Sober Second Thoughts: Goalless in Seattle

If only DeRo had amputated his left leg prior to the game Saturday. Then we’d be talking about three points instead of one. Also, if Chad Barrett were just a little bit taller. Or, TFC slightly, oh, I don’t know, skilled, then everything -- EVERYTHING would be different.

But, it isn’t. Besides, DeRo would have trouble doing his dance on one leg. So a point it is. At least it was on the road. So, that’s something.

It is something. Although the game was undoubtedly frustrating as a TFC supporter, one cannot ignore the final result. A road point in MLS, especially a TFC road point in MLS, that’s huge. Maybe not good enough to see the Reds into the playoffs come November, but it keeps it in the realm of the possibility. And at this point, being in the game is about as much as you can hope for here in Toronto.

And they are still in the game. Although the table may suggest otherwise – TFC wakes up this morning on the outside looking in – it should play out pretty close. Not that you can ever predict anything about this crazy league, but still...it probably will play out close. When the Reds play that final game against New York, they will be playing for something. God only knows what will happen then.

There was a lot to like about Toronto’s scoreless performance on the left coat. They competed, they created and they were damn unlucky not to come away with more. Seattle, it should be noted, was shut-out at home by a team that doesn’t put up many clean sheets. That’s worth celebrating at a TFC fan, even when you walked away from the game thinking that it could have been more.

So now we prepare for another key set of games – they all are now – home and home against Colorado, a team Toronto has historically (whatever that means with a three year old club) does well against. Six points and were dancing in the streets. Four, less dancing, but a confident smile. One or less – get out the Vicodin.

Actually, it’s probably a good idea to have something to ready to take the edge off regardless. Eight more games to go and the ride is just beginning.

The Vancouver View: My (non-existent) kingdom for a roof!

The latest news on the B.C. Place front, which Duane covered here, is rather depressing. As most know, the $365 million plan to replace the existing solid roof with a retractable one and renovate the interior of B.C. Place was an important part of the Whitecaps' successful bid to join Major League Soccer. However, Global BC (a local television channel)'s sources have told them that "the roof replacement may no longer be a key government priority and it may be forced to pull its funding in the current economic climate," meaning "the project could face some serious delays or be cancelled altogether". As the Globe and Mail story linked above shows, nothing's been officially decided yet, though.

It's understandable that the provincial government is looking for ways to cut costs. After all, they're facing a deficit that could reach as high as $4 billion this year, despite pre-election predictions in February that it would only be $495 million. They've already looked into cuts to health care, education and other services, and they've brought in an unpopular harmonized tax to pull in federal government funds to the tune of $1.6 billion. Given all that, maybe we shouldn't be surprised that they're looking at scrapping the B.C. Place renovations.

However, what's troubling is the two-faced stance the governing Liberals have taken on the issue. Back when the renovations were first announced, the Liberals were all over them, using them as political capital in an attempt to appeal to sports fans. At the official press conference announcing the Whitecaps' bid for MLS status, B.C. Liberals were again present in numbers showing their support; former Attorney-General Wally Oppal was one of the featured speakers, and Premier Gordon Campbell sent a video message of support. Moreover, the press package was filled with letters supporting the bid from Liberal MLAs.

Even worse was the stance the Liberals took this year. Just before the May election, news leaked that the opposition New Democratic Party was planning to cut funding for the B.C. Place retractable roof, replace it with a simpler fixed roof and redistribute the saved money into social programs. Of course, soccer and CFL fans were outraged, and their protests were heard. The NDP soon came out with a statement calling the whole thing "a Liberal lie" and maintaining that they'd always been at war with Eurasia in favour of a B.C. Place retractable roof. Few believed them, but it looked like the roof was safely out of the realm of politics and back into the realm of sports. Of course, the Liberals made great political capital out of that incident, so it's very disappointing that they're now going back on their word.

That wasn't the Liberals' only attempt to appeal to soccer fans, either. In May, just 10 days before the election, they announced provincial funding for an expensive new training facility for the Whitecaps. Coincidentally, that just happened to be in the battleground riding of Delta South, where the aforementioned attorney-general Wally Oppal was facing a stiff challenge from former Delta councillor Vicki Huntington, running as an Independent. It wasn't enough to sway the election, as Huntington won narrowly, but the timing and location did give the move substantial political overtones. As I wrote then (in the above piece), that didn't necessarily make it a bad thing, as the training facility will certainly prove beneficial for soccer in B.C. (unless it gets scrapped as well). It does show that the Liberals were quite happy to support the Whitecaps just a few months ago when there was an election coming up, though. It's disappointing to see them switch directions at a time when it's harder to call them to account for it.

What does it all mean? Well, I don't think it's doom and gloom for the Whitecaps just yet. For one thing, the roof hasn't definitely been cancelled yet. Moreover, there's a huge amount of support for MLS soccer in Vancouver, and that was already enough to sway one political party that was considering scrapping the roof project. The roof issue's been one of the chief subjects of political discussion in the Lower Mainland this past week, and there are plenty of people up in arms; the Liberals may see that and reconsider this ill-advised move. Also, regardless of politics, leaving B.C. Place as is isn't exactly an option. The current roof has plenty of issues and isn't a viable long-term solution. They could replace it with a fixed roof, as the NDP planned, but that might only save $125-150 million. Is it really worth antagonizing a massive base of soccer and football fans over what amounts to chump change when you consider government budgets?

For another thing, there are options for the Whitecaps even if this retractable roof plan falls through. They have played friendlies in B.C. Place before, and it can work as a soccer stadium. This also might finally clear the political roadblocks towards building their waterfront stadium. Personally, I'd prefer a renovated B.C. Place, as it would likely have more capacity; I don't want to see a situation where tons of fans can't check out the games thanks to a small stadium. The waterfront soccer-specific stadium would be better from a pure soccer standpoint, though, as it could likely be grass instead of turf. I doubt it could be built by 2011 even if the political opposition vanished overnight (not bloody likely), but it might be possible to get it done by 2012 or 2013. B.C. Place could work just fine for MLS for a couple of years, even without renovations.

As I discussed with Jason Davis and Ginge this morning on the Match Fit USA Podcast], I don't think MLS is going to pull the Vancouver franchise regardless of what happens. They already have a lot committed to Vancouver, and as I've written before, the Vancouver-Portland-Seattle rivalry will be huge for the league. Moreover, there aren't really that many good alternatives left; Vancouver and Portland were the strongest of the MLS bids, and the other cities have moved on with their lives for the moment. Montreal could still get in, and they'd certainly be a good addition, but at the moment, it looks like they'll be added anyway without taking anyone else's franchise.

Even without the renovations, the Whitecaps still have a tenable place to play and one that could work for MLS. Moreover, interest in Vancouver has been huge; MLS tickets have been snapped up as soon as they've become available, and interest in the current USL team has swelled as well. Despite currently sitting seventh in the USL-1 table, the Whitecaps recorded their ninth-straight sellout and their tenth of the season in the game I live-blogged last night. That tenth sellout tied a season record from 1987, their first year in Swangard Stadium. Seeing as they didn't reach that mark last year on their way to the USL-1 championship, I'd imagine that the increased ticket sales are proof that there's more interest in the team thanks to their upcoming MLS status. It's hard to envision MLS throwing away what looks like a fantastic soccer market with plenty of population, excellent demographics, strong support from local media and pre-existing rivalries with Montreal, Seattle and Portland.

Cancelling the roof renovations would still hurt both the Whitecaps and Lions, though. B.C. Place is showing its age at the moment. It's a decent facility for football, and a capable if unimpressive one for soccer. However, there are plenty of times when it could sorely use a retractable roof, especially during summer heat waves. That would make Lions' games a much better experience for fans, and it would create a great atmosphere for Whitecaps' games. As I've written before, the retractable roof plans are very impressive; they're based off of Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, which is used regularly for Bundesliga matches and has also hosted World Cup and Confederations Cup games. Seeing that potentially scrapped in pursuit of a political agenda, by a government that promised the funding in the first place and has used their support of the Whitecaps for political capital time and time again, is incredibly disappointing. My message to the Liberals is simple: forget the politics, forget the cuts, keep your word for once and just build the bloody roof already.

[Cross-posted to Sporting Madness].

Vancouver Whitecaps - Rochester Rhinos live blog

I'll be live-blogging this evening's USL match between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Rochester Rhinos here and at Sporting Madness and Epic Footy. Coverage will be coming live from the Swangard Stadium press box. Kickoff is at 10 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. Pacific): join me here then!

No, not dead.

Regular service will return tomorrow. I've been assisting the other half as she prepared to write the Exam for Professional Practice in Psychology.

So things people that actually do something productive with their life do...

Homeland Security: protecting America from the threat of rookie MLS strikers since 2003

Having traveled a great deal in the last year I feel for O'Brian White today. From the Toronto Star:

...Among those looking for a better trip this week is rookie striker O'Brian White. The Jamaican-born Scarborough high school graduate missed the team's flight to L.A. after lengthy questioning by United States immigration officials.

A graduate of the University of Connecticut, White, 23, travels on a Jamaican passport but has residency cards for the U.S. and Canada.

"He (the official) said I can't have two, but I've been travelling with two for over three years now and I haven't had an issue," White said. "So, this was a surprise to me."

The delay forced White to miss the team's flight and practice in California. He didn't get into the hotel until 9:30 p.m. Friday...

Nothing scares me more than an US border guard who is having a bad day.

ANYWAY...

Since this isn't a political blog we'll leave it at that, but this does highlight (again) how Capital S Stupid MLS' travel rules are. There is cost effective and then there is cheap. Making MLS teams fly commercial is cheap. If you allowed teams to charter the quality of the product would improve, players wouldn't have to deal with immigration at the same level that they do now and the flights would be easier on older bodies (i.e. teams wouldn't make decisions to leave useful players at home because they fear that their bodies can't handle 7-hours of commercial travel).

There are a lot of things MLS has to deal with in the next CBA. Not forcing its teams to travel in the same way as the Pickering, Ont. u-12 girls’ squad should be right at the top of that list.

Is Vancouver in trouble?

Delays to the upgrade could also jeopardize the city’s hope of landing a Major League Soccer franchise. The Vancouver Whitecaps was awarded the league’s second Canadian franchise in March based on a bid that included a refurbished stadium.

Not the best news coming out of Vancouver at this hour.

Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi was on It's called Football yesterday and said that he did not expect any problems with the roof at BC Place. Although he may have been downplaying the negative possibilities, I believe that he was speaking the truth. He probably didn't think there would be any problems. He told us that he wasn't directly in the meetings on the project.

It's clear by tonight’s news that there could be problems. What isn't clear is if the lack of a roof in anyway jeopardizes Vancouver's entry into MLS in 2011. Any suggestion that there will be a delay is nothing but speculation at this point.

But, it has to worry Canadian soccer fans. You can bet that there will be more to this story soon.

Regardless, what this does further illustrate is how ludicrous it is that the private investor that has long been willing to pay for the 'Caps waterfront stadium continues to be prevented from doing so. Instead the taxpayers of BC are on the hook (or not on the hook as the case may be).

Nothing is ever easy in Canadian soccer, is it?

Millwall v West Ham - Yeah that was always going to end well

“I’ve never seen anything like that before after seven years with Chelsea and 11 months with West Ham. I’m sure there will be inquiries and they will try to look at the situation. I was completely shocked."

- Gianfranco Zola

The only thing shocking about this is that someone was shocked:

Nooooooo Danny Dichio....

The Score's Kristian Jack blasts TFC management today for its treatment of Danny Dichio, who was left at home last weekend when the team traveled to L.A. After that omission, a rumour started that Dichio had been released. Although that was shown to be false, it has been made clear by the coaching staff that the big man was not high on the pecking order of forwards for the Reds right now.

The official line is that he has a bad back that makes it difficult for him to fly long distances. That man has been beaten up during his career so it's reasonable to think that might be the case. However, as Jack points out, the team could have handled the situation about a million times better than it is (which is to say that it isn't handling it at all).

I'll go Jack one step further. Not only is the team handling Dichio's omission poorly, it's also, well, insane for excluding him in the first place. I don't care how beat up he is he's still better than the rest of TFC's current forwards. I'm sure he looks broken in training, but he creates every time he's on the pitch.

Earlier this year it was suggested that he couldn't play 90 minutes anymore. Then, when he was forced into playing full games, he had his best stretch of the year.

If he can't fly, then screw training. Put him on a damn train and get him to Seattle. All the man has ever done for TFC is produce.

And TFC needs production now.

Really, it’s OK to hate Hargreaves

Eight years on and Owen Hargreaves continues to be the most divisive player in Canadian football. The Calgary-born (and mostly raised) midfielder was the first high profile player to shun Canada to play for a larger country. Although there have been others since, none continue to inspire the type of visceral hate, and blind defence, as does Hargreaves.

Those that support his decision claim that he had no choice. That the CSA was in such a mess that he was all but forced to turn away. When Mother England comes calling, as a footballer, you must respond. It was the reasonable thing to do and it’s been justified by his participation in two World Cups and one Euro.

Those opposed view the Hargreaves, or “Whoregreaves’,” decision as the ultimate act of betrayal. They point out that he told a reporter that he would play for Canada in the months leading up to his flip and that he had never lived in England prior to playing for it. If he had gone the German route most would still be upset, but the hatred would have been less sharp – he lived in Germany for a significant portion of his youth after all. We could understand if he felt a connection to that country.

Yesterday Ben Knight re-opened the debate in a column on Onward where he defended the decision, suggesting that it allowed him to advance his career in ways that he never would have been able to without playing for the Three Lions.

Ben also points out that the decision was within his rights and that Canadians would be “up in arms” if the Canadian government tried to impose the same working restrictions on them as they wish upon Hargreaves. I’ll address my issue with this thinking later, but first we need to be absolutely clear about something.

Hargreaves had every right to make the decision he did. It was within FIFA rules and, from my perspective, very few critics of his decision have ever suggested otherwise.

However, if Hargreaves had the right to make the decision, Canadian soccer fans also have the right not to respect him for it. One of the biggest problems I have with those that defend Hargreaves (and this is a general comment, rather than one directed at Ben) is that they tend to label anti-Hargreaves opinion as being lowbrow, somehow un-Canadian. Because we are a nation of immigrants – and a progressive, accepting people – that we must quietly stand back and respect decisions like this. Not to do so is, at best, ugly, at worst, xenophobic.

Hogwash.

Canadians have every right to feel betrayed by an athlete that turns their back on the country that they were born into and that has provided their family a home throughout their life. Hargreaves first learned the game here. He continues to spend time here. When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in London earlier this year Hargreaves didn’t turn down the invitation for the photo-op, did he?

It’s particularly frustrating to hear the “yeah-but-Canada-sucks” arguments in favour of the decision. That’s hardly the point. International football isn’t (or at least shouldn’t) be about maximizing your opportunities to play in a World Cup. Forgive my naivety, but it should be a little purer than that (and before someone jumps into the comments with the question, I’ll answer it. No, I absolutely wouldn’t have chose England if I were in his position. To do so would have been beyond cynical).

One of the things I don’t like about Canada is the self-hate that occasionally trickles its way into conventional thinking -- this idea that you’re nothing unless you make it elsewhere. To me the Hargreaves debate reeks of that thinking. I’d suggest it’s time we evolved into a more self-confident country.

There is also an assumption in this debate by those that support his decision that he advanced his career by doing it. Although you cannot argue against the fact that he was able to play in the World Cup and Euros (something Canada didn’t and could not provide), it’s a stretch to attribute his club success to his international play (I also don’t buy, as Ben argues, that he was England’s best player in the 2006 World Cup. He was a solid player for England, but you will have a difficult time finding anyone outside of Canada that would make the argument that he was the best player).

Hargreaves was a starting player on Bayern Munich’s Champions League winning side (as a Canadian, it should be noted). He drew the attention of the English national team while there. Although I’m sure playing internationally for England didn’t hurt him, it wasn’t the only reason Manchester United took notice. In short, Hargreaves club career was just fine when he was Canadian and it would have remained just fine if he had stayed.

It can also be argued that he could have been more if he had remained Canadian. Here, anyway. With the sport growing the way that it is in Canada, I’m sure that the corporate world would have taken notice of a Canuck playing for Man U. He could have become the first home-grown soccer superstar in the Great White North. That’s speculation, but no more than the idea that playing for England led to him playing for United is.

As for Ben’s argument that Canadians would not stand for employment restrictions being placed on them, I’m not sure Hargreaves has any employment restrictions, seeing that he is playing in England. And Canadians do have employment restrictions placed on them. You can’t just up and get a job in the UK. So, I don’t follow that argument.

The debate may finally be coming to a close as Hargreaves is rumoured to be done as a player -- his injuries driving him out of Manchester United’s plans. Some Canadians will be upset by that. Others won’t shed a tear (other than for the fact that they never got a chance to express their feelings to him in a game on Canadian soil). Most Canadians (as opposed to Canadian soccer fans) will likely react indifferently to the news. To me that’s the most disappointing thing of all about Hargreaves’ decision.

He could have been so much here. Instead he’ll be remembered as an average holding midfielder that had moderate success playing for England for a couple of cycles before injuries cut his career short by a couple years.

It isn’t much of a legacy.

It's Called Football: Bob Lenarduzzi and Kartik Krishnaiyer

Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi and MLS-Talk's Kartik Krishnaiyer join us on this week's ICF to talk about the USL sale, Vancouver's season and preparation for MLS along with some chat about the 'Caps remarkable academy program.



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Adjusted final standings projections for Aug. 24

East -

Columbus 53***
Chicago 50**
New England 45*
DC United 41
Toronto 40
Kansas City 32
New York 17

West -

Houston 50**
Chivas 50**
Galaxy 45*
Colorado 44*
Seattle 43*
Salt Lake 37
Dallas 32
San Jose 26

*** supporter's Shield winner
** automatic playoff spot
* wildcard playoff spot

Sober Second Thoughts: The expected unexpected

In the course of a MLS season there are going to be games like last Saturday's. Games where nothing looks good and nothing goes right. It's unfortunate, but it's the nature of the beast.

Forced parity means that no team is without weakness. It means that MLS teams can look like Barcelona one week and Scunthorpe United the next. You'd have been forgiven for thinking that Toronto was in North Lincolnshire Saturday.

Even though you know that there isn't anything a team can really do to avoid the inconsistency of MLS (even the best MLS teams have stretches where they don't look great -- remember how Columbus started the season?) it's still frustrating as a supporter. You want to grab hold of opportunities. You don't want to watch the teams behind grab points while you cough up a hairball. You think that you should win every week.

"Football supporter" and "rational thinker" are two phrases that aren't often paired. "MLS football supporter" and "quickly approaching madness" more often.

So, there isn't much to really say about TFC's 2-0 loss to Chivas. It was the first of a five of six on the road stretch that might be the difference between playoffs and not. It wasn't a great start to that stretch. Still, it's not fatal. The Reds end their season with San Jose, Salt Lake at home and the Red Bulls on the road to end things. Those are nine very winnable points. If Toronto can find six points out of its next five they are fine. Take care of Colorado at home and it's just a case of getting two draws in the other four games. Unless they do something unexpected (like lose 'em all or win 'em all) they are going to enter the final month within striking distance of the final playoff spots, but likely just outside.

Win the home games in October and that last games against New York will probably decide things. Finishing against the Bulls is a nice luxury.

But that's still a couple months away. For now it's another week of fretting about inconsistencies and blown opportunities before another vital game, this time against Seattle.

No one has the first clue what to expect.

montrealmls2011.com recently registered by Saputo

Will it be 2011 or 2012 for Montreal's MLS debut?

Interesting to note that the 2 following internet domain names were registered on August 11th by LES FROMAGES SAPUTO S.E.N.C./SAPUTO CHEESE G.P. :

www.montrealmls2011.com
www.montrealmls2012.com

Those domain names match the format currently being used by Portland(portlandmls2011.com) and Vancouver (vancouvermls2011.com).

The plans are already in place for a revamp and expansion of Stade Saputo to be completed for spring 2011, and the meeting between MLS officials, Joey Saputo and the Quebec Government is still set to happen before the end of the month.

I bet a beer on 2011....

No Grass = No DeRo?

...my career depends on me playing, and if turf is hampering the longevity of my career, then you have to question how long can you actually deal with playing on turf.”

That's Dwayne De Rosario talking to the Globe and Mail about his long-term future with TFC. It's the second time this year that the star has publically spoken out against the turf at BMO. It's not what TFC fans want to hear on the eve of a vital MLS game against Chivas in the wildcard hunt.

It's been clear for a while that the turf needs to go. Everyone agrees. The players, the fans, the league, my cat. Everyone. Except no one knows what Toronto's unpredictable, left-leaning, P.C. to a fault, city council is thinking. And the problem is that they hold the cards here.

If, when MLSE goes to the council, they say no to putting in grass and force BMO to remain a community facility, the dream is pretty much dead. MLSE would like have to put new turf in, which would improve things for about half a season at best, and hope that it can build a team while playing on bad fake grass.

It won't be easy.

Three years in and it's clear that Toronto can't attract top level talent (that doesn't already have a connection to the city). If DeRo's statements are to believed, it might not be able to keep what local talent it does manage to bring home. The Canadian national team pretty much refuses to play on the turf and it's become the laughingstock of MLS.

Those of us that care about this team need to make sure the city's politicians understand that we need this resolved. I encourage everyone one -- especially those living in Toronto -- to take the time to contact Mayor David Miller and your local councillor. Tell them that grass is needed at BMO.

Miller is on Twitter. I'm going to Tweet him this message tonight:

@mayormiller - The people of Toronto want grass at BMO. Can you make it happen?

I wouldn't be upset if you followed.

Cohen, Hillsborough and the common sense to stay the hell away

...until now.

I've avoided touching on the Steven Cohen World Football Daily debate up until now. It's a mess and I'm not sure anyone involved is listening to anyone else about it at the moment. However, it's hard to ignore the story any longer with today's news that the show has been taken off the air.

Cohen announced that he was pulling the plug after he and his family received death threats. Who knows whether that's true. I suspect it probably is. There are a lot of unstable people out there they take this sport a little too seriously sometimes. I've experienced misguided passion first hand. Hell, I've probably been the cause of some too.

If you've been under the rock for a little while, Cohen got himself into a lot of problems earlier this year after he made some misguided comments about the Hillsborough Disaster. Via EPL-Talk, here they are:

“People showing up without ticket, hell bent in getting into somewhere where they shouldn’t be going because they don’t have tickets, is the root cause of [the Hillsborough Disaster]. I’m yet to read anybody write in this weekend’s Sunday papers in England, where they’re all doing big commemorations about the 96, and why we should never forget and how it’s changed the game, nobody discusses the 6-8,000 who showed up without tickets and my argument has always been, if those people don’t show up, this never happens. [Hillsborough] is a stadium that week-in week-out, Sheffield Wednesday used without incident.”

The fall out was immediate and spectacular. Without going into too much detail (there are a lot of places that have covered this exhaustively throughout. Google it.)) a boycott was called for by Liverpool supporters and some people supported it. Lots of people continued to be very angry and then it just got stupid. Accusations of death threats stupid.

And then they killed the show today.

So what's it mean? First, it's pretty clear that you probably shouldn't be so flippant about Hillsborough. A lot of people died. It was one of the sport's darkest days. Blaming the victim is never a good idea. It's especially not smart to do so with such an emotionally charged incident.

However it does make the journalist in me a tad bit uncomfortable that this was allowed to drag on as long as it did and get as nasty as it did. What Cohen said was more ignorant than hateful. I'm not sure driving him off the air accomplishes anything other than to send a chill down the spine of anyone that speaks his or her opinion for a living. Drive around in your car for 10 minutes with AM radio on and you will hear about 10 things just as stupid as this. Should those people be forced off the airwaves too?

Cohen was wrong to suggest that ticketless fans were the cause of the disaster. That was shown to be the case many years ago. But, I'm not sure those that engaged in the witch-hunt were on the side of the angels either.

And, in the meantime, northern North America has lost its only daily football talk show. Whether you were fan of it or not, that's still a loss. We need more voices covering this game, not less.

Even if you disagree with them.

It was 12-months ago today...

That Pat Onstad punched the dream away...



Yeah, that. God, there was so much promise that night. The walk to the stadium was exhilarating. The fact that Canada did have a majority of vocal support was refreshing (even though there were a lot of Jamaicans there it wasn't the majority and the Canadian supporters were organized and passionate -- look at that south corner. It's beautiful. It was so, so good until...)

Onstad, who doesn’t deserve to be the whipping boy, but is anyway, completely botched that corner kick. Qualifying was far from over, but Canada’s fragile confidence was shot at that moment. Certainly, the supporters stopped believing -- really believing -- then. We'd seen the movie before and we knew that the ending sucked.

Squizz has a nice post up at Some Guys talking about all that we learned since (including a shout out to this space). For once I'm going to let him be the Ego while I play the Id.

It still hurts. Bad. Like a thousand paper cuts on my thumb bad. Having your girlfriend break up with you at the prom...to date your sister...bad.

Bad. Bad. Bad.

I've barely been able to read the national team forums this past year. I only pay attention to World Cup qualifying because I feel that I have to. The Gold Cup was like a awful reminder of what we were supposed to be doing this summer. Yes, good could eventually come from losing out so spectacularly, but it just doesn't feel right taking any joy (or even any sober rational thought) from that. Not yet. It's been a year and it's still raw.

This was supposed to be the year we did it. The 2007 Gold Cup showed how good Canada could be. It was a golden generation (within a Canadian perspective). South Africa seemed doable.

Instead we got crapped on again. It almost made us supporters feel like we were suckers for caring. Why don't we make things easier on ourselves and pretend to be from somewhere else? My mother's maiden name is Langabeer. That sounds Dutch, right?

Of course we won't do that, will we? We can't. This is our burden and we know that our support has dignity, even in failure. Besides, one day we will get the ultimate reward for our loyalty and it will feel great. At least that's the hope.

I've written more than once that supporting Canada is a lot like slamming your head repeatedly against a brick wall. It hurts like hell, no one understands why you do it and it will eventually make you crazy. But if we could ever break through to the other side of that wall we just know that there will be something incredible waiting for us.

So, I'll keep hammering away. We all will.

Allez Les Rouge!

A different kind of DP

Luis Ángel Landín is not who likely springs to mind when you think of the MLS' DP rule. Yet, the young Mexican forward looks set to join Houston today as that team's first Beckham Rule player.

It's an interesting selection. Whereas Landín was brilliant for Pachuca (CONCACAF's team of the '00s), scoring 19 goals, he has struggled to find the net since. Actually, he's struggled to find the pitch, falling out of favour with Cruz Azul.

Yet he comes to MLS at a very young age for a DP, just 24. Most fans will agree that it's a little easier to take a risk when a player is that young yet. If it works out, Houston could get a lot of great years out of Landín.

Of course you must never forget the other role of the DP rule -- to sell tickets. Houston is already one of the most successful MLS markets at reaching its Hispanic base. This move should get even more Mexican-Americans out and into the stadium.

And if it doesn't work out Landín is only coming on a loan. Houston could likely find a way out.

No, Landín isn't what you might expect a DP to look like. But, he just might be the type of player that the rule is perfect for.

The mess in San Jose

Stadiums.

If you follow MLS closely you will find yourself thinking a great deal about hunks of concrete with bleachers.

It seems as though there is always someone trying to get one built, or renovated. Even those with perfectly good stadiums, like Toronto, seem to be in a constant battle to improve what they already got (GRASS!).

It can be exhausting.

Take San Jose. Almost two full years into the birth of Earthquakes 3.0, the team is still fighting to find a place to play. The temporary Buck Shaw stadium is not a long-term solution (it makes Community America Ballpark look like Old Trafford, actually) and they seemingly aren't getting anywhere in their effort to coax money out of anyone's pocket.

When the team was given back to San Jose it was done so with the promise that a new stadium would be put in place ASAP. The 'Quakes 2.0 uprooted to Houston because of a failure to get things done on the stadium front and, apparently, MLS wasn't screwing around with the 2008 version of the team.

Of course things haven't worked out (again) and everyone is feeling a little frustrated. Owner Lew Wolff lashed out at pretty much everyone yesterday , blaming supporters, the government, himself, everyone for the failure so far.

Everyone except the management team that is. "I don't give a damn what the fans say. It is not something that happens overnight."

So GM John Doyle and coach Frank I-bailed-on-the-Canadian-national-team-a-day-after-I-did-an-interview-on-Sportsnet-talking-about-how-much-I-was-looking-forward-to-the-future Yallop seem safe.

Wolff might not be if he keeps pissing off the hardcore, however.

Who knew telling your customers that you didn't "give a damn what they think" would cause resentment.

This is a mess. It's a good thing the Red Bulls are in the league because otherwise people might notice how truly dreadful the 'Quakes are this year. They are on pace to be one of the worst teams in MLS history.

But all of that might not matter if they can't get a stadium deal done. For the sake of the sanity of Earthquakes fans you would hope that the league wouldn't pull the team again (except we know it would).

And there won't be an Earthquakes 4.0.

The Rest of the Story: Hume's better. Now what?

With most of the attention here in Canada on Iain Hume's remarkable comeback (which saw him start for the first time Tuesday), Barnsley's dreadful start to the Championship season is somewhat forgotten.

With one point and just two goals against seven going the wrong way, the Reds are firmly placed at the bottom of the table. There is clearly a lot of season left -- like, a whole lot -- but you still would like to see a little more early.

Points in August are worth the same as those in April, after all.

From Hume's perspective it probably isn't encouraging to sit four points back of Leicester City, the team he left days after swearing he wouldn't in a £1.2m transfer. It was strictly business -- the ugliness of modern football and all that -- but it did sour the opinion of Hume amongst some.

Although most in Canada didn't mind that he made the move. Having a front line striker in League One wasn't that appealing -- there were whispers here that the move to Barnsley might not have been in the best long-term interest of Hume. Even after dropping out of the Championship (marking the first time the club had ever fell so far) Leicester's chances at returning to the top flight always seemed better than Barnsley's ever did.

A year later and Leicester City is back as runaway League One champions and the move is looking even less beneficial.

Again, clearly, these are really early days. Hume isn't even fully fit and the Reds are trying to bring in some reinforcements (Iceland's Emil Hallfredsson is waiting FA approval as I type ), but it's really never too early to fret.

As Hume continues to recover the question of whether he made the right move will grow stronger and stronger.

Even more reason never to leave the house

I experienced a minor miracle yesterday evening. After pouring myself a Diet Coke and grabbing a little snack I sat down on my couch, put my feet up, turned on the TV and...

Watched a live MLS game not involving Toronto FC!

For the first time since TFC entered the league a typical out-of-market game was broadcasted on Canadian cable TV (the MLS Cup and the First Kick games have been available in the past). GolTV, now owned by MLSE, has the rights and, with little fanfare, they started showing games last night.

So instead of watching a grainy Internet feed, or relying on the occasionally frustrating in-house MLS streams, I was able to see Chicago give up more points at home the way that you are supposed to watch football -- on the tube.

It came almost three years too late, but better now than never. If TFC, MLS and, in future, the Whitecaps and Impact are to truly break into the mainstream across Canada then Canadians need to have a better understanding of the league as a whole. Being able to actually see it is, clearly, key to that.

Plus, as TFC fan it was nice to see a game that directly impacted the Reds playoff drive. We get another tonight as the Seattle - New England game is also on.

Often we are cynical about MLSE's motivations. So even though they said that they would be showing these games many of us didn't believe it until we saw it. So credit where credit is due -- good work MLSE and GolTV.

Now if we could just get Fox Sportsworld Canada to actually show anything of interest to domestic soccer fans (like, say, the CCL) we'd really be talking!

A tale of two scores

Manchester's biggest two football clubs both played today. United traveled north to take on Burnley while City flew three hours south to the Camp Nou and a date with European champions Barcelona. The results might surprise.

Burnley 1-0 over United.

City 1-0 over Barcelona.

True, Barca is in pre-season still and today was an exercise in measurement rather than true competitiveness. Still, for City fans (and players and managers) that dream of making the same trip for a Champions League fixture in a couple years time, the result is magical -- a taste of what may be.

Hell, they even won a trophy! The Joan Gamper trophy, City is the first English team to win the thing. I don’t think many will buy that the result ends the pride of Manchester's 33 year drought, but maybe the City players need some practice raising such things.

United, of course, doesn't need much practice doing that. And today's shock defeat to Burnley wasn't really all that shocking. United often has hangovers in August. However, it is worth noting that the loss was the first by United to a bottom table team (as Burnley surely will be) since a 1-0 loss to Bolton Nov. 24, 2007. In fact they were on a 19 game winning streak in such games, dating back to last season's opener against Newcastle where they drew.

United doesn't drop points against the bottom of the table -- the 58 of 60 points the Red Devils put in their pocket against the slugs was the difference in the title race. Of course they had a certain Portuguese player in the line-up back then.

In the end today's results won't mean much. City is still probably a year away and United will surely be in the top two come next May. But for fans around the world it is an interesting look at how things might have changed -- and where they may yet go.

Columbus invented indifference

MLS' best team, the Columbus Crew, managed to do us all a favour last night and break down the atrocious anti-football bunker of the Puerto Rico Islanders. Although there is still lots of football left to be played in the CONCACAF Champions League, the Islanders are already behind the 8-ball when it comes to advancing to the knock-out stage. Columbus is likely the favoured team to grab the second slot in the group (the Mexican teams are the favoured until someone in CONCACAF proves otherwise) and with a two goal advantage on the books, the Crew will feel confident that they can withstand Puerto Rico in San Juan, where they play slightly better.

This is a good thing. Gritty upsets are fine and all, but when a team like the Islanders is able consistently advance while playing so negatively it reflects poorly on the rest of the region and does nothing to sell an event (the CCL) that clearly still needs to be sold.

Case in point: yesterday's attendance in Columbus. That would be 6,161. The (trying-way-too-hard-to-sound-authentic-so-we-gave-it-a-silly-forgien-sounding-name) Nordecke making up the majority of that number, even though it had about half the amount of people in it that it usually does.

Columbus has known that it was playing this game since the pre-season. It had all year to educate its more casual fans on what the CONCACAF Champions League is and why it is important. Although the opponent wasn't known until last week (and it's probably a good thing Toronto crapped the bed, otherwise there literally might have been more Reds fans in Crew Stadium last night than those supporting the home team), the date was. To only sell 6,161 tickets is, frankly, pathetic. Especially when you consider that only about half (if I'm generous) of the Nordecke -- the supposed hardcore support that should damn well know what the CCL is -- was in the stadium.

Anyone from Columbus that happens to swing by this column will probably dismiss it as just another attendance smack down from some know-nothing Toronto punk that is just jealous of the MASSIVE! Crew. And I agree to a point that T.O. fans are too quick to hold the Reds’ success off the pitch over other MLS cities, especially those that were there in the early years. But, that doesn't change the fact that there is something seriously wrong in the Columbus market (and Dallas and about three others to various degrees). With an average attendance of 13,360, which ranks ninth (tenth, really. It's hardly fair to compare K.C.'s attendance to the rest of the league since it plays in a stadium that only fits a fraction more than 10,000 people) it's hard to argue otherwise..

In a league that shares revenue you are only as strong as your weakest link. That the Crew are a wonderful team on the pitch matters little when they continue to drag down MLS off of it. Yes, the CCL is a different animal and it was a weeknight and (fill in five more excuses here), but come on!

6,161 is pathetic. 13,360 is pathetic. Especially when you are talking about the best team in the league.

If Columbus doesn't want the team, I'm sure there is another city out there that does.

Are Arsenal supporters jaded by the quick start?

By: Wray from Wray on Soccer


So after watching the opening weekend of the EPL and the opening matches of the UEFA CL, I have only one question regarding Arsenal. Is the side good enough?

Arsenal fans may think so, given their 6-1 defeat of Everton on the weekend and their 2-0 win against Celtic at Parkhurst, but I still believe there are questions to be answered by the side. No more than a week ago the fans and the press were all over Arsene Wenger for not picking up more during the transfer window, after losing Adebayor and Toure to Manchester City, but since their opening match I have not heard one word of doubt from anyone speaking about the Gunners. It is as though 8 goals in two matches has jaded the public into thinking that the Gunners have not lost a step, and will be able to challenge for silverware this season after all; something they have not picked up in a few seasons. But moving forward in this term there are still questions to be asked about the strength of the squad, and let’s not forget; Arsenal have won nothing yet.

So Gunner and footy fans alike, let’s have a look at the Arsenal scoring history to date. There have been 8 goals scored by the side, which is great for your record, but look a bit closer and you will see that only one of those goals was scored by an Arsenal striker, and by the time that goal was scored the match had been over for almost 45 minutes. Does this worry anyone? It would worry me if I were an Arsenal fan. Cesc Fabregas contributing and putting two goals in himself in the second half of the Everton match is one thing, but look at your other scorers. Eduardo put the last of the six on the board in the 89th minute of the Everton match, Denilson scored on a shot from distance against Everton, new boy Vermaelen scored on a header from a set piece against Everton, defensive winger Gael Clichy put a cross/shot in that was deflected past Celtic’s keeper, and central defenseman William Gallas has netted in both fixtures, though he did not seem to know much about the goal against Celtic. Would this worry me as an Arsenal fan? Of course it would, and how could it not? Out of 8 goals scored, all of them but one have come from places other than the front men, with half the goal total coming from the defense and another coming from a holding midfielder. I would be asking questions about the future if I were an Arsenal fan. The front men need to score, maybe not all the goals, but a better percentage than they have contributed so far. Arsenal have quite a few options up front already, but I would not doubt the goal total will be a reason for Wenger again to get out of having to spend any money.

Another area to question in regards to Arsenal is the defense. Do they have enough to make it through the season? The starters at the moment are doing well and contributing on both ends of the pitch, but how much depth is there should something happen. New arrival Varmaelen has already had to come into the starting lineup, and while he has not disappointed and actually looks like a quality option, how much depth is behind them? Now with what I would consider a quality replacement in Phillipe Senderos, after doing nicely during his loan to AC Milan last season, they want to sell him; further weakening an already shallow depth list in defense. This does not seem to be the brightest move when your main replacement is Silvestre, who has a history of finding himself unfit to play for long spells. Though at the moment it does not look like an issue, I think it is a question Wenger will have to answer before the season is over.

The only other real question I have is the youth in the side. Now I know that most of these young players have been playing in Europe for years now, and that they have experience in the big games, but is that enough. As Wenger has trimmed some of the fat from the side, he has left the team lacking in depth, and with a side who’s young players often find themselves injured; it becomes a question that needs to be asked. Yes they can play in the big games and produce, but how much pressure is going to be put on these young players as they have become the majority in the side? If enough of them can stay healthy to always have the depth they need, I think they will be fine, but look out for the pressure put on players if injuries creep into the side during a busy schedule.

So to answer some questions for you all. I do not hate Arsenal. In fact I like watching them a great deal, as they play very attractive football. These are questions that I think have been put on the back burner after a strong start by the side, but that are still issues going forward. I do not see Arsenal having the depth and strength to challenge for the title this season, but if they can keep their youth performing they should find some success in the cups this season. So beware Arsenal fans, as the season is long and the matches do not get any easier as things progress. I feel that this lack of scoring from the forwards is an issue that needs to be addressed, but as long as the midfield and defense continue to score with regularity the side should still at least look dangerous.

Isolationism - it's the MLS' way

"You would hope that we didn't shoot ourselves in the foot by winning that game (against Firpo in the Champions League preliminary stage). If we wouldn't have had that schedule, it would look pretty good for us. I don't buy it (that international tournaments that reward the winner with a pass to a world event are more important than league play). I guess it is. It's important to the club and it's important to the people here -- we're taking it seriously -- but for me, the league has to be [the priority], right? What good is it to play in this tournament if you don't make the playoffs? To me, it doesn't make sense."

Via Goff, that's DC United's Santino Quaranta talking about the CONCACAF Champions League and what it means to the players.

If you ever wanted evidence demonstrating why MLS struggles so much in this event, there it is. Even though the team is, apparently, "taking it seriously" its players -- or at least this player -- can't even be bothered to fake excitement when talking to one of the most well read MLS journalists in the world.

It's pretty clear MLS players look at the CCL as a burden rather than an opportunity. And that's too bad.

But, it's easy to understand where they are coming from. With the razor thin rosters and indifferent fan reactions (outside of Toronto) why would they care? They don't view the competition as being played on an even playing field and they don't see the value in beating a Honduran team that no one outside of the hardest of the hardcore soccer fan has heard of.

I think we in Canada have a different view of the competition because we, as a much smaller nation than the U.S., are forced to take a more worldly view on many issues (relax American readers. I'm not saying that you personally don't have a worldly view. Clearly you do. You read a blog that covers football from a Canadian perspective. About 80 per cent of my traffic comes from outside the U.S. so you're not the typical MLS fan). Canadians always look forward to a chance to measure ourselves against the rest of the world (even though it's often discouraging). U.S. fans, in general terms, are satisfied to measure themselves against themselves (as an example, TFC is last in road attendance in MLS this year).

It stands to reason that a 24-year-old from Baltimore that has played his entire professional career in the United States would share the viewpoint of most of the people that watch him.

All of which makes TFC's exit from the competition particularly frustrating. Although Toronto fans understood that the fixture congestion playing in the CCL would have caused would have made the Reds' playoff drive all the more difficult, I would suspect that significant amount of TFC fans would have preferred a deep run in CONCACAF to a MLS Cup playoff appearance.

Why focus on being the best in MLS when you can compete to be the best in all of North America?

The competition resumes tonight. The USL’s Puerto Rico is in Columbus and Marathon (Honduras) is home to DC United. We will be watching closely to see what the rosters look like.

Amado: Keeper in disguise?

I'm not usually one for Freeping, but this might be worthwhile.

Amado Guevara is up for the MLS Save of the Week for his injury time goal line clearance against DC United.

Vote early, vote often.

Hey Wilco: Don't let it go to your little furry head.

OK, so it wasn’t the best start for Fumo in his challenge to the Texan cat. Picking Hull over Chelsea was a bit ballsy – maybe too much this early – but there were some gems in there. Fumo wasn’t fooled by Everton’s promise against Arsenal and nailed that Sunderland would impress.

I almost didn’t feed him (kitty treats) for not picking the City win, but I forgave him when I saw that he picked United to lose. He is a good cat.

Having finally finished watching all the games, I will be scoring everyone’s picks soon. In the meantime e-mail me your week two picks (today through Sunday). If you miss the early game, no worries. The standings will be based on percentage of correct picks.

Fumo has four of 10 for 40 per cent right now.

Mr. Wilco went 5-5

Today Fumo is going for Wolves and Sunderland. Really, I trust him.

MVP-Ro?

When Dwayne De Rosario came to Toronto in the off-season the excitement of bringing the hometown hero home was tempered by those that cautioned that his best years were behind him.

He was coming off of a subpar (by his standards) season in Houston, when he only had seven goals and two assists in 24 games. Many in Houston quietly suggested that it was time for that club to move on and were happy to get a prospect in Julian James.

On Saturday, DeRo glanced a header into the north end goal at BMO for his 60th career MLS marker. It was the fourth straight game he had scored and the fifth straight game he registered a point. DeRo currently sits third in league scoring, third in shots attempted and first in shots on goal. He's on pace to score 13 goals, which would be the most of his career.

The consistency has been most impressive. Whereas the other players near the top of the goal scoring race have scored in clusters, DeRo has been plugging away game after game. And he's done so without losing his trademarked ability to raise up in big games. De Rosario's hat trick against Montreal in the final game of the Voyageurs' Cup almost singlehandedly gave TFC the title.

Famously DeRo has been the MLS Cup MVP twice. He's never, however, won for the regular season award (he was second in voting in 2005). One of the biggest criticisms of DeRo was that he disappeared for long stretches of a season. Clearly that hasn't been the case this year.

In a season where no single player has jumped out to be a clear choice for MVP, DeRo has to be in the conversation. Guillermo Barros Schelotto is likely the frontrunner to repeat and Landon Donovan and Fredy Montaro will both make good arguments and even Conor Casey has to be given the proper amount of respect. But if DeRo keeps scoring and Toronto gets itself into the top of the east, Scarborough's finest could have the most compelling argument of all come November.

The Buzz about City

Only the most humourless United fan would not find the amusement in City's now infamous Welcome to Manchester Carlos Tevez sign. It was the perfect combination of ripping the piss out of a (bigger) rilval while showing a little pride and hope about the future of the club. It wasn't nasty or crude. It was funny. All marketing should aspire to that.

Which is why it isn't surprising to see that the campaign is a people's choice award nominee for the Buzz Awards, which honour the best in viral marketing. If you are so inclined you can surf on over and throw it a vote.

And just so you don't think I'm just a biased City guy:


That was the correct way for a United fan to respond to the ad -- with humour.

It's Called Football: Craig Forrest talks the footy

Craig Forrest joined us today to talk a little EPL and a little MLS and a little Canada. We also got into the USL sale and what it might mean to the future of the game here.



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A capital idea

Hidden in Ben Rycroft’s article this morning about the impending purchase of USL was news that Ottawa is a prime candidate for USL expansion. It shouldn’t be news that surprises those that have followed the city’s stadium battle and failed MLS expansion attempt. However, it still is exciting to see the city mentioned as a possible destination for a team.

Earlier this year I received an anonymous tip that Jeff Hunt, the man who leads Ottawa’s CFL bid (and therefore controls the successful stadium bid), had been seen in a meeting with USL officials. Although the details of the meeting were unknown, it stands to reason that the two sides were talking about the possibility of bringing USL soccer to the capital.

During the stadium battle the Hunt group had mentioned that “pro soccer” could be a part of the new stadium. What league the “pro soccer” team came from was never made specific.

Certainly the USL seems to fit in Ottawa. MLS always seemed like a step too far – at least until the market had proven itself – and the second tier appeared to offer a more tangible possibility.

If the city is awarded a team there could be worse owners than Hunt. For those unaware, he is the owner of the Ottawa 67s, a very successful junior hockey team. Hunt has direct experience successfully selling a sporting product that is not at the highest level. You can expect that if Capital City FC is to become a reality that he would tap into that expertise.

Although Montreal and Vancouver can’t get into MLS fast enough that doesn’t mean we should ignore the second tier. It provides young Canadians with a chance to develop and exposes more fans to the live game (which , in turn, makes more people follow the game closer, which, in turn, means more people pay attention to the CSA, which, in turn, makes more people demand that the CSA be accountable).

So let’s hope “pro soccer” is coming to Ottawa.

USL likely to be sold this week

Ben Rycroft reports in Metro this morning that USL is likely to be sold this week. Although MLS is one of the groups in the bidding for the second tier league, it's unlikely that Don Garber and friends want to spend the money that would be needed.

Rycroft goes on to speculate that the sale to a likely third party will "end the dreams" of MLS fans hoping for promotion ands relegation.

Those dreams have been dead for 13 years.

MLS exists on a franchise model (although they aren’t technically franchises, if that makes sense). Ownership groups pay fees to be members of MLS. With that they agree to share profits and expenses. For its part, the league agrees to provide the “franchises” with certain things -- not the least of which is access to playing in MLS.

Although the league could technically mandate that there be promotion and relegation to and from a mythical MLS2, it's hard to imagine a scenario where the owners of the LA Galaxy (who would have been relegated last year) would agree to a system that could see them taking weekend road trips to Rochester via Austin.

It's far more likely that MLS was interested in USL to set up a farm system similar to what you see in baseball and hockey. It would be a cheaper option for teams to carry more players than expanding the senior roster at the MLS level (imagine a situation where teams have 24 roster spots in MLS and 24 at their USL club. Players could be brought up from the USL side to fill in for injuries. Assumedly there would be a group of players that would yo-yo between the two leagues as teams look to get playing time for younger players.

However, it doesn't appear to matter. MLS doesn't look like it's going to win the day and someone else will try and continue on with the league. The question will be what they will do with it. Currently only three teams in USL make money. Two of those teams are leaving in the next 18-months. The third is likely gone a year after that. The sport is not strong enough in northern North America to have two leagues competing with each other for attention here.

It would seem like USL's best option would be to find some sort of partnership with MLS regardless of who owns it.

EPL Week 1 – 6 road wins, 4 home wins, and 1 upset

By: Wray from Wray on Soccer


The Premier League season kicked off with a foggy start for some, mainly us Americans who had to wake bright and early to catch the opening match between Chelsea and Hull City. It would go on to become an interesting weekend in which we found out a lot about what to expect this season, and though you might want to write a few sides off already, do not judge so quickly. I only missed two matches this weekend, Stoke City v Burnley and Bolton v Sunderland, though many of the rest were watched at a later date during a busy weekend. Here is what I saw and expect going forward.

Chelsea 2 – 1 Hull City

This match was entertaining from start to finish, having many Chelsea fans on the edge of their seats throughout after Hull’s new boy Stephen Hunt started off the scoring in the 28th. Chelsea were not rattled and never looked like they would lose this match though, unless they failed to find the back of the net, which would also not happen. A rejuvenated Didier Drogba would lead Chelsea to their opening win this season as he netted in the 37th and 90th to give the Blues the victory they were expecting on the opening weekend though; the 90th minute GWG was a beauty though as Drogba trying to cross the ball to the backpost actually chipped Hull’s keeper and found the net for the win. Hull played Chelsea hard throughout though and actually deserved a point from this one in my opinion. Do not write Hull off yet though as many of us have, including myself, because if their new signings come together and they can find the net consistently, they could be a side to be reckoned with this term as they fight to stay in the top flight.

Portsmouth 0 – 1 Fulham

I watched this match at a later time on the DVR and found myself fast forwarding to keep interested. Aside from the Zamora goal in the 13th, the match had a lot of back and forth play and neither side looked to be able to hold possession for long. Portsmouth looked like they would equalize many times throughout, but whether it was by luck or just poor finishing; they never quite found the final touch needed. Fulham have added depth and should continue to improve as the season moves on, but Pompey looks to be in for a long season that could very well find them fighting for their lives in the end. It was a hard match to watch, but I doubt anyone expected a different result in this one.

Wolves v West Ham

Another match watched from the DVR a day later. I was actually looking forward to seeing Wolves play and was excited SETANTA decided to give us a free weekend as I cannot seem to bring myself to pay for the channel monthly. Now do not pass judgment on Wolves by this one game because they had their moments. They are this season’s West Brom of the promoted sides, bringing up what looks to be the strongest of the 3 teams, but did not show it on the weekend. If the shots had found the net for Wolves this game could have very well have been a draw, but as it stands, they were unable to score in their first outing. Both sides controlled the match for lengthy spells of time, but it was the Hammers in the end who found the net in each half to earn the 3 points. Noble would send a strike from outside the 18 in the 22nd for the Hammers, and in the 69th Matthew Upson would send a header past the Wolves’ keeper from a corner to seal up the victory. Wolves can do nothing but improve from here, and I would expect nothing less now that the opening day jitters should be out of their system. West Ham on the other hand. Well just look for them in the middle of the table and they should not be hard to find throughout the season.

Blackburn 0 – 2 Manchester City

I had to step out so I watched this match today, as I was just as curious as everyone else about the new Manchester side. All the new big names for City would see the pitch in this one, except Roque Santa Cruz, who was not even on the bench. City would make one substitution bringing on Tevez for Robinho, giving Tevez around 20 minutes to run around as he likes to do, but he really contributed very little as had Robinho who he replaced. Adebayor would open up his account with City by scoring in the 3rd minute and old boy Stephen Ireland would finish out the match in the 90th with his own. Blackburn just lacked the luck needed and the final ball to even the match up though, as City gave them many opportunities throughout the match. City should improve as the season moves on and the players find their connections with each other, but do not look for Blackburn to have an easy season, as lack of a quality attack could lead to a poor finish this term.

Bolton 0 – 1 Sunderland

I did not get to catch this match, but I have to say I thought it was going to end in a draw. Neither one of these sides looked to have the strength to take this match. New boy Darren Bent found the net early on though, giving new manager Steve Bruce his first win with the Black Cats. I have no further judgment to pass on these sides at the moment, but it does not look as if Sunderland will have the hardships many have predicted for the season, and we know Bolton will find a way as always to stick around.

Aston Villa 0 – 2 Wigan

I am not sure many could say they predicted this outcome when looking at the Week 1 fixtures, but if you did you most undoubtedly were a Wigan fan. Coming off the Peace Cup victory, Villa looked to have a decent side coming in to the new season, and a depleted Wigan side with a new coach should have been no problem for them; but it was. Villa’s defense was poor throughout this match and they never managed to link up properly to get themselves in position to score. Ashley Young would try to take over the match for Villa, but his efforts would fall short as he never managed to keep his head up long enough to get anyone else involved, most times picking himself up off the ground after an attempt to draw a foul. Wigan would surprise though as Hugo Rodallega launched a beauty into the net around the 30th; one that will most likely be up for goal of the week. Finishing off the Villains would be Wigan winger Jason Koumas, who would find his way past Friedel from a tight angle to all but seal the match for the Latics in the 56th. Wigan could impress this season, though many people did not and do not think they have the squad to compete throughout the season. Villa should bounce back though, but now we know how badly the loss of Barry and a cohesive defense have affected the side.

Stoke City 2 – 0 Burnley

I was not able to catch this match, but it looks like a rough start that will not get any smoother for Burnley, as they face Manchester United next week. Letting in a goal from Stoke defensemen, Ryan Shawcross in the 19th and Stephen Jordan’s own goal in the 33rd, all but sealed the fate for Burnley in this opening round. I am looking forward to seeing the side play, and Stoke have started on the right foot to avoid relegation again this season.

Everton 1 – 6 Arsenal

Now if you had told me there would be a 6-1 score line in the first week, this would not have been the match I would have picked. Maybe Chelsea could put up that many on Hull or the attacking train of Manchester City could have pulled in and dropped off half a dozen goals at the Riverside, but not against Everton, a team who pushed the top four last season and was thought to do so again this season. Also, coming into the season, who thought Arsenal would ever be a side linked with a 6 goal performance? Definitely not me, and I bet not you either.

Everton would come out competitive for the first 20 minutes, actually controlling much of the play, when Denilson launched a rocket to beat Howard and start off the scoring frenzy. Now most would think that knowing Arsenal, they might tack on one or two more by the end of the match, not today though as they added two more by half time. New boy Vermaelen would find the net in the 37th and William Gallas would finish out the half with a goal in the 41st, strangely enough these still aren’t the names you would expect to see on the score sheet.

Arsenal would not rest though, scoring 3 minutes into the second half through Cesc Fabregas to make it 4-0 early on. Everton would hold Arsenal off for a bit after the 4th, but Arsenal were not done yet as Fabregas added another in the 70th and Eduardo would come off the bench to add his own in the 89th, making it 6-0 to Arsenal. You would think that we would be done now as I did, but we were not. Everton, though beaten throughout the match, never gave up, and Louis Saha would put them on the scoreboard in the 90th to finish out the match 6-1. If you were an Everton fan I cannot imagine your thoughts after this one, but I do not think it can get much worse. Everything went wrong for Everton on the day, but they should bounce back and have another strong season. Arsenal on the other hand showed that they can score, and in bunches. They are hungry for silverware this season and if they continue with this kind of form there is no reason they will not see any coming back to the Emirates. Both sides should be interesting to watch the rest of the way though.

Manchester United 1 – 0 Birmingham City

Birmingham does not beat United, nor have they ever if what I have been able to find is true, and today would be no different. Most people tuned into this match to see how United would be without Ronaldo, and I would think they would not be surprised to see that they are not doing so well. I will say this though, United always start slow and I would not write them off quite yet. Birmingham put on a good performance today and showed that they should be a side that can come away with some victories this season. Rooney managed to find the net in the 34th to put United up with the only goal they would need today, and though the side is a bit injured at the moment, they got their point. Opponents should look out for Birmingham though as their new boy Benitez looks dangerous and could prove challenging for opposing defenses in the future. Look for City to bounce back and start to pick up some results as this season progresses, they should be able to beat out some of the other troubled teams this term to keep a place in the Prem in the end.

Tottenham 2 – 1 Liverpool

This was my major pick for the week. Many people have talked about Spurs this summer, but most have really just poked fun at them, never really considering them contenders of any sort. Liverpool helped matters some today though by just playing awful. I am not sure they knew how bad the loss of a link up player like Alonso would be, but if the performance against Spurs was any indication, Benitez needs to get a replacement in fast. Scoring for Spurs was Assou-Ekotto in the 44th from an awesome rebound from a free kick and ex Newcastle player Sebastian Bassong in the 59th to seal the deal. Spurs would give Liverpool hope though as Liverpool picked up a penalty when Spurs’ keeper Gomes took down Glen Johnson in the 55th, resulting in a PK from Gerrard that evened the match up for 3 minutes. Liverpool could be in trouble if they do not get going soon, missing points they need if they plan on challenging for the title this season, but I do not see them finding their 20th this season.

So to close out I would have to say it was a good weekend. ESPN started us out bright and early to kick off the season and FSC brought the weekend to a close with a great match, showing the first real upset of the season. I am already looking forward to the midweek matches and only hope some of these sides can get things going in the right direction. I am going to give out a Player of the Week rating to one player each round this season, and I think this weeks is obvious as Didier Drogba has come back from his sulk and dragged his team to victory in Week 1. So let us all get ready now as the next round is literally right around the corner.

Hume makes first league appearance since injury

Striker Iain Hume returned to action for the first time since fracturing his jaw against Sheffield United last November but his second half appearance was to no avail as 10-man Barnsley lost their opening home Championship encounter to Coventry City for a third successive season.

It's nice to see him back. Next up is getting that first goal...

Home and away adjusted standings for Aug. 16

East
Columbus 53***
Chicago 50**
DC United 43*
Toronto 41
New England 40
Kansas City 33
New York 15

West
Houston 52**
Chivas 49**
Seattle 45*
Galaxy 45*
Colorado 44*
Salt Lake 38
Dallas 33
San Jose 23

*** - Supporter’s Shield winner
** - Automatic playoff spot
* - Wildcard playoff spot

Sober Second Thoughts: One hot win

When the history of TFC is one day written, I doubt yesterday’s 2-0 win over DC United will make the final edit. It was just another game in an endless summer of games. Nothing too special took place and the heat -- it would be nice if Toronto could have a nice, reasonable weather game this year. Every home game has either been insanely cold or crazy hot. Yesterday might have been the hottest game ever played in that stadium -- sapped a lot of the energy out of it.

But O'Brian White will remember it for the rest of his life though. The forgotten member of TFC's 2009 rookie class finally found the back of the net in a well taken strike late in the second half.

And DeRo keep doing what he's been doing all season. It's probably a little too early to start the MVP chant, but it's getting closer and closer to being a reasonable thing to do. No one expected 12 goals (in all competitions) and only two off the golden boot with nine games to play. The off season trade to bring DeRo home was made to look especially one sided yesterday as Julius James, the man DeRo was traded to Houston for, made his first appearance for United.

Sam Cronin might remember the game too, as it was one of his best this season. The rookie was everywhere in the first half, attacking and tracking back in the heat. His youthful energy stood out on a day that tested the best of players.

I'd also suggest that Nana Attakora might one day look back fondly on the day. After being out for a month with an injury he didn't lose a step as he made Toronto fans forget that Marvell Wynne was unavailable. Attakora has quietly been one of TFC's best stories of 2009.

The Gambians -- Emmanuel Gomez and Amadou Sanyang -- might also keep yesterday in the memory bank. It was the first time they started a game together and they once again didn't look out of place. Mo Johnston is often criticised for failing to look for talent outside of the UK. It's hard to take that criticism seriously when you watch the two young Africans impress.

So, there were reasons to like yesterday's game. From a Toronto perspective the most important of all being the three points. It was desperately needed and, for the time being, puts the Reds back into a playoff spot. That's, of course, the bottom line.

No, it won't be written about at the end of the day. But in an up and down, occasionally infuriating, and often exhilaration season, a workmanlike, professional win really was a beautiful thing to watch.

And it will be a while before Toronto fans get to see something similar. Five of the next six are on the road. The playoffs are in Toronto's hands. They just have to go out and earn them.

Toronto FC - D.C. United live blog

I'll be providing coverage of the Toronto FC - D.C. United match at 4 p.m. Eastern. It should be a good one, with plenty of playoff implications; D.C. are in fourth place in the East with 28 points from a 6-4-10 record, while Toronto are fifth with 27 points from a 7-7-6 record. Come join in the fun then!

What you should expect this weekend in the EPL…

By: Wray from Wray on Soccer

So today is just another day right? Wrong! Today is the day before the kickoff of the new Premier League season and you all should be ripe with anticipation for it. Compared to American sports the EPL has a very short off season, but an off season filled with transfer rumors that leave us fans foaming at the mouth for the new season to start. I have posted my predictions, entered my fantasy leagues, and previewed every team from 1-20 for the coming season, now I ask you, what have you done? Are you ready for the season to kick off? So to help get some of you off to the start of the season I am going to do a quick, or what I hope is quick anyways, preview of the opening weekends action. I posted 5 matches to look out for this weekend already, so I will start there and give a brief bit of attention to those that are left.

To start out the weekend, and this is not one of my five, Chelsea will be welcoming Hull City to Stamford Bridge. Now you may ask why I should watch this match. I give you two reasons right here. 1) Chelsea has looked stellar in the preseason friendlies and is looking to recapture glory by unseating Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United. 2) Jozy Altidore has joined Hull City. Now I know some of us hope that Chelsea do not dethrone United, me being one of them, but Chelsea look tough and are the only likely candidates this round. Also, some may be saying, why should we care about Hull City? Well the most likely answer is that if you are reading the crap I sling here then you are most likely American, and should care what one of the future stars of our national side is up to. Jozy is new to England and this will be his big test. Hull are more than likely going to be relegated at the end of season, but who could possibly miss the opening match of the new season? Unless it happens to not be televised, this is looking more and more likely as we are waiting on word from ESPN about a possible airing of the match.

Back to my matches to catch this weekend is Aston Villa taking on Wigan Athletic. Seems a boring match when you look at it, but Wigan are going to look completely different this season than last and Villa will be missing a key ingredient too. Wigan lost a lot in the off season with Antonio Valencia departing to Manchester United and manager Steve Bruce stepping aside to take the Sunderland job, but the Latics have brought in new manager Roberto Martinez and promised him a full 3 seasons. Does this mean Wigan will fold this season and rebuild through the Championship? It is likely to happen, but Martinez will want to prove his salt as manager and try to keep the boys up in only his 3^rd season at the helm of a club. Now Villa looked good in the preseason I was able to see, winning the Peace Cup over Juventus and bringing in some more young English talent. They will be without their former Captain Gareth Barry, who has opted to move to Manchester City for a large payday, but will they really miss him? I would like to think a player such as Barry would not disrupt this side going into the new season. O’Neil has managed to hold on to many key players on the squad and they should again have a good start to their season.

Moving to much greener pastures at Manchester City this off season, but does money spent buy you a winning side? I do not think they will crack the top four this season but an opening round trip to Blackburn should not worry them much. This match will finally show the fans the new look of City, but with manager Mark Hughes sitting near the top of the sack list, a victory against a mid table side such as Blackburn will not be his saving grace. City can come out and win 6-0 as they did at times last season, but unless their form evens out and they get results regularly, look for Hughes to be gone sometime this season. It should be an interesting watch this weekend though as City rolls out the big guns.

I have predicted there will be two upsets this weekend of the big four. The first will be by Everton, as they welcome Arsene Wenger and his young Arsenal side to Goodison for an early season showdown. Everton have been pushing to get into the top four and this could be their opening shot of the season if they can manage to keep their proverbial foot on the throat of the Gunners throughout. Arsenal have lost more than they think with Adebayor and Toure leaving in the off season, and a weak defense aside, it does not look promising that a side that has struggled to score at times in the past will prove themselves any stronger this season. David Moyes will work his genius for cash strapped Everton as always, but this could be the final chapter for Wenger at the Emirates. Look out for this match as it promises to be entertaining if nothing else.

The other upset on the weekend looks to happen at White Hart Lane. Tottenham will welcome in the weakened Liverpool on the opening weekend and fans will finally find out how much Liverpool have been hurt by their recent losses. Alonso is off to Madrid and Gerrard looks to be out injured for the opener, so where is the play going to come from? I do not trust the likes of Lucas or Benayoun to lead a midfield, and neither should LFC supporters. This will be a hard one to swallow for the Reds, but look for Spurs to come out and give them a game. Nobody is really talking about Spurs to loudly this offseason, and honestly that could help them. They have the talent in their stables and if Harry Houdini can get it right, they should be able to capture three points early, putting them way above their starting point in the last term. This should be a telling match on the side of both teams, letting fans in on what we have not seen during the offseason.

My 5^th match to look at this weekend was the Manchester United versus Birmingham City match. Now United should be able to take this match with ease, but that is not why I put them in this slot. This will be a first look for most at the new United, post Ronaldo era. Can they recapture the title this season, and who will step up to provide the spark that Ronaldo gave the side? I think I know, but I have not heard his name mentioned yet this off season. United fans look out for Anderson this season. He is still young, but with the aging midfielders around him, he should be able to shine this term. Luckily with the choices at keeper limited that there is a strong defense, but the keeper situation will need to be solved shortly if United are to keep up without dropping too far behind. Birmingham City will also be interesting to watch, though they should not win this match. They have brought in quite a few new faces in the off season, with high hopes of succeeding in the EPL this time around. I think they might just have enough if they can get points where they should and not drop points against teams around them in the table. It will be a telling match though, as we see a newly promoted against United with a new face.

Other notables to look at will be Steve Bruce’s opening match with Sunderland at the Reebok. Will he be able to make it work for the Black Cats this season, and will Bolton continue to show just enough to find themselves safe at the end of the season, or will one of these two sides be fighting it out in the relegation zone come the end of the season? I picked this match to be a draw and I honestly think it will be a physical match from both sides as they try and scrap for the win.

West Ham will find themselves against last season’s Championship winners Wolves in the first round, and though I have faith in the Hammers to find themselves mid table as always at the end of the season, I do not see them getting out of this one with full points. It should be an interesting match, as we see what the new boys can do against the Hammers, but West Ham are not known for their scoring prowess, therefore making it hard for them to get enough to leave with more than a draw. Both of these sides should be fun to watch this season. Wolves could very well do as Stoke City did last season and finish near the middle of the table, or they could fail horribly as West Brom did and find themselves fighting for their lives week in and week out, lets hope they stay true to form as one of the top sides coming up. West Ham on the other hand always seems to find their spot early and maintain. Zola will be in his first full season with the side, and things are looking up for the Hammers. They are always entertaining to watch and should provide nothing less this season either.

Will Portsmouth be sold or not? That has been the question all summer long at the club. Dropping the side to almost bare bones is going to make it tough to have enough fight to stay up this season and Pompey will most likely find themselves battling week in and week out for precious points. Fulham on the other hand have stocked the cabinets this off season ahead of their European campaign. Fulham should take this away win at Portsmouth easily, but at times the side tends to struggle on the scoring end of things. If nothing else the action will be entertaining to watch. Portsmouth will look like a train wreck from the start and Fulham should take charge and hopefully find their scoring touch early on. Lets just hope as American fans that we get a chance to see Dempsey reclaim his form and Eddie Johnson actually grace the pitch for a bit, even if he happens to come on late as a sub. This match should give Fulham what could be called an extra preseason match to get some of their new faces out on the pitch ahead of a tough schedule that is coming for the side.

And to finish it off a side that shocked the Premiership last season, and the new boys, and I do mean boys. Stoke City will be welcoming in promoted side Burnley on opening weekend, and look to maintain the form they finished off the season with last term. Burnley will be entertaining to watch as their manager has done it with youth like Wenger, but will they have the bottle to do it against Premier League sides all season? This match should be entertaining with the young boys and the Delap throw ins, but in the end look for Stoke to take it at the KC Stadium to start off their second campaign in the top flight. Should Stoke manage to stay up again, and I think they will, there will be many pundits who predicted them to finish dead last in their first season that will still be shaking their heads. Stoke are entertaining to watch and I am hoping Burnley does not disappoint either as I am looking forward to this opening round matchup.

So there it is. Try to get some sleep tonight. I know we are all excited and on the edge of our seats. Now it is time to look out for something amazing to happen as the magic of the new season fills the air. Make sure all of your predictions are in and your fantasy sides chosen, and get ready to sit back and watch the stories unfold.