Steven Sandor's Blog, page 70

Ouimette will achieve rare hat trick when he plays first game for the Jacksonville Armada

Karl Ouimette

When Canadian defender Karl Ouimette steps onto the field as a member of the Jacksonville Armada, he’ll complete a rare feat. He will have played in MLS, NASL and USL all in the same season.

And he said that, until I asked him about it on Tuesday, he hadn’t thought about it at all.

“Playing in all three leagues? It hadn’t crossed my mind,” said Ouimette, who was loaned out by the New York Red Bulls to the NASL’s Armada. “As a player you always want to focus on what’s ahead —and you don’t worry about what’s behind you.”

Ouimette arrived in Jacksonville last Monday; a week before the Red Bulls brass told him that they wanted him to go to the NASL. Ouimette had started the season getting regular minutes for the Red Bulls, but was later sent down to the USL where became the infamous victim of a kick to the back from Pittsburgh’s Romeo Parkes. Right after the incident, the Riverhounds released Parkes — even before USL suspended the player for the rest of the 2016 season.

Ouimette said he has no lasting ill effects from that kick to be back — and he’s simply itching to play.

“The goal for a soccer player is to get in the most games possible,” he said. “That was not going to happen at the Red Bulls because of the number of players at centre back.”



He said that the Red Bulls told him that they wanted him to play in a league that offered a higher level than the USL — and that the parent club also felt that “a move to a different environment, a different professional team” would help Ouimette’s development. He also confirmed that the Red Bulls can recall him this season, if needed.

Jacksonville finished 10th out of 11 teams in the NASL spring season, 11 points behind the champion, Indy Eleven. But Ouimette thinks the Armada will be better in the fall season.

“For sure, there’s a lot of quality. We have made a couple of new signings, so we just need to be on the same page. But it’s going to be interesting going forward; I think we will get stronger as the season progresses.”

Ouimette has played 38 MLS games since 2012 with the Montreal Impact and the Red Bulls. And he said the topic of the NASL has come up with some fellow members of the Canadian national team who have also moved to the league over the past couple of seasons. National team regulars Julian de Guzman and Nik Ledgerwood have successfully made the moves to NASL without hurting their prospects with Canada coach Benito Floro. And Marcel de Jong spent the spring campaign with the Ottawa Fury.

And Canadian Nana Attakora earned accolades for his work with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

Ouimette said he’s heard positive reports about the NASL from the likes of Ledgerwood and de Guzman; he feels that he “knows about the league.” But knowing about and understanding the league are two different things.

“You have to be playing games to know what the league is about.”

And, if he’s playing regularly, Ouimette will be better prepared for Canada’s huge Sept. 2 World Cup qualifier in Honduras. Canada and Honduras both have four points from four games in their CONCACAF group; but Honduras’s goal difference is three better than Canada’s. Each are fighting to join Mexico in the Hex.

Canada will go to Honduras and then hosts El Salvador. The Hondurans go to Mexico after hosting Canada.

“We know that going down to Honduras will be a hostile environment,” said Ouimette. “But if we play the system as we’ve discussed, I think we can go down there and get a draw; a draw would be a very good result for the team.”

If they draw with Honduras, Canada will know that beating El Salvador in Vancouver will be enough, as long as Honduras doesn’t pull off a shock win in Mexico. If Honduras loses to Mexico, Canada can draw with El Salvador and get through — provided the Canadians get at least a draw in Honduras.

Plastic Pitch is BACK! Issue 9 out now!

Thank you for being patient. As we reorganized Plastic Pitch, you have shown us great support. And, now, the good news. The App is back live on Google Play, iTunes and Amazon. And issue 9 is out!

Before I get to the actual articles in the jam-packed new issue, I’m going to point out that we’ve made some changes that will make Plastic Pitch easier to read. Stats show us that more of you are reading on your phones — so, you need larger text and less columns. So, we’ve upped the font size and lowered the amount of columns per page. This should make the magazine a heck of a lot easier to read.

And, as a way of reintroducing ourselves, we are offering each of our first eight issues in the app for just 99 cents! For those of you who have never read Plastic Pitch, it’s a great way to get introduced to us! And, it’s also our way of saying thanks to everyone.

The app is free, and you can preview all of the issues before you commit to buying.

The next part: Look for a new, redesigned The11.ca a little bit later this year.

And, for those who want to get the mag but don’t like apps, go to our Shopify store — you can order PDF versions of the magazine that will be e-mailed directly to you.

OK, so now, to the issue at hand!

• The Federal Minister of Sport, Carla Qualtrough, talks about Canada’s proposed bid for the 2026 World Cup;

• Nik Ledgerwood on his return to Alberta and his impressions of the NASL;

• David Monsalve talks about winning a Guatemalan championship; and having to leave after the season because he wasn’t getting paid;

• Canadian futsal keeper Joshua Lemos on what it will take to build the sport in Canada

• A pre-Olympic look at the women’s national team’s goalkeeping situation;

• We profile Whitecap Marco Bustos;

• As well, we look at how the USL’s Swope Park Rangers has become a hotbed for Canadian players;

• Daniel Haber on the decision to return to North America and playing for the VWFC2.

• And, a photo essay on great soccer shrines throughout the Vancouver area and Vancouver Island.

Overwhelmingly Canadian Power Rankings MLS Week 16/NASL Week 11 (hiatus)/USL Week 14

Jordan Hamilton

It’s been quite the week when it comes to Canadian players in the three North America-wide pro leagues.

First off, it’s rare when two Canadians score in a single MLS match. It’s even more unique when they come from opposing teams. But, on Saturday, Cyle Larin opened the scoring for Orlando City, and then the equalizer came off the foot of Toronto FC’s Jordan Hamilton — his first MLS goal. Orlando went on to win the bizarre match by a 3-2 count thanks to a late penalty, but Hamilton — who was excellent — should have drawn a penalty for his team when he was rugby tackled by Orlando keeper Joe Bendik in the box. But the whistle wasn’t blown. Call it yet another case of the North American refereeing standard just not being good enough.

(What was really strange was Orlando City’s Twitter account putting out the highlight of the Bendik tackle on Hamilton, calling it a great save, bringing even more attention to a terrible call.)

As well, New York Red Bulls defender Karl Ouimette was loaned to the Jacksonville Armada ahead of the NASL fall season. Ouimette has played for the Red Bulls and the team’s USL affiliate. When he steps on the field for Jacksonville, he will have played in MLS, USL and NASL games — all in the same season.

In USL, Sacramento’s Mackenzie Pridham scored a late equalizer for his club, while Swope Park Rangers’ Mark-Anthony Gonzalez scored in a victory — so Canadians continue to make impacts for U.S.-based clubs.

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, 1050 (14)

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

4. Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC, MLS, 939 (12)

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

6. Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, MLS, 858 (16)

7. Mason Trafford, Miami FC, NASL, 810 (9)

8. Kyle Bekker, Montreal, MLS, 809 (12)

9. Eddie Edward, FC Edmonton, NASL, 809 (9)

10. Carl Haworth, Ottawa, NASL, 635 (8)

11. Drew Beckie, Carolina, NASL, 617 (8)

T12. Nana Attakora, Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 585 (7)

T12. Wandrille Lefevre, Montreal, MLS, 585 (7)

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

15. Kyle Porter, Ottawa, NASL, 551 (8)

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

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

18. Patrice Bernier, Montreal, MLS, 457 (9)

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

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

21. Julian de Guzman, Ottawa, NASL, 367 (5)

22. Shamit Shome, FC Edmonton, NASL, 323 (6)

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

24. Mallan Roberts, FC Edmonton/Ottawa, NASL, 236 (4)

25. Allan Zebie, FC Edmonton, NASL, 220 (6)

26. Jordan Hamilton, Toronto FC, MLS, 189 (3)

27. Jay Chapman, Toronto FC, 186 (7)

28. Kianz Froese, Vancouver, MLS, 141 (4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ottawa, NASL, 2453/10 (245.3)

FC Edmonton, NASL, 2346/10 (234.6)

Toronto FC, MLS, 3102/15 (206.8)

Montreal, MLS, 2416/15 (161.1)

Vancouver, MLS, 1763/17 (103.7)

Miami FC, NASL, 810/10 (81)

Orlando City, MLS, 1050/15 (70)

Carolina, NASL, 617/10 (61.7)

Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 585/10 (58.5)

FC Dallas, MLS, 858/18 (47.7)

New York Red Bulls, MLS, 582/17 (34.2)

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. Janouk Charbonneau, FC Montreal, USL, 1336 (15)

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

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

4. Brett Levis, WFC2, USL, 1161 (14)

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

6. Daniel Haber, WFC2, USL, 1088 (15)

7. Shaan Hundal, TFC II, USL, 1068 (16)

8. Aron Mkungilwa, FC Montreal, USL, 995 (12)

9. Maxime Crepeau, FC Montreal, USL, 990 (11)

10. Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, FC Montreal, USL, 976 (11)

11. Anthony Osorio, TFC II, USL, 966 (12)

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

13. Richie Laryea, Orlando City B, USL, 932 (14)

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

15. Mark Anthony Kaye, Louisville City FC, 898 (12)

16. Kadin Chung, WFC2, USL, 894 (11)

17. Aidan Daniels, TFC II, USL, 891 (14)

18. Ballou Jean Yves Tabla, FC Montreal, USL, 851 (11)

19. Chris Mannella, TFC II, USL, 822 (12)

20. Liam Fraser, TFC II, USL, 818 (13)

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

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

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

24. Tyler Pasher, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 782 (9)

25. Michael Cox, Orlando City B, USL, 771 (13)

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

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

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

29. Jordan Murrell, Pittsburgh, USL, 695 (9)

30. Ryan James, Rochester, USL, 681 (11)

31. Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 667 (12)

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

33. Mastanabal Kacher, FC Montreal, USL, 607 (11)

34. Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 606 (11)

35. Zachary Sukunda, FC Montreal, USL, 570 (9)

36. Bradley Kamdem, Rochester, USL, 559 (10)

37. Jackson Farmer, WFC2, USL, 536 (6)

38. Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Orlando City B, USL, 495 (6)

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

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

41. Callum Irving, Rio Grande Valley FC, USL, 450 (5)

42. Nevelo Yoseke, FC Montreal, USL, 428 (11)

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

44. Luca Uccello, TFC II, USL, 403 (12)

45. Yacine Ait-Slimane, FC Montreal, USL, 403 (9)

46. Giuliano Frano, WFC2, USL, 387 (11)

47. Sean Melvin, WFC2, USL, 360 (4)

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

49. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, FC Montreal, USL, 352 (4)

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

51. Philippe Lincourt-Joseph, FC Montreal, USL, 344 (12)

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

53. Matthew Baldisimo, WFC2, USL, 334 (9)

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

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

56. Kianz Froese, WFC2, USL, 282 (4)

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

58. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, FC Montreal, USL, 270 (4)

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

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

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

62. Jordan Haynes, WFC2, USL, 245 (7)

63. Duwayne Ewart, Pittsburgh, USL, 210 (5)

64. Jonathan Grant, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 182 (8)

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

T66. Phil Di Bennardo, TFC II, USL, 180 (2)

T66. James Pantemis, FC Montreal, USL, 180 (2)

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

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

70. Sahil Sandhu, WFC2, USL, 150 (7)

71. Heikel Jarras, FC Montreal, USL, 143 (9)

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

73. Josh Heard, Bethlehem Steel, USL, 137 (7)

74. Mackenzie Pridham, Sacramento Republic, USL, 137 (6)

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

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

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

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

85. Richlord Ennin, TFC II, USL, 18 (2)

86. Raheem Taylor-Parkes, Bethlehem Steel FC, USL, 10 (1)

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

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

FC Montreal, 13591/15 (906.1)

TFC II, 10019/17 (589.4)

WFC2, 8666/15 (577.7)

Rochester Rhinos, 2197/13 (169)

Swope Park Rangers, 2247/14 (160.5)

Orlando City B, 2188/15 (145.9)

Wilmington Hammerheads FC, 1260/14 (90)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 905/13 (69.6)

Louisville City FC, 898/16 (56.1)

Sounders FC 2, 676/14 (48.3)

Rio Grande Valley FC, 450/16 (28.1)

Bethlehem Steel 147/14 (10.5)

Sacramento Republic, 137/14 (9.8)

NYRB2, 82/14 (5.9)

Jones “gutted” about stubborn knee issue that led to his FC Edmonton exit

At the end of the 2015 season, FC Edmonton’s Ritchie Jones felt pain in hus knee. He didn’t think it was overly serious — likely just aches caused by overuse. After all, the English midfielder had played soccer since he could walk, including 44 games with the Eddies over the previous two seasons.

By the spring of 2016, FC Edmonton’s training camp had begun, and the knee didn’t get any better.

“The tendon felt rock hard inside of my knee,” said Jones.

The spring season began, and Jones was still on the sidelines. There were ups and downs, and the hope was ready that the Manchester United product would be ready to play at the beginning of the fall season. But, as the spring season wound down, it was clear that the knee wasn’t going to cooperate. The doctors told Jones he needed complete rest.

And that’s when he and the Eddies came to the mutual decision that it was best to terminate his current contract, allowing him to go home to England and get that rest he so badly needs.

“It needs complete rest in order to heal up,” Jones said Friday as he prepared for his trip back across the Atlantic. “I’m pretty gutted about it.”



Jones said that this will be the first time he can remember that he will be away from football. But the time away will give him time to clear his head.

But, if the knee does heal — if Jones gets back to 100 per cent — he said he would consider giving FCE coach Colin Miller a ring.

“I definitely enjoyed my time in Edmonton. I wanted to come here (North America) to play, and I got that opportunity. Football is a game where strange things happen.

“I really appreciated the faith that Colin showed in me.”

Jones said that it took him some time to adjust to the North American Soccer League, and Miller gave him that opportunity — allowing Jones to progress to the point where he was satisfied with the level of his play. In 44 games, Jones scored seven times and was credited with three assists.

Of course, with Jones heading back to England, the Brexit vote had to come up; a day after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, Jones believes the post-vote bickering between the Leave and Remain camps has to come to an end.

“It’s pretty well a split decision. A lot of people of people voted for it and a lot of people voted against it, but today I’ve seen a lot of fights on Facebook about it, and that’s not what should happen. We’re one country, we have to pull together, the vote is done, now.”

Ritchie Jones and FC Edmonton forced to part ways due to knee injury

Ritchie Jones

On Tuesday, FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller said the team could be making “one or two changes” during the NASL break.

The first one was made Wednesday. Midfielder Ritchie Jones, who did not play a single minute in the spring season due to a serious knee injury, and the club came to a mutual agreement to part ways. Jones simply needs more time to heal.

“We brought Ritchie into the changing room at the end of the spring season and it was quite emotional,” coach Colin Miller said in a release. “He has been with us for a number of years now and was a terrific football player for us, both on and off the park. He has been a great ambassador for the club and he is a model professional if you can say that. It is a big loss to the club and a big loss to the changing room, for sure. He is class, personified.”

Miller said that, when healthy, Jones was the “best box-to-box midfielder” in NASL. He added that the injury is not forecast to be a career-ender, and that he hopes Jones can eventually make a full recovery.



Jones scored seven times in 44 NASL matches.

The Eddies trained Tuesday with several absences; fullback Eddie Edward is back home in Ottawa (personal), while defender Pape Diakite should be back training on Friday. As well, midfielder Cristian Raudales, who was hurt midway during the spring season when he fell awkwardly on the patchy turf in Jacksonville, is set to return to training this week.

Miller said that, if new players are brought in, they’ll have to provide something unique to the Eddies.

“I don’t want to make a move for someone who’s like a player we already have here,” he said. “We are in a good spot (one point out of first spot in the overall standings), we like where we are.”

And, Miller said that other clubs have also approached the Eddies about some of the players on its roster, as well.

Can a Canadian 2026 World Cup bid and a Calgary 2026 Olympic bid co-exist?

Minister of Sport and Persons With Disabilities Carla Qualtrough

Calgary has made national headlines over the last couple of days after its city council agreed to back a study that might return a recommendation that the city could, if it wanted, have the wherewithal to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The announcement, of course, was met with a romantic reaction. Calgary’ ‘88 Winter Olympics were a massive success. The city already has a lot of infrastructure in place to host another Winter Games.

But, we also must remember that the Canadian Soccer Association is still planning to bid on the 2026 World Cup. One of the first orders of business for CSA President Victor Montagliani (now that’s he’s the head of CONCACAF, he now has less than a year to relinquish his CSA post) was to announce the intention to present Canada’s bid to FIFA. And, political leaders across the country are well aware of that bid process — in 2014, the second issue of Plastic Pitch focused on Canada’s 2026 World Cup, and it featured interviews with city leaders from across the country.

So, could Canada possibly host both an Olympics AND a World Cup in the same calendar year? The heart says yes, but the head says hell no. Both would require massive support from various levels of governments, and it would be difficult to imagine taxpayers subsidizing both of those events.

In the end, you’d have to believe that one bid would sabotage the other — and in the worst-case scenario — both would blow up because of it. Before we get to “official bid” time, Canadians need to decide which they’d rather go for.



For the upcoming issue of Plastic Pitch (issue 9, out soon), Canada’s new Minister of Sport and Persons With Disabilities, Carla Qualtrough, answered some questions about possible federal support for a World Cup bid. She said there are ongoing discussions with the CSA regarding the bid, and the “implications” for the hosts.

(Remember that when the bid plan was announced by the CSA, the Conservatives were in power. The Liberals are now the party in charge of the federal pursestrings. We’ve had a political change in Ottawa. How that could affect a bid remains to be seen.)

Here is a snippet from her Q and A:

“The Canadian Soccer Association is a valued national sport partner as the caretaker of the game here in Canada and our country’s representative around the international soccer table.

“Hosting a major international sporting event in Canada is a substantial commitment on the part of the Canadian Government and given the competing interests for federal funds, we must always consider the opportunities as well as the opportunity costs of supporting such events.

“The Government of Canada supports the hosting of events that encourage participation in sport and active lifestyles, showcase Canada’s great cities and provinces, and help enhance infrastructure and opportunities for local economies.

“In addition to the sport benefits and legacies of sport hosting, we are increasingly interested in the opportunities to leverage events to produce tangible social, cultural or economic benefits for Canadians and their communities. These can take many forms, but we would be particularly interested in activities aligned with broader Government of Canada goals such as: Engaging persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, youth and the development of recreational and cultural infrastructure.”

So, taken at face value — and remember that this Q and A was conducted before Calgary’s “maybe we’ll bid” stance was made public — the feds would give priority to multisport events. The Olympics carry a Paralympic component, the World Cup doesn’t reach out to those with disabilities.

So, politically, the Olympics are likely more palatable than a World Cup. But the Olympics are centred in one city — while a World Cup would be nation-wide in scope.

Flip a coin. Choose one or the other. But it would be a manic dream to believe that Canada could have both.

FC Edmonton GM: The Eddies can’t be “second or third fiddle” at Clarke Field

FC Edmonton GM Jay Ball, left, with owner Tom Fath.

Jay Ball became FC Edmonton’s general manager a scant few weeks before the kickoff of the NASL spring season, so he’s playing catch-up. He hasn’t had the chance to put his stamp on the club.

FC Edmonton’s general manager does not have input into the on-field decisions, but his job is to help build the club’s fanbase — and to attract more sponsors.

But Ball is uniquely equipped to deal with difficult situations. In Edmonton’s he’s known as a long-time president of Junior Achievement Northern Alberta; and he’s also worked behind the scenes helping to market events such as last year’s Women’s World Cup matches and cycling’s Tour of Alberta. What many people don’t know about him — and he’s recently become comfortable with speaking about it publicly — is that he had a very troubled youth. He was homeless and got his life straightened out at Edmonton’s Youth Emergency Shelter. He was in foster homes and was supporting himself by the time he was 16. He recently spoke at Youth Empowerment and Support Services, event, sharing his success story.

The fall season begins in July (wow, does that sentence read strangely). And, Ball is currently in talks with three different potential suitors for a kit sponsorship. He’s not divulging any names, but for a team that hasn’t had a shirt sponsor since the deal with Sears Financial ended at the conclusion of the 2012 season, it’s a hopeful development.

And, slowly, the team is shifting its message. Ball said that, to increase attendance at FCE matches, the club must “sell the experience, not the game.” New ad materials focus on the fans in the stands, not the players on the field. It’s about giving the fans a great experience – not trying to educate them about the finer points of the NASL.

“We want to focus that people can do things at an FC Edmonton that they can’t do at Rexall Place (former home of the NHL Oilers) or Commonwealth (home of the CFL Eskimos),” says Ball. “We have to ask ourselves, ‘what do fans get out of the experience.’”



Clarke Field can hold more than 4,000 fans, but it’s a good day for the Eddies when the attendance moves north of the 3,000 mark. And, in a city dominated by hockey, where Connor McDavid’s name is on everyone’s lips, trying to compete for the sports fan by using the tired soccer vs. every other sport schtick isn’t going to work.

So, the Eddies will work a little harder to bring fans to games. A new matchday bus will pick up fans from the pub-filled Whyte Avenue area; and it won’t be affiliated with any single bar, so it can make multiple stops. A new sponsor will support team experiences for fans.

Ball says that the Eddies want to make some more changes, too. The Eddies will play all of their home games — except one — on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. local. In 2017, the Eddies would like a lot of Saturday night home dates — but it’s not their call. Ball said that as tenants in a city-owned facility, the team doesn’t have control over dates it would like. The Eddies are tenants in a facility that hosts soccer, various levels of amateur football and other events.

“We would like more Saturday games to align better with the NASL schedule,” he said. “But the truth is we play second or third fiddle to so many other groups that use that stadium.”

He admitted that it’s frustrating that the Eddies have to pack up all of their equipment and clothing after games and training sessions; he said, that as a top tenant at Clarke, he’d like it if the club could at least have a clubhouse.

He noted that FCE pays the bill to have the football lines taken on and off the pitch, and that owners Tom and Dave Fath spent hundreds of thousands to put new stands in the venue.

“This city needs a soccer-specific stadium,” he said. “Fact is, soccer is the number one choice for parents in this city for their kids’ fitness and recreation. And that needs to be recognized.”

Ball said the team is focusing many of its promotions online, so it can better track those who engage with the club. He believes that it’s far more effective to use social media and web advertising to pump up the club than billboards — in the 21st century, it’s about engaging fans and potential fans.

Of course, the biggest frustration has been the weather. FCE’s crowds have been curtailed because of weather issues throughout the season.

“One thing that struck me is how many people in Edmonton are willing to write their tickets off,” he said. An example? A cold home opener, which had more than 3,000 tickets sold, but less than half of the holders actually come out to the game.

But, one thing that’s not going to work much longer: The status quo.

“Time is ticking,” he said. “The team won’t be here forever if we don’t put more people in the stands and attract sponsors.”

FC Edmonton and the City of Edmonton have discussed a plan to double the capacity of Clarke Field. Tom Fath has previously said that, to break even, the team would need to attract more than 8,000 fans a game. But, to get the stadium to the point where it could even hold 8,000 people, the City wants the Eddies to prove that they can attract 4,000 fans on a regular basis. And the Eddies aren’t meeting that target. So, the team needs the stadium to grow in order to be viable, but the stadium can’t grow unless the fans make that leap of faith.

That’s a lot of pressure for Ball. But, when you recognize that he’s been a fixture in Edmonton’s philanthropic and sporting scene, despite one time calling a park bench his home, maybe he’s just the right person to take on a seemingly impossible task.

Overwhelmingly Canadian Power Rankings MLS Week 15/NASL Week 11 (hiatus)/USL Week 13

Marco Bustos

With MLS heading back to work after the Copa America break — and NASL in the midst of its summer hiatus — we’ll see some imbalances in our rankings of minutes played by Canadians over the next couple of weeks. MLS teams have already played more games than their NASL counterparts, so the numbers are skewed in favour of the Div-1 clubs over the Div-2 teams.

The reason they are ranked together is that they both have similar roster rules — Americans are domestics on Canadian and U.S. based clubs, while Canadians are only considered domestics on teams north of the border. USL recognizes Canadians as domestic players no matter where they play, so it can’t be compared to the other two leagues.

Of note this week: FC Montreal is already past 10K mark in terms of giving out minutes to Canadian players. The USL side is averaging more than 900 minutes played per game by Canadians — impressive considering that there is only 990 minutes available to play in a 90-minute match.

And Vancouver Whitecap Marco Bustos completed a grand turn — of sorts. He played five minutes in his MLS side’s 2-1 loss Saturday to the New England Revolution. The next day, he played 84 minutes for the USL VWFC2 team.

HERE ARE THE RANKINGS:



MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. Will Johnson, Toronto FC, MLS, 1193 (14)

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

3. Cyle Larin, Orlando City, MLS, 971 (13)

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

5. Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC, MLS, 849 (11)

6. Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, MLS, 838 (15)

7. Mason Trafford, Miami FC, NASL, 810 (9)

8. Eddie Edward, FC Edmonton, NASL, 809 (9)

9. Kyle Bekker, Montreal, MLS, 740 (11)

10. Carl Haworth, Ottawa, NASL, 635 (8)

11. Drew Beckie, Carolina, NASL, 617 (8)

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

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

14. Kyle Porter, Ottawa, NASL, 551 (8)

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

T16. Marcel De Jong, Ottawa, NASL, 495 (6)

T16. Wandrille Lefevre, Montreal, MLS, 495 (6)

18. Mo Babouli, Toronto FC, MLS, 450 (10)

19. Patrice Bernier, Montreal, MLS, 436 (8)

20. Russell Teibert, Vancouver, MLS, 422 (6)

21. Julian de Guzman, Ottawa, NASL, 367 (5)

22. Shamit Shome, FC Edmonton, NASL, 323 (6)

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

24. Mallan Roberts, FC Edmonton/Ottawa, NASL, 236 (4)

25. Allan Zebie, FC Edmonton, NASL, 220 (6)

26. Jay Chapman, Toronto FC, 186 (7)

27. Kianz Froese, Vancouver, MLS, 141 (4)

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

29. Jordan Hamilton, Toronto FC, MLS, 99 (2)

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

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

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

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

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

Ottawa, NASL, 2453/10 (245.3)

FC Edmonton, NASL, 2346/10 (234.6)

Toronto FC, MLS, 2873/14 (205.2)

Montreal, MLS, 2236/14 (159.7)

Vancouver, MLS, 1738/16 (108.6)

Miami FC, NASL, 810/10 (81)

Orlando City, MLS, 971/14 (69.4)

Carolina, NASL, 617/10 (61.7)

Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 585/10 (58.5)

FC Dallas, MLS, 838/17 (49.3)

New York Red Bulls, MLS, 582/15 (38.8)

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. John Smits, Wilmington, USL, 1170 (13)

2. Janouk Charbonneau, FC Montreal, USL, 1156 (13)

3. Brett Levis, WFC2, USL, 1073 (13)

4. Louis Beland-Goyette, FC Montreal, USL, 1003 (12)

5. Daniel Haber, WFC2, USL, 998 (14)

6. Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, FC Montreal, USL, 976 (11)

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

8. Skylar Thomas, TFC II, USL, 945 (12)

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

10. Shaan Hundal, TFC II, USL, 888 (14)

11. Richie Laryea, Orlando City B, USL, 887 (13)

12. Anthony Osorio, TFC II, USL, 871 (10)

13. Ballou Jean Yves Tabla, FC Montreal, USL, 851 (11)

14. Aron Mkungilwa, FC Montreal, USL, 815 (10)

15. Kadin Chung, WFC2, USL, 810 (10)

16. Maxime Crepeau, FC Montreal, USL, 810 (9)

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

18. Malik Johnson, TFC II, USL, 793 (14)

19. Tyler Pasher, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 782 (9)

20. Mark Anthony Kaye, Louisville City FC, 774 (10)

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

22. Michael Cox, Orlando City B, USL, 744 (12)

23. Chris Mannella, TFC II, USL, 732 (11)

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

25. Aidan Daniels, TFC II, USL, 711 (12)

26. Jordan Murrell, Pittsburgh, USL, 667 (8)

27. Alessandro Riggi, FC Montreal, USL, 656 (10)

28. Benjamin McKendry, WFC2, USL, 652 (10)

29. Liam Fraser, TFC II, USL, 638 (11)

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

31. Ryan James, Rochester, USL, 591 (10)

32. Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 577 (11)

33. Bradley Kamdem, Rochester, USL, 545 (9)

34. Jackson Farmer, WFC2, USL, 536 (6)

35. Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 516 (10)

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

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

38. Mastanabal Kacher, FC Montreal, USL, 439 (9)

39. Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Orlando City B, USL, 405 (5)

40. Zachary Sukunda, FC Montreal, USL, 390 (7)

41. Carlos Patino, Sounders FC 2, USL, 382 (7)

42. Giuliano Frano, WFC2, USL, 365 (10)

43. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, FC Montreal, USL, 352 (4)

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

45. Robert Boskovic, TFC II, USL, 344 (9)

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

47. Luca Uccello, TFC II, USL, 340 (11)

48. Matthew Baldisimo, WFC2, USL, 334 (9)

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

50. Nevelo Yoseke, FC Montreal, USL, 326 (9)

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

52. Yacine Ait-Slimane, FC Montreal, USL, 290 (7)

53. Kianz Froese, WFC2, USL, 282 (4)

54. Chris Serban, WFC2, USL, 271 (5)

T55. Marco Carducci, WFC2, USL, 270 (3)

T55. Callum Irving, Rio Grande Valley FC, USL, 270 (3)

T55. Sean Melvin, WFC2, USL, 270 (3)

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

59. Jordan Haynes, WFC2, USL, 234 (6)

60. Brandon John, Sounders FC2, USL, 188 (3)

61. Duwayne Ewart, Pittsburgh, USL, 185 (4)

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

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

64. Jonathan Grant, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 170 (7)

65. Philippe Lincourt-Joseph, FC Montreal, USL, 164 (10)

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

67. Sahil Sandhu, WFC2, USL, 144 (6)

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

69. Josh Heard, Bethlehem Steel, USL, 136 (6)

70. Heikel Jarras, FC Montreal, USL, 130 (8)

71. Mackenzie Pridham, Sacramento Republic, USL, 108 (5)

72. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, FC Montreal, USL, 105 (2)

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

T74. Steven Furlano, TFC II, USL, 90 (1)

T74. Wandrille Lefevre, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T74. David Paulmin, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T74. Maxim Tissot, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

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

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

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

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

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

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

84. Richlord Ennin, TFC II, USL, 18 (2)

85. Raheem Taylor-Parkes, Bethlehem Steel FC, USL, 10 (1)

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

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

FC Montreal, 11811/13 (908.5)

WFC2, 8205/14 (586.1)

TFC II, 8788/15 (585.9)

Rochester Rhinos, 2093/12 (174.1)

Swope Park Rangers, 2055/13 (158.1)

Orlando City B, 2026/14 (144.7)

Wilmington Hammerheads FC, 1170/13 (90)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 852/12 (71)

Louisville City FC, 774/14 (55.3)

Sounders FC 2, 570/13 (43.8)

Rio Grande Valley FC, 270/14 (19.3)

Bethlehem Steel 146/13 (11.2)

Sacramento Republic, 108/13 (8.3)

NYRB2, 82/13 (6.3)

Goalkeeping still a question mark for Canada heading into Rio

Canadian women’s national-team coach John Herdman unveiled the 18-player roster for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio, but the goalkeeping situation still isn’t quite clear.

With regular No. 1 Erin McLeod out of the equation with a career-threatening injury, Stephanie Labbe has taken over as the new starter of choice. But who else goes on the trip? Despite the fact that her broken wrist hasn’t healed, Sabrina D’Angelo was named to the final squad. And, with there being only 18 spots on an Olympic rosters, there wasn’t room for more than two keepers. So, young keeper Kailen Sheridan will join a reserve squad of four players — that also includes forward Gabrielle Carle, midfielder Kaylyn Kyle and defender Marie-Eve Nault.’

“With Sabrina and the recovery on her injury, she’s in great hands,” said Herdman. “She’s got good medical care around her, she’s going to be working around the clock to fit the return-to-play plan, which has her arriving back on the pitch in around the July 20 mark. That’s an eight-week turnaround since (the injury), which is tight. She’s young, it’s not the hand that she’s fractured before, so there’s an anticipation she’ll turn around well as long as we manager her carefully..”

But, Herdman said that, of any of the four taxi-squad players, Sheridan will be the one who will be kept closest.

“We’ve committed to keeping Kailen Sheridan close to the team” said Herdman. “We took her into the Algarve Cup to give her some game time there. And she’ll be training every day with the team in preparation that something does go awry with D’Angelo’s recovery.”



And he said he has little worries about Labbe, who he said is in “good form” at the moment.

Carle, a teenager, was left off the main squad in favour of the veteran, Melissa Tancredi. Herdman admitted that Carle’s hopes were dashed due to the fact she wasn’t available for two recent friendlies against Brazil.

“Unfortunately, with the injury that was the high ankle sprain, she missed an opportunity to be assessed against the Brazilian lineup in Ottawa and Toronto, which were big occasions.”

He said that Tancredi, who scored several key goals at the 2012 Olympics, is “still in great physical shape and has a raft of experience.”

Herdman said his team “will have to find that bit of an X-factor” in order to compete with what he refers to as the tier-one teams participating in the Olympic women’s soccer tourney. And he believes that transition play and set-piece conversions could determine just how far Canada goes.

Canada Roster

Janine Beckie, Highlands Ranch, CO

Josée Bélanger, Coaticook, QC

Kadeisha Buchanan, Brampton, ON

Allysha Chapman, Courtice, ON

Sabrina D’Angelo, Welland, ON

Jessie Fleming, London, ON

Stephanie Labbé, Stony Plain, AB

Ashley Lawrence, Caledon, ON

Diana Matheson, Oakville, ON

Nichelle Prince, Ajax, ON

Rebecca Quinn, Toronto, ON

Deanne Rose, Alliston, ON

Sophie Schmidt, Abbotsford, BC

Desiree Scott, Winnipeg, MB

Christine Sinclair, Burnaby, BC

Melissa Tancredi, Ancaster, ON

Rhian Wilkinson, Baie-d’Urfé, QC

Shelina Zadorsky, London, ON

Overwhelmingly Canadian Power Rankings MLS Week 14 (hiatus)/NASL Week 11/USL Week 12

Will Johnson

The NASL finished the spring season this past weekend, and now will go on a short summer break. MLS is on hiatus for the Copa America.

So, with that in mind, we can look at the current minutes played by Canadians, and compare them to where we were at this time last year.

At this point in 2015, Toronto FC’s Ashtone Morgan led all Canadians in NASL or MLS in minutes played, with 926. That would only be good for third on this year’s list, as both Toronto FC’s Will Johnson and Vancouver Whitecap Fraser Aird have logged more than 1,000 minutes each.

At this time last year, 34 Canadians had made appearances in MLS or NASL games — the leagues in which Canadians are treated as domestics on Canadian teams, but take up international roster spots on American teams. In 2016, 33 Canadians have played in MLS or NASL games, so it’s very close.

USL recognizes Canadians as domestics on both the American and Canadian teams, so that it why it is ranked separately.

HERE ARE THE RANKINGS:



MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. Will Johnson, Toronto FC, MLS, 1169 (13)

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

3. Cyle Larin, Orlando City, MLS, 893 (12)

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

5. Mason Trafford, Miami FC, NASL, 810 (9)

6. Eddie Edward, FC Edmonton, NASL, 809 (9)

7. Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC, MLS, 759 (10)

8. Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, MLS, 748 (14)

9. Kyle Bekker, Montreal, MLS, 650 (10)

10. Carl Haworth, Ottawa, NASL, 635 (8)

11. Drew Beckie, Carolina, NASL, 617 (8)

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

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

14. Kyle Porter, Ottawa, NASL, 551 (8)

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

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

17. Mo Babouli, Toronto FC, MLS 428 (9)

18. Patrice Bernier, Montreal, MLS, 415 (7)

19. Wandrille Lefevre, Montreal, MLS, 405 (5)

20. Julian de Guzman, Ottawa, NASL, 367 (5)

21. Russell Teibert, Vancouver, MLS, 332 (5)

22. Shamit Shome, FC Edmonton, NASL, 323 (6)

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

24. Mallan Roberts, FC Edmonton/Ottawa, NASL, 236 (4)

25. Allan Zebie, FC Edmonton, NASL, 220 (6)

26. Jay Chapman, Toronto FC, 186 (7)

27. Kianz Froese, Vancouver, MLS, 141 (4)

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

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

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

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

32. Marco Bustos, Vancouver, MLS, 45 (1)

33. Jordan Hamilton, Toronto FC, MLS, 31 (1)

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

Ottawa, NASL, 2453/10 (245.3)

FC Edmonton, NASL, 2346/10 (234.6)

Toronto FC, MLS, 2669/13 (205.3)

Montreal, MLS, 2035/13 (156.5)

Vancouver, MLS, 1643/15 (109.5)

Miami FC, NASL, 810/10 (81)

Orlando City, MLS, 893/13 (68.7)

Carolina, NASL, 617/10 (61.7)

Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 585/10 (58.5)

FC Dallas, MLS, 748/16 (46.8)

New York Red Bulls, MLS, 582/14 (41.6)

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. John Smits, Wilmington, USL, 1080 (12)

2. Brett Levis, WFC2, USL, 1073 (13)

3. Janouk Charbonneau, FC Montreal, USL, 976 (11)

4. Daniel Haber, WFC2, USL, 908 (13)

5. Dominic Samuel, Rochester, USL, 888 (11)

6. Louis Beland-Goyette, FC Montreal, USL, 839 (10)

7. Kadin Chung, WFC2, USL, 810 (10)

8. Richie Laryea, Orlando City B, USL, 802 (12)

9. Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, FC Montreal, USL, 796 (9)

10. Anthony Osorio, TFC II, USL, 785 (9)

11. Tyler Pasher, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 782 (9)

12. Skylar Thomas, TFC II, USL, 765 (10)

13. Mark Anthony Kaye, Louisville City FC, 756 (9)

14. Marco Dominguez, FC Montreal, USL, 753 (10)

15. Ballou Jean Yves Tabla, FC Montreal, USL, 745 (9)

16. David Choiniere, FC Montreal, USL, 741 (10)

17. Shaan Hundal, TFC II, USL, 729 (12)

18. Chris Mannella, TFC II, USL, 712 (10)

19. Jordan Murrell, Pittsburgh, USL, 667 (8)

20. Michael Cox, Orlando City B, USL, 654 (11)

21. Raheem Edwards, TFC II, USL, 649 (8)

22. Malik Johnson, TFC II, USL, 645 (12)

23. Aron Mkungilwa, FC Montreal, USL, 635 (8)

24. Maxime Crepeau, FC Montreal, USL, 630 (7)

25. Marco Bustos, WFC2, USL, 628 (8)

26. Aidan Daniels, TFC II, USL, 615 (10)

27. Benjamin McKendry, WFC2, USL, 607 (9)

28. Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 565 (10)

29. Quillan Roberts, TFC II, USL, 540 (6)

30. Alessandro Riggi, FC Montreal, USL, 534 (8)

31. Ryan James, Rochester, USL, 511 (9)

32. Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 491 (9)

33. Liam Fraser, TFC II, USL, 477 (9)

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

35. Bradley Kamdem, Rochester, USL, 465 (8)

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

37. Jackson Farmer, WFC2, USL, 446 (5)

38. Carlos Patino, Sounders FC 2, USL, 382 (7)

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

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

41. Robert Boskovic, TFC II, USL, 340 (8)

42. Matthew Baldisimo, WFC2, USL, 334 (9)

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

44. Nevelo Yoseke, FC Montreal, USL, 319 (8)

45. Thomas Gardner, WFC2, USL, 315 (9)

46. Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Orlando City B, USL, 315 (4)

47. Giuliano Frano, WFC2, USL, 302 (9)

48. Chris Serban, WFC2, USL, 271 (5)

T49. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, FC Montreal, USL, 270 (3)

T49. Sean Melvin, WFC2, USL, 270 (3)

51. Mastanabal Kacher, FC Montreal, USL, 266 (7)

52. Simon Lemire, FC Montreal, USL, 261 (6)

53. Luca Uccello, TFC II, USL, 237 (9)

54. Yacine Ait-Slimane, FC Montreal, USL, 229 (5)

55. Zachary Sukunda, FC Montreal, USL, 217 (5)

56. Kianz Froese, WFC2, USL, 200 (3)

57. Brandon John, Sounders FC2, USL, 188 (3)

58. Duwayne Ewart, Pittsburgh, USL, 185 (4)

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

T60. Marco Carducci, WFC2, USL, 180 (2)

T60. Callum Irving, Rio Grande Valley FC, USL, 180 (2)

T60. James Pantemis, FC Montreal, USL, 180 (2)

63. Jonathan Grant, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 170 (7)

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

65. Jordan Haynes, WFC2, USL, 144 (5)

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

67. Philippe Lincourt-Joseph, FC Montreal, USL, 135 (8)

68. Josh Heard, Bethlehem Steel, USL, 135 (5)

69. Heikel Jarras, FC Montreal, USL, 123 (7)

70. Mackenzie Pridham, Sacramento Republic, USL, 108 (5)

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

T72. Wandrille Lefevre, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T72. David Paulmin, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T72. Maxim Tissot, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

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

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

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

78. Sahil Sandhu, WFC2, USL, 54 (5)

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

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

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

82. Richlord Ennin, TFC II, USL, 18 (2)

83. Raheem Taylor-Parkes, Bethlehem Steel FC, USL, 10 (1)

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

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

FC Montreal, 9831/11 (893.7)

TFC II, 7529/13 (579.2)

WFC2, 7475/13 (575)

Rochester Rhinos, 1874/11 (170.4)

Swope Park Rangers, 2018/12 (168.2)

Orlando City B, 1761/13 (135.5)

Wilmington Hammerheads FC, 1080/12 (90)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 852/11 (77.5)

Louisville City FC, 756/13 (58.2)

Sounders FC 2, 570/13 (43.8)

Rio Grande Valley FC, 180/13 (13.8)

Bethlehem Steel 145/12 (12.1)

Sacramento Republic, 108/12 (9)

NYRB2, 82/12 (6.8)