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    Guest
    As far as debuts go, probably the worst thing that Maximiliano Urruti could have done on Saturday night in Columbus would have been to score.
    His already artificially over-inflated hype would have shot into the stratosphere, leading to the inevitable letdown and reactionary calls for his departure as soon as he hit the sort of dry spell that afflicts every player.
    Of course, the second worst thing he could have done would have been to turn the ball over on his first touch as a member of Toronto FC, indirectly leading to the Crew's second goal and the de facto end of a game in which Toronto looked mostly un- and disinterested.
    Yes, shockingly, even the prospect of the Trillium Cup wasn't enough to light a fire under the collective asses of a bunch of guys playing out the string in yet another lost season for TFC. And so, after four straight encouraging performances, Toronto FC and its fans were given a stark reminder of what this team has been for most of its existence: Cannon fodder for other squads with aspirations of mediocrity.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Now, let's not get things twisted. Leading off this recap with a reference to Urruti was merely a handy narrative device. After his preposterously long courtship and the resultant built-up expectations, nothing in his debut was ever going to be truly reflective of anything. Really, all we were going to get was an opportunity for cynical TFC fans to ironically call for his head at the slightest hint of trouble (and they, of course, were happy to oblige).
    But perhaps it's best that all eyes were on Urruti -- all the better to distract from the subpar displays from a number of his teammates. Ashtone Morgan was getting regularly dusted by Dominic Oduro; Matias Laba was uncharacteristically ineffective; Jonathan Osorio was (also uncharacteristically) invisible; Alvaro Rey (in his first TFC start) hardly bathed himself in glory.
    The only Red who stood out in a positive way was Joe Bendik -- and any time your 'keeper is the shining light, there's a good chance things have gone horribly awry.
    But hey, we're now into full-on "learning experience" mode for this young, developing team, so it's best not to get too down in the dumps over the latest in a long line of dispiriting displays over the course of TFC's existence. Of course, few of the team's most ardent supporters are, by this point -- they've gotten used to it, which would surely delight president Kevin Payne.
    Yet, as much as the Trillium Cup is a completely fabricated rivalry trophy with no historical significance (other than as a callback to the halcyon days of the late aughts when TFC fans cared enough to travel down to central Ohio in order to urinate on churches and get Tasered by police, not necessarily in that order), it was Toronto FC's last chance at silverware in 2013.
    Believe it or not, the last year the Reds didn't claim a trophy was 2008, earning four Voyageurs Cups and a Trillium Cup in the intervening time. But, unless you're delusional enough to believe the playoffs -- or, hell, the Supporter's Shield -- are still attainable for TFC this year (and if you are, then bless your heart, that's adorable) then really, the only thing left to do in 2013 is to follow the team simply for the pleasure of following your team.
    Of course, for that to happen, TFC's got to hold up their end of the bargain and provide something pleasurable to watch.
    It was telling watching the minute-long video montages on Sportsnet Saturday night, prior to each game of their MLS doubleheader. Prior to the Whitecaps' showdown with Colorado, we were presented with plenty of goals, and a question about whether Vancouver could show top form against a conference rival in their march to the playoffs. Prior to TFC's game, what we got was a reminder of the fact that Osorio is this year's "feel-good" story.
    In fairness, what else were they gonna say?
    That's what the rest of this season is about, TFC fans. Searching desperately for feel-good stories. Osorio has been one, but when he's not at his best, attention has to focus elsewhere.
    Like, say, a promising young striker brought in from a footballing powerhouse after being pursued relentlessly by management for the better part of a year.
    Yeah, that Urruti, he'll fill us with hope for 2014, right? He'll finally be that missing piece that the team needs, that the team deserves? He's got to be! He HAS to be! We've got nothing else!
    Oh Maximiliano, you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into.
    Just be thankful you didn't score against Columbus on Saturday night.
    .
    Guest

    Whitecaps still rocky on the road in the west

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    Vancouver Whitecaps remain winless on the road against Western Conference opposition this season following a 2-0 defeat at Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening.
    There was little to choose between the two sides but a first half goal from Deshorn Brown and a late deflected effort from substitute Edson Buddle did the damage and knocked the Caps from second spot in the ever tightening West.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Martin Rennie went with an unchanged line up from the side that started and beat San Jose last weekend, as the Caps headed in to Colorado looking to snap the home side's eight game unbeaten streak.
    The first half wasn't a particularly exciting affair in the heat and altitude, with both teams being restricted to long range efforts for long periods.
    The Whitecaps got an early lucky escape just four minutes in when Nigel Reo-Coker handled a deep free kick into the box but referee Carlos Rivera was unsighted and awarded Colorado a corner.
    The game soon fell into a midfield tussle with neither side able to carve out any real chances.
    Vancouver were looking comfortable and Russell Teibert looked the liveliest for them, firing over the bar from outside the box in the 16th minute.
    Ten minutes later YP Lee played in Teibert but Colorado keeper Clint Irwin was out quickly to block the young Canadian's attempted pass across goal.
    The Rapids responded and Deshorn Brown hit a long range volley over the bar a minute later.
    Vancouver had their best chance so far in the 34th minute. Teibert was again involved, playing a diagonal pass through the Rapids defence and into the path of an unmarked Kenny Miller, but again Irwin stood tall, producing a leg save to keep out the Scotsman's weakly placed shot.
    Colorado punished Vancouver for the miss and took the lead against the run of play in the 36th minute when Vicente Sanchez sent a ball to the back post and Brown easily outjumped Lee to powerfully head home.
    The goal came out of nothing but it was enough to give the home side the lead at the half.
    Vancouver have been very much a second half team this season but they came out a little flat and Colorado started to dominate the game without really threatening to add to their advantage.
    The Caps were looking a little devoid of ideas and made a double substitution just past the hour mark to try and spark something and it was one of those subs who wasted an opportunity to get Vancouver level in the 66th minute.
    A neat little backheel pass set up Darren Mattocks and the Jamaican powered into the box but took a touch too much and gave himself little room to get off a decent shot and Irwin easily turned his effort out for a corner.
    If the Rapids' first goal was out nothing, their second, in the 79th minute, came from even less.
    Substitute Buddle had just come on the pitch and the ball reached him just inside the Caps box. His speculative shot hit off the legs of Johnny Leveron and deflected past a wrong footed David Ousted for a fatal blow from the home side.
    Vancouver looked for a rapid response and Mattocks nearly got it when he cut inside and fired a shot to Irwin's near post, but again the Colorado keeper turned it around for a corner.
    With the Caps pressing, the Rapids went for the kill and Ousted came up with a big save from Brown with right minutes remaining to keep the visitor's faint hopes alive.
    Vancouver couldn't find a way through for even a consolation and Colorado gained a huge three points in the playoff race and sent Vancouver to their fourth away game without a win.
    Colorado have been the surprise package in the West this season and the win sees them leapfrog Vancouver into second place in the conference standings.
    The three games between the two sides could yet have a huge impact in the playoff race, with the teams facing each other over the last two weeks of the regular season.
    The defeat leaves Vancouver still looking for that first win on the road to Western Conference opposition. In an ever tightening division there's still all to play for. Vancouver need to find their feet away from home quickly in the key games that are coming up thick and fast.
    FINAL SCORE: Colorado Rapids 2 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
    ATT:16,030
    COLORADO: Clint Irwin, Marvell Wynne, Drew Moor, Shane O'Neill, Chris Klute, Nathan Sturgis, Dillon Powers (Nick LaBrocca 75), Hendry Thomas, Deshorn Brown, Vicente Sanchez, Gabriel Torres (Edson Buddle 78) [subs Not Used: Matt Pickens, Anthony Wallace, German Mera, Jaime Castrillon, Martin Rivero]
    VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Young-Pyo Lee (Tommy Heinemann 83), Carlyle Mitchell, Johnny Leverón, Jordan Harvey; Nigel Reo-Coker, Gershon Koffie, Daigo Kobayashi (Matt Watson 61); Russell Teibert, Camilo Sanvezzo, Kenny Miller (Darren Mattocks 61) [subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, Andy O'Brien, Jun Marques Davidson, Erik Hurtado]
    <p>
    Guest

    Colorado Rapids v Vancouver Whitecaps Preview

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    KEY PLAYERS
    Attacking
    After a couple of subpar performances Nigel Reo-Coker turned up his game against San Jose and contributed with two assists and a vital clearance in the six yard box. This will be the Englishman’s first match in the high altitude of the Rocky Mountains so there may be some adjustments to the quantity of his hard bulldozing runs down the pitch.
    Colorado’s newly signed designated player, Gabriel Torres, is available for selection and could be in the starting eleven on Saturday. The Panamanian striker is coming off a Gold Cup where he shared the Golden Boot and has already scored the game winning goal in a reserve match against Chivas USA last week.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Defence
    It’s been a season of highs and lows for Jordan Harvey and the Whitecaps are hoping the left back will put in one of the highs in Colorado that has seen him score four times this year. It will be a homecoming for the defender who spent his first four years as a professional there after being drafted by the Rapids.
    After serving a two game suspension Hendry Thomas returns to the lineup to play a key part in front of the backline as a holding midfielder. The Honduran International is a physical player but has enough technical ability to help with moving the attack forward which has helped him earn 52 caps and saw him taking part at the 2010 World Cup.
    WHO’S ON FORM
    It has been a great week for Kenny Miller as he has scored a couple of goals, one coming for his club and one for his country. The designated player scored the insurance in the victory over San Jose and then flew overseas where he represented Scotland for the first time in a match against England and scored a beautiful goal at Wembley Stadium.
    When Dillon Powers was selected in the first round of the 2013 draft no-one expected the rookie to make an impact like he has this year. The Notre Dame grad has played in an attacking and defensive mode in the central midfield while contributing two goals and four assists in Colorado’s eight game unbeaten streak.
    PROJECTED LINEUP

    Vancouver Whitecaps (4-3-3) R to L- David Ousted; Lee Young-Pyo, Carlyle Mitchell, Johnny Leveron, Jordan Harvey; Gershon Koffie, Nigel Reo-Coker, Matt Watson; Russell Teibert, Camilo Sanvezzo, Kenny Miller
    Colorado Rapids (4-2-3-1) R to L- Clint Irwin; Shane O’Neill, Drew Moor, Germán Mera, Chris Klute; Dillon Powers, Hendry Thomas; Deshon Brown, Jaime Castrillon, Martin Rivero; Gabriel Torres
    2013 RECORD
    Vancouver Whitecaps:
    10W-6D-7L-36P
    2nd in Western Conference
    Last Match: 2-0 Win vs San Jose Earthquakes
    Colorado Rapids:
    9W-9D-7L-36P
    3rd in Western Conference
    Last Match: 1-1 Draw at Chivas USA
    OVERVIEW
    In a battle of second and third place clubs in the West, Vancouver Whitecaps travel to face Colorado Rapids in the altitude of the Rocky Mountains. It’s their first meeting this season but in the past two years they have faced each other five times with each winning twice and drawing once. Last season it was the Caps who were in control of the series, winning two matches and drawing one.
    Coming off his first MLS clean sheet keeper David Ousted will receive his third straight start in goal. He should have the same backline in front of him as Carlyle Mitchell and Johnny Leveron will most likely partner up as the conditions may not be ideal for the return of Andy O’Brien to the lineup. The fullbacks for this match will once again be Lee Young-Pyo on the right and Jordan Harvey on the left.
    There should be no changes to two of the three positions in the midfield as Nigel Reo-Coker and Gershon Koffie are the definite starters. After being pleased with the midfield's overall performance and shape against San Jose, the third spot could go to Daigo Kobayashi if Rennie feels he can handle the altitude or to Matt Watson if the Caps are looking for more of a physical presence in the middle of the pitch.
    After playing midweek for Scotland Kenny Miller may start on the left side but if he doesn’t then Tommy Heinemann could come on as the target striker. The other two positions in the forward ranks will Russell Teibert and MLS leading goal scorer Camilo.
    The Whitecaps will be facing one of the hottest teams in MLS with the Rapids currently on an eight game unbeaten streak winning four and drawing four times during this period. Prior to the season they were one of the clubs that were picked by most experts to finish out of the playoff race in the West.
    However they are in a position to make a push for the postseason, especially with the addition of strikers Gabriel Torres and Vicente Sánchez. The Rapids are hoping the two new players will give them more of a true goalscorer instead of the balanced approach they currently have.
    Defensive play has been their strength so far this year with Clint Irwin coming out of nowhere to claim the starting spot. In addition to the former USL keeper the Rapids have also been boosted by former NASL defender Christopher Klute, who leads the team in assists as well as being second amongst defenders in the league.
    The Whitecaps will need to play more of a patient style especially with many players being in the high altitude for the first time and with two of their three remaining games against Colorado being on the road, a point or more from this one would be a positive result.
    With it being so tight in the Western Conference, only a win will keep them in second place as any other result will see the Caps drop in the table. Despite this it will not be the end of the world if they lose as there will continue to be movement in the West as the season progresses.
    <p>
    Guest
    After a months-long pursuit, Toronto FC has finally signed 22-year-old Argentinian striker Maximiliano Urruti, the club announced on Friday.
    A protracted battle between Urruti and his former club, Newell's Old Boys, had kept him in limbo for months -- though TFC president Kevin Payne made no secret of his desire to sign Urruti during that time. Sportsnet's John Molinaro has reported that Urruti is not on a designated-player contract.
    And while TFC's website, incomprehensibly, still touts the signing-that-wasn't of Tal Ben Haim, the fact that Urruti has been training in Toronto for several days (and posed for the standard "here's my new jersey" photo outside the Reds' facility at Downsview Park) means we can be reasonably certain that this one is legit, and the Urruti saga is finally over.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Now onto seeing whether the striker can live up to the sky-high expectations that have accumulated around him (through no real fault of his own).
    We'll have further info about the signing when it becomes available.
    Guest
    The Benito Floro Era officially begins on Sept. 1, when the men's national team (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) will assemble under their new head coach for the first time.
    The team will hold a training camp from Sept. 1 to 11 in Valencia, Spain, during which they'll also play a pair of friendlies against Mauritania. We'll give you a second while you plunk that country's name into Google. But the basics: Western African nation of about 3.5 million people, FIFA ranking of 151 though they didn't even enter qualifying for Brazil 2014.
    Though the games will draw the most interest from fans (gung-ho Voyageurs are already cooking up bizarre and quasi-legal ways to follow the games live, we're sure), they're ultimately of no relevance. The camp is a chance for Floro to get a preliminary idea of the players at his disposal (mostly European-based ones, presumably) as he begins charting the long road back to relevance for the Canadian squad.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    And that road begins this September, in Spain, against Mauritania.
    It's gonna be a long road.
    Guest
    Vancouver Whitecaps' U23 team recently wrapped up a fairly successful 2013 PDL season. Many supporters had thought it may be a throw away year with the roster they had put together, not helped when the squad was ravaged by injuries and absences and often down to the bare bones.
    But the team fought through their adversities, battled hard and played some nice football along the way to finish third in the Northwest Division, just missing out on the final four in the West after losing a playoff to Portland on penalties. They also lifted their second consecutive Juan de Fuca plate, a supporters shield awarded to the best BC team.
    The Caps were helped by some strong team leaders from the Indo Canadian community in Bobby Jhutty, Derrick Bassi, Gagandeep Dosanjh, Harpreet 'Harry' Lakhan and Cam Hundal.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    They all enjoyed success on the pitch this year and fired notification to the Whitecaps and the supporters that they want to be here to stay and earn the chance to try to become future stars for the MLS team.
    Bobby Jhutty had a particular standout season and was named to the PDL All-League and All-Conference teams. His 14 appearances this season was a team high, tied with Cam Hundal.
    Jhutty has had great success recently playing for Douglas College locally and his past experience playing for Sparta Rotterdam in Holland helped him become a leader on the pitch, even when he was often used as the first sub off the bench, and he didn't have a problem grinding and going into the dirty areas.
    Jhutty is known for voicing his opinion off the pitch and it may have got people not understanding his passion. He is the kind of player who gives his 100% on the pitch and leaves his heart out there.
    Derrick Bassi was also a PDL All-Conference player this season after returning to the Caps fold. He is a hard nose defender that can run for days and has experience in 2009 and 2011 playing for the Canadian U20 and U17 teams.
    At SFU in 2010 he played a big role in winning the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championship and his play this year earned him some minutes for the Caps Reserves side before an off field injury cut his season short.
    Gagandeep Dosanjh only got into four games this season with the PDL team before picking up a knee injury, but his past experience and performances at UBC, at German 2nd division side Energie Cottbus and with the Canada U17 team saw him sign a contract with FC Edmonton earlier this month, where we expect him to be a success under the management of a coach that knows him so well in Colin Miller.
    Dosanjh's UBC success speaks for itself: Canada West Titles (2010 and 2012), CIS Title (2012), Canada West All-Star 1st team (2010 and 2012), 1st team All-Canadian (2012), Canada West MVP (2012) and CIS Championship MVP (2012).
    Harpreet Lakhan, or Harry as he is know to everyone, was a goal scoring beast this season for the U23's. He was second in team scoring with 6 goals and 3 assists, including a couple of top quality long range strikes. He also has been a part of the great UBC success story recently and heads back there for the new CIS season.
    He is another player who is not afraid to go into the dirty areas and get goals and going forward he has the size to make the jump to the pro game.
    Cam Hundal has made the jump from local soccer in Surrey, to playing at the University of Victoria to playing for the Whitecaps PDL team in the past two off seasons. At 20 years old, and being named UVIC rookie of the year, the future is bright for this player.
    Putting their on field performances to the side for a minute, this group of players also have the ability to help grow the fan base at Whitecaps games off it. Imagine if two or three of these players where signed to MLS or maybe a Vancouver USL Pro contract in the future.
    Soccer in the Indo Canadian community is at an all time fever high right now. Seeing one of these local players on the pitch at BC Place would get so much attention from the close knit community there for sure would be a spike in interest and ticket sales within that community.
    I would much rather see a local Canadian kid like Bassi get playing time with the Vancouver Whitecaps reserves or the starting 18 than a Greg Klazura. Give a guy like Bobby Jhutty a chance and see what he has at a reserve or USL pro level.
    We've argued before, as have many others, that the lower end places on the Caps MLS squad should be given over to the development of local talent ahead of American college players who look unlikely to make the grade.
    The biggest problem for the Whitecaps right now of course is their crappy salary cap situation. Lets get some of these young homegrown players in the mix at low contract numbers and give them a chance.
    People will say there is only so many roster spots and so many games to get these players in to. I understand that, and although this may change soon, for now it's the situation we have. But give one of them a chance. See what happens. This is a untapped market with a huge community behind it that is just sitting there.
    If you got a chance to see any games at the recent Nations Cup you saw the support that Team India got. They fielded a Mens Open, Over 30, Over 38, Over 45 and Over 52 team. They also dressed a Women's Open team. The fans, passion and players are there for the Whitecaps to join up with.
    I'm not advocating just signing a player for their marketing value or to pander to a particular ethnic group. He has to be the right player, with the right skillset to help the team and make them better. From what we have seen from this quintet, there is potential there to do that.
    I recently had the chance to talk to a couple of these players about playing with each other and the support the support they have received from the Indo Canadian community:
    <b>Cam Hundal:</b>
    <i>"It’s nice to see Indo-Canadians being involved in the Whitecaps program. Vancouver (and Canada) is a diverse place with many different ethnicities, and I think this should give Canada an advantage in soccer. Harry, Gagan, Bobby, Derrick, and I receive a lot of support and recognition from the Indo-Canadian community, along with the rest of Vancouver’s soccer community. It’s a great honour to represent Vancouver and our Indian heritage, and I think the Whitecaps are very fortunate that there is such a strong, multicultural community here in Vancouver to complement the club."</i>
    What would it mean to you to play for Vancouver in the MLS?
    <i>"Playing professional soccer anywhere would be a dream come true, but playing in Vancouver would be extra special. Being from a small town in Northern B.C., representing Vancouver would be a great honour. Also, the fan support I receive at UVic is incredible so I could only imagine what it would be like playing at B.C. Place."</i>
    <b>Bobby Jhutty:</b>
    What could the Whitecaps do to get a better Indo-Canadian following at games?
    <i>"Pay more attention to the youth. Don’t just bring them in for the PDL season. Imagine if the PDL players had year round competitive training instead of just three months. Now that would be professional development."</i>
    This years U23s has a really good crop of young Indo-Canadians (yourself, Bassi, Dosanjh, Lakhan and Hundal). What is it like for the group of you to be able to play together?
    <i>"It’s great that we have so many Indo-Canadian players playing together at this level. It shows that we do have potential players in our community and with some work maybe one day will play for the first team. Also having so many players who have played together since we were kids is good for the team because it builds chemistry."</i>
    <center>******</center>
    I am hoping that if the Whitecaps do field a USL Pro team, as the rumours suggest, that we see these guys getting contracts and a chance to get to play in the pro game locally.
    There is just too much of an opportunity here to build the game and the relationships moving forward to let this fall apart now.
    If the Whitecaps can get this right, then the future could be very exciting indeed, and if some of the success stories can come from the Indo-Canadian community, then they'll have that success both on and off the pitch.
    <p>
    Guest

    Pitch Perfect: The Double Switch v San Jose

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    <i>Our <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/tags.php?tag=pitch+perfect" target="_blank"><b>Pitch Perfect</b></a> feature is where we break down various moves of perfection in Whitecaps matches. And it's back with a look at Kenny Miller's goal against San Jose on Saturday, a goal which saw all 11 Whitecaps get a touch of the ball, resulting in 13 passes in 48 seconds and a goal.</i>
    The Whitecaps were able to beat San Jose last weekend in a six point affair and one of their goals had a unique feature to it as all eleven players touched the ball in a move that started with and ended with Kenny Miller. While most were discussing whether Nigel Reo-Coker meant to pass the ball to Miller, the main factor of this goal was the build up and the killer cross pitch switch that led to the goal.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    The play starts with Miller intercepting a header and sending Reo-Coker on a run deep into San Jose territory, but he is forced to retreat and he drops the ball off to Lee who eventually starts moving back.

    Lee gets the ball back to Carlyle Mitchell who passes it back to David Ousted. The keeper immediately switches the ball to Johnny Leveron forcing Alan Gordon and Chris Wondolowski to chase.

    Leveron makes a run to the halfway line circle where he squares it to Gershon Koffie who completes the triangle to Jordan Harvey. At this point you can see both central midfielders and both central defenders start to creep over to the right side.

    Harvey gets the ball over to Daigo Kobayashi who makes a short run and finds Camilo Sanvezzo hugging the sideline. Cordell Cato and Jordan Stewart are the only Quake players on the right side of the pitch marking Reo-Coker and Russell Teibert. Camilo is able to spot Teibert on the opposite side and quickly switches play with a stunning pass, one of the best you'll see this season.

    Teibert shows excellent touch killing the ball. Reo-Coker starts to make his run and sheds Cato which forces Clarence Goodson to leave Miller and try to intercept the run of the midfielder. Teibert sees his mentor running free and slips the ball into the box.

    Reo-Coker meets the ball and looks to attempt his shot which puts Goodson in a position to attempt a block. Because all the defenders, especially Victor Bernardez, expect Reo-Coker to shoot they allow Miller to slip unattended in the middle of the box. Luckily for the Caps, Reo-Coker whiffs on the shot and it falls for Miller who clinically finishes for the insurance goal.
    While it is great thing to see the every player on the pitch for the Whitecaps touch the ball on the goal, the most important part of the play were the two switches. The initial movement allowed the Whitecaps to drag and spread the defenders to the left side. Then the quick switch by Camilo proved to be invaluable as it allowed the Caps to take advantage of the buildup. Of course they were a little lucky with the "pass" by Reo-Coker finding its way to Miller.
    So that's the breakdown. Here's the goal for you to enjoy once again, called by Pete Schaad. Perfection...
    <center>

    </center><p>
    Guest

    The Unbearable Shiteness of beIN

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    The author Neil Gaiman was in Vancouver last week. Amongst the many books he has written, he has also penned a couple of episodes of Doctor Who. One of the questions asked to him was did he plan to write any more episodes. He said he’d love to, if only the producers of the show could pay him in time and not money.
    I feel like that about watching football right now. There’s just not enough hours in the day it seems to take in all the live games and highlights I’m wanting to watch, never mind all the other stuff between games.
    I need more time.
    But yet I also want more football on my television screen. The English Football League to be exact. Standing in my way, and the way of many other fans, is beIN SPORT.
    And it’s not just supporters of the English Football League that are getting more and more angry by the situation. Fans of La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1, for whom beIN also hold the English speaking broadcasting rights, are also up in arms, and the first two sets of supporters are by far the most vocal and greater in number.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    For those that don’t know, beIN Sport is a network of sports channels that is affiliated to Al Jazeera and they have become a big player in the television rights to football worldwide since 2011. They are already established in the US, France and Indonesia. They hope to be in more countries, including here in Canada, but for now they are not, despite buying up the television rights for many different football leagues, cups, tournaments and other sports.
    For a television company that hopes to attract viewers if they ever do launch in Canada, they are doing a very good job at pissing off their potential customers to an extent where many won’t give them a penny out of principle.
    Trying to get answers out of beIN SPORT is like trying to get a song from a mime and like mimes, they are simply annoying everyone.
    We sent them emails on July 23rd and August 6th and have still to get a response. Search for them on Twitter and you will see a constant stream of people asking them what’s happening with the channel or their rights in Canada, all without any reply.
    They have previously replied in the past saying that they are working on the issue and address it briefly on the FAQ section of their website:
    <i>"beIN SPORT is currently negotiating agreements to offer its network in the Canadian market. Please contact your cable TV, telco or satellite provider and let them know you want the beIN SPORT networks in Canada today."</i>
    Such pressure seldom works. I’ve asked Telus for several things over the years, with no results. Gol TV broadcast in HD and SportsnetWorld Plus being available online being two of them.
    Some of the online speculation and finger pointing has been at the CRTC, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission that is responsible for the regulatory agency for broadcasting and telecommunications.
    But are they responsible? Have they been turning down beIN’s applications to operate here?
    A quick search of the CRTC website shows no mention of BeIN Sport/Al Jazeera being rejected for a sports channel in Canada. Very strange, so the only way to find out was to ask the CRTC themselves for some clarification.
    The reply we got from Media Relations Officer Guillaume Castonguay was fascinating and put a whole new spin on the proceedings:
    <i>"We are not aware of any contacts between the CRTC and BeIN Sport.
    "It does not appear that they have filed an application to launch a Canadian channel, nor that a distributor has applied to add their channel to the list of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution."</i>
    The latter is another way for beIN to break in. Canadian television providers can add beIN SPORT to their channel packages but under CRTC rules <i>"Providers of these foreign services must not hold, nor try to obtain, nor exercise, preferential or exclusive programming rights in relation to the distribution of programming in Canada"</i>, which by my reading would make it impossible for their US station to be show here unless as Canadian channel also gets to show some of the action.
    So no applications kind of puts a stop to any idea that they are about to launch themselves here in the immediate future and it will be a long process if/when they finally do apply or get someone wanting to add them to their package of services, so don’t go holding your breath to subscribe. Or watching the games you want to watch on your TV here.
    They could of course take over another existing channel and in the early days there were a lot of rumours online about the possibility of them acquiring a station such as EuroWorld Sport. We asked the CRTC about these rumours but they <i>"are also not aware of any application to acquire EuroWorld Sport."</i>
    So where does this leave us?
    Well, with a television channel that has the rights to broadcast various football leagues in Canada, but without the medium for doing so and without any signs that this situation is going to change any time soon.
    None of which is good for the fans of the teams that play in the leagues and all the other potential viewers at home.
    Such a situation is also detrimental to the leagues themselves. They may have the money in the bank, but surely the whole point of selling media rights it to grow their product, help their clubs and actually let people see the football on offer by legal means.
    The affected leagues can’t be happy you would think, but after speaking to the English Football League, the impression you get is that they aren’t all that concerned, or at least not publically.
    We reached out to the Football League to see how they felt about the farce, to alert them to the situation if they were unaware, ask whether they knew beIN didn’t have a Canadian channel when they sold them the rights and how they felt about fans having to turn to illegal internet streams and downloads to watch their action.
    After a couple of email exchanges with Public Affairs Executive Peter Hannon, my questions were passed to the Head of Media Rights. It was a bit of a wait but we finally got the response below from a 'Football League spokesperson':
    <i>"The Football League’s international broadcast rights are distributed exclusively outside of the UK by Pitch International, a rights agency. Currently the Sky Bet Football League and Capital One Cup matches are broadcast in over 170 countries across the globe.
    "In the USA and Canada, Pitch International have sublicensed the rights to beIN Sport, who also broadcast the Football League in France, and in the Middle East through Al Jazeera Sports. Whilst they currently have no presence to broadcast matches in Canada, this partnership has four years remaining and they hope to be in a position to show live Football League games in Canada at the earliest possible opportunity."</i>
    Not exactly very helpful towards a satisfactory resolution to the main problem, this response was before the reply from the CRTC, so we have now passed on their response to the Football League and we'll see if they want to react further.
    Of course, they already have their money, from this deal and others, so why should they care if anybody in Canada can actually watch their product? We're being facetious, hopefully, but maybe they will put pressure on beIN to find a solution very quickly and avoid any more bad publicity or accusations about not caring about their teams' supporters.
    When fans are unable to see their teams play on their television screens, the natural alternative is to seek other means to watch them and a number turn to dodgy internet streams of matches and download sites, something you would think the football leagues would be doing everything to avoid happening.
    You don’t have to try very hard to find live streams of English, La Liga and Serie A games online. There are also a number of download sites that let you download matches whilst the pea in referee’s full time whistle is still warm.
    Those with a bit of tech savvy can use proxy sites that allow access to the BBC iPlayer where you can watch the highlights programme <i>The Football League Show</i> every week, live or on demand.
    Hardcore fans will find a way, but this isn’t just about them and the inconvenience they are put to. The casual fan can’t watch these teams or the leagues and that’s one of the main points of securing a television deal surely. How can you grow your product and attract new fans if people can’t see it or find out about it?
    The new English Premiership season will be starting on Saturday. I wonder how many people in Canada know anything about the players of Cardiff, Hull or Crystal Palace since they couldn't watch their games last season.
    The various football leagues have clearly not lost out too much with this farce. After all they have pocketed the money and you could argue that pissed off Canadian supporters aren’t exactly at the top of their lists for keeping the paying public sweet. Many here want to see their team and will support that team no matter how they’ve been messed around by the authorities. It’s instilled. It doesn't make it acceptable.
    Canadian broadcasting laws are strict regarding new stations and owners. It was either very naïve or very presumptuous of Al Jazeera/beIN to expect to just walk into the marketplace, if that was indeed the case. Surely proper due diligence should have alerted them to such potential problems, or did they not really care as long as they got into the US?
    Now they may have got the runaround from people, or had promises broken, we don’t know of course because beIN won’t talk to us about it. It’s hard to have any sympathy for a company that won’t communicate with their potential customers. It’s also hard to have sympathy for them when they won’t sublease the rights or launch an online channel. Maybe they are not allowed to, but again we don’t know and they won't tell us.
    Gol TV have made it very clear that they are interested in re-obtaining the rights to La Liga.
    If beIN SPORT ever launches in Canada, they need to do a lot of groveling to get their potential customers back on their side and nothing but a sweet launch pricing deal will be acceptable. For many, myself included, they’ve burned too many bridges and personally it will take a lot for me to give them a penny of my money now.
    Even those in the US have trouble watching the channel and it's not available in all areas and those areas that can receive it, sometimes can't get all of the channels they offer.
    So after weeks of working on this, we’re no further forward and if anything, the CRTC reply has diminished the faint hope we had of seeing these leagues on our television screens any time soon.
    The most damaged casualty in all of this is beIN SPORT's reputation. The most disappointing aspect is that the football authorities don't seem to care. But, as is usually the case, the most inconvenienced and the ones to suffer the most, are the fans.
    <p>
    Guest
    Legs stretched out, sitting on the pitch under the Friday night lights at Lamport Stadium in downtown Toronto, I was sharing a laugh with a teammate talking about a recent article he’d found at the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.
    McMahon: Architect of Canadian Success – published by Soccer 100 in 1981 as a special souvenir at the Soccer Bowl - it’s the kind of headline that lends itself to the humour of the self-deprecating types who populate Canadian soccer supporter circles. The idea, that so long ago, a group of soccer loving Canadians – and by extent soccer loving journalists – had concluded that this solution was the one that was going to (or had) put Canada on the path to global success, is as uproarious in its suggestion as it is depressing in its thought.
    Depressing from the sense that so many development models have come and gone since — none have ever brought the picture of soccer success into any closer clarity in the great frozen North.
    Canadian soccer, of course, did not find the holy grail of solutions under McMahon’s vision – one that was to put them on par with the world’s greats. And, in fact, the thrust of the article – about how McMahon was a visionary for seeing the need to add a strong youth soccer base to the pyramid in our Canadian provinces – should draw strong parallels to the ongoing debates of today.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Long term player development, high performance leagues and the creation of our own national league are at the centre of our discussions in Canada Soccer version 7.Oh-I’ve-Given-Up-Counting. Each have their proponents and each their detractors. Each have been designed by people far smarter than I and each have had a strip torn off by soccer novices. Each are trying to transform the way we develop players in Canada and each are courting disaster at every turn.
    Those disasters are the same sinkholes that have swallowed every great plan in the past - plans that have been disappeared under the great watering down, allowing adjustments to be made or bending to the will of the latest NIMBY crowd.
    Take the OPDL for example – a high performance league forming in Ontario. Last week, the OSA had to beat back attempts by the head of the OYSL, Bert Lobo, who had been pitching a version of the OPDL, minus some of the stringent coaching requirements, to clubs around the province. The YSLO website says that it was formed after “widespread repeated requests” by organizations to provide competitions for their players. Previously, the OYSL was one of the top levels of youth competition in Ontario. With the advent of the OPDL, the OYSL looks like it will be phased out.
    If you haven’t been following the OPDL debate all that closely, the coaching issue has become one of the most polarizing matters for the high performance league.
    The bar has been rightfully set very high on this front - from that standard of coaching will flow forth all other aspects the OPDL hope to achieve. Some clubs however, have brought up the matter of cost for coaching certification as a deterrent. Albeit those are the same clubs who seem happy to put on lavish year end dinners for themselves at the end of every season – showcasing their successes with faux-gold trophies and participant ribbons. But, asking to put a high coaching standard into place for an opt-in league is suddenly asking too much.
    Enter the YSLO, seeking to provide an alternative. While it doesn’t explicitly say that it intends to compete with the OSA run OPDL, the OSA certainly saw it that way – to the point that OSA president Ron Smalle issued a letter to clubs across the province warning of consequences for participating in unsanctioned leagues.
    It was a strong, firm response to an attempt to water down the standards in a backhanded kind of way.
    Conversely, let's look at the designs for a national league. When was the last time you heard anything about this? Save for a few others, CSN has basically been the only one reporting on this for the last couple years.
    What began as an aspiration for a D2 professional league has been slowly shape shifting ever since. That’s not to say that they haven’t arrived at a solution that can work for Canadian soccer. For the record, the Easton Report’s recommendations for a semi-pro, regionally based, national league are as close to a workable as I’ve seen. But it bears pointing out, that the vision of having our own league, that was once sought, has changed considerably since the outset.
    Where once there was talk of having several D2 professional teams across the country – competing in or against the NASL – there is now plans for a pocketed division three league that may or may not be professional but have some version of senior soccer that has professional standards in place.
    Of course, it’s the standards that matter. And as long as the builders of this new quasi-league hold to that, it really doesn’t matter what the make up of those leagues and national competition look like. But I’m bringing this up now as a reminder because in the past I’ve witnessed the erosion of what was once a bold vision of the few, slowly whittled down to accommodate the naysayers and apologists, who supposedly represent the many.
    _____
    As I was sitting there last week, talking to my buddy, the conversation spawned out into a larger discussion on why these plans, like McMahon’s, never really got anywhere.
    In his words, “It's not that they were bad plans. They were good in fact. But it’s a case of a lot of old white men fighting over their petty need to do things the way they please in their own backyards. Nobody wants to follow. Everybody wants to lead. And as a result, to get anybody going in the same direction, the vision is always scaled back, cut down and made to fit so everybody is comfortable. Best to just keep doing it the way we've always done.”
    OPDL and LTPD appear to be finally starting to turn the corner of popular opinion. People seem to be getting what the vision for development is about and understanding the benefits of not only buying in – but committing to the standards. Now, granted, I still get an email every week from parents telling me of the horrors the OSA is trying force on them. But, by and large, the message is getting out that nothing is being forced on anyone. And, in, fact OPDL is going to lift the community not stifle it.
    The goal of having a national league however - one to call Canada’s own - still finds itself trying to gain popular traction.
    There will always be a need for compromise but to those that are still trying to lay the foundations for this league, a simple warning: be careful of how far you are willing to go to accommodate the naysayers, or risk losing your vision entirely.
    Guest
    "Caps Countdown" is our Vancouver Whitecaps player rankings with a twist. The starting eleven is ranked from eleven to one, from worst to first. We've had a few technical issues prevent this for the last two weeks but it's back, so who was the 'man of the match' and who, if anyone, had a game to forget against San Jose?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    11 - Daigo Kobayashi
    Worst of the best on the pitch. Needs to be more involved in the attack going forward.
    10 - Gershon Koffie
    Filled in nice as defensive midfielder. Way better than JMD. Going forward he can be dominate in this role.
    9 - Carlyle Mitchell
    May have played his last game for a while if the CB's can stay healthy. Him and Leveron have developed good chemistry.
    8 - Jordan Harvey
    Kept play in front of him most of the game. Played sound defensively.
    7 - YP Lee
    Back tracked well all game and kept play to the outside most of the match.
    6 - Russell Teibert
    Was very creative with the ball. Played well to get his team leading eighth MLS assist.
    5 - Kenny Miller
    If he didn't get the goal it would of been a really bad game for him. Look like he was lacking finish and control all game long.
    4 - Johnny Leveron
    Has taken his game to an all star type level. Will be hard to take him out when DeMerit is healthy. Great all game in shutting down attackers.
    3 - David Ousted
    Brad who? Made some great saves and distributed the ball well all game. Very vocal with his defenders.
    2 - Camilo Sanvezzo
    League leading 14th MLS goal. Was a force to be reckoned with throughout.
    1 - Nigel Reo-Coker
    Where has this guy been? Best game in weeks and weeks. Two assists, amazing defense and a beast on and off the ball.
    The Changing of the Guard Countdown/up
    1 - Matt Watson
    Came into the game and brought a defensive calmness in the middle of the pitch.
    2 - Tommy Heinemann
    One of these games he will need a 10-20 minute run to prove his worth in the top 18 players.
    <p>
    Guest

    Urruti arrives in Toronto

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Toronto FC have confirmed that the long sought after Argentine striker, Maximiliano Urruti, is finally in Toronto.
    Not signed. But, now physically in Toronto.
    The club released this statement:
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It's a communication that came after The Sun pulled a page from the CSN playbook (who, previously pulled that page from every 1950s journalist) and Kurt Larson reported Urruti was slated to check into a downtown Toronto hotel Tuesday afternoon.
    Without the Sun's report, it's unlikely TFC, who has been anything but quiet on the Urruti matter up until now, would have said anything about his arrival. In recent weeks, the club has seemingly learned a few lessons from it's braggadocios approach to transfer signings and have let the well of leaks dry up.
    Whether it's a practice that continues, or one that results in helping to get Urruti in a Reds uniform, is yet to be seen. But it's one that is certainly a welcome change from some of the other recent foot in mouth disease that has plagued the club's upper management.
    If Urruti signs do you think he will be the man to re-ignite Toronto's tepid offense? Or should supporters be wary that TFC is putting so much stock in a player who has mostly come off the bench at Newell Old Boys?
    Guest
    An extension to Canadian Soccer News’ MLS Week in Review, this article provides a closer look at the performances of the Canadian players who saw the pitch this week.
    The top three spots this round go to Jonathan Osorio, Russell Teibert, and Patrice Bernier – who looked more his old self, though Montreal continues to struggle.
    Find out what they did to deserve recognition and who else earned their keep this week.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Jonathan Osorio
    Osorio started his fifth-straight match for Toronto FC in their 1-2 loss to Seattle on Saturday evening – it was his tenth start and twentieth appearance of his rookie campaign.
    Retaining his central midfield position, alongside, if slightly more advanced than, Matias Laba, Osorio was again very impressive. While many fans in Toronto have lamented the transfer of Luis Silva, his departure has freed that central spot for Osorio, and as an intelligent, two-way player it is the perfect spot for Osorio to excel.
    When not limited to the flank, Osorio is allowed to read the match and pop up wherever he sees fit, the best illustration – along with the heat map (available by hovering over his name) – is to look at his passing matrix from Saturday: see how distributed his position is around the field. Ideally one would want him to be on the ball much more than he usually is – completing 47 of 59 passes is a good start, but Toronto is hardly a possession team at this point and Osorio is often by-passed in the attack.
    While it is a shame that the club is too busy launching balls up-field to best utilize his skill set, that direct play does allow Osorio to press forward with speed and arrive late into the box, causing endless trouble.
    A perfect example of this led to his goal on Saturday – his fifth of the season.
    Andrew Wiedeman runs up the left, while Reggie Lambe cuts to the near-post dragging with him the Seattle defenders. Osorio continues his run to the far-post completely untracked, collects the low ball after Lambe dummies, cuts around the diving challenge of Osvaldo Alonso, and just manages to lift a ball over Marcus Hahnemann in goal, which crosses the line moments before Leo Gonzalez can clear.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/B63LbTddwhc?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    The goal – one of four shots – from the Toronto, Ontario-native came just seconds into the second half after a tired first half saw TFC fall behind by two, and sparked life into Toronto for the rest of the match.
    Osorio was unlucky to not put the side in front in the opening minutes of the first half, when he walked in from the left, through a handful of Seattle defenders and whistled a shot wide of the near-post.
    And he nearly leveled later with a stretching header than again was just wide of the post from a right-sided Bobby Convey cross, before going on to lash a late shot from distance disappointingly off target.
    Added to his impressive passing numbers were eight recoveries, three clearances, and an interception, losing possession sixteen times, while completely three of his five dribble attempts and three of twelve crosses. He won three tackles and two fouls, while also conceding two.
    Osorio was made to look a little foolish when Clint Dempsey crossed him up to make space for a shot from the top of the box, but he was hardly the only TFC player to suffer that fate – just look at what Dempsey does to Laba moments earlier.
    Russell Teibert
    Teibert made his fourth-straight start – his fourteenth start and fifteenth appearance of the season – in Vancouver’s 2-0 win over San Jose, once more on the right-side of the attack.
    The Niagara Falls, Ontario-native was extremely active on both sides of the ball, completing 28 of 40 passes, taking two shots – one off and one blocked – while winning and conceding three fouls each way, making four recoveries, winning a tackle and losing possession sixteen times.
    His tracking back was impressive, regularly chasing down the movements of Shea Salinas, San Jose’s dangerous wide midfielder.
    But it was in attack that he really made his mark.
    Teibert sent in a good early cross for Camilo that was cut out by Steven Beitashour and then drew an early yellow card on Clarence Goodson, who clothes-lined him to the ground in the sixth minute of play.
    He would draw another yellow after 28 minutes, this time on Rafael Baca, who hauled Teibert down in transition before seeing one himself in the 75th for tripping up Jordan Stewart in transition.
    He had a few cracks from distance – one which sailed over and another miss-hit that turned into a pass for Kenny Miller; a portent of things to come.
    Teibert finally got on the score-sheet – his eighth assist in the season – on Kenny Miller’s goal in the 74th minute.
    Collecting Camilo’s cross-field ball, Teibert played into the surging run of Nigel Reo-Coker, who scuffed his shot woefully, but was fortunate to see it fall perfectly for Miller to right-foot into the net.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QNz2R430DfU?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Patrice Bernier
    Bernier made his fifth-straight start for Montreal in their 2-1 loss in Chicago – it was his nineteenth start and 22nd appearance of the season.
    With Coach Marco Schallibaum experimenting further with a three-man attack – and subsequent three-man midfield – Bernier was once more pushed up field, with Davy Arnaud locking down the role in front of the back-four.
    The Impact would concede twice within the first 23 minutes of the match and Schallibaum rung in the changes ten minutes into the second half – the inclusion of Felipe and removal of Arnaud returned Bernier to his shielding role and opened up the match dramatically.
    Montreal were the more attacking team in the second half – granted, Chicago did have the lead – and a last-minute goal-line headed clearance from Chris Rolfe was required to save the points at the death.
    The Brossard, Quebec-native would complete 53 of 66 passes, making nine recoveries, four interceptions, and one clearance, while winning three fouls (conceding one) and a tackle, though he did lose possession some fourteen times – which is quite a few for him.
    It was his long pass up to Marco Di Vaio that began the play that ended in Felipe’s lovely left-footed strike from the top of the box.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZklSm3TeCWA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    Seconds later, Bernier nearly crafted an equalizer when he picked out Di Vaio once more with a lovely long ball out to the right – the striker’s shot sailed over the goal.
    That he is more effective when played deeper should come as no surprise to faithful observers of MLS – the middle of the park is a physical and busy place and an intelligent player like Bernier functions better a little removed from the fray, where he has the game in front of him and has time to spot his passes.
    Compare his passing figures from each half – first half (19/23) vs. second half (34/43) – both completion rates are good and, of course, there are any numbers of factors to consider – Chicago’s early domination vs. Montreal’s late surge, to name but one.
    Bernier – more specifically, his passes - was barely able to enter Chicago’s half of the pitch in the first half, while come the second he was regularly threatening the final third.
    Midweek Bernier was rested in Montreal’s first Champions League match of the season, only entering for the final nine minutes to help hold on to the Impact’s 1-0 lead over San Jose.
    Dwayne De Rosario
    De Rosario entered the match at the start of the second half – making his fifth appearance from the bench and sixteenth overall this season – and breathed life into a stagnant DC attack.
    Fresh off a dynamic midweek appearance in the US Open Cup Semifinal - looking like old school De Ro, scoring the game-winner and leading his side to a 0-2 victory away to Chicago to earn a berth in the final – De Rosario once more took the reigns as a central midfielder/withdrawn striker, but could not muster a comeback.
    The Scarborough, Ontario-native completed thirteen of twenty passes, won two fouls, completed two successful dribbles, and had one shot on target – a free-kick that was grabbed and held by Zac MacMath.
    He did lose possession ten times in his 45 minutes and had no defensive metrics at all – pure De Ro numbers.
    That aside, he was incredibly lively and spry on such little rest, and showed a level of activity indicative that he is fit and feeling the game.
    He had a lovely run straight through the Union defense, collecting a flicked header and weaving through a crowd before a last-ditch Jeff Parke tackle finally brought him down – on another day it would have been a penalty, but the breaks were not going DC’s way.
    De Rosario was upended in transition later by Sheanon Williams, drawing a yellow card.
    After his midweek exploits, the veteran had this to say, “I live the game so when I’m not playing and I’m injured it’s tough to sit down and watch the game before me. But I’m always trying to encourage them and motivate them verbally but it’s nothing like being on the field with the guys and playing the game I love.”
    “To be a part of this Semifinal was huge for me and I really wanted to come here and like I said in a tough environment where we struggled show these guys we could come out with a win and I wanted to set the tone and lead these guys and thankfully I was able to do that.”
    His performance earned the following praise from manager Ben Olsen, “He led us tonight. His last two games he has played hungry and the guys are feeding off that. When Dwayne plays in that manner it is easy to get behind him and follow his lead.”
    After a stop-start season it would be easy to discount De Rosario as being on the down-side of his career; while that may be true there is still plenty of fight in the old boy, and it is unwise to overlook one of the best players to ever feature in MLS.
    Doneil Henry
    Henry made his fourth-straight start for TFC on Saturday – his tenth start and eleventh appearance of the season – as the left-sided centre-back in their loss to Seattle.
    While it is true that it was not the finest game of his young career, to blame the loss on him would be scapegoating. Sometimes teams just lose and it isn’t one particular person’s fault.
    Yes, he was caught a little flat-footed on Seattle’s first goal – half of the Toronto team shutdown when Brad Evans hit that ball to the back-post.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HYRuIk9TvTA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    And the own-goal that spun off his heel did eventually decide the outcome.
    <iframe width="533" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jsIESLQPzv0?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
    But aside from that the Brampton, Ontario-native had a solid match, completing nineteen of 25 passes, making eleven clearance, six recoveries, and two blocks, while winning two tackles – including an excellent intervention on Obafemi Martins, thunderous and perfectly timed – conceding only a single foul.
    That tackle on Martins knocked the Nigerian out of the match – it was an entirely fair challenge – while his repeated interventions kept a hungry Eddie Johnson off the score-sheet and limited Dempsey to shots from range.
    His disappointment post-match was palpable.
    Kyle Porter
    Porter made his third-consecutive start for DC United – his fifteenth start and twentieth appearance of the season – in their 2-0 loss away to Philadelphia.
    After playing ninety minutes midweek, Porter looked a little worn out on the right-side of midfield, but still completed fifteen of 21 passes, made two recoveries, one each of clearances, recoveries, and interceptions, as well as winning a tackle, though he committed two fouls and lost possession eight times.
    It is perhaps those last two figures – indicative of tiredness, along with the fact that Porter – in his first season in MLS – has been a workhorse for Ben Olsen, led to his removal, or perhaps, given that Olsen was testing his depth with a young lineup this match it was always the intention to only give him 45 minutes.
    Either way, DC were thoroughly outplayed in the first half – their only attempt at goal came via Porter, it was off-target - and the Toronto, Ontario-native was replaced at half-time by fellow countryman, De Rosario.
    Ashtone Morgan
    Morgan made his fifth-straight start for TFC at left-back – his tenth of the season and twelfth appearance.
    He was very involved – completing 29 of 42 passes, winning four of five tackles and one foul, while making seven recoveries, six clearances, four interceptions, and blocking two crosses – without really factoring into the match to any obvious extent.
    A solid match without either being spectacular or looking out of place. His passing numbers indicate he is getting a little more confident and decisive, while finding success on two of four dribbles belies the same.
    The Toronto, Ontario-native was in part guilty on Seattle’s opener, leaving Eddie Johnson for an open header, but once more, as so many teams before had down, Morgan was doubled up with both Johnson and Lamar Neagle roaming in his area – he was forced to make a choice and nearly caught the striker offside.
    Morgan did make a stellar defensive play, shepherding Dempsey out wide on a dangerous run shortly after his introduction before shouldering him to the ground, as if to say “Welcome to MLS, Clint”.
    He did lose possession a little more than one would like – fifteen times.
    The Rest
    Dejan Jakovic was rested after his midweek exertions in the Open Cup, but was on the bench for DC, while Wandrille Lefevre was similarly placed for Montreal.
    Will Johnson may not have been involved on the weekend, but had a special moment midweek when he faced the club where he spent five seasons, won a championship, and made a name for himself in MLS.
    The other US Open Cup Semifinal pitted Johnson’s Portland against Salt Lake at the Rio Tinto Stadium, his first return to his former stomping grounds.
    Johnson spoke about the moment both before the match and after, “Yeah, of course I wanted to win the game. From that point of view, [it was] disappointing. But the reception I got from, you know, 90 percent of the fans were fantastic. They really treated me with class and respect and I appreciate that.”
    “It’s tough, a small part of me is always going to be here in Salt Lake, you know. Through all the good times and the bad we had here. It’s tough, but I was just in a lot of pain so I don’t remember a whole lot. But like I said the fans are great here. The organization is great, they treated me with the utmost respect and I try to do the same. So congratulations to them, it will be a fun event for them to host the final.”
    Johnson did indeed have a tough match, denied by a wonderful stop from Nick Rimando and falling hard on his shoulder, perhaps dislocating it and prompting his removal around the hour mark.
    He will, however, have further chances to get one over his former club, as the two clubs meet again three more times this season – on August 21 in Portland, before returning to Salt Lake on August 30, and back in Portland on October 19.
    This first meeting was chance to feel each other out; expect future matches to be some of the best the league can offer.
    Will Johnson and Patrice Bernier were the subject of some hi-jinxs via Jimmy Fallon – with Johnson’s particularly hilarious.
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    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 24

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    24 rounds in – hmm, that number seems familiar - and MLS has rounded the final corner to enter the home stretch – sort of.
    Two-thirds of the way through the season – no team has more than thirteen games remaining, none less than nine – the league finds itself delicately poised. MLS is a league of parity, but no one could have predicted what is sure to be one of the more dramatic conclusions to a regular season.
    More on the table watch shortly, but back to the round in question.
    Nine matches were played over the weekend (seven on Saturday and a pair on Sunday) resulting in a mere two draws and just one away win as points become even more precious.
    Fittingly, 24 goals were scored, including two from the penalty spot – a third attempt was saved – and then there was Doneil Henry’s spectacular back-heel own-goal in Toronto.
    Some 33 yellow cards were shown, as well as five reds – three-straight and a pair cumulative – three of which came in the late Sunday match, where Chivas saw Gabriel Farfan and Tristan Bowen dismissed, either side of a pair of soft yellows on Tony Cascio to send him to an early shower.
    Before the results, the goal of the round nominees:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It’s hard to look past a delightful piece of skill and vision from Columbus Federico Higuain, notching his second of the match for Columbus against New York.
    The Crew passed the ball sharply around the base of their midfield before youngster Wil Trapp, who has become rather influential early in his short professional career, threaded a leading ball down the right for the Argentine maestro.
    Never likely to beat defenders for pace, Higuain saunters towards goal; with New York closing he sizes up the situation and delicately chips Luis Robles from the corner of the box.
    A sweet right-footer sails over the helpless keeper into the far-side of the goal.
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    Simply wonderful.
    The second nod goes to Montreal’s Felipe for his consolation strike in Chicago.
    A brilliant example of what a switched on Impact is capable of began when Marco Di Vaio curled out to the right to collect a ball.
    He feeds up towards the arc, the pass, dummied by Felipe, falls to newcomer Hernan Bernardello who deftly lays it back to Justin Mapp.
    Mapp, closed down quickly, opts to play wide to the left for Sanna Nyassi; he checks back onto his right and squares a pass back to the top of the arc where Felipe has found a modicum of space.
    The Brazilian hits his left-footer first time, curling it low to the bottom right-corner of the goal past a stretching Sean Johnson in goal.
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    Excellent stuff; which takes top spot? Or did another catch the eye this weekend? Benny Feilhaber’s free-kick was pretty special.
    Results in Brief
    Toronto 1 – Seattle 2
    The Clint Dempsey – didn’t take long to mention him – era in Seattle began early with an injury to Obafemi Martins prompting his inclusion after just 34 minutes of play.
    Entering the match with a lead – a 16th minute Mauro Rosales strike, out-waiting the helpless Joe Bendik to slot under the leaping keeper after an excellent Brad Evans ball to the back-post was headed back to the left by Eddie Johnson for the Argentine – Dempsey began his re-entry to MLS with a strong run, ended sharply via a shoulder barge from Ashtone Morgan, knocking him down in the box.
    Seattle were fortunate to double their lead five minutes before the half-time whistle when Lamar Neagle powered past Richard Eckersley down the left and sent a cut-back to the near-post that was dragged agonizingly across the goal-line by the shifting heel of Doneil Henry.
    Toronto, hapless and slow-minded for much of the first half, sparked to life with the second, scoring within a minute of the restart after a bustling run down the left by Andrew Wiedeman, led to a squared ball through the goalmouth.
    Reggie Lambe dummied and Jonathan Osorio ghosted around the lunge of Osvaldo Alonso before poking a finish past Marcus Hahnemann. Leo Gonzalez tried to clear on the goal-line, but to no avail, reaching only after it had crossed the goal-line.
    TFC would continue to look for an equalizer, but one would not come easily – Hahnemann’s last minute heroics to deny a seemingly offside Jeremy Brockie at the death would secure the points for the visitors.
    Ryan Nelsen, back in place after a midweek ambassadorial recruiting trip to part unknown, will be disappointed with how sluggish and disjointed his side began the match. Sigi Schmid, on the other hand - though furious with the officials come game’s end – has three more points than before, continuing their assault up the Western Conference.
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    Vancouver 2 – San Jose 0
    Vancouver snapped a three-game winless skid – ending San Jose’s three-game winning streak in the process – with a pair of goals crafted in part by the hard-charging of Nigel Reo-Coker.
    Freed up of his defensive duties with Gershon Koffie anchoring the midfield, Reo-Coker’s surging runs helped create both goals after a tight hour of the match had seen few chances fall either way.
    Camilo scored his fourteenth goal of the season to re-equalize with Mike Magee atop the Golden Boot standings on the hour mark, following a quick break begun when YP Lee stripped Cordell Cato and fed up to Reo-Coker near the centre-circle. The Englishman surged down the right-channel before squaring a ball to the heart of the box, where the in-form Brazilian touched it on to the far-side of the goal.
    Fourteen minutes later, Camilo’s cross-field ball was corralled by Russell Teibert, who then laid a little pass past the defender for the streaking run of Reo-Coker. He scuffed his shot, but it fell kindly for Kenny Miller to lash into the left-side of the goal with his right-foot.
    Reo-Coker’s impressive afternoon also featured an excellent goal-line block of a Chris Wondolowski attempt, while David Ousted, making his second start in goal for Vancouver, got down well to deny a redirected Cato shot in the first half to pick up his first win and first clean-sheet in the league.
    Vancouver’s Martin Rennie will have enjoyed the strong result – and that his tinkering paid off – as the win sees the Whitecaps vault up into second spot in the West. Mark Watson, the San Jose interim, will not have found his homecoming nearly as sweet as he’d imagined, with the loss halting their progress.
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    Columbus 2 – New York 0
    A two-goal performance from Pipa Higuain was enough to overcome a short-handed New York side, shorn of Thierry Henry, Tim Cahill, amongst others, as well as coach Mike Petke, suspended after his late dismissal in Kansas City last weekend.
    The early chances came Columbus’ way and Higuain looked switched on from the off – his wonderful corner to the near-post was directed goal-ward to Justin Meram, though his justified shouts for handball on Jonny Steele went unheeded.
    Steele saw his poked shot from the top of the box tipped onto the bar before a controversial penalty – apparently for a shove from Marcus Holgersson on Chad Marshall as the yellow defender got in front of the red one on a Higuain free-kick.
    The maestro stepped to the spot – against Luis Robles who had denied him in a previous meeting – and took no chances, hammering his right-footed conversion high into the roof of the net straight down the middle.
    It was his fifth penalty kick goal, from seven attempts this season.
    Fourteen minutes on he doubled the lead with that delightful chip, earning goal of the round considerations, and Columbus would see out the remaining minutes for an important win in front of their new owner, Anthony Precourt.
    Crew boss, Robert Warzycha, will be relieved to see the three-match losing streak snuffed out – Columbus had lost seven of their last nine to see their playoff hopes hanging by the thinnest of margins. Robin Fraser, in charge with Petke sidelined, lamented the penalty decision that turned the match, as well as the lack of fight in a New York side that continues to alternate between impressive and pathetic.
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    Philadelphia 2 – DC 0
    Jack McInerney, darling of the first half of the season, may have stopped scoring – held goal-less since June 1 (seven matches) – but Conor Casey has picked up the slack, to ensure Philadelphia keep on rolling, especially at home.
    Casey poked in the first in the 35th minute, after a right-sided Sheanon Williams cross was headed into his feet by Sebastien Le Toux. Forty minutes later Casey notched his second of the match – and ninth of the season, one behind McInerney – again in part due to Le Toux, who picked up his league-leading eleventh and twelfth assists of the season, after playing out to Brazilian left-back Fabinho to hit a curling ball to the back-post where the big man touched it goal-ward and through Bill Hamid.
    John Hackworth’s Union are now unbeaten in seven home matches and firmly in the playoff picture - currently third in the East. Ben Olsen, who opted to rest many of his starters after a good win in the US Open Cup on Wednesday, will see the remaining league fixtures as a chance blood some youngsters and build for 2014.
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    Chicago 2 – Montreal 1
    Montreal’s woes continue as two Chicago goals inside the first 23 minutes were enough to decide the destination of the points, despite Felipe’s excellent second half strike.
    Joel Lindpere continued his scintillating form – two goals and six assists in his last eight matches – with a sixth minute strike that deflected off Daniele Paponi to handcuff Troy Perkins in goal.
    17 minutes later Dilly Duka doubled the lead with an individual effort that saw him slice through the Montreal defense and down the left side of the box, with the help of a kind bounce, before finishing across the keeper.
    Felipe consolation goal, wonderful though it was, will do little to encourage a Montreal side now with just one win in their last eight matches – coach Marco Schallibaum is right to be concerned, but is also experienced enough to know that despite the poor run, the Impact are still primed for a postseason berth.
    Chicago’s Frank Klopas beamed post-match at the “massive” win, though they are currently outside the top five in the East. These three points – extending an unbeaten run to four – will go some way to encouraging a late push for the playoffs.
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    Kansas City 3 – New England 0
    Sporting continued their dominance over New England on Saturday night stretching their unbeaten run in the series to six matches and the clean-sheet streak over the Revolution to 502 minutes.
    Kei Kamara nabbed a brace, both from left-sided Soony Saad crosses and both with towering headers over the much smaller Kevin Alston.
    The first came in the 27th minute, when Kamara’s running leap was too much for the static left-back to quell and the second followed in the 50th when Kamara got in front of Alston on a near-post run to head down at the left-side of the goal.
    Two New England players were dismissed by referee Baldomero Toledo – Dimitry Imbongo for a pair of bookable offences and Andy Dorman for a lunge on Kamara just fifteen minutes after entering the fray.
    Benny Feilhaber would add a third in stoppage-time, stroking a perfectly executed right-footed free-kick in against his former club to round out the scoring and complete the rout.
    KC top man, Peter Vermes, will be glad with the way his club responded to a tough loss to New York last weekend – with a midweek Champions League win in Nicaragua and an impressive outing against New England to retake top spot in the East and snap a two-game losing streak.
    Jay Heaps and his Revolution will be frustrated with a second-straight loss that sees them drop further away from the finish line.
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    Salt Lake 1 – Houston 0
    One goal was all that was needed to separate two of the more heralded sides in MLS in their only league meeting of the year, capping off an action packed Saturday night.
    Alvaro Saborio continued his post-Gold Cup tear, notching his fifth goal in the last three matches – this time from the penalty spot, after Adam Moffat was deemed to have undercut Olmes Garcia just inside the Houston box.
    Salt Lake should have taken the lead, when Joao Plata’s laser beam of a strike beat Tally Hall, but not the bar, and Moffat’s stumbled rush of blood to the head would prove costly with Saborio calmly stroking his conversion to the keeper’s left having sent him guessing the other way.
    Jason Kreis, who strayed from his diamond 4-4-2 for only the second time this season (once more to a 4-3-3) had an epiphany Thursday morning, in response to his quandary about how to freshen up a side in need of a rest; that sort of flexibility will serve Salt Lake well.
    Dominic Kinnear will lament the penalty call and the end of a four-match unbeaten run, but will take some courage from a strong performance on the road against a formidable opponent, though they passed up a chance to go ahead of Montreal in the standings.
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    Dallas 3 – Los Angeles 3
    Sunday’s first match was an entertaining back-and-forth affair, pitting strugglers Dallas against a Los Angeles side fresh off their showcase friendly exhibitions against some of the biggest clubs in the sport.
    Matt Hedges put Dallas in front after fifteen minutes, nodding in a David Ferreira corner kick at the near-post after Andrew Jacobson headed the service back to that side – it was Dallas first goal in six matches.
    But Landon Donovan found an equalizer in first half stoppage-time, beating Dallas keeper Chris Seitz to a Robbie Keane lofted ball to nod over the keeper and follow up on the line to see it over.
    Blas Perez put Dallas back in front three minutes after the restart, getting on the end of a curling free-kick from Michel – though he was offside, but Donovan once more leveled in the 73rd when Marcelo Sarvas chested down a Todd Dunivant header into the arc for a left-footer low to the right-side of the goal.
    Donovan would round out his hat-trick and put LA in front in the 82nd when a left-sided throw-in fell kindly for a predatory right-footed finish, only for Perez to equalize four minutes later lashing a partially cleared ball from the top of the box through a crowd – that may have also been offside, screening Carlo Cudicini in goal.
    Dallas’ Jackson, who had earlier forced the LA keeper into tipping a blast over the bar, struck wood in the final moments, but the match ended in a diplomatic draw.
    Schellas Hyndman, his side mired a ten-match winless run, took some encouragement from finally scoring (they had gone five matches without) – savour the small victories. Bruce Arena, though cordial with his counterpart prior to the match, was no doubt left fuming by a refereeing performance that he labeled as “terrible” as his side’s road struggles continue, falling to a fourth consecutive loss away from home.
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    Chivas 1 – Colorado 1
    The fireworks, though of a different kind, continued into the late match on Sunday, with a trio of red cards – one earned, one harsh, and the other bound to cause debate.
    Carlos Alvarez put Los Ameri-Goats in the lead after just five minutes, with an unstoppable left-footed blast from the arc after Erick Torres had played in-field from the right, pouncing on a Colorado turnover.
    Dan Kennedy would preserve the lead, denying Deshorn Brown from the spot after Steve Purdy’s most obvious of handballs.
    Gabriel Farfan put his Chivas side behind the eight-ball with a horrendous challenge on Shane O’Neill, stomping high on the shin of his opponent and seeing red – and likely a lengthy suspension. Tony Cascio would join him in exiting early after a pair of booking either side of half-time, perhaps unfortunately so as the high boot that drew the second yellow did not make contact at all – Marky Delgado did well to sell it.
    Chivas’ Tristan Bowen would become the third player to exit, just after the hour mark, when he was adjudged to have spat on Chris Klute – more on that below.
    Martin Rivero would finally find an equalizer for Colorado in the 80th minute after a left-sided Chris Klute cross to the penalty spot was met by the diminutive attacker.
    Jose Luis Real, whose side dropped a third-straight match, has a discipline problem on his hands – Chivas have been showed four red cards in their last four matches and a league-high eight this season. Oscar Pareja will have enjoyed the comeback, stretching their unbeaten run to seven matches, but likely wanted more given the half-hour spent up a man.
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    CanCon
    As usual, the extended Canadian content will be out tomorrow (Tuesday) midday and feature solid performances from Jonathan Osorio and Russell Teibert, as well as further improvement from Dwayne De Rosario, not to mention midweek exploits in the Open Cup and Champions League.
    See It Live
    It was great to see Kevin Alston return to the New England starting lineup, though he was victimized for both of Kei Kamara’s goals.
    With their spot in the US Open Cup Final secured midweek, Ben Olsen opted to go with youth for DC, featuring their youngest even starting eleven, and including all five of their current homegrown players. Michael Seaton who entered in the 76th minute became the first player to feature in MLS who was born after the start of the league in 1996.
    With the transfer window firmly shut, several of the latest acquisitions made their MLS debuts this round: Clint Dempsey for Seattle, the Fire’s Luis Anangono and the Impact’s Hernan Bernardello in Chicago, Vicente Sanchez for Colorado and Erick for Dallas. It will be interesting to see which acquisition pans out in the long run. Can Dempsey spur (ha) Seattle to the postseason? Have Colorado’s reinforcements made them a true contender? Is Anangono the answer to Chicago’s search for a contributor?
    It was good to see Matt Hedges flatten Landon Donovan as he shepherded in his first of the afternoon, sending him flying into a tangled at the back of the net. Donovan would go on to complete his hat-trick; perhaps it is best to not make him angry after all.
    What did Dominic Oduro do to his hair? Whoa, Ghana.
    Controversy
    Red cards aside, two Dallas goals were quite clearly offside.
    and . Cudicini would be booked for his protestations.Refereeing has been a major talking point this season, as PRO attempts to blood some young officials. But the quality of the linesman – sorry, assistant referees – has rarely been as called into question as this match portrayed.
    Opinion Poll
    What to make of the spitting incident from Tristan Bowen?
    Post-match, it was relayed from Dan Kennedy, that Bowen claimed that his gum flew out, “It was a bit of misfortune. The referee said Tristan spit on [Klute] and Tristan said he was yelling and his gum flew out of his mouth and it hit the player. It’s just unbelievable. I’ll have to see it on tape, but of course I take Tristan’s word for it.”
    In the replay he can clearly be seen stating his defense, “My gum fell out”, but the evidence looks pretty damming. Bowen was unavailable for comment.
    Question: Spitting - just dirty pool or the dirtiest thing one can do on the pitch?
    In light of the nasty tackle from his teammate Gabriel Farfan – a potential leg-breaker – on Shane O’Neill.
    Would you rather get a little wet or have your career ended by a horror tackle?
    Table Watching
    KC retake top spot in the East (39) with New York’s loss, but only by a point – that gap is echoed below with Philadelphia (37) a point behind New York, each having played 24 matches.
    Montreal, Houston, and Chicago – each with two games in hand – are four, six, and eight points off the top spot respectively.
    The gap between first and seventh is a mere nine points.
    Salt Lake extend their lead at the top of the West rising to 41 points from 24 matches. Vancouver’s win sees them leapfrog Colorado, idle Portland, and LA into second, five points behind Salt Lake with a game in hand.
    Seattle, finally surpass a struggling Dallas side, into sixth place on 34 points with at least two games in hand on all conference foes.
    The top seven teams are separated by a mere eight points.
    Upcoming Fixtures
    Saturday: Montreal-DC; Columbus-Toronto; New England-Chicago; New York-Philadelphia; Houston-Seattle; Colorado-Vancouver; Los Angeles-Salt Lake; Portland-Dallas. Sunday: San Jose-Kansas City.
    LA hosting Salt Lake is the most high-profile match next round, while Houston-Seattle and San Jose-KC should be entertaining in the very least.
    Canadian fans should keep an eye on Montreal-DC, which should feature as many as four Canadians.
    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
    A home loss is always a painful thing.
    But as with everything, there are always shades of grey. All home losses are not created equal. There are the losses where the team quietly slinks into the dressing room at the final whistle to avoid further embarrassing themselves, and the fans instantaneously vacate the premises in disgust.
    But there are also losses where the fans take the time to applaud their squad's efforts, while players stick around to reciprocate the goodwill, both parties well aware that had a few things gone slightly differently, points would have been earned on the day.
    TFC has endured its fair share of the former over its tumultuous existence in MLS. But Saturday night's encounter with the recently Dempsified Seattle Sounders falls firmly in the latter camp, an encouraging sign that team president Kevin Payne's talk of progress may actually be more than just talk.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Oh yes, as anyone who follows the team is quickly learning, Payne is big on talk. You'd think that in over a decade and a half as a sports executive, he would have been introduced to the phrase "under-promise and over-deliver". Yet despite the weeks and weeks and weeks of promises about game-changing attacking talent making its way to Toronto, we all witnessed the transfer window slam shut this past week with exactly zero new strikers signed.
    And while winger Alvaro Rey could very well become an important piece for TFC (and there's nowhere near a sufficient body of work to make any judgments whatsoever on that front yet), what the team desperately could have used last night was a finisher. Or two.
    (Insert requisite "best finisher of the modern era" joke here.)
    But... (and there's always a "but", because remember, there are always shades of grey)
    Toronto grabbed the game by the throat early, with a pair of very good scoring chances in the opening 10 minutes. They fell victim to (or rather, victimized themselves with) a pair of defensive gaffes that gifted the Sounders with two goals (though if the totally-unbiased-and-sober observers in the south end of BMO Field were correct, it was a galling non-call by the AR that facilitated Seattle's second tally).
    Yet they didn't fold. They burst out of the gates in the second half, with Jonathan Osorio's probably-goal-line-crossing tally setting up a dramatic 45-minute conclusion. Robert Earnshaw hit the post. Steven Caldwell headed just wide. Jeremy Brockie eluded the offside trap (or tricked the AR into thinking he had) but was foiled by a flailing Marcus Hahnemann in the dying moments.
    You didn't need to read any of that if you watched the game, or have caught the highlights. But it's worthwhile to remind ourselves of these events, since scorelines are deceivingly reductive most of the time.
    For instance, a 2-1 loss in which a bend-but-don't-break defensive effort had valiantly retained a 1-0 lead until late into Tobias Time when three points turned into zero over the course of a few devastating minutes is much different than a 2-1 loss in which Toronto substantively outplayed the opponent and would have earned a result if not for some tough luck on the attacking side, and momentary madness/an own goal on the other.
    A loss is a loss, of course, and it's a feeling to which TFC fans are well accustomed.
    But so much of Payne's talk has been about rebuilding the team, about making quantifiable progress, about moving towards being a legitimate contender for the MLS playoffs in 2014. The regular roster turnover and turmoil (not to mention Payne's own unnecessarily-incendiary remarks) has distracted somewhat from the fact that the results (again, not just the scorelines, but the results) have suggested there may very well be merit to his grandiose claims.
    After all, another one of his favourite tropes is that TFC is only "a few pieces" away from being where it needs to be. Long-suffering fans often scoff at the claim, having heard it so many times before. But looking at the game against Seattle, wouldn't it be fair to say that with a couple of additions, we could very easily be talking about a 3-2 win -- or at the very least, a 2-2 draw?
    Toronto sports fans are accustomed not just to losing, but to having ownership, management and coaches piss in their ears and tell them it's raining for, well, most of the last two decades. Most have lost count of the number of times they've been told that their team is "only a few pieces away" from contention, only to have those pieces fail to materialize or to learn later that they were the wrong pieces all along.
    But at this stage in Toronto FC's evolution -- particularly, in what remains of the 2013 season -- hard-fought losses may actually be more useful and instructive than a string of cathartic but ultimately progress-stunting victories, on the back of some soccer equivalent of J-S Aubin. Then we'll have a full view of what precisely is missing from the reconfigured team, and Payne can direct his off-season efforts accordingly.
    However much the cynical Toronto sports fan may want to assume Payne is just the latest snake-oil salesman to pass through town, the reality is that games such as these are, for now, going to be the measuring stick of whether "progress" is truly being made.
    Because yes, home losses are always a painful thing. But hey, we got used to it.
    But a team that can consistently maintain possession, create useful scoring chances and minimize (though obviously not entirely eliminate) defensive breakdowns, week in and week out?
    That's something we could definitely get used to.
    .
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