24th Minute Survivor: week six

It’s the battle for the medals as just three remain in the 24th Minute Survivor pool.

You know what to do:

Leftcoastkicks - NER, Galaxy, Seattle, NYRB, Columbus
Casual Soccer Fan – KC, Galaxy, Seattle, Colorado, NYRB
Green Apes – Columbus, Galaxy, RSL, NYRB, KC


New York Red Bulls at D.C. United
FC Dallas at New England Revolution
Kansas City Wizards at Houston Dynamo
Chivas USA at Chicago Fire
Toronto FC at Real Salt Lake
Colorado Rapids at San Jose Earthquakes
Philadelphia Union at Los Angeles Galaxy
Columbus Crew at Seattle Sounders FC

Highlights of Impact - TFC

For those outside of the country that haven't seen it. Take note of the straight red about 19 seconds into the package. The Montreal player, Roberto Brown, has been suspended indefinitely by the Impact.

Managing expectations

It almost seems redundant to point this out, but several comments on the blog recently have made me thing that it might be necessary. When you are talking about a MLS team, and mostly writing about domestic soccer here in Canada it’s important to always keep things in perspective and in context.

It goes without saying that the quality of, say, TFC is not the same as the quality of pretty much any team we watch on Saturdays (unless you are streaming Scottish D2 games on your computer maybe). So, when I write that a game was “as compelling as anything I’ve seen” I’m talking about what I’ve seen at BMO.

I love reading Paul James. I feel I learn something new about the game whenever I surf over to his space at the Globe and Mail. However, of I have one criticism of his work it’s that he’s too critical – it’s as if he forgets that he’s watching MLS teams sometimes. You have to compare apples to apples (yes, that is the second time this week I’ve used that cliché) and I’m not sure he does all the time. He’s far from the only person.

There seems to be a belief among many of TFC’s fans that the way to demonstrate your intelligence about the game is to be critical of it. I suppose that’s one way to demonstrate an understanding of the game, but keeping MLS in the context of the full football world is another. I watched two football games Wednesday. On TV I saw Barcelona beat Inter 1-0 at Camp Nou. Then, I watched TFC play the Montreal Impact. It is possible to appreciate both, even if you understand that one is about 1,000 times less skilled.

When I wrote that the TFC game was as as compelling as anything I’ve ever watched down there I wasn’t referring to the tactics. I’m sure if my agenda was to find fault with the action I could. But, that isn’t my interest. Wednesday’s game was compelling because it was interesting and because it mattered.

That’s the Voyageur Cup in a nutshell right there – terrible football, great drama.

If forced to choose I’ll take the drama over technical proficiency every single time.

Sober Second Thoughts: It's all in how you look at things

If you spend much time reading non-Toronto discussion board threads about Wednesday’s Nutrilite Canadian Championship for the Voyageur’s Cup game you’ll likely come away with a few basic ideas.

First of all it was the worst game ever played.

No one was there.

The Toronto fans that were there were subdued and should be embarrassed for their (highly ironic) Ole chants in the second half.

If Roberto Brown hadn’t lost his mind and punched Nick Garcia, the Impact would have won going away.

It’s all crap, of course, but such is the agenda of your typical fan. A three team tournament may make outsiders snicker, but it breeds contempt amongst participants in a way that few other formats can. Wednesday was as compelling a match at BMO as many can remember. Those watching at home on TV, especially those watching at home desperate to finds fault, don’t have the advantage of being there, feeling the game.

I wrote in the game day program that it was a derby game. Nothing I saw on the ground convinced me I was wrong.

As for the play, it was likely the most controlled game I’ve ever seen TFC play in this tournament. The Reds may have won its share of V-Cup games, but they’ve never looked great in doing so. On Wednesday, at least from field level, they looked like a D1 team playing a D2 team in a cup tie. It wasn’t that Montreal couldn’t compete, but the Impact never looked good for the win.

Yet, understandably, fans in Vancouver and Montreal continue to refuse give TFC much credit. They are fans after all. And, one game does not make a tournament (as TFC fans are well aware). Still, Wednesday’s win marks four wins in five for Toronto in the cup and three straight home wins. Many, especially those in Vancouver, have tried to argue that Toronto is not the favourite in the tournament. Until the Whitecaps move up to MLS, Toronto will remain the favourite in this event by default.

Next week’s Montreal Vancouver match-up will go a long way to determining how this tournament will play out. A strange little quirk of the first two years is that Van City and Montreal have never split the points (which the tinfoil hat folks on the west coast that still think that Toronto paid off Montreal to lay down last year somehow ignore – that’s equally suspicious, which is to say not very suspicious at all). In 2008 the Impact took six points off of Vancouver, in 2009 it was the ‘Caps that grabbed six from Montreal. That’s assured that the final game has been in play in both years.

So, it should be a good one – not that anyone in Toronto will think so.

Andrea Lombardo to play at BMO again

...when Portugal FC of the Canadian Soccer League plays the TFC academy. I'll avoid making a "duck if you're in the food building" joke here and instead wish him luck.

Reluctant reporting

When is something none of my business as a blogger? Other than always, that is.

News that Shalrie Joseph has entered MLS' substance abuse program is widely being reported today, so there is no point ignoring it. There also isn't any shame in a person seeking assistance in a substance abuse program if they feel that they need to. So, really, this should a non-story from a social perspective.

People sometimes use drugs. Sometimes it becomes a problem. They get help and they get better (or not) and the world goes on. Not that we have any idea what Joseph may or may not be in the program for

But, why does it matter why he is out of the Revs line-up? The story, as it relates to us, is that he won't be playing. This is an old debate, but it's one that I still don't have a full grip on. I mostly fall on the "public figure, public deserves to know" side of the debate, but I get why others are uncomfortable. The couple times I was put in a position as a MSM journalist to have to call the family of those that had just experienced a terrible loss were not the highlights of my career.

I'm ambivalent, I guess. Thoughts?

Mo by the numbers

I’m not arguing for Mo Johnston to stay. As I've said many times, I called for his dismissal at the end of the 2009 season. However if people are going to argue for him to be fired they need to do so from a perspective that goes beyond results -- or, at least, compare apples to apples when looking at the record.

There have been six “2.0” MLS expansion teams – Toronto, Chivas, Seattle, Philly, San Jose and Salt Lake. Only three have played three full seasons.

Clearly, Philly is way too early in its existence to draw any conclusions about it.

Seattle is also a clear outlier in both its success and its ability to come in as a semi-established club. It’s also built in a way that could see it take a step back next year. So, let's put them aside for a second.

That leaves the three sides that have played more than three seasons, along with the Earthquakes

The records of 2.0 expansion teams in their first three seasons:
Chivas 29 – 38 - 27 – 114pts = .404
RSL 21 – 50 – 23 – 86pts = .304
TFC 25 – 41 – 24 – 99pts = .366

San Jose’s record through two full seasons is 15 – 27 – 18 for 63 points or a .350 winning percentage.

There are other issues with Johnston, of course, and, again, I’m not arguing that he absolutely deserves to stay. But, using the club’s record over three years is the absolute worst way to argue for his dismissal. They are middle of the pack average when compared with teams in similar situations (and we now have the architect of the club with the best record amongst those teams).

Where Johnston deserves a lot of criticism is in the way he built TFC through the first three years. It all started in 2007 when is lack of knowledge of the domestic player market was betrayed. He relied on the advice of First Wave, rather than doing the legwork on his own, and as a result TFC's domestics (Andrea Lombardo, Marco Reda, etc) were woefully under qualified. Anyone that watched Lombardo try to perform in '07 had to feel sorry for the kid -- he was clearly out of his depth -- and, at the same time question what Johnston was doing.

That failure put TFC behind in 2008 and Johnston compounded things by not bringing in any significant signings until April of that year. Points were dropped early that didn't need to be.

But, the biggest mistake that Johnston made was that he overpaid older players in 2008 and 2009, using allocation to put TFC more than $1 million over the salary cap. That, in turn, made it very difficult for the club to re-build this year as it had to shed a lot of cap space before it could add players (the CBA issues were a convenient red herring for Johnston this year. It was his actions that put the Reds in the mess it found itself in, not the CBA.

However, despite those problems, as illustrated above, Toronto's record through three years is comparable to other MLS teams that are in the same situation.

Again, this is not meant as a defence of Johnston. I agree that the problems and distractions are more than enough to justify his firing. However, if you are going to argue for that then you need to move beyond the scoreboard because the numbers aren't as glaringly bad as most seem to think they are.

Carver supports Johnston

"He could almost certainly just jump on an airplane to England or Scotland and walk into a job. People don't realize how lucky they are to have someone like him, with his experience."
--John Carver on Mo Johnston

It's likely that John Carver's words today will be dismissed by many. They will point to the source -- Ives -- and suggest that it was a Mo friendly interview, or they will suggest that Carver is returning some loyalty to a man that gave him his first head coaching job.

And maybe we are seeing an agenda on display. Everyone has one, after all. At the risk of setting off the anti-Mo brigade (who react poorly to any suggestion that doesn't involve, at a minimum, a public hanging of MO), I'm not prepared to dismiss Carver's words outright. They should be given equal weight as Ali Gerba's or Chris Cummins. It's all part of an emerging picture.

I do think that it's important to consider that Carver is really talking about 2008 here. He left so early in the 2009 season that it's hard to imagine that he has any real knowledge of when things really got weird down there at Exhibition Place. It's possible that both Carver and Cummins are telling the truth -- that Johnston changed how he ran things after Carver left because he didn't trust Cummins.

Carver ends the interview with a plea to TFC supporters. He suggests that it's time to let the past be the past and get on with it. As I've written several times, it's a sentiment that I share, but it's not one that is realistic right now.

There is a giant boulder rolling down a big hill and there is little that can be done to stop it.

It's probably time for Johnston to submit himself to a press conference. No one will believe a word he says, but it might slow the boulder down a little bit.

TFC fans are clearly the root of all evil

Since certain bloggers from certain places are getting their boxers in a bunch over a single TFC fan (sitting well outside of the supporters section) throwing a bottle onto the field towards Freddie Ljungberg late in the game Sunday, I suppose a response is expected from me.

First, here is video of the incident:

Toronto FC Fans Throwing Full Bottle at Freddie Ljungberg from 12th Minute on Vimeo.

(sigh)

The assumption many are making (including many with a well established agenda regarding Toronto) is that nothing was done about it. To that, allow me to ask this:

What makes you think nothing was done about it?

People are routinely kicked out of BMO Field and routinely have their season tickets taken away/get a year ban. It's just not publicized (like it isn't pretty much in every other stadium in the world).

Thing is, for many critics of TFC fans don't want situations like this dealt with on an individual basis. They want TFC to collectively be punished for the actions of single fans. They tend to ignore issues outside of TFC because it doesn't fit their agenda.

At any rate, I've contacted officials at the club to ask if any action was taken as a result of the above incident. I'll report what they tell me.

The impossible dream

Before I begin, I want to make something clear.

I do not believe, for even one second, that promotion and relegation (pro/rel) will ever happen in the northern part of North America. Like, not even a little bit. There is a far greater chance of a big European league eliminating pro/rel than MLS adding it. The reason for this is simple – when you have a bunch of owner operators that have paid a significant fee to join the league (or who have invested a great deal of money in the league over 14 years) it’s hard to justify subjecting them to the possibility of weekend road trips to Rochester and Austin. So, in many ways this post is pointless.

Still, Don Garber bizarrely opened the door on this last week during one of his fireside chat interviews. By saying that he’d “like to see” pro/rel in the future of MLS he opened to door to Euro focused fans everywhere to start beating the drum for change (that will never come).

Yesterday on It’s Called Football I promised listeners that I would outline a format for pro/rel in MLS that might work. Here it is, with my rational.

Again, for those who have trouble understanding – I DON’T THINK THIS WILL EVER HAPPEN. THIS IS AN EXERCISE IN ENTERTAINMENT AND TO START A DIALOGUE ON THE SUBJECT FOR THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED.

Ok, that said...

The first thing you would need to assure before pro/rel was ever introduced to MLS was that the current members were taken care of. The idea that you could buy up the USSF D2 and start pro/rel the next year is foolhardy. For one, there are expansion teams in the mix. You can’t ask Portland to pay $35 million in 2011 then send them back from where they came the very next year. It’s simply not fair, on any level. So, pro/rel would have to be phased in, with current teams given several years to prepare.

Secondly, you couldn’t produce a truly open pyramid. The soccer infrastructure in this part of the world is simply not strong enough to allow for the possibility of your local beer league team advancing from the Greater Ottawa League, north division, to one day compete against DC United.

Lastly, the psychology of the Canadian/American sports fan would need to be considered (not the hardcore footy guy, but rather the more casual fan that makes up more than 80 per cent of any MLS crowd. Those folks don’t appreciate pro/rel in the same way that us soccer geeks do. In some cases they don’t even understand it on a basic how-does-it-work level).

So, here is the model I think might work, in theory, in some parallel universe.

MLS would take control of what is currently known as USSF D2 and re-brand it MLS2 (and likely operate it under the same single-entity model as MLS). From that point forward all expansion teams would be admitted into MLS2, rather than into the full league. That would allow for the league to get a foothold in desirable markets that might have questions about whether they would be successful (i.e. Miami, Atlanta), as well as smaller markets with good soccer support (i.e. Rochester, Puerto Rico). By playing in MLS2, these markets would have a chance to prove that they were MLS ready and worthy on the pitch. If MLS were to cap both leagues at 20 teams there is very little chance that any potential D1 market will be ignored. It’s also likely that MLS2 would be a little more fluid in the teams that are in it. Although the league would aim to have as many stable teams as possible, it’s likely that some teams would come and go.

There would need to be a waiting period between when MLS took over D2 and when pro/rel started. Five years seems fair (so you can do the math on when the earliest it would be that this could even be considered).

Now is when you have to really think outside the box. One of the cornerstones of North American pro sports is the idea that any team can win any year. Another truism of sports in this part of the world is that, outside of a very few exceptions, we don’t support minor league sports (yes, as I said just two seconds ago, there are exceptions). Once a city gets a taste of the top league it will not downgrade to a second tier. Will K.C. Wizards fans turn up in numbers to watch D2 soccer? Probably not. Will Chicago Fire fans (or New York, or L.A. or Toronto)? Even less likely, outside of the hardcore (that will watch any level of local soccer – a very rare type of fan).

So, to me, the only way you could get fans to buy into a second tier is if you created something unique to the football world that still allowed those teams in the D2 to compete for the championship.

You do that through the MLS Cup playoff format.

The playoffs will always be the thing in MLS. Playoffs are exciting, they speak to the casual fan and they are the accepted norm in this part of the world. That would not change if there were two tiers.

For the sake of it let’s say that the 20 teams in MLS played a 38 game home and home schedule for the supporter’s shield. The X amount of MLS2 teams would also play a schedule for a D2 title. At the end of the regular season the soccer geeks can crown their champion (Supporter’s Shield) while the rest of us gear up for the playoffs.

Top six MLS teams make the playoffs. They are joined by the top two MLS2 sides (who are promoted in place of the bottom two MLS clubs). MLS 1 versus MLS2 2, MLS 2 versus MLS2 1, MLS 3 versus MLS 6, MLS 4 versus MLS 5 and away we go.

MLS2 could have a four team playoff for the final promotion spot (which could include some MLS teams if you wanted to get more playoff games).

There are a lot of different set-ups you can use, by the underlying point is that all teams in both MLS and MLS 2 would start the year with a chance to win the MLS Cup, with the MLS teams having the best odds of making the playoffs.

Is the above system without faults? Of course not. However, it might ( M I G H T ) be workable.

It’s just never going to happen.

Who needs the circus?

This just gets better and better. Apparently Mo Johnston is going to sue Chris Cummins now.

And you thought the final season of Lost had a lot of twists and turns.

Johnston isn't saying what exactly is actionable in Cummins' statement and it's unclear whether he's just making noise (he probably is as I'm not really sure MLSE wants its internal drama played out in Canadian courts). That said, Cummins' claims would make it difficult for Johnston to obtain work elsewhere if the TFC season continues to go south and he's showed the door.

It would be nice if the club was this entertaining on the pitch though.

What’s clear from the linked article, however, is that MLSE executive vice president Tom Anselmi isn’t giving a lot of weight to Cummins (or Ali Gerba’s) words. Although you never know what’s being said in private, he appeared to strongly come down on Johnston’s side in this dispute. That stands to reason, as it’s widely known that Johnston has the trust of the soccer naive suits in the company (and he is running a fairly profitable operation of MLSE’s empire, even if Paul Beirne deserves much of the credit for that).

There are two ways Mo gets fired this year. If the team is horrible and out of the playoffs by August he’ll be sacrificed, or if someone can prove that he’s doing something way offside (and it’s not like there haven’t been people trying to find something).

When MLSE allowed him to pick the replacement for Cummins, they were giving him the green light for another full season. It’s highly unlikely that he would be fired now based on his body of work.

It’s also likely that the voices from the grave will dry up now. John Carver wants to manage somewhere again so he’s not likely to speak (Edit - Or, not...) and Carl Robinson has to play in this league still (as does Adrian Serioux). The only way these guys speak out is if they have their hand forced.

Like, say, if Johnston were to accuse a former coach of theirs of lying. Unless Johnston is absolutely sure of what those men might say under oath, he’d be best to drop the talk of law suits and instead concentrate on bringing over a striker in the summer window.

It's Called Football - Guest: Shawn Levy, Timbers Army

Shawn Levy, a writer with The Portland Oregonian and a member of the Timbers Army joins us to talk about Portland one year out of MLS, getting their stadium finally on track and why Seattle still sucks...

We'll also get into what is becoming a weekly occurrence now - the latest former TFC employees who has slagged the team, discuss which supporters group is calling for MLS officiating reform and we'll set up the Nutrilite Voyageurs Cup.

To protest or not to protest

Contrary to the perspective of many, I am not opposed to fans taking collective actions from time to time. In September 2007 I was highly involved in the organization of the Black Wednesday protest against the CSA. Last year, It's Called Football called on listeners to tweet Don Garber about the quality of officiating. There could come a point where I would be supportive of a protest against Mo Johnston and I certainly was in favour of an organized response against allowing the Argos to play at BMO Field.

Where people get the idea that I am against protests is my consistent position that it is not appropriate to simply protest losing. If the club is making you miserable, by all means don't go to the game. However, if you do show up to the games it's my position that you should choose your battles carefully.

Yesterday the North End Elite held up two banners (here is one photo, from TFCPics.com) in the first half of play. The first, which was held up for a significant amount of time, said simply "Just Fire Mo." The Second read ‘Making Losing Seem Easy" (for MLSE, owners of TFC). Apparently there was another banner, but I didn't see it.

I don't have a problem -- at all -- with the banners. Again, I've been involved with protests. I do, however, have a warning.

There comes a point where protesting becomes noise. It fully loses its effectiveness when you are protesting something new (or the same thing) every week. When we ran the Black Wednesday protest we wanted to get our message out to more than the hardcore. And, we were successful. The protest was reported on by media throughout Canada and even a couple places outside of these borders. Even though a liberal guess would peg the amount of people wearing black (on purpose) to the game at about 1,000 our influence was great and, I strongly believe, the action made a difference.

When it comes to Mo Johnston protests we've gone past the point of oversaturation. A Mo Must Go banner is not going to sway the opinion of anyone, since the only people reading them already have a position on Johnston. If people are truly serious about this protest than they need to do two things.

First of all they need to articulate exactly what it is that they are protesting -- and it has to be more than "we suck." If you want to make a change (and not all protests have that goal. Some are just about venting anger) then you need to have a message that you want to get out. If you want to be taken seriously you need an articulate (and reasonable) message. The message has to be specific and it must go beyond the scoreboard (i.e. Mo's management is eroding the confidence of the soccer community in the team and driving fans away. We need him gone because he is putting the whole thing at risk).

You also need to be novel. Wearing the same colour shirts or holding up a banner have been done. Actually, pretty much anything done in the stadium is going to be ignored by the media.

To me, if you really want some attention, you would be far better off marching to 40 Bay Street on a non-game day (maybe time said march to fall on a day where the NHL playoffs aren't on). Send out press releases. Simplify the arguments, but demonstrate why Johnston must be fired without falling back on scoreboard reasons. Put someone articulate in charge of the protest and make him or her (if you could find a her that would really go a long way to separate you from Just Another Angry Fan) available to the media. Don't repeat the action ad nauseam.

Or people could continue to go off half-cocked in the stadium. It all depends on whether you make to make change, or just make noise.

Cummins interview

Chris Cummins talks to The Score's Kristian Jack:

"Did I get the support that I felt that I deserved? No, not at all.
--Chris Cummins on Mo Johnston

Not sure why the embedding isn't working. Try here.

Sober Second Thoughts: A sea of Red (seats)

Yesterday's 2-0 win over Seattle was the most complete performance of the year, but yet I can’t shake a nagging feeling. It has nothing to do with the play – solid at the back, good keeping when needed, great finishing when the opportunities presented themselves (how un-TFC), but rather it had to do with the amount of red in the stands yesterday.

Red seats.

The announced crowd was 18,000 and change. I’ve always defended the club with the announced numbers seemed high, arguing that the beer garden along with extra bodies squeezed into the supporter’s sections contributed to the empty seats in the middle of the park.

And there is some truth to that. I heard arguments last year that there were less than 15,000 in the building. That’s absurd. If there were 15,000 in a 20,000 seat building there would be completely empty sections. BMO has never been that empty. But, yesterday was hard to defend.

Here are the excuses, in order of legitimacy: 1) a major road leading into the stadium was closed for seasonal repair. It took twice as long to drive to the stadium for many, especially those coming from the west; 2) The weather was awful, as cold as nearly any game ever played down there (it was nice Saturday and today so the God’s were playing a bit of a joke on TFC fans); 3) TFC is a summer sport in the minds of many casual fans – it’s as much about having a good time in the sun as it is the soccer. 4) – The team had lost three and won one heading into the game.

If the ranking was for relevancy, No. 4 would have likely been No. 1.

And, that’s my worry. Has the on field performance started to erode the casual base? On one hand, it doesn’t matter – there still are 16,000 season tickets sold and that puts TFC on strong financial footing. However, the optics of empty seats affects a lot of things. It makes it more difficult for fans in the south end to bring the type of energy that they do when it’s packed and, more worrisome, it makes already reluctant mainstream media outlets “reconsider” their staffing needs. It’s a not so well kept secret that some in the old boy’s network of sports media in this country are looking for an excuse to ignore the local “minor league” soccer team..

Additionally, there is always someone in the stands that is at their first ever game. It’s not as impressive a place to be when there are (conservatively) 3,000 empty seats.

It’s likely this is the new normal – and there is nothing wrong with drawing more than 20,000 for big games and about 18,000 when other factors are at play. Many teams would kill for that. When the sun comes out, or if the team is in a playoff hunt, the crowds will be packed and they will be hopping. However, the FO needs to take those empty seats seriously. One way to do so would be to actually enforce their own policies regarding scalping. It was pretty common to see scalpers with fistfuls of season tickets – why do they have them? How do they get them? Why are they allowed to keep them? There are fans out there that are being shut out. Yet the scalpers continue to go about their business without any seeming concern from the club.

Other than that, the best solution is to win more. Yesterday was a good start.

Worst. Miss. Ever.

By now many will have seen Kei Kamara's bizarre miss of a wide open net in the Wizards' 0-0 draw with the Galaxy. You can try to blame the slippery pitch, but, um, I think my cat might have scored here (the play starts at 1:23):

Whitecaps win in a walk

A 1-0 score frequently suggests a close match. That wasn't the case at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium tonight, as the Vancouver Whitecaps walked all over expansion AC St. Louis. They outshot St. Louis 11-1, had five shots on net to the visitors' nil and also dominated the possession battle, particularly in the first half. With the win, Vancouver improved to 2-0-1 on the season, while St. Louis fell to 0-3-0.

Head coach Teitur Thordarson was not overly impressed with his team's showing, though, despite coming away with three points and statistical dominance. His criticism was for good reasons. Particularly in the second half, the Whitecaps sank to St. Louis' level and spent more time just passing the ball around than creating anything offensively.

"I wasn't happy with the game today," Thordarson said after the match.

Thordarson liked the way the team came out of the tunnel, but he was less impressed with their play as the game went on.

"I thought we did well in the first half; we totally dominated the game," he said.
"In the second half, we just gave the initiative away. ... We lost the ball on every second or third possession."

In addition to lacking style points, the game also created further problems for the Whitecaps. Already dealing with several injuries, they picked up two more today. The worst came to central defender Mouloud Akloul, who started his Whitecaps' debut in fine fashion, notching the only goal of the game in the 19th minute off a Martin Nash corner. He injured himself in the process, though, and was stretchered off. He was undergoing X-rays after the match to check for the possibility of a broken leg.

Thordarson said Akloul's injury will be difficult to handle, as the team was counting on him to anchor their defence.

"It is a very tough thing if that's the case that he's broken his leg," Thordarson said. "It's very hard."

Greg Janicki came on in relief of Akloul without the benefit of a warm-up, but turned in a solid showing.

"It's always tough to go in under those conditions," he said. "You never expect to go in and play 65-plus minutes."

It was a good showing from the Whitecaps' defence overall. Janicki and Nelson Akwari stood firm in the middle, with Chris Williams impressing at right back and Zurab Tsiskaridze turning in another strong performance at left back. Keeper Jay Nolly wasn't really tested, but he did well to collect a few crosses here and there. The Whitecaps' defence has now recorded three consecutive clean sheets, but Janicki said that comes with a caveat; the teams they've faced so far haven't been the most offensive-minded.

"They haven't been pressuring us too much," he said.

If Akloul's injury is as severe as thought, Janicki may play an increased role for the Whitecaps in the days to come. He said he's comfortable doing whatever he's asked, though.

"I'm ready for whatever."

Another loss for the Whitecaps was winger Wes Knight, who had a solid 37 minutes of work on the right flank and created several chances, particularly off long throw-ins. He was taken off as a precaution after a collision, and his injury isn't expected to be serious, but he's still being evaluated. If he's out for any length of time, that could further thin an already-depleted Whitecaps' squad.

One bright spot was Marcus Haber, though, who continued to impress up front and had several chances to score. He's making the decision to bring him back on loan look very good, particularly thanks to the Whitecaps' injuries up front. Haber said he didn't think the team played all that well, but they were happy to pick up full points.

"It wasn't pretty," he said. "The most important thing was the result."

Haber said the team's playing better offensively than their record of three goals in three games would suggest.

"I think it's just sharpness in the final third," he said. "The goals will come."

Whitecaps fans will be hoping he's right on that score, as most opponents won't go down as easily as St. Louis did today.

[Cross-posted to Sporting Madness]

Vancouver Whitecaps - AC St. Louis live blog

Today features another interesting soccer clash, with the Vancouver Whitecaps hosting AC St. Louis [Simon Fudge, WhitecapsFC.com] in USSF Division II action. The Whitecaps got off to a strong start to their league campaign on April 11 with a win over the NSC Minnesota Stars at home, but they were held to a scoreless draw on the road against Miami FC last weekend. They still lead the NASL conference with four points from two games, though.

St. Louis, in their first year of operation, have gotten off to a tougher start, losing all of their first three games. They'll be eager to turn that around, but Swangard Stadium is always a difficult place for road teams to get a result. They're also playing on short rest after getting thumped 3-0 by Portland Thursday, so this fixture doesn't auger well for them.

There are some concerns on the Whitecaps' end, though. Their depth up front, already questionable, took another hit midweek with Dever Orgill suffering a calf injury in training [Marc Weber, The Province]. Marcus Haber and Randy Edwini-Bonsu are expected to start, but beyond them, the chief option is Marlon James, nursing an injury of his own. New signing Mouloud Akloul is also expected to get his first Whitecaps' start [Weber] in central defence; we'll see how he does. It should be an interesting clash; I'll be live-blogging from the press box at Swangard and doing a post-game report afterwards. Free live video and audio is available through the Whitecaps' website, so it's easy to follow along. Come join the live blog at 4 p.m. Pacific/7 p.m. Eastern!

It's Called Football - Guest: Sounders writer Dave Clark

On today's It's Called Football: Atiba Hutchinson's signing with PSV, Seattle's robbery at the hands of Terry Vaughn, this weekend's games to watch and Don Garber's latest comments on expansion.

We're also be joined the the preeminent Seattle soccer writer, Dave Clark from Sounders at Heart, to help set up Sunday's game vs. Toronto FC.

It's official - Hutch to PSV

The link is in Dutch, but what you need to know is that Atiba Hutchinson has signed a three year deal with the Dutch side.

In case you haven't been paying attention PSV currently sits in third in the Eredivisie, five points behind Ajax and the final Champions League spot.

The Europa League is fairly safe though. And, one would expect, he'll get some Champions League football before the end of his three years.

The trial of supporting TFC

Andrei Ferreira Coutinho, apparently he goes by just Andrey, which might be the worst Brazilian football name of all-time, is on trial for TFC. This probably doesn't mean anything, as lots of people go on trial for TFC (that's how the team rolls). However, Preki did say something about it that was interesting today in the scrum.

I'm paraphrasing:

We've never seen him play before.

To me this speaks volumes about what TFC's problem has been on the player acquisition front from day one (in fairness it might not separate them from other MLS teams all that much). They don't get out and scout players. Instead, what they do is they rely on second hand information from people that have a vested interest in convincing TFC in the brilliance of their clients.

We've all heard the rumblings about First Wave sports marketing, but it goes beyond that. If an agent has Mo Johnston's ear, they have a good chance of getting their player's on a trial. The players still have to impress, but they have a step up by getting a foot in.

As I said MLS spends most of its scouting on NCAA players and Johnston is focused on that as much as anyone. So, TFC isn't unique with its approach to the foreign market. The problem is that Johnston's contacts don't seem all that strong, based on what the club has managed to bring in since 2007.

There isn't anything stopping more successful clubs in MLS from spending money on scouting. If TFC fans were to demand that the club spend more, it should be here. Relying on agents might work in Europe, but it's a bit like winning the lotto in Africa, Central and South America.

Maybe Andrey's a baller. Certainly a TFC fan hopes that he will be (they also hope to have the right numbers in the Lotto Max). But, wouldn't you feel more hopeful if he was coming in on trial after TFC had already had a good look at him in Brazil.

An open letter to Preki

Actually, scrap that. I hate open letters. Capital C cliché.

That said Preki needs to understand something about next Wednesday's game against Montreal. I know it's a cup game and he doesn't really like cup games (at least his behaviour at Chivas would imply that).

But, here's the thing. If Joseph Nane and Gabe Gala start then you had better be pretty sure that you're going to win. If not, and you don't, well, the natives might burn the building down. I'm not sure if that's hyperbole or not.

Not only is the game a derby (It is. I went over why last year and I've written a piece for the game day program that will explain again. Pick it up. I'll be signing autographs for $5 at the base of 113. <--- That's a joke.). The game also represents a competition that is very personal to the team's biggest fans. Some of them literally bought the trophy.

We all realize that you have to factor a lot of things out and the bread and butter of your job is the league, but.

Seriously. Riots. Again, not sure if that's hyperbole.

It's Called Football - Kristian Jack

Kristian Jack joins us to talk about his interview with Ali Gerba on today's It's Called Football.

We'll also continue the discussion about what it is that might make the Whitecaps successful in MLS, figure out why players improve after leaving TFC and talk a little World Cup (Ben is cheering for Team America... fuck ya)

A walk through Toronto's sporting past

It’s a bit odd to think of any part of Toronto as being a ghost town. But, that’s the feeling I get when I take the kilometre or so walk along the Skywalk leading from Union Station to the Rogers Centre. You see, I can remember when there were few places in the city that had as much life as that strip. At least 82 nights a year it was full of life, as Toronto approached the then SkyDome at the height of its love affair with the Toronto Blue Jays.

There were stores and restaurants lining the walk, eager to take advantage of an unquenchable thirst for anything to do with the Jays. Scalpers were at every corner. You had best have gone to a bank machine before heading down.

Even if you didn’t have tickets, it was a place to be. You could hang around the area, soak up the atmosphere and then head into a bar around the stadium to watch the game.

It seemed that it would never end. Anyone that suggested that there would come a day when the crowds stopped coming and the vibe was lost you would have been laughed out of the Dome.
You also would have been right. Today, if you were to walk in the SkyWalk it would not seem like a place to be. Instead it would take the appearance of a walk way located above industrial land. If you were old enough to remember the glory days it would just look sad.

Years of losing have eroded the Jays fan base to diehards and nostalgia seekers. Sure there is a core there and if the Jays were to make a run at things then some would come back. But basically the party is over.

I’ll let you, the reader, decide what the lesson here is for TFC.

All good things come to an end they say. Let’s just hope that the day our little celebration comes to an end we will have a couple championships memories to fall back on. I’m sure that’s what gets the Jays fans by as they take the long, depressing walk from Union Station to Rogers Centre.

About the MLS 'Caps

More pleasing to the ears of Caps fans was Gerba's feeling that Vancouver (and Montreal) are more likely to reach the playoffs before Toronto do! I think that's something we all feel!

The Southsiders blog

Not to pick on the Southsiders, but I have a question for them.

Why do you think the Whitecaps will make the playoffs before TFC?

Actually, I open that up to everyone that reads this as I know there are more than a few TFC fans that feel the same way. Vancouver’s success at the USL level is held up as a reason why they will be undoubtedly successful in MLS. This in spite of the fact that USL success has never been correlated to MLS success on or off the field and that there has only really ever been one successful MLS expansion side out of the gate (the 1998 Fire don't count since the league was only two years old).

They have brought in Tom Soehn to run the show on the MLS side of the operation. He of two years, no playoffs experience in MLS. Although TFC's struggles in 2007 will ensure that no Canadian based MLS expansion team will face the same domestic restrictions that the Reds did, there will be a need for some Canadian talent and the same artificial market will be in play that partially holds Toronto back.

There is little doubt that having more than a year to operate as a functioning club will help things, but how much it will matter is hard to say right now. There is a chance Vancouver could come out of the gate swinging for the fences like Seattle did. Or, they could find that to be impossible and go with a youth orientated building model (and with the academy already in place, maybe that's the right route).

So, I ask you again: What evidence are people pointing to that tells them that the 'Caps will make the playoffs before TFC? The comments section awaits (Mo Johnston sucks is a reason, but it really shouldn't be the backbone of your argument. Rather, what is it about Vancouver that will ensure success).

24th Minute Survivor: week five

No one was eliminated last week in 24th Minute Survivor.

Here are the picks used by the remaining players:

Leftcoastkicks - NER, Galaxy, Seattle, NYRB
Kevin Smith - NER, Colorado, Columbus, NYRB
Casual Soccer Fan – KC, Galaxy, Seattle, Colorado
Green Apes – Columbus, Galaxy, RSL, NYRB
Still Kicking – Philly, Galaxy, Houston, Colorado

This week’s games:
Dallas(home) v Seattle
Philly v NYRB
Colorado v New England
RSL v Columbus
Galaxy v K.C.
Houston v Chicago
San Jose v Chivas
Seattle v Toronto

Remember, you can only pick a team once.

Glow sticks not included

I'm not a fashion expert. God knows I'm not a fashion expert. So, I don't usually post about new kits.

But, really:



I'm not sure if we're meant to go all Hot Tube Time Machine here or a head off to a rave.

Atiba to PSV?

It looks like Canadian international Atiba Hutchinson is close to signing a contract with Dutch giants PSV (link in Dutch).

Although you'd always like to see a Canadian sign with an "English giant" or "Italian giant" there is something useful about this type of business. For one, they play football in Holland in a way that Atiba would benefit from and secondly...

It's PSV Eindhoven. They won the Champions League for God's sake (when some of my younger readers had yet to be born, but still). If this happens, it's a great move.

In the UEFA Cup last year against Manchester City Hutchinson looked horrible. As much as many would have liked him to make a move to English football, I fear that the style of the game there would have not allowed Atiba to flourish. Although this will likely be the pinnacle for him career wise, it's something to celebrate.

It could be worse. He could be signed to TFC as a DP (really, really bad idea that is floating around in some places).

It's Called Football - Guest: Stephen Hart

We have reaction to the Score's interview with Canadian international and former TFC striker Ali Gerba, a breakdown of TFC's game vs. Colorado and a look back on the weekend that was in MLS.

We're also joined by Canadian National Team Head Coach Stephen Hart to talk about their plans for the year ahead and how receptive Canadian teams and players are being to the CSA's calls

The Score talks to Ali Gerba

"People are smart. They are going to see the fraud sooner or later"

-Ali Gerba on Mo Johnston and Preki.

Oh (no not) Canada in Montreal

Some family business prevented me from reporting Friday on the announcement of the national team's schedule for 2010. Unless there are any late additions -- and there are a couple international dates still open, the Nats will play five more games this year.

Two of which will be at home. They are, Sept 4 in Toronto and Sept 7 against Montreal. The Montreal game is against Honduras, which is bringing up some bad memories for Canadian fans.

For those new to this, Canada played against Honduras in Montreal in the last qualifying cycle. Not only was there a great deal more Honduran fans there (at least a great deal more vocal Honduran fans) the Canadian fans were actually treated as visitors by the Saputo Stadium security. Stuck in an enclave behind the goal, many Hondurans at the game were able to throw objects at the Canadian support and get far closer to the Canadian section that they reasonably should have. It was a slap in the face to many of the Canadians, especially since a significant portion had travelled to Montreal for the game from several hours away (likely half the Canadian support was from Toronto, with a significant amount from Western Canada).

Although no one can doubt the loyalty and dedication of the Montreal-based Canadian support, there is clear evidence that there simply aren’t enough of them to provide for a passionate pro-Canadian environment at the game. When you factor that with the close proximity to large Honduran ex-pats, the decision to put the game in Montreal strikes observers as a cynical move by the CSA to ensure a sell out -- even if those in attendance are wearing strips that match the stadium's blue seats.

Early indications from Montreal are not promising. Many of the Impact's fans are reacting with indifference to the game and it does not seem likely that there will be a great deal of interest locally in the game.

There likely will be interest from Toronto where, if history tells us anything, it's likely that a couple hundred fans will make the trip up. Some might even wear TFC gear, which is bound to insult those easily insulted.

Can we get this out in the open now? If someone from Toronto takes the time and spends the money to travel to Montreal to support the national team they have the right to wear whatever the hell they want. If any Montreal-based fan takes issue with a TFC strip at the stadium for a Nats game, they've lost the plot.

The sport is not strong enough in this country -- especially at the national team level -- for that type of self-involved pettiness.

Sober Second Thoughts: Expected ugly

There isn’t a team in MLS that wouldn’t struggle playing in Colorado on four days rest. Altitude, MLS’s insistence on flying coach and the general disadvantage of playing with small rosters assure that. So, let’s start from there and work our way forward in reviewing Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Rapids.

Was it pretty? Um, no. But, it never was going to be. Was it without positives? Only if you have made yourself blind to them.

As I mentioned last week, TFC is a different club on the road. If they are ever going to be truly competitive that needs to change, but to keep themselves in that mushy battle for eighth it’s more about protecting the home record. Teams need about 40 points to make the MLS playoffs. They have 45 available at home. Find a bonus 10 points on the road and you’re fine. So, for now, ignore the 1-3 start and focus on the 1-0 home record.

Seattle next Sunday (and why in God’s name is it Sunday?) is going to be the first true measure of the season. If, as the Chicken Littles keep telling us, this is the worst football team in history, then the Reds will struggle against the Sounders. If, as is my position, this is a MLS team that is prone to act as such, TFC should be favourite to grab some points.

But, back to the game. Positives? Well, I thought Nana Attakora had a decent game and Adrian Cann continues to look good in the middle (since the ball didn’t actually hit his hand on the penalty I’m giving him a pass on that one). Oh, and Chad Barrett. Even as Barrett’s self-appointed apologizer I recognize that he isn’t best utilized as a sole forward. He kind of needs someone to work off of. So, much of his effort is wasted in a typical game. However, there were some moments Sunday that gave me hope. None more obvious that TFC’s goal. DeRo will get the stats and Sam Cronin forced the penalty, but that was Barrett’s goal. His turn and touch were first class and if he keeps doing that sort of thing all year most Reds’ fans will forgive him if he only bags five goals or so.

Of course when you lose 3-1 all things aren’t positive. No, I don’t know what the hell Julian de Guzman was doing on the Rapids second goal. It’s too bad, too because he was having his best spell with TFC in the minutes leading up to the goal. The ball was going through him, it wasn’t getting past him and he was reminding people why defensive midfielders are so damn important. Then he jumped away from the ball and everyone forgets the rest.

Still, those that are suggesting that he is the worst DP in the history of the rule are betraying their lack of understanding of what a holding midfielder does. They are also jumping the gun in the extreme. That said, de Guzman needs to remember he’s not still in Spain.

But forget Julian for a moment. The biggest problem with this team so far this year is it’s impotent in attack. There is next to no linkage through the midfield. Where is Amado playing again?

Is TFC good right now? God no. But are they a lost cause? If you have to ask that question you don’t really pay much attention to MLS. No, the Reds aren’t a lost cause. They are up against it a bit, no doubt, but not lost.

As for how up against it they are, ask me again next Thursday.

Sober Second Thoughts: They won, right?

In the end Toronto remembered to have fun. A rambunctious atmosphere as intense as BMO Field has ever seen watched as the Reds grunted out an ugly win. They don’t give style points in football though. Toronto won’t have the points taken away upon review.

In the days that have followed there have been grumblings from the usual suspects about how TFC “didn’t deserve to win” and that “Philly was clearly the better team.”
Then they should have scored more goals then, shouldn’t they have?
Get used to it TFC fans. That’s how Preki plays and, on this day, it was enough to grab three desperately needed points. The club you’re supporting isn’t Barcelona.

There is no harm in winning ugly.

If I had written this in the moments following the game it probably would have been more critical of the result. However, the column is called Sober Second Thoughts for a reason. The separation allows you to see things clearly (so does, well, being sober). Sure you would have liked to see Toronto do more against 10 men, but there have been times – lots of times – in this club’s existence where they have failed abysmally to break down team despite having a lot of possession. In re-watching the game I could not help but think that if Thursday’s game were held in 2008 it would have ended 1-1. Remember Puerto Rico? Vancouver on Canada Day? Yeah, like that.

So, let’s take joy from the ability to grunt one out. Yes, there is still lots of room to grow. Gods knows it might get ugly on Sunday against Colorado. But, today TFC sits with three points in its pocket and a perfect home record. We just have to find about 37 more points now.

But, there will be plenty of time to worry about that.

It's Called Football - Guest: Teal Bunbury

In a bit of a haphazard show - Duane Rollins goes missing and is then found in time for a post-game recap of Toronto FC vs Philly.

And in the meantime we were joined by Kansas City Wizards star Teal Bunbury to talk about his first goal in MLS, his goals for the year and his updated plans for national team play.

Fixing other's problems

The inimitable Jason Davis of MatchFit USA and FourFourTwo.com has a nice piece up at the latter site today about the US Open Cup. The second oldest knock-out competition in the football world, the USOC deserves to be talked about in the same way at the FA Cup. It’s not. The USOC aims to one day reach the height of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy (I say with only the smallest hint of hyperbole).

He writes:

Perhaps it is a function of the American mindset, born of following sports in which there is only league competition followed by playoffs; knockout tournaments don't exist in the world of baseball, basketball, or American football in the traditional association football sense, so wrapping our heads around the Open Cup is a difficult task

We’ll forgive Jason for ignoring the NHL (Go Caps!) for now. What we will point out is that there kind of is an example of a knockout tournament that is incredibly successful in the U.S. It’s not exactly the same, but its unique qualities make it something closer to the European model than the North American one. I’m talking, of course, about March Madness.

Although popular in many circles, college basketball is hardly the biggest show in town in most major U.S. markets. However, it is the biggest show in town in March. The rapid fire style of the tournament, combined with the unpredictable nature of results, makes it the perfect event for the casual fan.

I wonder, then, whether one way to increase the popularity of the USOC would be to emulate the NCAA basketball tournament. Something that might look a bit like this:

Get the field down to 32 teams. That would likely require a qualifying process for amateur teams. With half the field being made up of the 16 American-based MLS teams (we’re talking 2011 here) and another 10 D2 sides there would be room for about six teams outside of the top two levels. On the surface that might seem unfair, but the reality is that those six teams would be there to give the appearance of openness, rather than for any true competitive factor.

The teams would be seeded and put into eight mini-groups of four, each hosted by one of the participating teams. The hosts could continue to be determined by a bidding process. On a Wed, two games would be held. On Saturday, the two winners would play. Thus, the field goes from 32 to eight in four days.

The next Wednesday two more groups of four gather. The quarters go Wednesday, the semis Saturday.

The final two teams play for the championship on a significant date. That date depends on when the tournament takes place. In my mind the best solution is to play the tournament in March, however, that would put it up against the NCAA event. Bumping it up to February would make it difficult for northern teams and for amateur sides. Playing in the summer would be difficult on the MLS sides.

There is no perfect time. However, the benefits of a condensed event make up for that (in my humble, humble opinion anyway).

Playing the tournament in the pre-season would allow the final to be the first game of the season. Instead of First Kick (a run of the mill MLS game that just happens to be first on the schedule) you could start the year by handing out a trophy. There is some nice optics in that and it would get the hype and attention it deserves (A June tournament, ending with a July 4 final would also work).

Ironically, there is also a chance that the MLS teams might take the competition more seriously if it’s part of their pre-season. The issue of D2 and below teams not being ready to play is more difficult to get around, but D2 teams should be training earlier anyway (and they likely will be in the NASL). The six below D2 teams that qualified (assumedly the year before) would find themselves in a unique situation and could probably find the resources to train for what would be a one in a lifetime opportunity.

The uncomfortable truth is that the issues of D2 and below are not all that important at this point of the event. The competition does matter to them, but that’s the problem. If the USOC is to ever matter to the mainstream it has to matter more to the MLS teams and their more casual fans. So, the solution that makes the most sense to MLS is the one that should be used.

If I could bring this back to Canada for a second, there is a tiny lesson the US could learn from the Nutrilite Canadian Championship for the Voyageur’s Cup. Although comparing the V-Cup to the USOC is more than a bit silly in many, many ways Americans should understand that what makes our little event so special is the rivalries that it taps into (in one of the cases a rivalry that goes back to, oh, 1066 or so). Maybe the USOC should forget random draws and instead make the early rounds based on geography. Charleston versus DC United every year. That could be fun.

Of course all this is pointless if the USSF has no interest in making the competition more popular. That would be a shame, but, based on the evidence, more likely than the widespread changes I’m proposing from my den (in Canada).

NOTE: I look forward to Jason's post on fixing the CSA ;)

Teal Bunbury's first pro goal

It was either real pretty, or real bad goaltending (goal is at 27 seconds). You be the judge. Either way, they all count.



Bunbury will join It's Called Football tomorrow at 2:20 p.m. EDT.

Sub-17 heads to Omaha

I'm sure the kids were thrilled when they learned the location of the camp. Play soccer for Canada - see the American heartland!

Canada will play three friendlies against local clubs. They take on Creighton University April 23, the University of Missouri - Kansas City April 25 and the always tough Opponent Yet to be Named on April 26.

The camp will be the first time most of the players have had a chance to perform under the eye of the national team coaches

Those invited:


CANADA
D- Abbott-Hill-Smith, Quante | CAN / Dixie | Brampton, ON, CAN
D- Addai, Yaw | CAN / Chinook | Calgary, AB, CAN
M- Alderson, Bryce | CAN / Kitchener Spirit | Kitchener, ON, CAN
M- Aleman, Keven | Unattached / sans club | Brampton, ON, CAN
F- Brome, Jalen | CAN / Unionville SC | Ajax, ON, CAN
F- Cain, Wesley | Unattached / sans club | Guelph, ON, CAN
F- Carreiro, Dylan | CAN / FC Northwest | Winnipeg, MB, CAN
G- Crépeau, Maxime | CAN / Académie Impact Montréal | Candiac, QC, CAN
D- Curci, Andrew | CAN / Toronto FC Academy | Aurora, ON, CAN
F- Essa, Yassin | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps U-18 Residency | Surrey, BC, CAN
M- Garcia, Emmanuel | CAN / Boca Juniors | Etobicoke, ON, CAN
G- Huggins, Xander | Unattached / sans club | Seagrave, ON CAN
F- Jalali, Sadi | CAN / Juventus SC | Edmonton, AB, CAN
M- Lapenna, Marco | CAN / St-Leonard | Montréal, QC, CAN
M- Mmunga, Shadrack | Unattached / sans club | Québec, QC, CAN
M- Morris, Omari | CAN / Ajax SC | Ajax, ON, CAN
M- Nagy, Cole | CAN / Sereno SC | Edmonton, AB, CAN
D- Nesci, Raffaele | CAN / Islington Rangers | Etobicoke, ON, CAN
M- Pasquotti, Matteo | CAN / South West United | Lethbridge, AB, CAN
M- Piette, Samuel | CAN / FC Boisbriand | Le Gardeur, QC, CAN
D- Polakiewcz, Adam | CAN / Oakville Raiders | Kitchener, ON, CAN

Head Coach / Entraîneur-chef : Sean Fleming
Assistant Coach / Entraîneur adjoint : Robert Gale
Assistant Coach / Entraîneur adjoint : Rob Csabai
Goalkeeper coach / Entraîneur des gardiens : Djamel Laarabi
Athletic Therapist / Thérapeute athlétique : Dwayne Laing
Manager / Gérant : Les Meszaros

TFC: Making an impression since 2007

As I type this it is less than 24-hours to the start of TFC's fourth home season in MLS. There are days when I still have to remind myself that all this isn't a dream. Toronto really does have a top flight soccer team, it really does sell out and the local media actually treats it seriously (as seriously as any sport not played on ice anyway).

It's been a hell of a ride so far for those of us that followed this sport back in the dark days. As many dwell on the negativity surrounding the current Reds, it's important to remember that.

So, in honour of TFC's fourth home opener I want to share one of my favourite Reds' moments so far.

It was early in 2007 and I was in Kitchener on assignment for the newspaper I worked for at the time. I can't remember what the assignment was, but I'm sure it was very serious and very humourless stuff. More than an hour outside of Toronto I found myself preoccupied with the idea that I might not be able to see TFC play Columbus on the road. It was, after all, early in the Reds first season and finding a bar in the hinterland that might be willing to give me a TV seemed like a long shot. But, as the day went on I became increasingly more desperate to make sure I saw the game.

This surprised me. Although I was a day one TFC season ticket holder -- thus my prime 113 seats -- I didn't realize how quickly this team would so completely hook me.

So, I did a half-ass job on the assignment (I gave those vultures a lot of hours, so don't think I feel the least bit guilty) and started to drive from bar to bar. Eventually I found a family restaurant on the very southern tip of the city that had a bunch of TVs. They agreed to let me have one, I ordered some spinach dip and beer and settled in.

I became a novelty at the bar. Several people approached the soccer nut watching the new team from Toronto and started asking questions -- "Are the games as fun to go to as they look?" Yes. "Is the team going to win again?" I hope. "Do you think it will last?" I really hope.

Soon, there was a group of people watching -- and enjoying -- the game. All told me that they watched European soccer, but were willing to give this MLS thing a chance. There was no internal battle for them about the quality. They knew Serie A was better. It was understood that an EPL team was better than what they were watching. They got that it was OK to enjoy MLS for what it was -- good local soccer that could entertain you if you let it.

And then Jimmy scored the goal. A bending free kick that didn't quite fit. To this day, I maintain that it's the nicest goal that TFC has ever scored and it brought the house down.

It was at that very moment that I realized that everything was going to be OK. The team and the sport were here to stay.

Now, three years later, it seems silly to think that it was ever a question. And that’s a very, very good thing.

Enjoy the game.

It's Called Football Live

Today we talk about tales from New England, discuss the Fire Mo debate, talk about Montreal landing two big friendlies and we're joined by Philadelphia Union beat writer Jonathan Tannenwald to set up the TFC vs. Philly game.




Friday's show

We'll set up the weekend games around MLS and we'll be joined by Kansas City Wizards' first pick Teal Bunbury - who recently scored his first MLS goal and apparently has the USMNT calling. We'll ask him about that and what he thinks of MLS so far. Join us live at 2pm EST.

Statistics, damn statistics and...something, anyway

In the comments section of the Philly preview article a poster by the name of Matt took issue with my claim that a 0-0-4 start by TFC would put it in a "big hole." By his estimation there have been other teams that have started slow in MLS and have charged back to be in the mix and, therefore, I was being reactionary.

It's true that, for instance, LA had only one win in its first 11 games last year (only one loss too) and that Columbus stumbled out of the gate too (again, they were grabbing draws though).

So, I checked it out. In the history of MLS only one team that ended the season among the league's top four clubs started the season 0-0-4. DC United in 1996.

Talking about a 1996 MLS club is a bit like using the glory teams of Preston North End to draw a comparison to the modern EPL.

So, I'll stand by my words. If Toronto loses its first four games it's in a big hole. Not an impossible to get out of hole, but pretty damn big.

Party with DeRo

For those looking to extend the day beyond the game, DeRo Entertainment will be hosting an after game party at Ultra (314 Queen St. West).

DeRo will be at the event and there is no cover. DJ Aristotle will provide the music. Free giveaways are promised.

Impact v Italy

AC Milan is coming to Canada after all. Just not to Toronto.

The Montreal Impact announced today that they will be playing the Italian giants at Olympic Stadium June 2. The size of the stadium will allow the Impact to charge less for the game than TFC did for the Real Madrid exhibition last year. The low end of tickets will sell for $20, with the top end going for $100.

More interesting in many ways is the announcement of a game against Fiorentina May 23 at Saputo Stadium. Tickets for that game are $20 to $60, which might make that the best value of the two games. You can touch the net from the cheap seats behind the goal at Saputo.

Down the Union! What to expect Thursday night

You know TFC has taken a step back in the minds of most MLS fans when the fan base of an expansion team has its tail up in the lead in to the Reds home opener. It's not that TFC is opposed to losing to expansion teams in their home openers, of course, but it is important to keep things in perspective. TFC has an all-time home record of 19 wins, 12 losses and 14 draws with a plus 12 goal differential. But, that includes the expansion year. From 2008, it's 14–5–11 and +11.

The Reds problems have always been on the road (which doesn't make them unique). For the record, and look away TFC fans, it's 6-29-10 -52.

The Union are coming off of what is being described as an impressive win over DC United in their home opener. The 3-2 win, paced by Sebastien Le Toux's hat-trick, was OK, especially for an expansion team, but there wasn't anything in the game that would put fear into the hearts of a TFC fan. Philly played a direct style, attacking down the wings especially, and did just enough to hold off a United comeback attempt in the second half.

Le Toux got the headlines, but former Crew forward Alejandro Moreno was the star of the game (with a hat-tip to Fred in the first half). The Union are a young team and they are athletic. They played DC direct to take advantage of that. They were especially effective when they ran straight at the United backline.

You can expect more of the same against TFC -- they've been watching the tapes of the New England game, I'm sure. Expect a lot of balls thrown down the flank, especially on the left where Raivis Hscanovics was burned twice by Sainey Nyassi. Forget the Nick Garcia giveaway or the Joseph Nane back pass of doom -- OK, don't forget those things, but for a moment allow yourself to think about something else. "New Guy," as the fine folks at The Duke Saturday were calling him, was as much an issue in the second half as were the cluster you-know-whats mentioned above were.

When DC was at its best against Philly, it was holding the ball. And, TFC will need to do the same. The Reds backline is going to be shaky, Garcia or no Garcia, so the best option for TFC is to play a possession game. It would be a nice time for Julian de Guzman to step up and really show why it's a good idea to spend DP money on a defensive midfielder. There have been hints of JDG's possibility since he came over, but so far he hasn't really broke out. Thursday he's needed.

If Toronto can hold the ball -- and the fullbacks can deal with the tree or four chances Philly is likely going to get off of counters -- then there is no excuse for the Reds not to find enough to get a win. And a win is important because a result in Colorado Sunday does not seem likely and a 0-0-4, or 0-1-3 record after four games is a pretty big hole to dig yourself out of in a league as that is as close as MLS is.

A heartfelt apology to Dan Loney

Apparently when I made my flippant one-off post about the randomness of of MLS power ratings I "stole" the joke from BigSoccer feature blogger Dan Loney. That lead him to write this:

And now, from the "imitation is the sincerest form of theft" files....

Out of all the jokes I've ever told, this one is the most worth stealing? Really? Well, at least he was smart enough not to try to draw it out over the season like I did.

I contacted Loney to suggest to him that A) I was unaware of his original joke and therefore meant no harm and that B) I would be happy to put a note on the original post saying that he did it first. For the record, here's the e-mail:

Dan,

It's a little presumptuous for you to assume that I was plagiarizing you, don't you think? I wouldn't expect you to remember everything I have written so I'm not sure why I would be expected to remember all your work.

Next time you have an issue I'd appreciate it if you contacted me directly. I would have been happy to make a note on the post giving you credit for having done it before.

I was probably a little too snarky with the first line.

He responded as follows:

(1) You misspelled "Dan, I'm sorry for stealing your joke right down to the freaking punctuation mark."

(2) You're not going to make a note on that post anyway? Seeing as how you stole the joke right down to the punctuation mark?

(3) There's going to be a next time? How many of my jokes do you want, anyway?

I always appreciate the rational discourse one gets when dealing with BigSoccer (Huss aside. He seems to actually understand that conflict isn't the highest form of communication).

Clearly the logical conclusion to all this is that I deliberately plagiarized Loney in an effort to find one more post that day. I mean, hell, I've only made 1,674 posts before this. Clearly, that one-off "joke" defines this space and it was worth risking my reputation by stealing Mr. Loney's material. That's the logical conclusion, not that I didn't remember him doing it first and therefore didn't think to give him credit.

So, Dan, here is the credit: You did it first. It's your joke. Although my understanding of copyrite law tells me that a writer can't lay claim to ideas, I will be happy to forward you a cheque for the money that post generated for me. I figure it's about $0.03 USD.

Hypothetical: So Mo’s been fired. Now what?

MO MUST GO!

You’re going to hear a lot of that this year, especially if the Reds fail to come together and finish out of a playoff spot for a fourth straight time. The feeling isn’t wrong. I was calling for Johnston’s head way before it was the default position of TFC fans – he’s run the team like a fantasy football squad since day one and, as a result, it has essentially spun its wheels.

This year, whether it’s Mo’s doing or The Crazy Prekster's, we’ve sat back and watched as a team that finished one point out of a playoff position was ripped apart and replaced with MLS plumbers and guys who’s parents drove Trabants. It isn’t inspiring.

However, it’s also not clear what can be done about it right now. Let’s imagine for a moment that the supporter’s cries are heard. Mo’s shipped back to Scotland. Now what?

Seriously, now what?

Exactly.

This isn’t a situation like a couple of years ago when JFJ was the Leafs lame duck manager and everyone knew that Brian Burke was being lined-up to rescue things (and so far so, um, well, this isn’t a hockey blog so I’ll just shut up). There is no obvious replacement for Mo Johnston – none that would inspire anyone, anyway.

Who is out there? Paul James (he knows Canada, but does he know MLS)? Frank Yallop (If he is available it’s because he was just fired. Hardly inspirational)? Alexi Lalas (Yes, this is the type of candidate that would have a real chance to get the job. Would Lalas make you sleep better at night TFC fans?).

There are a few way outside the box ideas floating around – Jason DeVos (very interesting, but very unlikely), Craig Forrest (see DeVos, Jason) even Paul Peschisolido (His life is in England now, so highly unlikely) have all found their way onto fan’s wish lists at various times.

However, the most likely scenario would see Preki given the director of soccer title on top of his coaching duties. It’s unclear how much difference that would make since the moves so far this year seem to be of Preki’s doing anyway. If Mo was to go it should have been at the end of 2009, before a new manager was brought in. And you would have had no argument from me. In fact, I called for that very thing to happen.

Others will say this with a little more profanity than I will, but in the end the message is the same. After three years it's clear. If Toronto wants to become a championship contending team in this league than one thing needs to happen first.

Mo must go

But without a replacement lined up, you might as well let him play this thing out from here. The learning curve required for a new guy to come in would basically assure this very young season is wasted (now, it only seems likely that it is, not assured that it is). If it becomes apparent in October that the Reds are toast again then fire him. Please.

But, until then we all have to sit back and relax.

Adrian Cann and Maksim Usanov signed

As expected, Adrian Cann and Maksim Usanov have been signed by TFC. The addition of the two could spell the end of Nick Garcia - at least as a starter -- although his guaranteed contract status may mean he remains on the bench for now.

Here is the release:

Toronto FC announced Monday the team has acquired defenders Adrian Cann and Maksim Usanov. As per team and league rules, details of the deals were not announced. Cann will be available for selection pending the completion of his ITC, while Usanov will be available pending the acquisition of his Canadian work permit and the completion of his ITC.

“We’re delighted to complete the signing of another Canadian international,” said manager, director of soccer Mo Johnston. “Adrian will add to our backline with his height and his strength, so we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do on the field for us. Max is another good young signing for us at the back, he attacks well defends well.”

Cann, 29, was drafted 16th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids and made just two appearances. Released midway through his first season he moved to the USL First Division and signed with the Montreal Impact making a total of 22 appearances. From there he moved west to the Vancouver Whitecaps and signed with them in 2006. He made 58 appearances for the club and was awarded the “Most Outstanding Defender” in 2007.
The defender has spent the last two seasons playing in the Danish league with Esberg FB.

Usanov, 25, has spent the last two seasons playing in Russia, and prior to that he played for Latvian club FC Skonto.

24th Minute Survivor - When you play with Fire...

...you get burnt.

San Jose’s upset of Chicago knocked all but five people out of the 24th Minute Survivor pool. They are, with their used picks:

Leftcoastkicks - NER, Galaxy, Seattle
Kevin Smith - NER, Colorado, Columbus
Casual Soccer Fan – KC, Galaxy, Seattle
Green Apes – Columbus, Galaxy, RSL
Still Kicking – Philly, Galaxy, Houston


This week’s games:
TFC v Philly (home team listed first)
Seattle v Kansas
Chivas v Houston
San Jose v New England
DC United v Chicago
Galaxy v SLC
New York v Dallas
Colorado v Toronto

Adebayor retires from International football

Regardless of how you feel about Emmanual Adebayor -- and God knows the opinions of him are often far from flattering -- you have to admit that it's a real shame that a talent like his will be denied to a developing football nation. It's especially sad that the reason for his retirement, at the root, is violence.

Bad guys 1, football 0.

Barrett guarantees win

It's at the end of the clip.



So, there you go...

He ran into a door

Mr. Rycroft lost a tooth in Boston. I'm not asking any questions, but his trip to the dentist today means that tonight's show has to be cancelled.

The last word on the bitterness

As readers of this blog will know, I'm not a Newcastle supporter. So, it's without bias that I put this video up, taken following the club's relegation last year:



"We'll support, we'll support, we'll support..."

This is my message to angry TFC fans. Many of you take great pride in comparisons to gritty Euro fans. We love to poke fun at other MLS fans that don't have our numbers and to assume that we are more sophisticated. Thing is, part of sophisticated support is an understanding that, at the end of the day, true support is about loyalty, not glory.

So, protest away on Thursday and following every loss this year if you want. It's your right after all. Just do so with the understanding that it betrays a lack of appreciation for what it means to be a true supporter.

I appreciate I've beaten this dead horse to death again. So, this will be my last work on the subject (other than to comment/report on what I observe on Thursday and beyond).

Sober Second Thoughts: "It's gone terribly wrong for Toronto FC"

It's all gone terribly wrong for Toronto FC. That's how Luke Wileman punctuated the fourth New England goal in Saturday's disheartening 4-1 loss to New England. It was a game that quickly went from a decent, functional road game in the first 45, to another typical visit to Boston in the second. TFC loses badly to the Revs. That's the rule.

The mood amongst fans is toxic now. There are talks about more protests and public hangings and of firing managers. It's all very dull and, as I pointed out before the game Saturday, lacking in perspective. Yes, the team kind of sucks right now. There are 28 games left in the season.

I'm not a big fan of piling on journalism, so I hesitate to talk about Nick Garcia. However, it's difficult to ignore the biggest talking point in TFC-land right now. So, for the record:

Garcia has clearly lost a step too many. In a more perfect world you might be able to hide him in a line-up, but as it stands right now with the Reds you can't. He's clearly a liability on the pitch (although, it should be noted it was his ball to DeRo that lead to TFC's goal), good for at least one glaring error a game and, so far, literally good for one goal against a game.

The problem, however, is that he's also the only option TFC currently has at centre back. That he isn't good enough anymore is an unfortunate side effect of aging, but it's not a reflection on Garcia's character. And, that's why it's more than pointless to focus your rage on the player, rather than the people that have put him in that position. The talk of holding up pink slips with his name on him and of not cheering his name during the pre-game intros is beyond misguided -- unless your goal is to to create an environment that is even more cancerous than it already is.

We only get 15 home league games a year -- only about four per cent of the year is game day. Why anyone would want to waste one of those days, especially the first one, with blinding anger is beyond me. At the very least people should focus their anger where it belongs -- upstairs -- and do what they can as supporters to squeeze what they can out of the players on the pitch.

Vancouver Whitecaps - NSC Minnesota Stars live blog

Welcome to today’s coverage of the Vancouver Whitecaps’ season opener against the NSC Minnesota Stars. Game video can be seen at the Whitecaps’ home page. Join the live blog below!

The Whitecaps' opener and the story of Marcus Haber

The Vancouver Whitecaps begin their new season today at Swangard Stadium, and I'll be live-blogging the game from the press box for this site, Sporting Madness and Epic Footy. They'll be taking on the NSC Minnesota Stars[Simon Fudge, WhitecapsFC.com]. Game time is at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific, and live video can be found via the Whitecaps' home page.

It should be an interesting clash; Vancouver finished with a mediocre 11-10-9 record last season, but got hot in the playoffs and went all the way to the USL championship before losing to Montreal. The Minnesota Stars are a new team, but they have nine players from the former Minnesota Thunder, who were 7-13-10 last year and missed the playoffs. They'll be eager to get off to a hot start.

I've already written a season preview focused on the Whitecaps' league and personnel changes for Dave Clark over at Sounder At Heart, and I wrote one focused on their potential Voyageurs' Cup ambitions over at Fighting For Canadian Supremacy, but I think there's still some ground to be covered. In my mind, perhaps the best way to do that is focusing in on perhaps the Whitecaps' most high-profile player, Marcus Haber, who recently returned to Vancouver [Marc Weber, The Province] on loan from England's West Bromwich Albion.

Haber is not expected to be available for today's game, but he should be a force for the Whitecaps in his two-month stay. He scored eight league goals for them last year and added four more in other competitions, and he also excelled at setting up other strikers like Charles Gbeke. With the departure of Haber and Gbeke, the biggest questions around this year's Whitecaps squad centred on where the goals will come from. Haber's return will reduce those questions, at least for a couple of months.

At the same time, though, he represents the odd dichotomy at the heart of this year's Whitecaps squad. On the one hand, they're all about building for the future. They'll be joining MLS next season, and getting off to a strong start there is far more important than anything they can accomplish in USSF Division II this year. To that end, they have built an excellent academy system and have focused on developing young players; some, like Haber, have turned out very well. The nature of soccer is that those who shine brightest don't often stick around in the dimmer leagues, though, and that's what happened with Haber's exit after the season. The Whitecaps still received a substantial transfer fee for him, so it was worth it for them to develop his skills, but it's unlikely that he'll help them on the pitch beyond this current loan spell.

On the other hand, though, this season and the Voyageurs' Cup do still matter to the Whitecaps. They've had a very successful run in the second tier of North American soccer, and they don't want to go out with a whimper. They'll give their youngsters some playing time to help them develop, but they'll also throw in guys like Haber (and other older veterans, such as Martin Nash and Takashi Hirano) who will help the team win now. Moreover, putting too much pressure on untested prospects could hurt their development, and giving them too much exposure could result in their eventual exodus. Those are all tough lines to walk, and the Whitecaps will be balancing on them all season long.

We'll likely see the Haber story play out again down the road, not just with Vancouver but also with the youth development arms of the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC. Development is a crucial thing, but not all the players you develop will wind up as part of your long-term plans. They can still be very helpful, though, both in terms of the transfer fees they bring in and in the way they build the reputation of their first club. In the short term, however, their most important contribution may be what they do on the pitch. Haber can certainly aid the Whitecaps this season, and I'm sure many fans will be excited to see him back in the blue and white. His return may not last for long and may not be a crucial part of the future, but he should help with the present, and that can be appreciated for what it is.

MLS/La Liga live blog

Not sure if I'll leave this up for the TFC game, but if you are following the Barca/madrid game and want to keep up with the Red Bulls/ Chivas...here is where to be.