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    Emotional Ramblings: Not Good Enough

    By Guest, in AFTN,

    Being the main story is hardly a new feeling for the official, as he was indefinitely suspended in the 2014 season after being charged with two counts of felony fraud for collecting over $14,000 in insurance payout while working.
    In Colorado, Jose Carlos Rivero only added to questions about his judgement as he appeared to be guessing when interpreting the laws of the game throughout the 90 minutes.
    Officiating is a tough task, and there is not a league in the world where fans would be unanimous in singing the praises of their referees, but all you can ask is for the official to be consistent and not affect the outcome of a game. Neither was completed on Saturday in Commerce City.
    The Professional Referee Organization was created in 2012 to address concerns over a lack of consistency in the application of the laws of the game, and while they’ve continued to push education and stability among the wardens of game, there continues to be a serious lack of dependability week in and week out.
    Integrity is likely not the problem, as it'd be giving too much credit to the officials. Instead, ineptitude is the most likely answer in yet another week in which officiating decisions change the outlook on the standings.
    This time, it is the Whitecaps on the wrong end of an official causing a critical three point swing, meaning the Whitecaps now only have one more match at home to try and build a buffer before setting out on a difficult five games on the road which could prove to have a massive impact on the Whitecaps positioning by the end of the season.
    And while the Whitecaps should feel that they are owed three points by the officials, the reality is they, too, have to be better to prove themselves to be a table topper.
    Going into half time, it appeared as though the Whitecaps would be the most likely to walk away from Commerce City with any points, but after an excellently taken goal by Lucas Pittinari, Vancouver again appeared clueless in how to break down a team who seemed happy to sit on a one goal advantage.
    Despite having little competition in the matter, Carl Robinson has shown he’s been the best manager in the Whitecaps short MLS history, but he again showed a reluctance to change the approach of a team who is struggling to break down defences.
    Like for like substitutions of Cristian Techera for Kianz Froese and Darren Mattocks for Kekuta Manneh were more hopeful than they were inspiring, and it took until the 77th minute before a defensive midfielder was taken out to try and change the dynamic of the game by adding another creative influence to try and expose the Rapids' defence.
    There were some bright spots. Mauro Rosales had a promising re-entry to the side, showing an ability to shrug off players and push the play forward that the Whitecaps have lacked of late. And Techera again looked lively when he came on and has likely earned himself another start as a wide attacker. The defensive spine of the team again shone, as Kendall Waston and Pa Modou Kah had good outings and David Ousted returned to his usual stellar form, despite conceding on what was an excellently taken goal.
    There is, unfortunately, no column in the standings for good efforts or moral victories, and while their performance wasn’t as poor as the officials in Colorado, they both have something in common; they need to be better.
    Michael Mccoll
    REPORT:
    Vancouver Whitecaps and the altitude of Colorado have not been happy bedfellows over the years and so it continued on Saturday night with a 1-0 loss that made it just two wins and eight points for the 'Caps in their last eight matches.
    Vancouver looked comfortable and the better side in the first half, but a rain delay at the break seemed to change the momentum and Colorado grabbed all three points thanks to Lucas Pittinari's 51st minute volley and a phantom call from the referee disallowing Pedro Morales' late free kick equaliser.
    Injuries and fatigue forced Carl Robinson's hand a little with his starting line-up in this one. Pedro Morales sat out after playing two games in the past week, with Mauro Rosales making a welcome return in the number ten role and Kianz Froese getting his first MLS start on the right wing.
    There was no debut start for Colorado's new DP Kevin Doyle, who began the game on the bench.
    The Rapids came out of the traps and forced a couple of early corners, but neither goalkeeper had much to do in the opening exchanges.
    Kekuta Manneh nearly brought the game to life in the 17th minute when Kianz Froese played the ball to him at the edge of the box and the Gambian brought out a fantastic save from Clint Irwin in the Rapids' goal.
    There was very little to note from either side, with Vancouver's tight defensive play easily keeping the home side at bay and the Whitecaps were looking the more dangerous team going forward.
    The 'Caps had a couple of chances in stoppage time to go in at the break with the lead.
    First, Octavio Rivero was sent flying on the edge of the box and Rosales sent a brilliant dipping free kick on goal which Irwin had to acrobatically tip over.
    The Argentine sent in the resultant corner, which was met powerfully by Rivero but his header crashed off the bar and the danger was cleared by the Rapids.
    With the last kick of the half, Colorado went up the pitch and Dillon Powers fired a fierce one just over, setting up what was hopefully going to be a more action packed second half.
    And then the heavens opened with a rain delay, little bit of lightning and a sodden pitch when the players came back out.
    Both teams came out on the attack to start the second half and Froese found himself in a good position in the 47th minute but pulled his shot wide right.
    Colorado responded with a chance for Gabriel Torres after Powers had split the defence open with a through ball, but the Panamanian fired wide under pressure from Jordan Harvey.
    It was just to be a temporary respite for Vancouver and Colorado took the lead in the 51st minute with a well worked goal.
    Gershon Koffie seemed to be fouled in the midfield, but with no whistle coming, the Rapids broke forward ending when Torres played a sublime backwards pass to Pittinari who volleyed home past David Ousted.
    The Whitecaps came close to levelling things up just two minutes later when Rosales hit another well taken free kick, but this time it was just wide to the left.
    Colorado had a great chance to double their lead in the 57th minute when Torres was in the thick of the action again, this time playing in Luis Solignac, but Ousted was out quickly to produce a point blank smothering save.
    Manneh had a long range try in the 66th minute that flew over but the Whitecaps were looking a little devoid of ideas in how to get back in the game and it felt like it was going to take something special to do it.
    Ousted came to the rescue again for Vancouver when Powers let rip from 30 yards out and the Danish stopper tipped the fierce striker over.
    Colorado kept the pressure on from the corner and Pittinari headed narrowly over, as the Rapids sensed blood for killing the game off.
    Solignac came within inches of making it two for Colorado in the 76th minute but Harvey cleared his low shot off the line, as Vancouver's defence continued to bend.
    Cristian Techera nearly brought Vancouver back level moments later firing a 25 yard thunderbolt that caused Irwin problems but he managed to parry it and Colorado handled the danger from the rebound.
    Vancouver went for an attacking substitution with their final sub, bringing their captain Morales on for defensive midfielder Matias Laba with 13 minutes remaining.
    And Morales thought he'd tied the game up in the 82nd minute when he curled a beautiful free kick into the postage stamp corner but the goal was ruled out for a phantom call from referee Jose Carlos Rivero, who seemingly adjudged a foul on Pa Modou Kah in the wall.
    Vancouver rolled the dice late on, putting center back Kendall Waston up front and the big Costa Rican turned a Darren Mattocks cross into the side netting in the final minute.
    The 'Caps just couldn't get anything going in the four minutes of stoppage time and fell to what is just their second away defeat of the season, but more concerning is their continued failure to turn chances into goals.
    With a tough home game against RSL coming up next Saturday, followed by five games on the road, the 'Caps need to find something to turn their fortunes around sharpish.
    FINAL SCORE: Colorado Rapids 1 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
    ATT: 17,791
    COLORADO: Clint Irwin; James Riley, Drew Moor, Axel Sjoberg, Marc Burch; Sam Cronin, Lucas Pittinari, Gabriel Torres (Kevin Doyle 63), Dillon Powers, Juan Ramirez (Vicente Sanchez 86); Luis Solignac [subs Not Used: Zac MacMath, Michael Harrington, Bobby Burling, Jared Watts, Charles Eloundou]
    VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Kendall Waston, Pa Modou Kah. Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba (Pedro Morales 77), Gershon Koffie, Kianz Froese (Cristian Techera 62), Mauro Rosales, Kekuta Manneh (Darren Mattocks 70); Octavio Rivero [subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Ethen Sampson, Tim Parker, Nicolas Mezquida]
    REACTION:
    VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
    CARL ROBINSON
    On his feelings after the game:
    "I’m gutted for the guys in there; I really am, because I thought we put on a decent away performance. For them, they’re upset in there and they’re upset because it hurts. 3 players of mine get booked, I think we had 10 or 12, 13 fouls, and they had 25 fouls and 2 players get booked. Trying to explain to the group when decisions go against them is hard when you feel it’s unjustified."
    Thoughts on performance:
    [From TSN radio] "I thought the effort and application were fantastic. I thought the boys really gave the game a good go. There were a lot of positive performances from a lot of the guys. Unfortunately we were on the end of a wrong result."
    On if they should’ve taken their chances in the first half:
    "Yeah, we probably should’ve. I think we were very, very good in the first half and we had a couple of good chances which we didn’t take, and they hung in there. Second half was always going to be different. I think they had their best spell in the first 15 minutes of the second half, and they got their goal. It was a good finish by the boy, it really was, so credit to him for that, but I do think there was a foul in the lead up to that, which we didn’t get given. But we reacted very well. We had a couple of good chances at the end and obviously the disallowed goal which….disallowed goal."
    [From TSN radio] "I wanted us to continue playing the way we played because I thought we were very, very strong in the first 45 minutes and had the better chances out of the game. I knew that Colorado would have their phase of play in the second half, because we were good in the first half, and they did in the first 15 minutes. They managed to get their goal and obviously that was enough for them in the end."
    On if they are creating enough on the road to take points:
    "I think so; I think Kianz’s [Froese] was an excellent chance. I think if you compare Kianz’s chance to the boy Pittinari’s, we probably had the better chance. We didn’t take that, we missed it near post, he’s a super volley and, fine lines this game."
    Do you feel like you are in a funk after a hot start to the season?
    "No, not at all. Obviously, we’d like to win 7 out of 7, but that doesn’t happen. I think you look around the league, and I was watching Portland against Toronto today, and there was a dubious call on the penalty I think that was very harsh. It evens itself out; well it hopefully evens itself out. You’ve just got to get on with it, we’ve got a big game next week against Salt Lake and we’ll just keep going, because if we perform like that and play like that, we won’t be far away."
    On Pedro Morales' disallowed free kick:
    [From TSN radio] "At the time that I saw it, I thought it was a good goal, but obviously he blew a free kick for a foul on Pa [Modou Kah] in the wall. I asked [the referee] to clarify at the end of the game. He clarified and said he pushed the guy in the wall. Unfortunately, the guy in the wall, the young boy [Axel] Sjoberg, confirmed that he didn't push him and after watching the replay again, there was no contact from my player onto their player, so he has got that one wrong."
    On whether there was a foul on Gershon Koffie in the build-up to Colorado's goal:
    "It was a great finish by the boy," Robinson stated. "Fair play to him. It was great technique, it was a super strike and it's a great goal. I'll give him a lot of credit for that, but if you're asking me if there was a foul in the build-up, yes there was."
    Did the break hurt the Whitecaps
    [From TSN radio] "That is the way games go. I don't know if the longer break did hurt us or not because I was very, very pleased with the first 45 minutes and I wanted us to continue that in the second half. Opposition teams are always going to have their patterns and their time on the ball. Colorado got theirs in the first 15 minutes and obviously they managed to get that goal. I'm gutted for the boys today because the effort, the application, the attitude from them was absolutely spot on. They're a grumpy bunch in there tonight because they feel hard done by and I've got to agree with them."
    On the reasoning behind some of the changes to the starting line-up after three games in seven days:
    "It’s a tough place to come, here. Colorado, you know, they’re fighting for their lives and they get a lot of men behind the ball, they do it very well and I wanted freshness in the team. I think we had that, you know, it was always planned to make some changes at 60 minutes to come, but the subs that came on made a big impact as well, so it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately we were on the wrong end of a result."
    On having said that Colorado was a better team than their record showed:
    "I do, I think they’ve been very unlucky. I think they’ve got good players here. Pablo’s a great guy and it’s important to get your first win, especially at home, and he’s got that today, unfortunately against us. I give them credit, they’ve beaten us today. I think it’s a little bit unfortunate on us because one or two things have been taken out of our hands, but congratulations to them. We will deal with it, take it on the chin and move on."
    On what Mauro Rosales will give to the team now that he’s back:
    "That, exactly what we saw today. I thought in the first half he was absolutely excellent in the first 45 minutes. He’s such a smart player, he slows us down, he quickens us up. He’s black and blue in there, he really is. I think there’s 8 or 9 consecutive fouls on him, persistent fouling. Maybe I’m going to have to go to the rule book and find out what the rule is because I’m misreading them at the moment."
    On what he asked of his guys going into the game knowing that Colorado would come out strong:
    "I think we had the better chances in the first half I think we had the more clear chances. Colorado is a good team, they’ve got good players and no two halves of football are the same. I think if you look in this league, the team that plays better in the first half sometimes doesn’t play as well in the second half. We knew Colorado would push. It was important that when they pushed we didn’t give anything away. When they pushed in the first 15 minutes, they got their goal; we give something away so we were always chasing the game then. The conditions were the same for both teams. It’s tough playing at altitude, but we had enough chances to get something out of the game and that’s why I’m disappointed for the guys in there and they’re disappointed."
    DAVID OUSTED:
    On tonight’s game:
    "I thought that we should have gotten a draw away from here, and I thought the team showed some character throughout a tough match."
    On personal performance of the night:
    "I am happy with what I did tonight. At the end of the day we still didn’t get any points, and that is the most important thing, so I am disappointed."
    On season performance of the team:
    "I think we played another really sound defensive game today. I thought we got the balance right between the defense and the offense, and had a number of chances. I thought we deserved more."
    What are the positives you can take away from today:
    "We showed character; that we can battle in these tough games."
    MAURO ROSALES
    On what the difference was tonight:
    "The goal they scored, because we managed the game. We played very well. I think the team shows character. We battled out there and it’s a pity that we couldn’t get a result in our favor. I think we deserved at least a draw. We had chances. We worked very hard to get anything, but with soccer they were more effective than us. Just change the pace and just move forward. I think that playing like that away the way that we did, we can be ok. We can keep moving forward from that."
    On how they were able to get good looks but no goals:
    "Actually having the chances to score is what we have to keep getting in position for. We have to keep moving and generate chances, but try to be more effective. As soon as we don’t get chances, the strikers aren’t going to get anything. We are happy that we could build and offensively play very well, and also as a team we played very well today. Like I said before, it’s a pity that we couldn’t get anything. We’ve been very close. We scored one, but unfortunately it was a call that happens in games, so just move forward and being positive of a lot of stuff that we did well today, and obviously learn from the loss."
    On team’s current streak:
    "I think all the teams are going to have this kind of trouble in the season. As soon as we go through that learning, especially today playing the way that we did, you have to be confident for what is ahead of us. It’s a long season, the best of our team could be much better, I’m very confident that we can play much better. We hope that we can do it the following games. This is what we all want and we believe that we can do it so we want to move forward, always learning and always going for more."
    COLORADO RAPIDS
    PABLO MASTROENI
    On first home win of the season:
    "It feels great. I think we caught some breaks today, but it feels great. You need results to validate all of the hard work you put in Monday through Friday that no one else sees. These guys have not made any excuses or complained. They go in every week Monday through Friday and give everything they have for a result like this. I’m so happy for those guys. I’ve never met a group of more deserving men."
    On Solignac and Doyle’s debut:
    "I thought they were tremendous. I think they brought a different dynamic to the group that we didn’t have. They bring good quality to the group, they’re great teammates, but they fight as well. They get stuck in when need be. In this league, it’s a long season and a tough league. To have these guys join us at this time, I think is going to be a big lift for this group."
    On the goal:
    "To be fair it happened so fast I didn’t really see it. It was some good combination play, and a good finish. I think at home the last couple of games we’ve been creating a lot but haven’t been able to finish. It’s great to see that ball finally hit the back of the net. We’ve been working on that kind of stuff non-stop over the last couple of weeks. To see it come to fruition through some dynamic play, to finally finish a play with a goal was fantastic."
    On feelings after the win:
    "At the end of the season it all comes back to the mean. You’re going to get breaks or you’re not going to get breaks. We’re on the front end of a lot of the bad breaks. This was one of those games that instils belief and instils momentum. These three points aren’t just the first win at home; I think it’s starting something special going forward."
    On preparing for the second half during the weather delay:
    "We have the comfort of home here. The guys were spinning on the bike. We just kept it really low key. We didn’t want to spend a lot of energy getting them riled up. We had gone through a delay last week, and it was long. We just wanted to keep the legs loose and keep the minds right. The guys were talking amongst themselves and staying focused. I think they did a good job of that. We came out quite focused, and quite sharp in the second half."
    On keeping Solignac in for the full 90 minutes:
    "Initially, you don’t want to expose them to that. I felt he was very comfortable. He came in as one of the fittest players in Rapids history, is what I gathered from the medical staff. He blew through every physical test, and tested the best. From that perspective it wasn’t a concern for me. As the game went on I didn’t even think twice. This guy is a machine. He fought for balls and held the balls up great. I think it’s something in the past where we’ve had some difficulty is getting the ball up front and then holding the ball up so we can bring some guys up and set up our attack. I think today both him and Kevin Doyle did a good job of bringing the team into the attack."
    Did missing the game last week help in that aspect?
    "If he were to score two last week, he probably would have come into this week more confident. The important thing is that the mindset after a long delay there, we had a tough week of training. We just wanted to get the guys hungry and competitive. It was a lot of work, so they overcame a lot in the last week and a half. They put forth a tremendous spirit, played some good stuff, and created some good opportunities. I’m really happy with the effort and the mentality of the group."
    On tactical adjustments at halftime:
    "I think we were playing a bit narrow in the first half. We were sloppy with our passing in the attacking third, and weren’t moving the ball quick enough. We didn’t create width, we didn’t move the ball quick enough and we were giving it away cheap. Those are three things that won’t allow you to get close to goal, more importantly will create a good counter attacking situation for the other team. I think in the second half we moved the ball quicker, we looked forward with our passes and were able to bypass some lines. As the game wears on, especially here at home we know that we are going to get our looks. I was happy with the first half that we didn’t concede a goal and for the first time this year we weren’t chasing it. We didn’t feel like we had to expose ourselves. We just stayed in the game, stayed focused, waited for our opportunity and took it well."
    On the upcoming match against Seattle:
    "They’re obviously a tough team. At the moment here it is just about recovery- getting the body right, getting the mind right and approaching the Seattle game like we’ve done every game on the road. We’ve gone to tough places in LA and in New York, Houston, we’ve played in some places this year and found ways to get results. The mentality and mindset of this group is to go there and do the same. It’s going to take 90+ minutes of concentration, effort and commitment, and some good soccer as well. I think we have a group now with the addition of Doyle and Solignac, the three points, and the momentum- we have a lot of good things going for us to go there with the right mentality and to get a good result."
    LUIS SOLIGNAC
    On his debut with the Rapids:
    "I feel great. I think the team had a really good effort. We deserved the three points, so I am really happy."
    On the first half:
    "I think the plan was to play some long balls in the beginning to stretch the team, but the two defenders were really tough, so the second half we tried to play a bit more on the ground. We knew they would get tired because of the altitude, so we were smart and held the ball until they were tired, then went for the attack."
    On the effect of the altitude:
    "I didn’t think about it much during the game. I was trying to focus on the game so I didn’t think about the altitude. It really works because I didn’t feel it at all."
    On chemistry with other players:
    "It felt really good. Today we really helped the team. The subs came in and did a good job, so I think that is the way we should continue to play.
    On the atmosphere in the locker room postgame:
    "We really needed it. We’ve tied many games, so the team really needed a win. It was a great atmosphere."
    On first experience against a MLS backline:
    "It was tougher than I thought. They were big and physical players. I think that we found that when we had the ball on our feet, they struggled a bit because they were really physical. We tried to play on the ground and it really worked."
    LUCAS PITTINARI
    On your game-winning goal:
    "It looked like a mishit from Dillon Powers that reached Gaby [Torres] and I think he saw me out of the corner of his eye and was able to flick the ball to me. I hit a half-volley and thankfully it went in."
    On moving forward after the first home win of the season:
    "The team has been working extremely hard with a lot of humility and sacrifice. Things weren’t really going our way and we weren’t getting the results we were looking for but tonight we were able to get the win. I think it will bring a bit of calmness just in time for our next game in a few days. Right now we need to focus on our recovery because we will need to put in a great performance at Seattle to try and get a positive result."
    On the team’s mentality and resilience:
    "I think we were very smart out there tonight and extremely solid in the back, which was costing us a little in past games. We were able to create some clear chances in the second half and eventually got the goal."
    On Solignac and Doyle’s first performance with the team:
    "They are very important to the team. They are two players with a lot of experience and great mobility. We have welcomed them and I hope they are able to adapt as best and quickly as possible because we will definitely need them."
    KEVIN DOYLE
    How would you assess your first performance with the club?
    "We won so it was nice. It was a little shaky at the end but it was nice to get the win. I needed that time on the pitch to get involved and the altitude didn’t feel too bad."
    On your chemistry with your teammates:
    "It’s hard after only training for a few days but they’re good players. We were close to getting another goal and I think we should’ve scored another one. There was some good football and it was great for me to get out there. I didn’t know if I was going to or not after a long week with a lot of new things to take in."
    On the ovation from the crowd:
    "It was brilliant. Ever since I’ve gotten here everyone has been very enthusiastic not only with me but with everyone as well. I think we were just waiting for that win that’s been a long time coming. It was a strange night with the weather and the delay but most of the crowd stuck by us and got rewarded by that thankfully."
    On playing on turf at Seattle next week:
    "It will be my first time since I played once in Russia about five, six years ago. I’ll be fine and I’m sure I won’t have any problems."
    What did the coaches ask from you tonight?:
    "They just told me to come on and sit in between midfield and the center forward. When we didn’t have the ball I would sit in and help out on the midfield and when we did have it, I would push up and try to get forward as much as I could."
    Michael Crampton
    So far the Reds have been tough to figure out. An unexpected win in Vancouver started the season, before a series of disappointing losses brought back all the old doubts. TFC crashed out of the Canadian Championship at the first hurdle (even though they won the second leg), disappointed in their home-opener, but picked up a respectable point in New England.
    All through the opening period of the season, the refrain has been “wait until they’re home for a stretch before you judge.” Well, the home stretch begins in earnest now, and it’s time to start judging. Toronto FC probably doesn’t have to be good to make the playoffs in MLS’s Eastern Conference in 2015 but avoiding the sort of implosion the club is famous for is essential. Losing a second straight home game wouldn’t hurt their chances much long-term, but it would be the sort of punch in the gut that long suffering fans don’t really need.
    Toronto’s opponents, the Portland Timbers, are something of an enigma themselves. Like Toronto they have passionate fans and arguably the best stadium atmosphere in the league. Also, like Toronto, it wouldn’t be unfair to characterize them as underachievers. There’s a sense that the Timbers have never really translated all that fan support into sustained success.
    Granted, the 2013 edition of the Timbers topped the Western Conference’s regular season standings. They even advanced to the Western Conference Final by beating their archrivals the Seattle Sounders. But the 2013 season was followed by a slow start to 2014 that ultimately resulted in the Timbers narrowly missing the playoffs. Now, another wobbly start sees them lingering down near the basement of their conference.
    There’s no doubt that the Timbers have talented players. Diego Valeri announced his return from injury in a win in Montreal a couple weeks ago with a peach of a goal. In the tradition of countrymen such as Javier Morales and Federico Higuain, the Argentine has been one of the classiest players in MLS the past couple seasons even if he’s not the name-brand sort of player that attracts significant numbers of non-MLS fans.
    Supplemented by players such as Darlington Nagbe, Diego Chara, and Fanendo Adi the Timbers are capable of playing energetic, entertaining football. They also seem to be able to find ways to drop points when they shouldn’t. That was solidly in evidence during a remarkable loss in Vancouver early in the season. Then, after a morale raising win over FC Dallas, the Timbers were solidly beaten, at home, by an Orlando City expansion team. Predicting just what sort of result the Timbers will get in any game might be the hardest of any team in MLS. So Toronto fans probably shouldn’t read too much into the 3-1 loss Portland suffered in Houston last week.
    But that doesn’t mean that the Reds fans shouldn’t be disappointed if their team doesn’t take all three points. Yes, Jozy Altidore is injured, after picking up a hamstring strain in New England. If anything, however, that should just give TFC more of a reason to prove that this team is different from past editions.
    The fact is that Toronto’s star players will miss games in 2015. As has been repeatedly shown, season after season, squad depth rules in Major League Soccer. Even two designated players like Michael Bradley and Sebastian Giovinco are luxuries that other squads don’t enjoy. If the loss of one star is enough to send the Reds into a tailspin, what will happen when Bradley and Altidore are away for this summer’s Gold Cup?
    So, again, even though the game is not “must win”, it’s time for Toronto FC to show that they will not crumble at the first sign of adversity. That Portland is a good enough team to beat TFC isn’t in doubt. That Toronto will need to beat teams like Portland shouldn’t be in doubt either.
    Guest
    Despite plenty of possession and opportunity, the Whitecaps couldn’t get a sniff against a bunkering Seattle Sounders squad who scored an early away goal, and had their hands full against an FC Edmonton team that really shouldn’t have posed as much of a problem as they did. An early penalty and a late and sloppy set piece goal ended up being the difference, but recent results have left many questions to be answered in the next set of matches.
    Few Ideas In Attack
    Pedro Morales continues to be a conundrum. With the wind in his sails, there are few who can spread the ball around and find players in space like the Chilean, but far too often he’s looked frustrated, or even worse, lazy.
    Morales now has a season and a third under his belt, and no longer has excuses of settling into the league or not having a proper offseason. While his range of passing is still on display, Pedro has yet to show he can consistently break down defences who pack the middle of the field in front of their own box.
    Morales hasn’t been getting a lot of help either. Rosales has been battling injuries all season, and while Teibert and Laba have been excellent at regaining and maintaining possession, neither have shown they will ever be a threat to thread the final pass.
    Another question mark is if Kekuta Manneh can make the step from electric super sub to a contributing every day starter. His lack of defensive prowess combined with his inconsistent decision-making ability has meant that the Whitecaps are still looking for a wide attacker who can pull defences out of their shell.
    Enter Cristian Techera, who has now had enough minutes to have at least an early indication of his ability, and at least showed in Edmonton he’s clearly bright, technical and tricky enough to create a fuss for defenders, but it’s still early days and Techera needs to put together more positive performances to solidify a starting spot.
    And other than Octavio Rivero, who continues to provide excellent efforts despite having a serious lack of service, the strikeforce behind him has been sputtering.
    For every stretch of games that Mattocks does well and earns himself more minutes, he then takes a step back, as was seen versus Edmonton in which he did very little to suggest he could be relied upon. It remains curious that an experienced and talented Robert Earnshaw continues to be well down the pecking order of strikers despite his history as a goal scorer.
    A Dropoff In Defence
    While the first choice defensive set up for the Whitecaps has been generally excellent, some question marks, however, seem to have a clear picture forming.
    Lance Laing may be one of FC Edmonton’s best players, but Ethen Sampson was consistently overrun by the Eddie’s wide player until in an almost poetic metaphor for his performance, Sampson was beaten wide by Laing, slid into a reckless and late tackle, earning a yellow and a bloody face in the process, ending his evening. Despite Sampson showing well in a few moments last season with Beitashour out, it’s now becoming clear that Sampson is not developing into a serviceable backup and looks more like a liability every time he’s put on the pitch.
    Sampson’s opposite fullback on Wednesday versus Edmonton was Christian Dean who didn’t fare any better. Poor passing, sloppy tackles, and even a foul throw is what stuck in the memory after Dean’s most recent foray at left back. At least in Dean’s case he has an explanation, as he was playing out of position from his preferred centre back spot. Either way, Dean has failed to show that he’s deserving of more minutes, especially as rookie Tim Parker has acclimatized quite well.
    The silver lining in all of the hiccups in depth at the back is that Parker has played admirably either in the middle of defence or as a right back and looks to have usurped Dean and Sampson as the preferred depth option.
    Tactical Options
    At the beginning of the year it was unclear if the Whitecaps would keep moving forward with the 4-2-3-1 formation from last season, or if there would be a switch to a single defensive midfielder system or even a two striker setup.
    Now, I’m not one to get too tied up with formation. In modern football, and with Carl Robinson, the formation seems to just be some numbers. Players are free to move and interchange in attack, and playing with players like Manneh and Techera mean you essentially just have wide forwards who are welcome to tuck in to the middle if there is room to exploit.
    However, it seems that the book has been written on the Whitecaps, in that if you pack the middle of the pitch, no one is able to unlock two banks of defenders.
    The results the Whitecaps have gotten are more down to staunch team defending, with a special focus on two good holding midfielders, a physically dominant centre back, and one of the MLS’ best keepers, but down a goal against Seattle, the game was begging for a switch to a single holding midfielder in Laba and instead of bringing in a physical destroyer in Koffie, more of an eye to a final ball playing midfielder in Mezquida or a striker like Earnshaw who’s movement alone could create space.
    It may cost the Whitecaps in their defensive ability on the counter, but Laba has shown an ability in the past as a single holding midfielder, and in the end if you’re chasing a game, you can’t get results if you can’t score goals.

    ****** There's still a lot of time to turn things around and the Whitecaps are, for now, still sitting near the top of the table. Perhaps the biggest question posed in all of this is do the Whitecaps have the ability to do that and stay there?
    Duane Rollins
    Bob McCown.
    Yes, that Bob McCown. The McCown that has made a career of baiting soccer fans. The guy that spent years trying to support the CFL on his radio program. The same one that was part of the Grey Cup organizing committee the last time it was in Toronto.
    He thinks the soccer fans are right. He thinks the Argos are chasing their tail here. He suggests the Argos are dead.
    Yet, soccer fans are being unreasonable according to a great many people. Soccer fans are being selfish for wanting to protect the integrity of their sport because if they don’t a failing team will continue to fail.
    It’s absurd.
    McCown has never been to BMO Field to watch soccer (and probably never will be), but if he was to go this Saturday he’d very likely be wearing black.
    They aren’t calling it a protest, but the fans behind the #BlackShirtsAtBMO call want to provide fans an opportunity to demonstrate they feel betrayed by this move.
    More info can be found here. https://www.facebook.com/events/1110669098948258/
    They say they don’t have demands. They are simply mourning the loss of something.
    I don’t speak for them, but I DO have a demand.
    TWO surfaces; one stadium.
    The technology to allow for two separate playing surfaces does exist. It would only cost money. MLSE likes to talk about how it spends money for the “fans” benefit (although most of their expenses usually have revenue stream possibilities tied in).
    So, spend some to demonstrate you actually care about the integrity of the soccer playing surface.
    This is NOT about sharing the building. It’s always been about sharing the playing surface and a belief that the two sports aren’t compatible on grass. Without changes to the current plan, BMO will become the only stadium with a grass surface to attempt a full-time pro football/pro soccer share. You can suggest that’s a pedantic distinction – there is a pro soccer/college football share (well, one anyway) – but I say it’s being truthful.
    Trust us, guinea pigs, is what they are saying.
    We don’t. And, that’s why we’re wearing black Saturday.
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    -They have won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup once, in 1997 and finished as runners up in both 2005 and 2007,
    -Their main “rival” in the MLS is the Houston Dynamo, both being in the same state, Texas but over the years a rivalry on and off the pitch between Dallas and Colorado has been brewing, that rivalry was rekindled in the off season between 2013 and 2014 when FC Dallas hired then Colorado Head Coach, Oscar Pareja,
    -They qualified once for the Concacaf Champions League/Cup in their history, in 2011, thanks to their 2010 MLS Cup final appearance, getting eliminated in the Group Stage,
    -They were eliminated by the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference Semi Final in 2014,
    Players to watch
    -Mauro Diaz Midfielder, Designated Player, Argentina: Diaz has a tendency to find the back of the net from around the edge of the box, if you leave him there unchecked with a chance to curl the ball around the goalkeeper, you will regret it!
    -Blas Perez Forward, Panama: Blas Perez has been the leading scorer for FC Dallas for the past three seasons and so far 2015 seems to follow the same patterns, when Perez scores, Dallas wins!
    -Fabian Castillo Forward, Designated Player, Colombia: Having 24 goals in 118 games for FC Dallas doesn’t make Fabian the most consistent player out there, but when he combines with Perez and his able to open up space for Perez, the team as a whole is very dangerous offensively!
    -Matt Hedges, Defender, United States: One of the most under rated defender in Major League Soccer, a very consistent presence on the backline, that is not flashy but always well placed and solid on set pieces,
    -Two Canadian players are with FC Dallas, Kyle Bekker, Midfielder formerly of TFC and Tesho Akindele, who actually grew up in Colorado,
    Here is their Full Roster at the beginning of the season
    As of January 24, 2015.[7]
    No. Position Player Nation
    1 Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy United States
    3 Defender Moises Hernandez (HGP) Guatemala
    4 Midfielder Kyle Bekker Canada
    7 Forward Blas Pérez Panama
    8 Midfielder Victor Ulloa (HGP) United States
    9 Forward David Texeira Uruguay
    10 Midfielder Mauro Díaz (DP) Argentina
    11 Forward Fabián Castillo (DP) Colombia
    12 Midfielder Ryan Hollingshead United States
    13 Forward Tesho Akindele Canada
    14 Forward Atiba Harris http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/Flag_of_Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis.svg/23px-Flag_of_Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis.svg.png Saint Kitts and Nevis
    16 Forward Coy Craft (HGP) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png United States
    17 Defender Zach Loyd http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png United States
    18 Goalkeeper Chris Seitz http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png United States
    21 Midfielder Michael Barrios http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Flag_of_Colombia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Colombia.svg.png Colombia
    22 Defender Stephen Keel http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png United States
    23 Midfielder Kellyn Acosta (HGP) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png United States
    24 Defender Matt Hedges http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png United States
    25 Defender Walker Zimmerman (GA) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png United States
    27 Midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Flag_of_Jamaica.svg/23px-Flag_of_Jamaica.svg.png Jamaica
    29 Forward Alex Zendejas (HGP) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png United States 31 Midfielder Michel http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/05/Flag_of_Brazil.svg/22px-Flag_of_Brazil.svg.png Brazil
    33 Defender Otis Earle http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png England
    44 Goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez (HGP) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Flag_of_Mexico.svg/23px-Flag_of_Mexico.svg.png Mexico
    Out on loan No. Position Player Nation
    26 Midfielder Danny Garcia (HGP; on loan to Arizona United) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/23px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png United States
    Graphic and Images Source: Wikipedia
    Duane Rollins
    With only one win to their name, goals have clearly been hard to come by for Fury. Chances have been going begging in recent games, and injuries to the forward line are not helping the matter. The team's massive No 9, Tom Heinamann, is touch-and-go for the weekend after a spell on the sidelines and his return would definitely be a boost should he recover in time.
    Defensively, though, there is reason to be optimistic. After three consecutive 3-1 losses in April – Edmonton twice in the Amway Canadian Championship and Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the league – the side has tightened up in May. A 1-0 away loss to the league-leading NY Cosmos was followed up two weeks ago by a battling 0-0 draw against second place Tampa Bay Rowdies. Fury restricted their opposition two just two shots, and Drew Beckie's performance earned the defender a place in the NASL Team of the Week.
    Fury are also now stacked in the goalkeeping department. Despite some of the poor scorelines, first choice keeper Romuald Peiser has been one of the team's better players, and his young backup - Marcel DeBellis - has been described by goalkeeping coach Bruce Grobbelaar as “better than [Liverpool goalkeeper Simon] Mignolet”. Nevertheless, Fury recently added Ottawa native Waleed Cassis to their squad for further strength in depth. While competition for places is always good, it remains to be seen whether head coach Marc Dos Santos will be able to give each of his keepers enough playing time to keep them happy.
    Regardless, a home match against a similarly struggling team in Indy Eleven is a fantastic opportunity for Ottawa to get back to winning ways. Let's see whether they can do it.
    Game time is 3pm. See you there!
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    Until next time, have a great soccer!
    @24thminute
    @KevLaramee
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    Duane Rollins
    Dear Toronto FC Supporters,
    Over the past year, a pressing issue in Toronto sports has been the search for the future home and ownership group for one of the city's most historic franchises, the Toronto Argonauts. That search involved a number of key parties, including the City of Toronto, the Canadian Football League and MLSE, as plans centered on a return of the Argos to the Exhibition Place grounds at BMO Field.
    This afternoon, it was announced that Larry Tanenbaum and Bell Canada will assume ownership of the Argos beginning in 2016 and that the Phase 2 renovation plans for BMO Field, beginning in September, will also include a conversion to accommodate a CFL playing field, making BMO Field a true outdoor multi-purpose facility with numerous benefits to the City of Toronto.
    Throughout the past year, in our many conversations with Toronto FC fans about a potential move of the Argos to BMO Field, we have reiterated the fact that MLSE's commitment to delivering the best soccer experience for TFC and its fans is unmatched. Because BMO Field is owned by the City of Toronto, we worked closely with different levels of government, including the Province and Federal Government, over the past year to help facilitate a solution while ensuring that TFC's interests were a top priority.
    You are already well aware of the significant steps MLSE has taken to deliver on our vision for TFC. MLSE's ownership group has committed more than $100 million to the BMO Field renovation project, $100 million in roster moves for world-class players like Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley, and more than $3 million specifically on technology to ensure BMO Field has one of the best pitches in Major League Soccer. We have reinforced that BMO Field will always be, first and foremost, a soccer facility and that TFC will be the first priority when it comes to scheduling. Our focus for Toronto FC is rewarding our fans with a team that is capable of competing for a championship year in and year out and creating one of the best soccer experiences in the league for our fans. That will never change.
    The Argos, and the Canadian Football League, are not only an iconic part of Toronto's sports landscape, but they are also a Canadian cultural institution and the team's move to BMO Field will play an important role in the rejuvenation of one of the oldest sports franchises in North America.
    For TFC and Argos fans, we can look forward to bringing together Toronto's newest team with its oldest team under one, brand new roof at BMO Field in 2016!
    Please feel free to contact your personal season seat holder representative if you should have any further questions.
    Yours truly,
    Tim Leiweke
    President and CEO
    MLSE
    Grant
    A few points before we get to the money shots.
    At no point in the article does Cavallini actually say he won't play for Canada again.
    As pointed out to me today on Twitter, the writer goes lengths to paint Cavallini as Canadian.
    His comment about being embarrassed by the 8-1 loss to Honduras doesn't mean anything. Every player in a Canadian shirt was humiliated that day.
    Ultimately this is not terribly surprising. As Daniel Squizzato and others have reported straight from Benito Floro's mouth more than once, Cavallini has repeatedly turned down Canada callups for no good reason.

    Here's the bit on Canada:
    Language can be funny. Upon reading the passage carefully and doing the translating it's no longer clear to me whether he actually regrets pinning his international future to Canada, or more sort of regrets the fact his Uruguayan-born daughter won't ever be able to see her dad play for her country's national team. Yes, I'm splitting hairs. What is clear is that this is far from a gushing endorsement of the Canadian national team or his potential future involvement with it.
    One other part of the interview struck me as odd. It was in response to a question about how Cavallini is enjoying life in his adopted country. Toronto is big and cold, both literally and metaphorically, whereas Uruguay is laid-back and warm.
    I've made a few feeble attempts to track Cavallini down over the years, through the CSA, his club and the Uruguayan community in Toronto. All those calls fizzled. Until someone tracks him down and gets him on the record we won't know whether he'll ever play for Canada again. Until that time, Canadian soccer supporters should focus their attention elsewhere. Lucas Cavallini is a promising talent in a unique club situation. He could help the Canadian men's team immediately in an area it desperately requires help in: scoring goals. That said, he is not, nor was he ever, a saviour.
    James Grossi
    Cyle Larin
    Larin made his fifth and sixth-straight starts for Orlando City as they experienced a mixed week, undone by a pair of late goals against DC United on Wednesday and only to hand a 4-0 thrashing to the defending champions, the LA Galaxy, on Sunday.
    Larin now has eight appearances this season, having come on twice from the bench prior to the current six-game run.
    On Wednesday, Orlando took the lead in the eleventh minute, Larin scoring in a second-consecutive match – the first scoring streak of his young MLS career – only to concede twice in nine minutes in the closing third of the match.
    The goal, his third of the season, was a cracker, beating Bill Hamid with a blazing right-footer from just inside the eighteen-yard box.
    A partially cleared corner kick fell to Harrison Heath, who tried to play up to Larin in a crowd at the top of the area. That pass was touched away from the striker, falling to Darwin Ceren, who attempted a shot on goal. His effort was blocked, but Larin was on hand to find an inch of space and blast his finish high to the left-side of goal – it was his only shot of the match.
    Aside from the goal, Larin had a quiet night, though his running battles with centre-back and fellow Canadian (at least for the purposes of this review; for now), Kofi Opare. The two went toe-to-toe on several occasions, Larin giving as good as he got, committing a foul on one occasion where he ended a touch-line run from the DC defender with a desperate tug.
    For his troubles, the Brampton, Ontario-native would spend a moment on the touch-line and sourcing out a new shirt, after a cut on his arm drew blood.
    He would make way for Bryan Rochez in the 77th minute having scored from his only shot, completed five of eight passes, while making two clearances, two recoveries, a tackle, and an interception; winning and conceding a foul each way.
    Back in the starting lineup on Sunday, Larin, again leading the line by himself, would play a crucial role in guiding his side to an impressive win over LA – ending a hex that had been a thorn in the expansion side's paw. The win was their first at home; it only took six matches.
    His first looks at goal were mere half-chances, doing well to get on the end of a Brek Shea cross, but unable to bring it down cleanly under pressure from LA defender Leonardo, and breaking into space on the right from a long, searching ball, only for his pull-back to not find a teammate.
    LA were struggling with a makeshift lineup, that much was clear. Eric Avila gave the hosts the lead after just twelve minutes and Larin sought to add to that margin with a cheeky attempt from distance after a poor back-pass from Leonardo that caught Jaime Penedo off his line, but sailed high. It was a chance that strikers will risk, but Larin would be advised by Kaka that given he had a runner, a pass may have been a better option.
    Larin would make amends for that waste in the 34th minute, Kaka showing how setting up a teammate can be just as rewarding. The play began when Larin held up a Shea ball momentarily in the centre-circle, before playing down the left for the charging Kaka. The Brazilian maestro would back off the defenders, gliding past a half-hearted slipping-challenge from Tommy Meyer before squaring a ball to the right for Larin, who tucked his right-footer past Penedo at the short-side.
    It was his fourth-goal of the season, stretching his scoring-streak to three-straight matches in the process.
    Not done there, Larin would continue his tireless running. As noted by commentator Taylor Twellman, the most influential evolution witnessed so far in the rookie's game has been the increasing intelligence in the runs he chooses to make. There was another Shea cross from the left, taking advantage of just such a back-shoulder run from Larin, that he was again unable to stretch enough to touch. If those two ever get in sync, that could be a combination that is oft-repeated.
    Making way for Carlos Rivas in the 78th minute, Larin would exit the match having taken four shots – only one of which was on target, completing eight of sixteen passes, while making three recoveries. He was offside once and won three fouls, conceding one.
    Larin spoke post-match about his form and the first home win and earned the praise of his teammate, Martin Paterson: “I’ve been really pleased with the way that Cyle has played. I mean, for a forward we look for young players, and you look for attributes that they have, and he works a lot for his attributes and he is getting his rewards. If he continues to work hard, he is going to be some player, and now that everyone is fit, people can push him and try to get him space, and that will bring him on again. At the end of the day, he has four goals and he should be pleased with that, and he should have in his mind that he can go and get more.”
    If he can continue his scoring form, he should retain his starting position and will be a candidate for rookie of the year honours.
    Kofi Opare
    Opare also made two starts this week, for DC, his seventh and eight-straight, as DC beat Larin's Orlando City 2-1 on Wednesday, only to fall to Philadelphia 1-0 on Sunday.
    Against Orlando, Opare was largely tasked with keeping track of the machinations of Larin, engaging in an entertaining battle, once matching the forward stride for stride in a touch-line run.
    It was the Niagara Falls, Ontario-raised defender who kick-started DC's comeback in the 70th minute, rising up at the back-post over Sean St Ledger to head down and across to the right-side of goal on a deep Taylor Kemp free-kick from the right. It was Opare's first goal for DC and his second in MLS, having registered one as a rookie back in 2013 for Los Angeles.
    Opare would complete all but three of some-thirty passes, racking up four recoveries, three interceptions, one clearance and a tackle; winning two fouls and conceding one on the night.
    He earned the regard of manager Ben Olsen afterward: “Set pieces have been big … it’s certainly got us to where we are right now. And Kofi is a handful on set pieces because he gets his head on a lot of things. It’s good to see him get on the score-sheet and get rewarded for such a good six weeks that he’s been in. He’s been fantastic. The way he’s stepped in to this center back role with such few games has been impressive.”
    Come Sunday, Opare was again in the starting lineup, bringing his season total to eight starts and nine appearances, now keeping the fit-again Steve Birnbaum out of the lineup with his fine form.
    Alongside Bobby Boswell once more, Opare was again a consistent obstacle to a desperate Philadelphia side, facing down the hulking frame of Conor Casey – quick to track the forward on the ball, blocking an attempt pull-back on one play, while keeping a lid on the ever-dangerous Cristian Maidana - giving no space to the attacking midfielder, tracking him out wide and constantly pestering.
    With the match scoreless deep into the second half, Opare would step up to block a Zach Pfeffer shot, a feat he was unable to reprise in stoppage-time as Pfeffer found space above the left-post to score the late 1-0 winner for the hosts – it was not Opare's flank that provided that space, however.
    He would end the match having compiled eight clearances, four interceptions, two blocks, two recoveries, and a tackle, conceding just a single foul, while misplacing just 6 of some 25 passes.
    Jonathan Osorio
    Following a lively appearance from the bench last weekend and a dangerous midweek performance in the Voyageurs Cup, Osorio returned to the Toronto starting lineup for the first time in four matches in Saturday's 1-1 draw at New England – it was his sixth start and eighth appearance of the season.
    Taking up the left-sided midfield position, Osorio showed some real moments of quality, though was perhaps a little too unselfish on one occasion, attempting to set-up Michael Bradley rather than take a shot himself after receiving a ball from Sebastian Giovinco on the left-side of the area.
    He then similarly helped craft a shooting chance for Giovinco, finding his teammate in space on the left with a neat back-roller of a pass, helping on a ball for the back-side run of Giovinco – his effort was saved by Bobby Shuttleworth.
    Given the threat New England's attack width posed, the Toronto, Ontario-native was required to put in a defensive shift as well, tracking all the way back to his own-goal line on several plays, though he could be found guilty of not closing down London Woodberry's cross quickly enough, as the Revolution full-back picked out Juan Agudelo's run to open the scoring in the 32nd minute. He was in a difficult position on that play, Osorio and Ashtone Morgan were at a numerical disadvantage, as a trio of New England attackers played around the TFC duo patiently before sending in the cross.
    Osorio would make way for Warren Creavalle in the 83rd minute as Greg Vanney sought to inject fresh legs to see out the draw. He completed all but five of some forty passes, adding five recoveries, two clearances, and an interception, conceding two fouls in the process.
    After a difficult opening few months, a reinvigourated Osorio will provide Toronto with a much-needed additional threat, especially given the news of Jozy Altidore's injury.
    Karl Ouimette
    Ouimette made a third-straight appearance for the New York Red Bulls on Friday night, helping quell the variety of Dallas threats in a score-less draw.
    Following his solid contributions, including the emergency role after Matt Miazga's red card in the New York derby, Ouimette earned some recognition from head coach, Jesse Marsch: “Karl did come off the bench and in a game like that and being a man down, not be afraid and compete and make almost no mistakes for a young center back that was a very good performance... We've seen that a lot of our center backs have stepped into tough moments and done well.”
    Taking up the right-sided centre-back position, paired with Damien Perrinelle, the Terrebonne, Quebec-native did not miss a step in a stalemate of a match.
    That is not to say it was a game without challenge; Ouimette was primarily threatened down the attacking left by the speedy trickster Fabian Castillo, who has made more experienced defenders than Ouimette quake at the knees. The Canadian did very well to limit the Colombian's chances, keeping him wide on several plays, including this one, and preventing any half-chances from coming to fruition.
    Though it was a relatively uneventful match, Ouimette contributed six clearances, four recoveries, and an interception, completely roughly half of some forty passes – again mostly long balls.
    With Miazga away on international duty, Ouimette may see some more playing time, at least until Ronald Zubar gets up to full fitness.
    Tesho Akindele
    Akindele returned to the Dallas starting lineup for the first time in five matches, lining up on the right-side of the Dallas midfield in their 0-0 draw against New York on Friday night – it was his seventh start and eleventh appearance of the season.
    It was a relatively quiet match from the wide-forward/midfielder, his only real chance of the game came minutes into the second half, sent in by a Blas Perez ball only to shoot wide – the play was wiped out by an offside flag anyways.
    The Calgary, Alberta-born forward would complete fifteen of twenty passes, adding four recoveries, two tackles, and a clearance to his stat-line before making way for Michael Barrios in the 59th minute.
    Russell Teibert
    Teibert made a fifth-straight start for Vancouver in their disappointing 0-2 loss to Chad Barrett, er, Seattle, on Saturday night – it was his ninth start and tenth appearance of the season.
    Lining up alongside Matias Laba once more at the base of the midfield, Teibert was his effervescent self, but was unable to prevent a pair of first-half Barrett strikes from determining the outcome.
    With Vancouver stung by two quick moves, the Niagara Falls, Ontario-native was allowed a more attacking role, by-passing the attentions of Gonzalo Pineda with a bursting run to slip a ball for Kekuta Manneh – his shot from distance was easily saved and held by Stefan Frei. And a later cross from the right appeared bound for the head of Kendall Waston, only for the towering form of Chad Marshall to nod it away for a corner kick.
    Teibert would make way for Gershon Koffie in the 64th minute having completed all but three of roughly forty passes, adding five interceptions, three recoveries, and a tackle, while registering a single foul.
    Ashtone Morgan
    Morgan made a seventh-consecutive start for Toronto in their 1-1 draw at New England – it was his seventh start and eighth appearance of the season.
    Taking up the familiar left-back slot, Morgan was faced with a difficult challenge, stifling the combined attacking talents of Teal Bunbury, London Woodberry, and Lee Nguyen, when he drifted wide into that part of the field.
    The Toronto, Ontario-native did rather well considering, aside from that slight hesitation that allowed Woodberry to get in the cross that led to Agudelo's goal.
    Early in the match, Morgan was alert at the back-post to head a cross away from the lurking Bunbury, and he was on the receiving end of an aggressive challenge from Jermaine Jones that perhaps warranted a booking.
    He completed 17 of his 26 passing attempts, making three clearances, two recoveries, one interception, and one tackle, conceding a single foul and winning two on the night.
    With the return to fitness of right-back Mark Bloom and Justin Morrow the recognized starting left-back, Morgan's run of matches may be coming to an end; at least he has taken this chance to regain his footing and prove himself a valuable member of the squad.
    Patrice Bernier
    Bernier made his third appearance of the season in Montreal's 4-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
    Coming on in the 76th minute for Marco Donadel, the Brossard, Quebec-native completed each of his seven passes and committed one foul.
    Kianz Froese
    Froese similarly came on in the 76th minute, replacing Kekuta Manneh with Vancouver chasing Seattle's 0-2 lead on Saturday – it was his fourth appearance of the season.
    The Cuban-born midfielder was lively, completing seven of eight passes and winning one tackle, but was unable to spur his side to a comeback against Cascadia rivals.
    The Rest
    Wandrille Lefevre and Jeremie Gagnon-Lapare were unused substitutes for Montreal on Saturday against Salt Lake, as too were Toronto FC's Quillan Roberts and Jay Chapman in New England.
    Will Johnson continued his convalescence, picking up an assist, his first, with Portland's USL side as they drew 1-1 against Salt Lake's Monarchs.
    Two semi-regular review participants were out with injury, as Vancouver's Sam Adekugbe is dealing with a right ankle injury, while Philadelphia's Steven Vitoria is apparently dealing with a left knee sprain – his has not featured in the Union's last three matches.
    Each week 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
    Duane Rollins
    It hardly matters, but if you have the energy to still argue with CFL fans about this here’s the facts:
    When they say it’s common to share facilities in MLS and that it works for the Whitecaps and Lions:
    First off, BC Place is widely viewed as the worst surface in the league. Secondly, the Caps badly wanted to spend their own money to build a soccer only stadium. They spent years trying to do just that. The bizarre NIMBY politics of the Lower Mainland prevented them from doing so. Again, the plan was for a 100 percent PRIVATELY funded stadium. Instead they got stuck in BC Place.
    From a league wide MLS stand point only one of 20 stadiums is both grass and also shares football. And the football it shares is college, not pro. The season is shorter; the players are smaller. Football/soccer ground shares are not the norm in MLS. They aren’t close to the norm.
    In fact, only five of 20* stadiums in MLS permanently share football and soccer. The move has consistently been away from that model. *Two stadiums -- Citrus Bowl and Yankee Stadium -- are temporarily sharing football and baseball. In both cases the teams are actively looking to build soccer only or mostly facilities. Regular pro or college football will not be a part of any deal in either NYC or Orlando.
    As for the "tax payer" argument, as written above, $55-m of public money has been spent ALL-TIME on soccer stadiums. Close to a billion on CFL stadiums since 2010.
    Although you can find extreme positions on both sides of this, for most soccer fans (and it's about soccer, not TFC. This is a national issue that reflects national challenges and attitudes that hold the sport back in all parts of the country) this is not about sharing the facility. It's about very real concerns about the integrity of the playing surface. It does not take very much research to debunk the promise of zero impact that Tim Leiweke is making (and that's just one article about one game on a pitch that had a fraction of the football use they are planning at BMO). There is next to no evidence the surface they are talking about will work. And, if it doesn’t what’s the alternative?
    So, it comes down to this: Is there a way to share the facility without sharing the pitch?
    At least one ARGOS writer thinks so.
    Why is no one talking about this? Why is this, not risking the integrity of the soccer surface (and, apparently the CFL surface if you read that link), not the plan?
    Speaking as a soccer fan that lives in Toronto, I’m willing to accommodate the changes to the stadium that bringing the Argos in would require so long as the integrity of the playing surface was 100 percent guaranteed.
    #2Surfaces1Stadium
    That’s a battle that can still be won and that can unite both TFC and Argos fans.
    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 Mccoll
    Have a listen!
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    Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!

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