Steven Sandor's Blog, page 69

Signings of Edgar and MDJ help Whitecaps on the field — and in the PR department

Marcel de Jong, then with the Ottawa Fury, is stopped by Whitecaps keeper Paolo Tornaghi in the semifinals of the 2016 Amway Canadian Championship. PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER/BOB FRID

There is no doubt that the Vancouver Whitecaps could use some help on the backline; the team has conceded 33 goals in 19 matches, the worst defensive record in MLS’s Western Conference. And late defensive miscues cost the team the Voyageurs Cup and allowed Colorado to salvage a draw at BC Place last weekend.

But, there’s a hell of a lot more to the signings of Canadian internationals Marcel de Jong and David Edgar — both announced Monday — than improving the defence. The Whitecaps have a more glaring need, and that’s in the PR department. And the signings of two Canadian internationals who will likely get MLS minutes is a boost for a franchise that is often criticized for not playing enough Canadians on the first team.

In Saturday’s draw with Colorado, no Canadians played for the Whitecaps. Of the five Canadian MLS and NASL teams, the Whitecaps give the fewest minutes to Canadian players, averaging a little more than 90 minutes a game. To put that it in context, Toronto FC, FC Edmonton and Ottawa all give Canadians an average of more than 200 minutes a game — more than double what the Whitecaps do. And, while the Whitecaps have graduated a few youngsters to the first team over the years — from Bryce Alderson to Caleb Clarke to Marco Bustos — none have been able to get the first-team opportunities that Toronto FC has been able to provide to the likes of Mo Babouli, Jonathan Osorio and Jordan Hamilton.

And now that Vancouver has become the de facto home for the national side, the Whitecaps lack of, well, first-team Canadian-ness was only accentuated. But, on Monday, the Whitecaps were able to tweet out highlights of their new signings playing for the national team and wrap themselves in the flag.



Of course, the Whitecaps were aided by the fact that fans filled BC Place for Canada’s World Cup qualifiers, and that the city of Vancouver has done such a wonderful job as a host city. Being part of that atmosphere for the national team makes BC Place seem, well, a little more homey. De Jong said as much in the release issued by the club: “After seeing the atmosphere at BC Place when the men’s national team hosted Honduras and Mexico, I knew I wanted to be a part of this club.”

In the end, what motivates the Whitecaps isn’t important — for Canadians, it’s important to see our national-team players get away from the clutches of Unattached FC. But, let’s be real; it’s been a decade since any MLS team has averaged more than two points per game over the course of a season. As bad as the Whitecaps have been defensively, the team is in a playoff spot; and if there’s anything that MLS has taught us over the last decade, it’s that a lower-seeded team has a much greater chance of post-season success than a high-seeded one. The key to winning in MLS is to keep tinkering throughout the season till you find the right formula, get hot late in the season and carry it through the playoffs. For all practical purposes, a smart team will treat each and every game until the beginning of August (and maybe even later) as preseason; keep experiment and fiddling about till you find the right mix for a quick surge in the fall.

Edgar and de Jong are parts of that midseason tinkering that every successful MLS team must do. But, if it isn’t successful, and the team keeps bleeding goals, at least it will be able to claim a bit of a higher moral ground.

Overwhelmingly Canadian Power Rankings MLS Week 18/NASL Week 13/USL Week 16

Mackenzie Pridham

The Vancouver Whitecaps announced the signing of Canadian defender David Edgar on Monday, and that might help stop a recent slide when it comes to the minutes the team is giving to Canadian players.

In Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Colorado, the Whitecaps didn’t have a Canadian in the starting lineup, and didn’t have a Canadian come off the bench, either.

That’s not the only depressing news when it comes to minutes played by Canadians in the major North American leagues. The Montreal Impact only had three minutes played by a Canadian this past weekend — Patrice Bernier in a substitute role.

On the USL side, it’s worth noting that TFCII has played 20 games, more than any other team in the league — so keep that in mind when looking at the rankings of individual players.

And it’s worth noting that Mackenzie Pridham is becoming a super-sub for the Sacramento Republic. This past weekend, Pridham scored another goal after coming off the bench. He’s played only 176 minutes this season, but has a couple of goals.

HERE ARE THE RANKINGS:



MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. Will Johnson, Toronto FC, MLS, 1237 (15)

2. Cyle Larin, Orlando City, MLS, 1209 (16)

3. Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC, MLS, 1048 (14)

4. Fraser Aird, Vancouver, MLS, 1014 (12)

5. Mason Trafford, Miami FC, NASL, 990 (11)

6. Eddie Edward, FC Edmonton/Ottawa, NASL, 979 (11)

7. Nik Ledgerwood, FC Edmonton, NASL, 924 (11)

8. Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, MLS, 884 (18)

9. Kyle Bekker, Montreal, MLS, 827 (13)

10. Carl Haworth, Ottawa, NASL, 806 (10)

11. Drew Beckie, Carolina, NASL, 769 (10)

12. Kyle Porter, Ottawa, NASL, 731 (10)

13. Wandrille Lefevre, Montreal, MLS, 675 (8)

14. Karl Ouimette, NYRB, MLS/Jacksonville, NASL 672 (8)

15. Nana Attakora, Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 585 (7)

16. Patrice Bernier, Montreal, MLS, 521 (11)

17. Maxim Tissot, Montreal, MLS, 517 (7)

18. Shamit Shome, FC Edmonton, NASL, 503 (8)

19. Julian de Guzman, Ottawa, NASL, 501 (7)

20. Marcel De Jong, Ottawa, NASL, 495 (6)

21. Mo Babouli, Toronto FC, MLS, 459 (12)

22. Russell Teibert, Vancouver, MLS, 447 (7)

23. Jordan Hamilton, Toronto FC, MLS, 364 (5)

24. Mallan Roberts, FC Edmonton/Ottawa, NASL, 326 (5)

25. Allan Zebie, FC Edmonton, NASL, 323 (8)

26. Jay Chapman, Toronto FC, 264 (9)

27. Mauro Eustaquio, Ottawa, NASL, 246 (6)

28. Marcel DeBellis, Ottawa, NASL, 171 (2)

29. Kianz Froese, Vancouver, MLS, 150 (5)

30. Sam Adekugbe, Vancouver, MLS, 111 (2)

31. Ashtone Morgan, Toronto FC, MLS, 96 (5)

32. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, MLS, 68 (4)

33. Mozzi Gyorio, Ottawa, NASL, 65 (2)

34. Marco Bustos, Vancouver, MLS, 50 (2)

35. Raheem Edwards, Toronto FC, 2 (1)

TEAM RANKINGS, MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2016, RANKED BY AVERAGE MINUTES PER GAME:

Ottawa, NASL, 3369/12 (280.8)

FC Edmonton, NASL, 2701/12 (225.1)

Toronto FC, MLS, 3471/17 (204.2)

Montreal, MLS, 2588/17 (152.2)

Vancouver, MLS, 1772/19 (93.3)

Miami FC, NASL, 990/12 (82.5)

Orlando City, MLS, 1209/17 (71.1)

Carolina, NASL, 769/12 (64.1)

Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 585/12 (48.8)

FC Dallas, MLS, 884/20 (44.2)

New York Red Bulls, MLS, 582/19 (30.6)

Jacksonville, NASL, 90/12 (7.5)

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. Janouk Charbonneau, FC Montreal, USL, 1516 (17)

2. Skylar Thomas, TFC II, USL, 1305 (16)

3. Louis Beland-Goyette, FC Montreal, USL, 1268 (15)

4. John Smits, Wilmington, USL, 1260 (14)

5. Brett Levis, WFC2, USL, 1251 (15)

6. Anthony Osorio, TFC II, USL, 1235 (15)

7. Shaan Hundal, TFC II, USL, 1213 (18)

8. Daniel Haber, WFC2, USL, 1170 (16)

9. Maxime Crepeau, FC Montreal, USL, 1170 (13)

10. Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, FC Montreal, USL, 1146 (13)

11. Liam Fraser, TFC II, USL, 1087 (16)

12. Aron Mkungilwa, FC Montreal, USL, 1068 (13)

13. Aidan Daniels, TFC II, USL, 1047 (17)

14. Ballou Jean Yves Tabla, FC Montreal, USL, 1021 (13)

15. Dominic Samuel, Rochester, USL, 1018 (13)

16. Richie Laryea, Orlando City B, USL, 1009 (15)

17. Chris Mannella, TFC II, USL, 1006 (15)

18. Kadin Chung, WFC2, USL, 984 (12)

19. Michael Cox, Orlando City B, USL, 951 (15)

20. Ryan James, Rochester, USL, 951 (14)

21. Tyler Pasher, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 947 (11)

22. David Choiniere, FC Montreal, USL, 921 (12)

23. Mark Anthony Kaye, Louisville City FC, 914 (13)

24. Raheem Edwards, TFC II, USL, 861 (11)

25. Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 847 (14)

26. Malik Johnson, TFC II, USL, 801 (15)

27. Alessandro Riggi, FC Montreal, USL, 800 (12)

28. Marco Dominguez, FC Montreal, USL, 796 (11)

29. Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 763 (13)

30. Benjamin McKendry, WFC2, USL, 720 (11)

31. Jordan Murrell, Pittsburgh, USL, 719 (10)

32. Marco Bustos, WFC2, USL, 712 (9)

33. Mastanabal Kacher, FC Montreal, USL, 697 (12)

34. Zachary Sukunda, FC Montreal, USL, 662 (11)

35. Bradley Kamdem, Rochester, USL, 630 (13)

36. Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Orlando City B, USL, 630 (8)

T37. Callum Irving, Rio Grande Valley FC, USL, 630 (7)

T37. Quillan Roberts, TFC II, USL, 630 (7)

39. Jackson Farmer, WFC2, USL, 626 (7)

40. Luca Uccello, TFC II, USL, 600 (15)

41. Yacine Ait-Slimane, FC Montreal, USL, 524 (11)

42. Nevelo Yoseke, FC Montreal, USL, 504 (13)

43. Alphonso Davies, WFC2, USL, 477 (8)

44. Philippe Lincourt-Joseph, FC Montreal, USL, 466 (14)

45. Charles Joly, FC Montreal, USL, 450 (8)

46. Sean Melvin, WFC2, USL, 450 (5)

47. Giuliano Frano, WFC2, USL, 432 (12)

48. Phil Di Bennardo, TFC II, USL, 432 (5)

49. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, FC Montreal, USL, 420 (6)

50. Carlos Patino, Sounders FC 2, USL, 410 (8)

51. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, FC Montreal, USL, 389 (5)

52. Brandon John, Sounders FC2, USL, 357 (6)

53. Robert Boskovic, TFC II, USL, 352 (10)

54. Jems Geffrard, FC Montreal, USL, 349 (4)

55. Adam Bouchard, TFC II, USL, 342 (7)

56. Matthew Baldisimo, WFC2, USL, 335 (10)

57. Sam Adekugbe, WFC2, USL, 329 (4)

58. Kianz Froese, WFC2, USL, 327 (5)

59. Thomas Gardner, WFC2, USL, 321 (10)

60. Josh Heard, Bethlehem Steel, USL, 318 (10)

61. Chris Serban, WFC2, USL, 273 (6)

62. Marco Carducci, WFC2, USL, 270 (3)

63. Simon Lemire, FC Montreal, USL, 268 (7)

64. Jordan Haynes, WFC2, USL, 261 (8)

65. Duwayne Ewart, Pittsburgh, USL, 238 (6)

66. Jonathan Grant, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 195 (10)

67. Jordan Hamilton, TFC II, USL, 182 (3)

68. James Pantemis, FC Montreal, USL, 180 (2)

69. Mackenzie Pridham, Sacramento Republic, USL, 176 (9)

70. Steven Furlano, TFC II, USL, 167 (2)

71. Mo Babouli, TFC II, USL, 162 (2)

72. Sahil Sandhu, WFC2, USL, 158 (8)

73. Heikel Jarras, FC Montreal, USL, 154 (10)

74. Jay Chapman, TFC II, USL, 141 (2)

75. Mitch Piraux, WFC2, USL, 100 (2)

76. Fabrice Mbvouvouma, FC Montreal, USL, 92 (4)

T77. Wandrille Lefevre, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T77. David Paulmin, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T77. Maxim Tissot, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

80. Karl Ouimette, NYRB2, USL, 87 (1)

81. Andrew Dias, TFC II, USL, 80 (1)

82. Richlord Ennin, TFC II, USL, 76 (3)

83. Ashtone Morgan, TFC II, USL, 62 (1)

84. Raheem Taylor-Parkes, Bethlehem Steel FC, USL, 44 (3)

85. Ethan Beckford, TFC II, USL, 40 (2)

86. Terran Campbell, WFC2, USL, 19 (5)

T87. Badreddine Boulajoul, FC Montreal, USL, 18 (1)

T87. Angelo Cavalluzzo, TFCII, USL, 18 (1)

T87. Jimmy-Shammar Sanon, FC Montreal, USL, 18 (1)

90. Mele Temguia, FC Montreal, USL, 10 (1)

91. Nikola Stakic, TFC II, USL, 7 (1)

92. Marko Maletic, TFC II, USL, 1 (1)

USL TEAM RANKINGS, MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2016, RANKED BY AVERAGE MINUTES PER GAME:

FC Montreal, 15252/17 (897.2)

TFC II, 11839/20 (591.6)

WFC2, 9223/16 (576.4)

Swope Park Rangers, 2762/16 (172.6)

Rochester Rhinos, 2609/16 (163.1)

Orlando City B, 2580/17 (151.8)

Wilmington Hammerheads FC, 1260/16 (78.8)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 957/15 (63.8)

Louisville City FC, 914/18 (50.8)

Sounders FC 2, 767/17 (45.1)

Rio Grande Valley FC, 630/18 (35)

Bethlehem Steel 362/17 (21.3)

Sacramento Republic, 176/17 (10.4)

VanOekel and Fordyce star as FC Edmonton beats Fort Lauderdale

The Eddies’ Dustin Corea plays the ball in the driving rain. PHOTO: TONY LEWIS/FC EDMONTON

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers have lost just twice in their past 11 NASL spring/fall season and U.S. Open Cup matches.

Both of those losses have come to FC Edmonton at Clarke Field.

After a 46-minute delay because of lightning and torrential rain, the Eddies got spectacular goalkeeping from Matt VanOekel and a fantastic goal from Daryl Fordyce as they beat the Strikers 1-0.

At the end of the match, Strikers coach Caio Zanardi called the result “unbelievable,” feeling that his team had dominated the match and had created eight or nine very good scoring opportunities.

But, with the driving rain making holding onto the ball all the more difficult VanOekel held his team in the game until the second half, when the Eddies were finally able to spring a counterattack on the visitors. It actually started with a save from VanOekel; he parried away a strike from Jose Angulo. He did well to angle his punch well away from the Strikers’ attackers following up the play. The ball went up the field to Jake Keegan, who launched a long ball into the box for Fordyce. The Northern Irish striker got in between defenders PC and Julius James. His first touch pushed the ball to the centre of the box, splitting the defenders. He then smashed the ball past keeper Diego Restrepo.



“I made a run off of the second centre back and Jake played a great ball,” said Fordyce.

FCE coach Colin Miller said that, at halftime, he was concerned that Fordyce was playing far too deep in the formation, leaving Tomi Ameobi isolated as the lone striker. He encouraged Fordyce to get further forward, to make some runs that would challenge Fort Lauderdale’s back four.

But neither Miller nor Fordyce made any bones on who they thought deserved the game ball.

“Matt VanOekel was our man of the match,” said Miller. “He stood on his head for us today.”

“We went in at halftime at zero-zero,” said Fordyce. “We could have been three or four goals down.”

After the 46-minute delay, the Strikers took advantage of more than a few sloppy passes from the hosts, and launched a series of dangerous shots towards Van Oekel. Twice in a row he was called to make good stops on swerving shots from Luis Felipe. Then, he was able to parry away a free-kick attempt from PC.

Later in the first half, he sprawled to his left to stop a low Victor Pineda shot, after Geison Moura knocked down a cross in the Eddies’ box and laid the ball on a platter for his teammate.

There were more chances in the second; Angulo’s effort was turned into the goal going the other way.

But, with six minutes of stoppage time added, the Strikers kept pressing, and Paulo Jr.— acquired in a trade with Ottawa earlier in the week — had a fantastic chance to tie the game. He was wide open in the area to head the ball, but could only place the ball timidly right at VanOekel. It was Fort Lauderdale’s last pushback of the game, and Zanardi is likely still wondering just how his team didn’t get a single point of this one.

NICKLAW: Shawn Nicklaw, acquired by the Eddies from Jacksonville earlier this week, started at right back for the Eddies. Winger Sainey Nyassi missed the game due to concussion.

The Eddies are in third place in the NASL overall table, three points behind the New York Cosmos.

FC Edmonton finalizes deal for Nicklaw; team sends Plumhoff to Jacksonville

Jason Plumhoff

It’s official. Fullback Shawn Nicklaw, who had been on trial with the club for more than a week, is now an Eddie.

FC Edmonton finalized a deal with the Jacksonville Armada Wednesday, sending forward Jason Plumhoff the other way. Plumhoff scored one goal for the Eddies in limited playing time during the spring season.

“It is a situation with Jason where he is playing second, third, fourth fiddle at the moment because we have players ahead of him,” said FCE coach Colin Miller in a release. “Those players are playing well. The trade is a good fit for us, it is basically one in and one out. It is a great move for all parties involved.”

With the loss of fullback Eddie Edward to the Ottawa Fury, the Eddies needed to shore up the position. In Nicklaw, they get a veteran who has not only NASL experience, but has played in Denmark and Iceland, as well. Nicklaw has represented Guam internationally.



“Shawn is actually a player that I have known within the league and one of the players that we targeted when we played against Jacksonville because he was a threat moving forward,” Miller said. “He is a very attack-minded fullback and the fact that he knows the league and has played very well made the transaction a no-brainer for us. Speaking to him, he is very enthusiastic about coming to play with FC Edmonton.”

Trades between Canadian and American NASL sides are rare, as they both pay out their contracts in different currencies.

Miller in discussions with agents as he looks to fill FC Edmonton’s vacant international roster spot

Colin Miller

FC Edmonton got through the first week of the season with just 15 players on the traveling squad that went to Rayo OKC.

With the departure of fullback Eddie Edward, centre back Mallan Roberts on loan to Ottawa, and with Ritchie Jones’s knee injury forcing him to leave the club, the team has some spots to fill. And Jones’s departure means that the Eddies also have a free international roster spot. It’s a spot that coach Colin Miller intends on filling.

“I am speaking with a couple of agents about the international spot, of course, that has become available through Ritchie Jones leaving the club,” said Miller after Tuesday’s training session. “And there are one or two other options that we’re working on. But, as you know, as soon as the transfer window opens every agent in the world has got the next Messi. It’s sifting through who we believe is going to be right for us.”



Miller has said that he won’t bring in any player who offers the same skills sets as someone already with the club. He said there’s no point in having 30 men on the roster if only 15 of them have a hope of seeing the field. And he said that he has to respect the fact that FC Edmonton have a budget — even though the owners Tom and Dave Fath have never refused a request from Miller to sign a player.

As well, former Jacksonville Armada defender Shawn Nicklaw continues to trial with the club. Miller said that a decision on Nicklaw should be made between 24 and 48 hours from Tuesday.

“Fingers crossed, it’s positive,” he said.

As well, Miller would not confirm nor deny that the team has shown interest in Canadian defender Maxim Tissot, who was waived by the Montreal Impact last week.

Overwhelmingly Canadian Power Rankings MLS Week 17/NASL Week 12/USL Week 15

Zachary Ellis-Hayden

Thanks to the American July 4 holiday Monday, the official “week” in MLS got stretched by a day. So, all of the numbers below will be adjusted to the end of Monday night’s action.

There are now a total of 35 Canadians who have played in MLS or NASL games so far this season.

Of note in our weekly ranking of minutes played by Canadians in all three North American pro leagues:

In a 2-1 loss to the New York Cosmos, the Ottawa Fury gave over 500 minutes of playing time to Canadian players. Some of that was forced by a red card to starting keeper Romuald Peiser; so Canadian backup Marcel DeBellis got his first NASL minutes of the year. As well, Eddie Edward made his Ottawa Fury debut.

Karl Ouimette was loaned out by the New York Red Bulls to the Jacksonville Armada so he could get some minutes. But, on Saturday, he was an unused sub. He played behind NASL veterans Beto Navarro and Tyler Ruthven.

In USL, the Canadians continue to make impacts. Unlike MLS or NASL, USL recognizes Canadians as domestic players on both its American and Canadian teams. It’s created a paradox; we have cases where USL teams affiliated with MLS sides have plenty of Canadians on their rosters. But, those Canadians know their chances of being promoted to the MLS teams are marginal because they’d take up international roster spots. That paradox is explored in Issue 9 of Plastic Pitch, as Steve Brisendine profiled the Canadians at Swope Park Rangers, affiliated with Sporting Kansas City. You can get the new issue by clicking the box link below or by finding it on iTunes.

Canadian Tyler Pasher scored a winning goal for Swope Park Rangers this past weekend; he was one of three Canadians who were in the starting XI. At the end of the day, four Canadians saw the pitch for Swope Park Rangers. Meanwhile, former FC Edmonton striker Michael Cox got the tying goal for Orlando City B, with an assist from fellow Canadian Zachary Ellis-Hayden, against the Charlotte Independence.

HERE ARE THE RANKINGS:



MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. Will Johnson, Toronto FC, MLS, 1237 (15)

2. Cyle Larin, Orlando City, MLS, 1119 (15)

3. Fraser Aird, Vancouver, MLS, 1014 (12)

4. Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC, MLS, 959 (13)

5. Mason Trafford, Miami FC, NASL, 900 (10)

6. Eddie Edward, FC Edmonton/Ottawa, NASL, 899 (10) ‘

7. Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, MLS, 878 (17)

8. Nik Ledgerwood, FC Edmonton, NASL, 852 (10)

9. Kyle Bekker, Montreal, MLS, 827 (13)

10. Carl Haworth, Ottawa, NASL, 716 (9)

11. Drew Beckie, Carolina, NASL, 679 (9)

12. Wandrille Lefevre, Montreal, MLS, 675 (8)

13. Kyle Porter, Ottawa, NASL, 641 (9)

14. Nana Attakora, Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 585 (7)

15. Karl Ouimette, NYRB, MLS 582 (7)

16. Patrice Bernier, Montreal, MLS, 518 (10)

17. Maxim Tissot, Montreal, MLS, 517 (7)

18. Marcel De Jong, Ottawa, NASL, 495 (6)

19. Mo Babouli, Toronto FC, MLS, 454 (11)

20. Russell Teibert, Vancouver, MLS, 447 (7)

21. Julian de Guzman, Ottawa, NASL, 435 (6)

22. Shamit Shome, FC Edmonton, NASL, 413 (7)

23. Mallan Roberts, FC Edmonton/Ottawa, NASL, 326 (5)

24. Allan Zebie, FC Edmonton, NASL, 310 (7)

25. Jordan Hamilton, Toronto FC, MLS, 279 (4)

26. Jay Chapman, Toronto FC, 256 (8)

27. Mauro Eustaquio, Ottawa, NASL, 246 (6)

28. Kianz Froese, Vancouver, MLS, 150 (5)

29. Sam Adekugbe, Vancouver, MLS, 111 (2)

30. Ashtone Morgan, Toronto FC, MLS, 96 (5)

31. Marcel DeBellis, Ottawa, NASL, 81 (1)

32. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Montreal, MLS, 68 (4)

33. Mozzi Gyorio, Ottawa, NASL, 65 (2)

34. Marco Bustos, Vancouver, MLS, 50 (2)

35. Raheem Edwards, Toronto FC, 2 (1)

TEAM RANKINGS, MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2016, RANKED BY AVERAGE MINUTES PER GAME:

Ottawa, NASL, 2953/11 (268.5)

FC Edmonton, NASL, 2526/11 (229.6)

Toronto FC, MLS, 3284/16 (205.3)

Montreal, MLS, 2585/16 (161.6)

Vancouver, MLS, 1772/18 (98.4)

Miami FC, NASL, 900/11 (81.8)

Orlando City, MLS, 1119/16 (69.9)

Carolina, NASL, 679/11 (61.7)

Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 585/11 (53.2)

FC Dallas, MLS, 878/19 (46.2)

New York Red Bulls, MLS, 582/18 (32.3)

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. Janouk Charbonneau, FC Montreal, USL, 1426 (16)

2. John Smits, Wilmington, USL, 1260 (14)

3. Brett Levis, WFC2, USL, 1251 (15)

4. Louis Beland-Goyette, FC Montreal, USL, 1178 (14)

5. Daniel Haber, WFC2, USL, 1170 (16)

6. Shaan Hundal, TFC II, USL, 1144 (17)

7. Skylar Thomas, TFC II, USL, 1125 (14)

8. Maxime Crepeau, FC Montreal, USL, 1080 (12)

9. Aron Mkungilwa, FC Montreal, USL, 1068 (13)

10. Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, FC Montreal, USL, 1066 (12)

11. Anthony Osorio, TFC II, USL, 1056 (13)

12. Richie Laryea, Orlando City B, USL, 1009 (15)

13. Kadin Chung, WFC2, USL, 984 (12)

14. Aidan Daniels, TFC II, USL, 981 (15)

15. Dominic Samuel, Rochester, USL, 947 (12)

16. Ballou Jean Yves Tabla, FC Montreal, USL, 931 (12)

17. David Choiniere, FC Montreal, USL, 921 (12)

18. Mark Anthony Kaye, Louisville City FC, 914 (13)

19. Chris Mannella, TFC II, USL, 912 (13)

20. Liam Fraser, TFC II, USL, 908 (14)

21. Tyler Pasher, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 865 (10)

22. Michael Cox, Orlando City B, USL, 861 (14)

23. Malik Johnson, TFC II, USL, 801 (15)

24. Alessandro Riggi, FC Montreal, USL, 800 (12)

25. Marco Dominguez, FC Montreal, USL, 796 (11)

26. Ryan James, Rochester, USL, 771 (12)

27. Raheem Edwards, TFC II, USL, 771 (10)

28. Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 757 (13)

29. Benjamin McKendry, WFC2, USL, 720 (11)

30. Jordan Murrell, Pittsburgh, USL, 719 (10)

31. Marco Bustos, WFC2, USL, 712 (9)

32. Mastanabal Kacher, FC Montreal, USL, 697 (12)

33. Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 677 (12)

34. Zachary Sukunda, FC Montreal, USL, 630 (10)

35. Quillan Roberts, TFC II, USL, 630 (7)

36. Jackson Farmer, WFC2, USL, 626 (7)

37. Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Orlando City B, USL, 585 (7)

38. Bradley Kamdem, Rochester, USL, 577 (11)

39. Callum Irving, Rio Grande Valley FC, USL, 540 (6)

40. Alphonso Davies, WFC2, USL, 477 (8)

41. Charles Joly, FC Montreal, USL, 450 (8)

42. Sean Melvin, WFC2, USL, 450 (5)

43. Nevelo Yoseke, FC Montreal, USL, 446 (12)

44. Philippe Lincourt-Joseph, FC Montreal, USL, 434 (13)

45. Yacine Ait-Slimane, FC Montreal, USL, 434 (10)

46. Giuliano Frano, WFC2, USL, 432 (12)

47. Luca Uccello, TFC II, USL, 425 (13)

48. Carlos Patino, Sounders FC 2, USL, 410 (8)

49. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, FC Montreal, USL, 389 (5)

50. Robert Boskovic, TFC II, USL, 352 (10)

51. Jems Geffrard, FC Montreal, USL, 349 (4)

52. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, FC Montreal, USL, 343 (5)

53. Adam Bouchard, TFC II, USL, 342 (7)

54. Matthew Baldisimo, WFC2, USL, 335 (10)

55. Sam Adekugbe, WFC2, USL, 329 (4)

56. Kianz Froese, WFC2, USL, 327 (5)

57. Thomas Gardner, WFC2, USL, 321 (10)

58. Chris Serban, WFC2, USL, 273 (6)

T59. Marco Carducci, WFC2, USL, 270 (3)

T59. Phil Di Bennardo, TFC II, USL, 270 (3)

61. Simon Lemire, FC Montreal, USL, 268 (7)

62. Brandon John, Sounders FC2, USL, 266 (4)

63. Jordan Haynes, WFC2, USL, 261 (8)

64. Duwayne Ewart, Pittsburgh, USL, 238 (6)

65. Josh Heard, Bethlehem Steel, USL, 214 (8)

66. Jonathan Grant, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 187 (9)

67. Jordan Hamilton, TFC II, USL, 182 (3)

68. James Pantemis, FC Montreal, USL, 180 (2)

69. Steven Furlano, TFC II, USL, 167 (2)

70. Mo Babouli, TFC II, USL, 162 (2)

71. Sahil Sandhu, WFC2, USL, 158 (8)

72. Heikel Jarras, FC Montreal, USL, 154 (10)

73. Jay Chapman, TFC II, USL, 141 (2)

74. Mackenzie Pridham, Sacramento Republic, USL, 140 (7)

75. Mitch Piraux, WFC2, USL, 100 (2)

T76. Wandrille Lefevre, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T76. David Paulmin, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T76. Maxim Tissot, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

79. Karl Ouimette, NYRB2, USL, 87 (1)

80. Andrew Dias, TFC II, USL, 80 (1)

81. Richlord Ennin, TFC II, USL, 76 (3)

82. Ashtone Morgan, TFC II, USL, 62 (1)

83. Ethan Beckford, TFC II, USL, 40 (2)

84. Fabrice Mbvouvouma, FC Montreal, USL, 34 (3)

85. Raheem Taylor-Parkes, Bethlehem Steel FC, USL, 23 (2)

86. Terran Campbell, WFC2, USL, 19 (5)

87. Jimmy-Shammar Sanon, FC Montreal, USL, 18 (1)

88. Nikola Stakic, TFC II, USL, 7 (1)

USL TEAM RANKINGS, MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2016, RANKED BY AVERAGE MINUTES PER GAME:

FC Montreal, 14442/16 (902.6)

TFC II, 10625/18 (590.3)

WFC2, 9223/16 (576.4)

Swope Park Rangers, 2496/15 (166.4)

Rochester Rhinos, 2305/14 (164.6)

Orlando City B, 2445/16 (152.8)

Wilmington Hammerheads FC, 1260/15 (84)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 957/14 (68.4)

Louisville City FC, 914/17 (53.8)

Sounders FC 2, 676/15 (45.1)

Rio Grande Valley FC, 540/17 (31.8)

Bethlehem Steel 237/15 (15.8)

Sacramento Republic, 140/15 (9.3)

NYRB2, 82/15 (5.5)

Gustavo’s rocket earns FC Edmonton a draw at Rayo OKC

Sainey Nyassi in action against Rayo OKC. PHOTO: NASL

Gustavo’s first-ever NASL goal sure wasn’t a cheapie.

His 93rd-minute, 25-yard drive came off the underside of the bar and across the goal line to give FC Edmonton a 1-1 draw at Rayo OKC.

It was a wonder goal that got FC Edmonton a point out of a game that was, for the most part, a struggle.

“It was not a good performance from us in the first half, it was better in the second half,” said FCE coach Colin Miller. “We had so many players not at pace today, but, at the end of the day, nobody could begrudge us a point.”

The game was part of the CBS Sports Network, ahem, “national” package (the network isn’t available in Edmonton or in many other Canadian markets). So the only place in the city that could legally show the game was the team’s official match-night party. And, in Oklahoma City, the pre-game “O Canada” was butchered so badly, that Miller admitted that “it got the team’s backs up.” These were reminders on just how much Edmonton is the ugly stepsister in the league.



With midlfied anchor Nik Ledgerwood suspended for Saturday’s NASL fall-season opener at Rayo OKC, the Eddies struggled in the middle of the park, with Rayo OKC keying on teenager Shamit Shome. The Eddies continued to give the ball away throughout the first half.

With Ritchie Jones’s injury forcing him to leave the club, and Mallan Roberts and Eddie Edward now with the Ottawa Fury, the Eddies’ roster is short at the moment. The team brought just 15 players to Oklahoma — and it was nearly 100 Fahrenheit when the team arrived at the stadium Saturday.

There were warning signs early in the match. After FCE’s Daryl Fordyce was stripped of the ball, Rayo OKC’s Billy Forbes forced a fingertip save from keeper Matt VanOekel.

But the giveaways finally caught up to the Eddies in the 33rd. After yet another ball was coughed up in the middle of the park — and then a rather unfortunate carom off the leg of right back Allan Zebie — Rayo OKC’s Jarad van Schaik got possession down the left wing. He slid the ball across the box, where striker Robbie Findley just beat Eddies’ centre back Albert Watson to the ball.

The Eddies carved out one decent chance in the first half; a Sainey Nyassi, ahem, “shot” (it was clearly intended to be a cross) looped over the head of Edmonton-born Portuguese international Daniel Fernandes in the Rayo OKC goal and off the top of the bar.

Eddies coach Colin Miller yanked midfielder Dustin Corea with 10 minutes left in the first half, putting on Gustavo in his place. Miller said that Corea had an injury problem,

Nyassi, VanOekel and Forbes got involved in a nasty three-way collision late in the first half. Nyassi took VanOekel’s knee to the head, and the keeper went flying and landed awkwardly. Really, it looked liked something out of Australian Rules Football. But, though Nyassi was down for a couple of minutes, he stayed in the game.

The second half began with Rayo OKC still holding the momentum. Off a free kick, Findley cushioned the ball in the box for Richie Menjivar, forcing VanOekel into a good, sprawling stop.

In the 64th, Findley was alone coming down the right channel, and VanOekel did well to block the shot.

Those VanOekel saves would loom large, keeping the Eddies in the game for Gustavo’s grand-finale finish.

Miller said he expects to bring in one or two new faces ahead of next weekend’s game at home to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. And he said a decision would be made early this week on defender Shawn Nicklaw; the Guam international has been on trial with the Eddies for the last week.

“We will freshen up the squad,” he said. “As for tonight’s game, you can question the performance, but not the character of this team.”

Calamitous Whitecaps throw away the Canadian Championship

The Voyageurs Cup is Red.

The Canadian Championship has given us many fantastic finishes in its rather short history. And Wednesday’s last-gasp goal from the twisting leg of Will Johnson is the stuff deserving of a plaque at BMO Field.

Johnson’s goal, just past the 94th minute mark, gave Toronto FC a 2-1, ahem, “loss” in the second leg of the championship final at BC Place. But, thanks to last week’s 1-0 win at home, Johnson’s goal — a shot sent into the roof of the net as he tripped over Whitecaps keeper David Ousted — was the key road marker that gave the Reds the championship.

Johnson went down injured after tripping over Ousted while in the act of shooting. In fact, not to overdramatize the whole thing, but it was reminiscent of another famous Cup-winning goal from another sport; Bobby Orr tripping over Glenn Hall while in the act of scoring a championship-deciding marker.



The goal came after Whitecaps defender Kendall Waston backed into Ousted as the keeper was prepped to make a simple catch in the box; the ball spilled loose, and it opened up the chance for Johnson.

The goal rendered two very similar goals — from Nicolas Mezquida and Tim Parker — moot. With starter Clint Irwin out for a month and a half and understudy Alex Bono now between the sticks for the Reds, the Whitecaps did what every team will likely do over the next six weeks — ram long balls down TFC’s throat. On two occasions, hopeful balls fell to Whitecaps attackers in the box even though they were outnumbered by red jerseys. And, in both cases, Bono didn’t come for the ball.

But, the killer for the Whitecaps — maybe even more lethal than the Ousted-Waston collision — came just minutes before the last-gasp goal. Striker Blas Perez should have given the Whitecaps their third goal, which would surely have clinched the trophy. He was one-on-one with Raheem Edwards, who had been called up from TFC2 for the game. The experienced striker was able to put himself in a position where he had a decent look at goal… and put the shot off his post.

Now, I go back to what my father — who was a striker in Hungary — used to say to me over and over. He used to get so annoyed when commentators would say hitting a post is “unlucky” or the result of a great shot. As he’d say to me over and over, for a striker worth his salt, hitting a post is a miss. Pure and simple. It’s a big net.

So, to be perfectly blunt, Perez missed. Yes, he had to deal with Edwards before getting the shot off; but a Copa America-calibre striker has to finish that chance. His miss kept TFC alive; then Ousted and Watson walked the Whitecaps off a cliff.

Nicklaw trials with FC Edmonton, Zebie gets chance to shine

Shawn Nicklaw

With Eddie Edward now a member of the Ottawa Fury, FC Edmonton has a major hole to fill at right back.

For three and a half years, Edward had made that position his. For this weekend’s fall season opener at Rayo OKC, look for Canadian Allan Zebie to get the start.

But the team is also looking at Shawn Nicklaw. The Guam international, who played for the Jacksonville Armada in the spring season, is on trial with the Eddies. Nicklaw has also played in Iceland and Denmark.

“Allan will play on Saturday, which is great” said FCE coach Colin Miller after Wednesday’s training session. “He’s done very well in training, he hasn’t let us down with the first team. It’s a big opportunity for him. And having Shawn in here for a look for a couple of weeks, it’s great for us. He knows the league, he’s an experienced player and he’s a very good athlete. He’s done well so far.”

Miller said he’ll speak with Nicklaw before the team heads off to Oklahoma. And now that the Edward deal is done, the coach feels it’s time for FCE to move on.

“Eddie was a very good player for the Eddies. It is a big loss for us, not just football wise. But, that door has closed and now I don’t think any more about Eddie Edward. The club has to move on. Now, it’s someone else’s opportunity.”



Zebie, who was very strong playing fullback when he was called upon last season, is sad to lose his mentor, but understands his chance has come.

“Eddie was one of my very good friends,” said Zebie. “He taught me well. He talked to me for two years about what to do offensively and defensively, so I feel like I am ready to step in. I would ask him questions all the time.”

“This is my second year, I have 20-plus games, so I feel comfortable.” (Zebie started 18 games last season and has 27 career NASL appearances.)

The Eddies finished the spring season a point out of first place. Miller believes the club can survive the loss of Edward, who was released so he could tend to personal issues in Ottawa. He then signed for the Fury as the club’s came to a gentlemen’s agreement.

“We were never going to do anything without (Eddies 2015 top scorer) Lance Laing, according to all the experts,” said Miller. “We’ve moved on from Laingy. That’s the way the game is. Eddie was fantastic for us when he was here, he’s not here anymore, we move on.

“It was a no-brainer. Eddie and I had some very good chats, and then Eddie spoke with Tom (owner Tom Fath) as well. There was no animosity. It was all above-board and men speaking like men to each other. It was sad we had to lose him. The last day i(of the spring season) in the change room, after the game against Fort Lauderdale, it was emotional.”

Officially, the Eddies released Edward and received no compensation from Ottawa. But, Miller was asked if there could be any considerations between the teams in the future.

“That’s a matter between the two clubs,” said Miller.

Midfielder Nik Ledgerwood is suspended for Saturday’s game due to yellow-card accumulation. And midfielder Cristian Raudales is still at least three weeks away from playing, after a mid-season injury suffered on a seam in the grass in Jacksonville.

WHERE TO WATCH: The honest answer — we don’t know right now. FC Edmonton is planning to have a viewing party on Tavern on Whyte (10507 82 Ave). That may be FCE fans’ only place to see the game. The game is part of the NASL’s broadcast package with CBS Sports Network. But no cable or satellite company offering services in Edmonton has the CBS Sports Network. It’s a foreign network that isn’t available in the market.

FC Edmonton has spoke to NASL’s office about ways that the game could be made available to viewers in the Alberta capital, but there’s nothing firm to report.

FCE releases Eddie Edward so he can return home to Ottawa

The rumour has been active throughout the hiatus between the NASL spring and fall seasons. On Tuesday, it was confirmed as fact.

Extraordinary circumstances have led FC Edmonton to release fullback Eddie Edward, an Ottawa native, so he can be close to his family in a trying time. He then signed for the Ottawa Fury.

“It is a serious family situation that Eddie and his family are dealing with,” said FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller in a release issued by the club. “Not in any way, shape or form was this ever a football decision, it is a humanitarian decision.”

And the Eddies made it clear that Edward was released — and Ottawa signed the players as a free agent.



The Eddies have always prided themselves as being a team that cares about the personal lives of the players; in the past, the Eddies have actively tried to help players’ families settle — and help wives and/or partners acclimate to life in Edmonton. This was simply a case of the club doing the right thing for a player who needed to be closer to home. And while it’s tough to lose the club’s everyday starting right back, it does send a message to players and agents that FCE is a team that tries to do right by its players.

“I’d like to thank FC Edmonton for providing Eddie the opportunity to be close to home during a difficult time for his family,” said Fury head coach Paul Dalglish. “We are delighted to welcome Eddie back home and are thrilled to have him in our squad. Eddie brings experience, a determined work ethic and will fit into our system very well.”

The Eddies plan to have one new trialist in camp soon.

Edward played in 79 games for the Eddies over the past three and a half seasons — he played 20 games for the Puerto Rico Islanders in 2012.