensive effort against a dangerous looking home side was only peppered by a few flashes of creative genius and real attacking threat.
    No goals scored but no goals conceded maintain Vancouver's unbeaten start to the season and adds more woes to New England, who are still looking for their first goal, never mind first win, of the season.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Carl Robinson had decided to rest captain Jay DeMerit for this game, with Johnny Leveron coming in to partner Andy O'Brien in the centre of the defence, but the big surprise came with designated player Pedro Morales dropping to the bench and Russell Teibert coming back into the starting eleven. Morales has had a tight back the last couple of days and Robinson felt the risk was too great to start him.
    With the winless and goalless home side taking the game to Vancouver from the start, the Revolution won a series of early corners and David Ousted came up with a huge 5th minute save from one of them to acrobatically tip an Andrew Farrell header over the bar.
    Both teams enjoyed some possession and created some opportunities that no-one was able to capitalise on, but the Revolution's attack was starting to pull the Caps defence all over the pitch. Vancouver, meanwhile, were playing a lot of long balls into the wind and getting nowhere.
    Saer Sene forced another save out of Ousted in the 20th minute when the Dane got down quickly at his near post to keep out a low drive.
    Vancouver had their best chance of the game so far in the 32nd minute when Darren Mattocks did well to bring down a cross from Russell Teibert but he couldn't get a shot on target. It was a horribly tight angle, but you have to try and aim it at the keeper and hope he makes a mistake.
    There was little of note from either side to end the half. Kenny Miller did force Bobby Shuttleworth into his first save of the game in stoppage time after a nice turn and shot, as the wind started to become a major factor in the game.
    It was a wind that Vancouver had behind them for the second half and they had the help of half time sub Pedro Morales to try and make use of it.
    The Whitecaps started the second half much more lively and Miller forced Shuttleworth to tip a shot around the post after getting on the end of a great long pass from Morales.
    Vancouver forced some scrambling from the subsequent corners but New England held firm and had a great chance of their own in the 53rd minute when Diego Fagundez headed a cross along the six yard box but there was no-one there to bury the loose ball.
    Morales was fouled for a free kick in the 56th minute and with the wind behind him he zipped it narrowly past the right hand post.
    If that was close Fagundez came even closer with an effort midway through the half that just missed left.
    The game was still there for the taking by either side and former Whitecaps Daigo Kobayashi nearly grabbed it in the 79th minute but his goalbound effort was deflected for a corner.
    Vancouver had a couple of long range efforts and New England looked dangerous in spurts but neither side could find the breakthrough and the game ended scoreless.
    The Whitecaps will be happy with another road point and in particular the clean sheet and strong defensive play from their centrebacks and goalkeeper David Ousted.
    But for all their creative players brought in to the midfield, the service to the strikers and the creation of chances just simply isn't there yet.
    As they get set to return to BC for a two game home stand, Carl Robinson now has some serious line-up decisions to make. Many are pushing the starters for minutes and at this point in time, there are very few players in the team that you feel are secured of their starting spot.
    With the dangerous Houston Dynamo next up, we'll get a real idea of just what kind of side the Whitecaps are going to be this season.
    FINAL SCORE: New England Revolution 0 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
    ATT: 13, 103
    NEW ENGLAND: Bobby Shuttleworth; Andrew Farrell, Jose Goncalves, A.J. Soares, Chris Tierney; Kelyn Rowe (Scott Caldwell 89), Lee Nguyen (Dimitry Imbongo 81), Diego Fagundez, Andy Dorman; Saer Sene (Daigo Kobayashi 58), Teal Bunbury [subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, Stephen McCarthy, Darrius Barnes, Jerry Bengtson]
    VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien, Johnny Leveron, Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba. Nigel Reo-Coker (Gershon Koffie 70), Sebastian Fernandez (Pedro Morales 46), Russell Teibert (Kekuta Manneh 67); Kenny Miller, Darren Mattocks [subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Christian Dean, Sebastian Mezquida, Erik Hurtado]
    <b><u>Reaction:</u></b>
    <b>Carl Robinson on draw:</b>
    "Good point for us on the road. It's a difficult place to come here. Conditions weren't ideal for both teams. They put a lot of set pieces in, we handled them very well. David made a couple of good saves. Maybe we could have nicked it but it's a positive point for us."
    <b>Carl Robinson on holding off New England's early pressure:</b>
    "It was important we weathered the storm and we did that very well. "
    <b>Carl Robinson on second half performance:</b>
    "Second half we played more of the type of football I want, based upon the wind as well, so quite pleased in the end."
    <b>Carl Robinson on starting Morales on bench:</b>
    "We had a long travel. It took two flights to get here. He felt a slight back issue on the way over, so I didn't want to risk him. It's about 34 games of the season. It was the right decision for me. I knew Pedro was going to play at some stage."
    <b>Carl Robinson on late push to win game:</b>
    "I tried to nick it. I tried to be positive with the substitutions. We had Darren, Kenny, Kekuta on the field at the end with Pedro, so I wanted to win the game. Obviously I didn't want to be naive and lose the game, which was important, but we tried to be proactive in the substitutions and I was."
    <b>Carl Robinson on how defence played without DeMerit:</b>
    "We got a clean sheet! It was a very good effort from the whole back four and midfield players especially and the goalkeeper came up with some big saves. They done their job today and it's important if you pick up points on the road that the defenders and the team as a whole defensively does their job."
    <b>Andy O'Brien on the draw:</b>
    "I think we were happy with the result. Playing in the first half against the wind, from a defensive point of view, if we could have kept a clean sheet we would have been happy. We came under quite a bit of pressure throughout the 90 minutes from them. It was their first home game, as well. The conditions didn't make it easy for either side, but away from home with the distance that we traveled we are pleased with a point."
    <b>David Ousted on the draw:</b>
    "I think it was a good point for us. It was a difficult game today, but that said, great work from the guys getting the result, getting the point from here."
    <b>David Ousted on strong defensive display and clean sheet:</b>
    "We did what we always do, we defend. The guys in front of me did a great job today, had some important blocks, and played really well. Nice to get a clean sheet and get a point from that."
    <b>David Ousted on upcoming two game home stand:</b>
    "We're going to look forward to getting back into BC Place, getting back to our style of play. We have a tough opponent in Houston next week and we'll do all we can to get ready for that. I'm looking forward to BC Place and our fans again."
    <b>Jay Heaps on the draw:</b>
    "It was a difficult, hard-fought match, difficult to get a ton going on both sides. We had 17, 18 chances created, I thought we had a good time trying to get there, but sometimes the goalkeeper I thought made two really good saves. But in the end, I was happy with how we played defensively, but we have to be better offensively."
    <b>Jay Heaps on still looking for first win of season:</b>
    "Obviously, this has not been an ideal start. You go on the road for two difficult games, but we got home and I thought at least we put it together in some areas. We defended well, we didn't give away a ton. I thought our backline was really good tonight. Their chances were limited, I don’t mind if we have that many more chances than the other team. I think in the end, we'll get more points. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough."
    <p>
    Guest
    Where in hell did these people come from?
    That was the first thought I had as I entered BMO Field for the first time in April 2007. I had put my deposit down for TFC season tickets in November 2006, while living in Fredericton, New Brunswick, unsure of whether I would be moving back to Ontario. I put the deposit down in spite of my uncertainty because I had been part of a small and mostly online community of Canadian soccer fans since the late 90s and, as such, I felt an connection towards this club that was not probably rational.
    There wasn't very many of us and everyone kept telling us that Toronto (and by extension Canada) could not support professional soccer.
    We were foolish for thinking it could.
    So, I had to be a part of it. Deep down I didn't think it would work out. Best case, I hoped we might do just well enough that we could slug around on the peripheral of the Toronto sports scene.
    So, when the day arrived I had no idea what to expect. Meeting a friend for lunch at Shoeless Joe's (I actually went to the wrong one at first, thus I did not see very much of the pre-game build up) I saw scarves all through the streets. For the first time I started to believe.
    Then I walked in the stadium.
    Where the hell did all these people come from?
    The stands were shaking. Literally shaking. People were joking that bolts were falling off the stands. Only they weren't joking. Bolts were falling off the stands.
    Going to the washroom I was stunned to hear people singing. Where in hell was I?
    Turned out I was home.
    It also turned out that professional soccer could do just fine in Toronto.
    If you were there in 2007 count yourself lucky. What we saw and experienced was special and it changed the sport in this country and, whether they want to admit it or not, in MLS. We didn't apologize for loving the local team. That was new. It was also the moment that a new generation of soccer fans in Canada started to take control of the agenda and direction of the sport here. That's probably heavier than this column needs, but I cannot stress how big of a turning point that day was.
    The sport arrived. The battle for acceptance that my generation fought would never be repeated. Soccer was just part of the show.
    And that didn't change during the next seven years. In fact, the sport became more established. When Panama played Canada in World Cup qualifying in 2012 there was no debate as to who the crowd was cheering for. It was Canada and it was because the TFC experience created a community of supporters that was stronger than any amount of losing could kill.
    What did change was the community's feelings about TFC. Not everyone that bought in during the early days could justify sticking around. It wasn't just that the Reds lost, it was that they kept repeating the same mistakes over and over again. As the years passed it became clear that the buzz of those early days was about the love of the sport, not the love of the club.
    Some remained. More than probably should have. But, many more tuned out. There were days where it seemed like there was no way the team could ever bring them back on board.
    Then they blew it all up. They pressed re-set and in doing so they have managed to do something that very few sports teams can do.
    They got a do-over.
    After a perfect storm of an off-season the city is ready to care again. It's April 2007 all over -- Even Eddie Johnson is back in the role of a villain -- and a community of soccer fans is ready to shake the bolts out of that stadium.
    For those that have been there since the start there is a instinct to hold back, to expect it to all go away. And, it might. For TFC. The club is too young to expect unquestioned love. However, the sport and the community around it will always be there ready for the next Bloody Big Thing.
    There is saying in football that says that players and managers come and go but it's the supporters that always remain and who ultimately define a football club. It's a bit cliche, but like all cliches it's rooted in truth.
    It's especially true in a city like Toronto where the sport's history is a zig-zag of different clubs, leagues and challenges that isn't always easy to connect. But, connected it is by those that made it matter -- you, the supporters.
    So, don't hold back. Get out there tomorrow and party like its 2007, safe in the knowledge that we'll all still be here suffering, celebrating and everything in between for as long as there is a team for us to love, hate and make a part of us.
    Guest
    Two studies in rebuilding collide at BMO Field Saturday afternoon as TFC welcome DC United in their 2014 home opener.
    Most Toronto supporters will be intimately familiar with all the (bloody?) big news of the Reds’ offseason but might not be as aware of the transformation attempted in the American capital. DC United were in the argument for worst MLS team of all-time in 2013 so the need to revamp should hardly be surprising and, consequently, their starting line-up debuted seven new faces two weeks ago against Columbus.
    Most analysts had been impressed with DC’s offseason and, on paper, it’s easy to see why.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Sean Franklin, Jeff Parke, and Fabian Espindola are all competent MLS regulars well known to followers of Major League Soccer. Davy Arnaud and Bobby Boswell are getting up there in age, and might have trouble keeping up over an entire season, but have years of experience in the league. Eddie Johnson, the first person to score at BMO Field all those years ago, put himself back into serious U.S. national team consideration with a solid season in Seattle last year before becoming unsettled over contract issues.
    Added to some of the better, younger holdovers from a DC squad that finished strong only two seasons ago like keeper Bill Hamid and midfielders Perry Kitchen and Nick DeLeon there was reason to believe that United would be one of the most improved clubs in 2014.
    And then they lost 3 – 0 to the Crew. At home. Frankly, it’s the sort of thing you’d expect from Toronto FC.
    So now, coming off the high of their season opening win in Seattle, the Reds find themselves in the all too rare position of overwhelming favourites. At this point, home fans are, maybe rightfully, expecting a win. Outside of Champions League matches against Central American minnows, when was the last time that happened?
    Home debuts for Jermaine Defoe, Michael Bradley, and Julio Cesar. The return of Dwayne De Rosario to Toronto. Hints of a possible cameo for TFC’s third designated player Gilberto. Heck, the club even announced a pre-game deal on beer. When Tim Lieweke imagined how the transformation of Toronto FC would look in the summer of 2013 it probably wasn’t too dissimilar to this.
    Of course, years of hard won cynicism in Hogtown might allow for a careful recalibration.
    TFC have only won one game. Yes, DC United haven’t won a league match since August of last year but they’ve had two weeks to prepare for this game and two more weeks to attempt to assemble all those new players into a team. The interminable winter of 2013-14 still won’t completely give up its hold and has left BMO Field’s pitch in rough condition. With the likelihood of more precipitation overnight before the game, how the grass will hold up is an open question.
    Finally, if they care to, at some point DC United are going to have to start playing for Ben Olsen’s job.
    Only two years ago Olsen was the model for elevating former MLS players to head coaching positions. He was hardly the first, but it’s hard to imagine all of Mike Petke in New York, Carl Robinson in Vancouver, Pablo Mastroeni in Colorado, and, most prominently, Ryan Nelsen in Toronto, if he hadn’t been seen as a success.
    Olsen still has the snappy suits but his poster-boy status has been severely diminished since the trend accelerated and, after being given a chance to show that 2013, rather than 2012, was the outlier, he probably can’t afford a slow start to 2014. A loss in an away game against what looks to be a much improved Toronto team isn’t likely to spell his doom but Olsen, and his players, will know that he’s already under pressure after the way United opened their season.
    One year ago a match between Toronto FC and DC United might have been the worst you could find in MLS. It was bad enough to prompt the cheeky British football fanzine When Saturday Comes to send a correspondent to the crumbling confines of RFK Stadium to file a featured match report. Now, two rebuilds later, there’s the chance that it could be not only entertaining but meaningful for both clubs as well and a game that fans in other MLS cities are keeping an eye on. To some degree, in Toronto, that’s already a success story.
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