Steven Sandor's Blog, page 23

United bid co-chairs on 60-10-10 game allocation: FIFA could change it, but they’re confident it will stay where it is

The United World Cup bid’s split of games is still open for discussion, even though the people at the top of the effort feel confident that their proposed schedule won’t change.

The three co-chairs of the United bid, Canada Soccer president Steven Reed, USSF president Carlos Cordeiro and Mexican Football Federation president Decio De Maria, were all part of a teleconference from Malaysia, where they are meeting with Asian federations.

The United bid book for the 2026 tournament was delivered to FIFA offices in Switzerland last week. There are 23 potential host cities identified in the books, 17 of them in the United States. Of the 80 games in the 2026 World Cup, the bid calls for 60 to be played in the U.S., with 10 each in Canada and Mexico.

Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal are the three Canadian candidate cities.

When asked if there has been any pressure to change the 60-10-10 split of games, Cordeiro said “We’re not anticipating FIFA will make any change to the proposal.”

But that’s the thing. Cordeiro said that, in the end, final say goes to FIFA. So, in the end, if the United bid defeats the Moroccan bid in about 90 days’ time, FIFA will sit down after the fact and whittle down the number of host cities from 23 to 16. And, then, it’s FIFA’s call to determine which of those cities get how many games. So, while the bidders are confident that there won’t be changes made, by no means is 60-10-10 written in stone, either.

“If we had tried to bid on our own, it was clear we would not be able to do it,” Reed said.

“It’s a huge undertaking for any single country, even the United States… The split of matches reflect the resources of the three countries.” Cordeiro said.

De Maria said that people need to look at where the host cities sit in the region as a whole, not by the borders. He said, for Mexicans living in the north of the country, it will possibly be easier to get to games in the southern U.S. than to the games in Mexico. Toronto and Montreal are close to the U.S. border and easy for Americans in the midwest and northeast to access. Same can be said for games in Seattle, as those in Vancouver who might be miffed the city is out of the World Cup running can still make a Cascadia run to see matches.

(Of course, this is all subject to which cities make the final 16.)

The three were clearly trying to project their talking points in the press conference, going back to the unity, certainty and economic opportunity themes at every chance.

When Reed was asked about the British Columbia government’s decision not to support Vancouver going forward as a World Cup city, he said he wouldn’t comment on specifics, but said “we’re still really excited about the Canadian host cities that we have.” Later, when pressed on it (because Reed is a Vancouverite), he said “I’m disappointed that it’s my backyard and I’ve lived there most of my life.”

When asked if the policies of Donald Trump and the international perception of the United States is hurting the bid, Cordeiro said: “This is not geopolitics, we’re talking about football.”

He said: “We believe strongly that this decision will be made on its merits.”

When asked if the new, one federation, one vote system makes things more difficult for bidding nations (it gives an inordinate amount of voting power to Asia and Africa, because of the large number of federations in those continents), Cordeiro said: “It’s anything but chaotic. We’re moving around the the globe in a methodical, almost clinical way.” He said the United bid is reporting all of its activities to FIFA, that transparency is key.

But, since there were so many cliches at this presser, maybe we’ll save the best one for last: Cordeiro was asked if the United bid was concerned about the Morocco bid.

“We’re trying to focus on our bid, not theirs.”

We’re sure we’re giving this bid 110 per cent, right? Taking the bid one day at a time?

Full steam ahead for Edmonton’s World Cup 2026 bid, despite lack of provincial support

Edmonton is going full steam ahead with its bid to become a host city for the 2026 World Cup, despite news Thursday that the provincial NDP government could not commit to financially supporting that effort.

Friday at Commonwealth Stadium, Canada Soccer president Steven Reed, Edmonton city councillor Michael Walters and federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi confirmed that the Alberta capital is one of the three Canadian cities — along with Toronto and Montreal — that’s part of the World Cup 2026 bid. Reed, who is one of the co-chairs of the United bid,  confirmed that the bid book was delivered to FIFA offices in Switzerland on Friday.

Provincial governments in British Columbia and Alberta both stated this week that they could not accept FIFA’s terms and offer financial support to the World Cup bid. In Vancouver’s case, the decision was fatal, as the provincial government administers BC Place stadium. But, Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium, the largest open-air facility in the country, is controlled by the city. So, while Vancouver’s effort died when it was removed from the bid on Thursday, Edmonton’s lives on.

“The steps that we [the city] have taken along the way allow us to remain active in the bid,” said Coun. Walters.

Walters said that “we’re confident we can get there” in terms of bringing World Cup games to Edmonton.

“Edmonton is truly a great soccer city. Edmonton is a great sports city.”

He said that the city will continue to work with the province, despite Thursday’s announcement.

At an event held later in the day, Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson said that the city understands that Calgary’s bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics “complicates things” for the provincial government.

What does that mean? Alberta’s government is an unusual position, with both of its major cities looking to host major sporting events in the same year.

But it’s clear that the city does not see that the dialogue has ended between itself and the province.  And, something else to chew on; Alberta must have a provincial election on or before May of 2019. Since the host cities would not be chosen before that date, the issue of World Cup funding could become an election issue or might be on the agenda for a new premier if Rachel Notley isn’t re-elected. And, if she is re-elected, will there be a change of heart down the road?

Sohi said Edmonton will show the world that “every team is a home team” if it hosts World Cup games in 2026. He said that the tournament will offer Canada a wonderful chance to share “Indigenous culture to the world,” echoing the importance of truth and reconciliation as part of the bid.

The United bid would see Canada host a total of 10 matches. Mexico would also get 10, while the United States would get 60. Morocco also has bid on the World Cup. The United bid includes a short list of potential host cities. Along with Vancouver, the American cities of Minneapolis and Chicago have also dropped out of the bidding.

 

Labbe to play for Calgary Foothills this Saturday

Stephanie Labbe will take a major step Saturday in her quest to claim a spot with Calgary Foothills.

The Canadian national women’s team goalie is looking to play football with the men of Foothills; she’s currently on trial with the PDL side. Foothills technical director Tommy Wheeldon Jr. said that the plan is for Labbe to start Saturday in an exhibition match against Lethbridge. Then, Labbe heads off to join the Canadian national side, while Calgary Foothills goes on a preseason tour to the United Kingdom. Then, when the team returns, Wheeldon said he expects Labbe to get into a couple of more games.

“She’s been absolutely first class,” Wheeldon said of Labbe. He said his team has accepted her as a very good goalkeeper looking for a position on the team, and there hasn’t been a lot of made of the gender difference.

“Of she is good enough, if she can be better than the other players, then she’ll be able to make the club,” said Wheeldon.

But, the team has former Whitecap Marco Carducci, who spent last season with Rio Grande Valley of the USL, already signed as a keeper.

Labbe is not new to USL. She played in the old W-League as a member of the Edmonton Aviators, the franchise that lasted just one season.

Wheeldon said a PDL team is allowed to have eight overage players on its roster. So, if Labbe makes the team, age won’t be an issue — just as it wasn’t for Canadian national-team veteran and former FC Edmonton captain Nik Ledgerwood, who signed for the team earlier this season.

Foothills will be moving south to the town of Okotoks, a short jaunt down the highway from Calgary (and, for people living in the southern part of Calgary, sometimes a lot easier to get to than heading to the north side of the city). Wheeldon said the USL requires teams to have a minimum of 1,000 seats for a home stadium at the PDL level. The team was paying fines for not having the needed capacity at the Calgary Soccer Centre. And, the team wasn’t the primary tenant at previous home fields in Calgary, meaning they didn’t always get prime selection of game times, or were subject to stadium renovations. In a lot of ways, it was similar to what FC Edmonton faced at Clarke Field in Edmonton, where the city-run facility was rented out by various groups and the Eddies didn’t always have a spot at the front of the line.

 

Feds, Canada Soccer plan major “sports announcement” for Edmonton, then, an hour later, Alberta government says “no funding” for World Cup bid

Remember when we all thought the United bid for the 2026 World Cup was a shoo-in?

Well, the bid is bleeding, badly. On Thursday, a press release went out stating that Canadian Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi and Canadian Soccer President Steven Reed will be at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium to make a major “sports announcement.” But, just an hour or so after that release went out, came news that the Alberta government would not financially support Edmonton’s quest to become a World Cup 2026 host city.

This comes on the heels of other bad news for the World Cup bid. Vancouver was removed from the list of potential host cities on Wednesday, after the British Columbia government said that it didn’t get assurances from FIFA that taxpayers in that province wouldn’t be subjected to unreasonable financial risk to host part of the tournament. On the American side, Chicago and Minneapolis dropped out for similar reasons.

Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto are the three Canadian cities on the World Cup bid. Canada, the United States and Mexico are looking to share the 2026 World Cup, with the Americans getting 60 of the 80 games, and Canada and Mexico getting 10 each. Morocco is the only other bidder for the 2026 games.

But there are differences between the funding rejections from B.C. and Alberta. Unlike Vancouver, where BC Place is provincially controlled, Commonwealth Stadium is run by the City of Edmonton. If Sohi’s announcement tomorrow does include some sort of federal support, it could (stress “could”) help Edmonton cope with the fact that money won’t be coming from the province. As well, Alberta must have an election on or before May, 2019. Host cities will be chosen after that date. So, if there is a change in the political landscape, or even the political winds, Edmonton could hang on and hope for a new deal.

But the timing of Thursday’s two announcements was bizarre, to say the least.

And the line of questioning for Reed and Sohi just got a bit more uncomfortable.

Why Canada needs its own league: A perspective from a soccer parent

A parent of an elite-level player sent this to The11.ca, asking to remain anonymous. Its authenticity has been verified. This letter highlights the hopes this parent has for his soccer-playing child; and his frustrations with the current system — and how he feels it doesn’t offer a great amount of opportunity to Canadian players.

On Friday night, supporters will gather in Edmonton to salute FC Edmonton alumni and to rally support for the club. The group Yeg For CPL is rallying support in their quest to resurrect FCE, this time as a member of the Canadian Premier League. The CanPL will debut in 2019. This letter offers some insight to why the Canadian Premier League will be so important to soccer families in this country.

I have been watching, with great interest, the recent efforts of local soccer fans and FC Edmonton supporter-group members to try to rally interest and support in the community for an Edmonton team in the upcoming Canadian Premier Soccer League. Fans of the Beautiful Game are among the most passionate fans in all of sport, so the level of effort these folks are putting into their drive is of no surprise to me — but that does not make it any less admirable.

I too count myself as a fan of the game but, quite honestly, my interest in the game happened quite by accident. I never intended for it to work out that way but it did and I have no regrets. I love the game and I am not ashamed of that fact. Whew! There. I said it and it feels good to get it out there. Like many parents, my wife and I recognize the enormous benefits of organized sport for kids. Fitness, social skills, problem-solving, sportsmanship, self-esteem, the list goes on and on — and I don’t think many people would dispute it.

For our oldest son, the choice was soccer. It started when he was four years old. Back then it was just a couple of hours every weekend and it was fun to see all the little ones out there running around after the ball like a mob. As the years passed, my son’s passion for the game grew. That passion coupled with his hard work (and parents that were prepared to drive him  around the city four or five times a week for practice, training and games ) allowed him the opportunity to pursue playing at higher and higher levels. In his mid to late teens there were multiple trips to provincials and in his final year of youth soccer, and a trip to Nationals.

We were there for all of it and in the process became massive fans. Like I said, becoming a fan of the game just sort of snuck up on us. Then what? Well, there was an opportunity to play in university (soccer helped offset the cost), followed by a couple of seasons playing in the USL Premier Development League (PDL) which likes to bill itself as the “Path to Pro.” The small caveat here is “Path to Pro” really was meant for the American players attending NCAA schools. We had the privilege to watch many fine young Canadians playing for teams such at Calgary Foothills, TSS Rovers and Victoria Highlanders and, to my knowledge, not one of these Canadian players were invited to the MLS Combine to showcase their skills in the hopes of pursuing a professional career.

Meanwhile, the American teams from Seattle, Portland and Eugene, Ore. (who played in the same conference) had multiple players who earned and were given an opportunity to move into the professional game. This has much to do with the fact that in the MLS, Canadian players are treated as “imports” in spite of the fact there are three Canadian based teams in a league of 23 teams. For kids who have a genuine passion for the game and dream of an opportunity to someday play at a professional level, where does that leave them? Without a Canadian Professional League what chance do they have? If you want a good idea of where the opportunities are I would encourage you to check out the Canadian Player Pool maintained by Red Nation Online/Canucks Abroad.  If you take the time to have a quick look at this list you will see there are literally hundreds of Canadian players who dream of a future in professional soccer and have few options to do so other than leaving Canada. This is ridiculous.

Our son is one of the many players listed and is currently living in Europe. Although we recognize the value of the experience and are proud of him for the courage it took to take that leap of faith, we can’t help but think “why isn’t there an opportunity for him here at home?” Soccer is the most played youth team sport in Canada and yet we have no professional league for the kids who dream of playing professionally. What motivation or inspiration do these kids have?

For the parents out there who have children who love the game, this is your opportunity to help by supporting FC Edmonton. In 2015 we sat in Commonwealth Stadium along with over 50,000 soccer fans to watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup’s opening game. The fan base is obviously here, so why is it these same people cannot get behind an Edmonton team in a Canadian Professional League? I will be perfectly honest and say that I never attended an FC Edmonton NASL game. Why? Quite frankly it just didn’t resonate with me. What was lacking was a connection to local players and local rivalries. Those are the things that the CPL will offer and I can assure you, the idea of watching high-level soccer, showcasing the best young Canadian players playing for our city against other Canadian teams is exciting. If it becomes a reality, I will be attending regularly. For those of you that enjoy the game but, like me, just couldn’t quite connect to the NASL version of FC Edmonton, I would encourage you to think about a CPL FC Edmonton team from a different perspective. Canadian players, local rivalries, civic pride, whatever the motivation lets get behind this effort. That’s pretty much it for my rant.

I have nothing but respect and admiration for the commitment and effort of the Fath Group and all the people associated with FC Edmonton. The time and resources they put into trying to make FC Edmonton and the NASL viable is nothing short of remarkable. We let them down! If there is to be a revival of pro soccer here in Edmonton, it will be up to us as fans of the game to show our support and that means making a commitment now.

Bye bye, BC Place: Vancouver’s departure from WC bid offers boost to Edmonton, PR windfall for Morocco

Most of us in the Canadian soccer scene are still trying to process the news that Vancouver is no longer part of the United World Cup bid.

Because the British Columbia government wasn’t comfortable backing what it saw as an open-ended bidding process, it couldn’t endorse Vancouver as a potential host city for the 2026 World Cup. And, with the World Cup bid being due on March 16, that mean the city missed the deadline for inclusion — and now the stadium that hosted the Women’s World Cup final in 2015 is out of the process.

Now, only three Canadian cities — Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal — are part of the bid process.

The United bid — which would see 60 games played in the United States, with 10 in each of Canada and Mexico — is up against Morocco for the right to host the 2026 World Cup.

What could be the fallout of Vancouver leaving the bid?

MOROCCO GETS A PR WIN

Right now, somewhere in Morocco, the people at the top of that country’s bidding process are all saying “thank you” to B.C. Premier John Horgan and his government.

It’s easy for them to point out just how the United bid isn’t, well, very united.

I can see the phone calls to fellow FIFA members, now. “Wow, the city that hosted the Women’s World Cup final, doesn’t want to be part of the World Cup! They are out at the last possible second before the bid goes out!”

And then they’ll talk about how all of Morocco’s cities are on board, how united the nation is to get the 2026 tournament.

So, if Morocco does end up beating the United bid, they can offer British Columbia more than a few thank yous.

EDMONTON MOVES FROM UNDERDOG TO FAVOURITE

As of one day ago, if you asked the average Canadian which of the four prospective host cities was most likely to be ousted, Edmonton would have won by a considerable margin. It’s the smallest of the four metros. It doesn’t have an MLS team, and its pro team’s future isn’t certain. Sure, it hosted more Women’s World Cup matches than any other city, but the cynic will point out that had a lot to to do with Toronto not being part of WWC ‘15.

But, let’s go back to some documents that were presented at Vancouver City Council back in January, when the bid was debated. 

They stated that Canada’s assumption was that, if only two cities were selected by FIFA, that one would come from the East and one from the West. (FIFA could also pick three cities, too — and that might be the easiest solution now that Vancouver is out.)

That means Edmonton and Commonwealth Stadium  is now looking pretty darn good.

WHAT ABOUT THE NATIONAL TEAMS?

In the previous World Cup qualifying cycle, the men’s national team made BC Place its home.

John Herdman, the national men’s team’s new coach, is a big Vancouver booster. When he ran the women’s team, he made Vancouver the team’s unofficial-but-kinda-official home city.

But, if British Columbia is seen as leaving Canada Soccer holding the bag, will BC Place continue to be a preferred destination?

It’s hard to imagine BC Place being a prime destination for the national teams going forward. Today represented a pretty long bridge being burned.

 

TFC gets a great effort, timely goals and rides luck in win over Tigres

“I’d rather choose my soul to lose

Than leave around just one confused

And lose desire

Don’t know if I’ll ever learn

Can’t wait till I get my turn

To burn in the infernal hellfire”

— Supersuckers, “Born With a Tail”

OK, let’s really get ahead of ourselves, shall we?

The Club World Cup is set to begin in the United Arab Emirates on Dec. 12, 2018; the tournament runs for 10 days. That schedule was announced by FIFA last September.

But MLS Cup is set for Dec. 8 of this year.

Now, let’s say for the sake of a good argument, one of the teams set to play in the league’s big final was also the CONCACAF Champions League winner. There’s no way MLS could expect that team to play MLS Cup on Dec. 8 and then jet halfway across the world to open the Club World Cup four days later… right? Wrong?

Considering that MLS has a long streak of failure when it comes to the CONCACAF Champions League, I guess you can’t blame league HQ for creating a playoff schedule that really didn’t pay much heed to the Club World Cup. Really, deep down, scheduling MLS Cup so close to the Club World Cup shows how little confidence the league had in one of its teams finally ending the Mexican dynasty.

But there’s a problem, now. Toronto FC are now off to the CCL semifinals, surviving the ordeal that is a road game at Tigres. The Mexican giants and the MLS champs finished the two-game aggregate-score quarterfinal at 4-4, but the two goals TFC scored in a 3-2 “defeat” in Mexico were good enough to send the Reds through.

(And, if you’re keeping score in that “cheering for leagues” thing, New York Red Bulls knocked out Tijuana on Tuesday night, as well. And Seattle has a lead over Chivas heading into Wednesday’s second leg).

After nearly a decade of suffering, I have come to the conclusion that there’s a TFC fan who watched Tuesday’s game knowing full well that (s)he has made a deal with the devil. A deal that allowed the Reds to be built into the most powerful juggernaut MLS has seen. I have a feeling that this TFC supporter is a hyphenated Arsenal-TFC fan, because this deal with the devil might explain more than a few things at the Emirates.

I mean, how else other than a pact with good ol’ Beelzebub himself can you explain Chris Mavinga throwing himself at a goal-bound shot as if he were a hockey defenceman, and blocking it without using his hands? How do you explain Alex Bono heroically stopping Drew Moor from scoring on his own net? Or, that the Reds survived an early first-half injury to fullback Justin Morrow that required coach Greg Vanney to go his bench 15 minutes in?

If Tigres had got a first-half goal on either of those chances, Tuesday’s second leg would have unfolded in a very different fashion.

Still unsure about the deal-with-Satan thing? Let’s look back a the 63rd minute own goal that gave TFC the lead on the night, and a two-goal cushion on aggregate. Sebastian Giovinco comes in on the left side, barely beats the offside trap, then makes a terrible pass to the middle of the penalty area that was well behind teammate Jozy Altidore. But, no matter. Tigres defender Rafael Carioca slotted the ball into the goal with aplomb. Giovinco missed Altidore badly — and TFC got a goal out of it.

Tigres got a goal back from Eduardo Vargas, but then Giovinco was back at it, this time with an inch-perfect free kick to salt away the tie. But the real key was how Giovinco drew the foul that led to the free kick. He went in one-on-three, danced between two Tigres defenders, forcing the third, Hugo Ayala, to stick the leg out.

French star Andre-Pierre Gignac got two goals back for Tigres late in the game — one on a last-gasp penalty. But, between the two goals came a massive miss (once again, thanks, Mr. Devil!). He was played in behind the TFC back line, chipped the ball over Bono, but saw the ball go wide of the far post.

TFC still has a semifinal and a final to negotiate if the Reds are to win the quad. There’s still work to do. But, now, by punting Tigres out of the competition, they’ve moved from underdogs to favourites. And, they’ll be favourites to head back to MLS Cup in December.

So maybe, just maybe, it’s time for MLS to sweat just a bit about the possible scheduling conflict.

 

Liberals and the United World Cup bid: Two groups who need each other

The bid books from the World Cup-hosting hopefuls are due March 16.

So, Tuesday was the perfect time to stage an event that helps serve as a Band-Aid for two groups who have been bleeding support. Minister of Sport and Persons With Disabilities Kirsty Duncan was at Toronto’s BMO Field Tuesday morning to announce that the federal government is giving its official support to Canada Soccer’s efforts to host World Cup matches in 2026.

At the moment, the United bid calls for Canada and Mexico to host 10 games each, while the United States would host 60. Four Canadian cities — Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver — are shortlisted to host matches. If the United bid is successful, the decision on where to host games ultimately rests with FIFA, though Vancouver City Council documents indicated that at least one Western and one Eastern city would be selected.

No financial details about the feds’ support were announced. But, as the four Canadian potential host cities approved their continuing participation in the bid, they all stated that they would need support from various levels of government to make it work. The assumption was that the feds would commit to a significant level of funding.

Yes, the CONCACAF bid comes off as being economically sound because it will utilize existing stadiums. It should “only” cost millions, not billions, to host. But, there’s no such thing as an international sporting event on the cheap. Grass has got to go into the stadiums, some will need renovation work or, in the case of BMO Field, expanded seating capacities. There will be security costs. Transportation infrastructure. Welcoming committees.

For the United bid, some kind of news that doesn’t come from the United States is welcome, as the America-first tack that had been taken by the bid (until last week) has worked more as an anchor than as a sail.

ESPN reported last week that Morocco’s bid for the World Cup is coming on strong, while the United bid between Canada, Mexico and the United States might not have the support it had hoped for.

Really, we should have seen it coming. Why? The voting process has changed. No longer does a small, easy-to-influence executive committee select the World Cup host. This time around, each FIFA confederation gets a vote. The one confederation, one vote system is more open, but it also shifts the balance of power. South America carries very few votes, but Africa has a little more than a quarter of all the voting members. So, Morocco has some built-in advantages that come out of the new system. Add to the African votes the support we know will come from the Middle East and from other nations who don’t have good relationships with America, and you can actually see the road map to a Moroccan win.

Morocco had the advantages of Donald Trump not being its president. As well, it didn’t have Sunil Gulati at the helm of its bid; the former U.S. Soccer president was replaced last week as the leader of the United effort to host the World Cup. Gulati was seen as a key part of the U.S.-led housecleaning effort that deposed the former Sepp Blatter regime; but Blatter, despite his suspension from FIFA for corruption, remains a popular figure with many of the confederations. Those small nations saw him as their champion, he got tournaments to places that normally don’t get tournaments, and Blatter continually thumbed his nose at the UEFA’s power brokers.

What was frustrating was how long it took the United bid to recognize that.

There will be those who say “but Trump won’t be president of the United States in 2026,” but all that matters is that he, unless he’s removed from office in the next couple of months, WILL be president when the confederations vote. And that matters a lot more than who will be president in 2026. Heck, a FIFA confederation would be absolutely right to think “maybe the next president will actually be even more extreme — heck, those people already elected Trump, right?”

LIBERAL HELP

So, the United bid now has the three confederation presidents as its co-chairs, to try and emphasize the fact it’s a tripartite effort. The United bid is doing all it can, to try and de-emphasize the “United States” part.

Still, when the split of games is 60-10-10, that’s not an easy sell.

So, Canada’s announcement was desperately needed; but it’s also required in Ottawa, as well. Polls are showing that the honeymoon between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Canadian public is, well, over. The photo ops that used to charm us so much now make us roll our eyes and grit our teeth. Pipelines and business taxes have been divisive issues for the governing Liberal Party. And then there was that disastrous trip to India, which made our prime minister an international laughingstock.

So, the Liberals, who have been awfully slow to throw their support behind the bid (the bid book is due this week, after all) needed some kind of show of strength. And the support for the World Cup is a political win. It might, in the long run, be a small political win, but maybe it’s something to stop the bleeding.

Right now, the Liberals and the United World Cup bid need each other. The bid ne

Inescapably Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 2

Raheem Edwards went from triumph to tragedy in a very busy 24-minute stint, Saturday.

Edwards came in as a sub for the Montreal Impact in Saturday’s game in Columbus. He scored on an audacious volley to tie the game 2-2. But, unfortunately for Edwards and the Impact, the game still had one more twist to go. And that came in stoppage time, when Edwards fell in the box, taking a Crew player with him. The result was a game-winning penalty kick to the Crew.

Also to be noted from this past weekend’s MLS action: Richie Laryea was one of two Canadians to start for Orlando City (alongside Will Johnson, of course). And, while the Lions lost to Minnesota United, Laryea did draw the foul that resulted in a PK goal for his team.

As well, Dejan Jakovic and Mark-Anthony Kaye each got 90 minutes of action in LAFC’s demolition of Real Salt Lake.

Here are the rankings after the second week of MLS play:

 

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Dejan Jakovic, LAFC, 180 (2)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 180 (2)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, LAFC, 180 (2)
Michael Petrasso, Montreal, 180 (2)
Samuel Piette, Montreal, 180 (2)
Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 171 (2)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 160 (2)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 126 (2)
Raheem Edwards, Montreal, 94 (1)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 91 (2)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 71 (1)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 12 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 201

Montreal, 466/2 (233)

Vancouver, 457/2 (228.5)

LAFC, 360/2 (180)

Orlando City, 271/2 (135.5)

Toronto FC, 71/1 (71)

 

Osorio’s sublime goal + Mavinga’s desperation challenge = TFC win over Tigres

Well, the reasons you want your team to play in big-stage events like the CONCACAF Champions League are the thrills and anxiety, right?

Toronto FC fans were sent into the throes of ecstasy when Jonathan Osorio’s cheeky effort looked to have given the Reds a 2-1 home win over Mexican champs, Tigres, in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal.

But, there would be another twist in the plot. Two minutes into added time, Tigres striker Eduardo Vargas had a golden chance to get his side a back-breaking second road goal. TFC defender Chris Mavinga made the decision to lunge in; Vargas went down in a heap, and, knowing CONCACAF and its penchant for penalties, we all kinda expected the ball to go the spot, even though Mavinga did get the ball. But, no, the result was a corner, which provided zero danger to TFC keeper Alex Bono. So, TFC indeed held on for the 2-1 result.

Osorio with the wonderful through-the-legs back-heeled effort off a pass from Sebastian Giovinco, then Mavinga with the game-saving lunge. On a pockmarked winter-scored pitch in Toronto, Wednesday night was a time for heroes.

Now, there’s a damn good chance that the teams go to Estadio Universitario — arguably the most impregnable fortress in all of CONCACAF — and Tigres turns things around. We all know they’ll be favoured to do it. But, for a moment, just enjoy the fact that the Reds were able to rally at home after giving up the gut-punch opening goal to Vargas.

The Chilean international, opened the scoring early in the second half after he beat Mavinga down the wing, then slammed a shot inside the far post.

Vargas won round one of the battle vs. Mavinga. But, late in the game, Mavinga won round two.

After Vargas opened the scoring, TFC looked to get new life; Osorio missed a clear-cut chance just minutes before a quick triangle passing sequence allowed Jozy Altidore to get one-on-one with Juninho, the veteran Tigres central defender. Altidore had no problem holding off Juninho and slotting the ball into the goal. But it was all set up because Marky Delgado had the vision to one-touch a pass from Giovinco into Altidore’s path, knowing that the physical TFC forward was in a basketball-like mismatch situation with Juninho.

But, at 1-1, Tigres still held the road-goal advantage — and odds would be loooooonnnng for TFC to come away with the tie after the second leg in Mexico. The Reds needed some kind of advantage. And, after a corner kick was scrambled away, Giovinco got the ball on the left wing, and slid a low pass that Osorio pushed in — through his own legs.

“Seba took it down and I saw that I was alone and knew he was going to put it across,” said Osorio, who hails from Brampton, Ont. (of course you ALL knew I was going to get that in there. You probably thought I was going to get that into the lede. Ha. Too obvious!) “The ball came a bit behind me so I instinctively I put my leg out to backheel it and it went in.”

“It’s a little bit of a Jedi mind trick that I put on him,” said TFC coach Greg Vanney, “which is where I told him to drop a little deeper, not worry about scoring goals, and now he’s in front of the net all the time.”

On a bouncy field that was anything but optimal for sublime football, Osorio found a moment of genius. A few minutes later, Mavinga’s desperation challenge paid off.