Steven Sandor's Blog, page 22

Toronto FC deserves plaudits, while Club America’s baffling tactical approach needs to be questioned

It’s awfully hard to defend the way Club America approached the first leg of its CONCACAF Champions League semifinal match-up against Toronto FC.

They’re at BMO field, in the lousy, blustery rainy weather. Before the game, at some point, you’d think manager Miguel Herrera and his staff would have looked at some video of Toronto FC in action, and thought to themselves, “wow, Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco can really burn you on the counter.”

But, no, Club America came in playing a line that hasn’t been that high since, well, cocaine. And, in critical positions, Club America’s defenders were wildly over-aggressive, putting in high-risk, low-reward tackle attempts that put them at a numerical disadvantages in their own half.

It was a cocky approach that basically announced to the world that Club America didn’t really respect Toronto FC. Basically, the Mexican powerhouse treated what has to be regarded as the best side in MLS history as a 2002-grade also-ran.

It was a wild night of adventure, and Toronto FC will hold a solid 3-1 advantage going into the second leg at Azteca Stadium

The over-aggressive-on-the-road Club America got burned early on, when Giovinco burst in one-on-one against central defender Edson Alvarez. Alvarez lunged and got quite a bit of the ball, but the penalty was given against him, anyway. It’s the grand rule of CONCACAF, never go to ground to make a challenge in your own penalty area. Ever. More often than not, the penalty is given — and Alvarez should know that (even though, traditionally, Mexican sides are the beneficiaries of those kind of calls).

Giovinco went up the middle with the penalty, making it 1-0.

A few minutes later, Giovinco, though, was somewhat fortunate to get only a yellow after he lashed out with his boot to strike a prone Club America player.

But, the incident seemed to fire up the visitors, and after dancing through Drew Moor and Michael Bradley, Club America’s Andres Ibarguen equalized with a rocket that gave TFC keeper Alex Bono no chance at all.

But, the high line and over aggressive defending allowed TFC to take the lead before half time. Again, it was Alvarez at the centre of the action, as he decided to go well out of position to try and make a rash challenge in midfield. His strange foray left his already-playing-way-too-high back line very short, and Giovinco was able to find Altidore. The big TFC striker made no mistake, taking advantage of a one-v-one situation that, had Alvarez scrambled back into position rather than go for a wander, should have helped cover.

Canadian Ashtone Morgan made it 3-1 in the second half after he jumped from the fullback spot into the penalty area to slot home a pass from Auro. Club America left itself short in the box after two, count ‘em, two players, left home in vain attempts to try and tackle Auro. The three left in the back couldn’t handle attacking runs from both Morgan and Altidore.

As a defender, you sometimes have to decide that caution is better than aggression, and you’r better off staying on your feet and taking away passing and crossing chances rather than charging from the middle out to the wing like a chicken with your head cut off. But a serious lack of discipline and positional awareness burned Club America again.

Take nothing away from TFC; the Reds read the plays and saw the holes in Club America’s game.

Of course, Club America apologists will point to the fact that Bono made a very good save on striker Henry Martin late in the game. Had Club America got the second road goal, the second leg would be shaping up much differently.

But, when it comes to the goals surrendered, Herrera needs to be questioned. His tactics and his scouting of TFC’s abilities needs to be questioned. Because, really, the approach defied logic.

Inescapably Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 5/USL Week 3

Michael Cox enjoyed a historic weekend. He drew the penalty and converted the ensuing spot-kick to give Nashville SC a 1-0 win over Bethlehem Steel. It marked the first win in the history of the USL’s expansion club in Music City, USA.

Cox’s exploits highlighted a weekend which saw the number of Canadians who have appeared in at least one USL match this season swell to 42. (By our count, that is: Please leave a comment below if we’ve missed anyone.) 

In MLS, 18 Canadians have seen at least a minute of action. Tosaint Ricketts markes his 2018 MLS season debut with a goal for Toronto FC, hot on the heels on his goal for Canada last week against New Zealand.

Here are the rankings after the fifth week of MLS play/third week of USL action:

 

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 374 (5)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 360 (4)
Samuel Piette, Montreal, 360 (4)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 291 (4)
Dejan Jakovic, LAFC, 270 (3)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, LAFC, 270 (3)
Michael Petrasso, Montreal, 270 (3)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 251 (3)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 250 (3)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 156 (2)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 114 (3)
Raheem Edwards, Montreal, 94 (1)
Jay Chapman, TFC, 31 (1)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 24 (1)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 19 (2)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 12 (1)
Tosaint Ricketts, TFC, 12 (1)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 3 (2)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

Montreal, 799/4 (199.8)

Vancouver, 915/5 (183)

LAFC, 540/3 (180)

Toronto FC, 450/3 (150)

Orlando City, 474/4 (118.5)

NYCFC, 3/5 (0.6)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Fresno, 270 (3)
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 270 (3)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 270 (3)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 270 (3)
Jordan Schweitzer, Colorado Springs, 264 (3)
Keven Aleman, Sacramento, 251 (3)
Ryan James, Nashville, 247 (3)
Zak Drake, Las Vegas, 181 (3)
Robert Boskovic, TFCII, 180 (2)
Jordan Dover, Pittsburgh, 180 (2)
Mauro Eustaquio, Penn FC, 180 (2)
Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, Fresno, 180 (2)
Karl Ouimette, Indy, 180 (2)
Tyler Pasher, Indy, 180 (2)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 180 (2)
Kyle Bekker, NCFC, 178 (2)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 172 (2)
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 165 (2)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 162 (2)
Michael Cox, Nashville, 144 (2)
Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, 120 (1)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 117 (2)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 108 (2)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Reno, 98 (2)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 90 (1)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 90 (1)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 90 (1)
Callum Irving, Ottawa, 90 (1)
Darrin MacLeod, Swope Park Rangers, 90 (1)
Chris Mannella, Ottawa, 90 (1)
Kyle Porter, Ottawa, 83 (1)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 64 (1)
Jordan Hamilton, TFCII, 63 (1)
Mastanabal Kacher, Real Monarchs SLC, 63 (1)
Monti Mohsen, Ottawa, 45 (1)
Josh Heard, Real Monarchs SLC, 27 (1)
Daniel Haber, FC Cincinnati, 26 (2)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 17 (2)
Luca Ricci, Phoenix, 16 (1)
Terran Campbell, Fresno, 13 (2)
Chris Nanco, Bethlehem Steel, 12 (1)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 8 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

TFCII, 1335/2 (667.5)

Ottawa, 462/1 (462)

Indy Eleven, 360/2 (180)

Nashville, 391/3 (130.3)

Reno, 368/3 (122.7)

Fresno, 463/4 (115.8)

Charleston, 270/3 (90)

Penn FC, 180/2 (90)

Pittsburgh, 180/2 (90)

Tulsa, 270/3 (90)

NCFC, 178/2 (89)

Colorado Springs, 264/3 (88)

Sacramento, 251/3 (83.7)

Swope Park Rangers, 210/3 (70)

Las Vegas, 181/3 (60.3)

Real Monarchs SLC, 90/2 (45)

FC Cincinnati, 26/2 (13)

Phoenix, 33/3 (11)

Bethlehem Steel, 12/3 (4)

Teammates in NASL, teammates in Ireland: Farago credits Keegan for helping open the door at St. Patrick’s

Jake Keegan: If you’re reading this article, know that, during the course of the interview, Tyson Farago said that he’d take you out for a “nice dinner.”  Hold him to it!

For everyone else reading: Why does Canadian goalkeeper Tyson Farago owe Keegan dinner? Well, Keegan helped Farago land a job with St Patrick’s Athletic in Dublin. Keegan and Farago were teammates at FC Edmonton; and, when the club suspended its professional program in 2018, both were looking for jobs. Keegan was a known commodity in Ireland, where he’d played professionally before making the move to NASL. And, as Keegan was talking to St. Patrick’s management, he mentioned that Farago might also be a good fit for the team. So, the manager looked at Farago’s video clips — and was impressed. So, instead of targeting one member of the FCE diaspora, St. Patrick’s ended up targeting two.

“St. Pat’s was actively following Jake,” said Farago over the phone from Ireland. “Jake then recommended me to the gaffer (Liam Buckley).”

And, so, the two are now teammates at St. Patrick’s which currently sits in fifth place with 10 points out of seven matches, three behind Shamrock Rovers and their Canadian goalkeeper, Tomer Chencinski. (In fact, Chencinski got a clean sheet for Rovers in a 1-0 victory over St. Patrick’s a little less than two weeks ago).

Barry Murphy has been starting in goal for St. Patrick’s, but Farago is hoping to push for the No. 1 shirt.

“There will be a big competition for the number-one spot,” said Farago. “Basically, one of the reasons I was brought in was to help elevate the level of play in the goalkeeping crew.”

Farago is signed with St. Patrick’s for one season.

Farago is happy to have found a job. When NASL as a league first delayed the start of the season, then announced it wasn’t going to play at all in 2018, it created a glut of professional players on the market. Many flocked to USL looking for work. So, in North America, a buyer’s market was created. Some of the FCE players have found work in USL, like Tomi Ameobi in Cincinnati or Mauro Eustaquio and Pedro Galvao at Penn FC. Defender Albert Watson made the move to Iceland. Former captain Nik Ledgerwood is with Calgary Foothills. But many are still looking for work.

“Right now, the owners have all the power,” said Farago. “There are so many players out there, and they’re all saying, ‘pick me,’ ‘pick me.’” And that means owners know they don’t have to raise their contract offers because players are simply looking for work. It’s not like they have as many options as they used to.

So, when news came that FC Edmonton wasn’t going to have a professional team in 2018, Farago had to wait a month for a contract option to expire and then spent two to three months looking around in an overcrowded market. 

Farago hopes that a new Canadian Premier League will help.

“I’ll definitely be following it,” he says. “I hope the Canadian Premier League can stabilize the market in North America, especially for Canadians.”

Of course, having signed a contract with St. Patrick’s, Farago’s focus is on his new European career. And that means impressing at his new club, and keeping a strict training regimen. That means no late nights — so he won’t be able to watch his hometown Winnipeg Jets in the playoffs. He’ll just have to be happy to see the highlight packages after he wakes up in the mornings.

 

Inescapably Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 4/USL Week 2

A little less than half of MLS’s teams were in action this past weekend, due to the international break. So, we didn’t see a lot of movement in terms of Canadians playing in North America’s top league.

But, in USL, as of the second week of the season, every team in the league has played at least once. (Some teams had byes on the opening weekend). By our count, there are 39 Canadians who have got onto the pitches for USL matches. What’s worth noting is that Bethlehem Steel FC and Real Monarchs also have Canadians on their rosters, but those players have yet to see the field.

Here are the rankings after the fourth week of MLS play/second week of USL action:

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 351 (4)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 270 (3)
Michael Petrasso, Montreal, 270 (3)
Samuel Piette, Montreal, 270 (3)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 201 (3)
Dejan Jakovic, LAFC, 180 (2)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, LAFC, 180 (2)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 161 (2)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 160 (2)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 114 (3)
Raheem Edwards, Montreal, 94 (1)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 66 (1)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 24 (1)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 12 (1)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 2 (1)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 1 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

Montreal, 691/3 (230.3)

LAFC, 360/2 (182.3)

Vancouver, 712/4 (178)

Orlando City, 384/3 (128)

Toronto FC, 227/2 (113.5)

NYCFC, 2/4 (0.5)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Robert Boskovic, TFCII, 180 (2)
Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Fresno, 180 (2)
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 180 (2)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 180 (2)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 180 (2)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 180 (2)
Keven Aleman, Sacramento, 175 (2)
Ryan James, Nashville, 175 (2)
Jordan Schweitzer, Colorado Springs, 174 (2)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 172 (2)
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 165 (2)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 162 (2)
Zak Drake, Las Vegas, 125 (2)
Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, 120 (1)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 117 (2)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 108 (2)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Reno, 98 (2)
Kyle Bekker, NCFC, 90 (1)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 90 (1)
Jordan Dover, Pittsburgh, 90 (1)
Mauro Eustaquio, Penn FC, 90 (1)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 90 (1)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 90 (1)
Callum Irving, Ottawa, 90 (1)
Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, Fresno, 90 (1)
Darrin MacLeod, Swope Park Rangers, 90 (1)
Chris Mannella, Ottawa, 90 (1)
Karl Ouimette, Indy, 90 (1)
Tyler Pasher, Indy, 90 (1)
Kyle Porter, Ottawa, 83 (1)
Michael Cox, Nashville, 73 (1)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 64 (1)
Jordan Hamilton, TFCII, 63 (1)
Monti Mohsen, Ottawa, 45 (1)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 17 (2)
Luca Ricci, Phoenix, 16 (1)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 8 (1)
Terran Campbell, Fresno, 1 (1)
Daniel Haber, FC Cincinnati, 1 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

TFCII, 1335/2 (667.5)

Ottawa, 462/1 (462)

Indy Eleven, 180/1 (180)

Reno, 278/2 (139)

Fresno, 271/2 (135.5)

Nashville, 248/2 (124)

Swope Park Rangers, 210/2 (105)

Charleston, 180/2 (90)

NCFC, 90/1 (90)

Penn FC, 90/1 (90)

Pittsburgh, 90/1 (90)

Tulsa, 180/2 (90)

Sacramento, 175/2 (87.5)

Colorado Springs, 174/2 (87)

Las Vegas, 125/2 (62.5)

Phoenix, 33/2 (16.5)

FC Cincinnati, 1/1 (1)

 

Open letter from FC Edmonton GM Jay Ball on CanPL campaign: “For me, it’s about the community”

(Ed. note: Below is an open letter from FC Edmonton General Manager Jay Ball. FCE, after playing in NASL from 2011-17, is not running a professional program this season. But ownership remains in talks with the coming-in-2019 Canadian Premier League. CanPL President Paul Beirne was in Edmonton this past week to learn more about the Alberta capital and the YEG4CPL movement; that’s a supporters-driven initiative to raise the profile of soccer and FCE in the city.)

This past week was a reminder of just how I much like a comeback. I love those stores, the movies with the classic David vs. Goliath plot. I love the underdog. I relate to the underdog. In many ways, I am one. I  went through many challenges growing up. Some of you know my story. I overcame a great deal. Over and over, the two great teachers, failure and success, taught me the power of resilience and how to be resourceful. I’ve applied those lessons my entire life.

I’ve used a lot of that resilient and resourceful thinking since I came to the club almost two years ago. I’ve been very fortunate. Our owners, Tom and Dave Fath, have allowed me to bring in new ideas and approaches. However, If someone had told me that, within my first two years, I would take over a struggling front office, spend two seasons trying so hard to take it to the next level, then shut it it down and, just a few months later, be faced with possibility of  try to launching it all over again, I would never have believed them.

It’s been quite the ride.

However, the truth is, through it all, I couldn’t help but be excited by every twist and turn. Every success and every mistake, to me, was just another excuse to learn and get back at it the very next day. I can’t explain it, that’s just how my brain works.

When people ask me what I like about my job, I say things like, “I’m living my dream” or “I love the challenge.” But, truth is, I really could never find the words to say just what connects me to this whole soccer experience. It’s no secret, I wasn’t a “football guy.” In fact, very early in my tenure with the club I once tweeted this out prior to a match: “Come on fans, we need you to be the 11th man!” Yes. I was pretty much the village idiot when it came to the game itself.

So what is it about this game that draws me in? What is it for me?

I found out last Friday night, during our supporters’ summit at a local pub. For me, it’s actually not really about the challenge. When asked what he loved about the game, Canadian Premier League President Paul Beirne said “It’s not just the game that I fell in love with, for me, it’s more about the culture, it’s the people and how the game brings the community together.”

Boom. That hit me hard. That comment validated why I do what I do, what excites me about this club, this game and our future together. For me, it’s about the community. And this community, is like nothing with which I have ever been involved. Nothing even comes close.

For a guy who thought he knew a lot about resilience, the YEG4CPL community has taught me more in the past 30 days than I ever could have imagined.

They have created a movement with passion and drive, rooted in supporters’ culture and community. They’ve sent a message to this city that we’re simply not bringing back a football club, we’re building a community and stoking the fire of the world’s greatest sport culture right here in Edmonton.

I’ve learned once again, in a more powerful way, the power of the underdogs. The giant killers. I’ve learned from them that is there’s is nothing more satisfying than the prospect of beating the odds and rebounding in spite of all the naysayers and negative influences.

Because of YEG4CPL, I’ve learned all over again: The greatest victories come from hard-fought battles,  but they are worth fighting if you have a cause and a mission. YEG4CPL reminded me that movements are made up of moments (like their pub nights… every Friday night), symbols (like the Rally Rabbit) and people. All of them with clear missions. From YEG4CPL, I’ve learned that no fan culture is like football supporters’ culture. Nothing comes close. Not hockey. Not pointy ball. Nothing. YEG4CPL has taught me once again to never give up and turn over every stone because what we are all doing is important.

So to YEG4CPL I say this. This time, everything is different because you have changed the game. You’re stronger than any other fan base in this city. You have a mission that is crystal clear (nothing drives people like a mission). Because of your efforts, solid progress has been made. In the past four weeks alone, your efforts have resulted in more individual memberships/deposits for the 2019 CPL season than we had all of last season. Think about that. That happened in only 30 days.

If we continue to do the right things and build our community, I believe FC Edmonton comes back with a vengeance. You believe that, too. I know you do. No doubt, skeptics are everywhere. But together, in spite what anyone says, we will build it again. Together we will rise. We will win. For you. For the Faths. For the future of our academy prospects and entire community. Slowly but surely, I see YEG4CPL movement turning into an army of supporters inspired by its members and driven by the culture that brings us all together.

And, as I watch that happen, I promise I will do everything in my power to ensure our home ground Clarke Stadium is turned into a fortress. Because for our army, nothing less than a fortress will do.

Thank you to YEG4CPL for reminding me about the power of resilience. And never giving up. The MARCH2CPL continues and we are just getting started..

Ricketts edges closer to national goal-scoring record in win over NZ

Thanks to a Tosaint Ricketts goal that capitalized on a New Zealand defensive miscue, Canada is off to the races in the John Herdman era with a 1-0 victory is San Pedro Del Pinatar, Spain.

It was route one soccer to its finest that got Canada the lead, although it was probably not meant that way as Dejan Jakovic knocked forward a long ball that got twisted around in the heavy winds. The New Zealand back line didn’t know how to manage that ball and it then sat up for Ricketts who was all by himself to score goal No. 16 in his international career.

“It’s big. It was my first game of 2018,” said Ricketts, who’s dealt with a thyroid issue in the early MLS season. “I had a rough start with health problems earlier this year. So it’s a big step forward in the year and I’m happy to get the minutes. I’m happy to play for my country and I’m happy to show that I can provide.”

Almost out of nowhere, it seems, Ricketts sits just six goals back of Dwayne De Rosario’s all-time Canadian record of 22 goals.

DeRo is highly recognizable in the North American game thanks to his long career played in MLS, while Ricketts, from Edmonton, has toiled abroad and away from the public eye before finally coming back to Toronto where he’s been in two MLS Cups with TFC.

“It’s a big accomplishment to even be listed in the same conversation as DeRo,” said Ricketts. “He did so much in Canada. He’s done so much for MLS. I’m just grateful to help out the country in any way possible.”

It wasn’t all sunshine in Herdman’s first game in charge since making the switch from the women’s program to the men’s.

Tosaint Ricketts PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER

Based on the first 10 minutes or so, odds would have been favourable for the Kiwis to take the early lead and they had two very close chances to do so early.

But Michael McGlinchey will live to rue to missed chances that went off the post just seconds apart.

The All Whites also had the ball past Milan Borjan, who mishandled a cross but it was called back for offside when former TFC player Jeremy Brockie, who didn’t make contact with the ball, certainly was involved in the play as he provided a screen on Borjan.

Canada saw through those shaky moments and did string together some dangerous moments in attack.

“We knew the wind was going to be a bit of a factor,” said Herdman. “We were preparing for whatever New Zealand were going to turn up and throw at us. We didn’t really have any intel on them so the first 15 minutes I think we were caught on the back foot a bit and just not really getting to grips with what New Zealand were offering.”

The player perhaps most responsible for Canada getting into the game was Liam Millar, the 18-year-old Liverpool prospect was not at all out of his depth and was a handful racing down the left side of Canada’s attack.

Time and again he would cut around defenders and launched a few tantalizing crosses. He very nearly got himself a goal in the second half as well in what was about as close to a dream debut as possible.

“I thought I played quite well, to be fair,” Millar said. “I was confident. I wasn’t afraid. I think I did quite well. The only thing I missed was a goal.”

Herdman’s never had a problem with throwing young players into the fire and seeing how they fare. He did it with Jessie Fleming and Kadeisha Buchanan with the women and he’s done it with Millar on Saturday.

Millar proved that he can swim and Herdman’s indicated that he may be tough to dislodge as the CONCACAF Nations League gets rolling.

“He’s good enough,” said Herdman. “He’s light the camp up this week. The senior players have got behind him from the first session. He was fearless. He’s got that x factor. He doesn’t know any other way than to try and terrorize fullbacks. It’s exciting.”

Edmonton experiences the big-tent soccer evangelism of the Canadian Premier League

People file into the Soccer Centre lounge, coming out of the cold. It’s late March Thursday night in Edmonton, but a strong wind carries the warning of a late-season snowstorm to come.

For Paul Beirne, the scene is both strange and familiar; he’s standing in the midst of 100 soccer supporters, in a lounge that overlooks indoor soccer fields. The windows offers views of the games and tryouts occurring in the four fields below.

Yes, this is a soccer culture, but in Edmonton’s South Centre, it isn’t like the soccer culture what Beirne knows from his Toronto home base. Here in Edmonton, the fields are ringed by boards; he is in a place where the old turf-and-boards outdoor game hasn’t been supplanted by futsal. At one point, he wonders out loud why, in a large facility such as this, they don’t just have a large, covered, regulation field.

This is the challenge for Beirne; the president of the nascent Canadian Premier League is in the process of touring the country, learning more about each of the potential markets. But he sees that soccer culture in Canada isn’t homogenous; each city that could be part of the CanPL’s debut 2019 season offers something a little different.

Beirne helped build Toronto FC. He helped birth a new generation of soccer fans in the GTA;  he still remains loyal to the club as a season ticket holder. The day before this town hall, he tells me so proud to see familiar faces from year one still in the supporters’ sections at BMO Field, but now they’re bringing their kids. They are passing on the soccer culture.

But that MLS culture is a homogenous culture. One company makes the jerseys for all the teams. It has developed a culture where people not only support their teams, but “cheer for the league.” That is, the perception of the league as a whole is vitally important to them. And, of course, in MLS, contracts are controlled by league headquarters.

Now, Beirne is working to build and sell a league that will be owner driven, that will stress team independence.

He tells the audience that he does not want the Canadian Premier League to be compared to MLS. He says the league is leaning towards determining a champion via the single table and not having playoffs.  He says, “where possible,” the Canadian league will respect the FIFA dates, something MLS has long been criticized for not doing. When an audience member asks him if an MLS reserve team would ever be admitted into the CanPL, he smiles and says “yes, when we have a second division.” But never the first.

Beirne says, instead of MLS, the closest comparison for CanPL will come to pro leagues in South Korea and Japan. Why? Because they are relatively new, and are examples of first divisions that were basically “plopped on” to those countries pyramids in order to kickstart development. Those leagues lean heavily towards playing domestic players.

Beirne can say all he needs to say about not wanting CanPL to be compared to MLS. But he knows, like we all do, that deep down, MLS vs. CanPL will not go away anytime soon. There are three Canadian teams in MLS. MLS games are on Canadian national TV. And, of course, American fans will look at neighbouring Canada as it begins to unravel itself from the U.S. soccer system. They will ask: “If Canada can have single-table, why can’t we?” And we know the fervent anti-MLS factions that exists in the U.S. will use Canada as an example as they continue to fuel their self-destructive Soccer Warz.

And, despite Beirne’s claims that CanPL shouldn’t be compared to MLS, he regularly pokes the bear. Why? He is with his people; a group of soccer supporters and minor-soccer parents and coaches who want to see the game advance in Edmonton. Many have been working for months to raise the awareness of FC Edmonton, hoping to see the former NASL team rise from the ashes and re-emerge as a CanPL power.

When the recorders are on and the notepads are open, Beirne is measured to the point of frustration. He makes it clear the league is making slow, steady progress towards its launch date. He’s measured to the point of frustration.  You can’t blame him; he has to vet potential investors and researching the cities where they want to place teams. Stadium deals are in various stages of preparedness. He’s juggling so many things at once, as rumours circle him like sharks.

But, put him in a room of supporters, put him amongst the soccer tribes and supporters groups, and a new Beirne emerges.

“Our goal is to be as big as MLS,” Beirne says.

And Beirne doubles down, he qualifies the comment as a joke, but it’s clear he’s making a point. “No Canadian Premier League team will ever have a reserve team in Fresno.”

Beirne is not a yeller or a screamer. He doesn’t go up to a podium and pound his fist. He’s approachable, quietly charming. So, when he amps up the rhetoric, it hits you right in the feels. It’s like the coach who never ever yells who finally decides to toss a garbage can during a halftime talk. It holds your attention. You say, “whoa.”

“The CanPL will do more for soccer in Canada in 10 years than MLS has done for U.S. soccer in 20,” Beirne says.

When asked if he could ever see the three Canadian MLS teams defecting for the Canadian League, he answers, “it’s a possibility, but we have to earn it.” Basically, the CanPL will have to prove it’s a good enough league that the three Canadian MLS teams will one day want to leave that league on their own terms. He doesn’t want teams forced to leave MLS or legislated to act a certain way.

But the message is clear. One day, he believes CanPL will be on solid enough ground that someone at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment might actually wonder if it will be better for Toronto FC to be playing in an exclusively Canadian circuit and forego the games against the likes of the Chicago Fire and the two New York teams.

This Thursday night, in the province of Bible Bill Aberhart, Beirne is practising a new way of big-tent evangelism. It’s not about baptism or Social Credit politics. It’s about a religion that mixes soccer with what Beirne calls the “most powerful brand of all,” the Canadian maple leaf.

And it’s coming to a city near you.

Cornelius says Herdman has told CanMNT first-timers “not to be scared” ahead of NZ match

Derek Cornelius was getting ready to go to sleep. He was lying in bed. But, he still had his phone nearby. So he checked his e-mail before settling down for the night. Well, there was a pretty special message waiting for him to open — a confirmation that he’d been called up to his first-ever Canadian senior men’s national-team camp. So, instead of going to sleep, he called hs parents.

This Saturday, Cornelius is one of five players — including Liam Miller, Liam Fraser, Marcus Godinho and recently-nationalized David Wotherspoon — who could earn his first senior cap when Canada faces New Zealand in Spain. It will be the first game with John Herdman in charge of the men’s side.

Herdman, who cemented his reputation as a master motivator as the coach of the double-Olympic-bronze-medal winning women’s national side, has already been working on the yet-to-be-capped Canadians.

“The message in meetings is not to be scared,” said Cornelius. “The first-timers have been told to show our football, to show our individual qualities. John wants the players to express themselves, and not be afraid to make mistakes. With the system John is trying to bring in, we are going to make mistakes. We have to learn to be better.”

And what kind of “system” can we expect the Canadian team to implement under its new coach?

“He wants us to play attacking football, not to sit back and defend,” said Cornelius. It’s different than the style the 20-year-old centre back is used to from his Serbian club side, FK Javor Ivanjica. His Serbian side sits back, soaks up pressure and comes at teams on the counter. But Herdman wants possession, he wants a varied attack, he wants forward progress.

But how did Cornelius, a striker phenom from Ajax, Ontario, become a centre back who’s making a name for himself in Eastern Europe?

At 15, he made the decision to make the move across the Atlantic. He first went to German side VfB Lubeck, then to VfR Neumunster. While he was with Neumunster, the team underwent an injury crisis. The team simply didn’t have enough defenders to play its next game. So, the coach asked Cornelius to make a temporary switch.

“He asked me if I’d move to centre back for two or three games, I said ‘no problem’ and then he thought I played well there, and other people watching me thought I played well there, so now I am a centre back,” said Cornelius.

There was no going back.

But, why leave Canada so young?

“It was mainly my decision,” said Cornelius. “I told my parents that I wanted to play at the highest level possible. I wanted to get the chance to play in the Champions League. I wanted to test myself against the best players in the world. And, the decision was that the best way to achieve that was to get over to Europe as soon as possible.”

Older players helped him, he struggled with language at first. Now, he’s good enough that he can communicate on field, “left,” “right” “Man on!”

But, after some time in Germany, Cornelius is adjusting to life in Serbia. At first, it was difficult, as Cornelius didn’t speak the language. He said veteran players helped him feel welcome and get settled, and now he knows enough to bark out and understand field commands in Serbian. He can say “left!” “right!” and “man on!”

He won’t have to use his newly acquired Serbian language skills this weekend. Getting his first cap will probably be enough to trigger another excited phone call to his parents.

CanPL president Beirne begins Edmonton visit: “Up to 20 parties” have shown interest in joining league

Canadian Premier League President Paul Beirne is in Edmonton for a whirlwind tour Thursday and Friday. He’ll visit Clarke Field for the first time, have what he calls an informal meeting with some members of city council, meet with members of the city’s minor soccer community and, finally, meet with the YEG for CPL supporters’ group Friday evening.

Beirne said he will be visiting all of the prospective CanPL cities to do “due diligence,” that is, look at the stadiums, learn more about each municipality, meet the fans.

“It’s all part of deciding who we want to invite into our league,” he said. “And I want to meet the Rally Rabbit, the YEG for CPL group. I understand that there’s an energy in the supporters’ group that we could replicate across the country. It’s a really cool phenomenon, and there’s something we can all learn from.”

The YEG for CPL is a grassroots initiative launched by fans to raise the awareness of soccer in the Alberta capital; the aim is to bring FC Edmonton to life, this time as a member of the Canadian Premier League. The movement is  symbolized by the Rally Rabbit — a furry totem that dates back to the early NASL days, when FCE played out of Foote Field.

FC Edmonton was an NASL member from 2011-17.

Beirne said the informal meeting with the city will be “to tell them what the Canadian Premier League is about.”

Of course, as Beirne will be shaking hands, meeting and greeting, over the next two days, a lot of topics will be covered. We talked about a few Wednesday night.

 

ONE YEAR FROM LAUNCH

“We won’t start with less than six teams,” Beirne said of the league’s scheduled April, 2019 start date. Winnipeg and Hamilton are confirmed, but more announcements are expected to be made soon. Beirne wouldn’t put any exact dates on when we can expect to hear from other teams.

“But over the last four months there has been a ton of momentum,” said Beirne. “I think we’re now up to 20 different parties/communities who have shown interest in us. They’re not all going to come to fruition, but the interest is there. I think we’d want to be at 12 teams by 2022, and 16 teams by 2026.”

If it seems progress is going slow, remember to think about the long game.

“This is not a one-year plan, this is not a five-year plan,” said Beirne. “This is a 100-year plan.”

 

AMERICAN INTEREST?

In fact, Beirne said there has been interest from American teams. But, don’t think there is a chance that a Canadian league could begin with any U.S. based sides.

“More than one American team has contacted us,” said Beirne.

But, while there have been proposals from south of the border, Beirne said bringing in U.S. clubs is not something that the league could consider, as it’s “opposite of our mission,” which is to promote Canadian players and create a Canadian soccer culture.

 

THE FURY

The Ottawa Fury is back for its second season in USL. Canada Soccer sanctions the Fury in USL on a year-to-year basis. So, will the team make the jump to the CanPL?

“Ottawa is still a citizen of the USL,” said Beirne. “We keep them informed of everything we are doing. Hopefully, they will see that the opportunity to play Canadian teams is a very positive opportunity.”

 

RELATIONSHIP WITH MLS

Beirne said he’s had meetings with Toronto FC President Bill Manning and Vancouver Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi. He said the reaction from MLS, so far, to the Canadian league is “neutral to positive.”

He said the meetings showed that the MLS clubs presidents “are curious about what we are doing. They want to know how they fit in.”

He thinks there is plenty of opportunity for the two leagues to have a collaborative relationship.

“If we can establish a common ground, we can find a way to work together. And that common ground is a desire to improve the game of soccer for Canadians.”

 

Inescapably Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 3/USL Week 1

The numbers in our weekly survey of minutes played by Canadians in North America’s Div-1 and Div-2 leagues get a whole lot bigger this week, as the USL kicks off its season.

Highlighting this week’s USL action was a goal from Keven Aleman, the former Canadian youth star who’s become somewhat of a forgotten man in the current national team set-up. He started for Sacramento this past weekend, and tallied the first goal of the club’s season.

As well, it’s worth noting that Fresno FC, the new affiliate of the Vancouver Whitecaps, played two Canadians this weekend — Bradley Kamdem-Fewo and Zachary Ellis-Hayden. With the shuttering of WFC2, we’re likely to see a decrease in Canadian minutes when it comes to the Whitecaps’ feeder system,

Still, there were a healthy number of Canadians playing in USL this weekend — 31, by our count (let us know if we missed any). And, not all of the USL teams played on the league’s opening weekend.

But, something to bear in mind. A month into the previous season, 51 Canadians had played in USL, plus 11 more in NASL. That’s a total of 62 players in Div-2. So, we got halfway to that number this past weekend.

 

Here are the rankings after the third week of MLS play/first week of USL action:

 

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Will Johnson, Orlando, 270 (3)
Michael Petrasso, Montreal, 270 (3)
Samuel Piette, Montreal, 270 (3)
Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 261 (3)
Dejan Jakovic, LAFC, 180 (2)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, LAFC, 180 (2)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 161 (2)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 160 (2)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 126 (2)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 114 (3)
Raheem Edwards, Montreal, 94 (1)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 66 (1)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 24 (1)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 12 (1)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 2 (1)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 1 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

Montreal, 691/3 (230.3)

Vancouver, 547/3 (228.5)

LAFC, 360/2 (182.3)

Orlando City, 384/3 (128)

Toronto FC, 227/2 (113.5)

NYCFC, 2/3 (0.7)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Kyle Bekker, NCFC, 90 (1)
Robert Boskovic, TFCII, 90 (1)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 90 (1)
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 90 (1)
Zak Drake, Las Vegas, 90 (1)
Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Fresno, 90 (1)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 90 (1)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 90 (1)
Callum Irving, Ottawa, 90 (1)
Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, Fresno, 90 (1)
Chris Mannella, Ottawa, 90 (1)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 90 (1)
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 90 (1)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 90 (1)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 90 (1)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 90 (1)
Keven Aleman, Sacramento, 85 (1)
Ryan James, Nashville, 85 (1)
Jordan Schweitzer, Colorado Springs, 84 (1)
Kyle Porter, Ottawa, 83 (1)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 82 (1)
Michael Cox, Nashville, 73 (1)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 72 (1)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 64 (1)
Monti Mohsen, Ottawa, 45 (1)
Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, 30 (1)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 18 (1)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 16 (1)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Reno, 8 (1)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 8 (1)
Daniel Haber, FC Cincinnati, 1 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2018

TFCII, 720/1

Ottawa, 462/1

Fresno, 180/1

Nashville, 158/1

Reno, 98/1

Charleston, 90/1

Las Vegas, 90/1

NCFC, 90/1

Tulsa, 90/1

Sacramento, 85/1

Colorado Springs, 84/1

Swope Park Rangers, 30/1

Phoenix, 16/1

FC Cincinnati, 1/1