Steven Sandor's Blog, page 13

Inescapably Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 26/USL Week 24

First off, let’s salute Toronto FC’s Jonathan Osorio, as well as Indy Eleven’s Karl Ouimette, Swope Park Rangers’ Amer Didic, Bethlehem Steel’s Chris Nanco and OKC Energy’s Marco Bustos, who all found the back of the net this week.

But, this is a good time to compare where we are this year compared to this time last year, in terms of minutes played by Canadians in North America’s first and second division.

At this time last year, 26 Canadians had played in MLS, five with more than 1,000 minutes, one with more than 2,000 minutes.

This year, 29 Canadians have played in MLS, seven with more than 1,000 minutes, one with more than 2,000 minutes (take a bow, Samuel Piette). So, no shaking it; Canadian content in MLS is up this year.

When it comes to second divisions, it gets complicated. There were two second divisions last season — USL and NASL. This year,  there was only one. Last year, 68 Canadians played in USL, and 15 played in NASL. But two — Max Tissot and Ben McKendry — played in both leagues. So, in total, 81 Canadians played in the second divisions, four with more than 2,000 minutes, 34 with more than 1,000 minutes.

This year, 71 Canadians have played in USL, four with more than 2,000 minutes and 29 with more than 1,000 minutes.

So, the loss of NASL — especially FC Edmonton — has impacted the Canadian player pool in the second division, with 10 fewer Canadians appearing in second-division soccer so far this year over the same period of time last year.

 

Here are the rankings after the 26th week of MLS play/24th week of USL action

 

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Samuel Piette, Montreal, 2370 (27)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 1982 (23)
Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 1815 (24)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 1621 (21)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, LAFC, 1582 (20)
Raheem Edwards, Montreal/Chicago, 1296 (20)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 1200 (16)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 953 (15)
Dejan Jakovic, LAFC, 847 (11)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 808 (13)
Ryan Telfer, TFC, 796 (14)
Jordan Hamilton,TFC, 789 (12)
Jay Chapman, TFC, 726 (14)
Michael Petrasso, Montreal, 692 (13)
Doneil Henry, Vancouver, 630 (7)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 570 (15)
Tosaint Ricketts, TFC, 554 (15)
Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, 482 (12)
Brett Levis, Vancouver, 427 (7)
Liam Fraser, TFC, 389 (7)
Shamit Shome, Montreal, 249 (5)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 154 (6)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 143 (6)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 109 (4)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFC, 104 (2)
Brian Wright, New England, 72 (6)
Mathieu Choiniere, Montreal, 26 (2)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 12 (1)
Aidan Daniels, TFC, 12 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

Toronto FC, 6162/25 (246.5)

Vancouver, 5025/26 (193.3)

Montreal, 4561/27 (168.9)

LAFC, 2272/26 (87.4)

Orlando City, 1775/25 (71)

FC Dallas, 482/25 (19.3)

Chicago, 490/27 (18.1)

NYCFC, 143/26 (5.5)

New England, 72/25 (2.9)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Jordan Schweitzer, Colorado Springs, 2354 (27)
Maxime Crepeau, Ottawa, 2250 (25)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 2075 (26)
Eddie Edward, Ottawa, 2025 (23)
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 1961 (24)
Kyle Bekker, NCFC, 1944 (24)
Karl Ouimette, Indy, 1860 (21)
Jordan Dover, Pittsburgh, 1850 (21)
Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, Ottawa, 1769 (20)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 1700 (20)
Robert Boskovic, TFCII, 1699 (20)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 1606 (22)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 1529 (20)
Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, 1470 (17)
Adonijah Reid, Ottawa, 1462 (23)
Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, Fresno, 1426 (16)
Chris Mannella, Ottawa, 1382 (21)
Drew Beckie, OKC Energy, 1350 (15)
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 1296 (19)
Josh Heard, Real Monarchs SLC, 1293 (18)
Nana Attakora, Ottawa, 1260 (14)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 1189 (18)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 1164 (20)
Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Fresno, 1117 (13)
Chris Nanco, Bethlehem Steel, 1072 (24)
Dante Campbell, TFCII, 1052 (14)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 1049 (15)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 1014 (12)
Noah Verhoeven, Fresno, 1003 (21)
Mastanabal Kacher, Real Monarchs SLC, 921 (16)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 838 (17)
Ryan James, Nashville, 812 (12)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFCII, 810 (9)
Noble Okello Ayo, TFCII, 766 (11)
Tyler Pasher, Indy, 641 (9)
Kyle Porter, Ottawa/Tampa Bay, 552 (7)
Keven Aleman, Sacramento, 500 (10)
Daniel Haber, FC Cincinnati/Ottawa, 470 (15)
David Edgar, Nashville/Ottawa, 470 (8)
Mauro Eustaquio, Penn FC, 462 (7)
Jordan Faria, TFCII, 453 (10)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 450 (5)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 450 (5)
Darrin MacLeod, Swope Park Rangers, 450 (5)
Mallan Roberts, Richmond, 450 (5)
Jordan Hamilton, TFCII, 442 (6)
Gianluca Catalano, TFCII, 434 (5)
Luca Petrasso, TFCII, 418 (7)
Michael Cox, Nashville/Saint Louis, 348 (8)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 342 (14)
Zak Drake, Las Vegas, 296 (6)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Reno, 278 (4)
Doneil Henry, Ottawa, 270 (3)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 252 (4)
Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, Ottawa, 219 (4)
Steffen Yeates, TFCII, 196 (4)
Callum Irving, Ottawa, 180 (2)
Matthew Baldisimo, Fresno, 174 (2)
Daniel Kinumbe, Ottawa, 166 (3)
Kunle Dada-Luke, TFCII, 147 (4)
Luca Ricci, Phoenix, 119 (3)
Daniel Da Silva, TFCII, 59 (1)
Terran Campbell, Fresno, 53 (5)
Clement Bayiha, Ottawa, 50 (2)
Gabriel Wiethaeuper-Balbinotti, Ottawa, 50 (2)
Maxim Tissot, Ottawa, 48 (2)
Monti Mohsen, Ottawa, 45 (1)
Terique Mohammed, TFCII, 39 (3)
Marco Bustos, OKC Energy, 32 (2)
Malyk Hamilton, TFCII, 11 (1)
Jordan Dunstan, Nashville, 1 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

TFCII, 14696/23 (639)

Ottawa, 15572/27 (576.7)

Fresno, 3772/27 (139.7)

Indy Eleven, 2681/25 (107.2)

Real Monarchs SLC, 2214/25 (88.6)

Colorado Springs, 2354/27 (87.2)

Tulsa, 1961/24 (81.7)

NCFC, 1944/25 (77.8)

Pittsburgh, 1850/24 (77.1)

Swope Park Rangers, 1920/26 (73.8)

Charleston, 1700/26 (65.4)

Reno, 1327/24 (55.3)

Nashville, 1277/24 (53.2)

OKC Energy, 1382/27 (51.2)

Bethlehem Steel, 1072/28 (38.3)

Penn FC, 462/24 (19.3)

Sacramento, 500/26 (19.2)

Richmond, 450/25 (18)

Phoenix, 461/26 (17.7)

Tampa Bay, 352/25 (14.1)

Las Vegas, 296/24 (12.3)

FC Cincinnati, 201/26 (7.7)

Saint Louis FC, 84/24 (3.5)

 

From YBB to Pacific FC; Simpson and Silberbauer back together again

Go back a half-decade. The location: Switzerland. Canadian international Josh Simpson is teammates with Danish veteran Michael Silberbauer at Young Boys Bern.

Now, fast forward to the present, as now-Pacific FC President Simpson is at a podium in Langford, B.C., introducing Silberbauer as the first head coach in the new Canadian Premier League team’s history. British Columbian James Merriman, former residency coach with the Whitecaps, will be Silberbauer’s assistant.

Simpson called Silberbauer, who is the first foreigner to get a head coaching job in the CanPL, a “shooting star.” CEO Rob Friend said that the club went through more than 100 candidates for the job before settling on the Dane, who has 25 caps for his national side and won three domestic titles with Copenhagen.

Silberbauer said the existing relationship with Simpson was a big factor in him taking the job.

“It’s important, for sure, that this came from someone you can trust, who you don’t have to background check at all. I know what he’s about, and when he talks, I listen.”

Friend said that the club was looking for a coach who possessed the technical foundation to support the growth of the game locally, but also had a global perspective.

Silberbauer was relegated to working with U21 team when he was at YBB. He first saw it, of course, as a demotion, a signal that his skills had waned. But, something funny happened; he was energized by the passion of the kids who were willing to fight tooth and nail to make it to the first team. He became a mentor, and some of those kids went on to be Swiss champions; others went to the Bundesliga and the Premier League. And he recognized that he absolutely loved coaching.

He is currently an assistant at Luzern and will finish the current Swiss league season with the club. He will take over at Pacific FC once that contract expires.

But he said he relishes what is a “unique” opportunity in the Canadian Premier League. Usually, when a coach gets a job, he inherits players and systems from a previous regime. It can take years before a new coach can turn over things to the point where he can say the club is truly his. In CanPL, though, Silberbauer has the chance to work with a blank slate,

“We have a plan in place,” he said.

But, he said he is not the type of coach to impose systems on a team, then try to force players to fit into previously defined tactical roles. He will learn from his players, learn what they can do, and then work with systems that bring the best out of them.

“There is no point in asking a player to do something he cannot do,” he said.

As the first non-Canadian to be named as a CanPL head coach, I asked Silberbauer if there was any extra pressure on him. He didn’t think so.

“I think all of the new coaches, we’re in the same boat.”

Inescapably Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 25/USL Week 23

In this column, we tend to lean towards highlighting the Canadians who find the back of the net. But, this week, we’ll begin our recap of Canadians playing in MLS and USL by saluting Ottawa goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who, with two cleans sheets this past week, took over the USL lead in that category.

Crepeau’s exploits helped Ottawa to a win over Richmond and a draw with the Fury’s old NASL rival, the Indy Eleven.

Speaking of the NASL, Kyle Bekker won an NASL title with San Francisco just before the league went on hiatus. Bekker scored a peach of a free-kick goal for North Carolina FC in Indy this past week, albeit it in a losing effort.

And Canadian Zachary Ellis-Hayden got a winning goal this past weekend for Fresno. It was his first goal for the club, to boot.

And, Marco Bustos, the former Whitecaps, made his OKC Energy debut this past weekend, where he joins fellow Canadian Drew Beckie, who has been eating up the minutes since he was signed. Beckie hasn’t missed a minute of action in the 14 games he’s been with OKC.

 

Here are the rankings after the 25th week of MLS play/23rd week of USL action:

 

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Samuel Piette, Montreal, 2280 (26)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 1892 (22)
Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 1725 (23)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, LAFC, 1582 (20)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 1534 (20)
Raheem Edwards, Montreal/Chicago, 1206 (19)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 1144 (15)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 863 (14)
Ryan Telfer, TFC, 796 (14)
Jordan Hamilton,TFC, 789 (12)
Dejan Jakovic, LAFC, 784 (10)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 780 (12)
Jay Chapman, TFC, 709 (13)
Michael Petrasso, Montreal, 692 (13)
Doneil Henry, Vancouver, 630 (7)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 570 (15)
Tosaint Ricketts, TFC, 542 (14)
Brett Levis, Vancouver, 427 (7)
Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, 400 (11)
Liam Fraser, TFC, 389 (7)
Shamit Shome, Montreal, 249 (5)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 154 (6)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 143 (6)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 109 (4)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFC, 104 (2)
Brian Wright, New England, 53 (5)
Mathieu Choiniere, Montreal, 26 (2)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 12 (1)
Aidan Daniels, TFC, 12 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

Toronto FC, 6015/24 (250.6)

Vancouver, 4789/25 (191.6)

Montreal, 4471/26 (172)

LAFC, 2209/25 (88.4)

Orlando City, 1688/24 (70.3)

FC Dallas, 400/24 (16.7)

Chicago, 400/26 (15.4)

NYCFC, 143/25 (5.7)

New England, 53/24 (2.2)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Jordan Schweitzer, Colorado Springs, 2270 (26)
Maxime Crepeau, Ottawa, 2070 (23)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 1985 (25)
Eddie Edward, Ottawa, 1890 (21)
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 1877 (23)
Kyle Bekker, NCFC, 1854 (23)
Jordan Dover, Pittsburgh, 1760 (20)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 1681 (19)
Karl Ouimette, Indy, 1680 (19)
Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, Ottawa, 1679 (19)
Robert Boskovic, TFCII, 1619 (19)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 1529 (20)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 1426 (20)
Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, Fresno, 1426 (16)
Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, 1380 (16)
Adonijah Reid, Ottawa, 1359 (21)
Chris Mannella, Ottawa, 1337 (20)
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 1295 (18)
Drew Beckie, OKC Energy, 1260 (14)
Josh Heard, Real Monarchs SLC, 1203 (17)
Nana Attakora, Ottawa, 1170 (13)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 1164 (20)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 1099 (17)
Dante Campbell, TFCII, 1052 (14)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 1049 (15)
Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Fresno, 1027 (12)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 1014 (12)
Chris Nanco, Bethlehem Steel, 975 (22)
Noah Verhoeven, Fresno, 932 (20)
Mastanabal Kacher, Real Monarchs SLC, 894 (15)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 828 (16)
Ryan James, Nashville, 812 (12)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFCII, 810 (9)
Noble Okello Ayo, TFCII, 676 (10)
Tyler Pasher, Indy, 641 (9)
Kyle Porter, Ottawa/Tampa Bay, 552 (7)
Keven Aleman, Sacramento, 495 (9)
Mauro Eustaquio, Penn FC, 462 (7)
Daniel Haber, FC Cincinnati/Ottawa, 457 (14)
Jordan Faria, TFCII, 453 (10)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 450 (5)
Darrin MacLeod, Swope Park Rangers, 450 (5)
Gianluca Catalano, TFCII, 434 (5)
Luca Petrasso, TFCII, 418 (7)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 360 (4)
Mallan Roberts, Richmond, 360 (4)
Jordan Hamilton, TFCII, 352 (5)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 342 (14)
Michael Cox, Nashville/Saint Louis, 322 (7)
Zak Drake, Las Vegas, 296 (6)
David Edgar, Nashville/Ottawa, 290 (6)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Reno, 278 (4)
Doneil Henry, Ottawa, 270 (3)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 252 (4)
Steffen Yeates, TFCII, 196 (4)
Callum Irving, Ottawa, 180 (2)
Matthew Baldisimo, Fresno, 174 (2)
Daniel Kinumbe, Ottawa, 166 (3)
Kunle Dada-Luke, TFCII, 147 (4)
Luca Ricci, Phoenix, 119 (3)
Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, Ottawa, 106 (2)
Daniel Da Silva, TFCII, 59 (1)
Terran Campbell, Fresno, 53 (5)
Gabriel Wiethaeuper-Balbinotti, Ottawa, 50 (2)
Maxim Tissot, Ottawa, 48 (2)
Monti Mohsen, Ottawa, 45 (1)
Terique Mohammed, TFCII, 39 (3)
Marco Bustos, OKC Energy, 19 (1)
Malyk Hamilton, TFCII, 11 (1)
Jordan Dunstan, Nashville, 1 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

TFCII, 14245/22 (647.5)

Ottawa, 14300//25 (572)

Fresno, 3611/26 (138.9)

Indy Eleven, 2501/23 (108.7)

Real Monarchs SLC, 2097/24 (87.4)

Colorado Springs, 2270/26 (87.3)

Tulsa, 1877/23 (81.6)

NCFC, 1854/23 (80.6)

Pittsburgh, 1760/23 (76.5)

Swope Park Rangers, 1830/25 (73.2)

Charleston, 1681/25 (67.2)

Reno, 1327/23 (57.7)

Nashville, 1277/23 (55.5)

OKC Energy, 1279/26 (49.2)

Bethlehem Steel, 975/26 (37.5)

Penn FC, 462/23 (20.1)

Sacramento, 495/25 (19.8)

Phoenix, 461/24 (19.2)

Tampa Bay, 352/23 (15.3)

Richmond, 360/24 (15)

Las Vegas, 296/23 (12.9)

FC Cincinnati, 201/24 (8.4)

Saint Louis FC, 58/23 (2.5)

 

Whitecaps embarrassed by TFC in Canadian Championship finale

Well, for the Whitecaps, at least the air in Toronto isn’t filled with thick forest-fire smoke.

That’s about it when it comes to any sort of a silver lining for the Vancouver Whitecaps. After being absolutely blown out in the second leg of the Canadian Championship final, it’s clear that this club needs to do some serious soul-searching. After Wednesday’s 5-2 loss — a result of Toronto’s unstoppable force meeting the very moveable object that was the Whitecaps’ backline — supporters back in B.C. are already creating their wish lists to be filled by the Alphonso Davies transfer dough. New defenders? Check. New coach? Definitely — the grumbles have turned into rumbles.

It just wasn’t that the Whitecaps gave up five. Jozy Altidore was rampant, scoring a hat trick. The Reds were as sharp offensively as they’ve been all season. But, wow, were the Whitecaps bad. Awful. Insipid.

Maybe it was the fact that Doneil Henry went on wander after wander to the point where his centre back position was merely a suggestion. Or that fullback Marcel De Jong allowed Jay Chapman to fire a cross through his legs, and no one bothered to mark Altidore, giving him an easy tap-in.

Heck, Davies got the mercy hook in the 50th minute, as coach Carl Robinson decided enough was enough for the team’s teenage star.

A breakaway goal from Kei Kamara and a tap-in from Brek Shea after Erik Hurtado dashed around TFC fullback Ashtone Morgan and put the ball in front of goal, well those two goals were the proverbial lipstick on the pig. They shouldn’t be allowed to mitigate what was a shockingly indifferent performance in a Cup final. It was if the Whitecaps hadn’t emotionally recovered from Henry’s late own goal that tied the first leg 2-2.

Through the first half, the Whitecaps were surviving. Sure, they didn’t create much going forward, but the score was still at 2-2 on aggregate. But, by halftime, it was all but over.

First off, TFC’s Justin Morrow played a clever ball to Marky Delgado in the box, and he quickly backheeled the ball into the path of Altidore, who had caught Henry napping. With time and space, Altidore smacked the ball into the net inside the near post.

Henry then lost the ball to Delgado in midfield, then chased the ball out onto the wing as it was played out eventual tournament MVP Jonathan Osorio. Henry left his position behind, then, to compound the issue, couldn’t stop the cross from coming in, which Sebastian Giovinco headed in to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Canadian Championship — since it adopted the tournament format, that is.

The second half began with Whitecaps goalie Stefan Marinovic sprawling to stop an effort from Chapman. But, just seconds later, Chapman was able to punch a low cross through De Jong’s legs that Altidore met for his second goal.

It was 4-0 after the Whitecaps decided not to mark Altidore on a corner, right after Marinovic had made a leaping save to deny Giovinco.

With the score at 4-2, Tosaint Ricketts scored the dagger goal, as he outleaped Henry to get his head to a Michael Bradley free kick.

The Whitecaps have a sad history of losing close, bizarre games to TFC in the Canadian Championship. They decided to change it up this time around — a blowout loss instead. And, while Whitecaps fans can look back to a history of Canadian Championship cursed luck, this time, they can point their fingers at their front office and their players. While Toronto FC’s Cup win is the beginning of the salvaging of their season, the Whitecaps need to find an identity, and they need to find players who can fit in that mould. For too long, the Whitecaps, well, we don’t know who they are, outside of that phenom teen who shows up in the highlight reels. We can’t really say what the Whitecaps style of play is.

But, by losing this Cup final the way that they have, the Whitecaps have used the last bits of fan goodwill and patience that are left (if there really was that much left to begin with). It’s time for Robinson and his Whitecaps charges to answer the most basic of footballing questions: Who are you?

Some improvements to be made to Clarke ahead of FCE’s first CanPL season, but City says added seats will have to wait

It may be a race to get some improvements done to Clarke Stadium ahead of FC Edmonton’s first Canadian Premier League home game next April.

FC Edmonton co-owner Tom Fath, general manager Jay Ball and several supporters appeared in front of the City of Edmonton’s Community and Public Services Committee to discuss the progress that has been made — and what will be needed from council — in a plan the expand Clarke.

The Eddies played home games at Clarke in NASL play from 2012-2017, but did not always get prime choice of dates. Fath reiterated that the new Canadian Premier League, which the team has committed to join, would require FCE be able to draw more revenue from the stadium, have dedicated dressing rooms and that capacity be raised from 4,100 to 7,000. Tom and Dave Fath, FCE’s owners, previously brought in bleachers to raise Clarke’s capacity from 1,200 to 4,100

City administration has recommended that Clarke remain a multi-sport venue, with shared usage between FC Edmonton and other minor sports. Roger Jevne, the city’s director of community facilities, said that some improvements can be made ahead of the kickoff of the 2019 CanPL season, but there’s no way that the City can expand Clarke to 7,000 seats by that time. FC Edmonton, though, could fund a temporary expansion themselves. 

Jevne said that Edmonton will need a mid-size stadium “down the road.”

The immediate question going forward is what kind of seats would be needed — if the budget to expand Clarke is approved by council. Jevne suggested that the seats could be portable, so they could move with FCE if the team moves to a new venue down the road. The city won’t address its budget till November, and debate is expected to take a while.

“We may not be able to make some of these decisions till December,” said Coun. Ben Henderson.

And that’s why the seats present a long-term, not a short-term, question.

Fath warned that the clock is ticking to get other improvements done.

“We will have to try and expedite as much as we can,” he said. “We have this funny thing called winter and it can get in the way.”

Fath admitted that not all of the CanPL requirements are likely to be met in year one.

“You have your realities, and we’re talking with city administration to work with your realities,” said Fath.

Fath reiterated that FCE does not want to displace other users from the city-owned facility. “Absolutely not. It’s a community facility that’s used by many.”

He simply wants “preferential priorities” when it comes to booking dates. During the team’s time in NASL, the Eddies often had to get in line when it came to blocking off game times, even with television commitments.

Fath said that new seats can be added without impacting football. That means that bleachers won’t be placed on the football end zone behind the soccer goal lines. Football Alberta has stated that any extra bleachers would need to be placed 25-30 yards behind the soccer goal lines in order to make room for football’s end zones and a buffer zone — you would want to give a wide receiver sprinting through the end zone time to hit the brakes before he got to the bleachers, after all.

Representatives from Metro Athletics, which books fields for high schools, and Football Alberta said Clarke is necessary because there is a shortage of fields in Edmonton, and already kids are forced to play in venues outside of the city limits because there aren’t enough venues to accommodate them. And Mill Woods, a venue in Edmonton’s south side which has a permanent football field, can’t be used because it can’t be secured so admissions can be charged. Admission fees are needed to help pay for the venue rentals and referees.

Ball said it was vital to get improved washrooms and concessions ahead of the 2019 season.

Jevne said those improvements can be made, such as connecting dressing rooms in the adjoining Commonwealth Stadium Fieldhouse and installing portable washrooms.

MacEwan University came to the committe to support the FCE plan.

The question, as Henderson said, is what will be the solution for soccer long-term. He wondered out loud if a true soccer-specific stadium would be needed in the future.

Councillor Michael Walters asked Jevne if the downtown baseball stadium, Re/Max Field, could be considered as a new soccer stadium. He noted how Portland’s baseball stadium was converted to host the MLS Timbers.

“The idea has been floated several times, we haven’t had a serious discussion on it,” said Jevne.

“We have a large stadium that’s very under-utilized, and it’s a very beautiful park, said Walters.

 

The players speak: Canadian pros talk open up about what they want to see out of the CanPL

By the end of the month, Canadian Premier League coaches will have gathered to discuss some of the technical issues that come with launching a new league. Salary cap, player acquisition mechanisms, those all must be decided.

The league has portrayed itself as being the champion of the independent-club model, and promises a promotion-relegation system will come when the number of pro teams in Canada dictates that it should happen. But, at the same time, there’s an understanding that starting a league from scratch isn’t easy, and there has to be some sort of competitive balance.

So, The 11 reached out to Canadians playing throughout the world to ask them: What would bring them back to Canada to play? How much would they expect to make? What advantages are there in coming back home? What disadvantages are there to coming back home? All the players contacted have significant professional experience, whether it’s in USL, NASL, MLS or Europe. 

If there’s a common theme we heard from the players, it’s that they’re excited that a Canadian Premier League is about to kick off. But they also want owners and administrators to understand that there are some challenges ahead, and there is a worry that, as the CanPL is a brand-new league, that other teams around the world might think that a Canadian player is giving up on an international career by going home and playing in the fledgling circuit. There is a fear of losing work status in the United States, which could hurt MLS prospects in the future. There is a fear that once the European door is closed, it can’t be opened again.

We offered the players who participated anonymity; we understand that they’re under contracts to other teams right now; they can’t be openly talking about playing in the CanPL or being interested in the new league. What follows is their thoughts about the possibility of playing in the new CanPL.

 

Are you willing to play in ANY CanPL city? Or will you only come back if you have some power over where you go?

One player currently in Europe told us that he’s willing to play in his home province (which has multiple teams). Another Canadian playing in Europe told us he’s willing to play anywhere. Another, with NASL experience said: “I would prefer staying at home, but I’m willing to go somewhere else if the money is right.”

From another player who has played in USL, MLS and NASL: “I’d like to have some power over where I’d like to play. I understand the need to make sure all the teams have enough initial quality and experience to compete, but it doesn’t make sense if I were to come back to play out in Halifax. Although with (Stephen) Hart being out there, maybe!”

“Of course I would love to choose where I play. But if you look at North America system, there isn’t very much there, is there. There are three teams I would love to play for, and if I can get to one of those teams that would be an enticement for me to come to play in Canada.”

Many of the players stated that they wouldn’t shut the door on playing on the East Coast, but they’d  need more money to play in Halifax, because of the travel and the fact they’d be a great distance from their families.

How much is travel a concern?

“Travel is not a big issue, but we must be in opposition city the day before.”

“Travel does not concern me, I am used to it.”

“Can’t be worse than my last three years, so no not a concern.”

“Well if you’ve played MLS, NASL or USL I think you can understand the travel distances. Flying has to happen, so as long as teams can fly out two days before for the long distance games, Victoria to Halifax for example, then I think that is fine. Big concern is how many players will have the mental capacity to do that and perform. It takes a while to develop that ability and keep quality high.”

“Travel is not an issue. I’m used to travelling the world.”

Is there a line in the sand where the money isn’t enough to make you leave USL or Europe or another league?

“I would say minimum salary for me would be CDN $40k, plus accommodation provided, to leave Europe. My next contract offer this year if I made the first team (at my European club)  would be more so I am willing to compromise to play CPL.”

“35-45K is fair.”

“I would say no to anything under 5k a month.”

“Yes there are many offers I’d say no to. Anything below 75k Canadian I’d not consider. It has to be able to compete with U.S. or European offers to attract good, experienced pros to make the league have some validity. An example for myself is my green-card situation, if I were to sign a long-term deal up there in the future, I’d have to make sure I get the right paperwork in place to keep (the green card) because if I am out of the U.S. too long, I can lose it. There is also the issue of not having much credit history in Canada for many guys.” (Because so many Canadians leave to play abroad when they’re young, their credit histories are foreign).

“I’ve read the average salary is going to be $40,000 to 60,000. That’s a good starting point. For me, the line in the sand is upward on the average. If CPL wants to compete with MLS down the road, which they’ve said they want to do, there is room to grow.”

Do you expect contracts to be guaranteed? How do you hope option years will be handled?

(Those who took the survey were unanimous in stating that contracts need to be guaranteed for experienced players. There’s significant risk for a player to leave USL or Europe for the CanPL, and they would want to see that faith rewarded with guaranteed deals.)

“Yes. Guaranteed contract plus bonus for appearances and wins like in Europe. Would expect two-year deal, straight or 1+1 option.”

“Yes, guaranteed contracts. No waivers or pre-season cuts once the contract is agreed.”

“I would expect contracts to be guaranteed. In the league that will be deemed as professional and tier-one in Canada, it is important for player to have security, especially if he is coming back to Canada from places like Europe.”

“Guaranteed contracts are great and I think necessary to attract players, too. Now they could offer 10 to 15 guaranteed deals and 10 semi-guaranteed or whatever, just as MLS does, but again I don’t know how many players per roster and what the budgets look like. Option years should be discussed but clubs like to protect themselves with the team having the ability to keep a player’s option or not. I think more experienced guys will have the ability to have an opt-in or opt-out clause. Big advantage for CPL is national healthcare. It’s shocking that USL does not offer medical insurance for players. I was livid when I heard that. My private insurance costs me a boatload!”

“I would assume everything would be guaranteed, just like the NASL. There is risk, stepping into the unknown. We don’t know what league will actually be, or who will be playing in it.” (This player added that he’d like to ensure that there isn’t a clause where a team can stop paying a player on a two-year contract after the off-season of season one, which he’s seen happen in other leagues.)

Any other concerns you have about the CanPL?

“I am interested to see the types of practice facilities that will be available to teams. For example, both Edmonton and Calgary have indoor facilities that can be utilized for training in preseason because the weather will still surely be very cold. Along with facilities will come the physio and doctor’s team — I am interested to see how that will pan out.”

“Only concern for me is playing standard of the league; Would it be comparable with a tier 1/2/3 league in Europe or more NCAA level?”

“A salary cap under a million is a bit worrying. I’m hoping you can’t get traded just like in the MLS.” (Pacific FC owner Dean Shillington indicated to Business in Vancouver that he wants the cap to be under $1 million)

“I don’t know too much else about the league. A few have expressed that the CPL could be a league for older guys to retire into and if younger guys such as my age were to take contracts there, it may be like a death sentence to any potential upward movement that they may want going forward. People also want a competitive and quality league right off the bat and that may not happen if investment isn’t there and you need the right group of guys with a mentality to build for the future.”

“I’m very concerned about how late they’re leaving this. I’m sitting here and want to get started already. I’m waiting on hold for something to happen. University seasons are already starting. A lot of European teams have already started, so players can’t leave things right now.”

(Basically, players are already being asked by USL or European clubs if they are going to commit for next season. Players who are unattached need to be finding trials and offers.. They simply can’t wait much longer for the Canadian Premier League to begin its player acquisition process. There’s only so long that they can hold out before they decide they need to commit to other options.)

Inescapably Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 24/USL Week 22

It was a fairly quiet week for Canadians in MLS, so let’s focus on a couple of newsworthy moments from our players down in USL:

‘Michael Cox made his first appearance for Saint Louis FC since being traded there from Nashville. He came on as a sub and scored – hopefully this is a jumpstart for Cox, who hasn’t seen a lot of minutes, despite a productive 2017 season with Orlando City’s USL affiliate, which was mothballed at the end of that season.

Bethlehem Steel lost to Canadian Jordan Dover’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds, but there was a shining moment from Chris Nanco, who scored a peach of a goal from distance.

And Jordan Hamilton, who has played 731 minutes for Toronto FC this season, was down in USL this past weekend, but it was his goal that spurred TFCII to only its second win of the season, a 1-0 decision over Richmond.

Here are the rankings after the 24th week of MLS play/22nd week of USL action:

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Samuel Piette, Montreal, 2190 (25)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 1802 (21)
Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 1635 (22)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, LAFC, 1582 (20)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 1534 (20)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 1144 (15)
Raheem Edwards, Montreal/Chicago, 1116 (18)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 818 (13)
Ryan Telfer, TFC, 796 (14)
Dejan Jakovic, LAFC, 784 (10)
Jordan Hamilton,TFC, 731 (11)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 722 (11)
Michael Petrasso, Montreal, 692 (13)
Doneil Henry, Vancouver, 630 (7)
Jay Chapman, TFC, 619 (12)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 570 (15)
Tosaint Ricketts, TFC, 542 (14)
Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, 400 (11)
Liam Fraser, TFC, 389 (7)
Brett Levis, Vancouver, 361 (6)
Shamit Shome, Montreal, 249 (5)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 154 (6)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 143 (6)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 109 (4)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFC, 104 (2)
Brian Wright, New England, 44 (4)
Mathieu Choiniere, Montreal, 26 (2)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 12 (1)
Aidan Daniels, TFC, 12 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

Toronto FC, 5719/23 (248.7)

Vancouver, 4588/24 (191.2)

Montreal, 4381/25 (175.2)

LAFC, 2209/23 (96)

Orlando City, 1688/24 (70.3)

FC Dallas, 400/23 (17.4)

Chicago, 310/25 (12.4)

NYCFC, 143/24 (6)

New England, 44/23 (1.9)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Jordan Schweitzer, Colorado Springs, 2270 (26)
Maxime Crepeau, Ottawa, 1890 (21)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 1820 (23)
Eddie Edward, Ottawa, 1800 (20)
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 1787 (22)
Kyle Bekker, NCFC, 1764 (22)
Jordan Dover, Pittsburgh, 1670 (19)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 1591 (18)
Karl Ouimette, Indy, 1590 (18)
Robert Boskovic, TFCII, 1529 (18)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 1529 (20)
Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, Ottawa, 1499 (17)
Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, Fresno, 1426 (16)
Adonijah Reid, Ottawa, 1325 (20)
Chris Mannella, Ottawa, 1310 (18)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 1291 (18)
Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, 1290 (15)
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 1205 (17)
Drew Beckie, OKC Energy, 1170 (13)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 1137 (19)
Josh Heard, Real Monarchs SLC, 1113 (16)
Nana Attakora, Ottawa, 1080 (12)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 1049 (15)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 1014 (12)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 1009 (16)
Dante Campbell, TFCII, 989 (13)
Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Fresno, 937 (11)
Noah Verhoeven, Fresno, 928 (19)
Chris Nanco, Bethlehem Steel, 913 (21)
Ryan James, Nashville, 812 (12)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFCII, 810 (9)
Mastanabal Kacher, Real Monarchs SLC, 805 (14)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 765 (15)
Noble Okello Ayo, TFCII, 649 (9)
Tyler Pasher, Indy, 641 (9)
Kyle Porter, Ottawa/Tampa Bay, 552 (7)
Mauro Eustaquio, Penn FC, 462 (7)
Jordan Faria, TFCII, 453 (10)
Keven Aleman, Sacramento, 450 (8)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 450 (5)
Darrin MacLeod, Swope Park Rangers, 450 (5)
Daniel Haber, FC Cincinnati/Ottawa, 447 (13)
Gianluca Catalano, TFCII, 434 (5)
Luca Petrasso, TFCII, 418 (7)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 360 (4)
Jordan Hamilton, TFCII, 352 (5)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 342 (14)
Zak Drake, Las Vegas, 296 (6)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Reno, 278 (4)
Michael Cox, Nashville/Saint Louis, 277 (6)
Doneil Henry, Ottawa, 270 (3)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 252 (4)
David Edgar, Nashville/Ottawa, 200 (5)
Steffen Yeates, TFCII, 196 (4)
Callum Irving, Ottawa, 180 (2)
Mallan Roberts, Richmond, 180 (2)
Matthew Baldisimo, Fresno, 174 (2)
Kunle Dada-Luke, TFCII, 147 (4)
Luca Ricci, Phoenix, 119 (3)
Daniel Da Silva, TFCII, 59 (1)
Terran Campbell, Fresno, 53 (5)
Gabriel Wiethaeuper-Balbinotti, Ottawa, 50 (2)
Maxim Tissot, Ottawa, 48 (2)
Monti Mohsen, Ottawa, 45 (1)
Daniel Kinumbe, Ottawa, 30 (1)
Terique Mohammed, TFCII, 27 (2)
Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, Ottawa, 16 (1)
Malyk Hamilton, TFCII, 11 (1)
Jordan Dunstan, Nashville, 1 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

TFCII, 13783/21 (656.3)

Ottawa, 13073//23 (568.4)

Fresno, 3517/25 (140.7)

Indy Eleven, 2411/21 (114.8)

Colorado Springs, 2270/26 (87.3)

Real Monarchs SLC, 1918/23 (83.4)

Tulsa, 1787/22 (81.2)

NCFC, 1764/22 (80.2)

Pittsburgh, 1670/22 (75.9)

Swope Park Rangers, 1740/24 (72.5)

Charleston, 1591/24 (66.3)

Reno, 1327/22 (60.3)

Nashville, 1277/22 (58)

OKC Energy, 1170/25 (46.8)

Bethlehem Steel, 913/25 (36.5)

Penn FC, 462/22 (21)

Phoenix, 461/23 (20)

Sacramento, 450/24 (18.8)

Tampa Bay, 352/23 (15.3)

Las Vegas, 296/22 (13.5)

FC Cincinnati, 201/23 (8.7)

Richmond, 90/21 (4.3)

Saint Louis FC, 13/22 (0.6)

 

So many balls to juggle when it comes to stocking CanPL with players

Those of us who have already bought our memberships for coming-to-a-city-near-you-in-2019 Canadian Premier League franchise are waiting, and waiting, and waiting, to learn who will actually play for our teams.

The CanPL brass has been trying to work out how players who want to come back to Canada to play will be allocated to teams. And, by all accounts, it’s been a very difficult puzzle to put together.

It’s easy for fans to say “this is a club system, not a franchise system” and want it to be a free-for-all in terms of signing players. But, in year one, you also want teams to start on the same line, and a free-for-all would give some teams massive advantages over the others. Remember that most European leagues didn’t start this way; there were clubs already in place who joined a new, bigger, league. Many of the clubs have histories that predate their respective leagues. So you can’t compare the European way to how we start a new Canadian league with so many infant franchises all starting at once.

So, what makes the CanPL’s job of allocating players so complicated? Because there’s no real one-size-fits-all solution, yet the league needs to find some semblance of one. And there are so many factors that make it so important for a league to find some kind of fair system that will repatriate Canadian players, but allow all of the teams to have some kind of common ground.

Travel

This is where Halifax is at a huge disadvantage. For now, at least, Wanderers are isolated on the East Coast. The closest of the seven announced teams is in Ontario. That means Halifax will easily have the toughest travel schedule of any team in the league. And it’s not like the CanPL teams will be flying charter. You can’t fly direct from Halifax to many of the cities in the west.

Players and agents are aware of this. Trust me, when FC Edmonton played in the NASL, the first thing players talked about wasn’t the weather or the turf or having to play training camp sessions indoors — it was the travel schedule. They saw the map of the league, saw a bunch of teams in the American southeast, and one dot in the map way up in some Canadian outpost. And there were so many stories of airport layovers, missed flights, delayed flights, sending half of the team on one route and the  other half  on another route. If a player can choose between multiple destinations, the travel issue is an anchor (pun intended) on Halifax.

Home is Regional, Not National

We like to talk about bringing players back home to Canada to play. But Canada is a big place. The players I’ve  spoken to don’t talk about coming to CanPL as a league; they ask about coming home to specific teams. Sure, players will be enticed by the thought of being close to where they were brought up — but that’s the thing. To a player from British Columbia, playing for Valour FC or Hamilton isn’t coming home. Not at all.  I’ve had players tell me, “I’d love to come back to Canada, but only to play in city A or city B.”

For some young players, knowing what they could make in CanPL, they’d want family supports of some kind.

So, just by sheer numbers, if players could all call their shots when it came to coming home, Pacific FC and the Ontario teams will have huge advantages.  Edmonton would do all right. Again, Halifax would be on the bottom of the ladder.

Who Gets to Call Their Own Shot?

So, if there are going to be many stages to the allocation process, how do we rate the players coming back to the league? Should a player coming back from a lower division English side have more right to say where he wants to go than a player coming back from the top tier of Finnish football? Should a player coming back from Hungary have more mobility rights than a player coming back from the Indian league?  Are national-team caps the way we have to compare players, to put them on a ladder of where they are in terms of priority signings?

What’s Rich in Winnipeg is Poor in Toronto

Because the league will have a salary cap, it means that a Canadian midfielder with a few years of lower-division experience who signs with Valour FC will be making roughly the same as a comparable player who signs with York 9. Problem is, while players will be under some sort of salary control, the costs of living in the Canadian cities varies — by a lot. And, so, players who might be making, let’s say, $50,000, might say “whoa, no to Toronto.” I mean, I would. Not because Toronto isn’t a great city. It is. But it’s an unaffordable city.

Those same dollars will go a lot further in the prairies or on the East Coast.

Put it this way. I live in Edmonton, I live close to downtown. I have disposable income to go out, to spend on my kids, to be able to go on trips here and there. For me to have even close to the same lifestyle in Toronto, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say I’d have to make at least one and a half times what I make here.

And, for players who have families to support those cost-of-living differences become even more important.

So, there are lots of factors that will influence where players could go — and unfairly penalize some teams — if it was all left to the free market in year one. The struggle for the CanPL is to be the league it promises to be — a place of opportunity for Canadian players — but to measure that with the need for all teams to have some sort of competitive balance.

For FCE, Clarke is home (for now), and the goal is to make a stadium deal that’s “good for everyone”

If it were up to Jay Ball, FC Edmonton would begin its rebirth as a Canadian Premier League club in a mid-size stadium that was easy for fans to access, was visible to the community and was filled with amenities to make the game-day experience more memorable.

That’s not going to happen. Clarke Stadium was FC Edmonton’s home for NASL matches from 2012-17, and Ball says that it’s “99.9 per cent sure” that’s where the Eddies will kick off in 2019, By Ball’s own admission, Clarke “is not visible, it’s not inspiring, but it’s our home for now and we’re working with the city and the other parties to come to an agreement that’s good for everyone.”

Next week, City of Edmonton administration will present a report to City Council on the progress made in Clarke Stadium negotiations. In April, the City tasked administration to look into FCE’s request to increase Clarke’s capacity to 7,000 and give Edmonton more opportunities to realize advertising and sponsorship revenue from the facility. As well, FC Edmonton was looking to be the primary soccer tenant, with control over game times that it didn’t have for most of its time in NASL.

Clarke is a shared city facility that, as FCE moved in, held just over 1,200 people. FCE owners Tom and Dave Fath brought in new grandstands to push capacity to 4,100, then later added Titan, a large mobile scoreboard/video screen.

The field is also used by minor and high-school football teams, other soccer clubs and the Edmonton Eskimos use it as a practice facility. When FCE made its request to raise Clarke’s capacity, the Eskimos raised some concerns, noting that they have a long-term agreement in place where they pay for the right to use the artificial-turf field.

The City report, released today, will update council on some of the discussions that have taken place between April and the present.

“It sets the stage for a request that will be made in the future, but we’re not sure of that timeline right now,” said Ball.

The report states that the field dimensions won’t be touched, so it will be able to accommodate both soccer and Canadian football. As well, FCE’s wish to have offices, dressing rooms and storage space onsite could be handled by Commonwealth Stadium Fieldhouse, the recreation centre next door.

“Adjustments to FC Edmonton’s request related to Clarke Stadium have been made to maintain football field dimensions for the Edmonton Eskimos, as well as to accommodate ongoing amateur football and other multi-sport users in the short-term,” reads the report. “These interim adjustments to Clarke Stadium do not address FC Edmonton’s long-term desire to play in a “soccer-specific” stadium. FC Edmonton has agreed that any additional seating at Clarke Stadium will be located a safe distance from the end zone boundary on the north and south ends of the stadium that are used during football games. Discussions regarding a permanent locker room for FC Edmonton at Clarke Stadium have progressed to consider use of Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre. This option would require facility modifications to existing field house locker rooms and storage areas.”

The stadium will continue as a shared-use facility, and “The Edmonton Eskimos and FC Edmonton would receive priority bookings at Clarke Stadium as part of their license agreement with the City.”

As for the revenue streams, including raising the capacity of Clarke:

“FC Edmonton is requesting a new license agreement as the prime professional soccer tenant of Clarke Stadium that would include priority field booking and access for all events at Clarke Stadium, access to a trainer’s room, coaches’ office and storage, use of the press box and public address system, ability to engage in sponsorship agreements and use of signage inside the stadium, and to retain 100 per cent of merchandise sales. While Administration has been informed of these requests, any business or revenue considerations that will have implications for the City should be incorporated into the business case being developed by Fath Group which will be reviewed by Administration. If Clarke Stadium is expanded and enhanced, operating costs will increase. These costs include: utility costs, site and facility maintenance, site servicing, and custodial services. The business case will include a clear strategy that outlines how these costs will be recovered and the impacts of those costs on all users.”

Ball said the report signals that FCE has made some compromises and wants to be a “good neighbour” to the other users of Clarke.

“Look, no matter how much money you put into Clarke, it’s not a professional stadium. But with additional seating, more washrooms, well those benefit all the stakeholders… We have to look at it that this is our home for now, and we can dream about what may come in the future.”

Earlier this year, CanPL Commissioner David Clanachan went public with his desire to see FCE explore the possibility of transforming Re/Max Field, the downtown baseball facility that was once home to the AAA Edmonton Trappers, into a soccer stadium. But no formal discussions have been had about that.

THE DOCUMENT

CITY REPORT

Unfortunately for Henry, his habit of scoring clutch Canadian Championship goals for TFC continues

Doneil Henry scored three Canadian Championship goals in his time with Toronto FC.

On Wednesday night, in the 95th minute of the first leg of the Canadian Championship final, Henry scored a fourth career Voyageurs Cup goal for Toronto FC. Problem is, he’s wearing a Vancouver Whitecaps jersey, now.

With 10-man Vancouver trying to preserve what would have, should have been a 2-1 win, Henry dove in an attempt to keep the ball away from TFC striker Tosaint Ricketts. It was a textbook diving header. Into his own goal.

Final: TFC 2, Whitecaps 2. With two road goals, give the Reds the edge heading into the second leg at BMO Field.

The own goal spoiled what was an epic second-half performance by the Whitecaps, who played the entire half down a man yet were easily the better of the two teams.

In fact, during his halftime interview with TSN, Vancouver coach Carl Robinson could not have been more wrong.

During his halftime interview on TSN, he said that referee Dave Gantar had “spoiled the game” by deciding to issue a red card to Felipe for a late challenge on Toronto FC’s Marky Delgado.

The score was tied 1-1 at the time. But, with 10 men, the Whitecaps dominated the second 45. Erik Hurtado beat TFC’s high defensive line for an 84th minute goal.

The Whitecaps had their chances. Yordy Reyna slipped when he had the chance to tuck home a low cross. And Alphonso Davies, after turning TFC Nick Hagglund inside out with what is becoming one of the teenage phenom’s signature runs, put his shot right at keeper Clint Irwin.

Now, to the first 45. Whew.

Edmonton’s Gantar pointed to the spot after TFC’s Ricketts, also from Edmonton, stuck out his left arm and handled the ball of a Vancouver corner. Kei Kamara converted the penalty.

But, before the BC Place crowd was done celebrating, TFC got the equalizer on a stunning volley from Jonathan Osorio off a cross from Delgado. It was Osorio’s fifth career Canadian Championship goal, tying him with teammate Sebastian Giovinco and FC Edmonton’s Tomi Ameobi for top spot in the history of the Voyageurs Cup — since the trophy was awarded after  a tournament, that is. (I don’t need Ben Massey to keep reminding me of this. He will. Good on him for that, by the way.)

So, controversy, own goals, more stoppage-time drama. Thing is, with all of the stoppage-time drama (Drew Fischer, anyone?) and ref controversies (Drew Fischer, anyone?) in the short history of this tournament, Wednesday was just another day at the office.