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. ...

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).
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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....
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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. ...

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. ...

If this were 2007, it would be an exciting time for TFC fans.

The addition of Bobby Convey, a solid player that has had a long and successful career in MLS and for Reading, in 2013, however, might not prove to be as thrilling.

After all, this is a nearly 30-year-old player, coming off an injury not too long ago, that comes with a $215,000 cap hit.

He's played 112 minutes for Kansas City this year, registering just two shots on goal.
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Women’s soccer is hot right now. With the Canadian men…struggling…the CSA has put almost all of its attention on the women and is riding the bronze medal win for all it is worth.

The direct result of that push is the sold out June 2 “re-match” against the Americans at BMO Field. We should not discount the importance of selling out a stadium, something neither TFC nor the Canadian men have managed over the last 12-months.

The glow of the Rings is strong and the women are attracting all kinds of fans that couldn’t spell soccer last June. Keeping these fans is going to be a challenge, but with a World Cup coming in two summers (and an almost forgotten u20 World Cup next summer – side note: You might want to get around to naming the damn sites soon CSA) there will be plenty of ways to keep fans engaged.

Winning will help, which is tricky. John Herdman quite rightfully is using 2013 as a experimental season and there is as much chance the 21,000 fans leave BMO Field scratching their heads after a 4-0 shellacking as there is of a rambunctious celebration – the Americans are really much better than Canada now and, well, always. Sorry.

The excitement around women’s soccer has lead to some loud whispers coming out of both Toronto and Vancouver about possible expansion bids in the new NWSL. As I wrote yesterday at The Equalizer, there appears to be something to the rumours.
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As an extension to Canadian Soccer News’ MLS Week in Review, further details regarding the performances of the Canadian players who saw the pitch in MLS this week.

Russell Teibert, Maxim Tissot, and a combined third to Doneil Henry and Nana Attakora claim the top three spots, with Dwayne De Rosario and Will Johnson earning special mention for their goals this round.

It was busy week in MLS, midweek matches and a full slate of weekend fixtures, meant many players – Canadians included – had double duty this round.

Find out what they did to deserve recognition, as well as who else earned their keep this weekend. ...

Toronto FC have waived two players to make room for the loan signings of last week.

Ashton Bennett and Taylor Morgan have both seen their last action as Reds.

Both were Supplementary Draft picks that made limited appearances for the club.
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The war is not won for the Montreal Impact, but the club’s management team can congratulate itself from winning the first battle after turning the tide of its inaugural campaign in Major League Soccer.

The arrival of Marco Schallibaum, the team’s collective efficiency on the field and Marco Di Vaio’s production are all main factors explaining why the Impact is the most improved MLS club of the first quart of 2013 compared to the nine first games of 2012.

Montreal has a 5-2-2 record after nine games in 2013 (26.5 % of the season) for a total of 17 points against eight points (2-5-2) at the same stage last season.

These nine points of improvement puts Montreal ahead of FC Dallas (+8) and Toronto FC (+7) among the best improved teams of Q1. Dallas has a very good start in 2013, leading the Western Conference standings after missing the playoffs in 2012. As for TFC, it’s tough to do worse than 0-9-0 in 2012.

The bottom-dwellers of 2013’s Q1 are the San Jose Earthquakes (-12), the Seattle Sounders (-10) and DC United (-9).

Nine of the 10 playoff spot teams after nine regular season games in 2012 made it to the post-season tournament, the only exception being Colorado who dropped out in favor of the MLS Cup champs LA Galaxy in the Western Conference.
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Ten of 19 MLS club climbing including TFC, Montréal and Vancouver dropping in the April 2013 issue of this exclusive standings.

Two Copa Libertadores group phase wins have shot Brazilian giants Corinthians on top of SoccerPlus’ monthly Americas Club Standings for the period ending on April 30. The Sao Paulo-based club has set the table for a Round of 16 home and away series against Argentine side Boca Juniors who were leading the ACS last month.

Little movement happened in the Top 10 this month as Sao Paulo (2nd) also moved up one spot, to drop Boca Juniors from first to third, where as countrymen Tigre climbed three positions to fourth. Argentina’s Velez Sarsfield (8th) and Brazil’s Fluminense (9th) also moved up a spot each while Universidad de Chile (9th) slipped down five places. There only one newcomer in this month’s top 10, Colombia’s Deportes Tolima (10th), pushing out Paraguay’s Libertad (16th, -6) from the select group. Seven of the Top 10 teams are involved in Copa Libertadores’ Round of 16 in May.

The Club of the Month is Argentina’s Tigre (4th) which won a Primera Division match and three Copa Libertadores matches, including the home leg of its Copa Libertadores Round of 16 series with Paraguay’s Olimpia (12th).

Ten of MLS’ 19 clubs have moved up in the standings during the last month. Such is the case for Toronto FC (+9, 132nd), with a cup win and three league ties, while Montreal (-13, 173rd) and Vancouver (-9, 182nd) dropped a little in April. Expect the latter two latter to pick up a few spots at the end of May with both of them moving to the Amway Canadian Championship title series.

These standings use every game played by CONCACAF and CONMEBOL’s 480 first division sides during the last 12 months. The point system leading to these standings is based on the one used for many years by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
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TFC, winners of just one game of the last 24 played in MLS, have added another piece. Joining the Reds on loan is Tal Ben Haim. As with all of Kevin Payne's recent signings, Ben Haim will be on loan. In his case until the end of June.

Coming off a year where he made just six appearances, Ben Haim is clearly battling for a contract. Payne appears to have confidence that he'll gain one.

"Tal Ben Haim has been one of the top defenders in the EPL for nearly a decade," Payne said in a release.

Well, then.
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