The last one of these was a lot of fun, so we're doing it again! Join me and a cast of Internet types for a live blog of tonight's Vancouver - Chicago game. Will the Canucks sweep the series, or will the Blackhawks live to fight another day? Find out in the live blog below, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. Pacific). All are welcome to join!
Showing posts with label live blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label live blogs. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Canucks - Blackhawks Game II live blog
I'll be live-blogging tonight's Canucks - Blackhawks clash with an assortment of interweb friends, including Beau Brace and Josh Koebert. Vancouver's up 1-0 in the series after a 2-0 win Wednesday night, but Chicago certainly can't be written off yet. Everyone's welcome; drop in and give us your thoughts on the game, the series and the rest of the playoffs so far. The puck drops in Vancouver at 7 p.m. local (10 p.m. Eastern), so swing by and join us then!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Whitecaps - Islanders playoff live blog, Leg II
After a 0-0 tie in Puerto Rico in the first leg of their USSF-II semifinal, the Vancouver Whitecaps have returned home (on the same flight as the Islanders) for the rematch. They take on Puerto Rico today at 4 p.m., and I'll be live-blogging it from Vancouver's Swangard Stadium. Wes Knight is back in the lineup, which should give the Whitecaps a boost, but facing the Islanders in an elimination game is never easy. Check out game previews from Marc Weber, Ben Massey, Simon Fudge and Bruce Constantineau, then come join me at 4 for the game!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Vancouver Whitecaps - Puerto Rico Islanders playoff live blog, Leg One
After narrowly surviving the Portland Timbers in the first round of the USSF-2 playoffs, the Vancouver Whitecaps hope to continue their run against the Puerto Rico Islanders, who upset top-seeded Rochester in the first round. Game One is today at 8 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Pacific in Puerto Rico. The Whitecaps are webcasting it, and it will be live-blogged here (as long as the webcast's working; Puerto Rico isn't on their usual ground, and I know Rochester had some issues trying to get a webcast from the temporary ground).
To get ready for this one, check out the game previews from Ben Massey, Marc Weber, Simon Fudge and Bruce Constantineau. After looking through those, come join me for the live blog below!
To get ready for this one, check out the game previews from Ben Massey, Marc Weber, Simon Fudge and Bruce Constantineau. After looking through those, come join me for the live blog below!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Whitecaps - Timbers: Second-leg live blog
The Vancouver Whitecaps have a 2-0 aggregate lead heading into the second leg of their USSF Division II playoff series in Portland today, but the Timbers aren't going to be an easy foe to dispatch. The game's at 9 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. Pacific) tonight, and will be streamed through the Whitecaps' website. I'll be live-blogging it here and at The 24th Minute. Check out the previews from Marc Weber, Bruce Constantineau, Simon Fudge and Ben Massey, and then come join me at 6 for the live blog!
Thursday, October 07, 2010
PLAYOFFS!!!!1111 (Whitecaps - Timbers live blog)
I'll be live-blogging tonight's Vancouver Whitecaps - Portland Timbers USSF-II playoff game from the Swangard Stadium press box. It should be a good one, as this rivalry's always interesting on its own and the playoff atmosphere should only add to that. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. Eastern/7:30 p.m. Pacific, and you can watch the game on the Whitecaps' site here. Come join me then!
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:
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]
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]
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Vancouver Whitecaps - Austin Aztex live blog
After another month-long road trip, the Vancouver Whitecaps return home today [Simon Fudge, WhitecapsFC.com] to face the Austin Aztex [Benjamin Massey, Eighty-Six Forever] in a game I'll be live-blogging. It will be their first match at home in almost five weeks [Marc Weber, The Province]. Their last home fixture was a 1-1 draw against Minnesota all the way back on July 25.
The team went 2-0-3 on their month-long road trip, picking up wins at Montreal and Minnesota and earning draws with Carolina, St. Louis and Tampa Bay. They've also undergone quite the roster makeover in that time [Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun: I focused on the reasons behind that in my World Soccer Reader column a few weeks back, but the changes have come even faster and on a wider scale than I would have imagined.
We should see some of the new faces in the lineup today; Weber expects 19-year-old Swiss forward Ridge Mobulu to start, with 22-year-old American striker Cody Arnoux and 22-year-old Costa Rican striker Jonathan McDonald predicted to come off the bench. Greg Janicki is suspended and Nelson Akwari is injured, so SFU product Luca Bellisomo will drop back into central defence and will partner with Zurab Tsiskaridze, who moves in from the wingback slot. It's also keeper Jay Nolly's 100th match for the club.
Vancouver is first in the NASL Conference, but full points here could still be quite important for them as Carolina is only five points back. They aren't facing an easy opponent, though; the Aztex are second in the USL conference with a 13-3-6 record and are only three points back of Rochester for first with four games in hand. They also feature Manchester United academy product Eddie Johnson, who's second in the league in goals with 10 in 21 games. Maxwell Griffin and Jamie Watson have added seven and six more respectively, so Austin can be very dangerous in attack. They are coming off a 1-1 draw in Portland [James Clay, Native Aztexan] only two days ago, though, so they may be more tired than usual or have to go to a heavily-rotated lineup. It should be an interesting one to watch. I'll be live-blogging from the Swangard Stadium press box starting at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific: come join me then!
The team went 2-0-3 on their month-long road trip, picking up wins at Montreal and Minnesota and earning draws with Carolina, St. Louis and Tampa Bay. They've also undergone quite the roster makeover in that time [Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun: I focused on the reasons behind that in my World Soccer Reader column a few weeks back, but the changes have come even faster and on a wider scale than I would have imagined.
We should see some of the new faces in the lineup today; Weber expects 19-year-old Swiss forward Ridge Mobulu to start, with 22-year-old American striker Cody Arnoux and 22-year-old Costa Rican striker Jonathan McDonald predicted to come off the bench. Greg Janicki is suspended and Nelson Akwari is injured, so SFU product Luca Bellisomo will drop back into central defence and will partner with Zurab Tsiskaridze, who moves in from the wingback slot. It's also keeper Jay Nolly's 100th match for the club.
Vancouver is first in the NASL Conference, but full points here could still be quite important for them as Carolina is only five points back. They aren't facing an easy opponent, though; the Aztex are second in the USL conference with a 13-3-6 record and are only three points back of Rochester for first with four games in hand. They also feature Manchester United academy product Eddie Johnson, who's second in the league in goals with 10 in 21 games. Maxwell Griffin and Jamie Watson have added seven and six more respectively, so Austin can be very dangerous in attack. They are coming off a 1-1 draw in Portland [James Clay, Native Aztexan] only two days ago, though, so they may be more tired than usual or have to go to a heavily-rotated lineup. It should be an interesting one to watch. I'll be live-blogging from the Swangard Stadium press box starting at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific: come join me then!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Whitecaps - Minnesota live blog
The weekend of Whitecaps coverage continues here and at The 24th Minute. I'll be live-blogging tonight's clash against the NSC Minnesota Stars. Kickoff is at 10 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Pacific. Here are match previews from Simon Fudge of WhitecapsFC.com and Marc Weber of The Province. Check them out, then join me at 7 for the live blog!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Whitecaps - Timbers live blog
I'll be live-blogging tonight's Vancouver Whitecaps - Portland Timbers clash tonight at 7:30 p.m. Pacific (10:30 p.m. Eastern), both here and over at [The 24th Minute]. The rivalry games between these sides, both set to join MLS next year, are always interesting on their own, but this one comes with some extra importance. It's only two days since Vancouver made an interesting trade [Marc Weber, The Province], sending FC Tampa Bay a pair of fine midfielders in former USL-1 MVP Jonny Steele and all-star Ricardo Sanchez in return for future considerations.
It's a curious move from a pure talent perspective, as both Sanchez and Steele had been tremendously successful at the USL-1 level and had played well with the Whitecaps when called upon. However, when you consider other factors, this makes more sense. Vancouver has quite a bit of midfield depth, and the starting central tandem of Martin Nash and Luca Bellisomo has played quite well. Sanchez and Steele were valuable as substitutes or for depth purposes, but neither was probably all that happy with that role. Moreover, moving them out allows the Whitecaps to find more playing time for younger players like Nizar Khalfan, Ethan Gage and Alex Elliott. Perhaps most importantly, the move frees up two of Vancouver's allowed eight international slots, which may let them bring in some other players.
For the moment, though, the Whitecaps have less proven midfield options. Tonight will be an interesting chance to see who takes the place of Steele and Sanchez. Join me at 7:30 for the live blog!
It's a curious move from a pure talent perspective, as both Sanchez and Steele had been tremendously successful at the USL-1 level and had played well with the Whitecaps when called upon. However, when you consider other factors, this makes more sense. Vancouver has quite a bit of midfield depth, and the starting central tandem of Martin Nash and Luca Bellisomo has played quite well. Sanchez and Steele were valuable as substitutes or for depth purposes, but neither was probably all that happy with that role. Moreover, moving them out allows the Whitecaps to find more playing time for younger players like Nizar Khalfan, Ethan Gage and Alex Elliott. Perhaps most importantly, the move frees up two of Vancouver's allowed eight international slots, which may let them bring in some other players.
For the moment, though, the Whitecaps have less proven midfield options. Tonight will be an interesting chance to see who takes the place of Steele and Sanchez. Join me at 7:30 for the live blog!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Whitecaps - Miami FC live blog
I'll be live-blogging tonight's Vancouver Whitecaps - Miami FC USSF Division II match from the Swangard Stadium press box tonight. Come swing by! Game time is 10:30 p.m. Eastern/7:30 p.m. Pacific.
Friday, July 09, 2010
The Whole 110 Yards: An opening week to remember
I'm planning plenty of CFL coverage this year, including bringing back the weekly The Whole 110 Yards column that I used to write at The Rookies. Here's the initial installment, breaking down last week's games and previewing this week's clashes. I'm also live-blogging tonight's Friday Night Football game over at CFL.ca with Brian Wawryshyn and Tyler Bieber; make sure to swing by there!
Game of the Week: Saskatchewan 54, Montreal 51 [CP, via Yahoo!]
This rematch of the 2009 Grey Cup was almost as spectacular. The Riders trailed 33-12 early on in the second half, but scored four second-half touchdowns to send the game to overtime and then added another two to seal the third-highest scoring game in CFL history in the extra frame. Darian Durant (North Carolina) started the game poorly, but turned in a tremendous second half and finished with 29 completions on 44 attempts for 581 yards and five touchdowns, with no interceptions. The Riders' Canadian receivers had a great day, too, with Andy Fantuz (Western) hauling in eight passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns and Rob Bagg (Queen's) catching four passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Interestingly enough, Saskatchewan was almost doomed again by a too-many-men call the way they were in the Grey Cup. They scored first in extra time and converted the two-point conversion the new overtime rules forced them to make [Mark Masters, National Post]. They then played strong defence, and actually forced Montreal to fail on a third-down conversion attempt, but somehow yet again had too many guys on the field. That gave the Alouettes another chance. Avon Cobourne (West Virginia) ran the ball down to the two-yard line, and then Anthony Calvillo (Utah State) found S.J. Green (South Florida) for both the touchdown and the two-point conversion to send the game to a second round of overtime.
Montreal got the ball first in the second round, but they could only manage a field goal. That allowed Saskatchewan to recover from their earlier mistake, and they only needed two plays to do so. Durant hit Weston Dressler (North Dakota) for 33 yards and then found him again on a three-yard pass into the end zone, giving the Roughriders the win and momentarily banishing memories of the too-many-men call. This game demonstrated the offensive skill and flair the CFL can often offer, and it also showed that both of last year's Grey Cup finalists remain teams not to be trifled with.
Other games:
Calgary 30, Toronto 16:
The second half of the Canada Day doubleheader didn't live up to the first game for sheer excitement, but it still offered some compelling football [CFL.ca]. One of the big stories was Stampeders' rookie kicker Rob Maver (Guelph), who they drafted fifth overall this year to replace Sandro DeAngelis (Nebraska). Maver hit five of six field goals, but missed one from 42 yards. Still, it was a very impressive debut for him. Quarterback Henry Burris (Temple) was okay, completing 27 of 40 passes for 324 yards, but he wasn't able to throw a touchdown pass. Running back Joffrey Reynolds (Houston) had a solid game for Calgary, rushing 17 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. The new-look Argos, under former Calgary head coach and GM Jim Barker, looked more like the old woeful Argos, but quarterback Cleo Lemon (Arkansas State) did show some promise. Overall, this game suggested that both of these teams will still need some work.
Winnipeg 49, Hamilton 29:
This game saw the triumphant return [Winnipeg Free Press] of quarterback Buck Pierce (New Mexico State). Pierce had some stellar moments in previous years with B.C., but always seemed to get hurt just before he really broke through. He put in a great showing in this one, though, completing 17 of 25 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns and rushing six times for 89 yards and another touchdown. Fred Reid (Mississippi State) added some more cowbell, rushing for 97 yards on 13 carries. Hamilton was very underwhelming, though; many expected them to do well this year, but they really struggled in this game. They'll have to improve quite a bit if they want to contend for the East Division title this year.
B.C. 25, Edmonton 10:
This was the most defensively-oriented of any of the Week One games. Edmonton was able to move the ball, with quarterback Ricky Ray (Sacramento State) completing 27 of 40 passes for 229 yards and running back Arkee Whitlock (Southern Illinois) rushing 16 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. They couldn't put many points on the board, though, largely thanks to two Ray fumbles. B.C. struggled to move the chains, especially through the air, but running back Jamal Robertson (Ohio Northern) got it done, rushing 10 times for 168 yards and a touchdown. Kicker Paul McCallum (Surrey Rams), the oldest player in the CFL, sealed the victory, going six-for-six on field goals and adding a conversion for 19 points. The field may have played a factor, as it seemed pretty slippery, but both offenses will definitely need to do some more work.
Off-Field Story Of The Week: "Head coach Ken Miller warns of someone impersonating a Rider in Regina"
As the Kurtenblog guys pointed out, only in Regina would anyone try to impersonate a CFL player.
Match to watch: Saskatchewan at B.C., 7 p.m. Pacific/10 p.m. Eastern Saturday.
This should be a tremendous one. Saskatchewan's fresh off beating the Grey Cup champions, and they'll look to maintain their place at the top of the West Division. B.C.'s also coming off a win, and they'll be opening their new outdoor stadium at Empire Field. Sounds like guaranteed excitement to me.
Other upcoming games:
Toronto at Winnipeg: 5 p.m. Pacific/8 p.m. Eastern Friday.
Calgary at Hamilton: 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern Saturday.
Montreal at Edmonton: 4 p.m. Pacific/7 p.m. Eastern Sunday.
Predictions:
WPG over TOR, CAL over HAM, BC over SSK, MON over EDM
Tune in next week for the next installment of The Whole 110 Yards!
Game of the Week: Saskatchewan 54, Montreal 51 [CP, via Yahoo!]
This rematch of the 2009 Grey Cup was almost as spectacular. The Riders trailed 33-12 early on in the second half, but scored four second-half touchdowns to send the game to overtime and then added another two to seal the third-highest scoring game in CFL history in the extra frame. Darian Durant (North Carolina) started the game poorly, but turned in a tremendous second half and finished with 29 completions on 44 attempts for 581 yards and five touchdowns, with no interceptions. The Riders' Canadian receivers had a great day, too, with Andy Fantuz (Western) hauling in eight passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns and Rob Bagg (Queen's) catching four passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Interestingly enough, Saskatchewan was almost doomed again by a too-many-men call the way they were in the Grey Cup. They scored first in extra time and converted the two-point conversion the new overtime rules forced them to make [Mark Masters, National Post]. They then played strong defence, and actually forced Montreal to fail on a third-down conversion attempt, but somehow yet again had too many guys on the field. That gave the Alouettes another chance. Avon Cobourne (West Virginia) ran the ball down to the two-yard line, and then Anthony Calvillo (Utah State) found S.J. Green (South Florida) for both the touchdown and the two-point conversion to send the game to a second round of overtime.
Montreal got the ball first in the second round, but they could only manage a field goal. That allowed Saskatchewan to recover from their earlier mistake, and they only needed two plays to do so. Durant hit Weston Dressler (North Dakota) for 33 yards and then found him again on a three-yard pass into the end zone, giving the Roughriders the win and momentarily banishing memories of the too-many-men call. This game demonstrated the offensive skill and flair the CFL can often offer, and it also showed that both of last year's Grey Cup finalists remain teams not to be trifled with.
Other games:
Calgary 30, Toronto 16:
The second half of the Canada Day doubleheader didn't live up to the first game for sheer excitement, but it still offered some compelling football [CFL.ca]. One of the big stories was Stampeders' rookie kicker Rob Maver (Guelph), who they drafted fifth overall this year to replace Sandro DeAngelis (Nebraska). Maver hit five of six field goals, but missed one from 42 yards. Still, it was a very impressive debut for him. Quarterback Henry Burris (Temple) was okay, completing 27 of 40 passes for 324 yards, but he wasn't able to throw a touchdown pass. Running back Joffrey Reynolds (Houston) had a solid game for Calgary, rushing 17 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. The new-look Argos, under former Calgary head coach and GM Jim Barker, looked more like the old woeful Argos, but quarterback Cleo Lemon (Arkansas State) did show some promise. Overall, this game suggested that both of these teams will still need some work.
Winnipeg 49, Hamilton 29:
This game saw the triumphant return [Winnipeg Free Press] of quarterback Buck Pierce (New Mexico State). Pierce had some stellar moments in previous years with B.C., but always seemed to get hurt just before he really broke through. He put in a great showing in this one, though, completing 17 of 25 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns and rushing six times for 89 yards and another touchdown. Fred Reid (Mississippi State) added some more cowbell, rushing for 97 yards on 13 carries. Hamilton was very underwhelming, though; many expected them to do well this year, but they really struggled in this game. They'll have to improve quite a bit if they want to contend for the East Division title this year.
B.C. 25, Edmonton 10:
This was the most defensively-oriented of any of the Week One games. Edmonton was able to move the ball, with quarterback Ricky Ray (Sacramento State) completing 27 of 40 passes for 229 yards and running back Arkee Whitlock (Southern Illinois) rushing 16 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. They couldn't put many points on the board, though, largely thanks to two Ray fumbles. B.C. struggled to move the chains, especially through the air, but running back Jamal Robertson (Ohio Northern) got it done, rushing 10 times for 168 yards and a touchdown. Kicker Paul McCallum (Surrey Rams), the oldest player in the CFL, sealed the victory, going six-for-six on field goals and adding a conversion for 19 points. The field may have played a factor, as it seemed pretty slippery, but both offenses will definitely need to do some more work.
Off-Field Story Of The Week: "Head coach Ken Miller warns of someone impersonating a Rider in Regina"
As the Kurtenblog guys pointed out, only in Regina would anyone try to impersonate a CFL player.
Match to watch: Saskatchewan at B.C., 7 p.m. Pacific/10 p.m. Eastern Saturday.
This should be a tremendous one. Saskatchewan's fresh off beating the Grey Cup champions, and they'll look to maintain their place at the top of the West Division. B.C.'s also coming off a win, and they'll be opening their new outdoor stadium at Empire Field. Sounds like guaranteed excitement to me.
Other upcoming games:
Toronto at Winnipeg: 5 p.m. Pacific/8 p.m. Eastern Friday.
Calgary at Hamilton: 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern Saturday.
Montreal at Edmonton: 4 p.m. Pacific/7 p.m. Eastern Sunday.
Predictions:
WPG over TOR, CAL over HAM, BC over SSK, MON over EDM
Tune in next week for the next installment of The Whole 110 Yards!
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Whitecaps - AC St. Louis live blog
The Vancouver Whitecaps are playing their first home game in almost a month tonight against AC St. Louis, and I'll be there at Swangard Stadium to live blog it. The Whitecaps are in good shape coming into this one; they're 6-2-7 on the season, and went 2-0-3 on their recent five-game road trip from hell where they criss-crossed North America from Puerto Rico to Montreal. They're in first place in the NASL Conference and are the only USSF Division II team to have conceded less than 10 goals on the season [Simon Fudge, WhitecapsFC.com]. They've only allowed eight goals against in league play. Still, as Marc Weber points out in his preview, they're still looking for consistent goal-scoring, and this week's club-imposed suspension of Dever Orgill over a training incident might result in some further new looks up front. The match will start at 7:30 p.m. Pacific (10:30 p.m. Eastern); come join me for the live blog then!
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Whitecaps - RailHawks live blog
I'll be live-blogging the Vancouver Whitecaps - Carolina RailHawks USSF Division II clash tonight from Swangard Stadium. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Pacific, and the match can be watched via webcast at whitecapsfc.com. Come join me then!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
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!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Whitecaps - Rhinos live blog
I'll be live-blogging tonight's USSF Division II game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Rochester Rhinos. Kickoff is at 10 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Pacific. A video feed of the action can be found on the Whitecaps' website. Come join me then!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Toronto FC - Vancouver Whitecaps live blog
I'll be live-blogging tonight's crucial Voyageurs Cup game [Marc Weber, The Province] between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC here and at The 24th Minute. It could be the game of the season for Vancouver, or it could give Toronto FC another Nutrilite Canadian Championship. Kickoff is at 7:37 p.m. Pacific/10:37 p.m. Eastern, but we'll kick off the coverage around 7:30. Come join me then!
Update: My game preview is posted over at Fighting For Canadian Supremacy. Check it out!
Update: My game preview is posted over at Fighting For Canadian Supremacy. Check it out!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
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!
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!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Canucks - Blackhawks: Game Six
The Canucks came through in the crunch last time on the road, but can they pull it off again at home? They're still down 3-2 in the series, even if they may be buoyed by the return of Sami Salo. Will the Canucks continue their run, or will the Blackhawks close out the series? Find out in the live blog below!
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Canucks - Blackhawks: Game Five, This Is What It Comes To
With their backs against the wall, this is what it all comes down to for the Vancouver Canucks. Down three games to one, in hostile territory on the road, they need to get a win here. If they can't pull it off, the dream of lifting the Stanley Cup will die for another year. Can they do it? Find out in the live blog below:
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