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    Michael Mccoll
    "I'm really happy," Blasco told reporters after the match. "I've been working hard for that for a long time. The most important thing is the three points, so thanks to my teammates."
    You could sense that it was just a matter of time before Blasco got those first goals, and they must have come as something off a weight off his shoulders.
    "Yeah, it's a bit like that," Blasco told us. "I had a bit of pressure for that because I've been always used to scoring goals. It was taking a little bit long, but now I'm happy. I was kinda calm though because I've plenty experience scoring goals. I knew it was like. If I take my time and was calm then there you go."
    Blasco has scored goals wherever he’s been. The 22-year-old (his birthday was on Canada Day!) came through the fabled Barcelona academy system before leaving to play with the youth and reserves teams of Mallorca, Cornella and Sabadell.
    Current WFC2 head coach Alan Koch had scouted Blasco in Spain and brought him over with the initial plan of playing NCAA soccer with the SFU Clan. That move was delayed to allow Blasco to head over to Nanaimo to play for Vancouver Island University Mariners, while taking classes to improve his English.
    As fate would have it, Koch moved on from SFU to take charge of the Whitecaps USL team and he knew a player he wanted to bring with him.
    When we ran our profiled Blasco in March, we asked Koch about what Blasco could offer the team. "If you watch him in a training session, you’ll see within five minutes" he told us.
    And it’s true. Blasco has impressed with his skills and touch in training and scrimmages. He just needs to put it all together in competitive games, and these two goals could very well be the spark that now sees him kick on and impress on the pitch for the rest of the season.
    There’s no doubting that Vancouver Whitecaps’ USL team is packed with talent. Some of it is more honed than others at this stage of their careers. Some of it is raw. Some of it has taken a bit of time to find its feet in the pro ranks and get fully going.
    It’s a young side and with that, as Carl Robinson regularly highlights with the MLS team, comes inconsistency, and that is also what Koch wants to see from Blasco.
    "When he scored that goal, you could kind of see a weight off his shoulders instantaneously," Koch told us. "A huge sigh of relief for him, which is great, and he went back and scored a goal right away. Hopefully that game's the catalyst that gets him going.
    "Good game by him, but he's still capable of more. We see special things from him in training. He just needs to figure out how to be more consistent. If he can do that in every game, he won't be in the USL for very, very long."
    The aim for all the players on the USL squad is to grab people’s attention, impress and ultimately land a MLS deal with the Whitecaps. Not all will make it with the ‘Caps, not all will make it to a higher level at all, but you get the feeling that Blasco is certainly one of the players that the Whitecaps are taking a close interest in to see how he develops and where his ceiling may be.
    Blasco has played in 13 matches so far this season, starting 7. With two goals and two assists, it’s not a bad return for the winger, and he also sits third on the team for shots on goal.
    Much like the team, it was a somewhat mixed start to the season for Blasco, who was sent off in the home opener against Toronto, before finding his rhythm. So on a personal level, how has he found his first season with the Whitecaps so far?.
    "I think it was kind of a rollercoaster a little bit," Blasco told us. "I've been playing good matches and some of them not so good. I've been getting used to the league also because here they play different. Also, fitness-wise, I was struggling a little bit, but now, every day that passes, I'm getting more used to it and I'm more happy and comfortable with the team and the coach."
    As Koch says, consistency is now the key fir Blasco and putting in the type of performances he had as a super sub against Seattle, week in and week out.
    That in itself is a challenge for all the young players on the USL team due to squad rotation and the minutes being shared around between the squad players and the MLS players coming down to play.
    But that is just the nature of the beast and Blasco knows, to thrive in the environment, you just have to find way to succeed.
    "When we all came here, we knew it wasn't going to be easy because a lot of the MLS guys come up and down," Blasco admits. "We all know our role here. We're all to work for the group. So every time we get our chance, we need to take it the best that we can."
    Duane Rollins
    And, it turns out there was little to worry about. Prior to the announcement of the format today it was unclear whether Canada would be placed in a fully random draw with the other 11 teams in the round. Such a scenario could have seen Canada drawn against Jamaica.
    Although the Canucks do eventually have to get by the likes of Jamaica to become true contenders in the region, it’s probably best to avoid a direct match-up this early in the cycle. Not making the semi-final group stage would be a disaster most Canadians do not want to consider.
    Although it was assumed that the draw would be seeded, it’s CONCACAF. You just never knew.
    Now we know. It’s seeded based on this month’s FIFA rankings.
    So, Pot A will be:
    Jamaica (FIFA ranking 76)
    Haiti (79)
    El Salvador (88)
    Canada (103)
    Guatemala (105)
    Antigua and Barbuda (107)
    That means Canada will play one of the following:
    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (115)
    Belize (118)
    Aruba (135)
    Nicaragua (143)
    Curaçao (149)
    Grenada (160)
    Outside of maybe Nicaragua (and even there, there is a reason they are ranked 143rd) there isn’t really anyone to worry about. Expect a round like the win over Dominica.
    Then things get real. Assuming Canada doesn’t invent a new way to destroy our soul in September, what group they get drawn into for the semi-final will be the most important thing to look for on July 25, when our next 6-months are drawn out.
    And we learn that we drew Honduras again because that’s just how it goes.
    Duane Rollins
    (Deep breath).
    It could have been worse. Really. A 0-0 is a result and the point matters. They still control their own destiny, even if the path is more difficult. For the fatalistically inclined they realistically had to beat one of Jamaica or Costa Rica for the tournament to be a true success anyway.
    So, take the point and look forward.
    If you look back too hard you’ll become discouraged by a few things. The biggest thing you’ll be caught up on is the utter lack of invention from the midfield. Although you can tell yourself that it would have been different if Atiba and Johnson were there – and it might have been – the reality is that injuries are a part of the game and Benito Floro has been clear that he needs 30 plus players able to compete if we are to have any chance at going to a World Cup.
    Last night suggests were a few off that yet.
    Bekker in particular looks lost. He is a player that confounds observers. Despite having all the technical skills you would want (which is why teams and Floro keep taking a chance on him) his performance on the pitch has simply never added up.
    Some on Social Media suggested to me that we should be happy with Bekker because, to them, he gave a hard effort. This ain’t house league. He needs to sit. When Russell Teibert and Johnathon Osorio came on for the very end of the game, Canada looked less vulnerable to El Salvador’s counter. They still didn’t produce a tonne going forward, but Teibert did have a good look (which was more than anything Bekker did in 80 minutes) in his 10 minutes.
    Forget about Cyle Larin’s miss. It happens. If it happens again in this tournament then, sure, panic, but just chalk it up as one of those things for now. More troublesome was Tesho’s invisibility anyway.
    The back-line was…ok. I liked how they adjusted in second half when El Salvador didn’t have a truly great chance. The first was a bit more dodgy, especially Marcel De Jong, who was consistently getting beat.
    Kenny was fine, one brain fart that he got away with aside.
    The bottom line though is this: Yes, they must be better. Much better, even. But, they did just enough that if they do get better then everything will be fine.
    Four points will get them a quarterfinal appearance and a shot at the Copa. They can do that Saturday.
    During most of the last few years – years we were reminded of at times yesterday – that’s a position most of us would have taken.
    So take it. There’s little point dwelling on the past now, whether recent, or long past.
    Duane Rollins
    Before we do that we should be clear: There needs to be a plan to start a pro league for women. The Canadian women are not rising up the ranks of women’s soccer. They are falling behind and the chances of another London happening are increasingly less likely. The chances of even replicating quarterfinal appearances may be an ask too much soon enough.
    The biggest reason for the women falling behind is the same as it is for the men – they have very limited professional opportunities and the ones they have are almost always tied into the whims of the American system. The difference is the women have far less opportunity to pursue clubs outside of the US. The European women’s leagues are almost entirely no-goes without EU passports and even if you do hold one the domestic quota requirements often make them difficult to crack.
    The result of that is a considerably thin talent pool to choose from. That's why John Herdman was forced to look for duel Canadian nationals to increase the overall talent leading into Canada 2015.
    So, there is no doubt that a C-League for women would be a Godsend.
    Unless it failed. This is where I may seem to contradict myself. Whereas I shout down anyone that suggests that C-League men is doomed and we shouldn’t even try, I do suggest that it would be foolish to jump the gun on the women’s side.
    Why the difference?
    It’s simple really: The men’s club game is far, far, far, far more popular in Canada. Those that argue against that will point to the success of the just finished World Cup and say that it’s evidence that crowds will come out to watch professional women’s soccer. There is zero evidence that national team interest translates to club interest.
    A domestic example can be found with the CWHL. In a hockey mad country, the stars of the Canadian women’s hockey team – back-to-back-to-back Olympic gold medalists – play in front of friends and family in second rate facilities. There is no television coverage and next to no mainstream media attention.
    Soccer has a fraction of the audience in Canada that hockey does. Women’s soccer a fraction of that even still. Anecdotally, I can tell you that a typical CanWNT story on CSN gets about 10 to 20 percent of the views that a MLS story does. The exception is during the World Cup and Olympics when those numbers are about equal but the interest dies down immediately – it did after London, anyway.
    Many will likely be surprised to know that CanMNT stories also get about twice the traffic CanWNT stories do (which is still a fraction of MLS stories).
    I don’t point out those numbers as a way to argue about the quality of the women, nor to start a conversation about what’s fair or right. They are what they are. You can’t force people to care, nor guilt them into supporting women’s professional sport. Ignoring this reality is to set yourself up for failure.
    The US women learned that the hard way in 2000 when they were offered an opportunity to partner with MLS to create WMLS. Still basking in the glow of the 1999 World Cup the women flatly turned the offer down. In fact they were defiant about it, claiming that MLS was trying to latch onto their success because they couldn’t succeed without them.
    Instead of joining forces, the women formed WUSA. At its launch there were many brave predictions about how it would surpass MLS and have a long and successful run.
    It folded before the next World Cup even started. We’re now on attempt No 3 to get a women’s pro league to stick. This one – the NWSL – has a much better chance because it's operating as an extension of the USSF. Unlike the two other league’s it’s not completely at the whims of a free market.
    Framing those struggles in the US is the fact that it’s entirely possible that more than half the world’s women’s soccer fans are American.
    Compare those struggles with the growing game in Europe. There, the women’s teams are extensions of some of the most famous men’s teams in the world. They are benefiting from existing technical infrastructure and operating with the understanding that no one at the club expects them to drive gate and interest. Some may reject the notion of playing second fiddle to the men’s teams, but the growth of the game in Europe suggests it’s working.
    The other side of that – as illustrated by the WUSA v MLS fight in 2000 – is that it illustrates another thing that has held the game back here in North America – namely the taking of sides between men’s and women’s soccer. It’s hard to pinpoint exact numbers, but anyone that has closely observed both genders' games understands that there is a portion of fans that refuse to watch the gender they don't follow. We most often focus on the men only side of that divide – painting those who feel that way as dinosaurs in an attempt to shame them into supporting the women. We rarely look at the women only side of the divide and evaluate whether it is harmful to the sport.
    Fans are free to consume the sport how they see fit, of course. However, when that allegiance to WoSo manifests itself into efforts to push away any cooperation with the men’s game at all…well then everyone loses. The reality is, in North America, fans of men’s and women’s soccer need to help each other grow.
    Bringing this back to Canada, C-League talk should avoid getting dragged down into gender battles. Obviously, proponents of WoSo shouldn’t sit back while blatant sexism pushes them out. As we said off the top, there needs to be a plan in place to get to a fully professional women’s league.
    To get there they will need to work together though. The model Canada needs to follow is Europe’s organic one, rather than the US’s “pull teams from thin air” process.
    In simple terms that means the following:
    1) We need to recognize that economic realities make starting a women’s league from stretch unrealistic
    2) Further to that we need to recognize that the larger popularity of the men’s game means that, at this time, it has a better chance to succeed and if it does it will also benefit the women’s side of the game so long as…
    3) We demand that teams in the C-League operate women’s programs from the beginning under the same umbrella as the men’s teams.
    I would suggest that the W-League would offer the best level of competition.
    Bluntly, Canada doesn’t have the player pool to field eight professional women’s teams at this time. However, if they start to build that pool through elite women playing at the W-League level now then that could change in a few year’s time.
    Which leads us to the final thing that needs to happen.
    4) There needs to be a specific timeline set to work towards the launch of C-League women.
    In many ways Canada is in a unique situation. It can start a league where the gap between the men and women is smaller than anywhere else in the world. Doing that requires cooperation and recognition of what’s realistic.
    In short, it requires vision and belief. Something that Canadian soccer needs a lot more of.
    James Grossi
    Cyle Larin
    Larin may have began Orlando City's match in Chicago on the bench, but with his side trailing 2-1, he made his way on in the 66th minute, replacing Pedro Ribeiro - his third-appearance from the bench and his eleventh-overall this season.
    He immediately set about pestering the Fire defenses, getting into a wrestling match for position with centre-back Adailton, but his most important contribution came in the 82nd minute when he scored the fifth goal of his rookie campaign.
    Larin was dispossessed by Adailton, but stuck with the play, winning it back and finding a pocket of space to unleash a right-footed blast from some 25 yards, beating Jon Busch low to the left-post, his shot banking in off the woodwork.
    Having leveled the match at twos, the Brampton, Ontario-native would not rest on his laurels, continuing his hard work in the 86th minute when Orlando took the lead courtesy an Adailton own-goal.
    Carlos Rivas was sprung down the left-channel by a Kaka ball, attempting to pick out the run of Larin in the middle, only for his delivery to bank in off the Chicago centre-back. Initially, Larin had motored into position to be an option, but upon realizing the situation, he wisely used his stature to prevent the recovering Joevin Jones from getting to the trickling ball, not allowing him to make the required goal-line clearance. That goal would prove the winner, as Orlando City picked up a solid 2-3 road victory,
    Though his stat-line was unimpressive – he scored on his only shot, did not complete his only pass, while adding a pair of clearances and a tackle, as well as straying offside twice – Larin was the crucial factor in both of Orlando's late goals, steering the side to victory.
    Post-match he spoke of the importance of winning on the road: "I think it's important that we move up in the table. I think we fought back and were on them the whole game, we needed to get the ball then, then you saw it when we came back, we started playing, and we started scoring." And of turning around the match from a losing position: "I think when we really believe in each other, we'll come back. We're a really good team, and I think once we believe in each other, and play with a sense of urgency, we'll be fine."
    A very modest and team-based attitude from the young Canadian. He also spoke about getting ready for the Canadian National Team with World Cup Qualifying and the Gold Cup ahead.
    Maxim Tissot
    Tissot featured in two of Montreal's three fixtures over this time period, coming on against Vancouver, and starting at Columbus – he was rested in New York against City in Round Fifteen.
    In Wednesday's 2-1 win over Vancouver, Tissot came on for Andres Romero in the 63rd minute, taking up the right-side midfield position. He was not particularly involved in the Impact's attack down that flank, spending more of his time tracking the movement of Cristian Techera down his side.
    He did manage one shot – it was off-target, while completing nine of his ten passes, adding an interception and a recovery.
    Come Saturday and a trip to Columbus, Tissot was in the starting eleven, returning to his more familiar left-sided midfield role.
    Aside from playing an early ball into the box that was just a little too far ahead of Jack McInerney – Crew keeper, Steve Clark, collected it easily – the Gatineau, Quebec-native would have to wait until the 55th minute to make his mark on the match.
    Romero scooped a ball into the area for McInerney, who saw his sliding chance denied by Clark, but Tissot was on hand to tap in a right-footer from close range, scoring his first goal of the season.
    Minutes later, Tissot nearly added a second from very similar circumstances, on hand once more to pounce on the rebound from a McInerney header, only for Clark to pull-off an epic double-save – Tissot may have been offside anyways.
    The third-year player was at his most dangerous with his late, unmarked runs into attacking positions – he received a ball from Romero on one such occasion when the Argentine worked in from the left, only to horribly miss-hit his attempt, skewing it well wide.
    He would make way for Victor Cabrera in the 82nd minute with Montreal protecting a 0-2 lead, en route to a 1-2 win – Federico Higuain would score in stoppage-time.
    Tissot ended the match with two shots – one on (his goal) and one off, completing 14 of 23 passes, making two recoveries and an interception, committing a single foul.
    Post-match he noted, “It’s been a lot of time talking about getting that first win on the road, so we are really pleased. We stayed focused the entire game and stuck to the game plan tonight.”
    Wandrille Lefevre
    Lefevre started all three of Montreal's matches, bringing his season total up to four.
    Against Vancouver as the right-sided centre-back, he was immense defensively, racking up eight clearances, six recoveries, five blocks, two interceptions, and two tackles, all while conceding just a single foul.
    He showed his mobility, tracking Darren Mattocks all the way to end-line to cut out a cross, conceding a corner kick, and then moved out wide quickly to pressure Kekuta Manneh, later he did the same to Octavio Rivero, snuffing out an attack with good horizontal defending.
    And he was fearless in the wall, getting his head on a Pedro Morales free-kick, again directing it out for a corner. The French-born defender completed all but eight of his 35-odd passes in a winning effort.
    In Columbus on the weekend, he was similarly active in the face of the threat posed by Kei Kamara, one of the hottest goal-scorers in MLS. Lefevre tracked Kamara to the near-post on one chance, limiting the result to a corner kick, and then making up for a poor clearing header of his own, which fell to Kristinn Steindorsson, following up to get in a needed clearance.
    He did have one miscommunication with his keeper, Evan Bush, touching out for a corner when the keeper wanted to collect, but that did not prevent Montreal from seeing out the road victory.
    Lefever was again influential, contributing eleven clearances, two tackles, two recoveries, and an interception; again, committing just a single foul.
    The following weekend, a match in New York against City, was an eventful one for Lefevre, culpable on two of New York's goals, but scoring one himself in the 3-1 loss.
    He was dragged out wide in his pursuit of Ned Grabavoy, leading to David Villa's 31st minute strike, failing to cut out the pass that picked out Villa and was horribly isolated on New York's second, pressured into a slip and a turnover by the hard-charging of Kwadko Poku and the cunning positioning of Villa, who prevented Lefevre from playing by to his keeper by lurking, ready to intercept.
    Poku capitalized on the slip, stealing possession and finding Mix Diskerud, who beat Bush with a low shot.
    He needed his teammates to come back and provide options to play out of that dead-end.
    Despite those two setbacks, Lefevre would still compile seven recoveries, six clearances, two tackles, and an interception, though his passing was a bit off, completing less than half of his some 25 attempts – Montreal looked a little tired, diminishing the options.
    But come the 88th minute, he wiped away the frustration, scoring his first MLS goal when he arrived completely unmarked at the back-post to power a header from a deep Laurent Ciman free-kick on the left past Josh Saunders in the New York goal – it was his only 'shot' of the night.
    Post-match he commented on playing on a narrow pitch: “It was hard at the beginning to find our marks on this pitch. We were trying to play long balls in the first half, but we played much better in the second half. And scoring his first: “It was a great delivery by Laurent to score my first goal, but I can’t be happy because we were losing 2-0 and we still lost that game.”
    Lefevre was featured in an MLSsoccer.com piece around that period as well.
    Will Johnson
    Having been rested for the trip to Colorado, Johnson returned to the Portland midfield for their 2-0 win over New England, lining up alongside Diego Chara at the base of the formation – it was his second start of the season.
    The Toronto-born Johnson showed glimpses of his former self – putting in a strong tackle on Scott Caldwell that spurred a Timbers counter, Max Urruti would sent the chance wide, and then ripping a low right-footed shot from distance wide of the left-post having collected a lay-off from Sebastian Fernandez.
    His passing was succinct as ever, completing all but four of his 45-plus attempts, including one nice ball down the right for Dairon Asprilla – he would drags his shot wide of the far-post.
    But a woeful free-kick in the 64th minute from long-range that drifted horribly wide showed that he still has a few things to work on before it can be said he is the same ol' Will Johnson.
    Blushes aside, Johnson did play a role in the build-up that led to Fanendo Adi's second of the night, making one of the early passes in midfield that led to the goal, securing the 2-0 win for the Timbers.
    Johnson took two shots – both off-target, adding two interceptions and a recovery to his credit, conceding a single foul.
    He spoke about a possible return to the Canadian National Team in a feature, noting of the upcoming summer: “It’s an interesting situation. It’s a big summer for us. Obviously this is the last competitive camp before the Gold Cup, so I think it kind of makes sense to see where I’m at and see if I fit into Benito’s plans for the Gold Cup. So I’m thankful they’re giving me the opportunity to at least showcase myself.”
    He continued: “Obviously the timing is not great coming off a long injury, but I’m starting to feel good about where I am and think I can compete even on the international level.”
    As readers will know, Johnson will not be participating in the Gold Cup.
    Kofi Opare
    Opare started both of DC United's matches in Round Fourteen before spending Fifteen's match in Orlando on the bench – bringing his season start total up to twelve; it will be interesting to see how the battle for a starting position between him and Steve Birnbaum for a spot in the DC eleven.
    Midweek against Chicago, Opare was solid at both ends of the pitch, though he could not prevent David Accam from getting on the end of a Quincy Amarikwa ball leading to the game's opening goal in the 28th minute.
    He would make up for that short-coming later in the match, when despite getting beat in a battle with Amarikwa, Opare flung himself at the ground, doing just enough to put off the attack – last-ditch defending indeed.
    At the attacking end, he was a presence in the box, getting on the end of successive corner kicks, both directed off-target under heavy pressure – he would end the night with three attempts at goal – two off and one blocked.
    Opare completed all but five of some 35-passes, making six recoveries, three clearances, two interceptions, a block, and a tackle throughout.
    Post-match he disgusted the game of two halves – DC fell behind in the first before responding with three in the second for the 3-1 home win: “Obviously the first half started a little slow. It looked a little lethargic I thought. The second half we, at half time, had time to regroup and adjust some things tactically and I think we made some minor changes that in the second half we implemented. Obviously with the addition of Fabi definitely helped us. Him, Davy, they definitely made a difference when they came on. Also, Facundo as well.”
    On Saturday against Toronto FC, the Ghana-born, Niagara Falls-raised defender had his hands full with the machinations of Sebastian Giovinco.
    Giovinco got the better of him from a Luke Moore through-ball - Andrew Dykstra rushed out to force the attacker wide – but Opare made amends in their next meeting, getting out wide left to close down Giovinco, forcing a rushed-shot that was off-target.
    Giovinco would win the next one, Opare unable to keep pace with his dash across the top of the box, but nothing came of the move.
    And Opare nearly scored himself, robbed of his second goal of the season by an off-side flag after he swept in a free-kick that TFC keeper Chris Konopka failed to collect. Replays showed the decision may have been a harsh one.
    Back to his running battle with Giovinco, Opare would lose once more, allowing the attacker to spin away, but Opare recovered, rushing back to prevent Giovinco slicing towards goal. However, come the 83rd minute Giovinco would have the last laugh, scoring his second of the night when Opare held off applying pressure, allowing Giovinco to beat Dykstra with aplomb from distance.
    Opare would pick up a yellow card in the 88th minute for bundling over Jackson on the edge of the area after conceding possession – it was his first booking of the season; another measure of how solid he has been since stepping into the lineup.
    He completed all but eight of his 25-odd passes, make four recoveries, one interception, and one clearance; his booking was his only foul of the match, against Giovinco, rather impressive, though the Italian did score two goals.
    Marcel de Jong
    Having returned from a lengthy injury lay-off last round, de Jong was in the starting lineup for Kansas City as they dispatched with Seattle 1-0 on Saturday – it was his seventh start and eighth appearance of the season.
    Taking up a left-sided midfield role, de Jong was full of energy early, at times, nearly leading the line, swapping positions with Graham Zusi, for Sporting as they took the match to the Sounders.
    He had one left-footer from range whisk just over the crossbar and another in short order that was deflected wide for a corner kick. And third attempt at goal was straight at Stefan Frei, who handled the effort easily.
    The attacking wide player also showed his ability to link up with teammates, exhibiting some neat interplay with full-back Amadou Dia down the left and pulling back to the top of the area twice – the first was met by Connor Hallisey, sending his effort over, and the other was into a crowd of defenders.
    The Newmarket, Ontario-native added a bit of defensive work, tracking all the way to his own corner to win a throw-in, and a bit of physicality, catching Chad Marshall in the midsection with a stray boot, before making way for Dom Dwyer in the 58th minute having run his socks off.
    de Jong had five shots – three off and one blocked, completing eight of his sixteen pass attempts, and adding two clearances and a recovery in his hour on the pitch.
    Jonathan Osorio
    With Michael Bradley away with the US National Team in Europe, Osorio was handed the keys to the attacking midfield in Toronto's 1-2 win in DC – it was Osorio's fourth-straight start bringing his season tally up to nine at the time.
    From that central role, Osorio looked very good, showing that after a slow start to the season he has grown accustomed to his new surroundings.
    He looked strong, holding off the attentions of Davy Arnaud to turn and initiate an attack, and made the run into the box to get on the end of the rebound from a saved Giovinco shot, but was unable to get the needed touch.
    The Toronto, Ontario-native showed a measure of coolness in attack, calmly waiting for the window to open before sliding a ball inside to Luke Moore, who in turn set-up Giovinco's first goal of the match.
    Like the earlier rebound, Osorio was unable to get on the end of a one-two flick from Giovinco, but the idea was there, which is half the battle.
    He would get in position for a popped cross from the Italian at the back-post, only for a covering Sean Franklin to deflect the chance wide – nearly banking it into his own net.
    Osorio's passing was impressive, misplacing just six of over 35 attempts, while adding two interceptions, two recoveries, and a clearance to his performance, winning a pair of fouls in the process.
    Post-match he commented on taking up the central reins: “I think I did pretty well. I think I helped the team a lot in possession, keeping the ball and trying to maintain it while they were pressing a lot. I thought I did a good job at holding it up and creating chances for the team.”
    His interview can be viewed here.
    Patrice Bernier
    Bernier appeared in all three of Montreal's matches – starting midweek against Vancouver before coming on as a sub in both weekend matches.
    Captaining the side against fellow Canadian club, Vancouver, Bernier was involved in an all-Canadian handshake, as both he and Russell Teibert took part in the prematch sportsmanship. It was just his second start of the year.
    The Brossard, Quebec-native would make a near-immediate impact, heading a Nicolas Mezquida flick at the near-post off the goal-line, behind for another corner kick, sparing an early deficit.
    And he showed glimpses of the old Bernier, giving Teibert a lesson in defensive-midfieldery with a textbook tackle that halted his younger counterpart's run and winning the ball, spurring a counter in the other direction.
    Bernier would come off in the 81st minute with the scores tied at one, to be replaced by Anthony Jackson-Hamel. He had one shot – a free-kick into the wall – completed all but eight of his forty-odd passes, while making ten recoveries, four clearances, three tackles, two blocks, and two interceptions in a classic performance.
    With that exertion and having helped beat a domestic rival, Bernier would be on the bench come the weekend, entering for Marco Donadel in the 80th minute to help see out the result.
    And again the following weekend, waiting until the 70th minute to replace Callum Mallace against New York City. He was lucky to escape a booking when he hauled Grabavoy to the ground and was partially responsible for Poku's late goal, City's third, when a cross squeezed under his foot, falling to the attacker on the right-side of the box.
    Russell Teibert
    Teibert appeared in both of Vancouver's matches, captaining and starting against Montreal before coming on as a late sub on the weekend in Los Angeles.
    In Montreal as a central midfielder, he was tasked largely with tracking the movements of Piatti, providing cover to his defenders and matching the runs from the Impact midfield.
    The Niagara Falls, Ontario-native would contribute to the attack, sending a long ball into the box for Mattocks, who would hit the post, and playing in a cross after a short corner kick that picked out the head of Kendall Waston for a weak header.
    Like Bernier, he was lucky to escape a booking when he bundled over Piatti on a run at the edge of the area, though the foul was conceded – one of two he committed.
    Teibert completed all but six of his some thirty attempts, making four recoveries, three interceptions, two clearances, and a tackle.
    Come the weekend, Teibert was on the bench as Vancouver won their first-ever match at LA by a 0-1 scoreline with Manneh scoring in the 32nd minute.
    Teibert came on in the 75th minute for Matias Laba, helping to see out the result, completing three of five passes and three recoveries.
    Kyle Bekker
    Bekker went unused on the bench in San Jose in Round Fourteen, but was in the starting eleven for a Round Fifteen match in Seattle – just his second start of the season.
    From his central midfield position, Bekker was allowed to press forward; his partner, Victor Ulloa, playing more the holding role, and the Oakville, Ontario-native did surprisingly well given his intermittent playing time this season.
    He won a ball in midfield, leaving it to Blas Perez, who set up Fabian Castillo to blast over the bar early. And then made a run into the area himself, drawing a Save of the Week-calibre stop from Frei.
    Mauro Diaz played out wide to Perez on the left, who fed the streaking Bekker. The Canadian had to dig the pass out of his feet, it was a little behind him, but got off a left-footer that nearly beat the Seattle keeper.
    He then played a good ball in from the right for Perez, who touched to Castillo, only for a Zach Scott tackle to end the play.
    Events turned against Bekker at the other end of the pitch, when he was stripped of possession by Thomas in the 55th minute, leading to Lamar Neagle's goal. And was then helpless to defend against the might of Obafemi Martins at the low-post, where the Nigerian effortlessly turned Bekker and scored from a tight-angle in the 73rd minute.
    Bekker would be replaced in the 74th minute by Rolando Escobar having taken two shots – one on, one off, completed more than two-thirds of his thirty-plus passes, while making seven recoveries, three interceptions, and a tackle.
    Karl Ouimette
    Ouimette made his fourth-straight start for New York in their Friday night encounter in Houston – it was his fifth start and sixth appearance of the season.
    Lining up alongside Roy Miller as the right centre-back, Ouimette had a tough night as his side fell 4-2.
    The Terrebonne, Quebec-native managed to keep both Will Bruin and Giles Barnes quiet for the first half, but come the 59th minute his attempted block on an Oscar Boniek Garcia shot caused the effort to loop up, over Luis Robles, and into the New York goal, equalizing the score at one. Somehow that was not considered an own-goal – MLS is very generous in such situations.
    He would nearly be involved in a second own-goal, when Kemar Lawrence's clearance went straight into Ouimette, the rebound dribbling just wide of the post in the 72nd minute. Ricardo Clark would score Houston's second from the ensuing corner kick.
    A threat in the opponent's box, Ouimette would try to get up on a Felipe free-kick, only to be dumped to the ground by David Horst, while his attempt to reach a long ball from Chris Duvall when New York were trailing and in search of an equalizer would go wanting.
    He completed twelve of his eighteen passes, contributing eight clearances, three interceptions, and two recoveries; his only foul of the match came when colliding with Tyler Deric on that long ball from Duvall.
    Ashtone Morgan
    Morgan started a tenth-straight match for Toronto in a winning effort, away to DC United.
    From his left-back position, Morgan was solid defensively, getting out quick to shutdown an early Conor Doyle chance, conceding a corner in the process. And he showed the awareness that has seen him take his game to a higher level, his head on swivel with Nick DeLeon lurking wide, constantly refreshing his knowledge of where the attacker was off his back-shoulder on a DC attack down the opposite flank.
    His signature tenacity was on display as well, absolutely crunching Fabian Espindola with a clean sliding challenge.
    In attack, the Toronto, Ontario-native was a factor too, sending in a good cross from the left that went untouched through a dangerous area, and then setting up Jackson with a pass that resulted in a horrendous shot.
    His passing was a bit off, completing just fifteen of his 25 attempts, but with four recoveries, three clearances, two tackles, an interception, and a block, he more than made up for that short-coming.
    Tesho Akindele
    Akindele made a second-straight start for Dallas in their 0-0 draw in San Jose – it was his ninth of the season.
    Nominally the wide right-sided attacker, Akindele was free to roam as usual, popping up all over the pitch, once dropping deep to collect a loose-ball in the midfield, dishing off to Diaz, who sent his effort over the bar.
    The Calgary-born forward could not get enough power on a header from a corner kick and had a right-footed crack from distance that went straight into Earthquake centre-back, Clarence Goodson.
    It was a frustrating game for Dallas and Tesho, he did a lot of good running to get into positions, but his teammates were a touch too individualistic to made the most of his movement.
    His only shot of the match was blocked, though he completed twenty of his 25 passes, a good rate for him, adding three recoveries, a tackle, and a clearance to his mark.
    Anthony Jackson-Hamel
    Jackson-Hamel featured in two of Montreal's three matches, coming on as a substitute against Vancouver and New York; he was unused on the bench against Columbus.
    Coming on in the 81st minute for Bernier against Vancouver, Jackson-Hamel played a minor role in the game-winner, rolling a ball to Romero, who in turn set up Piatti for the strike. After playing the pass, his strong run was enough to distract the defense, opening up space centrally for Piatti to run into.
    A few minutes later he nearly added one of his own, touching a Romero pull-back at the near-post just wide with his left-foot after a neat paused-run to get onto the service at the last minute.
    His only shot was off-target, but he completed nine of ten passes, adding an interception and a recovery.
    In New York a week and a half later, the Quebec City, Quebec-native would come on at half-time for Victor Cabrera, moving up top alongside McInerney to give Montreal more of an attacking presence for the second half.
    He struggled to gain a foothold with Montreal disjointed and too widely-spaced. He did manage to corral a bouncing long ball away from Jason Hernandez, only for Saunders to come rushing out to collect the half-chance.
    Jackson-Hamel completed half his ten passes, making one tackle and a recovery in his half of play – his longest run-out of the season.
    Jay Chapman
    Chapman entered TFC's match in DC in the 73rd minute, replacing Warren Creavalle – it was his second appearance of the season.
    Taking up the right-sided midfield role, the Brampton, Ontario-native nearly got on the end of a Jackson cross and was on hand to clear a DC corner kick away from Toronto's near-post as the clock ticked down.
    He completed four of his six passes, adding a recovery and a clearance in the process.
    Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare
    Gagnon-Lapare made his second appearance of the season against New York City, coming on in the 78th minute for Piatti with New York holding a two-goal lead.
    Sitting deep, alongside Bernier, Gagnon-Lapare was tasked with preventing any further damage. He had one rather enjoyable moment, getting into a tangle with Villa, who did not appreciate the attention, kicking out a little at the Sherbrooke, Quebec-native after a bit of contact.
    He completed six of his ten passes, making two recoveries, and an interception.
    The Rest
    Chris Mannella was on the bench for Toronto FC away to DC United.
    Note: As far as catching up with the reviews goes, the plan is to compile Round 16 this week, and then get to Round 17 for early next week. Rounds 18 & 19 will be combined – most of the Canadians will be away at the Gold Cup anyways – and so by the time they rejoin their clubs, everything will be back in sync.
    Apologies again for the absence and thanks for reading.
    Each week (normally) James takes a look at the contributions of Canadians in the league. He can be followed on twitter @grawsee and more of his writing is available at Partially Obstructed View
    Guest
    Until next time, have a great soccer!
    @24thminute
    @KevLaramee
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    Michael Mccoll
    Have a listen!
    You can listen to this, and all previous, episodes of the podcast on iTunes HERE.
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    Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!

    Duane Rollins
    “I consider MLS to be a foreign league,” was one bomb he dropped into the middle of the conversation. “It seems like we’re working for the American program sometimes,” another.
    The statements mirrored those made by Victor Montagliani and Peter Montopoli at the closing press conference of the Women’s World Cup – served up a question that would have allowed them to talk up the 2026 World Cup bid they instead insisted on talking about taking care of “internal” needs first. Chief among them were governance reform and creating a league of our own.
    In the spring, CSN reported the details of the creation of a Canadian league. At that time some things were still up in the air, but it was clear that the project was going ahead. Summer 2017 is the target.
    Since then, CSN has learned a few more details. Key to proponents of a Canadian league is a strong domestic quota. There will be one – the figure being whispered is 70%.
    Financial backing is another key area. As previously reported, there will be significant CFL involvement in the league. CSN has also heard that at least one team will have owners that have at least a minority stake in the NHL.
    The league’s business model will be based on SUM – with owners sharing revenue and working together to market and grow the league. It’s thought that each team will be required to work with a $3-million budget. It was unclear whether that was total, or the salary cap. Realistically, that’s likely the total budget, which would suggest a salary cap around $1-million to $1.5-million to start.
    It’s expected that the league will launch with eight teams. No one is willing to confirm what cities will be involved, but CSN has been told that investors feel it’s important to launch with teams in the three biggest markets.
    Michael Mccoll
    The Sounders had the best of the early chances and Marco Carducci did fantastic to dive and knock the ball off the feet of Oalex Anderson as he looked poised to open the scoring.
    It was a pretty end to end game in the first half, with the 'Caps shading the better play, led by an impressive Marco Bustos, Brett Levis and Andre Lewis. WFC2 could have been a couple of goals up if Bustos had perhaps played a quicker pass on a couple of breaks.
    WFC2's pressure was to pay off though four minutes before half time when Christian Dean grabbed his first professional goal after a neat one-two with Brett Levis. Dean had looked dangerous in the left back role, getting up and down the wing through the half and his work was rewarded by a well taken goal.
    1-0 to the 'Caps at the half, and it was a half that showed just how good this young 'Caps side can be. They're certainly starting to click and develop as the year goes on.
    But not for the first time this season, they let their lead slip and S2 tied things up in the 67th minute when WFC2 failed to clear a corner, allowing Oniel Fisher to lay the ball off to Sergio Mota and the Brazilian curled a 20 yard beauty past a diving Carducci.
    The game seemed destined to end in another stalemate before WFC2 sub Victor Blasco stole the show. The Spaniard had come on as a 77th minute sub for Lewis and won all three points for the Whitecaps with two goals in a 78 second spell right at the end of the match.
    Not only was the brace his first goals of the season but they were also his first professional goals after a youth career in Spain and a college stint here on Vancouver Island.
    Blasco's first came in the 89th minute when fellow sub Billy Schuler cut the ball back and he slotted home from eight yards out. The pair combined again in the last minute of normal time when Schuler played in Blasco and the winger took a step inside his man before curling the ball past Charlie Lyon in the Sounders goal for a 3-1 final.
    A great and well-deserved win for the Whitecaps that moves them to within three points of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference standings.
    "Great game," was WFC2 coach Alan Koch's take after the match. "I thought we played very, very well. Good performance, great result. Obviously lots of little things that we can tidy up. We did give them a couple of chances that we're not happy with, but with a young group you obviously expect that.
    "Very, very pleased with the overall performance. Not only from the guys that started but the guys that came off the bench and made major impacts in the game today."
    One of those disappointing aspects for WFC2 was letting another lead slip away, although Koch was delighted with how his team regrouped. It's another sign of his this squad is growing.
    "Frustrating," Koch told us. "We try to play and with young players we're going to make mistakes. Happy to be 1-0 up, not happy when they scored. You could kind of see our guys take a bit of a pause for a second, kind of gather themselves thank goodness and then push towards the end.
    "You've got to play for the full 90 minutes, which we did today, and we deserved to get the three points. Full credit to the guys. I think everybody was good from top to bottom."
    WFC2 are in action again this coming Friday and it's another Cascadian derby as Timbers 2 come to town. It's a 7pm kick off, so head along if you can.
    AFTN photographer Tom Ewasiuk was at WFC2's exciting win over Seattle to capture all the action. Here's our "Story In Pictures", with a full Flickr slideshow at the end.
    [Also check out Tom's website www.residualimagephotography.com for more of his photos and work].

    The Caps had some early pressure with Marco Bustos and Andre Lewis linking up well

    And the pressure pays of when Christian Dean plays a neat one-two with Brett Levis

    And hits a great finish to make it 1-0 WFC2

    It was also Dean's first professional goal

    And you can see just what it meant to the big man

    Not for the first time in the game, Marco Carducci had to be at his best to keep out S2

    While at the other end, Seattle's Lyon roared

    But when Sergio Mota unleashed his 20 yard curling beauty in the 67th minute

    There was nothing Carducci could do to keep it out

    Look who it is! Robert Earnshaw makes his return after his recent calf injury

    With a draw looming, up steps Super Sub Victor Blasco inn the 89th minute

    And the Spaniard slots home Billy Schuler's cutback to put the 'Caps ahead again

    Another first professional goal!

    And with three points likely secure, it's joy all round

    But Blasco wasn't finished yet!

    And he curls home his second just over a minute later to make it 3-1 Whitecaps!

    Blasco loves it and the fans love him!

    The goalscorers embrace!

    You can see more photos from the match in the Flickr slideshow below:

    Guest
    Until next time, have a great soccer!
    @24thminute
    @KevLaramee
    https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/two-solitudes-soccer-podcast/id833616975?mt=2
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    Michael Crampton
    There’s still a long way to go, however, if Toronto is going to at last overcome the albatross that hangs around their neck, and finally make the playoffs. Currently in fourth place in the standings, optimists will point to the fact that TFC currently has the second highest points-per-game in the Eastern Conference. Considered in light of the team’s road-heavy start to the season this implies that the team is not only doing well, but could actually get better.
    For such a result to occur, however, the Reds have to convert home games into wins. So far, that hasn’t always been automatic, and the team actually has one more road win than home wins. Even accounting for the larger number of road games played, it’s remarkable how close the home and away record are. Toronto is 4W-1D-4L on the road, and 3W-0D-2L at home. Another home loss, and those records become close to undistinguishable.
    But really, there’s no reason for Toronto FC to lose this weekend. Yes, DC United currently lead the East with a barely credible 10 point advantage over second placed New England. Yet, only three weeks ago, on the first day of the Women’s World Cup co-incidentally, TFC took full points off United at RFK Stadium. There’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to repeat the feat at home.
    How DC are managing to stay so far ahead of the pack has been something of a mystery since the season began. It’s not that analysts expected them to be poor – United finished first in the Conference last year, and were expected to be a comfortable playoff team – it’s just that the scale of their lead, and ability to just keep winning, seems to defy the rules of regression to the mean.
    United are a team of true few out and out stars, but a great many solid performers who are often MLS stalwarts. While Perry Kitchen and keeper Bill Hamid may yet emerge as U.S. Men’s National Team regulars neither has reached that level yet. Their leading scorer Chris Rolfe has had a long and successful career, but never hit double-figures for goals in a season. Captain Davy Arnaud will be familiar to anyone who has followed MLS since TFC joined the league, but it’s worth noting that he was traded to an expansion year Montreal team four full years ago. And names like DeLeon, Pontius, Korb, and, instructively for Toronto fans, Silva show that it’s still quite possible to build depth through the draft.
    So while they may not have the sort of names that help sell jerseys or encourage interested casuals to grab tickets for their road games, DC are a deep enough squad that they were able to rest most starters in their midweek victory in Toronto. That’s a luxury incredible rare in MLS, and probably best explains why they’re a team that is sure to be there, playing games that matter, at the end of the season.
    None of that should discourage Toronto fans. It’s a different model than that TFC has adopted, but it shows what’s possible in MLS. Ultimately, it should be exactly what fans want: a league where there are different ways to be successful, and clubs can chart a path of their own choosing. And it’s finally starting to look like one of those teams can be Toronto FC.
    Michael Mccoll
    It's the quarter-final match-up many people were predicting, including ourselves in Podcast 113. We also tipped England for the win though, so let's hope that doesn't come true as well!
    Both teams will also have expected to be facing each other at this stage and they know each other's game inside and out.
    The two sides have played each other a number of times recently, most recently in a pre-tournament friendly in Hamilton, where Canada narrowly won thanks to a wonder strike from Sophie Schmidt.
    You can't read too much into friendlies of course, and the more worrying match for Canada to be concerned with is England's 3-0 win over them in this year's Cyprus Cup Final in March.
    That's a win that certainly has the English girls believing they can book a semi-final place come Saturday night.
    "We've played them quite a bit actually," Taylor told us. "Obviously beating them in Cyprus was a boost. We played them not too long pre World Cup in Hamilton and lost 1-0. Every time we play them it's a physical battle, it's a scrap. There's not many opportunities in it. It is kind of a close game and that's what we expect as well. So it is going to be a hard game, an even game, but we have every belief that we can beat them and win."
    Taylor didn't play in that friendly against Canada at the end of May. After suffering a non-contact knee injury while training with her NWSL club side, Portland Thorns, in April, the 29-year-old striker wasn't even sure if she'd be recovered in time to play a part in her first ever World Cup.
    "Obviously it was an unfortunate time with the injury," Taylor mused. "All the time throughout rehab it was a race against the clock. At times it was going well and looking really good and at other times it looked like I might miss out here. Fortunately there was just enough time to make it back, so step foot on the field again was good news."
    After some intense rehab work back in England, Taylor recovered just in time, and made her World Cup debut in England's final group game against Colombia, coming on as an 81st minute sub. She almost scored too.
    A second substitute's appearance came in the Round of 16 win against Norway, with Taylor coming on in the 63rd minute with the scores tied at 1-1 and playing an important part in England's win.
    The appearances have been the pinnacle of Taylor's initial goals in the tournament. She didn't just want to be part of the squad, she wanted to play a part in it and play a part in making history for the English girls.
    So after all those weeks of rehab and being touch and go to even make it, how did it feel to step out on that pitch in Montreal against Colombia?
    "It felt pretty special," Taylor enthused. "It was just amazing, but at one point I thought I might have just missed it. Then coming on against Norway and playing a part in helping us make history was amazing.
    "I've got goosebumps even talking about it! Obviously that's something that we want to continue on and we have every chance of doing it this weekend."
    The signs are there that England are starting to hit their stride in this World Cup, highlighted by the fighting back quality they showed to beat Norway.
    After losing their first game in this year's tournament 1-0 to France, England have regrouped and ground out three straight 2-1 victories to set up this quarter-final clash. Scoring two goals in a game seems to be something of a pipe dream for Canada these days.
    The next target for Taylor is a World Cup goal. She already has four for England in her 10 appearances to date, including a hat-trick against Australia at this year's Cyprus Cup.
    Taylor could even get the start against Canada, if England coach Mark Sampson wants to mix things up a little. He's certainly not afraid to do that, having already used every outfield player during the tournament.
    She will most certainly feature at some point and will be a danger to the Canadian defence. Taylor has scored goals wherever she's been, after starting her career with Tranmere Rovers as a 15-year-old.
    After attending Oregon State University on a scholarship, playing spells in five countries followed, before she headed back to the US in 2014 to play in the NWSL with Washington Spirit.
    Despite her successes an England call-up was missing. The reason didn't appear to be because of her travels or where she was playing, but more to do with the fact that she turned down an invitation to a training camp under previous England coach Hope Powell in order to concentrate on her schooling.
    Did Powell hold a grudge? Well, no further call was forthcoming until Sampson took over and brought her into a camp in Spain as a 27-year-old.
    In these times of young female international footballers, had Taylor given up ever playing for England or did she always hold out hope that her time would come if there was a coaching change?
    "I thought, yeah, if there was a coaching change," Taylor readily admits. "But I waited a number of years for that and towards the end I kind of accepted that it potentially might not happen. So rather than just have my focus on England and everything like that, I kind of just had to shift my focus a bit on what's best for my football. How can I just be the best footballer and enjoy what I'm doing? That mentally for me really helped.
    "I tried coming to America and playing in NWSL. It's a great standard, a very good league, professional environment and I love the lifestyle, so for me, they were the right decisions. And as much as I was still training hard and committing and sacrificing as any international footballer would, it was just nice when the coaching change did happen and I did get the chance."
    Taylor is now back in her second home of Oregon, playing with Portland Thorns and loving every minute of it.
    As much as she liked her time in Maryland with Washington Spirit last year, it wasn't her spiritual home. After playing four years with the OSU Beavers, that is Oregon and she jumped at the opportunity to head back.
    "Yeah, that's exactly what it was," Taylor happily admits. "I enjoyed my football at the Spirit the year before but it never felt like home. The last few years, everywhere I've played is to become a better player and that's the sacrifice I've had to make the last three or four years.
    "It just got to a point where I want to actually be somewhere where I feel settled and want to be. With the option to come to Portland, it's a great organisation. They've got a good vision as a club. The fans are phenomenal. It's an awesome place to live. I've still got friends there. It just felt like the right move for that stage of my career."
    Taylor says the Thorns have been great with her since she joined them in March, even to the point that depending how much further that England go in the tournament, there's been no pressure or discussions from them on when they need her to head back Portland.
    "It's not even something I've spoken to with the club," Taylor told us. "They're very respectful of national team commitments. That's one thing I really do like with playing in the US in general and the club.
    "Especially once I did my knee, eight weeks ago or whenever it was, they were like 'whatever you need'. If you need to fly straight home to England and get surgery, if you want it here, what can we do for you. So there's a lot of respect there.
    "It depends on what I need. Depending on what the staff here say, they'll probably go with. If I need a break or if it's good to straight back into training. I'm happy to do anything. I'll just do as I'm told really! The league obviously doesn't really break for this, so I imagine the majority of players will be returning quite swiftly to Portland for the second half of the season."
    Amongst those Portland players heading back to the Thorns after the tournament are three Canadians - Kaylyn Kyle, Christine Sinclair and Rhian Wilkinson. Taylor hasn't really had the chance to get to know the Canadian girls yet, with them only playing a couple of games each due to their residency with the Canadian national team.
    It's meant there's not even been the chance to have some inter-nation banter between Taylor and them.
    "No, not really" Taylor laughs. "I had a couple of Canadian teammates at Spirit, so probably more so than with those guys. Again, it's just more so with the timing of being there. They kind of just flew in for a couple of games. It's all friendly and everything. It's at the level where it's not talking shit to each other! Maybe change though, depends how the game goes! But they're all lovely girls but I just don't think it's quite at that level. I'm not a huge shit talker anyway!"
    There's no doubting that Portland is a "soccer city". To me, it the number one such city in America. Any team that can draw five figure crowds to PDL U23 games is a hotbed of football fervour.
    But it's not just the male Timbers sides that draw exceptionally well, the Thorns also pack in the numbers and it warms Taylor to her English cockles to see how the city treat the club and the players.
    "Growing up in England, it's a big football place but not yet for women's football," Taylor says. "In Portland, I feel they equally respect the men and the women. You can tell by the crowds that they do. It's just nice. It's nice to be respected for what you do."
    Football is a world's game and Taylor has actively explored that, playing in five countries and three continents, with spells in America, Canada, Sweden, Australia and obviously England.
    It also hasn't affected her international chances. She spoke about that with English coach Sampson who told her to play where made her happy. It was only her form that mattered, and that form saw her on the England Player of the Year shortlist in 2014.
    With all that's she's seen on her travels, how does she feel the women's game is growing around the world? The gap between the top four or five nations and the middle chasing pack certainly seems to be narrowing if this World Cup is a gauge.
    "It is now, definitely," Taylor feels. "When I look back to when I left England when I was 18 to now, you would just never have imagined the strides that it's made. The US has stayed quite consistent I would say. It's probably harder to tell.
    "It was a huge jump going over to college when I was 18, just in terms of professionalism and training every day. The high professional standards. That, for me, is where I've developed in that area because I've been around it so much.
    "But now, if I compare the English league to the college, then yeah, I think the standard in the English league playing full time. So that just shows how much it's grown. I've just had a great experience going abroad and you can see the different styles, different philosophies, what other countries implement. It's helped me become a more well-rounded player."
    Amongst those travels were three summers spent with Ottawa Fury in the W-League from 2007.
    "I loved my experience in Ottawa," she continued. "It was during Oregon State, so with the nature of having the summer off and the W-League, they sort of go hand in hand. I played most summers in college. It's better than taking the summer off and doing my own running, so I just decided to play W-League.
    "My first time doing it was with the Boston Renegades and it was just from there. The next summer Ottawa had contacted me. I think we had played them the year before and I'd heard that it was a good set up, so I gave it a go and it was a really, really good organisation.
    "I can say it was one of the better organisations I've been involved in, in terms of the clubs I've played for in the past. I loved it. It was really good. I've played, I think, three summers total there. It was just a great way to stay fit during the summer. Obviously it's amateur status, but professional standards. That's what I loved about it."
    She's used to Canadian crowds cheering for her, but on Saturday she's going to have over 53,000 cheering against her in Vancouver.
    On such a big occasion, for both countries the crowd could be a big factor. Both sets of players are used to playing in front of big crowds, but Taylor feels that the massively pro-Canadian crowd could actually be an advantage to the English in terms of the pressure they will provide to the home nation.
    "We've kind of discussed it," Taylor admits. "Obviously we know it's going to be a huge factor, the crowd. When you compare it to being from England, and it's a real football culture and you've got a real football crowd. Even experiencing men's football, I don't think the Canadians, and no disrespect to Canadians, but as a nature, as the game goes on, they don't really cheer and support at the right time.
    Now, before Canadians are up in arms. She has a point. You see it at MLS games and you've seen it in this tournament.
    Even last Sunday, the BC Place was loud, at times. On other occasions they fell quiet and the whole tension of the occasion seemed to set the mood for a large patch in the middle of the match.
    "They cheer and do different things that probably we would expect to see," Taylor continued. "I think it will be a little erratic to be honest, but we're expecting that. The crowd may cheer at something which maybe a normal crowd wouldn't cheer at or go silent when a normal, experienced crowd would probably help.
    "I think it's one of those, we've just got to take it as it comes. We do have experience playing front of a big crowd. We played at Wembley in November, which was a huge occasion for us.
    "But on the plus side, knowing the pressure on us in that game at Wembley, you can flip that around and say well the pressure's massively going to be on Canada and it has been. You can see it throughout the tournament. The pressure's been on them the whole time and it's only going to get more for them, so we can kind of take that as an advantage to us."
    Michael Mccoll
    Wirth graduated from the Whitecaps Residency program last summer, having joined the program in 2011. With many USSDA and PDL games now behind him, he headed to Oregon State University.
    Initially sharing starts in his rookie year with Junior keeper Matt Bersano, Wirth played five games, four of them starts. Despite winning three games, allowing just three goals and keeping two clean sheets, the Beavers coach decided to stick with the more experienced Bersano for the remainder of the season.
    It's hard to knock that decision as the Beavers made it to the postseason for the first time since 2003 but with Wirth used to splitting time with the Residency teams these past few years, and seeing regular gametime, being completely kept on the bench for the remainder of the season must have been a bit of an adjustment.
    Still, that's the life of college soccer, so onwards and upwards.
    Bersano has now moved on from Oregon, turning down a pro contract with RSL's USL side Real Monarchs to go to grad school at Penn State. His departure will hopefully open more doors and opportunities for Wirth with the Beavers in his sophomore season.
    He has a great chance to establish himself now as Oregon's number one keeper and the signs during OSU's spring schedule seemed to indicate he would be.
    "I'm looking very positive for that looking ahead," Wirth told AFTN recently. "Hopefully I'm going to be the guy and we can make it to the tournament again."
    With just 405 minutes of action logged last year at Oregon, Wirth made the decision to keep himself busy, fit and sharp during the college offseason by heading back to play some PDL this summer.
    With the Caps U23's team no more, Wirth has headed east to join Calgary Foothills in their inaugural PDL season, where he's splitting the goalkeeping duties with fellow Whitecaps Residency alumni, Sean Melvin.
    There's a couple of other Caps connections too, with Residency graduate Tim Hickson and Sam Adekugbe's brother Elijah also on the Foothills roster.
    When we spoke with Nolan a couple of months ago, the original plan was to play with Vancouver Victory in Washington's Evergreen League, but he's made one appearance for Calgary so far, in last Sunday's 2-2 draw with Washington Crossfire.
    "It's just to get some more game time," Wirth told us back in March. "But in the summer I will be training with the Whitecaps again and then going whenever I'm able to get some time in, just for game time."
    Wirth was recently back in Vancouver, playing in goal for the Beavers in March's friendly between OSU and WFC2. Oregon were on the wrong end of a 3-2 defeat that day but for Wirth, it was just nice to be back and catch up with some old friends.
    "It felt good," he told us. "It felt good to come back to where I started. I obviously know a handful of the guys on the WFC2 team, so that always just gets me riled up to play because you want to play against your friends that you grew up with."
    And a lot of those friends have also been his teammates on the Canadian national team these past few years.
    Wirth was one of nine Whitecaps Residency products on Canada's 20-man roster for the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Jamaica in January.
    Canada may not have had much success in what were the qualifiers for the recent U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, crashing out in the group stages after a strong start, but on a personal level, the tournament was a success for Wirth, who got the nod over his fellow Residency alumni Marco Carducci in three of the five group games.
    As disappointing as the tournament was, Wirth feels that the Canadian team can still take positives from it.
    "I felt that there were lots of lessons that we all took from the whole tournament. I feel it was just a building point and everybody needs to look forward from that."
    It certainly feels like too talented a group not to go on and do well for the national team at the next level these coming years.
    As for Wirth's plans for his own footballing future, with the Whitecaps maintaining his MLS right and with the new pro pathway of WFC2 in USL, is that enough to see him come out of college early? That's a decision still yet to be made.
    "I'm kind of just taking it year by year," he told us. "I'm going to keep that bridge with the Whitecaps and keep all my options open."
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