Steven Sandor's Blog, page 49

Canada finishes U-20s with consolation win over Antigua and Barbuda

As yet another Canadian men’s Under-20 cycle comes to a premature end, there is the little consolation that it ends on a high note.

Canada scored a goal in each half and concluded its brief participation at the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship with a 2-0 win over Antigua and Barbuda.

To their credit, the Canadians shrugged off the disappointment of having already been eliminated and thoroughly overpowered Antigua, which had also already been eliminated.

“We probably could have had five or six goals for sure it doesn’t always happen that way,” said Kris Twardek, who scored in the first half to go along with Shaan Hundal’s late insurance goal.

“Any time you leave a tournament you want to leave on a high not and I think we’ve done that. For a lot of us, there’s big disappointment and from the players and staff we had higher expectations. It’s definitely satisfying to win the last game but I think we knew we had more in us.”

In what was the most overpowering opening 45 minutes by any Canadian men’s program in recent memory, Canada was up a goal but it could have been a half-dozen as chance after chance was either saved, missed the target or hit the frame of the goal.

Twardek scored in the 23rd minute when he converted Hundal header that came off the post.

Hundal would hit the post with another header in the first half and was played in on a tight angle on a bit of a breakaway in the first half but had his shot saved. He converted a breakaway in the 90th minute to put the game beyond doubt.

Coming into the tournament, the assessment was that Canada would have a hard time getting out of the group. Without the likes of Shamit Shome, David Choinière and Ballou Tabla, Canada’s hopes relied on the first game against Honduras. Canada dropped that game 1-0 on a long-range shot after what was a decent enough first half, but where the Canadians, once again, could not convert their scoring opportunities.

With the cycle over, the assessments will begin. Head coach Rob Gale knows his own status will be among the evaluations but feels there is talent in the Canadian system.

“We know the bottom line and the headlines will be that we didn’t qualify for the World Cup. The Honduras game killed us, no question,” said Gale. “But we’re not going to throw out all that hard work because there is talent. I think it will progress and you’ll see it soon here with the program and more opportunities to get these guys international experiences.”

One standout in Thursday’s game was Diego Gutierrez, who was just three years old when his family moved to Canada from Chile.

Gutierrez was a late addition to the Canadian stable but if he sticks in the program, he is a promising inclusion with an oftentimes silky touch on the ball, able to slot the tricky pass and is very much a creative midfielder that could help the Canadian program.

Twardek, another recent addition to the program seems to have no second thoughts about his decision to switch his international affiliation from the Czech Republic to Canada.

“I can say that the change to Canada was the best decision I’ve ever made,” said Twardek, on loan with Braintree Town in the English National League from Millwall. “The staff here, the players—I come to these camps and it’s the most I’m enjoying my football. I can say that there’s definitely more to come from this group.”

Canada’s last hope of qualifying for a youth World Cup in this cycle rests with Paul Stalteri’s U-17s. Their World Cup qualifier takes place in Panama in April and May.

But for the U-20s, the drought now extends beyond a decade and perhaps a little more dubious and is something that may need to take some further examination, Canada has failed to qualify for a U-20 World Cup in the MLS-in-Canada era.

When CSA president Victor Montagliani leaves the Canadian program in the spring, he’ll also leave without a U-20 World Cup berth during his time in charge.

Ledgerwood’s two new roles: FCE’s captain and fatherhood

Nik Ledgerwood has two new titles this season.

“Captain.” He was named FC Edmonton’s new captain earlier this week.

“Dad.” He and his wife welcomed their son, Miles, into the world a little more than two weeks ago.

So, to say that this has been a season of change for the Alberta-born Canadian national-team veteran would be understatement. He’s going through the rigours of preseason training with the Eddies, while going through the same sleep patterns that most new parents have to endure — that is, little or no sleep.

“Not much sleep, it doesn’t help during preseason, but everything’s been going good.” he said. “The physio has been helping keeping my body in good shape.”

But, emotionally, fatherhood and the armband are giving him major boosts.

“It gives you another kind of energy, that you didn’t have before, being a father,” said Ledgerwood. “Also, being a captain of a team in the province that I grew up in. It gives you a little bit more energy to go out there and do better things.”

Centre back Albert Watson had captain of the Eddies since the 2013 season. Coach Colin Miller said that giving Ledgerwood the armband allows the veteran Watson the chance to focus more on his football.

“The gaffer had a few talks with me just before the season started,” said Ledgerwood.  “So, it wasn’t a complete surprise. Everybody knew that Albert had done a great job the last four years, that this is a decision the club has made. I’m definitely honoured to take that new role and help the club progress.”

 

Who is the player FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller said will be a “difference maker?”

Colin Miller was in a sharing mood today. Usually, when you ask him about a potential new signing, he’s tight-lipped. He’ll smile and say that “if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.”

But, he gave up a little more than usual about two players expected to join the team in the coming days.

“We are looking to add two more players,” said Miller after FC Edmonton’s preseason training session Thursday at Commonwealth Fieldhouse. “One will arrive, maybe both, this weekend.  That will finalize the squad that will go into the spring season. I’m excited about the group.”

And, did he have anything more to say about the incoming players?

“One will be more of a utility-type player. And one is a genuine difference-maker.”

Miller said the so-called “difference-maker” has a European background.

So, until anyone says otherwise — is Thierry Henry coming out of retirement to play for the Eddies?

But, seriously, the two new players will bring the total of Eddies’ additions to six. Fullback Netan Sansara and midfielder Sabri Khattab, who were both in Norwegian league football last year, joined the team at the start of camp, as did Canadian midfielder Mauro Eustaquio and former Toronto FC keeper Chris Konopka.

“Attitude-wise, all four of them have been terrific,” said Miller. “I have now challenged a couple of them to get fitter. This will be the fittest they’ve ever been in their entire careers, I would think, during their time with us. All four have got really good, genuine qualities. We genuinely believe that it’s a step up from last season. I’m not saying that to our fans just for the sake of saying it.”

“They fit in the locker room great, they’ve got a great attitude, and I think all of them will help out the team in one way or another this season,” said Eddies captain Nik Ledgerwood. “And it’s nice to have a smaller squad, as well. I think it’s going to be a tighter-knit group. I think it’s going to be a more positive group this year.”

Midfielder Nico Di Biase and fullback Allan Zebie were on the sidelines for Thursday’s training session with minor injuries. But defender Karsten Smith is looking at six weeks on the sidelines with a calf strain.

 

NHL’s renaissance means MLS won’t have same window of opportunity it had in 2016

As Toronto FC set Canadian MLS viewership records during their remarkable 2016 playoff run, we wondered what could be next for MLS in Canada. During the off-season, a new TV package with Bell Media was announced, and that included a slate of games that will be broadcast coast-to-coast on CTV. MLS on network television! Wow!

But, Wednesday, the Vancouver Whitecaps were the first Canadian MLS team to play a meaningful game — away to the New York Red Bulls for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-finals.

No highlights were to be found on the late-night roundup shows. The game was broadcast on CONCACAF’s Facebook page — there were no takers from Canadian television.

The game finished in a 1-1 tie, even though the Whitecaps spent the final 20 minutes down a man. The best moment? Red Bull Sacha Klejestan opting to try one of those cheeky up-the-middle change-up efforts on a penalty kick, and getting stuffed by Whitecaps keeper David Ousted.

But most of us, well, missed it.

Yes, the CCL has had its challenges establishing itself; empty stadiums are the norm until we get to the very late stages of the tournament. The tournament will undergo a major revamp, as it will go to a knockout, Cup-style format in the future. (In my opinion, we’re only going to start really being enthusiastic about a regional championship if CONCACAF can find some way to merge the tournament with South America’s Copa Libertadores).

But a meaningful game is a meaningful game, even if only 3,000 and change bought tickets to see the game in New Jersey. A look on Ticketmaster’s page (included) shows that most sections of BC Place are designated as having “many tickets” remaining for next week’s second leg.

Ticket map for next week’s NYRB vs Vancouver match, as of Thursday.

Despite the CCL’s unsure status, it’s an ominous beginning — on the media side — for the soccer season in Canada, considering the hype that came with how last season came to a close.

But this year could be a difficult one for soccer in Canada — from a media perspective — despite the TSN/CTV/MLS deal.

Why? Because hockey’s well, back. How much of Wednesday night’s sports shows were dedicated to the Oilers win over the Panthers, which also had playoff implications for the Leafs? How much of them were dedicated to extended NHL packages?

Last year offered a perfect set of conditions for MLS to grow in Canada. No Canadian teams made the NHL playoffs, which sent Sportsnet and CBC’s ratings tumbling. And most of them were out of the playoff races early, meaning the March stretch run was also dull. We weren’t talking about hockey at the water coolers. And, to make things worse, the game’s most-talked about young star (in 2015-2016), Connor McDavid, missed half of the season with a broken clavicle.

This year is different. The three most marketable young players in the game — Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and McDavid — all play for Canadian teams. The Maple Leafs, who are the major media driver for the NHL, are in a playoff race — and are exciting to watch, with Matthews and a supporting cast of young stars-to-be. The Canadiens look to be playoff-bound, with a coaching soap opera thrown in. The Senators have improved greatly. We are seeing the best Oilers team in a decade (and likely longer). The Flames and Canucks aren’t out of the playoff chase. The Jets have Laine.

Basically, we have a radically different sports landscape in Canada as MLS is set to open the 2017 season. Unlike last season, the sports media will have its eyes squarely set on the NHL.

Numeris’s TV ratings tell us that Hockey Night in Canada is still entrenched as a top-20 show in Canada, with the early game usually getting between 1 million-1.3 million viewers on a Saturday night. To put that in perspective, it’s comparable to the 1.5 million pulled in by TFC for MLS Cup, but we’re not comparing apples to apples. The real comparison would be stacking the MLS Cup ratings against what Sportsnet and CBC will be pulling in from April to June — soccer playoffs vs. hockey playoffs. And the very thought of an NHL playoff doubleheader — an early game with Matthews and the Leafs, followed by a late game with McDavid as the attraction, will totally change the media landscape. There will be no room at the inn for much else. If Montreal and Toronto were to meet in a playoff series, all bets are off. If Calgary were to meet Edmonton in a playoff series, all bets are off.

But TV viewership is only part of the story — and this is where I’ll write as someone who is, well, a media member.

Hockey is our go-to in the sports media. It’s what attracts the most eyeballs to our pages. It’s the anchor of both the TSN and Sportsnet highlight shows. It anchors what’s left of the sports pages in our shrinking newspapers.

We have seen massive cutbacks in our industry. I sit in the massive press box in the brand-spanking news Rogers Place, and the seats are mostly empty — a stark contrast to the regular sellouts for Oilers home games in downtown Edmonton’s sparkling new palace. But, for those of us in the media who are there, we’ve been asked to do more than ever. With fewer staff writers and freelance budgets shrinking, print and broadcast reporters have to do more with less. And, editors have to pick and choose. Unlike last season, where you could justify scaling back on hockey coverage, an editor needs to make sure he or she is squeezing every word or second of broadcast time possible out of the NHL this season. And that means your reporters will have less time to cover other sports — or, will be using their time-in-lieu during the summer to make up for all the overtime they burned during hockey season.

So, soccer won’t have the same window of opportunity that it did in 2016. Still, there is so much room for this game to grow in Canada — we just shouldn’t use media coverage, or lack of it, as a measuring stick. And, heck, chances are that if you live in Canada — you just might like both the NHL and MLS (heck, I know people — look away, TFC fans — who love both soccer and the CFL!). So enjoy the rides, and make sure to leave enough time so you can have like, a life and stuff.

Mexico goes big, Canada goes home

With another early exit from a CONCACAF U-20 Championship, Canada’s program-record absence from the FIFA U-20 World Cup now extends to 12 years.

Canada lost its second straight game at the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, this time humbled 5-0 by defending champions Mexico, a team that has not lost in this event since 2009.

Francisco Cordova and Ronaldo Cisneros each scored in the first half,  while Cisneros and Claudio Zamudio and Eduardo Aguirre scored in the 65th, 82nd and 90th minutes, respectively.

“We take these on the chin. We’ve got pride in the players and the performance,” said head coach Rob Gale. “What they had in the tank, they gave. We’re not going to have a blame culture and start pointing fingers here. It’s back to the grind.”

As expected, Mexico had the bulk of the possession but for the first half hour, Canada did well to keep them to the outside and looked relatively comfortable defending a Mexican side that didn’t look like it could break Canada down.

But that changed in the 36th minute when the cross came to Cordoba for the diving header from close range but he was one of three Mexican players in the area with Gabriel Boakye the only Canadian nearby.

Just a few minutes later, Cisneros was unmarked after he quickly altered his run in the Canadian penalty area and the cross was right on his foot to volley in and prevent Canada from escaping from the first half down just a goal.

With that, the wind was very much out of the Canadians’ sails and the second half the team threw caution to the wind to find some measure of offence, but that left them stretched at the back and with the amount of pedigree in the Mexico squad, Canada was made to pay.

“It’s hard not to qualify for a World Cup as I’ve always wanted to my whole life but there are always ups and downs in football,” said Liam Millar, the midfielder who plays in the Liverpool academy. “The things that bring you down will also help bring you up so tough results like this will push your career and make you want to work harder.”

The day started with the Canadian Soccer Association announcing its new class of players involved in the EXCEL identification camps and posting videos of the current crop of U-20 players extolling the virtues of the program.

It ends with those same players on the verge of being the first Canadian team to leave this competition without scoring a goal.

It’s now five straight World Cup absences at this age group. That’s still behind the eight-World Cup drought at the senior level —  but these are the things the average fan will look at and wonder what’s going on in the Canadian program.

Gale is right to point out that had things gone differently in the first game against Honduras, when Canada created some quality scoring chances, this game is much less important.

But in the struggles of the Canadian program, one thing that it is shown is an inability to grind out results and has a habit of leaving points on the table that it deserves and can’t snatch unlikely ties or wins.

“You look at the last group and how many players are pushing into the senior team,” said Gale referring to the group from two years ago that’s seen the likes of Cyle Larin and Marco Bustos breaking in. “That’s what youth football is for. Yes, we want them to go to the World Cup, we want them to get staging posts but who remembers the squads that won in the World Cup? One team wins in the World Cup. Obviously, we want to get there and one team wins championships. We’ve been dealt a tough hand in the draw with Mexico and Honduras to start. We’re right there in that first game.”

Canada finishes its play against Antigua and Barbuda on Thursday. Antigua has also been eliminated.

Loss to Honduras a severe blow to Canada’s U-20 World Cup hopes

There was no way that Canada’s men’s under-20 team was going to qualify for a first World Cup in a decade in its first game, but, after a 1-0 loss to Honduras on Friday night, the drought looks set to continue.

Jorge Alvarez scored in the 77th minute to give Honduras the leg up in what will likely be the race for second place in Group A behind Mexico at the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.

“I wouldn’t say it was a deceptive result but it wasn’t satisfying because we had chances to score and it was an error in fatigue on the goal,” said centre back and captain Thomas Meilleur-Giguère. “They got the ball into the box and it came out and there was nobody there (to mark). It was a good goal. We’re to blame, it wasn’t on them.”

The result leaves Canada with a mountain to climb since games ahead are against powerhouses from Mexico and minnows Antigua and Barbuda. Canada should beat Antigua but barring any bizarre results, they’ll also have to pick up three points against Mexico.

Given the recent history between Canada and Honduras and the latter’s role as Canada’s bogey team, it was an encouraging first half performance for Canada in Costa Rica.

There was good passing, a few quality scoring chances but as has become the refrain of the Canadian men’s program, the chances went begging.

Just past the half hour mark, Gabriel Boakye took a nice run from his left back position and crossed into the Tristan Borges, who was influential in the first half. Borges’ first touch wasn’t ideal and his shot missed wide.

“If you don’t take your chances, you’re always liable to get punished at some stage,” said head coach Rob Gale. “Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time left on the clock (after Honduras scored) and we were worried about a couple of legs. That’s football.”

The conditions were favourable for the Canadians as wind buffeted the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa and plenty of cloud and rain in the area kept things very comfortable. The rain stayed away but for once, the Canadians had favourable conditions in the part of the world where Canadian teams traditionally struggle but despite that, the outcome was very similar.

It didn’t muster much in the second half but seconds after conceding, Canada fashioned its only true opportunity of the second half with a shot from Liam Millar that was similar to what gave Honduras the lead.

The only difference was a fine diving save from Javier Delgado pushed the ball around his right post to concede a corner that Canada couldn’t convert.

“They’ve worked their socks off and tried to execute. They just lost their way a little bit and ended up conceding a couple of chances,” said Gale. “But I can’t fault a young group and they’ve worked their legs off as best they can here and we knew it was going to be a game of a goal, and we didn’t take our chances. Congratulations to Honduras. They did.”

Canada now must get a result against Mexico, something it hasn’t done at this tournament since 2009 in Trinidad and Tobago when Canada won 2-0 as Mexico crashed out in the group stage.

The shaky second half where Canada gave away possession in dangerous positions too often is a worrying thought against a team like Mexico that is certainly much more clinical than Honduras.

While many outside the team’s environment will now effectively write off Canada, it’s important for the players to maintain that small hope that they can pull off the improbable.

“We’re going to go for it. We have no choice. We have to get a result against Mexico,” said Meilleur-Giguère. “It’s going to be hard but it’s possible. We believe we can get a result against them and then give all we can in the last game.”

Canada plays Mexico on Monday and Antigua and Barbuda next Thursday.

It hasn’t qualified for a U-20 World Cup since hosting the 2007 edition of the competition.

Ameobi comes into 2017 FCE season looking to recapture his 2015 form

FC Edmonton striker Tomi Ameobi is about halfway to his law degree; he’s been taking university correspondence courses as he works toward a legal post-soccer career.

But, for now, the law books have been closed. The courses have been scaled way back. Because Ameobi knows that he has to focus all his attention on making 2017 his bounce-back year.

“I see a different Tomi Ameobi, I’m saying that quite honestly,” said coach Colin Miller after Friday’s preseason training session at the Commonwealth Fieldhouse. “I had a long, heart-to-heart with Tomi at the end of last season and I told him that, by his standards, he underachieved.”

In 2015, before injury slowed him down, Ameobi was on a torrid pace. He outleapt defenders for balls in the air. He could hold up the ball. And his pace surprised defenders. He finished the season with seven goals and two assists in just 18 games. He figured in on a goal once every other game, a healthy return.

Miller said that, before Ameobi injured his toe “he was arguably the best striker in our league at the time.”

In 2016, he played in 30 NASL games, but scored only twice and added a single assist. He knows that things have to change in 2017.

“From the off, I already feel a lot better,” Ameobi said. “I’m in better shape, a better position than I was at the start of last season. That’s mostly thanks to the physios and the guys at the University of Alberta for putting the work in but, throughout the season, the one thing I need to improve on is my output in terms of goals. That’s one thing Colin and I talked about and it’s something we’re going to continue to work on during training camp.”

Ameobi has gone through a series of nagging injuries. But he won’t use them as an excuse.

“I think it was more psychological in terms of keeping my head in the right place, keeping that confidence.”

And he’s made the decision “to take a step back” from school to focus on football.

“My main focus, it always has been on football. But it will be even more so this year.”

Last season, as part of their preseason preparation, the Eddies faced Newcastle United’s U-21 side. At that time, Miller chatted with Magpies legend and coach Peter Beardsley. They talked about Ameobi and his famous brothers, Shola and Sammy — who all came up through Newcastle’s system. Miller said that Beardsley told him that there was a time when Tomi was rated the highest amongst the Ameobi brothers.

“I think he has the tools, the physical ability,” Miller said of Ameobi. “I want to see an angry Tomi Ameobi this season. I look at [Fanendo] Adi, the fellow who plays up front for Portland, and I see that Tomi Ameobi could be that player. He knows he underachieved last season. The incentive, and I’ve seen a reaction to that, is that he is bigger than he was last season, as well. He wants to play well. He wants to do well. He knows the head coach and the staff have been very loyal with him. We are good with Tomi, we have an excellent relationship. He is a leader with our club.”

 

NASL Commissioner’s response to MLS: USSF is the one who makes domestic-import rules

Last week, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, during a visit to Vancouver, suggested that the NASL’s decision to follow the USL and make all Canadian players domestic —  no matter if they played for American teams or Canadian teams — was illegal under U.S. labour law.

On Friday, NASL Commissioner Rishi Sehgal issued the following response regarding his league’s new policy.

“The limitation on foreign players is a rule issued by U.S. Soccer, and one that we’re subject to as a league. We view our new policy to consider Canadian players as domestic as a change that increases opportunities for all players.” 

Basically, Sehgal’s response is that the entire concept of teams having only  a limited number of international slots is entirely based on a policy set by the federation — not lawmakers. For example, no NHL team is required to carry a set number of Canadian or Americans. If the Minnesota Wild wanted to have 20 Russians on its roster, it could. The Edmonton Oilers are free to have Connor McDavid surrounded by Slovaks, if the team’s brass so wished. Likewise, the Los Angeles Dodgers could field a team of Dominicans. The idea that a team is limited in the number of foreigners it can carry — therefore creating a “domestic” designation for some players and an “international” designation for others — is totally a construct of soccer politics.

Remember that former NASL commissioner Bill Peterson went on the record stating that he wished for a change in the rules to allow teams to sign whatever players they wanted, regardless of nationality. Peterson was replaced by Sehgal, who is a lawyer with experience in international contracts.

After Sehgal took over from Peterson at the helm of NASL, the league changed its policy, and will now treat Canadians as domestics no matter where they play.  USL, which has teams affiliated with MLS, has the same league-wide Canadians-as-domestics policy. In the past, many Canadian players have struggled to find work on American NASL and MLS teams because they would take up one of the limited international roster slots. Meanwhile, Canadians knew they could lose their jobs on Canadian teams to American players who were getting domestic status north of the border.

After the 2016 season, MLS loosened the restrictions that allow for Canadians to be domestic players if they satisfy the following requirements:

• Sign with an MLS Academy or sign with an academy approved by MLS and the Canadian Soccer Association before the age of 16

• Sign first pro contract with an MLS team or a USL affiliate of an MLS side.

Garber said that, in the coming years, as more and more Canadians enter approved academies and sign with MLS sides, more Canadians in the league will have domestic status. But, as it stands, the majority of Canadian players still don’t have the same domestic status in MLS that they would get in NASL or USL.

 

FCE camp opens: Miller still wants to bring in another attacking option, get to know Konopka and Khattab

FC Edmonton’s players went through the paces Thursday at Commonwealth Fieldhouse in their first public training-camp session of the new campaign.

Pape Diakite, who was 2016’s NASL young player of the year, was on the pitch just minutes after confirmation came that he would return to the Eddies for the 2017 season.

And the team was in their new Inaria training kits. The team announced a deal with the Canadian sportswear manufacturer on Thursday. The team has worn Adidas jerseys since the 2012 season, but will move to Inaria apparel for the 2017 season. The team’s new kits will make their debuts in the weeks to come.

 

PLAYERS TO COME

The team has already brought in newcomers Chris Konopka in goal, along with midfielders Mauro Eustaquio and Sabri Khattab, and defender Netan Sansara.

Coach Colin Miller said there is still some new blood to come.

“There’s still one or two players to come in, who will be attacking options, as well,” Miller said after the team’s session. “At least one. I don’t want to have a squad that’s so big this season where the last player doesn’t get a chance to play, he doesn’t see a light to get a chance to play.”

 

THE GOALKEEPING SITUATION

The Eddies set an NASL record last season for fewest goals conceded. Keeper Matt VanOekel set the league record for clean sheets in a season, and was rewarded with a contract from Real Salt Lake of MLS.

Chris Konopka, who was the starter for the majority of Toronto FC’s games in 2015 before heading to Ross County and the Portland Timbers, takes over as the favourite to replace VanOekel, with Canadians Tyson Farago and Nathan Ingham also vying for the top keeper’s job.

“It’s fantastic,” Konopka said. “I have the opportunity to come up here and hopefully win a championship with these guys, it was a great draw and a great opportunity for me.”

“Chris comes in, he’s been an experienced backup goalkeeper in MLS,” said Miller. “He’s been there and bought the t-shirt at that level of football. He’s played in Scotland as well. I just felt he was available, that he wanted to come to establish himself as a first-choice goalkeeper and he’s going to be under pressure from Tyson and Nathan.

“He hasn’t played thousands of games for the first team, we know that. But he’s been at a very, very good level of football for a long period of time.”

Miller said he spoke to three goalkeeping coaches who have worked with Konopka in the past and received very positive feedback.

“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, a good goalkeeper is worth 12 points in the season,” said Miller. “Matt VanOekel was 12 points for us, so, definitely big gloves to fill for Chris or Nathan or Tyson or whoever that player is.”

Konopka said he’s relishing the chance to be a No. 1.

“Last year I had a different year from the year previous; I was the number one in Toronto, then last year I had an opportunity to go abroad and play in the Scottish Premier League, which was a great opportunity for myself. But, I didn’t really get the opportunity to play there much or in Portland. So, obviously the draw here is to come up and be the guy and to prove week in and week out that I should get the chance to play is what everyone wants to do.”

Konopka and Ingham know each other; Ingham and Konopka trained together in Toronto.

 

KHATTAB’S CHOICE

Sabri Khattab doesn’t know a heck of a lot about Canada. The midfielder is a Norwegian league veteran, but spoke to his agent in the off-season about wanting to “try something new, something different.”

The Eddies definitely offer something new. For Khattab only familiar face on the team belongs to Netan Sansara, who he played against in the Norwegian league.  

He could have stayed closer to home, but decided against it.

“There were other offers in Scandinavia, but I wanted to try something else.”

Khattab’s girlfriend and their twin sons will join him in Edmonton after the Eddies return from their two-week preseason trip to Manchester.

Khattab said that he’ll take on whatever role Miller has in mind for him, but attacking central midfield is his preferred spot.

 

FC Edmonton signs former Toronto FC keeper Chris Konopka

Chris Konopka is returning to Canada.

Konopka, who made 24 appearances for Toronto FC between 2013-15, was announced Wednesday as FC Edmonton’s latest signing. The American keeper made 21 starts for the Reds in the 2015 season, surrendering 31 goals in 1,890 minutes on a team that, well, wasn’t the strongest defensively. Konopka finished the 2016 season as the Portland Timbers back-up, after winning a Scottish League Cup with Ross County.

Konopka has also been in the uniforms of the New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union and the Kansas City Wizards. He also played in the League of Ireland and won a league/cup double with Bohemians FC.

The American keeper will enter training camp as the prohibitive favourite to claim the No. 1 spot. The Eddies also have Canadian keepers Tyson Farago and Nathan Ingham signed.

“I think he will be good incentive for Tyson [Farago] and Nathan [Ingham] to play well,” coach Colin Miller said in a release. “I wanted to have an experienced goalkeeper this year and now the onus is on Nathan and Tyson to step up again. Each goalkeeper will get chances to play in preseason games and Chris comes in as the number one, but who knows what can happen during this preseason.”