Ohhhh the Germans

It's easy to be cynical about the appointment of Juergen Klinsmann as a consultant to MLSE in their search for a new GM and coach. After all this is a football club that has promised a lot over the past few years and has delivered little. With MLSE's track record of going for the big name to make a splash in media saturated T.O., you can see how Klinsmann might seem to be that type of hire.

With a name that impresses the casual fan, MLSE can take a little heat off of itself. The important hire still hasn’t been made. Now, the cynic might suggest, they have someone else to blame if it all goes south again.

It would be wrong to be that cynical. Don't get me wrong: I'm not convinced Klinsmann is a magic bullet. However, his hire addresses one of the biggest critiques of MLSE and TFC from the MoJo era -- that it wasn't football savvy. Having a football brain on the payroll that isn't also the one responsible for building the team is a good thing.

It certainly appears that he will be given lots of rope in his effort to turn this circus of a franchise into something that resembles a football club.

From Stephen Brunt's article that first broke Klinsmann's hire:

Though Klinsmann will not take on the role of general manager or coach himself, he will be asked to make a recommendation as to Johnston’s replacement.

But it is more than a simple head hunting assignment. Klinsmann and his company will look at the club’s infrastructure, at its academy and scouting system, will suggest a playing style, and then find someone to accomplish the goals they set out.

That type of role might make one wonder why he doesn't just take the role of GM and coach himself. Besides the fact he's pretty happy in SoCal and is likely only interested in a frontline job at a truly big European club, he might actually understand that he might not be a good fit.

Guys that played and managed at the level Klinsmann did aren't necessarily the best fit in MLS. MLS is more of a Hans Backe kinda league than a Sven-Göran Eriksson one. There are lots of Backes out there too. You just have to find them and maybe, just maybe, Klinsmann has the connections to do just that.

Another thing this appointment does is once again betray the great Toronto urban myth of MLSE's cheapness. Hiring Klinsmann might be popular with some fans, but hes not selling any tickets. And it's doubtful he comes cheap. On the sports side of the operations, MLSE might be incompetent. They are undoubtedly ineffective. But, they are not cheap.

When Klinsmann is introduced to the media it will be interesting to see how long his arrangement with TFC is. If it's just for the search then that's good, but it would be far more promising if he's agreed to an ongoing consulting role. That would be ideal because he could help MLSE understand when a tough decision needs to be made -- does anyone think that Mo shouldn't have been canned at the end of 2009? That he wasn't demonstrates that the front office is lacking in knowledge when it comes to the sport. At the town hall meeting I attended it was telling that Tom Anselmi expressed sincere surprise at the amount of turnover there was on the TFC roster this year. He must not read this blog because it was clear to those in the know how much of a mess the Reds were in at the end of 2009. If a Klinsmann had been there, it's possible the right decision would have been made last November and the rebuild could have started sooner.

In closing, I want to turn attention to the game as a whole in this country. Juergen freaking Klinsmann is working for a professional soccer team in Canada. If you've followed the game here for long you'll realize just how absurd that is.

Yet here we are!

It's Called Football - The new consultant

Today, we're joined by CBC's Jason DeVos to talk about Jürgen Klinsmann appointment as a TFC consultant, his own appointment as the technical director of Canada's biggest soccer club and what needs to be done on the player development side of things for Canada.

We're also joined by Kris Fernandes, a long time CSL insider, to help set up the final this weekend and talk about CSL expansion.

And in between we make some picks for the MLS playoffs and ponder where Duane got the money to buy a house - clearly MLSE is paying him to promote their agenda...

Playoff predictions

The Columbus - Colorado game just kicked off. I figured I should get my predictions on record.

East
New York over San Jose 3-1 (1-1, 2-0)
Colorado over Columbus 2-1 (2-0, 0-1)

West
LA over Seattle 5-3 (2-2, 3-1)
Dallas over SLC 4-4, 5-3 pk (2-2, 2-2)

New York over Colorado 2-0
LA over Dallas 1-0

NY over LA 2-0

The first step is admitting that you have a problem

I've decided that I, on some odd, uncomfortable level, like David Beckham. He's a former rag, so this does not come easy to me (the main reason I don't write much about the EPL is I am hopeless biased towards City).

Although Beckham is, as the kids say, a media whore and he seems more than bit clueless (and overly influenced by others. Victoria runs that household, that is clear (not that there is anything wrong with that if you are reading dear. Yes, I'll take the garbage out before going to soccer), at his heart, he just seems to want to play. If he wasn't born with the ability to do great things from set pieces he'd probably be that 35-year-old guy playing semi-pro for Maidenhead United (while still secretly believing that if he could just be seen by the right guy he's be able to at least play in League One). We make fun of him, while also envying him for doing what he loves.

The fact that he tried to take on the entier LA Riot Squad is oddly endearing as well. I have a feeling that if the Galaxy make the MLS Cup in Toronto that there is about a 50/50 chance he'll try the same in the south-east corner of BMO (there is a 100 per cent chance the SE corner will be expressing themselves to him). Since I also suffer from an inability to know when it's best to just shut up and ignore people I can't really blame the man for having a temper and for being willing to find an outlet for it.

So, when I read stories about how he still wants to play for England, or one day return to Real Madrid, I don't feel the need to poke fun at him. On the contrary, I think his sporting desire is kind of refreshing. The man doesn't need the money. He also has more than enough fame. He seems sincere (if a bit delusional). He just knows that if Mourinho or Capello could just give him a chance...

I, too, feel that if MLS scouts could just see me during my beer league jogabouts...

I'm not going to buy a strip and scream his name (for the record at 35 Beckham is past the point where 14-year-olds should be screaming his name. It's a little creepy) the next time he plays in Toronto. However, I might quietly give him a little respect (while screaming WANKER! at him from the SE corner of BMO).

NASL v USL, round 2

I'm going to print this NASL press release in full because it's telling in the way it's written. Highlights are mine.

On the eve of the USSF D-2 Pro League final between two NASL clubs, the Carolina Railhawks and the Puerto Rico Islanders, the NASL announced that it will be hosting its AGM for the 2011 season on November 7 - 8, in Miami. Committed to play and grow at the second division level, the NASL members will be covering several topics including tentative schedule for next season, league staff and future expansion.

The NASL, while busy planning for the 2011 season, was surprised by league member Rochester Rhinos’ announcement earlier this week that they plan to play at the USSF third division level (USL PRO) despite their multi-year commitment with the NASL. The NASL is evaluating all of its options and will proceed accordingly. “It’s unfortunate that the Rochester Rhinos, a team with such a successful track record over its fifteen year history at the second division level, is stepping down to third division," said Aaron Davidson, CEO of the NASL

The forced marriage is over. It's time to call in the lawyers because this is going to get ugly.

Let's hear it for the girl

As a reminder, CONCACAF Women's World Cup qualifying starts today at 6 p.m. when Costa Rica plays Guatemala in group B action. The USA plays Haiti at 8:30 p.m.

You can watch both games at the CONCACAF Web site.

Canada gets going tomorrow at 6 p.m. against T&T. Mexico and Guyana play at 8:30 p.m. Canada's games can be seen on CBC Bold. The world is catching up (a bit) in women's football, but Canada and the US are still the overwhelming favourites to directly advance to the World Cup. The battle for the playoff spot is likely between Costa Rica and Mexico. The third place finisher will have to play off with Italy for the final WWC spot.

Nine countries have already qualified for the WWC. The host Germany will be joined by New Zealand from the OFC, England, France, Norway and Sweden from Europe and Australia, Japan and North Korea from Asia.

The Women's World Cup starts June 26, 2011.

It's Called Away Support

In the past month much has been said about teams deciding to limit the number of seats available in their stadiums for away support in Portland, Vancouver and Seattle.

Today we're joined by a pair of leaders from those supporters groups to talk about what the issues are, if they can be resolved and what needs to be done by MLS to help foster away support around the league.

In addition to that we'll talk about Martin Nash's retirement from Vancouver, TFC's media day and if the ongoing search for a coach and GM is starting to become clear.

You're done, bro

Martin Nash is retiring. Marc Weber is reporting that it will be announced today that the Whitecaps fan favourite will be given a role with the club moving forward, but that the boots are being hung up for good.

It's the right decision. Nash was always an energy player and at 35 it was doubtful that he would be able to have the same sort of impact he did in D2. MLS is a physical league where athleticism is vital.

The harsh truth is that Nash hasn't been MLS quality for a few years now. He could have been a depth player maybe, but he would not have had the same role or earning power outside of Vancouver.

Had the Whitecaps included him on the MLS roster they would have been doing so out of sentimentality. This is not a league that allows for that. With a tight cap every penny counts and even a $40,000 contract could be better used on a younger player. Giving Nash a community ambassador/assistant coach role allows Nash to retire with dignity.

Even the blindest Nash fan must understand this on a logical level. Still, it's the first lesson on MLS realities for the Vancouver fandom.

The season ticket race

News today that the Vancouver Whitecaps are looking to increase their season ticket base from the original goal of 16,500 to, well, something more has to be good news. Actually, when you factor in Paul Barber's comments that they are just 1,500 short of that goal now with Paul Beirne's comments in the live TFC chat today that the Reds renewals are at about 80 per cent you'll find that the Whitecaps actually have a higher season ticket base.

TFC is about 12,800 right now, Vancouver 15,000. TFC remains committed to trying to boost season tickets to 18,000, so it will be an interesting race to see which Canadian MLS team has the biggest base by First Kick.

Portland was said to have sold 10,000 season seats. The Timbers will be an interesting team on the fan front as the Timbers Army justifiably get a lot of good press and are considered one of the best supporter’s groups in North America. However, the 10k number has to be a bit disappointing. Portland will be fine, but it says here that Vancouver will have a higher average attendance than the Timbers and will play in front of a greater percentage of sold seats.

In other 'Caps news, the team is set to have two press conferences tomorrow. One is announcing a partnership with BMO and another has to do with "an important soccer personnel announcement." I suspect it's the appointment of Richard Grootscholten as youth director.

A nod to the past

Toronto FC is holding a design the kit contest. Fans are invited to submit designs for the 2012 second kit.

You can enter here.

Now don't get too excited you design freaks (because I know there must be a big cross over between TFC and Project Runway fans). The template is more than a little limiting. The base of the shirt has to be white and you can only put black, red or gray on the strip as an accent. Most of the design is done. fans are basically being asked to tweak the details a bit.

There is nothing wrong with that, of course. It's a nice little exercise in involving fans and it helps pass some time. I have an entry in and I'll probably go looking for you all to vote me the winner in a month's time (I'll then give away the prize to a reader), but wouldn't it be nice if we could offer something a little more outside the box.

For instance, how about this:




Replace the Blizzard logo with TFC's and consider it a nod to the past. When TFC was first coming into being there were a significant amount of people that wanted the team to stick with its NASL name. MLS has traditionally avoided keeping the NASL names (until Seattle fans basically forced them to reconsider. Portland and Vancouver have followed suit). Tradition matters in football. As I've written before, the Blizzard was a cheeseball North American name, but it was our cheeseball North American name. Doing something small like adding some blue to the second strip with a nod to the past would be kind of cool, don't you think?

RaveGreenbacks

Just as one season ticket holder revolt appears to be cooling off, MLS could face another. The Seattle Sounders sent season ticket holders an invoice today that, at best, can be described as confusing. It includes multiple pricing for fans that bought tickets in 2009 versus 2010 and, according to fans, it reneges on a promise to not raise prices for three years.

You can read some of the reaction here.

Famously the Sounders gave fans their money back after losing badly at home earlier this year. That refund was to be put towards the 2011 package for those the renewed. However, even with the discount, which is noted on the invoice, the price is still higher for 2011 than it was for 2010.

A general admission ticket is $342 USD ($350 CDN) before the refund. With the refund it is $331.50. They were $297 last year. The 2011 package includes 18 games, which is the same as the 2010 package. For comparison sake, the price is about fifty cents higher per game than TFC tickets.

Published e-mail exchanges that are allegedly from the club claim that there was no three year price freeze promise. The club said that there was a two year freeze followed by a three per cent increase. Even factoring the free ticket, the numbers appear to indicate a 11 per cent increase. Since the free game won't likely be included next year Seattle fans are understandable concerned about what the 2012 price will be (and new general admission tickets for 2011 are already pushing the $400 level).

The biggest difference between this increase and TFC's is the play on the field, of course. TFC has been nearly historically bad, whereas Seattle has been incredibly successful. It will be interesting to see whether that affects how Sounders fans react to this.

It's Called A Season Recap - Guest: John Molinaro

Today, we look back on the season that was for Toronto FC in 2010. We talk about the defining moments, the players who shone, stunk and sunk in our eyes as well all the off-field drama that has come to define TFC in its first four years.

We're also joined by CBC's John Molinaro who breaks down the moments that mattered, what players John would like to see gone in the off-season and he discusses Mo Johnston's relationship with First Wave and what Barry MacLean's connection to the club still is.

Listen and let us know what you think was Toronto's defining moment this year.

MLS Cup tickets

I received confirmation from TFC that the MLS Cup tickets will be delivered to season ticket holders starting Wednesday, Nov 10.

They will be shipped via Purolator.

The last tickets should be in the hands of fans by Friday, Nov 12.

The terrible twos

So the blog is two. Yesterday, actually. Two in blogging terms is about 50 in regular media, so we're middle aged around these parts. Best schedule that prostate exam.

It seems a bit surreal to think that it's only been two years of blogging (January marks two years of podcasting for me; It's Called Football itself passed the two year mark earlier this month). So much has happened. This blog was around when the Impact put 50,000 in Olympic Stadium, and when TFC put six goals past them to rip the Voyagers Cup out of the Vancouver Whitecaps hands. It's been around for four TFC head coaches. There is a label for Laurent Robert. Real Madrid was covered in the flesh.

It wasn't around when Canada started its disastrous 2010 World Cup qualifying, but it was there at the end. Actually, it was the first to report Dale Mitchell's dismissal. This space was also the first place to report that DeRo was unhappy with his contract (the first time) that Julian de Guzman was really coming to TFC and that the Vancouver Whitecaps were going to MLS. Oh, Edmonton FC was first talked about here too. The 24thminute isn't always the first to break stuff, but it is sometimes. I'm damn proud of that because, at my root, I am a journalist. My aim with this blog has always been to add value to the reporting of TFC and Canadian soccer. I hope I have and that I can continue to do so.

I'm not perfect. Blogging is a very personal pursuit. You have no filter between your work and your readers. If I make a mistake I can't blame the desk. It's all on me. The readers hold you accountable. Anyone that suggests that blogging has no checks and balances hasn’t published a blog -- at least one that is at all read.

Many times the readers add value to this space through their gentle questioning and insightful comments. Other times they are really just trolls and borderline nutters. And there is an example of my great failing. I can't help myself. I fight back when I think readers are wrong. I should probably just shut up and trust that the majority will judge my work on their own and that I don't need to defend myself.

Then there are the blogger battles. Over two years I have had a few. We all know who they are (and one hasn't published in nearly a month...interesting...). I know the drama bores most of you. I promise I'll try harder to not have so much.

If there has been one thing I have learned (and am still learning) is that you should never promise anything when you blog. Life gets in the way and makes it difficult to meet deadlines that you have set for yourself. Although I do make money off this site (and have never hid that) it's not nearly enough that I can prioritize this writing (although I do way too often). Trust me guys, no one beats himself up more than I do for not getting something done that I said I was going to. I have gotten up in the middle of the night to blog when the guilt was too much for me to handle. I've updated from Belize and Spain. I think about this way more than is likely healthy.

All that is a long preamble to say that there are some significant changes planned for this space and they likely will come about pretty soon. But, don't hold me to that. You'll know more when it's ready to go and it will be better for everyone.

The third year beckons. I can't wait to see what it brings.

Note: I can't get through this without thanking folks - thanks goes to Neate Sager, now Yahoo's junior hockey blogger and the man that helped launch me into this blogging world; Ben Rycroft and Ben Knight (Ok, Squizz too) for providing the backbone of the podcasting side of this space; Andrea - I'm so terribly sorry; Scott Carefoot of the Score Federation; My U-Sector brothers and sisters - as always an inspiration; Kevin - it's your fault more than anyone that I'm so damn obsessed with this sport; Paul Beirne, Earl Cochrane and others at TFC who have been helpful in providing access and information when needed (no, I don't cut their lawns); The MLS blogging community - Ives, Jason Davis, Dave Clark, to name a few, that have been helpful and who provide inspiration; My Twitter friends - many a stressful day has been dealt with by finding amusement in my Twitter feed; Manchester City Football Club - they keep me sane...really; Fumo and Massy - When you write all day in an empty condo you grow to appreciate your cats; The Voyageurs - one day you all are going to get a medal for your loyalty. Then you'll bitch about the colour, but that's why we love you; Dino Rossi - For putting his money where his mouth is; and, finally, Me. It's all about me, really...;)

MLS playoff schedule

Here is the MLS Cup playoff schedule. For TFC fans unaware, the "playoffs" take place after the regular season and determine the league's "champion."

If the games are available on Canadian TV they will be on Gol.

Oct 28
COL vs. CLB

Oct 30
DAL vs. RSL
SJ vs. NY

Oct 31
SEA vs. LA

Nov 4
NY vs. SJ

Nov 6
CLB vs. COL
RSL vs. DAL

Nov 7
LA vs. SEA

CCL by the numbers

Out of Touch has compiled a summary of CONCACAF Champions League results by country that might surprise you. By looking at the overall record of Canadian teams in the competition an argument could be made that they deserve a spot directly in the group stage.

It's hard to say how much of an argument since there is only three teams (four next year) competing for the spot, but Canada's 1.55 points per game ranks right up there.

How well does it rank?

Have a look yourself.

The MLS Cup match-up: ranking the possibilities

Based on my quick calculations, there are still 22 possible MLS Cup match-ups. If TFC fans are going to go to the game -- and feedback I've received is that most likely will (a month is a long time to go without the rhythms of game day and when push comes to shove staying home is not going to seem as appealing as it does while sitting in front of your computer) -- then it stands to reason there are some match-ups that are better than others.

Here is a ranking, from worst to best, of the possible match-ups:

No 22 - Galaxy v Columbus

One of them would have to win. And that would be awful. There are match-ups involving the two teams higher up the list that are more palatable, but none where both teams play the villain so well

No 21 - Galaxy v Seattle

It's a nice match-up, but again TFC fans would be forced to watch either Landon Donovan hold a trophy or a team that is two bloody years old. No offense Seattle fans, but...salt in wounds...

No 20 - Dallas v Colorado

Just because I can't think of a less exciting match-up.

No 19 - Seattle v San Jose

Both teams came into the league after TFC

No 18 - LA v Colorado

Colorado does not inspire and La we've talked about.

No 17 - Dallas v Columbus

See No 18, add greater Columbus hate. At least there would be a team to cheer against.

No 16 - Dallas v New York

The Red Bulls will probably bring a good amount of fans up and are less villain-like because of, well, their suck-ness over the years

No 15 - Dallas v Seattle

Jeff Cunningham or year two team. You pick.

No 14 - Seattle v Colorado

Again, not that sexy of a match-up. No good winner for TFC fans.

No 13 - Dallas v San Jose

Frank Yallop gives some local cheering interest and Cunningham a needed villain. This one is almost tolerable.

No 12 - San Jose v Colorado

Neither team that wins this one would offend (or inspire, really)

No 11 - SLC v Colorado

A rivalry game, so that's interesting. Also Will Johnson gives TFC fans a Canadian cheering interest.

No 10 - San Jose v Columbus

On one hand having Columbus in the game is a nightmare. On the other, it would provide the crowd with a cheering (against) interest. San Jose is pretty benign too and has a Canadian manager, so...

No 9 - San Jose v New York

Having one of Henry or Beckham in the game would be nice regardless of how cynical you might want to be about it. Ideally it would be nice to have a team playing against them that you won't feel dirty cheering for. Also, Carl Robinson.

No 8 - SLC v San Jose

There is a lot of Canadian in this one to like and neither team is that offensive of a winner

No 7 - Galaxy v San Jose

An old rivalry game with easy to understand villains and heroes. Plus, Beckham.

No 6 - SLC v Seattle

If Seattle was a 10 year old club I'd have no problems cheering for them in the final. However...this would be a good game, I think and I'm good with a SLC repeat.

No 5 - Seattle v Columbus

It's a bit inconsistent, but if I'm going to cheer for Seattle I want to REALLY cheer for Seattle.

No 4 - Seattle v New York

It would be a hell of a game and it would be really nice to see Carl Robinson and Greg Sutton win, don't you think?

No 3 - Galaxy v New York

It's the glamour match-up and it would be hyped beyond words. That's a good thing for a game that is going to struggle for attention in bitter Toronto.

No 2 - SLC v Columbus

SLC is the most palatable winner in my mind and Columbus would be fun to cheer against.

No 1 - SLC v New York

There are few match-ups where I'd be good with either winner and that look like a good (and possible) match-up. This is the one that best meets those criteria. Either Will Johnson and the cute team with the bad name wins again (which offends no one in Toronto) or two former and popular TFC players win at BMO with the sexy team that has never won a damn thing before (and will probably bring a bunch of supporters up for the game making it fun to watch).

Yeah, New York and Salt Lake. I could live with that.

No live show today

We had a couple guests back out last minute so we're pulling the plug on today's show.

Bad timing considering the news out of Toronto today but we'll be back on Monday with our MLS playoff preview, a recap of the season ticket freeze, what it means going forward and two great guests.

Wednesday we're planning to have someone on from the supporters groups in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver to talk about away support and what teams need to be doing to foster that element of supporters culture. The Southsiders released a statement on it today

And Friday we'll have a CSL championship preview. We should be giving away tickets to that so stay tuned.

That's the update. Enjoy the weekend.

A(nother) letter from the F.O.

I'm just going to let this sit on its own for now:

Thank you.

Over the past 10 days, we've solicited and received a lot of feedback from a broad spectrum of season seat holders and supporters. Through emails, conversations, on-line chats and a series of Town Hall meetings we've heard a great deal and it has been very informative.

The Town Hall sessions were passionate, vocal and candid. The meetings were crucial to helping us understand your concerns. Toronto FC fans are unique - you love your club, you feel a part of the club, but your club has let you down on and off-the-pitch. We've now digested your feedback with the goal of identifying actionable items.

Several key themes have emerged throughout our discussions. We've summarized these themes and our plan of action for 2011 and 2012.

1. "Don't price us out of the building. When will price increases stop?"
For returning season seat holders who renew by the deadline, we will honour their 2011 prices for the 2012 season. In other words, there will be no price increase for the 2012 season for renewing 2011 season ticketholders.

2. "Toronto FC is MY Club. I don't want any other teams or games in my season ticket package."
For 2012, Toronto FC's season ticket package will only include the MLS regular season games and two Nutrilite Canadian Championship games.

3. "These Town Halls are good. Will you continue the dialogue?"
The Toronto FC Town Hall sessions were valuable and enlightening. We hope the sessions have been valuable for you as well. We are committed to holding similar sessions at BMO Field two times in 2011.

4. "Transportation: GO Trains arrive too close to kick-off. Leaving Exhibition Place is a nightmare!"
We understand this frustration. We will continue to work with Metro Police, Toronto Transportation, TTC and GO Transit to improve getting to and from games. A new exit from Exhibition Place to Lakeshore Blvd. is nearly complete and will help with post game congestion.

5. "Team performance is not where it should be. What is the club's direction in the short and long-term?"
With change comes the opportunity to make important decisions about our future. We're working hard to assemble a management team that is second to none in Major League Soccer. We are looking for leadership that will establish the vision for this team and create a winning culture so that Toronto FC will consistently compete for a championship.

We are excited about the opportunity for a fresh start as we prepare to launch our fifth anniversary season in 2011. To welcome you back and thank you for showing the world how Toronto supports this game like nobody else in North America, all season seat holders who renew their seats by Monday, October 25 will be attending our 2011 Home Opener on us - we're picking up the tab for your ticket for that game. Since you have already renewed - thank you - your account will be credited accordingly. More details about this will come in a separate email.

You have given us a lot to consider and in turn we hope our efforts demonstrate that we value your support and passion. We are extending our renewal deadline to 5 p.m. on Monday, October 25, 2010 to give season seat holders additional time over the weekend to think about our action plan and make their decision.

We look forward to seeing you back next year. And before that, we look forward to celebrating the best in North American soccer at the MLS Cup game at BMO Field on November 21.

Thank you again.

Road to T.O.: A final week preview

With New York's 2-0 win over New England last night, the Red Bulls finished off a remarkable one year turn around from worst to first (in the east) and ended Columbus' attempt to win a third straight eastern crown.

From a Toronto perspective, New England's loss assured that TFC will end with the same amount of points as the Revs. If it's a two way tie, the Revs will finish ahead based on head to head play. Unless it's a three way tie. Then you have to factor in the other team's record against Toronto and New England.

Most people, however, won't be looking at the battle for 11th - 12th. With a tight race for the bottom playoff seed that's where the attention will be. A quick review of the tiebreaker formula:

1. The highest position shall be awarded to the team with the better win/loss record in current regular season games against all other teams equal in points. (head-to-head competition)
2. If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position shall be awarded to the team with the greater goal difference against all other teams during the regular season. (goal differential)
3. If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position shall be awarded to the team scoring the greatest number of total goals against all other teams during the regular season. (total goals for)
4. If the teams are still equal in the standings, the procedures described in this section shall be applied only to games played on the road by each team against all other teams during the regular season. (road 1-3)
5. If the teams are still equal in the standings, the procedures described in this section shall be applied only to games played at home by each team against all other teams during the regular season. (home 1-3)
6. If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position shall be awarded to the team with the fewest team disciplinary points in the League Fair Play table during the regular season.
7. If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position in the standings shall be determined by the toss of a coin.
8. The first tiebreaker in a three-way tie is also head-to-head, but it is determined via points-per-game versus the other two teams. If two teams are tied in points-per-game head-to-head, the next tie breaker is goal difference.

If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format.

Currently, the standings are as follows:

West
Galaxy – 56
SLC – 55
Dallas – 50
Seattle 48
San Jose – 46
Colorado - 45
Houston – 30
Chivas – 28


East
NYRB – 51
Columbus – 47
Kansas - 36
Chicago – 33
Toronto – 32
New England – 32
Philly – 31
DC United – 22

With the east settled, there are two things to watch for this weekend. The Supporter’s Shield/west race and the wildcard shuffle.

With a one point lead, L.A. has a simple task – win and lift the trophy. If the Galaxy beats Dallas at home they will win the west and the Shield. It won’t matter what SLC does.

SLC must get a result against Colorado and hope that L.A. doesn’t win. A draw will only be good enough if the Galaxy lose. However, with the head-to-head tiebreaker even, SLC would take the second tiebreaker if the two teams end up even on 56 points.

SLC plays first so the Galaxy will know what it needs to do at kick-off.

The wildcard is, um, a bit more wild. Although we know that Dallas can’t fall below fourth in the west and therefore won’t cross over the rest is up for consideration.

Dallas really doesn’t have much to concern itself with. Seattle could catch it – and ideally you want to finish above in case you meet in the conference final – but otherwise it knows it’s playing one of SLC or L.A. in the first round. Unless Seattle beats Houston by about 10 goals, Dallas will have the tiebreaker on the Marching Band FC so a win or draw will clinch third in the west for Dallas.

Seattle, as stated, has to finish ahead of Dallas in points to grab third. The only way that happens is to beat Houston and have Dallas lose to L.A. If Seattle wins they can finish no worse than fourth in the west and won’t cross over. If they draw, they will guarantee a finish above Colorado and will wait to see what San Jose does. A loss could see them drop all the way down to the final playoff spot.

Seattle currently has the tiebreaker with San Jose, but would lose a tiebreak with Colorado. A three way tie is not possible.

San Jose must beat Kansas City on the road to have a hope of playing off in the west. With a win and a Seattle loss they will finish fourth in the west and play one of L.A. or SLC. With a two goal win and a Seattle draw they will also grab fourth. A Seattle win, or failing to win themselves will guarantee a trip east for the playoffs.

Colorado must win against SLC and hope Seattle and San Jose loses. If that happens they will play SLC in the playoffs.

Looking ahead: A very (too?) early draft preview

TFC will draft somewhere between fifth and ninth (although New England is losing to New York as I type. If that result holds the Reds cannot finish lower than the Revs and will not have a better pick than No. 6) in this year's MLS draft. Vancouver, of course, has the first overall pick.

Although the draft's importance has been reduced in recent years, it is still an important way to build depth. It's also a great way to build consistency, as often the NCAA products turn into MLS lifers.

Here is a look at a few of the more likely choices for the two Canadian teams.

Cody Arnoux is already with the team and might be what Vancouver is looking to do with the pick. He certainly has the potential to have a great career. As it seems that he will need to go back through the draft, it's likely that the 'Caps will need to use their first pick on him if they want to keep him. They have had a unique advantage of having seen him up close and personal to evaluate him so far.

If it isn't Arnoux it might be Anthony Ampaipitakwong, a creative midfielder from Akron, or Generation adidas prospect Omar Salgado, a forward. There is your caveat, Generation adidas. As GA players are extremely valuable a true evaluation of the draft must wait until we know what the GA class is. That said, you could do worse than the above three players.

It's even more difficult to peg what TFC might do. However, if we assume that the Reds are going to pick somewhere around the eighth slot and that they might be looking to fill a need (scoring), we can take some educated guesses. If you factor in a need to find a guy more likely to step in and contribute, we can narrow it more.

Here are a few names: Casey Townsend, Ashley McInnes and Brian Ownby. All are forwards with good upside. However, I kind of like the look of Colin Rolfe. He's a big, gifted goal scorer and looks the most pro ready to my admittedly untrained eye.

As stated, it's a bit early to start doing the mock drafts just yet, but with the season TFC has had it's never really too soon to start looking ahead to better times. Or, in Vancouver's case new times.

The preseason starts in about 15 weeks.

Movin' on

I'm about done with the drama. I understand that people are frustrated and that they want to express themselves. As I've written 100 times by know, have at it. Do what makes you happy.

But, I'm done. I attended the U-Sector town hall meeting with MLSE last night. I listened with interest with what they said and what was asked and then I jumped on the subway to go do a podcast on the Vancouver Whitecaps. I don't have the energy to be angry about ticket prices or at the way people are or are not protesting said ticket prices anymore. Until there is new news on this subject this is the last you will read of it here (that said, I expect there will be more news within the week and the MLS Cup will be a topic of discussion for the next month).

Speaking of the MLS Cup, it struck me as sincere when Tom Anselmi said that they were shocked at the negative reaction to having the game included in the season ticket package. They felt that getting the game was something they should do for the fans. The MLS Cup does not make money for the hosts. The league is giving up revenue by holding the game in a smaller stadium. Suggesting that the inclusion of the game is because ML$E is greedy is, well, illogical, but I might as well have that debate with my cat. If you think that, you think that. There ain't nothing I can do to change your mind.

Regardless, there were some good things that came out of the U-Sector meeting. It seemed productive. The group had the advantage of knowing what was said at other meetings before it so it was able to ask questions in a way that produced more detailed answers.

Detailed notes of the meeting can be read here.

In the past TFC had a season ticket renewal rate of about 94 per cent. Even before the anger, that number was likely to drop. However, reports that less than a third of the tickets have been renewed are simply inaccurate. The club remains committed to expanded the season ticket base to 18,000 and is even thinking about future stadium expansion. Anecdotally a lot of people have renewed this week (myself included). TFC seems concerned right now, but not panicked.

If you read the reaction in the U-Sector thread I've linked, and in this thread that asks members if they have renewed, you'll see that there has been a softening of opinions because of the town hall meetings. There are still people ANGRY AS HELL (and you'll meet some in the comments section, I'm sure), but for many, myself included, it seems a good time to move on.

Note: I lied (a bit). I invited a non-affiliated season ticket holder to report on his perspective from tonight's meeting. That could appear in this space tomorrow.

It's Called Whitecaps - Guest: Terry Dunfield

We're doing a full-show dedicated to the Vancouver Whitecaps tonight, their season and what lays ahead for them.

In it we're joined by a new host from the left coast to help break down their series vs Puerto Rico, the recent releases by the club and the recent signings by Portland.

And we're joined by Terry Dunfield who talks about his return to Vancouver, what its like for the players who are on the bubble of being cut right now, the honour of playing for Canada and his thoughts on MLS as a league.

If all goes well, we'll be adding a regular live Caps show to our lineup very soon.

So, if you like what you hear, or you don't, let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Mini-break

Some other work is keeping me away until tomorrow.

It's Called A Post-Game

Our usual panel of experts/hooligans talk about if the CCL run can be called a success, if it was a mistake of Toronto to compete for both league and CCL and what to expect in next year's Nutrilite Voyageurs Cup.

We also review the play of Nicholas Lindsay and Ashtone Morgan and who from the regular starting 11 should be afraid for their job next year.

Canada qualifies for Olympic qualifier!

Ok, so it was automatic, but still...

CONCACAF released the Olympic qualifying details on Friday. It will be the same format as in 2008, which saw two groups of four play out followed by a semi-final, final. The winners of the semi-finals advance to London.

The three "North American" teams -- Canada, USA and Mexico -- go straight to the event. They are joined by two qualifiers from the Caribbean and three from Central America.

The women's event, which will be held in Canada, sees Canada, Mexico and the United States in automatically. They will be joined by three teams from the Caribbean and two from Central America. It's the same format as the men's.

It's worth reminding readers that the men were one win away from going to China. The Olympics represents a real chance to get to a high profile event. It could be invaluable from a optics perspective. However, the sub-23 program has traditionally been overlooked by the CSA. There is little evidence that anything has changed. The team will likely go into the tournament with limited preparation.

Re-sign the Gargan?

Dan Gargan is the type of player that Toronto sports fans love. He's tough, intense and plays a straight forward game. To use a hockey analogy he's a third line checking forward who will drop the gloves from time to time and who shows up at Sick Kids without telling the media.

He can play the game too. At $40,000 he's been a great value for TFC this year on a club that rarely gets values from its contracts. He's due for a raise.

That's where it gets tricky. How big of a raise is Gargan worth? Is he a $100,000 player? More? Less? Therein is the question that the new TFC GM needs to answer.

It's not just Gargan of course. Other salary decisions face the club as well. How they are handled will tell us a lot about whether the mentality of the club has changed or if Mo Johnston was a symptom of a greater issue.

That's why we all should be watching the Gargan situation very closely. As a fan favourite the temptation might be to overpay. If they do let Gargan slip away you know there will be some upset fans that will be convinced that it is an example of the club's inability to understand just how good he is. Maybe TFC doesn't want the heartache and giving him the extra $20,000 he asks for is easier than holding the line at what they value him at.

In the past MLSE has been accused of meddling in player decisions. There are more than a few examples on the Leafs side of things (Tie Domi anyone?), but even with TFC the rumour has been there. What else could Preki have been talking about when he issued his parting shot about interference as he was leaving town?

So, we'll see.

Gargan is a solid player that seems to add some intangibles into the mix. But, he isn't irreplaceable. Columbus paid Andy Iro $71,100 this year. Based on Iro's play up to this year, that's not a bad measure. If Gargan gets something like that for 2011 then by all means Release the Gargan. Otherwise just release him.

Sober Second Thoughts: Yeah, that makes sense

Of course the keeper scored. Obviously. After the year TFC has had it only makes sense.

Still, those that booed at the final whistle were guilty of more than a little head-up-the-ass-ness. The effort was there. Booing TFC results now is beyond redundant. Last week someone in my comments section took issue with my writing that the club wasn't good enough. They said that the point had already been made too many times. Fair enough. That's kind of my point too.

The problem, of course, is there is very little else to talk about. Nicholas Lindsay, maybe? The kid did have a good game. There is still room to grow, but he has a touch on the ball and could be a useful piece next year. A wide option off the bench at least.

Jon Conway punching Steven Lenhart before walking off the pitch arms raised high in the air waving the crowd on like a departing star in the WWE -- well, that might have been the highlight of the year. It's possible Conway might get a few MVP votes for that public service.

No word on whether Brian Burke was watching, but I think I know who his favourite soccer player would be if he was.

We could also talk about the protests. From where I stand I can't really see section 112 so I can't say how many were wearing green. Some, for sure. The stadium was hardly painted green though.

It was quiet. And that was part of the RPB and North End Elite's plan. Whether it makes any difference is hard to say.

In talking about the protests before the game I did mention to a few people that it would be telling on one front -- helping people understand what the true reach of the supporter's groups are. Many of us that are involved in the culture are guilty of thinking that everyone at the stadium is as engaged as we are. The truth is less than 2-3,000 at any game are active in a supporter's group. The majority of the crowd are non-affiliated. As much as MLSE needs to appreciate the value of the supporter's groups in the marketing of the team and in fuelling the atmosphere at the games, they also need to take care of the needs of the non-affiliated.

Those needs aren't always in line with those of the supporter groups. Actually feedback I have received from the town hall meetings so far indicates that there is a slight resentment amongst some non-affiliates towards what they view as preferential treatment to the groups.

Moving forward the groups should be aware of that when they plan any future protests in the stadium. That's not to suggest they shouldn't do whatever they feel is needed for them to do, but rather that they should make efforts to understand what the feelings of the rest of the stadium are. A push back from the non-affiliated fans is possible.

Regardless there is just one game left at home now -- tomorrow's nothing CCL match where a crowd of less than 10,000 is likely. Well, other than the MLS Cup.

God only knows what the crowd is going to be for that one.

Whitecaps - Islanders second-leg live blog

After a 0-0 tie in Puerto Rico in the first leg of their USSF-II semifinal, the Vancouver Whitecaps have returned home (on the same flight as the Islanders) for the rematch. They take on Puerto Rico today at 4 p.m., and I'll be live-blogging it from Vancouver's Swangard Stadium. Wes Knight is back in the lineup, which should give the Whitecaps a boost, but facing the Islanders in an elimination game is never easy. Check out game previews from Marc Weber, Ben Massey, Simon Fudge and Bruce Constantineau, then come join me at 4 for the game!

It's Called Football - 2 Year Anniversary Show

For our 2 year anniversary show we lined up a great slate of guests.

CSL commissioner Dominic Di Gironimo joins us to tell Canadian fans to expect major expansion in the CSL over the next two years (Quebec, BC and Ontario).

Toronto FC's Dan Gargan joins us to talk about his first year at the club, what his plans are for next year and his thoughts on Mo Johnston

Former Chicago Fire GM Peter Wilt talks to us about what it takes to build a winner in MLS and all but confirms he's been approached about the GM job here.

And finally, we're joined by the president of the Red Patch Boys, Boris Aguilar, to talk about the protests planned for this weekend.

Thank you to all who have supported us the past two years. It's the viewer feedback that makes it worth it. Cheers

Vancouver Whitecaps - Puerto Rico playoff live blog, Leg 1

After narrowly surviving the Portland Timbers in the first round of the USSF-2 playoffs, the Vancouver Whitecaps hope to continue their run against the Puerto Rico Islanders, who upset top-seeded Rochester in the first round. Game One is today at 8 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Pacific in Puerto Rico. The Whitecaps are webcasting it, and it will be live-blogged here (as long as the webcast's working; Puerto Rico isn't on their usual ground, and I know Rochester had some issues trying to get a webcast from the temporary ground).

To get ready for this one, check out the game previews from Ben Massey, Marc Weber, Simon Fudge and Bruce Constantineau. After looking through those, come join me for the live blog below!

Anselmi says he's sorry, likely makes things worse.

Appearing on the Fan 590 yesterday Tom Anselmi suggested that the cost per game increase was not fuelling the anger regarding the season ticket prices. He said "A buck or two extra a game isn't the issue here."

Although I do believe that the single biggest factor in the unrest remains the club's lack of success, Anselmi is mistaken. The club did remove two games from the package, and that might be enough to tip renewals to the level they need them to be at (at the top end removing the games will take almost $250 off of the cost of a pair -- it isn't insignificant) it doesn't speak to the rage at the supporter's level.

Putting aside those that can't be satisfied -- and there is a subsection of the base that fits that description -- rolling back the cost of tickets per game to this year's rates would have taken much of the momentum away from the anger. It also would have represented less of a decrease in the sticker price than removing the two CONCACAF games, but would have likely felt like a bigger sacrifice to those dissatisfied.

The other big issue most have is the inclusion of the MLS Cup ticket in the package. Beyond demonstrating to me how few people are really listening to It's Called Football (we actually reported that back in June), the level of anger must be puzzling to MLSE. After all, it's just a straight swap from the international friendly that has always been included in the package. It really is literally no different than what people have bought in the past without blinking.

Emotionally it seems different to people though.

MLSE mishandled the situation, clearly. To fix it they are going to need to speak to that emotion, rather than the logic.

Note: If you haven't seen the MLSe "I'm Sorry" letter, click here.

About U-Sector and Saturday

I don't speak for U-Sector. U-Sector speaks for U-Sector. So, what I'm about to write does not reflect the overall view of the group, its informal leadership or any individual member of the group.

There will be no organized protest at the game Saturday by U-Sector. Quietly, the group has decided not to employ a capo for the game and many members will be wearing a colour that is not red. Sack the CSA t-shirts are a popular suggestion, as are black U-Sector hoodies.

Most members of U-Sector have resisted renewing their season tickets until the last possible moment and many have spoken to their ticket reps about dissatisfaction. Leadership remains in contact with the front office.

To suggest that U-Sector is in someway capitulating to MLSE and, by doing so, inferring that they are somehow part of an overall problem is inaccurate and, frankly, ignorant.

One of the core philosophies of U-Sector is to promote independent thinking by its members. It maintains a public discussion board open to anyone that wishes to join and has no membership structure. If you think you are U-Sector, you are.

As the group originated from supporters of the Canadian national team and the Toronto Lynx, there is also a strongly held belief in the importance of loyalty regardless of results. That is why you very rarely will see a organized public display in the stadium and you will never see U-Sector turn negative on the players during the 90.

Speaking as an individual now, I would ask that those that wish to protest Saturday respect those that are not.

I am supporting the efforts of North End Elite and Red Patch Boys by promoting what they are doing. I will report what happened after as well. I am not commenting on the protests beyond that. Anyone that wants to talk about the efforts is welcome to send me an e-mail (that I will publish) or contact me to request appearing on It's Called Football (I can’t accommodate every request, but we are certainly open to talking to a representative from both groups). I will provide you with that platform.

On Saturday I am going to watch a football game. I don't know what I will wear yet (probably not green as it strikes me as a little too close to what Manchester United fans are doing and, well, I support City). I doubt I'll be as enthusiastic as I might normally be, but if the spirit moves me, I will be.

Again, I don't speak for U-Sector, but I suspect most in the group feel the same as me.

No live show tonight

Rollins is upset I'm charging him to drink my beer now, so he's off tonight in protest. We hope to have things resolved by Friday - I plan to offer him the good chair in return for the increased fees.

But the nice thing about weeks when we only do one show, is it makes that one show f'n phenomenal.

On Friday we'll be joined by former Chicago Fire GM Peter Wilt to talk about what it takes to build a winning club in MLS, the CSL commissioner to talk about expanding to B.C. and a TFC player to be named later (rhymes with Jan Blargan) to talk about his plans for next year.

In addition to that we'll be discussing, wait for it, the protests.

Make sure you join us for the 2pm EST kickoff.

Protest day

Both the Red Patch Boys and North End Elite are planning protest actions at Saturday’s MLS season ending game against Columbus.

The Red Patch are asking members and supporters to wear green clothing to the game. They say it’s to symbolize “the greed and cash grabbing nature of MLSE.”

From the RPB discussion board (RooneyRPB):

“We want to let the team and management know that when we say "All for One" it means something.

It doesn't mean doubling the price of seasons tickets over a span of four years. It means that you should be rewarding loyalty not exploiting it. Doing this type of action is in the best interests of all fans in that stadium, not only supporters. We have a community and atmosphere to protect and the current attitude by ownership threatens that.

We are seeing rumours about adjustment to the ticket packages, but in all reality we are now looking to next year and trying to send the message that these increases are not welcome or warranted.

The NEE are planning on watching the game in silence. They say that they are doing so because they feel taken advantage of by MLSE using images of them in their marketing while “gouging (their) ticket prices to unacceptable levels.”

U-Sector is not planning any actions but is not stopping individual members from making individual decisions.

The money game

As expected TFC eliminated two games from the season ticket package and extended the renewal period to Oct 22.

Also as expected the reaction has been even more anger from those already upset about the ticket increase.

In case I have not been clear, my position on this is as follows. I do not believe TFC handled this correctly. Although there was no good time to announce an increase – the reaction would have been there even if the club was on a 10 game winning streak – doing so right after one of the lowest points in club history was terribly misguided. If ever there was a time for a per game price freeze it would have been now. As I’ve written in the past, holding the per game cost and making the MLS Cup an opt in would have decreased the sticker shock of the increase a great deal.

It would be nice if the club could articulate why a per game cost was justified in the first place. Demand for the product has clearly dipped this year. Not as much as some critics think, but the 17,000 person waiting list is mostly myth as well – many of those on the list are current holders looking for more tickets or people that signed up more than two years ago on a whim.

Where I differ from many of the critics is in the issue of fairness. There is a belief that MLSE is being “unfair” in increasing prices. Misguided, sure, cold even, but they are not being unfair. TFC is a business. They can set prices wherever they feel they can. That doesn’t make them greedy. It makes them businessmen.

Today’s action was an adjustment brought on by the market’s reaction. Was it enough? To many, no. And that’s fair. Each person has to make a decision about renewing that feels right to them. We should respect those that say no to paying the price increase and we should also appreciate and understand why others will.

Season ticket adjustment possible

Strong and credible rumours are flying today that TFC is set to announce an adjustment to the season ticket package tomorrow.

The deadline to renew season seats is Friday. Although no numbers have been made public anecdotal reports suggest that renewals have been sluggish. TFC fans have reacted angrily to a cost per game increase of about $2 on the cheap end, the forced inclusion of the MLS Cup in the package and the inclusion of four "Nutrilite Canadian Championships and/or CONCACAF Champions League games" in the package.

The NCC games have been included in the package before. However, with an additional team in the Voyageurs Cup next year the format for the competition is unknown. As a result, management is unsure how many games will be played. Their solution to that was to include four games that were to be determined. It's likely that three will be used in the NCC with the final ticket then being converted to the CCL preliminary stage game.

The preliminary game was not included in the 2010 package. Attendance at the Motagua game was about 18,000 announced.

The suggestion is that TFC is going to adjust how those games are handled for the 2011 package. There would no longer be games that are not guaranteed in the package. Subscribers would only pay for games that were assured to happen.

Although there has been no official word from the club discussion board fodder has suggested that ticket reps have been telling fans today that a change is coming.

Speculating, the most likely scenario would see two of those tickets removed from the package. That would reduce the renewal sticker price about nine per cent for low end seats to about $390 from $433.

It's unlikely that such a move would completely eliminate much of the anger -- especially as it relates to the MLS Cup final -- but it would represent a nearly unprecedented move from MLSE. It would also suggest that the rumours of sluggish renewals are likely true.

I've requested confirmation from the club. As of 2:50 EDT I have not heard back. I'll update if I do.

Common Sense not Stupidity

Sounder at Heart's Dave Clark has been trying to get the catch phrase Trophies not Friendlies to catch hold. Although his efforts have managed to convert the converted it's unlikely it's taken root at the league's office -- particularly in the not talked about offices at the end of the hall where SUM operates out of.

If you are a football fan you understand that playing a friendly at the crucial crunch of your season is beyond cynical. Actually, it's just stupid and it betrays a lack of appreciation for the real competition.

The soccer fans, however, are a bit more oblivious.

Last week Seattle won the US Open Cup in front of a record crowd of about 33,000 at Qwest. Tonight, more rave green fanatics will chant SOUNDERS or SEATTLE as the club takes on Chivas FMF.

It's disheartening. In tonight's case it kind of worked out. Seattle has clinched a playoff spot. All that is really left to play for is positioning and, travel aside, Seattle would probably rather finish one spot below where they are now. The East crossover looks more attractive than Dallas.

Still, could you imagine the uproar if Chelsea scheduled a friendly with Barcelona in early May? No, you probably couldn't because it just never would happen. Only here would such a half-baked idea ever have legs.

However, as long as people keep paying their money to see these games they will keep happening.

I'm not one that argues for the full elimination of the international friendlies. I understand that for the long-term growth of the sport we need to keep brining over the big clubs and the only time they can come over is during the season. However, I do believe that those games should be limited to a particular time in the schedule -- lets say July 1 - August 1 -- and that there should never, ever be a game played this late. It hurts the credibility of the league.

In an ideal world I would love to see a three-quarters empty Qwest tonight. That won't happen. A more realistic goal will be education. If ever there was a good time for a TROPHIES NOT FRIENDLIES tifo it would be tonight. That way you might get some casual fans asking questions.

The un-American League

A second straight Canadian Derby D2 title game is still possible after both Montreal and Vancouver won their first round USSF D2 quarterfinal series.

Montreal continued to ride the form of former Miami Fusion, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Toronto Lynx, GIF Sundsvall, Göteborg, Odd Grenland, AC Horsens, Ingolstadt, MK Dons and TFC striker Ali Gerba in getting by Austin, while Vancouver held off Portland in a tight tie.

The Whitecaps might consider themselves a bit lucky and a bit fortunate to have Jay Nolly in goal. The keeper made several point blank saves in the second half of the first game and throughout the second game to hold onto the narrow 2-1 tie win.

Gerba had four goals as Montreal won both games against Austin.

The semi-finals will be contested by three non-American teams. It has now been three years since an American based team played in the D2 final and if Carolina can’t get past red hot Montreal it will be three straight. Puerto Rico draws Vancouver in exhibit 1A of why D2 travel requirements are very difficult to deal with the other semi.

Based on form, experience and history you’d have to suggest that a Vancouver – Montreal final is once again in the cards (although Carolina is a strong side). Certainly, the ‘Caps have to be favourites.

The semis start Thursday in Puerto Rico and Montreal and finish Sunday in Vancouver and Carolina.

Sober Second Thoughts: Yeah, I got nothin'

Thanksgiving came at a good time, I think. All of us, myself included, needed a little break from this team.

After sneaking glances at my Twitter feed during Thanksgiving dinner (sorry mom) to learn that DC United was not going to keep what little bit of hope there was alive, I retired to the den to watch a shaky feed of TFC's sleepwalk in Los Angeles.

The official page said that TFC lost "despite having most of the chances." In other news, I didn't win this year's Booker despite not publishing a novel.

So now it's official. It's over. TFC will finish with no more than 37 points. That's two less than 2009 and the lowest since the expansion year. The bottom line, however, is that it's another season of failure. All that's left now is the indignity of watching the Crew win the Trillium Cup next week at BMO in front of an small and angry crowd.

So, it should be fun then.

As I stated last week there is nothing left to say about the 2010 season. The quicker we can get through it and start to move on the better. The Voyageurs Cup win of the spring is a very distant memory now. It hardly registers amongst the hardcore. It doesn't register amongst the angry mass. Even with a decent Champions League run -- and it was -- it doesn't mean anything to anyone really.

The thing is we all should have expected it. At the conclusion of 2009 it was understood that the club would look very different in 2010 and that a lot of veterans would have to be pushed overboard. The thing was that the '09 team wasn't that far off. They needed a little more discipline and to be psychologically stronger, but talent wise TFC was rright there.

However, cap mismanagement -- and we know who to blame for that -- meant that it had to be blown up. The new team wasn't put together until late in March -- Dan Gargan famously was putting his boots on in a cab as he was being brought to Crew Stadium for the season opener. In the pre-season many were predicting that TFC might be the worst team in MLS.

Without Preki in charge they are. The Crazy Prekster's style allowed the team to play above their head early, but eventually his training demands drove the club into the ground and the lack of depth was exposed. The August swan dive has been well documented. So, here we are.

As rebuild is needed again. This time it's the rebuild that should have happened last year. We have four months to wait and watch. In the meantime we can only hope the nightmare ends soon.

Whitecaps - Timbers: Second-leg live blog

The Vancouver Whitecaps have a 2-0 aggregate lead heading into the second leg of their USSF Division II playoff series in Portland today, but the Timbers aren't going to be an easy foe to dispatch. The game's at 9 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. Pacific) tonight, and will be streamed through the Whitecaps' website. I'll be live-blogging it here and at Sporting Madness. Check out the previews from Marc Weber, Bruce Constantineau, Simon Fudge and Ben Massey, and then come join me at 6 for the live blog!

Canada 2 v Ukraine 2

I have to eat turkey today. However, I did want to get up the highlights of the Canada - Ukraine game. A surprising 2-2 draw is, obviously, a great result.

It's Called Football - Guest: Kara Lang, Dino Rossi

Today, we're joined by Kara Lang - UCLA alumni, Whitecaps star and Canadian national team player - to talk about her road back from injury, where the lady Whitecaps will be next season and where her future in football lays.

We'll also be joined by Dino Rossi, president and owner of Milltown FC, to help set up the CSL playoff picture and give us his take on Milltown's success this year.

TFC v Chivas, Whitecaps v Portland and Montreal v Austin will all get broken down as we take a look at each Canadian club's upcoming game.

Vancouver Whitecaps - Portland Timbers playoff live blog

I'll be live-blogging tonight's Vancouver Whitecaps - Portland Timbers USSF-II playoff game from the Swangard Stadium press box. It should be a good one, as this rivalry's always interesting on its own and the playoff atmosphere should only add to that. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. Eastern/7:30 p.m. Pacific, and you can watch the game on the Whitecaps' site here. Come join me then!

On sporting loyalty

With TFC it has only been four years. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, it's been 43. However, in both cases we are begining to hear a familiar critique -- that constant sell-outs and fans willing to support blindly are the root of a losing mentality.

All MLSE cares about is making money, the argument goes; as long as the fans give them that they will never do anything about losing. To borrow and twist a recent catchphrase amongst MLS fans, it's profits not trophies.

Let's put MLSE aside for a moment. Toronto too. Instead I want to examine that thinking from a different angle. In a general way, does blind, loyal support actually hurt a team? If there is not an impetus to improve to sell more seats is there then less of a desire to win?

I honestly don't know the answer to that, but my instinct is to suggest that it's actually the opposite. Teams that lose money tend to cut costs so they lose less money. MLS is a poor example because of they way its structured, but we see it in other leagues. In the NHL many teams don't spend to the cap. In baseball teams like the Kansas City Royals seem to exist only to collect revenue sharing cheques. Meanwhile the profitable franchises spend over the cap in sports like basketball, to the cap in hockey and stupid high in baseball. The Yankees makes lots of money and they spend lots. The Red Sox spent lots before they started to win again because they had a fan base willing to support them.

In football we see the same pattern. The biggest factor in Manchester United's raise to the top might have been it's consistent investment in expanding Old Trafford -- more seats, more money, better teams.

I cannot think of a single example where fan apathy has lead to an increased investment in the team. None. If you can, by all means let me know. The Blue Jays will be an interesting model to watch in the next few years as the fans have started to turn away and the young club might be an investment away from actually competing.

I think of this every time I hear someone blame the victim in Toronto sports. There are a lot of problems in the way teams are run in this city right now, but what isn't a problem is the fans loyalty.

Bringing this back to TFC, I fail to see how boycotts help make MLSE a better manager of the club. You may not want to buy tickets anymore, and that's fine, but I think it's terribly disingenuous to suggest that pulling your support is somehow noble.

On a personal level I struggle with the idea that it's wrong to be loyal. I'm one of those Nick Hornby fans that Simon Kuper writes about in Soccernomics. However, Kuper also tells us that most fans aren't Hornby-like -- that many fans shop their support throughout their life. Rather than living and dying with one team the causal fan cheers for teams that enhance their life and give them pleasure. At times I envy that. At other times I remember what it felt like standing in the stadium the day my Alma matter finally won the national football championship in 2005. Or, I watch this:



That was 78-years in the making.

You don't owe anyone your loyalty, but the rewards are greater if you give it.

Whitecaps set for playoff start, Impact already off and running

Canada’s two USSF-2 teams start their playoff campaigns this week with home-and-home series. Montreal got off on the right foot Wednesday, beating the Austin Aztex 2-0 thanks to an Ali Gerba brace. Meanwhile, Vancouver will face their long-time rivals from Portland in a two-game series starting tonight at Swangard Stadium (10:30 p.m. Eastern: I’ll be live-blogging from the stadium press box, and the game can be seen via streaming video at whitecapsfc.com). Both teams are in slightly different situations, but they have some of the same concerns and will face some of the same challenges.

For Montreal, putting the ball in the net consistently has been an issue for most of the year. Gerba was solid down the stretch run, scoring nine goals in his last seven regular-season games, but he didn’t score at all in the regular season before that. The Impact weren’t able to find much scoring depth, either, and their depth hasn’t shown up much at all lately.

The 2-0 home win was a terrific start for the Impact. As Ben Massey writes, they did well defensively against a determined Aztex team, and that does put them in the driver’s seat. Don’t go predicting them to advance just yet, though. The Impact have been much better at home than on the road all season long, going 12-11-7 at Stade Saputo with 19 goals for and 11 against.. By contrast, they were 5-7-3 on the road, where they allowed 19 goals and only scored 17.

Montreal is facing a difficult opponent as well. The Aztex finished second in the USL Conference with a 15-7-8 record and 53 points, 10 more than Montreal. They earned the third playoff seed overall, while Montreal was seeded sixth. Austin is particularly dangerous at home, where they won more games than any other USSF-2 squad, going 10-2-3. Austin has scored 33 of their 53 goals at home and conceded only 18 of the 40 they allowed all year. Keep an eye out for Manchester United academy product Eddie Johnson (not the American one); he led the team with 14 goals this season and looked absolutely dazzling in the games I saw. Max Griffin added 10 more goals for the Aztex, so he’s a guy to watch as well, as is Jamie Watson, who ranked third in the league with seven assists.

The Whitecaps share some of the same issues as Montreal, most notably finding consistent scoring. Their biggest problem this year has been putting the ball in the back of the net, and as Marc Weber writes, that’s the top question facing the team heading into tonight’s playoff opener. Vancouver finished second in the NASL Conference with a 10-5-15 record, but they only scored 32 goals all year. Part of that’s thanks to a revolving cast up front (and on the whole team, to be honest), but part of it has just been poor finishing. However, they don’t have a significant home-road split (5-2-8 at home with 17 goals for, 5-3-7 on the road with 15 goals for, 11 goals conceded both home and away), so it might not be quite as critical for them to win the first one as it was for Montreal.

Portland isn’t going to be easy to top, either. The Timbers finished third in the USL Conference, but actually put up more points than Vancouver (49 to 45) and thus are the higher-ranked side (fourth versus fifth) heading into this one. They’re a remarkably similar team, too; tough to beat, but with scoring issues (they notched 34 goals for, two more than Vancouver, and conceded 23 goals, one more than the Whitecaps). These teams know each other well, and even if tactical changes may or may not be in the mix, there’s going to be even more intensity to the matchup than normal. Expect plenty of harsh tackles and heated emotions tonight, even if we might not see many goals.

The other USSF-2 playoff matchups are the No. 1 Rochester Rhinos against the No. 8 Puerto Rico Islanders and the No. 2 Carolina RailHawks against the No. 7 NSC Minnesota Stars. The Stars and RailHawks played to a 0-0 draw in their opening leg in Minnesota yesterday, You’d have to think that favours the RailHawks to advance at home, as they were one of the league’s best teams this year; however, both teams don’t have a particularly notable home/road split, so the Stars might still be in it.

Rochester is in Puerto Rico tonight to take on the Islanders, and that match has already run into some controversy. Here’s the release that was just published on the Rhinos’ site:

Bayamon, Puerto Rico -- Due to inadequate and unplayable playing conditions at Puerto Rico's Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium, tonight's first leg playoff match has been moved to the Bayamon Soccer Complex. Because of the sudden and unexpected change in tonight's venue there will be no broadcast available for tonight's match. Please follow the Rhinos twitter page for updates throughout the match.

That’s certainly interesting. It will be curious to see how that affects the game. Rochester should be heavily favoured, but odd things seem to happen in Puerto Rico. The return leg is Saturday in Rochester.

Remember to come back here at 10:30 p.m. Eastern/7:30 p.m. Pacific for the Vancouver – Portland live blog!

[Cross-posted to Sporting Madness]

Cut or keep - the TFC roster dance, part I: The forwards (and DeRo)

Over the next few days I’m going to look at the current TFC roster and critically analyse what players should be invited back. Today we’ll start with the forwards (plus DeRo)

First let’s look at some stats. The top 20 scorers in MLS this season, with salaries:

Edson Buddle - $188,448 – 15 goals
Dwayne De Rosario - $443,750 -- 13
Juan Pablo Angel - $1,918,000 -- 13
Sebastien Le Toux - $122,000 -- 13
Chris Wondolowski - $48,000 -- 12
Omar Cummings - $80,250 -- 12
Conor Casey - $350,000 -- 11
Jeff Cunningham - $230,125 -- 11
Alvaro Saborio -$128,125 -- 10
Fredy Montero - $180,000 -- 10
Kei Kamara - $182,500 -- 10
Justin Braun - $67,500 -- 9
Steve Zakuani - $178,000 --
Guillermo Barros Schelotto - $241,250 -- 8
Brian Ching - $350,000 -- 7
Chad Barrett $212,500 -- 7
Danny Mwanga - $206,250 -- 7
David Ferreira - $300,000 --
Landon Donovan - $2,127,777.78 – 7
Marco Pappa - $108,000 -- 7

The average player on that list is pays $308,123.79. Of course there are some outliers. The median is $206,250 and the average with the DPs taken out is $200,097. Still, compared to every other position on the pitch your goal scorers are going to cost you the most.

It’s with that in mind that you need to look at the two of the more “prickly” contract decisions TFC needs to make in the off season. Do you bump DeRo and do you keep Chad Barrett. Although clearly there is more to a player’s value than just scoring it is a useful measure to use when objectively looking at things.

DeRo is already paid above average, even when you consider the DPs. I think you can make a strong, cold argument that he doesn’t deserve more as compared to others that play a similar role, but you can also suggest that his overall play does put him in the Angel and Donovan class when you are talking about the overall marketability of the player and importance to the team. He’s also on the wrong side of 30. The pros and cons go back and forth.

So, the numbers don’t really tell us much.

Barrett, on the other hand, is a more interesting study. Such is his divisive status amongst TFC support that it’s likely that many aren’t even aware that he is in the top 20 of scoring. Fewer still would be aware that he’s only paid $12,500 more than the average non-DP player amongst the top scorers.

There is no argument that Barrett’s salary represents good value. Mo Johnston overpaid for him, especially when you consider that he was signed (yes, he was a First Wave client, why do you ask?) before he had proven much of anything. However, I don’t think you can argue, as many have, that his contract represents bad value. Actually, it`s pretty much in line with what most top 20 scorers make.

When considering Barrett you have to decide whether this year represents the start of an upswing (he is still young), or if this is what he is – a borderline top 20 scorer that’s a bit injury prone. If it’s the former than you can probably live with a slight overpay (especially when you see Casey and Ching’s numbers). If it’s the latter, you might be better off looking for value.

The off-repeated idea that his salary (of which I am also guilty of) is unmovable seems like it might be bunk though. If you can sell someone on his promise (maybe hometown Portland) then you might be able to move him.

Of course you need someone to replace him. Barrett might be frustrating to some, but there is no one else on this roster not named Dwayne that can come close to his seven goals.

What to do about Barrett is without a doubt one of the most difficult decisions for TFC this off season.

As for the other strikers – O’Brian White ($182,000) and Fuad Ibrahim ($133,000 – GA) – the choice will come down to their contract status. If Ibby is Generation adidas again next year there is no point letting him go. White needs to come in at at least half his current salary. Maicon Santos seems to represent decent value at $93,000.

Mista ($987,337) is as good as gone now.

If I’m running the show, I live with Barrett’s salary for another year. However, the player is made to know that he needs to crank the number of goals up closer to that magic 10 mark. White is released and invited to travel up the #401 to play with Ali Gerba and Ibby is kept as a GA player, or at a salary of around $45,000 if he is graduated. With the reserve league on tap for next year, it’s too early to give up on Ibrahim altogether. Santos deserves to get an invite back to camp at the same salary

As stated, I’d release Mista now if it doesn’t cause too much issue in the room. I doubt he’d come back for the $100,000 I’d be willing to offer, so you might as well let him start looking for another club.

As for DeRo, I do think he provides enough intangibles to the club that you could justify moving him to a DP role. If MLSE is willing to match Julian de Guzman’s salary, good for DeRo. However, in a true market evaluation he’s probably worth about $1,000,000.

Tournament of the Americas finally on way?

It's long been a pipedream of many a soccer wonk. It's been hoped that rather than having the ugly stepchild Gold Cup as the region's second biggest prize, that a Americas-wide competition takes it place. Although it would be unlikely to rival the Euros for attention right away, in time such a competition would become another must-see summer football event.

As a Canadian you might be forgiven for thinking that this country might actually get to take part too.

Yesterday the pipedream became real-ish with the news that just such a proposal has been made. The 10 CONMEBOL nations would be joined by six CONCACAF teams every four years to compete for an Americas title. CONMEBOL would gain exposure in the rich American market and the top CONCACAF teams would get a challenge (which might help them to get better).

It's pretty much a win-win, with one exception. What would it mean to the smaller, hopeless CONCACAF countries? You would need to provide those countries with something to play for, especially when you need their support to approve a play.

It's easily solvable. There is no reason when you can't still hold a Gold Cup. You just make it every four years instead of every two and make it the qualifying event for the new Tournament of the Americas event. If you have that, plus expanded World Cup qualifying there is plenty of football for the small nations to play. Add some shared TV revenue from the Tournament of the Americas (you can be sure that there would be a significant demand, perhaps even beyond North America).

Such an event might be a bit of a carrot to the USA and Mexico in exchange for the change in qualifying. The issue those two countries had with the proposed change is that they would not be challenged in between World Cups. This would provide them with that challenge.

We will watch this closely.

TFC to the playoffs!!!

Well, TFC Academy anyway. Both the TFCA senior and junior teams have advanced to the CSL and CSL reserve league playoffs.

The senior team finished a respectful sixth, just seven points back of first in the league. The academy finished third. It should be remembered that TFCA is a sub-20 team playing in a senior, semi-pro circuit.

The Montreal Impact academy team failed to make the playoffs, finishing in ninth.

TFCA starts the playoffs against Hamilton Croatia at Toronto's Centennial Stadium Oct. 13 at an uncivilized 9 p.m.. The return leg is in Hamilton Oct. 17 at TBA.

The juniors play in Maple this Saturday against Portugal FC at 7 p.m.

If you are feeling burned out by all the TFC drama, why not check out some CSL playoff action? It's decent, local football and there are a lot of programs in the league that are doing good things on the development front.

More info here.

It's Called Football - Guest: Marc Weber

Today, we're joined by Marc Weber from the Vancouver Province to help set the Caps playoff picture, talk about what pieces to the puzzle this team still needs before heading into MLS and what the goal has been for them this year.

We also get into what TFC's goal for Earl Cochrane's is right now, talk about Nick Dasovic calling out his players, Ali Gerba leading the Montreal Impact to a fine playoff result and what the return of the MLS reserve division will do for the league next year.

MLS standings from Aug 1

In an effort to demonstrate which teams are playing the best down the stretch, a look at the MLS standings based on games played after Aug. 1

1. Dallas 6W 4D 0L – 22pts
2. NYRB 6-2-2 -- 20
3. Seattle 5-2-1--17
4. Salt Lake 4-5-0 --17
5. San Jose 5-2-3 --17
6. Colorado 5-2-3 --17
7. Galaxy 4-1-4 --16
8. Philly 3-4-5 -- 13
9. Columbus 3-3-3 -- 12
10. Chicago – 3-3-6 – 12
11. KC 3-2-4 -- 11
12. NER 3-2-6 -- 11
13. DC United 3-0-6 --9
14. Toronto 2 -2- 6 -- 8
15. Chivas 2-1-6 -- 7
16. Houston 2-1-6 –7

Hands up if you thought it was Dallas...

(put your hand down, you liar...)