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    @TwoSolitudesPod
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    Squizz
    Little did I know that six whole years later, when the team finally managed to get out of its own way long enough to triumphantly earn the sixth-place spot in a 10-team conference and the knockout game that came with it, the moment would bring nothing more than another embarrassing thrashing, another blank sheet on the road, another evening in which I was reminded that the spiritual company of fellow long-suffering supporters is, at virtually every moment, the only redeeming quality of calling myself a fan of Toronto FC.
    In the event that you've stumbled across this story and are wondering A) who I am, and whether this collection of words will ever move beyond navel-gazing, your answers are that I used to write here quite a lot (it's true, look it up) and no, probably not. But for the sake of it, I'll furnish you with all of my tactical analysis as it relates to the 2015 edition of Toronto FC:
    Sebastian Giovinco is good at soccer. I liked watching him play for TFC. I hope I'll get to watch him play for TFC again.

    I'm not a coach, and I'm not a general manager, and I'm not a player. I don't know what it's like to step on the field for a professional team, nor do I know what it's like to manage one, or attempt to set up the roster for one. So I'm not going to pretend to be in any of those positions. What I am is a fan. What I am is someone who has decided that emotionally affixing myself to a piece of laundry that ostensibly represents the jurisdiction in which I, through no choice of my own, happened to have been born is a productive deployment of my finite time and psychological resources.
    And in the case of Toronto FC, that playoff game was -- above and beyond anything else -- a reminder of how finite my time and psychological resources truly are. Because if you'd asked me, on that night back in October 2009, how I'd be feeling on the day TFC played its first-ever postseason match, I'd likely use words like "overjoyed", "excited", "relieved" and so on.
    But as it happened, on October 29, 2015, the words coursing through my head -- as I sat glued to the TV, watching my hometown team from 3,000 kilometres away -- were more along the lines of "resigned", "worried" and "inevitable".
    It's easy for sports fans to attribute certain properties to a team, as if the organization itself remains an unchanging monolith. Yet it's foolish. Toronto FC 2015 bears literally no resemblance to Toronto FC 2009, beyond the name; hell, it bears little resemblance to Toronto FC 2013 or 2014, if you're talking about personnel. The idea that weakness in central defence or a proclivity towards conceding goals in Tobias Time or [etc, etc] are somehow ingrained into the DNA of Toronto FC is silly, especially given that the team generally purges itself of on- and off-field talent on a pretty much annual basis.
    So thinking that TFC would lay an egg against the Montreal Impact on Thursday night simply because they laid an egg against New York in 2009, or against [insert team here] in [insert year here] was, objectively, foolish. Thinking they'd lay an egg because their back line was comprised of two mid-season pickups and a guy who isn't a defender -- that was reasonable. Thinking they'd lay an egg because they'd lost to Montreal four days earlier and that Greg Vanney likely wouldn't make necessary adjustments -- that was reasonable.
    But that's not why I thought they'd lay an egg. I just knew. Which is to say, I didn't know. But, y'know, I knew.
    And that's not a healthy relationship to have with anyone or anything. Being worried about past events but deciding to fully invest emotionally anyway (see: Canada vs. Honduras, two weeks from now) is one thing. But having been completely drained of the capacity to even envision the possibility of a desired outcome? That's some grim territory indeed.
    What do I want to happen to the team next? At this precise moment, I don't much care. Maybe Vanney will get fired, maybe he won't. Maybe Giovinco will be back, maybe he won't. Maybe the team will entirely remodel itself (again) and put a shiny new advertising campaign out (again), maybe it won't. But when nine years of accumulated anticipation ends with a resounding thud, it takes a bit of time to replenish one's reserves of giving-a-hoot.
    It won't be replenished by the time the team kicks off its 10th MLS season (oh man, we're getting old) next spring. There is literally no off-season acquisition or string of acquisitions that could make a noticeable dent in my ossified pessimism about this team. A hot first few months won't do it. Even a finish close to the top of the conference won't do it. There must be a true breakthrough moment, however and whenever that may come -- and even then, who knows if I'll be able to crack a smile.
    We won't even entertain the notion of cutting ties with the team entirely; the fact that I'm still writing this and you're still reading this means we're both in it for the long haul. We've decided -- through some horrible combination of masochism, stubbornness and the sunk cost fallacy -- that "being a TFC fan" is still a label we'll willingly wear.
    Just don't expect us to have fun doing it... because we sure aren't.
    .
    Guest
    Until next time, have a great soccer!
    @OfftheWoodworkx
    @KevLaramee
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    Michael Mccoll
    Have a listen!
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    Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!

    Guest
    Until next time, have a great soccer!
    @TwoSolitudesPod
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    Michael Mccoll
    REPORT (by Steve Pandher):
    Vancouver Whitecaps avoided backsliding into the playoffs, defeating Houston Dynamo 3-0 in front of a sold out BC Place. Second half goals by Kekuta Manneh, Kendall Waston and Robert Earnshaw proved to be the difference, while David Ousted picked up his club equalling 13th cleansheet of the season.
    There certainly wasn’t a lack of chances for Vancouver in the first 15 minutes and they came inches away from taking the early lead.
    Cristian Techera stole the ball from keeper Joe Willis three minutes in, then crossed it to Octavio Rivero who looked to have an open net but his header was fantastically finger-tipped away by Willis.
    Techera had his own chance to score soon after, finding himself free at the top of box and firing a strike that beat the keeper only to hit the bar and stay out.
    With ten minutes to go in the opening half, the Dynamo started to control the play and had their best chance come off the foot of Giles Barnes, with a low drive that forced David Ousted into a diving save to keep the game scoreless going into the half.
    The first 13 minutes after the break lacked any real chances by either team but in the 59th minute Kekuta Manneh finally got the breakthrough to put the Caps ahead. It was Koffie, after receiving a pass from Laba, who squared the ball to Manneh and after a touch beat Willis from 25 yards out.
    The home side would double their lead in the 72nd minute when Kendall Waston connected on a Techera corner. The big defender beat two Dynamo players to the ball inside the six yard area heading the ball to the far post.
    A third goal would be added to the final score with Robert Earnshaw finding the net within seconds of coming on, giving the second half sub his second of the season.
    The timing of the victory couldn’t have come at a better time, ending the club’s five game winless streak and giving them some momentum heading into the playoffs.
    The Caps have also clinched the second spot in the Western Conference which gives them a bye into the Conference semi-finals next Sunday, starting on the road in either LA, Portland or Seattle.
    FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 3 - 0 Houston Dynamo
    ATT: 21,000
    VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steve Beitashour, Kendall Waston, Tim Parker, Jordan Harvey; Matías Laba, Russell Teibert; Cristian Techera (Mauro Rosales 74), Gershon Koffie, Kekuta Manneh (Jordan Smith 85); Octavio Rivero (Robert Earnshaw 90+2) [substitutes not used: Paolo Tornaghi, Christian Dean, Deybi Flores, Nicolas Mezquida]
    DALLAS Joe Willis; Sheanon Williams, David Horst, Raul Rodriguez, DaMarcus Beasley; Leonel Miranda (Boniek Garcia 63), Luis Garrido, Ricardo Clark, Giles Barnes (Rob Lovejoy 89); Will Bruin, Erick Torres (Mauro Manotas 61) [substitutes not used: Tyler Deric, Alex Lima, Rasheed Olabiyi, Taylor Hunter]
    REACTION:
    VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
    CARL ROBINSON
    On tonight’s win:
    “Obviously I’m happy, we got what we deserved. I really believe that if you work hard and do things right, then you get rewarded, and we got our reward today. We won the game versus a very good team with a very good coach and good players. I thought we could score in the first half, but their goalkeeper made really good saves, but we kept working hard and we eventually won the game.”
    Did he know they were sitting fifth at half time?:
    “I told the team that we needed to keep the focus on the game because if we don’t win the game, it doesn’t really matter which position we would have been in. We wouldn’t have gotten the position that we occupy now if we didn’t win the game today. I really didn’t want to lose my focus because if I lose my focus and my players lose their focus, we wouldn’t win this game, that’s why I didn’t ask anything at the halftime.”
    On the decision factor in not playing Nicolas Mezquida:
    “My medical staff. I’m very lucky here because this club is a fantastic organization, made by fantastic people, with fantastic supporters. I keep talking about the players every week. Sometimes people say I put too much pressure on them and I really do, this is my job, but today it’s all about the people that make this club great. I mean every single person associated with the club. The medical staff told me it could have been a risk (to play Mezquida), so I made this decision.”
    On having a young club:
    “We have lot of young players, we are the youngest team in MLS. People sometimes don’t believe you can actually build a team with young players and be successful but I firmly did and the club did a fantastic job backing me on that. The players bought into it from day one and we produced two years of very good football.”
    On the turnaround after the past month’s results:
    "Everyone makes mistake, we are humans, but we always try to rectify those mistakes. So today we want to give credit to the guys and talk about them, not about me, because we reached a fantastic goal."
    On making the playoffs:
    “It’s a great achievement, I’m really proud of the guys and of the club. I firmly believe we recruited a good group of players and we could do something big. We are in the playoffs for the second year in a row, and for the third time in the club’s history. We will try to win it. There will be eight teams that will try to win, we just want to see how far we can go.”
    On the energy in the second half:
    “The energy that the players put in the second half was great and we need to give credit to them. I just gave a small talk before the second half, I just told them we need to play with more tempo because after the first 15 to 20 minutes, I wasn’t really happy.”
    On the team’s overall health:
    “Hopefully, I can get a couple of players fit and healthy. As a manager, they criticize everything you do, and I’m aware of that. I brought 14 players to Honduras, Russell Teibert played 90 minutes in the Champions League match and played 90 minutes today as well. We will be ready for the playoffs and we will see how far we can go.”
    On Pedro Morales’ injury status:
    “Ask him, he will tell you. We will do some test in the next days and we will see, but he’s desperate to play and to be involved in the games.”
    On the second-place finish in the Western Conference:
    “I thing we deserved, during the course of the season, to get where we are. After 34 games, the league doesn’t lie, so I think we deserved to be where we are today.”
    On any playoff superstitions:
    “I’m not really superstitious, I keep a picture of my father in my pocket and no more. No superstition in football.”
    KENDALL WASTON
    On scoring in the regular season finale again:
    “This one feels great because we knew that today we needed to win and just wait for the other results. The most important thing was only to believe in us. We thought that it didn’t matter if we scored in the first minute or the last minute, we just needed to win it today.”
    On what was said at halftime:
    “Continue to be patient, have the ball, and play simple. They didn’t have any pressure today, and we know that we needed to win anyhow, but we have to defend properly. So that was the focus in the second half, and be more patient and the goals will come.”
    On his emotions after scoring the goal:
    “I was relieved. First half, I had like two chances I think, but the third one came in so hopefully now a lot of them will come to me in the playoffs.”
    On set pieces in the playoffs:
    “Set pieces, they are very important because the games are so close, especially in the playoffs. Set pieces are going to be an important thing for us and for any team.”
    On winning Whitecaps FC Player of the Year:
    “We have a lot of great teammates, like Matias Laba, Pedro Morales, David Ousted – he had a good season. When the fans vote, I’m very happy.”
    On getting a Knockout Round bye:
    “It’s good because we close at home and now we make history for the club and it’s always good to make new things for the club.”
    KEKUTA MANNEH
    On what was said at halftime:
    “Nothing really. We didn’t have to talk much in the locker room. We did all the talking throughout the year. It’s about what we do on the field, we do all the talking on the field. We finally took our chances, we’ve created a lot of chances throughout the year. We knew it was going to come one of these days, and today was the game it came.”
    On scoring after missing chances during the season:
    “Like I said, it’s a work in progress. We work at it all week in training and it finally paid off. There’s games where we’ve had chances and we didn’t take them. We were very unfortunate, and today things went our way.”
    On his goal taking the team from fifth place to second place in the Western Conference:
    “We didn’t even realize it, but when I came off everyone was excited. It’s great that we’re second and we don’t have to play on Thursday and we can have more energy for the Sunday game.”
    On confidence from scoring:
    “It’s great, it was great for me to score that goal. It lifted the team up and opened up the game. We were fortunate to have two more goals. It was great for my confidence as well going into the playoffs. I told the media earlier, it would be great if we can have at least two different people score.”
    HOUSTON DYNAMO
    OWEN COYLE:
    On the loss to Whitecaps:
    “Credit to Vancouver. You saw the atmosphere there, that’s the atmosphere that we’re looking to have next year in Houston. They have a terrific young coach and a very good team. Good luck to them.”
    On what Houston Dynamo need to improve on:
    “Ultimately, goals change games, we know that. If we had gotten a goal up, of course, it changes the game. I’ve said this consistently – when you have bloodied noses, that’s when you have to stand up and look to try to get back in the game. We didn’t do that well enough. We got away from that. We’ve looked at ourselves extensively over the course of the season, we need to get better, it’s as simple as that. We certainly know how to do that and what we need to do to implement those changes. That’s what we need to do. Our aspirations are to be in the playoffs, as Vancouver will be now as they try to win the MLS Cup. The technical staff knows what we have to do and we’ll make those changes.”
    On Ricardo Clark’s performance:
    “Ricardo has been out the last two or three days, he missed training yesterday. We know what we have in him. He did well but the bottom line is it’s not about who does well individually. It’s about a collective effort and that’s what we strive for, to get better collectively.”
    On the Whitecaps attack:
    “Whitecaps FC started the season really well. When you pick up injuries to your key players, it can affect your team. What they have is a real pace on the counter attack in transition with Kekuta Manneh and Cristian Techera, and Octavio Rivero can move as well. All credit to them, they’ve got quite an exciting team. They’ll feel confident, they have good players and a good team. ”
    GILES BARNES
    On the end of the Houston Dynamo season:
    “It’s obviously disappointing. It’s been a roller coaster season. We’ve had high highs and we’ve had low lows. It’s been a learning experience. We have a lot of young players and new players. We have to come back swinging next year. We’ve had hard times with international duties, injuries, and suspensions that we’ve had to deal with at key times. At the end of the day, we didn’t make the playoffs. We have to correct that.”
    On what Houston Dynamo need to improve on:
    “Maybe we need to take a little bit of softness out of us when we go a goal down. I’d like to see us come out swinging a little bit more. The young players that have come in this year have done really well. The club has a lot to look forward to in the future.”
    On Erick Torres’ season:
    “He’s a good player. Unfortunately, he came a little later than everyone expected. There’s a settling in period that you’re always going to have when you go into a new club. He’ll come in raring to go. He’s a great kid. He works hard and he’s a very likeable guy as well. He’ll be looking forward to getting his feet under the table in preseason and go from there.”
    On Whitecaps’ strength going into the playoffs:
    “They have youth so they always have bundles of energy. They like to play football, they’re a really good counter-attacking team. Carl Robinson has them well-rehearsed.”
    WILL BRUIN
    On tonight’s loss:
    “Outside the first 10 to 15 minutes when they had some chances and Joe Willis made some big saves, we settled in to the game. We connected passes and I thought we played well. It’s just a case of once they scored the first goal, we just put our heads down. You can say it’s the last game of the year and we’re not in the playoffs. We can just bend over but we have to respond better than that, no matter what the circumstances are.”
    On Houston Dynamo bouncing back next season:
    “If you told me at the beginning of the year that we’ll be sitting here and not be in the playoffs at the end of the year, I would have taken a bet against you. That’s the way MLS goes sometimes. We had guys leave for international duty, and that’s more minutes on their legs and more travel. We had guys with suspensions and injuries. Knock on wood, I’m not sure it can get much worse. It can only go up. We have all the pieces, maybe add a few things here or there, then I think we’re up there. I’ll take us against anybody in the playoffs right now.”
    On Whitecaps heading into the playoffs:
    “I’m sure that 3-0 win will give them a little bit of momentum going into the playoffs. It’s always about hitting your stride at the right time. Vancouver is dangerous on counters. You commit a turnover in the middle and they’re gone. They have quick guys wide that can get behind and get crosses in and score goals, and you’ll see things can change like that. Confidence will definitely be high for them after this game going into the playoffs. With the parity in MLS, it’s about who’s feeling good and who’s playing the best.”
    Michael Crampton
    For Reds supporters the game will be even more memorable. For once, the final league game won’t be the last of Toronto FC’s season. Keep in mind: in eight previous seasons, only once has the final game of the regular season even been meaningful for Toronto FC.
    And even though both teams have already ensured their playoff qualification there is plenty to play for. In fact, this could be merely a prelude to an even more important match between the sides in a few days. One way or another, in 2015 there will be a first ever MLS playoff home game for a Canadian team.
    The scenario is fairly simple. Win or tie, and Toronto FC is guaranteed at least fourth place and one more game at the pre-Argos BMO Field. Lose and they will fall to fifth and finish behind the Impact. There’s even the chance that a TFC win could see the Reds jump as high as second, thus earning a first round bye, if Columbus and D.C. United draw. For Montreal, only a win can get them above the Reds and into a position to host a play-in round match; a draw consigns them to fifth or sixth.
    So this game matters. After years of late-season 401 Derbies sold on nothing more than the thin gruel of “rivalry” or “playing spoiler” it is a welcome change. This is the sort of game that could one day for the basis of an actual rivalry, rather than being part of the regular late season slog.
    Before I was a TFC fan, I was a fan of Canadian soccer. So while cheering for the Reds on Sunday, there is a significant part of me that will simply be cheering for what we have achieved. It was never likely, and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.
    And in a few short days, it could get even better.
    Grant
    Henry Bejarano offered up more than one potentially controversial opinion in the course of a very short article on the Honduran web portal Deiz.hn. The headliner? He believes Honduran manager Jorge Luis Pinto is "a bit of a hothead." (The full article is available here in Spanish.)
    More of interest to Canada fans: he hopes that Pinto can get Honduras to the World Cup. Yes, that's right. Why would a referee grant an interview to media from one of the countries involved in an upcoming match he's officiating? At least he was careful to offer opinions that could expose him to accusations of bias from both sides equally. The full context of his Pinto 'hothead' quote is that he considers the Colombian a solid professional, but one whose anger can get the better of him.
    He describes himself as "very strict" on the pitch and full of happiness off of it. He's never reffed a match involving Honduras at the senior level, but he was in charge during the Whitecaps 1-0 victory over Honduran club side Olimpia at BC Place in September. According to this interview, he also mistakenly believes the BC Place roof will be closed during the match.
    He spoke about how Costa Ricans and Hondurans are "brothers" and that he's pulling for his native country to qualify for Russia too. He ends with a quote that should haunt every Canadian supporter who's ever watched a match involving Concacaf refereeing.
    "Although I'm a referee, I wish [Honduras and Costa Rica] the best of luck."
    Guest
    Until next time, have a great soccer!
    @TwoSolitudesPod
    @24thminute
    @KevLaramee
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    Michael Mccoll
    Heading into this bye weekend on the back of the disappointing, but not too unexpected, 2-0 loss at the now newly crowned 2015 Western Conference champions FC Dallas, Vancouver's hold on their third spot in the table looked precarious to say the least.
    Both Sporting KC and Seattle Sounders had the chance to jump over Vancouver, sending them plummeting to 5th in the West and in danger of missing out on a home playoff game.
    Both faced tough, but very winnable, road games against teams below them in the table but fighting for their playoff lives. San Jose kicked the weekend off the way the 'Caps wanted it on Friday night with a tense 1-0 win over KC. Houston blew a one goal lead in a 1-1 draw with Seattle on Sunday, ending the Dynamo's playoff hopes for this year but keeping the Whitecaps in third.
    Remarkable, but even more so, Portland went to LA and did what only the 'Caps have done in the Galaxy's last 37 games there - win. Actually, just saying win doesn't do it justice. They came out for the second half a goal down then somehow scored five on the way to a massive 5-2 victory that moved them up to joint third with Vancouver, but below them on the first three tiebreakers.
    So what can we take from all that? Are LA and KC on the slide and out of form? Have Portland hit their stride at the right time? Are Dallas the team to beat? Can Seattle hilariously miss out altogether? Will Vancouver get not only that sought after home playoff date but a first round bye? Can we throw any more questions in there? Probably, but we won't.
    There's still one game to be played before the final round of matches next Sunday, as Sporting KC host Colorado on Wednesday.
    Kansas City have slumped to sixth place in the West after the weekend's results, edging San Jose by a point. By the end of Wednesday night they'll either be third, fifth or sixth and Vancouver will either be third or fourth.
    Colorado are currently sitting bottom of the West and second bottom of MLS. You have to feel they'll be happy to lose their last two matches (they travel to Portland on Sunday) and secure the second pick in the 2016 SuperDraft.
    That would leave KC and LA tied on 51 points and meeting each other in Kansas City on Sunday. It's quite the perfect scenario for MLS in their first ever "Decision Day".
    After farcical circumstances of recent seasons that have seen teams kicking off the day after their rivals and knowing exactly what they needed to do, Decision Day made total sense and we welcomed it fully. All of the five remaining Eastern Conference games kick off at 2pm PT. The Western ones at 4pm.
    Get your trannys at the ready! That's transistor radios to avoid any confusion and the need to hit up Davie Street prior to the match.
    It was a risk for MLS. It could have backfired big time if there wasn't much left to play for. A damp squib. I'm sure they would have preferred the Conference champions to still be up for grabs, but instead they have (probably) the wonderful scenario of 2nd v 3rd match ups in both the East and West, with a first round bye on the line (based on KC beating Colorado).
    It couldn't have been scripted much better and it may help two Canadian sides big time in the process.
    In the East, DC (51 points) travel to Columbus (50 points). A win for either side sees them clinch a first round bye. A draw though opens the door up for Toronto! If there is no winner between DC and Columbus, and Toronto can beat Montreal, then remarkably, TFC grab second place. A draw between the two Canadian sides at Stade Saputo give Toronto a home playoff game but if the Impact win, they claim one instead.
    Exciting, but who really cares about the Eastern Conference?! The West is where it's at.
    So we finally come to the Whitecaps.
    All we know 100% right now is that a win for Vancouver over Houston next Sunday gives the Whitecaps their highest ever points total in MLS, their most ever wins in MLS, their highest ever finish in the Western Conference, the number one seeding in next year's Voyageurs Cup, and best of all, their first ever home playoff match.
    It's like last season's final game of the season against Colorado with less pressure in terms of them already having their playoff place, but more pressure in what it could mean for the club in terms of postseason difficulty. What's the odds on another Kendall Waston winner?
    So there's the certainty. Now the flights of fancy.
    Vancouver could still finish anywhere from second in the West to sixth!
    For the latter to happen the 'Caps need to lose to the Dynamo and see every other result go against them. With the opposition those teams below them face, those other games could certainly go that way.
    And if the 'Caps were to fall to fifth or sixth, we don't have to look back very far as to the games that have cost them. Hopefully it won't come to that.
    A draw would give the 'Caps 51 points and could also see them finish anywhere from second to sixth, or third to sixth if KC get anything from their game against Colorado.
    But with a win, Vancouver will finish at least fourth. They could finish second.
    Here's the ifs and buts.
    The best case scenario is that no matter what KC do against Colorado, if they draw with LA, the 'Caps finish second, by at least a point. First round bye baby!
    The next best case is if KC lose or draw against Colorado and then beat LA. Same second place finish for Vancouver.
    If KC beat Colorado and beat LA, they will finish second over Vancouver by one point and the 'Caps will finish third, possibly with a home game against Seattle.
    If LA beat KC, they will finish second and the 'Caps will finish third.
    So many permutations. No wonder Carl Robinson has to count them all out on his fingers above!
    All of the above is based on the Whitecaps winning of course. Then it's all down to Kansas as to what happens next. Time to dig out my ruby slippers and get clicking.
    Guest
    Until next time, have a great soccer!
    @OfftheWoodworkx
    @KevLaramee
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    Guest
    By Kendra Lee
    Get To Know A National Team Player: The Next Generation
    Name: Tristan Borges
    Age: 17
    Position: Midfielder
    Hometown: Vaughan, Ontario
    Current Club: TFC Academy, League 1 Ontario
    The next generation of the Canadian National Team are already training to represent their country on the international stage. Tristan Borges grew up just outside of Toronto and his love for soccer began when he started to kick a ball around at the age of three. Since then, with the support of his family, he joined his first team, got down to the business of training, and has never looked back. He’s already appeared for Canada, scoring a goal against Mexico in the CONCACAF U-17 Championship this year, and now he’s been called to the U-20 camp. We had the chance to chat about the beautiful game at the last Canada camp in September.
    When did you start playing soccer?
    When I was 3 years old. I played house league for about 3 years and my first REP team going in was Vaughan. I played with them for a couple of years and then I made the switch to Kleinburg. And then after Kleinburg, I went to West Toronto and then from West Toronto, I’m on the TFC Academy now.
    What got you hooked on playing soccer?
    To be honest, I was always a person who liked to play sports. Sports were something that I always loved to do. And when I was at a young age and to be honest, my family’s not really a soccer family, it was more football. But when I was younger I used to always just kick a ball and then I just started to fall in love with the sport.
    Who helped you develop most in your youth soccer?
    As a young child, I think my dad. My dad was a big inspiration on me, always pushing me to be better. In terms of a trainer, when I got a little bit older towards 8 or 9 years old I met a trainer named Angelo and technically he helped me a lot to where I am today. But in terms of pushing me to be better and pushing me because they love me and they want to see me succeed it’s my father.
    Are there any challenges you find you’re facing as you transition into a professional career?
    One challenge I see that I face a lot is my size. I’m a little bit smaller than everybody else but to be honest with you in a game I really don’t see any fear. I take everything as a challenge and I try to conquer it. So I don’t look at any game different. I just look according to the game and I try to play my best and try to do what I can.
    What are you learning about the game and about yourself as you progress?
    As I get older I realize that the game does get much quicker and it’s not all about technical skills. It’s also mental ability; reading the game, the physicality, you always have to be fit. It’s more of a mental challenge as you start to get older and that’s why when you do get older, you can’t just focus on your technical ability. You also have to study the game and you have to be more mentally prepared for every game going in.
    How do you get mentally prepared?
    Everybody has a different way but to be honest with you, I like to get in my own zone before every game; listen to my music and I just start to focus on the opponent, what I’ve got to do to help my team and try to see if we can get a good result.
    How do you hope or think the national program is going to develop in the next few years?
    Well, I’ve been with the national program for about a year and a half. So far every time that I’ve been to a camp, it keeps on getting better. I think the program is fantastic and my inspiration is to go to the first team. But I think the program is getting much better. They really are focusing on developing the kids more and so far every camp that I go to just keeps on getting better.
    How do you hope the sport in Canada is going to grow in the future?
    I really think it’s starting to develop more actually. Before, nobody really took Canada Soccer seriously. But now I think that a lot of kids are really starting to grow and come up from Canada and are starting to put our name on the board. And I think Canada Soccer is getting a little bit bigger now.
    Duane Rollins

    Remembering why

    By Duane Rollins, in 24th Minute,

    When the final moments last night passed by it was impossibly to remove the emotion from the situation. See, I've been there for every baffling moment. I have stood side by side with those of you that never walked away.
    I even had the privilege of writing and talking about the experience that has been TFC for all those years. I remember the pure joy that was 2007. I remember the impossible lows of 2012 and 2013. I saw a consistently packed stadium turn into a only-full-for-the-big-games crowd (that still has a sizeable core fan that, frankly, the club really hasn't earned).
    As a guy that some fans in other cities were aware of I often had to defend the indefensible. I was acutely aware of just how much of a punch line TFC was.
    I also saw first hand how deep the TFC fan's scars were. Even this year when it was pretty clear that the club was going to end the drought the doubt was strong. TFC fans don't believe the club can win. They assume the worst. I call it TFC PTSD, and it runs deep. Hope isn't part of the typical TFC fans vocabulary.
    And that's sad. Hope, after all, is what sports is supposed to be about.
    Understandably, the only way hope can be found again is for the club to grab the fans and make them believe. TFC needs to show, not tell.
    They showed last night. And the fans suspended their cynicism for at least one night.
    Yes, the playoffs are a relatively minor accomplishment. But, it was important. Standing at the front of 113 last night it became clear just how important it was to those in that section and the others nearby.
    They -- no, *we* -- had waited nine years. During those nine years we became a community. A community that has celebrated weddings together, comforted each other at funerals and became bigger than TFC.
    So, it was impossible to be cynical. Yes, we should hope for bigger things but after nine years, I think we earned a little bit of pure, uncomplicated joy last night.
    So, enjoy. I know I am.
    Michael Mccoll
    "I don't know if I can sum it up," the Residency alumni told reporters after the Dallas match. "It's an amazing feeling playing for your country, then getting my first cap and then getting my MLS debut the next day. Within 24 hours, two appearances, making my first appearances with both national team and club.
    "I flew in this morning. I left my hotel in Washington [DC] about 5 in the morning. It was a bit iffy with the flight, I had some complications there. Got in, slept for about three hours, then had my pre-game lunch and then that was that."
    A hectic schedule, but he tried to get some sleep in DC before heading off, not always the easiest when the adrenalin is flowing and long time friend Sam Adekugbe is your national team roomie!
    "Sam was my room-mate, so it was a bit noisy," Bustos joked. "But that was a good sleep."
    Making his senior debut for his country, was a dream come true for Bustos, who has represented Canada at U17 and U20 level in the past.
    Having strangely been deemed surplus to requirements by Benito Floro for Canada's Olympic U23 squad, Bustos' call up to the senior team was perhaps unexpected, but once it came he wanted to savour every minute of it and he did.
    "It was huge playing against such a big country like Ghana, who were at all the World Cups recently" Bustos said. "Just to go there and play with them and against them, it was great. To get a 1-1 result, you couldn't have asked for anything better. Well, we could have got the three, but it's a great country."
    A fantastic occasion for the Manitoba native, but then making his MLS debut for the Whitecaps the very next day just took his week to another level.
    "I felt like a little kid in the park," Bustos said with a grin that didn't leave his face for the whole press scrum. "Getting the call to come in with 30 minutes left, it was a dream come true. I just wanted to go in there and have fun.
    "Robbo always tells me just to go out and have fun. He likes how I go out there. I don't look nervous and I just want to make things happen. So I have to please the manager! That's just the way I play as well."
    Whitecaps' coach Carl Robinson hadn't told Bustos that he was definitely playing when the young midfielder headed westwards from Washington, but his sparing use in the Canada friendly provided Robinson with the ideal chance to blood the rookie.
    "Whenever a player's on the bench, you always expect yourself to go in," Bustos said. "You just need to be ready and I was ready, and when I got the call I just wanted to make the best of it."
    The hectic travel itinerary certainly didn't seem to affect Bustos, who looked fresh and sharp when he came on for the last 29 minutes in Dallas, impressing many watching, including 'Caps keeper, and captain on the night, David Ousted.
    "I thought he did really well," the Dane told reporters after the match. "I was impressed by the way he went in and he played the way that we know he can. It can be intimidating coming in and having to take responsibility in that midfield but he did well. He was good on the ball, nice passes and I thought he looked dangerous. Again, it's that little bit of depth and guys like him gets that chance now."
    With the injuries decimating the Whitecaps creative players right now, that chance is very much there for Bustos.
    Pedro Morales, Mauro Rosales and Nicolas Mezquida didn't make the trip to Dallas and Robinson revealed after the game that all three potential number 10's look set to miss the season closer against Houston next weekend. Whether they'll be fit for the playoffs seems touch and go, with Mezquida looking to be the furthest along the road to recovery but not there just yet.
    Cristian Techera did make the trip, trained on Tuesday and felt pain in his hamstring during his first sprint. For us, he's the key to the Whitecaps having any success this postseason and his loss would be the most widely felt.
    That all means that someone has to fill the very big attacking, creative midfielder void. Step forward Bustos, whose chance to shine is coming at just the right time, rewarding his patience in his rookie season, and its a chance the player is eager to try and grab with both hands and one that his manager seems prepared to give him.
    "He showed today in his 30 minute's that he's an option," Robinson said of Bustos after the Dallas game. "He was confident, he showed no fear, he wanted to get on the ball, he made things happen, he got in the penalty box. Technically, he's a very good player, so I'll have no worries throwing him in."
    It's still a big ask of a teenager who has only played his first MLS minutes in the penultimate game of the season.
    Daunting, but the one thing we know about Bustos is that it will certainly not faze him. He has a confident swagger, we love. All the best players have that. Some may say cocky, but again, in football, we see that as a much needed trait to have.
    "Even when the guys are not injured I'm thinking about the next game and hoping and dreaming about maybe getting the call," Bustos says. "Hoping that Robbo says 'just get in there'. I'm always ready."
    He'll definitely be getting his shot for next week's now pointless, and frankly pain in the ass, trip to Honduras to face CD Olimpia in the 'Caps final game of their first ever CONCACAF Champions League campaign.
    Even without the injury crisis, Bustos was scheduled to play in that one, and, naturally, he's ready for the next stage of his Whitecaps adventure.
    "If I get the call, I'll be ready for that and just make the best of it and, again, have fun," Bustos added. "If I get the 90, I'm going to push through it as best I can. I just got to get through it. We're all born to play soccer, to play 90 minutes, that's the sport. You've just got to be ready."
    It's been a tough first season in the pros for Bustos. After impressing in the preseason, he's had to bide his time and fight back to fitness after missing a huge chunk of the early part of his season through an injury that occurred in training (through kicking a teammate just that bit too hard!).
    It ruled him out of any MLS minutes and any time in the Canadian Championship semi-final against Edmonton. It also curtailed his expected time in USL with WFC2, where he was expected to be an integral part of the team.
    He eventually made his USL debut in the summer, going on to become the joint leading scorer with WFC2 alongside Caleb Clarke, with 7 goals and 2 assists in his 17 appearances.
    Those appearances with the USL team got Bustos ready for the pros in terms of match fitness and physically.
    "Getting in there and playing for 90 minutes, it's great for a guy like me," he feels. "The way we play, to get that style and bring it to the first team, it's great to get those minutes rather than just be training all the time. It's good. It makes me grab more confidence and I couldn't ask for anything better."
    Moving from excelling in youth football to continuing to excel in the highly competitive ranks of USL is one thing, but Bustos has already found out that making the further move up to MLS is another whole other level again.
    "Obviously MLS is more demanding and everyone is on top of everybody, but it makes you play better," Bustos said after his debut in Dallas. "Having guys pushing you, pushing you, pushing you, makes you not want to make a mistake, so you're always trying to do your best. With USL, I'm just trying to get everyone into the play and most of the balls are coming to me."
    Of course, amidst all the good times for Bustos with his MLS debut comes the stark reality of the Whitecaps plight right now. As exciting as his first appearance of the season was for him, it came in a defeat for the 'Caps, which he's fully aware of, but in his confident manner, he sees this as just a mere blip for the club right now.
    "Personally, I'm excited, but for the team, we've just got to keep going till we reach our last steps in this MLS season," Bustos added. "I think we're going to get through it, go to the playoffs and we're going to go far in the playoffs. That's all I can say."
    And Bustos may still have a large part to play in that goal.
    Michael Mccoll
    REPORT:
    It was dire in Dallas, as Vancouver Whitecaps slumped to a 2-0 defeat and made it five MLS games without a win, at the worst possible time of the season.
    A first half goal from the impressive Michael Barrios set Dallas on their way just past the half hour mark, and Mauro Diaz doubled their lead seven minutes into the second half.
    David Ousted saved a first half penalty and Gershon Koffie rattled the post, but the 'Caps were never really at the races in this one.
    Ravaged by injuries and players away on international duty, Carl Robinson was forced to ring the chances once again, switching to a two striker system and a very defence minded midfield.
    The makeshift 'Caps took the game to Dallas in the early going, launching several attacks, but Vancouver's defence was caught on a quick break in the 11th minute from Michael Barrios, but David Texeira could only look on as he crashed his cutback off the left hand post.
    David Ousted was forced to make his first save of the match moments later, getting down to turn a low Je-Vaughn Watson drive around his near post.
    The home side took over the game, forcing a string of corners, but Vancouver showed their own counter-attacking danger when they broke in the 18th minute and Gershon Koffie hit the post with a neat outside of the foot effort after a lay off from Octavio Rivero.
    Dallas were starting to turn up the pressure and Ousted was forced to make a fantastic one-handed save at his near post from a Barrios effort on the half hour mark.
    It felt like a goal was coming from the Texans and it duly came two minutes later. Barrios was the dangerman again, showing some nice footwork in the box to make some room for himself before firing the opener past Ousted.
    Kekuta Manneh looped a shot over as Vancouver tried to find the equaliser but Dallas were given the chance to double their lead in the closing minutes of the half when referee Jose Carlos Rivero awarded them a soft penalty.
    It was a horrible call, with Tim Parker beautifully timing his tackle to get the better of Barrios in the box. Rivero saw a foul. but Ousted produced another fantastic save to deny Mauro Diaz.
    Zach Loyd had to clear a bouncing effort off the line in stoppage time, as Vancouver nearly forced an equaliser from a strange chesting of the ball from Koffie, but the teams headed in to the break with the home side in the ascendancy.
    Dallas soon got their second in the 52nd minute, when a mistake by Jordan Harvey allowed Diaz to nutmeg Kah, turn Harvey inside out then slip the ball in-off, and under, Ousted. The 'Caps keeper should have had it and done much better, but it was great skill from the Argentine.
    Both sides made changes to freshen things up and Vancouver pushed to try and get back into the game, forcing a couple of scrambles in the Dallas box and seeing Jesse Gonzalez keep out a Manneh shot with eight minutes remaining.
    Substitute, and 'Cap killer, Blas Perez had the ball in the net in stoppage time but it was ruled out for offside and the game ended 2-0, leaving Vancouver sitting precariously in third place in the West with just one game remaining.
    FINAL SCORE: FC Dallas 2 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
    ATT: 11,848
    DALLAS: Jesse Gonzalez; Je-Vaughn Watson, Zach Loyd, Matt Hedges, Ryan Hollingshead; Victor Ulloa, Ezequiel Cirigliano, Michael Barrios, Mauro Diaz, Tesho Akindele (Rolando Escobar 69) (Atiba Harris 81); David Texeira (Blas Perez 77) [subs Not Used: Dan Kennedy, Walker Zimmerman, Danny Garcia, Michel]
    VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Tim Parker, Pa-Modou Kah (Christian Dean 81), Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba, Deybi Flores (Marco Bustos 61), Gershon Koffie, Russell Teibert (Robert Earnshaw 76); Octavio Rivero, Kekuta Manneh [subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Jordan Smith, Diego Rodriguez, Cristian Techera]
    REACTION:
    VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
    CARL ROBINSON
    On tonight's game:
    "Certain moments change games. They managed to take their chances. They have good players. They're a good team, coached very well. We didn't take our chances. We had numerous chances, numerous shots, but we couldn't score."
    How not to be affected by the bad run the team is currently on:
    "Of course when you lose games or you draw games, people are going to worry. There's no noise for me. If you don't score goals you're not going to win games of football and it was proved right today, so we've just got to keep going. We know we're young, We'll get on with it. We can't feel sorry for ourselves. We're in the playoffs, we've got to make sure we finish off well against Houston next week."
    Is it all down to the injuries?:
    "If I turn around and say I'm missing my four guys, or five guys, then I'll use that as an excuse and I don't want to use that as an excuse. I've got confidence in that group there. They showed today that they can compete. We just didn't take our chances, but when you have key players missing, it doesn't help."
    His thoughts about making a tactical change at halftime:
    "Tactically, I thought we were very good. David (Ousted) makes a save on a penalty at halftime, which maybe Casper's (the Friendly Ghost) given. I cannot believe it's a penalty. I've watched it about 10 times. It is, but if it would have gone in, I probably would have changed it earlier. Five minutes into the second half, we concede. Bad goal. Miscommunication. We take a chance, but great character shown when you're 2-0 down. It's easy to buckle, but we didn't. We stepped on. Great credit to Marco Bustos coming in making his debut, made things happen for us. We created chances, but we just couldn't score."
    [On TSN radio] The continuing lack of goals despite chances:
    "We played very well, we just didn't score a goal. You can stand here all night and say how you deserved this or deserved that but if you don't put the ball in the back of the net, you're not going to win games of football, and that's happening at the moment."
    "What we've got to do is we've got to keep working at it. We've got to keep putting ourselves in the situations because we are creating chances but we're just not having that little bit of luck at the moment. You see Dallas today, there's were probably similar chances in the game, they managed to score two of their chances, we didn't score any of our chances. You've got to roll your sleeves up, you've got to get back to work, you've got to keep working at it. It's different on the training field when you're doing it unopposed, with no-one surrounding you, it becomes easy then. We've just got to keep working on that and hopefully it will transfer into games."
    "The players that we've got are attacking players, exciting players. I want to create chances. If you create chances, you're more likely to score. What's not happening at the moment is we're scoring. We can't cover over it, we're just not putting the ball in the back of the net. We're putting ourselves in the positions, which is good, and pleasing, but we're just not showing the composure at the critical moment. We've just got to get back to work with it."
    [On TSN radio] On the defensive display:
    "We had a number of chances but the thing I'm disappointed with is that we gave away two bad goals. We didn't really make them work for their goals. When you don't make a team work for their goals and you give them, you're not going to win too many games."
    "It's easy to buckle when you're two-nil down after 50 minutes in a tough place. We've never won here. We could have gone under, but we didn't, we showed character. The one thing I won't doubt in my team is character. We've got good character in the team, we're just not scoring at the moment. We know we need to try and address that. We've got to focus on trying to put the ball in the back of the net."
    [On TSN radio] Latest on injuries:
    "Three of them aren't with us [in Dallas]. Cristian's with us. He sat on the bench today but there was never any intention to play him because he's injured. We've got to get ourselves back next week and we've got to see how they are. I think the [Houston] game will be too early for them, all three of them, so it gives opportunities for other people. We're not in a good state at the moment injury-wise, we know that. We've just got to get on with it."
    MARCO BUSTOS
    On making his MLS debut:
    "I felt like a little kid in the park. Getting the call to come in with 30 minutes left, it was a dream come true. I just wanted to go in there and have fun."
    On getting his first national cap with Canada last night and then his MLS debut tonight:
    "I'm not sure I can sum it up. It's an amazing feeling playing for your country, getting my first cap and then making my MLS debut within 24 hours. I left my hotel in Washington DC at 5 a.m. this morning, got here and slept for three hours before the game tonight."
    DAVID OUSTED
    On struggles without top players and just how strong is depth:
    "It showed today. Any team in this league would miss Pedro and Mauro. That goes without saying, but you can't use that as an excuse. Every team will have injuries during a season. Unluckily, we're in a spot right now where we have a lot of them and we need to battle through it. Today I think we did a lot of things right and a few things not correctly. That hurt us today."
    What can be done to halt the slide?:
    "There's two ways to go. There's sitting in there and burying our heads in our hands and don't believe any more, or there's the other way that I'd rather go and just work hard. Work our way out of this. Work on our finishing, work on our ability to create chances, and that's the way out of it. We're still in the playoffs. We still have one game left to put us in a good position. Obviously that needs to be a win. It's about working ourselves out of it. It's no time to feel sorry for ourselves."
    Pressure going into Houston game?:
    "There's two ways to view it. One, we're in the playoffs and we can relax, the other way is we have to win to put ourselves into a good position. Let's find somewhere inbetween that. Our mental approach has to be getting after them and going for a win. At home, at BC Place, hopefully we'll get the three points there and put ourselves in a good position going into the playoffs."
    On saving the Mauro Diaz penalty shot:
    "The video guys help me out every time, every game. I sit down and go watch penalties and they give me all the information I need. I was well prepared today."
    On Marco Bustos' performance:
    "I thought he did really well. I was impressed by the way he went in and he played the way that we know he can. It can be intimidating coming in and having to take responsibility in that midfield but he did well. He was good on the ball, nice passes and I thought he looked dangerous. Again, it's that little bit of depth and guys like him gets that chance now."
    FC DALLAS
    OSCAR PAREJA
    Opening thoughts:
    "There was a lot of [good] soccer today on the pitch. It was a game that had a lot of emotions and a lot of great plays. Great footballers - both on our team today and also Vancouver. They were a very good team with a very good coach. There were tremendous plays today. I think our fans and the people who came to the stadium enjoyed a game full of great moments. Vancouver made it difficult for us during the first 15 minutes, but after that we started clearing our chances and dominated.
    "The second half was more level. We knew that they were going to provide us with a ton and we wanted to hold the line and see if there were some spaces behind. The plan worked well."
    ZACH LOYD
    General thoughts on the match:
    "It was a great team performance. Coming into this game, we knew how important it was for us. We had the Red Bull New York game on before the match. We were watching it closely. Once we saw the result, I think it gave us an extra boost knowing that three points would put us in a tie with them on top of the table with two games to go. The guys responded well. We’re a good team at home. That has showed all year. We’re going to continue to try and finish as high as we can in the West, so we can have that home field advantage throughout the playoffs."
    Was this your best performance of the year?:
    "I’m not sure. Any time we get a shutout, I am happy for the back line. I don’t really grade personal performances so much. I am more about the team performance. I thought it was a great game for us overall, to be able to rebound after going there and picking up a big tie on the road in Vancouver last week. On the importance of getting this win to validate last week’s tie in Vancouver…It’s huge. If you go there and get a tie, then come home and lose, it didn’t really mean anything. If you come out tonight and get a big three points… You put yourself in a position to fight for a trophy… That is something we have not done here in a long time. We put ourselves in the best-possible situation we could be in. I hope we can capitalize on that in the next two weeks."
    MAURO DIAZ
    Thoughts on the game:
    "We are really happy that we got more points and that we are fighting for the top. We are excited and we are going to keep on fighting for it."
    On playing like his old self:
    "The injuries were getting me, and it feels good playing back to my level."
    His mentality when scoring the goal:
    "I didn’t plan anything. It just happened. I saw the opportunity and I took it."
    VICTOR ULLOA
    Thoughts on the game:
    "Huge win of us. We knew what was at stake. We’re tied for first place for the Shield. So that’s huge for us with two games left. Mentally, it helps us a lot to keep pushing and this club can win something. So that’s huge."
    On two straight shutouts vs Vancouver:
    "Yeah, it’s one of those things that we want to focus on. We know that we have a lot of offensive power and we know that we can score at any time, and that’s the main focus."
    Thoughts on the goal set up by Mauro Diaz:
    "Great goal. Great play. Like I said we have so many offensive weapons. Mauro was huge for us."
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