Home

An extension to Canadian Soccer News’ MLS Week in Review, this article provides a closer look at the performances of the Canadian players who saw the pitch this week.

Kyle Porter and Will Johnson claim the top two spots this week, while the third will be left unmanned, rather than shoehorning in some undeserving soul.

That’s not to belittle the contributions of the other candidates, more a recognition that none did anything to particularly distinguish themselves from the pack this week.

Find out what Porter and Johnson did to deserve recognition, as well as who else earned their keep this week. ...

It's official. As we wrote about earlier, Manchester City has partnered with MLS and, surprisingly, the New York Yankees to buy the 20th league team. The club is to be called New York City FC.

The move completes Don Garber's long-time dream of adding a second team in the New York market. He reiterated how important a second New York area team was for the league's long-term plans. "This was part of our original business plan in 1996," Garber said.

Pointing to the early days of the Chivas v Galaxy rivalry, Garber said that he envisioned all of MLS, including the Red Bulls, to draw strength from NYCFC.

"We will work (with the Red Bulls) to make sure the rivalry will be very valuable and exciting to all," Garber added.
...

Simeon Jackson will be looking for a new club after Norwich City released the Canadian striker today.

In the end, the move up to the Premiership may have been a step too far for Jackson, after he had a solid few years in the lower tiers.

Jackson scored 26 goals in 86 appearances for Norwich, including the goal that saw the Canaries promoted two years ago.

Another Canadian will likely be looking for a new club after being transfer listed today. Stevenage is looking to sell Marcus Haber. The club expects him to play at a higher level.

Also placed on the transfer list by Stevenage was former TFC defender Andy Iro.
...

Our weekly, sometimes offbeat, look at the best and worst of the week's MLS action. We took your suggestions on board and either embedded videos of our best/worst selections or included links. So what did week 12 of the 2013 season throw up for us?


Games This Week:

Ten games played this week. Montreal had yet another bye week, Toronto lost again and Vancouver got a draw that felt like a loss and leaves them looking up still at most of the rest of the west.
...

The twelfth round of MLS took place this holiday weekend and what a weekend it was; a lone midweek fixture followed by nine matches through Saturday and Sunday culminating in 29 goals – three own-goals and one from the spot, the return of the red card – five plus a second yellow to Chicago’s Well Thompson, resulting in three draws and four away wins, including a pair of 1-4 results.

The regular goal-scorers – Jack McInerney, Tim Cahill, Will Johnson, Dominic Oduro, Diego Fagundez, and Seattle’s trio of Eddie Johnson, Lamar Neagle, and Obafemi Martins - keep on scoring, while some old familiar faces contributed unexpectedly – Ned Grabavoy with a brace and Nathan Sturgis – and a handful of firsts for players just rounding into form – Kyle Porter, Joao Plata, Martin Chavez, and Robbie Findley (who should have had more, but wastefulness is what it is).
...

These are the images and emotions from Toronto FC's 1-0 loss to Columbus. All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery.

You can purchase these and other photos here.

I feel like some people are still licking their wounds from this one....
...

[Updated 9.30pm with post game reaction from both dressing rooms]

Report:

May was highlighted to be a month of firsts for Vancouver Whitecaps. The goals were clear. To achieve their first win over LA Galaxy, to win their first ever Voyageurs Cup and to beat one of their Cascadian rivals in MLS action for the first time.

Despite two wonderstrikes from Camilo Sanvezzo and Gershon Koffie, Vancouver are still searching for that elusive derby win, with Portland coming away with a share of the spoils thanks to a Will Johnson penalty and a controversial late equaliser for the ten man Timbers by Jose Valencia.
...

Eight to five. If success in football were measured in numbers of head coaches Toronto FC would be leading the Columbus Crew by a baseball score. (Granted, being TFC, they’d surely find a way to lose in the bottom of the ninth to a walk-off grand slam – “Tobiiiiaaaasss!” - but that’s another story!)

Since Robert Warzycha succeeded Sigi Schmid in 2009 for a second spell in charge, after the Crew’s league and MLS Cup double of 2008, Toronto FC has managed to burn through six of the seven men tasked with leading them in that same time. Carver, Cummins, Preki, Dasovic, Winter, Mariner, and now Nelsen; as of Saturday evening, Warzycha will have faced all of them. ...

KEY PLAYERS

Attacking

The Whitecaps gave Camilo the midweek match against Montreal off which makes him one of the most rested attackers available for selection. He may start on the left side but expect the Brazilian to slide into the middle at certain points of the match. So far this season Camilo leads the team in shots and shots on target despite playing limited minutes as he has averaged about 45 minutes per appearance.

Having been more of a role player with RSL everyone expected Will Johnson ...

I have stood within 3-feet of David Beckham on two separate occasions.

The first was in 2008, two days before the MLS All-Star game in Toronto. I had been riding my bicycle around BMO Field the afternoon prior to the TFC v Montreal Impact Voyageurs Cup decider, which would take place that evening. As I rode around the corner, I saw a bus pull up to the stadium. Thinking it was the Impact, and this being before I had launched The 24^th Minute (and thus didn’t have to pretend to be at least somewhat objective), I quickly road to the bus in the hopes that I could give the USL side the gears ahead of that night’s game.

Imagine my surprise then when two giant men leapt in front of my bike, one of which firmly putting his hands on my chest. It was clear that both would look forward to picking my teeth up off the ground if I made one wrong move.

Confused I looked at the players stepping off the bus. There, with a half raised eyebrow and bored look on his face, stood one of the most famous men on the planet. Suddenly, the attention of Johnny and Joey Andro made sense.
...

Dear friend,

Based on the further explicit investment information about your sports club from my research i wish to give you a very exclusive opportunity.

I am Prince Peter J. Vermes, the eldest son of Prince Robb Heinemann current finance minister of Sporting, the player-rich sultanate on the Gulf of Kansas City. I save your time by not amplifying my extended royal family history, which has already been disseminated by the international media during the controversial dispute that erupted between my father and his tepbrother, the sultan of Major League Soccerball Sheik Donald Garber of the Board of Governors. ...