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The sixteenth weekend of MLS transpired on Saturday, and though truncated once more, it was not short on action.

Five matches played, sixteen goals scored – two from the spot and another own-goal in DC, two straight red cards and 19 yellows on way to a pair of away wins and not a draw in sight.

Portland’s streak continues, as does DC’s, but Toronto’s comes to an end. Big wins for beleaguered sides – not just TFC – with Columbus and San Jose each picking up valuable points against in-form opposition and how about that Vancouver-New England game, a seven-goal thriller.

But before the results, the goal of the round.
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We are pleased to introduce our new writer here at AFTN. His name is Aaron Campbell and this is his story....

First things first, I would like to thank AFTN and its team of amazing writers for letting me join this well oiled machine. I am not just saying that so I don't bite the hand that pays me.

Wait just got a email from the AFTN leaders. Damn it I don't get paid!!!

It seems like nowadays every Whitecaps supporter has a blog, podcast or opinion about the coaching staff, players and lack of moves. Hell I am one of them.

My reason for wanting to write about the Whitecaps is different than most. It involves a life changing injury to myself and how a Whitecaps player helped me through it.

This is my story:
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Episode 12 of "There's Still Time", the AFTN podcast, and it's another one of our post game pods.
Buoyed by Vancouver Whitecaps' excellent, if somewhat fortuitous, comeback win over the New England Revolution, Steve and myself look at the match, the game turning moment all of the highs and lows.

We hear post game from both managers, Martin Rennie and Jay Heaps, along with some chat from Kenny Miller. There's a look at the impact the Scotsman is having on the Caps this season, what Johnny Leveron joining the Honduran camp may mean for the next match and we look ahead to that game against Chivas on Wednesday.

And there's still time to hear from Whitecaps legend Carl Valentine about joining the Twittersphere.
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** Match report and post-game reaction from the Caps locker room on Vancouver's 4-3 win over New England in MLS action **

Report:

A game of two halfs is the old cliché and often the most apt description. It's more rare to get a half of two halfs but that's just what Vancouver Whitecaps and New England Revolution served up at BC Place on Saturday evening.

The Caps fought back from going two down in the opening 20 minutes to storm back in some style and grab a 4-3 win and three very vital points.

When Juan Agudelo and Kelyn Rowe put New England two up early, the writing seemed on the wall for Vancouver, but the game turned on a soft penalty decision when Kenny Miller went flying in the box and Andrew Farrell saw red for the challenge.

Camilo Sanvezzo's spot kick and goals from Miller and Jordan Harvey saw the Caps go in at the half 3-2 up and they never looked back. A second half wonderstrike from Miller eased the nerves and although Dimitry Imbongo brought them back with a late counter, Vancouver held on and gave the whole Whitecaps camp a massive boost.
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KEY PLAYERS

Attacking

With the midfield struggling so much against Seattle, the Caps need a boost and may get it with the possible return of Daigo Kobayashi from injury. The Japanese midfielder will most likely play in a central attacking role behind the striker where he will be required to help the team in maintaining possession and creating opportunities for the attack in the final third.

The Revolution have searched for a consistent goalscorer for the last several seasons and may have found one in Homegrown product Diego Fagundez. The eighteen year old has scored five times in his last eight starts in which the team has four wins and three draws. So far this season Fagundez has shown he is capable of playing either wing spots or as a withdrawn striker for the Revolution.
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The Quebec Soccer Federation announced this morning that it had lifted its self imposed ban on turbans. It has agreed to authorize the use of all male turbans on its soccer fields.

The Canadian Soccer Assocation announced shortly after that it had lifted its suspension of the QSF.

Fin.
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In the heady days of a consistently sold out stadium and ridiculously inflated secondary market it was easy to miss noticing that Toronto FC never actually lead the league in attendance. In fact, in their first season, TFC was behind two other clubs: the Los Angeles Galaxy and DC United.

While the Galaxy rode the first year of David Beckham’s tenure on the west coast to a league leading average attendance of 24,252 DC was having their second best season at the gate ever and ultimately finished with an average attendance of 20,967 on the way to picking up that year’s Supporter’s Shield.

Back in 2007, before Seattle and Portland, before Red Bull Arena, and before the revitalization of Kansas City, it was very difficult to imagine an MLS without United. The bouncing, camera facing stands of RFK Stadium, filled with members of DC’s supporters groups, were an iconic visual image and the trophies won by the club made them the closest thing to an East Coast anchor the league had. ...

The Quebec Soccer Federation announced this morning that their board of directors will meet to review the latest news from FIFA and deliver a ruling tomorrow at a press conference.

It is expected, at that time, that they will announce they will abide by the FIFA ruling and allow turbans back on to Quebec soccer fields. The CSA suspension is also expected to be lifted as a result.

You can read the release here

Google translate after the jump.
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Scandinavian websites are reporting that 28 year old Danish goalkeeper David Ousted is set to join Vancouver Whitecaps in the summer transfer window in a move that will surprise many.

With three fairly strong goalkeepers already on the books, albeit each with particular weaknesses, strengthening between the sticks wasn't really top of everyone's agenda at this very moment in time.

That said, the Caps would be picking up a highly rated keeper back in his native Denmark and it is a position that needs to be upgraded in the future, so why not now if the opportunity arises?
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Canadian Soccer News has obtained a letter, dated June 13, in which the CSA has informed all provincial organizations, including Quebec, that FIFA has confirmed the use of turbans by youth soccer players.

"In accordance with the directive of the Canadian Soccer Association as outlined in its 11 April 2013 memo permitting the wearing of turbans/patkas/keski (male head covers), we wish to inform you that the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and FIFA have authorized the wearing of male head covers in all areas and on all levels of the Canadian football community."

The emphasis is theirs.

The letter includes visual approximations of what types of turbans are allowed and also details that the following conditions that must be met:

1. Be of the same colour as the jersey
2. Be in keeping with the professional appearance of the player’s equipment
3. Not be attached to the jersey
4. Not pose any danger to the player wearing it or any other player

You can read the whole letter here.

Update (June 14, 10:00am): A CSA source confirmed this morning that FIFA will issue its own press release later today, in support of the letter the CSA sent to the provincial bodies yesterday. CSN will publish that release once it's received.

You can read the FIFA release here

From the FIFA release:

"The letter sent by FIFA to the CSA on 13 June 2013 authorises the CSA to permit all players to wear head covers as described above, in all areas and on all levels of the Canadian football community."
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Since our footballing travels take us to a range or weird and wonderful places following the Whitecaps at all the various levels and watching the local soccer scene, we started a "Groundhopping" feature last year to take a look at some of the more characteristic football stadia that we end up watching from in the US and Canada.

We kicked the feature off with a trip to Cheney Stadium in Tacoma when the Caps U23s played there against Seattle in PDL action.

Despite our best intentions, we never continued the series, but we're going to make amends for that with the first of three new stadiums we took in on a recent vacation. Again it was to watch the Caps play the Sounders in PDL action but this time we were east of Tacoma, in Sumner's Sunset Stadium.
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