Steven Sandor's Blog, page 30

FCE finishes disappointing season by losing fall-season clincher to Miami FC

If Saturday’s game in Miami will indeed go down as FC Edmonton’s final NASL match, or, gulp, last contest ever no matter the league, it was at least nice to see that the club’s all-time leading scorer added to his tally.

Daryl Fordyce roofed a penalty kick in the 56th minute after he was brought down in the penalty area by Miami’s Michael Lahoud. But, while Fordyce’s goal marked the first time in two seasons that the Eddies have scored against Miami FC, it wasn’t enough. Long-time FCE killer Kwadwo Poku scored on either side of the Fordyce penalty, giving the home side the 2-1 win and the NASL fall title, to go along with their spring title.

You would place Poku on the list of all-time FC Edmonton-slayers, players who have tormented the Eddies over the years. Poku, Tom Heinemann, Billy Forbes, Luke Mulholland.. who would you add to the list?

Miami FC is the first NASL team to do the double since the split-season format was introduced.

Poku scored a breakaway goal early in the second half, taking advantage of a hole presented by Eddies centre back Albert Watson, who pressed forward to the middle of the park to pressure Miami’s Vincenzo Rennella. Rennella beat Watson and fed the ball into the space for Poku, who rounded keeper Tyson Farago and scored.

Poku scored the winner on a lovely piece of play from the hosts. Dylan Mares, another FCE killer going back to his days with the Indy Eleven, dashed down the wing and put a low ball into the box for Stefano Pinho at the near post. Pinho deftly flicked the ball towards the back post, where Poku was wide open to put the ball home.

“That’s our seventh game in 28 days traveling the length of the continent a few times,” said FCE coach Colin Miller. “Most people in their lifetimes don’t travel what we have in a month, so inevitably there were some tired legs there towards the last 20 minutes of the second half. But we gave it all we had in the first 45 minutes and, with a bit of luck, we’d be ahead by a goal or two at the break. I’m very proud of the attitude from the players against the best team in the league after a hard month.”

Miami, the No. 1 seed going into the playoffs, will begin its post-season campaign next Sunday at home to the New York Cosmos. FCE will return home to contemplate what has to be the most disappointing season in team history, finishing seventh overall in the eight-team league.

A year ago, the Eddies were a playoff team and set league records for fewest goals against and clean sheets.

FCE fans — players and coaches as well — will now wonder what’s next. Co-owner Tom Fath has been tight-lipped about the team’s future, not willing to publicly confirm or deny that the team will a) return to NASL if the league gets an injunction allowing it continue as a Div-2 league; b) move the Canadian Premier League, though Fath has been going to the meetings; c) fold.

“I want to defend the players to the very end and thank them for their efforts because tonight we played well in tough conditions,” said Miller. “It’s been a sad season because we believe the team should’ve been farther up the league this season. I don’t know how many games we lost by a goal this season but it has to be in the double-digit figures. We’ve not been good enough at the end of the day to get out of this situation, but we didn’t give up.”

 

 

Whitecaps start a new chapter in their history with playoff win

The modern soccer team’s roster is always in a state of flux. From year to year, teams change and change and change so more. With so many contract options, sales, loans and short-term deals — all in a giant global marketplace — soccer teams roll over players at a rate that would make fans of other team sports shake.

Yet, even though teams are constantly changing, fans and media often burden the current players with the anchors of the past. Case in point: Going into Wednesday’s playoff match against the San Jose Earthquakes, a lot has been said about the Vancouver Whitecaps having never won a post-season MLS match. Players like Fredy Montero or Yordy Reyna or Jakob Nerwinski Stefan Marinovic or Aly Ghazal have nothing to do with that history, yet, by putting on Whitecaps shirts for the first time in 2017, we sort of magically expect them to be jinxed, as well.

Well, these new Whitecaps didn’t accept that repeating history was inevitable. Instead, they romped 5-0 Wednesday at BC Place. Not only did they win their first playoff game, the Whitecaps scored five times in a match for the first time in the club’s MLS tenure.

Montero’s diving header, coming right after defender Kendall Waston got his head to a corner kick, gave the Whitecaps a 1-0 first-half lead.

The second half was an onslaught. The third-seeded Whitecaps took the made-the-playoffs-on-the-last-day Earthquakes to the cleaners like we were watching a Premiership team dismantle a semi-pro side in an FA Cup match. Cristian Techera rocketed a free-kick goal into the net. Waston scrambled one in from a goalmouth scramble. And then Nicolas Mezquida came on and added two more.

It looked like it was oh so easy.

But let’s back up and look to the performance of one player: Marinovic.

Go back to the fifth minute of the game. The Earthquakes have actually started brightly. And they get a free kick just outside the box. Anibal Godoy smacks the ball and Marinovic is forced into a leaping save. Not only does he stop the ball, he gets a strong hand to it, so there is no rebound in the area.

If that goes in, do the Whitecaps respond with five goals? If the Earthquakes take the lead, does BC Place fill with tension? Do the ghosts of the past begin to haunt the players?

As well, early in the second half, with score only at 1-0, Marinovic dove to deny veteran Chris Wondolowski’s snap shot. Wondolowski didn’t make the best contact with the ball, but it was still a dangerous play, and Marinovic did well to get low and parry the danger away. If the Earthquakes equalize there, once again, do the Whitecaps get deflated?

These were key tests for the New Zealander. And don’t discount how important they were — even though they will likely get lost in a five-goal onslaught.

Puerto Rico FC continues to haunt FC Edmonton

FC Edmonton got off to yet another poor start to a match, and the Eddies dug themselves a hole they couldn’t find a way out of.

Thanks to some wayward passes and defensive lapses, the Eddies gave up goals to Jordi Quintilla and Hector Ramos in the first 15 minutes, and they would stand up as Puerto Rico FC went on to a 2-0 win in a “home” match on a field in Kissimmee, Fla.

Both teams have long since been eliminated from playoff contention, and this was a make-up game for a September match that was postponed because of Hurricane Maria. Half the proceeds from Wednesday’s game will go to relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

PRFC have been without a home field since the hurricane hit, but the team looked awfully comfortable on a Florida pitch. In fact, they looked as comfortable as when they shellacked the Eddies 3-0 in Puerto Rico in the spring season, a game that still haunts FCE coach Colin Miller as one of the worst games he’s seen the team play since he’s been in charge.

Miller said, though, that even Puerto Rico is at the bottom of the NASL table, PRFC doesn’t play like team with a wooden spoon in its collective hands.

“We were always chasing the game against a team that I fell has a false position in the standings. They are better than their record shows.”

Five minutes in, and FCE keeper Nathan Ingham was picking the ball out of his own net, after Quintilla was given acres of space to shoot and pick the corner.

And, 10 minutes later, a poor cross-field pass from Ben Fisk was picked off by Michael Ramos, who made a quick pass to send Hector Ramos on a breakaway. The initial shot went off the woodwork, but the ball came right back to the shooter, and he converted.

Ingham made a huge diving stop off a 20th-minute free kick from Walter Ramirez to keep it from getting to 3-0.

The Eddies’ best chance of the first half came from Daryl Fordyce, who was sent in thanks to a nice pass from Fisk, but his shot was blocked by the feet of PRFC keeper Austin Pack.

Miller said that he felt that Fisk had one of his poorest showings of the season, and his bad pass led to a PRFC goal.

Miller said the Eddies’ game improved in the second half, but they could not find the net. Meanwhile, PRFC could have built on its lead; Hector Ramos pulled a shot just wide in the 50th minute on a three-on-two break.

Then, former Toronto FC forward Emery Welshman forced a diving save from Ingham.

Ingham was called in to make another great save off of Conor Doyle late in the game.

But Miller’s review of the keeper was mixed.

“He made some very good saves, saves that you need your keeper to make,” said Miller. “But he also made a mistake on the first goal, where he played a ball to Nik Ledgerwood that put him in a lot of trouble.”

He said that Ingham, as a young keeper, needs to work on his distribution.

“Making saves is the easiest part of the game. But, overall, this season, I have been satisfied with our two Canadian keepers (Ingham and Tyson Farago).”

Midfielder Dustin Corea, who was won the award as the team MVP as chosen by the supporters, did not make the trip with a knee injury. As Edmonton wraps up the season Saturday in Miami, we know he won’t play for the team again this season. On Tuesday, he tweeted his farewell to the club and its fans; but Miller said that the player has not been released.

“I have not released a player,” he said.

 

The job you don’t want: Montreal Impact now on hunt for eighth head coach in less than a decade

You know how the MLS season is over? Because the Montreal Impact have parted ways with yet another coach.

You can set your watch to it. The MLS has Decision Day, and then the Impact announce that the coach will not be back for next season. On Monday, it was announced that Canadian head coach and Impact fixture Mauro Biello was gone.

This means that the Impact will be looking for its fifth, that’s right, fifth head coach in its MLS history. The Impact has only been in MLS since 2011. To call the Impact head-coach job a poisoned chalice would be an understatement. Basically, the day you get hired, you get a cyanide capsule. 

And, this is a pattern that the team had in NASL, too. From 2008-2011, the team had three head coaches. So, put MLS and NASL together, and the next head coach the Impact hires will be its eighth in less than a decade.

That’s ridiculous.

At some point, the realization has to come that the issue with the team can’t always be the coach. When you burn through coaches like they’re interns, it’s a sign that there’s bigger problems up the ladder. And, when coaches know that Montreal is a place where the seat is always hot, that means it won’t be considered a prime destination. If a coach has a choice of places to, Montreal won’t be at the top of the list — based on how little patience has been shown with coaches in the past. The more you burn through coaches, the more you show yourself to be a B-level or C-level destination. And, if you want to try and bring in a top coach, his answer might be “why would I bother?”

And it’s not like the team’s history has been awful. In this period, the Impact have got to the Eastern Conference final and a CONCACAF Champions League final. There are a lot of MLS teams whose records have been a lot sorrier over the past six years, and have a lot more stability.

 

The thing is, when a coach comes into a team, he inherits the previous regime’s team. It takes a while before the team truly becomes his. FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller once told me that it takes about three years before a manager can truly say that a team is 100 per cent of what he wants it to be. So, when you burn through a coach a year, like the Impact does, no one really has a chance to put a stamp on the team. It’s hard to say that any of these men were to blame — outside of Marco Schallibaum’s temper — because they weren’t in the job long enough to judge them.

Montreal is a place where coaches go to die. That’s not a reputation a club wants to have. At some point, this franchise will need to commit to someone’s multi-year plan, enjoy the highs, and learn to endure the lows. Until then, Montreal will continue to be seen as clearly third amongst the Canadian MLS cities.

Intrinsically Canadian Power Rankings: MLS FINAL/NASL Week 30/USL FINAL

MLS has wrapped up its 2017 regular season, and it took until the last few minutes of the Montreal Impact’s campaign for Shamit Shome to become the 27th and final Canadian to make an appearance in the league this season.

With an average of 169.2 minutes per game for Canadian players, the Montreal Impact was the runaway winner when it comes to Can-con in MLS. Of course, the Impact was the only Canadian MLS team to miss the playoffs, so it’s not like “the most domestic minutes played” award is going to bring a lot of joy to the team and its fans.

NASL is the only one of the three Div-1 or 2 leagues that is still in its regular season. Congratulations need to go out to Canadian minute-leader Drew Beckie, who scored in a wild 4-4 draw between Jacksonville and the New York Cosmos. For Beckie and his Armada teammates, though, it’s cold comfort as they really needed to win in order to control their playoff destiny. Now, they need to win their final game of the season and hope for help.

Now, to USL. We stopped ranking minutes last week when the league’s regular season came to a halt. But, in the opening round of the playoffs, Canadian (and former TFC Academy) goalkeeper Darrin MacLeod shone for Swope Park Rangers. He was key as Rangers eliminated Didier Drogba’s Phoenix Rising in penalties. Rangers were down 1-0 in extra time, when a goal from FC Edmonton Academy product Amer Didic leveled the score.

Here’s a look at the nine Canadians who have survived in the USL playoffs:

SWOPE PARK RANGERS (4): Darrin MacLeod, Tyler Pasher, Amer Didic, Mark Anthony Gonzalez

ROCHESTER RHINOS (3): Jordan Dover, Bradley Kamdem Fewo, Ryan James

LOUISVILLE CITY (1): Mark-Anthony Kaye

TAMPA BAY ROWDIES (1): Kyle Porter

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Cyle Larin, Orlando, 2169 (28)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 2057 (26)
Patrice Bernier, Montreal, 1801 (27)
Tesho Akindele, FCD, 1511 (29)
Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, Montreal, 1146 (21)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 1137 (21)
Raheem Edwards, TFC, 1062 (22)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 1060 (27)
Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 1053 (26)
Tosaint Ricketts, TFC, 1003 (22)
Samuel Piette, Montreal, 960 (11)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 779 (13)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 731 (12)
Jay Chapman, TFC, 385 (12)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 293 (6)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 283 (5)
Maxime Crepeau, Montreal, 270 (3)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 250 (12)
Jordan Hamilton, TFC, 142 (8)
Wandrille Lefevre, Montreal, 103 (3)
Ben McKendry, Vancouver, 90 (1)
Maxim Tissot, D.C. United, 90 (1)
Brian Wright, New England, 45 (2)
Tyler Pasher, Sporting KC, 45 (1)
David Choiniere, Montreal, 34 (3)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 26 (4)
Shamit Shome, Montreal, 8 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2017

Montreal, 5752/34 (169.2)

Orlando City, 4476/34 (131.6)

Toronto FC, 3925/34 (115.7)

Vancouver, 2653/34 (78)

FC Dallas, 1511/34 (44.4)

D.C. United, 90/34 (2.6)

New England, 45/34 (1.3)

Sporting Kansas City, 45/34 (1.3)

New York City FC, 26/34 (0.8)

 

NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Drew Beckie, Jacksonville, 2191 (27)
Mason Trafford, Miami FC, 2079 (25)
Ben Fisk, FCE, 2000 (23)
Karl Ouimette, San Francisco, 1927 (13)
Kyle Bekker, San Francisco, 1919 (27)
Dejan Jakovic, New York, 1890 (21)
Allan Zebie, FCE, 1783 (22)
Nik Ledgerwood, FCE, 1450 (19)
Nana Attakora, San Francisco, 1440 (16)
Tyson Farago, FCE, 1305 (14)
Maxim Tissot, San Francisco, 1148 (19)
Adam Straith, FCE, 949 (11)
Mauro Eustaquio, FCE, 943 (16)
Ben McKendry, FCE, 932 (13)
Nathan Ingham, FCE, 585 (7)
Abraham Dukuly, FCE, 39 (3)
David Doe, FCE, 15 (2)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, NASL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2017

FC Edmonton, 10001/30 (333.4)

San Francisco, 6434/31 (207.5)

Jacksonville, 2191/31 (70.7)

Miami FC, 2079/31 (67.1)

New York, 1890/31 (61)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Callum Irving, Ottawa, 2880 (32)
Ryan James, Rochester, 2773 (32)
Mastanabal Kacher, Colorado Springs, 2710 (32)
Mallan Roberts, Richmond, 2667 (30)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 2369 (27)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 2113 (29)
David Norman Jr., WFC2, 2057 (26)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 1879 (28)
Tyler Pasher, Swope Park, 1873 (24)
Eddie Edward, Ottawa, 1867 (23)
Zachary Ellis-Hayden, OCB, 1843 (24)
Marco Bustos, WFC2, 1813 (21)
Amer Didic, Swope Park, 1811 (21)
Kadin Chung, WFC2, 1809 (24)
Terran Campbell, WFC2, 1788 (25)
Daniel Haber, Real Monarchs, 1779 (29)
Jordan Dover, Rochester, 1740 (23)
Bradley Kamdem Fewo, Rochester, 1725 (24)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 1710 (19)
Jordan Schweitzer, OCB, 1699 (24)
Chris Nanco, Bethlehem Steel, 1622 (27)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 1576 (20)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 1531 (22)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 1504 (21)
Thomas Gardner, WFC2, 1408 (21)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 1225 (21)
Gloire Amanda, WFC2, 1218 (27)
Ben McKendry, WFC2, 1203 (14)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 1195 (20)   
Matthew Baldisimo, WFC2, 1187 (23)
Sean Melvin, WFC2, 1170 (13)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFCII, 1088 (13)   
Sergio Camargo, TFCII, 1082 (18)
Chris Serban, WFC2, 1062 (17)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, Louisville, 1011 (19)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 1005 (15)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 1000 (19)
Richie Laryea, OCB, 999 (12)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Swope Park, 978 (19)
Michael Cox, OCB, 922 (17)  
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 876 (19)    
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 873 (16)
Kyle Porter, Tampa Bay, 863 (11)  
A.J. Gray, Phoenix, 824 (23)
Jordan Hamilton, TFCII, 733 (9)  
Dominick Zator, WFC2, 685 (8)
Michael Baldisimo, WFC2, 596 (12)
Adonijah Reid, Ottawa, 582 (12)
Ashtone Morgan, TFCII, 554 (7)
Marco Carducci, Rio Grande Valley FC, 540 (6)
Mackenzie Pridham, Reno, 488 (15)
Anthony Osorio, TFCII, 467 (7)
Dante Campbell, TFCII, 412 (11)
Darrin MacLeod, Swope Park, 360 (4)  
Maxim Tissot, Richmond, 340 (4)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 275 (4)
Jay Chapman, TFCII, 270 (3)
Josh Heard, Bethlehem Steel, 261 (16)
Brett Levis, WFC2, 239 (5)
Aron Mkungilwa, Ottawa, 233 (4)
Patrick Metcalfe, WFC2, 222 (4)
Marco Dominguez, FC Cincinnati, 189 (5)
Brian Wright, Tulsa, 186 (3)
Marcel DeBellis, Richmond, 180 (2)
Wandrille Lefevre, Ottawa, 180 (2)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 180 (2)
Daniel DaSilva, TFCII, 94 (2)
Raheem Edwards, TFCII, 90 (1)
Mark Village, WFC2, 90 (1)
Mele Temguia, FC Cincinnati, 62 (1)
Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, Ottawa, 59 (4)
Noble Okello Ayo, TFCII, 19 (1)
Nicolas Apostol, WFC2, 17 (1)
Noah Verhoeven, WFC2, 16 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2017

WFC2,16580/32 (518.1)

TFCII,15072/32 (471)

Ottawa, 9184/32 (287)

Rochester, 6238/32 (194.9)

Orlando City B, 5463/32 (170.7)

Swope Park Rangers, 5022/32 (156.9)

Richmond, 3187/32 (99.6)

Reno, 2857/32 (89.3)

Colorado Springs, 2710/32 (84.7)

Phoenix, 2019/32 (63.1)

Bethlehem Steel FC, 1883/32 (58.8)

Real Monarchs SC, 1779/32 (55.6)

Charleston, 1225/32 (38.3)

Tulsa, 1062/42 (33.2)

Louisville City, 1011/32 (31.6)

Tampa Bay, 863/32 (27)

Rio Grande Valley FC, 540/32 (16.9)

FC Cincinnati, 251/32 (7.8)

 

FC Edmonton’s home finale features a loss on the field, and uncertainty off of it

I’ve missed a total of one FC Edmonton home game since the team joined NASL in 2011. I’ve been to all the home openers, the season finales.

But Saturday’s game felt different than any other home-season-ender. We don’t know what the future holds. Heck, we don’t know in what league FC Edmonton will play in 2018, or if the team will play at all. Instead of “see you next year,” the handshakes with the broadcast crew and the stadium regulars had a feel of “we’ll see you… sometime?”

Miami FC, the best team man-for-man that has played in NASL 2.0, won the game 2-0. The visitors put together a jaw-dropping 18-pass sequence that led to the opener. But, despite what was an entertaining game on the field, we were thinking more about what happens next. If NASL can gets the Oct. 31 court injunction it needs to survive, will FC Edmonton return in 2018? If the Canadian Premier League does come to pass, will FC Edmonton move there? And, gulp, is there a chance that this game against Miami FC is the final chapter in FC Edmonton’s history?

There’s a lot been said on message boards and on Twitter about where FC Edmonton will play next season, or if the team will play at all. A lot of “sources.” But, in the long run, the opinion of only one man matters — and that’s Tom Fath, who owns the team with his brother, Dave.

Before the game, Fath spoke to my broadcast partner, Gareth Hampshire, and me about the future of club. And he played things very close to the vest.

“What I can say for sure is that we won’t be in USL,” he said with a smile. “And I don’t think we’ll be in MLS.”

Miami’s Michael Lahoud tackles FCE’s Daryl Fordyce. PHOTO: FC EDMONTON/TONY LEWIS

We asked him if FC Edmonton will be in the CanPL. Fath said he thinks the league will be good for Canada, but we’ll have to see what the future holds.

We asked if CanPL might launch in 2018 or ‘19. He said that’s up for the league to announce and he won’t comment on that.

We asked if NASL gets the injunction, would FC Edmonton consider returning for 2018? He said we’d find that out later, that he couldn’t comment specifically about that.  He said that he “thinks” NASL will be successful in U.S. court, and it’s clear he wishes the league well in its battle.

Finally, we asked the toughest question of all. Could this game with Miami be FC Edmonton’s final home game, period? Fath said he couldn’t comment on that.

So, no commitments, and no denials, from the person who matters most.

As for the action on the field, Miami FC took the lead just 10 minutes in. After a long passing sequence — we counted 18 passes — the ball came out to the right wing for Jaime Chavez, who squared the ball for a wide-open Stefano Pinho.

Dylan Mares, a player who has long plagued FC Edmonton, could have made it 2-0 when he was set up by a sidefooted no-look pass and then a backheel pass in the build-up, but he put his shot wide.

For all of Miami’s possession in the first half, the home side did look dangerous on the counter, and really should have tied the game before the first 45 minutes were up. Sainey Nyassi stripped Miami fullback Mason Trafford of the ball, and sent in a cross for Daryl Fordyce. But Fordyce slipped just as he was about to make contact; and though he had Miami keeper Daniel Vega at his mercy, Fordyce’s shot was high.

The Eddies, though, did their best to help Miami out in the second half with some rather charitable play in their own half.

First, Tyson Farago spilled a cross, leaving the ball at the feet of Miami midfielder Kwadwo Poku. But Poku, not realizing how much time he had, snatched at the ball and sent it over the bar. It looked to be a huge let-off for the Eddies until…

… just a couple of minutes later, FCE’s Nyassi made an ill-advised back pass into his own penalty area. The ball was gifted to Miami’s Michael Lahoud, who then nudged the ball into the path of Mares for a shot he couldn’t possibly miss. He didn’t: 2-0.

FCE tried to rally, and the Eddies thought they had a penalty when Nyassi went down in the box. He claimed he was pushed over by Miami’s Hunter Freeman,  but referee Juan Marquez shook off the penalty claim.

After the match, FCE coach Colin Miller said “it was a stonewall penalty.”

Edmonton teenager Abraham Dukuly was brought in as a late sub, and was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession. First, he was called for a dive after he went down in the penalty area, then he tackled Lahoud from behind.

After the game, Miller lamented another Eddies game filled with missed opportunities.

“It’s the final ball again. We’re giving as good as we’re getting,” he said.

But, in Edmonton, we are at the point where we’d even look forward to losses and disappointments. We just want to be able to look forward to some kind of soccer in 2018. And, right, now, the only thing we know is that… we don’t know a thing.

Tancredi, Scott hopeful NWSL will soon have Canadian team(s)

As soccer fans in this country talk more and more about the birth of our own Division-1 men’s league — the Canadian Premier League — talk about how to expand the women’s pro game has been, well, muted of late.

But, Desiree Scott, who was one of 12 Canadians on the rosters of NWSL clubs this past season, and retired Canadian national-team forward Dr. Melissa Tancredi believe that there’s a good possibility we’ll see one and maybe two Canadian pro franchises launch soon.

Scott will return to Kansas City FC in 2018. Tancredi, who played her farewell game with the national team earlier this year, is a former member of the Chicago Red Stars. They were in Edmonton Friday night for a “Girls in Soccer” panel discussion, and will be attending Saturday’s FC Edmonton match against Miami FC.

“We’ve been talking about it for years and years, and I think we’re on the cusp of actually making something happen,” said Tancredi. “It’s been a massive process for the people involved. It’s not easy to kind of give the ball to the NWSL and get a Canadian team, obviously. It’s something we’ve needed for a very long time now, since 2012, we were always hoping to have it that next year, that next year, that next year.”

An agreement has been in place since NWSL launched which allows Canada Soccer to subsidize the salaries of up to 16 players in the league. But, the norm is for Canada not to use up its full allocation. Of course, if Canadian teams existed in NWSL, there would be more jobs for Canadian players.

Because Canada is now ranked as one of the top women’s soccer teams in the world, interest in the country has built to the point where an investor could be able to make a go of a pro team north of the border. That’s what Tancredi thinks.

“Now we’ve bought in with our consistency, with our results now, that’s what gets people attracted to it. It’s results driven. But, now it’s putting things into a process and seeing things happen, hopefully in the next two years we’ll have a Canadian team.”

Scott said that Canadian success on the pitch will lead to more opportunities.

“I’m very fortunate to be able to play in the NWSL. I’ve played over in England. She’s played in Sweden and all over the world. There’s more opportunities continuing to grow, year in and year out. With a Canadian team, maybe two Canadian teams coming into the league, the opportunities will to continue to grow.”

Eddies damage Armada’s playoff hopes with second-half fightback

In their previous four meetings this NASL season, the Jacksonville Armada beat FC Edmonton by 1-0 scorelines every time.

So, when Jack Blake’s first-half goal gave the Armada a 1-0 lead at home Wednesday night, many betting people would have thought, “well, that’s it for the night.”

But, finally, in their fifth meeting of the season, it didn’t finish 1-0. The Eddies came back.

Ben McKendry’s deft pass split the Jacksonville defenders and sent FCE teammates Daryl Fordyce and Jake Keegan off on a two-man breakaway. Fordyce squared the ball for Keegan, who had an easy tap-in to the tie game.

And, despite a wild finish that saw both teams spurn golden chances to score the winner, the game ended 1-1.

“I have to say I thought the team did terrific,” said Eddies coach Colin Miller. “To come down here, to play in these conditions, against an Armada team that was up for it, I thought we should have won by two clear goals.”

Jacksonville’s Zach Steinberger is challenged by FCE’s Pedro Galvao. PHOTO: NASL

The Eddies were eliminated from the NASL playoff race Saturday, but they did the New York Cosmos a major favour. The Armada and Cosmos entered Wednesday’s night’s slate of game tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in NASL. The Armada ended up dropping points at home while the Cosmos took care of business against Puerto Rico FC.

Nathan Ingham got the start in goal for the Eddies, making his first appearance since he was injured late in the spring season due to a heavy collision with North Carolina FC’s Lance Laing.

And it was the Eddies who had the first real good chance of the game, as Albert Watson’s header off a corner kick forced Armada keeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell into a leaping, fingertip save.

But it was the Armada who took the lead; Jack Blake got past Eddies fullback Pedro Galvao and found a soft spot at the top of the box ahead of central defender Albert Watson. JC Banks slotted a pass across the top of the box to the wide-open Blake, and the young English midfielder put a ball across Ingham and into the net.

The Eddies started the second half well, with Sainey Nyassi stinging Patterson-Sewell’s hand with a hard shot.

But, in the 63rd, the Eddies got the leveling goal when McKendry sent Fordyce, who had just come on, and Keegan off to the races.

The Eddies had two great chances to win it late, both involving teenage phenom Abraham Dukuly, who made the move from the Academy to the Eddies’ first team earlier in the fall season. First, Dukuly sprinted into the box to take a Nyassi pass for what could have been a tap-in, but the ball was just too heavy for the teen.

And, near the death, Dukuly led a three-on-one break thanks to his own little flicked header that set the Eddies off on the counter. With Patterson-Sewell at his mercy, Dukuly’s shot went just wide.

“I thought he was terrific,” said Miller of Dukuly. “He didn’t give a ball away once after he came in.”

He also praised Fordyce for his work in the second half.

But, has Dukuly done enough in his sub appearances to get a start against first-place Miami FC at Clarke Field Saturday?

“We are playing the best team in the league, so he won’t start,” said Miller. “It’s similar to the situation we had with Hanson (former FCE midfielder Hanson Boakai). We will bring him in when the time is right, when the other team has tired legs.”

But he said Dukuly will be in the squad and will likely have a chance to influence the game. He said the teen’s appearances justify keeping him in uniform.

The Armada also had a couple of chances to win the game; Ingham did well to get down and kick out a shot from Kalen Ryden. And, just past the 90-minute mark, Aaron Pitchkolan found himself onside and alone in the FC Edmonton penalty area, but his first touch was awful and the ball went into touch.’

But Miller was adamant that the Eddies’ deserved better. “It’s been the story of our season, missed opportunities. We have to do better in front of goal. We’ve had games that we should have won that were draws, game we lost that we could have drawn. We will regroup and hopefully be back at it next season.”

Intrinsically Canadian Power Rankings: MLS Week 32/NASL Week 29/USL Week 30

Congratulate Ottawa Fury keeper Callum Irving for finishing as the top Canadian minute-getter in USL this season.

The USL finished its regular-season schedule this past weekend, and Irving wrapped it up by playing yet another full 90 between the sticks for the Fury against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Irving played every minute of every USL match for the Fury this season.

As well, it needs to be noted that TFCII finished the season with an average of 471 minutes played by Canadians. Canada’s Soccer’s mandate is that USL teams that are subsidiaries of MLS parents (the “2” teams) have to give an average amount of time to Canadians that would equal six out of the 11 starting spots on the field. TFCII’s minutes would look to fall short of that.

In terms of Canada Soccer, WFC2’s minutes are moot because the team will not exist next season and won’t need a sanction.

If TFCII plays next season in USL, it can’t play games at Ontario Soccer Centre (as it stands), which does not have the needed capacity to satisfy Division-2 standards. USL has publicly stated that it won’t need waivers to keep its Division-2 status for 2018, which hints that all member teams will have home stadiums that can hold 5,000 fans or more. The 5,000-capacity minimum is set by U.S. Soccer as part of its Division-2 standards.

MLS MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Cyle Larin, Orlando, 2169 (28)
Will Johnson, Orlando, 2059 (26)
Patrice Bernier, Montreal, 1719 (26)
Tesho Akindele, FCD, 1512 (29)
Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, Montreal, 1140 (20)
Alphonso Davies, Vancouver, 1055 (26)
Raheem Edwards, TFC, 1055 (20)
Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, 1047 (20)
Tosaint Ricketts, TFC, 1001 (22)
Jonathan Osorio, TFC, 974 (26)
Samuel Piette, Montreal, 876 (10)
Marcel de Jong, Vancouver, 779 (13)
Russell Teibert, Vancouver, 731 (12)
Jay Chapman, TFC, 375 (11)
Louis Beland-Goyette, Montreal, 293 (6)
Ashtone Morgan, TFC, 193 (4)
Maxime Crepeau, Montreal, 180(2)
Richie Laryea, Orlando, 159 (11)
Jordan Hamilton, TFC, 142 (8)
Wandrille Lefevre, Montreal, 106 (3)
Ben McKendry, Vancouver, 90 (1)
Maxim Tissot, D.C. United, 90 (1)
Brian Wright, New England, 45 (2)
Tyler Pasher, Sporting KC, 45 (1)
David Choiniere, Montreal,34 (3)
Kwame Awuah, NYCFC, 26 (4)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, MLS MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2017

Montreal, 5372/33 (162.8)

Orlando City, 4367/33 (132.3)

Toronto FC, 3750/33 (113.6)

Vancouver, 2653/33 (80.4)

FC Dallas, 1512/33 (45.8)

D.C. United, 90/33 (2.7)

New England, 45/33 (1.4)

Sporting Kansas City, 45/33 (1.4)

New York City FC, 26/33 (0.8)

 

NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Drew Beckie, Jacksonville, 2101 (26)
Mason Trafford, Miami FC, 1899 (23)
Ben Fisk, FCE, 1850 (21)
Karl Ouimette, San Francisco, 1837 (12)
Kyle Bekker, San Francisco, 1814 (25)
Allan Zebie, FCE, 1783 (22)
Dejan Jakovic, New York, 1710 (19)
Nana Attakora, San Francisco, 1350 (15)
Nik Ledgerwood, FCE, 1279 (17)
Tyson Farago, FCE, 1215 (13)
Maxim Tissot, San Francisco, 1081 (18)
Adam Straith, FCE, 949 (11)
Mauro Eustaquio, FCE, 884 (15)
Ben McKendry, FCE, 752 (11)
Nathan Ingham, FCE, 495 (6)
David Doe, FCE, 15 (2)
Abraham Dukuly, FCE, 5 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, NASL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2017

FC Edmonton, 9227/28 (329.5)

San Francisco, 6082/29 (209.7)

Jacksonville, 2101/29 (72.4)

Miami FC, 1899/29 (65.5)

New York, 1710/29 (59)

 

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

Callum Irving, Ottawa, 2880 (32)
Ryan James, Rochester, 2773 (32)
Mastanabal Kacher, Colorado Springs, 2710 (32)
Mallan Roberts, Richmond, 2667 (30)
Jordan Murrell, Reno, 2369 (27)
Ryan Telfer, TFCII, 2113 (29)
David Norman Jr., WFC2, 2057 (26)
Jamar Dixon, Ottawa, 1879 (28)
Tyler Pasher, Swope Park, 1873 (24)
Eddie Edward, Ottawa, 1867 (23)
Zachary Ellis-Hayden, OCB, 1843 (24)
Marco Bustos, WFC2, 1813 (21)
Amer Didic, Swope Park, 1811 (21)
Kadin Chung, WFC2, 1809 (24)
Terran Campbell, WFC2, 1788 (25)
Daniel Haber, Real Monarchs, 1779 (29)
Jordan Dover, Rochester, 1740 (23)
Bradley Kamdem Fewo, Rochester, 1725 (24)
Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, 1710 (19)
Jordan Schweitzer, OCB, 1699 (24)
Chris Nanco, Bethlehem Steel, 1622 (27)
Liam Fraser, TFCII, 1576 (20)
Shaan Hundal, TFCII, 1531 (22)
Carl Haworth, Ottawa, 1504 (21)
Thomas Gardner, WFC2, 1408 (21)
Skylar Thomas, Charleston, 1225 (21)
Gloire Amanda, WFC2, 1218 (27)
Ben McKendry, WFC2, 1203 (14)
Alessandro Riggi, Phoenix, 1195 (20)   
Matthew Baldisimo, WFC2, 1187 (23)
Sean Melvin, WFC2, 1170 (13)
Julian Dunn-Johnson, TFCII, 1088 (13)   
Sergio Camargo, TFCII, 1082 (18)
Chris Serban, WFC2, 1062 (17)
Mark-Anthony Kaye, Louisville, 1011 (19)
Luca Uccello, TFCII, 1005 (15)
Malik Johnson, TFCII, 1000 (19)
Richie Laryea, OCB, 999 (12)
Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Swope Park, 978 (19)
Michael Cox, OCB, 922 (17)  
Paris Gee, Tulsa, 876 (19)    
Aidan Daniels, TFCII, 873 (16)
Kyle Porter, Tampa Bay, 863 (11)  
A.J. Gray, Phoenix, 824 (23)
Jordan Hamilton, TFCII, 733 (9)  
Dominick Zator, WFC2, 685 (8)
Michael Baldisimo, WFC2, 596 (12)
Adonijah Reid, Ottawa, 582 (12)
Ashtone Morgan, TFCII, 554 (7)
Marco Carducci, Rio Grande Valley FC, 540 (6)
Mackenzie Pridham, Reno, 488 (15)
Anthony Osorio, TFCII, 467 (7)
Dante Campbell, TFCII, 412 (11)
Darrin MacLeod, Swope Park, 360 (4)  
Maxim Tissot, Richmond, 340 (4)
Matthew Srbely, TFCII, 275 (4)
Jay Chapman, TFCII, 270 (3)
Josh Heard, Bethlehem Steel, 261 (16)
Brett Levis, WFC2, 239 (5)
Aron Mkungilwa, Ottawa, 233 (4)
Patrick Metcalfe, WFC2, 222 (4)
Marco Dominguez, FC Cincinnati, 189 (5)
Brian Wright, Tulsa, 186 (3)
Marcel DeBellis, Richmond, 180 (2)
Wandrille Lefevre, Ottawa, 180 (2)
Rocco Romeo, TFCII, 180 (2)
Daniel DaSilva, TFCII, 94 (2)
Raheem Edwards, TFCII, 90 (1)
Mark Village, WFC2, 90 (1)
Mele Temguia, FC Cincinnati, 62 (1)
Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, Ottawa, 59 (4)
Noble Okello Ayo, TFCII, 19 (1)
Nicolas Apostol, WFC2, 17 (1)
Noah Verhoeven, WFC2, 16 (1)

 

TEAM RANKINGS, USL MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2017

WFC2,16580/32 (518.1)

TFCII,15072/32 (471)

Ottawa, 9184/32 (287)

Rochester, 6238/32 (194.9)

Orlando City B, 5463/32 (170.7)

Swope Park Rangers, 5022/32 (156.9)

Richmond, 3187/32 (99.6)

Reno, 2857/32 (89.3)

Colorado Springs, 2710/32 (84.7)

Phoenix, 2019/32 (63.1)

Bethlehem Steel FC, 1883/32 (58.8)

Real Monarchs SC, 1779/32 (55.6)

Charleston, 1225/32 (38.3)

Tulsa, 1062/42 (33.2)

Louisville City, 1011/32 (31.6)

Tampa Bay, 863/32 (27)

Rio Grande Valley FC, 540/32 (16.9)

FC Cincinnati, 251/32 (7.8)

 

Farago’s goalkeeping heroics can’t keep FCE from NASL playoff elimination

FC Edmonton has been eliminated from the NASL playoff race.

What has been apparent over the last month became a mathematical certainty on Saturday night, as the Eddies got a valiant goalkeeping effort from Tyson Farago in a 0-0 draw at the New York Cosmos.

The Eddies have 26 points and four games left. New York and Jacksonville are tied for the fourth and final NASL playoff spot with 38 points. But, even though the Eddies could hit the 38-point mark if they won out, Jacksonville and New York still have to face each other one more time, so it’s impossible for both of them to finish on 38.

“I knew it was always going to take a miracle for us to make the playoffs,” said FCE coach Colin Miller after the match. “I would rather focus on the team’s performance tonight. I am very pleased with the effort, and hopefully we can carry that momentum into Wednesday’s game.”

The Eddies face a Jacksonville side Wednesday that has yet to lose or draw against FCE this season.

FCE keeper Tyson Farago charges down Cosmos forward Lucky Mksoana for the ball. PHOTO: NEW YORK COSMOS/NASL

Farago played the first half under the shadow of a giant #SunilOut banner erected by Cosmos fans. U.S. Soccer  president Sunil Gulati would not be the most popular person with fans of the Cosmos, as not only did the United States fail to qualify for the World Cup, but Cosmos owner Rocco Commisso is at the forefront of an NASL lawsuit targeting the USSF. The USSF has decided to not sanction the NASL as Div-2 league for next season, and the NASL is a seeking a court injunction that would protect its Div-2 status until a lawsuit can be heard.

And Farago got to work early, diving to tip a Emmanuel Ledesma free-kick off the post inside the 10-minute mark.

Farago also made an outstanding fingertip save on a Ryan Richter second-half effort.

“I am very happy for Tyson,” said Miller. “He has been very consistent ever since he came into the team. As you know, Nathan (Ingham) lost the job not because of his play, but because of injury. But Tyson has shown consistency, he has been good getting crosses. And I thought tonight might have been his best game in an FC Edmonton jersey.”

The Cosmos did get a ball across the line; early in the second half, Javi Marquez pounced on a free kick and hammered a half-volley into the goal. But referee Younes Marrakchi blew the play dead, claiming that Cosmos defender Carlos Mendes had committed a foul in the box. Mendes had delivered a basketball-style pick that prevented defenders from coming across to mark Marquez.

“I thought the back four and Tyson were immense tonight,” said Miller. “There was a lot of pressure on them. There’s pressure on New 

York. They are battling for a playoff spot.”

Eddies midfielder Dustin Corea, who played with El Salvador last week, didn’t make the trip to New York.

The Eddies’ best chance to break the deadlock came in the first half. Fullback Pedro Galvao blocked a Cosmos shot in the box, then sent a long ball up the right wing for forward Jake Keegan. Keegan got past Mendes, but couldn’t get the ball into the Cosmos goal.