Whitecaps set for playoff start, Impact already off and running

Canada’s two USSF-2 teams start their playoff campaigns this week with home-and-home series. Montreal got off on the right foot Wednesday, beating the Austin Aztex 2-0 thanks to an Ali Gerba brace. Meanwhile, Vancouver will face their long-time rivals from Portland in a two-game series starting tonight at Swangard Stadium (10:30 p.m. Eastern: I’ll be live-blogging from the stadium press box, and the game can be seen via streaming video at whitecapsfc.com). Both teams are in slightly different situations, but they have some of the same concerns and will face some of the same challenges.

For Montreal, putting the ball in the net consistently has been an issue for most of the year. Gerba was solid down the stretch run, scoring nine goals in his last seven regular-season games, but he didn’t score at all in the regular season before that. The Impact weren’t able to find much scoring depth, either, and their depth hasn’t shown up much at all lately.

The 2-0 home win was a terrific start for the Impact. As Ben Massey writes, they did well defensively against a determined Aztex team, and that does put them in the driver’s seat. Don’t go predicting them to advance just yet, though. The Impact have been much better at home than on the road all season long, going 12-11-7 at Stade Saputo with 19 goals for and 11 against.. By contrast, they were 5-7-3 on the road, where they allowed 19 goals and only scored 17.

Montreal is facing a difficult opponent as well. The Aztex finished second in the USL Conference with a 15-7-8 record and 53 points, 10 more than Montreal. They earned the third playoff seed overall, while Montreal was seeded sixth. Austin is particularly dangerous at home, where they won more games than any other USSF-2 squad, going 10-2-3. Austin has scored 33 of their 53 goals at home and conceded only 18 of the 40 they allowed all year. Keep an eye out for Manchester United academy product Eddie Johnson (not the American one); he led the team with 14 goals this season and looked absolutely dazzling in the games I saw. Max Griffin added 10 more goals for the Aztex, so he’s a guy to watch as well, as is Jamie Watson, who ranked third in the league with seven assists.

The Whitecaps share some of the same issues as Montreal, most notably finding consistent scoring. Their biggest problem this year has been putting the ball in the back of the net, and as Marc Weber writes, that’s the top question facing the team heading into tonight’s playoff opener. Vancouver finished second in the NASL Conference with a 10-5-15 record, but they only scored 32 goals all year. Part of that’s thanks to a revolving cast up front (and on the whole team, to be honest), but part of it has just been poor finishing. However, they don’t have a significant home-road split (5-2-8 at home with 17 goals for, 5-3-7 on the road with 15 goals for, 11 goals conceded both home and away), so it might not be quite as critical for them to win the first one as it was for Montreal.

Portland isn’t going to be easy to top, either. The Timbers finished third in the USL Conference, but actually put up more points than Vancouver (49 to 45) and thus are the higher-ranked side (fourth versus fifth) heading into this one. They’re a remarkably similar team, too; tough to beat, but with scoring issues (they notched 34 goals for, two more than Vancouver, and conceded 23 goals, one more than the Whitecaps). These teams know each other well, and even if tactical changes may or may not be in the mix, there’s going to be even more intensity to the matchup than normal. Expect plenty of harsh tackles and heated emotions tonight, even if we might not see many goals.

The other USSF-2 playoff matchups are the No. 1 Rochester Rhinos against the No. 8 Puerto Rico Islanders and the No. 2 Carolina RailHawks against the No. 7 NSC Minnesota Stars. The Stars and RailHawks played to a 0-0 draw in their opening leg in Minnesota yesterday, You’d have to think that favours the RailHawks to advance at home, as they were one of the league’s best teams this year; however, both teams don’t have a particularly notable home/road split, so the Stars might still be in it.

Rochester is in Puerto Rico tonight to take on the Islanders, and that match has already run into some controversy. Here’s the release that was just published on the Rhinos’ site:

Bayamon, Puerto Rico -- Due to inadequate and unplayable playing conditions at Puerto Rico's Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium, tonight's first leg playoff match has been moved to the Bayamon Soccer Complex. Because of the sudden and unexpected change in tonight's venue there will be no broadcast available for tonight's match. Please follow the Rhinos twitter page for updates throughout the match.

That’s certainly interesting. It will be curious to see how that affects the game. Rochester should be heavily favoured, but odd things seem to happen in Puerto Rico. The return leg is Saturday in Rochester.

Remember to come back here at 10:30 p.m. Eastern/7:30 p.m. Pacific for the Vancouver – Portland live blog!

[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]

All on the line: Whitecaps - Impact live blog

"We search for the truth/We could die upon the tooth/But the thrill of just the chase/Is worth the pain" - Ronnie James Dio, The Last In Line

Tonight's Voyageurs' Cup game against the Montreal Impact may well be one of the most important matches of the Vancouver Whitecaps' season. Thanks to a pair of lacklustre draws at home, they must win on the road [Marc Weber, The Province] against their bitter rivals to maintain their hopes of claiming the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and its attendant berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. They have two points from two matches, while Toronto FC have seven from three. The teams play each other in the final clash of the competition next Wednesday, though, so the Whitecaps still have a shot at the title. In order to make that game relevant, though, they need to come away with three points tonight.

As I wrote at Fighting For Canadian Supremacy before the season started, this competition may be the crucial one for the Whitecaps. A return to the Division II title game would be nice, but that would likely mean less in the long run than a defeat of their Canadian rivals, the franchise's first Voyageurs' Cup and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. That would give the Whitecaps a huge boost heading into their first Major League Soccer campaign next season. A Division II title would also help, but I'm not sure it would have as much of an effect. Moreover, the drawn-out regular season and playoffs of Division II make it much more difficult to reach that goal while developing young talent, which is still the club's top priority heading towards MLS. A short tournament like this should be easier to win with a younger side.

This won't be easy for Vancouver, though. They struggled at home against Montreal in recent clashes in both the Voyageurs' Cup (a late 1-1 draw thanks to a Marcus Haber penalty) and the league (a 0-0 draw where they couldn't find a way to beat Impact goalkeeper Matt Jordan). Coming away with three points on the road in front of the Impact fans may be even more difficult. On the other hand, Montreal doesn't have anything to play for (and they famously rolled over against Toronto FC in similar circumstances last season). Vancouver captain Martin Nash told me Saturday that the Impact won't be an easy opponent even if they field a reduced lineup, though.

"Even if they don't play their best lineup, they still have good players," he said.

Don't write the Whitecaps off yet, though. They finally found their scoring touch Saturday against Rochester, notching two goals and breaking a 276-minute scoreless streak in the league and a 296-minute scoreless streak in all competitions. Even more impressively, their defence has been superb. Keeper Jay Nolly recorded his seventh shutout in all competitions Saturday, and the team hasn't allowed a goal in 274 minutes of league play and 419 minutes of all-competitions play. If they can keep that defensive intensity up today and find the net on their scoring opportunities, they might just come away with a win today and send the competition to a crucial final match next week in Toronto. Find out what happens in the live blog below, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Pacific!

A tale of two streaks

Saturday’s Vancouver Whitecaps clash against the Rochester Rhinos saw the fall of one streak and the continuation of a more auspicious one. Before 4,996 fans at Swangard Stadium, the Whitecaps found a way to break their goalless streak while maintaining their defensive dominance, coming away with a 2-0 victory.

Vancouver threatened early, but that was something we’ve seen before. This last stretch of games has been characterized by the team creating scoring chances but not capitalizing on them. Tonight was different, though, as Cornelius Stewart ended their scoring drought in the 17th minute. He collected the ball in the box after Marcus Haber’s shot hit him, turned and drilled it past Rochester goalkeeper Neal Kitson into the corner of the net. The goal came in the 276th minute of USSF-II play since the Whitecaps’ last league tally (April 29 against Portland) and the 296th minute of USSF-II and Voyageurs’ Cup play since their last goal of any type (a Marcus Haber penalty May 5 against Montreal in the Voyageurs’ Cup).

Perhaps getting one goal took care of the Whitecaps’ confidence issues, as they were able to add a second in the 51st minute. Haber made an excellent run down the right flank and won a corner. Captain Martin Nash, making his return to the starting lineup from injury, executed the corner brilliantly, floating a perfect cross across the box onto the bandaged head of central defender Greg Janicki, who made no mistake heading it home. It was only the second time all year (other than in exhibition play) that the Whitecaps had scored two goals; the first was their 2-0 win in their season opener against Minnesota.

Even up two goals, the Whitecaps continued to create chances. Haber had a good run in the 62nd minute and beat his defender, but took too long to get his shot off and had it blocked. He then had a 64th-minute header ring off the crossbar. Stewart and Marlon James also had scoring chances, but couldn’t convert.

Nash said finally notching a goal took a weight off the Whitecaps' shoulders.

"It was great," he said. "I think it took a little pressure off us."

Nash said they didn't alter their game plan, though. Rather, it was more that some of their opportunities finally went in.

"We've been creating chances all along," he said. "We had good balls coming in against Toronto, but we couldn't get on the end of them."

The more impressive streak continued unabated, though, as the Whitecaps’ defence again refused to allow a goal. Keeper Jay Nolly recorded his seventh clean sheet in all competitions and his sixth in the league. It’s now been 274 minutes of USSF-II play since the last goal against them (from that April 29 Portland game) and 419 minutes since the last goal against them in any competition (from that May 5 Montreal game). That’s an incredible run.

Nash said the defensive success has been a unified effort.

"The back four's been great, but the whole team in front of them has played well," he said.

Vancouver dominated the scoresheet as well, finishing with 11 shots to Rochester's six and four corners to the Rhinos' two. Despite the win and the goals, head coach Teitur Thordarson was only moderately impressed with his team's performance, however.

"I think we played a decent game," he said. "It wasn't the best, but we got two good goals and we had the chance to score more."

Thordarson said the clean sheet was nice, but the overall defensive effort wasn't as strong as in past games.

"We didn't control the game defensively as much as I wanted to," he said. "I wanted to see more possession. Back and forth, that's good for the fans, but not what I wanted."

Thordarson said he was pleased with Stewart's play, though, and he foresees using him more in the future.

"He was impressive today," Thordarson said. "He is equally good on both sides."

Stewart said he isn't taking his success or his place in the lineup for granted, though.

"I'm going to keep working hard," he said.

The Whitecaps now travel to Montreal Wednesday for a crucial Voyageurs' Cup clash against the Impact (8 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Pacific, will be live-blogged here). They need to win to have any hope of taking home the trophy and its attendant CONCACAF Champions League berth. Nash said the team can't get overconfident about Montreal having nothing to play for, as he expects them to still be a tough challenge.

"Even if they don't play their best lineup, they still have good players," he said.

Nash thinks the Whitecaps still have a chance at the Voyageurs' Cup, though.

"It's going to be a tough task, but I think we're capable of it."

[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]

Whitecaps: Chances, but where are the goals?

Saturday night’s 0-0 scoreless draw [Simon Fudge, WhitecapsFC.com] with the Montreal Impact saw the continuation of a disturbing trend for the Vancouver Whitecaps. They’ve now gone 259 minutes without scoring in league play since Nelson Akwari notched an 11th-minute goal against Portland on April 29. Following that, they went 79 minutes of the Portland game without scoring again, then held Crystal Palace Baltimore to a 0-0 draw [Marc Weber, The Province] last weekend before tonight's scoreless clash.

Of course, Vancouver did get one goal during that span, but that came against Montreal in last week's Voyageurs' Cup game, though, not in USSF Division II competition. They're still doing reasonably well in the league and lead the NASL Conference with eight points, but that's unlikely to continue unless the goals start to come.

Tonight's game was a little more promising on the offensive end, however, as head coach Teitur Thordarson commented post-match.

"I think it was a good game in all aspects, except scoring goals," he said. "We were a bit unlucky. We definitely were the best team today."

The first half was a largely lacklustre affair. Vancouver held the majority of the possession, but they weren’t able to do much with it. They did create some stellar chances off free kicks and corners, including a Ricardo Sanchez blast from 25 yards out that was parried by the outstretched fingertips of Matt Jordan at the last possible instant. Montreal had better chances from the run of play, including a Rocco Placentino effort that Jay Nolly punched off the bar, but they weren’t able to capitalize either and the teams went into the break with the score knotted 0-0.

There were a few more scattered chances here and there in the second half, but neither team really took over the play. Most of the scoring opportunities came off set pieces, and Nolly and Jordan put on a spectacular exhibition of keeping to maintain the 0-0 scoreline. Montreal probably had the best chance of the half after a superb Leonardo Di Lorenzo run down the right flank where he beat two defenders and crossed it in, but a flick-on from Hicham Aaboubou was cleared by Greg Janicki just in time. Vancouver’s best chance came off a long Wes Knight throw in the 87th minute that was loose in the box, but shots from both Janicki and Marcus Haber were parried by defenders and the ball was cleared. In the end, the match ended without an offensive tally by either side.

Vancouver did well on the stat sheet, though. They won seven corners and countless offensive free kicks, and looked particularly dangerous on many of them. They fired eight shots at the net and forced Jordan into three saves, as well as countless plays where he had to rush out and intercept crosses. In the end, the goals just weren't coming, though.

Sanchez made his first Whitecaps' start in place of the injured Martin Nash and created several chances, particularly from set pieces. He said it's difficult to stay focused when you're not playing regularly, but he took it as a challenge.

"It's hard, but you have to be prepared, you have to keep working and and wait," he said.

Sanchez said he felt the Whitecaps turned in a solid performance, even if they didn't come away with three points.

"It was a good game," he said. "I thought everyone played real well tonight."

Vancouver now gets set to host Toronto F.C. in a crucial Nutrilite Canadian Championship clash Wednesday night (10:30 p.m. Eastern, 7:30 p.m. Pacific, televised on Rogers Sportsnet and will be live-blogged here). Thordarson said he's unsure if Nash and injured striker Marlon James will be recovered in time for that one.

"With any of these guys, we don't know that they'll be ready," he said. "We're hopeful they will. Nash is still a question mark, and so is Marlon."

Thordarson said the Whitecaps can gain some momentum from tonight's game, though, as he thought was a good performance. He said that may be crucial.

"It's huge," Thordarson said. "It's always easier to come off a good game than a bad one."

It may have been a good game, but at the end of the day, the opposition's net remained empty. Vancouver will have to change that Wednesday if they want to keep their hopes of winning the Voyageurs' Cup alive.

[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]

Whitecaps. Impact. Live blog.

The Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact will face off again tonight [Simon Fudge, WhitecapsFC.com]in USSF Division II play. The game has plenty of on-pitch implications, as Vancouver (2-1-2) and Montreal (2-1-1) are the top two clubs in the NASL Conference so far, but it also carries a significant off-field component. The rivalry between the teams is long-running, but it took on extra heat last year when Montreal's lopsided loss to Toronto FC cost Vancouver a CONCACAF Champions League berth, and again when the Impact beat the Whitecaps in the USL final.

This year, the two clubs battled to a 1-1 draw in the Voyageurs' Cup last Wednesday. Montreal was officially announced as the newest MLS team (joining in 2012, one year after Vancouver) on Friday [Paul Attfield, The Globe and Mail], so this will be the first time the two clubs face each other since that, but hardly the last; Vancouver will travel to Montreal to face the Impact in another Nutrilite Canadian Championship game on May 26, and they'll have further league games against Montreal on June 30 and Sept. 24. Tonight should be another exciting instalment in the rivalry. The webcast of the game can be seen on the Whitecaps' website, and I'll be live-blogging it from the Swangard Stadium press box starting at 7:45 p.m. Pacific (10:45 p.m. Eastern), so come swing by then!

Whitecaps: A wild draw

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(L to R: Martin Nash, Teitur Thordarson, and Marcus Haber address the media after Wednesday's match).

Wednesday's Voyageurs Cup game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact felt rather like an episode of 24, starting slowly and building to a chaotic and hard-to-believe 1-1 final. In between, there were a couple of goals, plenty of cards and much more entertainment than that other Vancouver team offered.

The match offered little at first, with both teams electing to start defensive lineups; Montreal fielded a 4-5-1 with Peter Byers as the lone striker, while Vancouver opted for a 4-4-1-1 with Marcus Haber supported by attacking midfielder Jonny Steele. The Whitecaps controlled most of the early possession, but only created a few chances, and the score remained level until Byers slipped one by Jay Nolly in the 31st minute. Montreal then took over the game for the next fifty minutes until a bizarre sequence of events unfolded.

With time dwindling, the Whitecaps began to apply more pressure, and they were helped by a dubious foul called just outside the Montreal penalty area. That led to a free kick swung in by Martin Nash, and Impact defender Adam Braz lost his mind. Already on a yellow card, he saw Vancouver central back Greg Janicki slip by him as the ball soared into the air, and responded by bull-rushing Janicki and knocking him out of the way before the cross got there. That resulted in Braz's ejection and a penalty kick for the Whitecaps, which Marcus Haber coolly converted for his first goal of this year in the 81st minute.

Thanks to the score being knotted at one and Montreal being reduced to 10 men, Vancouver turned the pressure on even more. They had several further chances, but were foiled by excellent keeping from Matt Jordan, who grabbed every cross that came anywhere near him. Marlon James actually managed to sneak through the defence and beat an onrushing Jordan, but his shot trickled wide. You have to think Vancouver may regret that missed opportunity down the road.

Right at the end, there was a further complication. A clash between Montreal's Reda Agourram and Vancouver's Chris Williams saw Agourram sent off with a straight red card. It was difficult to tell what exactly happened, but the result means Montreal could face a couple suspensions for the upcoming tournament games. Already missing Roberto Brown after a foolish punch against Toronto FC, they could be even more shorthanded for the rest of the tournament, a difficult prospect considering that they have only one point from two games.

Head coach Marc Dos Santos is convinced that they're not out of it yet, however. In the post-match press conference, he pointed out that the Impact came back to win the inaugural Nutrilite Canadian Championship under identical circumstances in 2007.

"If we've done it once, we can do it again," he said.

They will need plenty of help from both Vancouver and Toronto FC, though, as the most Montreal can now finish the tournament with is seven points.

"We can't depend on ourselves anymore," Dos Santos said.

He was rather displeased with the way the match turned out.

"I really felt we deserved the full three points until the 80th minute," he said. "Until the 80th minute, Vancouver didn't have a real chance."

His Whitecaps' counterpart, Teitur Thordarson, also wasn't happy with the end result.

"I'm a little disappointed we didn't get more than one point," he said.

Thordarson was pleased with Vancouver's early play, but disappointed with their second half performance.

In the end, the draw was probably a fair result. The shots were 7-7, with Vancouver putting three on net and Montreal responding with four. It was a chippy game as well, with 14 fouls for the Impact and seven for Vancouver. Neither side will be completely happy with their showing, and the draw does give Toronto FC a leg up on the competition, but there are still plenty of matches to be played. If the rest of the tournament is anything like this, it won't be lacking in drama.

[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]

Whitecaps - Impact live blog

The Vancouver Whitecaps kick off their Voyageurs’ Cup schedule tonight against the Montreal Impact. The two clubs have always had a strong rivalry, but last year's events took it to a new level; first, Montreal's 6-1 loss to Toronto in the final game of last year's competition cost the Whitecaps the championship, and the Impact made things worse by beating Vancouver again in the USL-1 championship. There's going to be a lot on the line tonight, as Sam pointed out in his preview; with Vancouver heading to MLS next season, this tournament may be even more important for them than the league. Tonight's game starts at 7:30 p.m. Pacific (10:30 p.m. Eastern) and can be seen on whitecapsfc.com. I'll be live-blogging it here and at The 24th Minute come join me then!

Appearance on Feuerstein's Fire

I was on Daniel Feuerstein's excellent soccer show, Feuerstein's Fire, earlier today to discuss the Whitecaps, B.C. Place and the Nutrilite Canadian Championship (speaking of which, I'll be live-blogging the Whitecaps - Montreal Impact match here tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. Pacific) with Daniel and my 24th Minute colleague Duane Rollins. The entire show is well worth a listen, touching on Toronto FC, the Montreal Impact and Canadian soccer generally. My segment starts about 45 minutes in. You can check out the show here.

Soccer: The Whitecaps and the story of Marcus Haber

The Vancouver Whitecaps begin their new season today at Swangard Stadium, and I'll be live-blogging the game from the press box for this site, The 24th Minute and Epic Footy. They'll be taking on the NSC Minnesota Stars[Simon Fudge, WhitecapsFC.com]. Game time is at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific, and live video can be found via the Whitecaps' home page.

It should be an interesting clash; Vancouver finished with a mediocre 11-10-9 record last season, but got hot in the playoffs and went all the way to the USL championship before losing to Montreal. The Minnesota Stars are a new team, but they have nine players from the former Minnesota Thunder, who were 7-13-10 last year and missed the playoffs. They'll be eager to get off to a hot start.

I've already written a season preview focused on the Whitecaps' league and personnel changes for Dave Clark over at Sounder At Heart, and I wrote one focused on their potential Voyageurs' Cup ambitions over at Fighting For Canadian Supremacy, but I think there's still some ground to be covered. In my mind, perhaps the best way to do that is focusing in on perhaps the Whitecaps' most high-profile player, Marcus Haber, who recently returned to Vancouver [Marc Weber, The Province] on loan from England's West Bromwich Albion.

Haber is not expected to be available for today's game, but he should be a force for the Whitecaps in his two-month stay. He scored eight league goals for them last year and added four more in other competitions, and he also excelled at setting up other strikers like Charles Gbeke. With the departure of Haber and Gbeke, the biggest questions around this year's Whitecaps squad centred on where the goals will come from. Haber's return will reduce those questions, at least for a couple of months.

At the same time, though, he represents the odd dichotomy at the heart of this year's Whitecaps squad. On the one hand, they're all about building for the future. They'll be joining MLS next season, and getting off to a strong start there is far more important than anything they can accomplish in USSF Division II this year. To that end, they have built an excellent academy system and have focused on developing young players; some, like Haber, have turned out very well. The nature of soccer is that those who shine brightest don't often stick around in the dimmer leagues, though, and that's what happened with Haber's exit after the season. The Whitecaps still received a substantial transfer fee for him, so it was worth it for them to develop his skills, but it's unlikely that he'll help them on the pitch beyond this current loan spell.

On the other hand, though, this season and the Voyageurs' Cup do still matter to the Whitecaps. They've had a very successful run in the second tier of North American soccer, and they don't want to go out with a whimper. They'll give their youngsters some playing time to help them develop, but they'll also throw in guys like Haber (and other older veterans, such as Martin Nash and Takashi Hirano) who will help the team win now. Moreover, putting too much pressure on untested prospects could hurt their development, and giving them too much exposure could result in their eventual exodus. Those are all tough lines to walk, and the Whitecaps will be balancing on them all season long.

We'll likely see the Haber story play out again down the road, not just with Vancouver but also with the youth development arms of the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC. Development is a crucial thing, but not all the players you develop will wind up as part of your long-term plans. They can still be very helpful, though, both in terms of the transfer fees they bring in and in the way they build the reputation of their first club. In the short term, however, their most important contribution may be what they do on the pitch. Haber can certainly aid the Whitecaps this season, and I'm sure many fans will be excited to see him back in the blue and white. His return may not last for long and may not be a crucial part of the future, but he should help with the present, and that can be appreciated for what it is.

Previewing the Whitecaps

The start of the Vancouver Whitecaps' soccer season is almost upon us, as they kick things off on April 11 against the NSC Minnesota Stars. They're also preparing for the Voyageurs Cup, where they'll be facing domestic rivals Toronto and Montreal; their first match in that competition will be May 5 against Montreal. I'll have plenty of Whitecaps coverage here and at The 24th Minute all season, but I'm also covering the team for Fighting For Canadian Supremacy, a site started by Sam Gregory of The Canadian Stretford End that will look at the Voyageurs Cup through local perspectives from writers in each city. My team preview for that site, focusing on what that competition might mean to the Whitecaps this year, is up; check it out here!

Whitecaps, Impact leave USL

CBC's John Molinaro has a very interesting story today confirming that both the USL-1 champion Montreal Impact and USL-1 finalist Vancouver Whitecaps are set to break away from the league. Whitecaps' president Bob Lenarduzzi told Molinaro that both teams are looking to join the other teams (the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, St. Louis Soccer United and Tampa Bay Rowdies) in the Team Owners' Association in a breakaway league for next season. This needs to be approved by the United States Soccer Federation, as it oversees club soccer in the U.S., where most of the teams are based (I'm pretty sure the Canadian Soccer Association will go along with whatever comes out of this).

"We're still pursuing the new league alternative, and by the end of the week, we should have our application into the USSF for them to grant us that status," Lenarduzzi said. "Our belief is that in order for soccer to grow in Canada and the United States, you need viable, professional leagues. The reason we're going the route we're going is because we think that with like-minded owners, we can achieve that, and that would be good for the sport in general."

Brian Quarstad of Inside Minnesota Soccer has confirmation from the USL side that negotiations with Vancouver and Montreal are over, so it does look like their time in USL-1 is finished. It's interesting that the USL hasn't been more willing to accomodate the breakaway teams, though, as they include many of its strongest markets both on and off the field. If all of the TOA teams leave, USL-1 is left with Portland (only for one year before they move to MLS), Puerto Rico, Charleston, Rochester, Austin and Cleveland as the only teams that competed in the top division this year. Many of those teams have attendance issues as well as less-than-great on the field lineups (particularly in Austin and Cleveland), and many of them are in fairly small markets.

If I'm, say, Fox Soccer Channel, I'd be much more interested in televising a league composed of teams in Atlanta, Carolina, Miami, Minnesota, St. Louis and Tampa Bay. There's a decent geographical spread there, and those are major sports markets; all of them have NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB teams (exceptions are Carolina, which doesn't have MLB, and St. Louis, which doesn't have the NBA). By contrast, the only remaining USL-1 cities to have any other major sports are Portland (NBA) and Cleveland (NFL, NBA and MLB). That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as there's less competition for sporting dollars in smaller markets, but the remaining USL-1 cities aren't great from a national television perspective (and they also may struggle at the gate). That gives the TOA league a pretty decent chance of success in my mind, and it doesn't bode well for USL-1.

The key question is what this means for the Whitecaps and Impact, though. If the TOA league gets off the ground and they accept both Canadian teams, it probably won't have a massive effect. Both teams will still be playing regular games against familiar opponents, and fans are drawn to the club name, not the league name. The TOA league has every reason to accept the Whitecaps and Impact; they've been heavily involved in the formation of the TOA, they have long and proud histories, solid financial bases, large markets and strong support in those markets. Their membership may be short-term, especially considering the recent announcement of the long-awaited B.C. Place roof deal, which appears to have removed the last obstacle in the Whitecaps' path to MLS. Montreal may be around for a few seasons, but they also seem to be destined for MLS. Still, their involvement in the TOA league would help it get off the ground and give it legitimacy, especially considering that both clubs just played in the USL-1 final. My bet is that the TOA would be happy to have them for as long as they're able to stay.

If the TOA league runs into launching difficulties, though, Vancouver and Montreal could be forced to scramble for whatever games they can. There are plenty of problems that can arise trying to get a league off the ground, which is why it's good that this split is happening now instead of just before the season starts. The involvement of the USSF may make things difficult, though, as I'm sure their focus is more on what's best for soccer in the U.S. in the long run rather than getting a new league off and running quickly. That may involve negotiations with MLS to become a feeder league or affiliated minor league, it may involve USSF-moderated discussions with USL-1, and it may take a considerable amount of time.

For the Whitecaps and Impact, though, urgency is key. Taking a season off to sort things out is not really a viable option, as you lose your supporters, your TV deals and your legitimacy (just look at the issues faced by the Arena Football League in its bid to relaunch after a year on hiatus). A lost year could prove especially disastrous for Vancouver, as they need a solid schedule next year to prepare for the transition to MLS. Various exhibitions and such are all right, but league experience is much better and much more valuable. Let's hope some solution can be found that solidifies professional soccer in North America for both the immediate future and the long term.

Update: Molinaro is now reporting that Lenarduzzi called him back to say the Whitecaps' door isn't officially closed to playing in the USL next year. That doesn't sound likely at the moment, though.

[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]

Whitecaps - Impact USL final live blog!

It's been a tumultous season for the Vancouver Whitecaps. They entered as defending USL-1 champions, but had substantial offseason turnover and decided to go with a youth movement to build towards their 2011 MLS entrance. Off the field, they've been dealing with issues surrounding both the construction of a retractable roof on B.C. Place and the transfer of USL-1 ownership to a new group. On the field, they struggled initially in the league, but made a great run in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and were set to claim its associated berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. Of course, that was before Montreal rolled over and played dead in the final game, allowing Toronto FC to come away with a 6-1 victory on the road and the necessary goal differential to claim the trophy.

That loss thanks to factors out of their control seemed to inspire the team, though. The made a tremendous stretch run and snuck into the final USL-1 playoff spot. They then upset the first and second-ranked teams in the playoffs (Portland and Carolina) to clinch a revenge match against Montreal in the final. The stage seemed set for their second straight USL-1 championship and a glorious ending to a disappointing season.

Last week in the first leg, an unexpected twist showed up. Montreal came away with a 3-2 victory on the road, and the Whitecaps lost captain Martin Nash to a red card, making him unavailable for today's match. Now, their backs are against the wall. Fortunately for them, away goals have no particular importance in the USL, so Vancouver could force overtime with just a 1-0 win. That's still going to be tough, though.

Don't write the Whitecaps off yet, though. For one thing, they have perhaps the most lethal group of forwards in the league, including USL-1 goalscoring leader Charles Gbeke, the talented Marlon James, speed demon Randy Edwini-Bonsu and rookie sensation Marcus Haber. As Haber said after last week's game, being down a goal isn't as big of a concern with this side as it might be with other teams.

"We're confident in our group that we're going to score goals," he said.

For another, they've got plenty of motivation, and for another, they've always stepped up when faced with adversity. Head coach Teitur Thordarson said after the game last week he loved his team's play in the second half, despite being down a man.

"I was unhappy with the first half, but the second half was fantastic," he said. "The guys stepped up; they didn't quit."

Thordarson said that never-say-die attitude may pay dividends today.

"If we go to Montreal with that attitude, anything can happen," he said. "We have shown that we can win there. We've done it this year."

Thordarson said no one should write his team off yet.

"We're not out of this."

Join in the live blog below and find out how this breaks down!

Whitecaps. Impact. USL Final. Round Two.

The Blogs With Balls conference wrapped up yesterday, and it was amazing. I'll finish my Fear, Loathing and Blogs series breaking down each panel later this weekend. However, before then, we interrupt this program to bring you a live blog of the second leg of the USL-1 final. For those who don't know much about the USL, it's the second level of pro soccer in North America, just below the MLS. What makes this year's edition of the final even more interesting is that it's played over two legs for the first time, it features two Canadian teams with good reasons to dislike each other and it features two teams aiming for MLS in the near future and currently embroiled in a dispute with the league's new owners. This leg will be in Montreal at 2:30 p.m. Eastern/11:30 a.m. Pacific. The Montreal Impact come into the second leg fresh off a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on the road last week; I was there in person for that one, but I'll be bringing you coverage of today's game direct from Las Vegas! Come join me here for it then. I'm also hoping to have a full game preview up in the morning.

[Note: I'm also planning to be part of The CIS Blog's live blog of the Western-Queen's CIS football showdown, which starts at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific. Feel free to come by there for that one too!)

Whitecaps. Impact. USL-1 Final. Live blog.

My 24th Minute colleague Andrew Bates already laid out what's at stake in tonight's first leg of the USL-1 final between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact, so I'll only touch on it briefly. Suffice it to say that you couldn't write a better script, though. The Whitecaps had low expectations going into this year, and they didn't perform all that well at the start, but they did look set for glory in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. However, in the final game of the three-team tournament, Montreal rolled over and played dead against Toronto FC, losing 6-1 to give TFC the championship and its associated berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. That seemed to motivate Vancouver, who finished the season on a hot streak, snuck into the last playoff spot and promptly defeated No.2 Carolina and No.1 Portland to make it into the USL-1 final. Now, as Sportsnet.ca's Ryan Johnston wrote, they have a chance at revenge.

On the field, they should have a good chance at it, too. Up front, Vancouver has perhaps the most impressive strike force in the league with USL-1 lead scorer Charles Gbeke, newly-announced Rookie of the Year winner Marcus Haber, the always-dangerous Marlon James and the blazing speed of Randy Edwini-Bonsu. The midfield has plenty of options, even with injuries to Ansu Toure and Gordon Chin; Martin Nash, Kenold Versailles, Wes Knight and Nizar Khalfan are likely to start, with Mason Trafford, Chris Pozniak and Justin Moose available off the bench. On defence, Luca Bellisomo and Shaun Pejic have been very good in the centre, and Takashi Hirano is a solid wingback. The other wingback spot is a bit up for grabs if Knight moves up to the wing, but either Pozniak, Trafford or Marco Reda could earn a start on defence. In net, they have Jay Nolly, one of the best keepers in the league. They also have quite the tactical mastermind in coach Teitur Thordarson, who just received a contract extension.

Montreal has a good lineup of their own, though. Three of their key players are former Whitecaps, Joey Gjertsen (who was a guest on Jared Montz's podcast this week), Eduardo Sebrango and David Testo, so they'll all have extra motivation to beat their old team. Matt Jordan can be a great keeper, but he's sometimes streaky. When he's in form, though, he can be tough to beat. Roberto Brown and Leonardo DiLorenzo are always dangerous as well. It certainly won't be easy for the Whitecaps, especially with the key second leg in Montreal next week. Tune in tonight at 9:30 p.m. Eastern/6:30 p.m. Pacific for the live blog!

Schedule for today

Couple of things to let readers know about. I'll be appearing on Norman James' great show The Hook on London, Ontario's AM 980 later today around 6 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Pacific to discuss CIS football. Tune in via their listen live service if you're interested in catching the show! There are plenty of interesting matters to cover, especially the upcoming Western - Queen's game next weekend. Check out my Top 10 ballot from this past week for a general idea of my thoughts on where the various teams stand, and as always, look at The CIS Blog for all the recent CIS news and opinion pieces from Neate, the rest of the cast and myself.I'm also going to be live-blogging the first leg of the Vancouver Whitecaps - Montreal Impact USL-1 final live from Swangard Stadium later in the day. That will take place here and at The 24th Minute and Epic Footy. The game is at 9:30 p.m. Eastern/6:30 p.m. Pacific; it can be heard on The TEAM 1040 and seen on USL Live. I'm hoping to have a full preview of that match up here tomorrow afternoon. Feel free to turn in for either or both, whichever interests you!

Setting up the USL-1 semifinals

The USL-1 semifinals kick off today, and both matchups are intriguing. Here's a brief breakdown of what we're likely to see. Both series involve home-and-home, total-goals clashes with no away-goals rule. If still tied after both legs, the teams will go to extra time and then a shootout. The winner of each series will advance to the USL-1 final.

(1) Portland versus (7) Vancouver:

On paper, the seeding system makes this one (which I'll be live-blogging) look like a bit of a mismatch. However, as I wrote before the Whitecaps' first-round matchup against the second-seeded Carolina RailHawks, their low ranking is a bit deceiving. The team has plenty of talent and a surprising amount of depth. They've struggled with consistency this year, partly due to personnel issues (especially in central defence), partly thanks to their emphasis on giving young players plenty of experience and perhaps even partly as a championship hangover, but they've been in fine form lately, putting up a 5-1-6 record in their last 12 USL-1 games. The defence in particular looked strong over two legs against the RailHawks; they allowed a few chances and even conceded a penalty (which was brilliantly parried by keeper Jay Nolly), but kept Carolina off the scoreboard and dealt with their dangerous scoring threats. As Nolly mentioned on Full Time Sunday, the team sees themselves as more of a fourth or a fifth seed than a true seventh seed. Shaun Pejic has also been a nice fit in central defence since joining the team partway through the year.

The Whitecaps' depth is especially evident up front where USL-1 goal-scoring leader and All-League First Team member Charles Gbeke started on the bench in Sunday's second leg against Carolina. Gbeke, Marcus Haber, Marlon James and Randy Edwini-Bonsu can all fill the net, and they'll all likely see playing time against Portland. Picking who to start will be a difficult decision for head coach Teitur Thordarson, but that's a nice problem to have.

Portland comes into this as a significant favourite, and for several months earlier this year, they were the most dominant team in the USL. They struggled a bit down the stretch, though, and their first-round bye means they haven't seen playoff action yet. Their key players are keeper Steve Cronin (19 goals against in 28 games, 10 shutouts), midfielder Ryan Pore (10 goals and two assists in just 21 starts) and forward Mandjou Keita, the team's top scorer with 11 goals and seven assists in 29 games.

There's a long history between these sides dating back to the NASL days. Portland beat Vancouver in a home-and-home series in 1978, but Vancouver got revenge in their next playoff clash, in USL-1 in 2002. Portland has the most recent victory, though, defeating the Whitecaps 3-1 on aggregate in the 2007 playoffs.

As Marc Weber of The Province wrote this week, the key to this one may be who does more with home-field advantage. Vancouver is 15-1-2 against Portland at home all-time and 31-21-7 overall, but just 16-20-5 on the road. That includes just one win in their last nine games at Portland's PGE Park. As this series is total-goals, it may come down to who can win by more goals at home. My prediction's for a Vancouver upset win, as they're really clicking into nice form at the moment.

I'll be live-blogging both legs of this one. The first leg is tonight at 10:30 p.m. Eastern/ 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Swangard Stadium. The second leg follows Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific.

(3) Puerto Rico vs. (5) Montreal:

This one should be quite interesting as well. The Impact are coming off an impressive 4-1 aggregate victory over the Charleston Battery, while the Islanders thumped the Rochester Rhinos 5-2. Both teams can fill the net, so the question here is whose defence will be better.

On paper, I'd give the defensive edge to the Islanders. They have a solid defensive line and one of the best keepers in the league in Bill Gaudette, while Montreal has the less impressive tandem of Matt Jordan and Srdjan Djekanovic. Puerto Rico's also received strong performances from defensively-minded players like Christian Arrieta and Noah Delgado

I like Puerto Rico's offence, too. Former Vancouver striker Nick Addlery has done quite well with the Islanders, and Fabrice Noel forms an excellent strike pairing with him. Montreal looked to upgrade their offence this past season by acquiring former Vancouver striker Eddy Sebrango, but he's had a disappointing season with only four USL-1 goals. Roberto Brown led the Impact with seven goals and three assists, but it took him 1568 minutes to do that.

The one mark against the Islanders is that they had to play a CONCACAF Champions League match Tuesday, so they'll be less rested than the Impact. They've had to travel a lot in the last week, too, which also doesn't help. However, head coach Colin Clarke elected to rest several of his key players in Tuesday's game (a 2-0 loss to Cruz Azul), sending them straight to Montreal. It's a bold gambit, and we'll see if it pays off. In the end, I'm picking Puerto Rico in this one; I like their depth and their defence. It could be a close one, though.

[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]

David Beckham and the Montreal Impact?

Sean Gordon of The Globe and Mail reported this afternoon that David Beckham may be looking into joining forces with Joey Saputo in the Montreal Impact's bid for MLS. The story's apparently based off this report from Jack Bell of The New York Times over at the paper's Goal blog. Here's the money quote from Bell's piece:

"According to a person with knowledge of Beckham’s planning who spoke on condition of anonymity because of concern about jeopardizing a potential deal, Beckham, 34, and his management team at 19 Entertainment (led by Simon Fuller) and Creative Artists Agency (led by Jeff Frasco) are interested in being partners with Joey Saputo, the owner of the Montreal Impact. The Impact plays in the United Soccer Leagues First Division, one tier down from M.L.S."

Obviously, Montreal's push for MLS is no secret, and it's been gaining plenty of force lately. The financing struggles of George Gillett, owner of Liverpool, soon-to-be-former owner of the Montreal Canadiens, and Saputo's initial partner in his bid for MLS are no secret either, and that could leave an opportunity for Beckham. He does have that option in his contract to own an MLS franchise in future, and he's said publicly that he wants to stay involved with the league.

Regardless of the mixed feelings towards Beckham in MLS, my thinking is that he still could be a valuable asset as a franchise owner(and perhaps even an owner/player towards the end of his career in the Mario Lemieux mould). He'd provide a public profile boost for the Impact, as well as a substantial amount of financial backing, necessary for MLS entrance and stadium renovations. The other advantage is that Montreal wasn't in MLS during Beckham's initial stay in the league, so there might not be as much fan resentment towards him as has developed in say, Los Angeles. I can't say that for sure from the outside, though.

Montreal might be a great spot for Beckham, too; it's a very European city, for one thing, which might help him adjust. For another thing, the Impact are the third team in town at best at the moment, behind the Canadiens and the Alouettes. Beckham's involvement would certainly raise that profile, perhaps past the Alouettes, but even with him involved, the Canadiens will still be the big show in town. That might provide him with a good blend of celebrity and obscurity; he'll get plenty of attention, but he isn't as likely to get stalked daily.

In any case, there's nothing solid on this at the moment. It's just a rumour, and one that might take years to fully develop. It's certainly an intriguing idea, though, and one that could potentially benefit both sides.

[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute].

Update: Jason Davis has some good thoughts on the matter over at Match Fit USA.

Vancouver Whitecaps - Montreal Impact live blog

If this wasn't enough of a USL grudge match before, it certainly is now after Thursday's events. Come join in the live blog below!

Soccer: A tale of three cities

The seemingly-impossible 6-1 victory Toronto FC pulled off against the Montreal Impact tonight gives them the Voyageurs Cup, the one fact everyone can agree on. Apart from that, there's no clear lesson or moral to draw from this one, though. It means drastically different things to fans of all the teams involved, and there's no one right answer. Read on for my thoughts on what this result means to fans in each city.

Toronto: It's a great day to be a Toronto FC fan. Almost everyone wrote them off after the Vancouver game; sure, they've got a solid team, but a four-goal victory on the road is hard for any side. For a team that's suffered some significant setbacks recently, including a brutal home loss to the L.A. Galaxy, a series of fan protests and a recent roster makeover, this is a huge step forward. They finally have the CONCACAF Champions League berth they've coveted for so long, and they have some tangible silverware to show their fans. The load on Mo Johnston's shoulders just got significantly lighter; regardless of how TFC do in the remainder of the MLS season, this year will be seen as at least a partial step forward thanks to tonight's events.

Vancouver: For Vancouver fans, it's the opposite. The championship seemed in their grasp, and it would have been a perfect stepping stone on the road to MLS as well as a way to bring some well-deserved Eastern media attention to the Whitecaps. To have that ripped away by a stellar TFC performance would have been bad enough. However, the way this went down was much worse. Their old archrivals, the Montreal Impact, first decided to dress a B-squad, including former Whitecaps' backup goalkeeper Srdjan Djekjanovic. That B-squad then went on to roll over and play dead (after notching the game's first goal on a penalty) in a manner that made the Montreal Screwjob look positively fair, all but assuring TFC's triumph. The faces of head coach Teitur Thordarson and the Whitecaps in the stands told the story of the night; first joy, then cautious optimism, then worry and then disbelief.

In the end, though, Vancouver fans don't have anything to be ashamed of. Their side put in a great tournament and may have deserved the trophy. With a credible effort from Montreal, they might even have won it. There's no point in kicking themselves or their franchise over something that in the end was out of their hands. You can bet they'll be fired up for Saturday's USL game against the Impact, though.

Montreal: In many ways, Montreal fans come out of this in the worst situation. They just watched their side demonstrate that they don't care about the Voyageurs Cup when they don't have a chance to win it. The appalling effort shown by the Impact tonight gives Montreal fans nothing to be proud of, and that's made worse by their lacklustre performance handing the championship to their Toronto-based rivals. Montreal's going to take a lot of criticism over the next few days, and much of it will be deserved. That's not the fans' fault, but it's going to be awfully tough for them to defend their franchise at the moment. Tonight's showing brought back horrible memories of the Santos Laguna defeat, and perhaps was even worse. That was an Impact team that had overachieved; just making it to that point was an accomplishment, and getting any sort of result in Mexico is always difficult. Losing by six goals at home to an MLS team with a poor recent run of form? It's hard to find a way to rationalize that.

In the end, I don't think it necessarily means much for Canadian soccer as a whole. Toronto FC will make a great representative for the country in the CONCACAF Champions League, but as I argued a while ago, Vancouver would have as well. Each would bring a different audience to the table, and a run by either will be good for the game. For Toronto, their focus now shifts to the CCL; for Vancouver and Montreal, the mission's now to succeed in the USL and come back hungry for the Voyageurs Cup title next year. It's been a great, thrilling, dramatic tournament, and it's really shown that these sides at their best can compete with each other and give us some fantastic soccer to watch. In my mind, that's the most important thing to take away from this one.

[Cross-posted to Out of Left Field].

Toronto FC - Montreal Impact live blog

Note: Post-game piece is here.

It's the final game of the Voyageurs Cup tonight, with Toronto FC taking on the Montreal Impact. TFC have their backs against the wall and need to win by four to take the title; otherwise, the Vancouver Whitecaps will claim the championship. Montreal have nothing to play for but pride, but don't underestimate that motivation; they certainly won't roll over and play dead against their bitter archrivals from Ontario.

It should be an interesting one with plenty of offence; Toronto will be going for it, and that might provide Montreal with some counterattack opportunities. Kickoff is at 8 p.m., and the game will be televised on all regions of Rogers Sportsnet. I'll be live-blogging the game here and at The 24th Minute as well, so come join in the fun then!