Steven Sandor's Blog, page 72

Young Canadians shine for TFC; young Canadians stumble for Whitecaps

Paulo Jr.

Toronto FC’s young Canadians sparkled; the Vancouver Whitecaps’ young Canadians, um, didn’t.

Canadians Jonathan Osorio and Jordan Hamilton each had two goals as Toronto FC beat the Montreal Impact, which played a little more than a half with 10 men, 4-2 in the first leg of their Amway Canadian Championship semifinal. Meanwhile, in the nation’s capital, the Vancouver Whitecaps dropped the first leg of their semifinal 2-0 to the Ottawa Fury. The NASL side was more than worth the margin of its victory.

You could argue that the Whitecaps transformed the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship semifinal into something that resembled a US Open Cup match-up — that is, a USL side taking on NASL opposition. Coach Carl Robinson’s starting XI featured six players who have appeared for the USL’s VWFC2 side this season.

Yes, playing the first legs during an international week meant that the Whitecaps were without key Costa Rican and Panamanian internationals. But the Fury were also without Canadian national-teamers Julian de Guzman and Marcel de Jong.

Still, it was a chance for many of the young Whitecaps to make their cases to coach Carl Robinson. They didn’t.



Less than three minutes in, Jonny Steele got the Fury off to a dream start in front of its home fans, with a strike that found the top corner of the goal.

The Fury deserved to be up two by the 24-minute mark, but keeper Paolo Tornaghi did well to stop Rafael Alves’s open header off a set piece. Whitecaps’ fullback Fraser Aird was in Alves’s vicinity, but decided not to come close to making a challenge.

But the Whitecaps’ slack fullback play and suspect marking in the centre of the defence — evident through most of the first half — allowed the Fury to deservedly extend its lead before halftime. A cross from Onua Obasi was met by Steele; Tornaghi made a great stop, but Paulo Jr. had no problem putting home the rebound. The Whitecaps allowed not one but two Fury players to be left unmarked in the penalty area.

The second half saw a little bit of improvement for the Whitecaps, but the MLS side was still losing 50-50 balls with alarming regularity.

Cristian Techera’s header off a Sam Adekugbe cross forced Fury keeper Romuald Peiser into a decent save; but, truth be told, the ball was sent towards the middle of the goal. Even though Peiser had to leap to tip the ball over the bar, it was a save you’d expect any pro keeper to make.

The Whitecaps would need to wait till the third minute of stoppage time until another decent chance would be created. Striker Octavio Rivero, who was brought in along with Kekutah Manneh midway through the second half to bring some more MLS muscle to the team, got a great look at goal, but was thwarted by Peiser.

But, for the most part, the young Canadian who wore the Whitecaps jersey weren’t good enough. Fullback Fraser Aird was caught on the second goal and did little for his team going forward. Russell Teibert, last year’s MVP of the tournament, was most visible during a halftime TV interview. Marco Bustos was yanked in the second half after an ineffective stint in midfield.

Meanwhile, Osorio and Hamilton were holding court in Toronto.

As for the Canadian national-team players away on international duty, the Canadian Soccer Association confirmed that there is an agreement in place to ensure that they are all back with their clubs in time for them to play the second legs of the Canadian Championship semifinals.

 

Canadian women’s team putting plans in place to deal with Zika risks

The Canadian women’s national team has plans in place if the team has to go to one of the Zika Virus “hotspots” during the 2016 Olympic Games.

Over the weekend, the World Health Organization rejected a call from more than 100 prominent doctors that the Rio Games should be postponed or move because of the outbreak of Zika in that country.

In a conference call ahead of Canada’s friendlies against Brazil in Toronto (June 4) and Ottawa (June 7), Canadian women’s national team coach John Herdman said that the team’s medical staff and the Canadian Olympic Committee have been closely monitoring the Zika situation. He said that his medical staff attended a conference last week where Zika was the top item on the agenda, and they returned with “good, clear information about the risks.”

Herdman said that the Canadian team, as it stands, doesn’t stand much risk of exposure,

“The hot spots for the virus, sit outside of our travel route,” he said.



But if the virus, which has been linked to birth defects, spreads or Canada has to travel to a hotspot for an elimination match, the staff are ready. Herdman said players will be instructed to wear long-sleeve shirts and mosquito nets will be erected to protect the players’ bedrooms. The virus is spread through mosquito bites. Herdman said that he knows his players might be uncomfortable needing to wear long-sleeved clothing in hot, humid conditions, but it might be a necessity.

And he said that the women’s program is constantly waiting on new infornation.

“The COC is doing its due diligence to make sure the athletes are safe. We will always follow their guidance.”

According to a release issued over the weekend by the WHO: “Based on current assessment, cancelling or changing the location of the 2016 Olympics will not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus. Brazil is one of almost 60 countries and territories which to date report continuing transmission of Zika by mosquitoes. People continue to travel between these countries and territories for a variety of reasons. The best way to reduce risk of disease is to follow public health travel advice.

“WHO advises pregnant women not to travel to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission. This includes Rio de Janeiro. Pregnant women’s sex partners returning from areas with circulating virus should be counselled to practise safer sex or abstain throughout the pregnancy.”

Here are the WHO’s tips for anyone traveling to Brazil for the Games:

Whenever possible, during the day, protect themselves from mosquito bites by using insect repellents and by wearing clothing – preferably light-coloured – that covers as much of the body as possible.

Practise safer sex (for example, use condoms correctly and consistently) or abstain from sex during their stay and for at least 4 weeks after their return, particularly if they have had or are experiencing symptoms of Zika virus.

Choose air-conditioned accommodation (where windows and doors are usually kept closed to prevent the cool air from escaping, and mosquitoes cannot enter the rooms).

Avoid visiting areas in cities and towns with no piped water or poor sanitation (ideal breeding grounds of mosquitoes), where the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes is higher.

Overwhelmingly Canadian Power Rankings MLS Week 13/NASL Week 9/USL Week 10

Congratulations to FC Montreal.

Not only did the Montreal Impact’s USL-affiliated side win its first game of the season on the weekend — breaking an eight-game losing skid — it got the three points using a lineup entirely comprised of Canadians.

All of the starters and subs used by FC Montreal in its 2-1 win over Richmond were Canadian. All 990 minutes were credited to Canadian players.

So, thanks to such an, ahem, patriotic effort, FC Montreal deserves applause. Of any of the affiliated USL teams, FC Montreal’s is the best example of a club that’s being used as a true developmental side and not a farm team for the MLS parent club.

HERE ARE THE RANKINGS of minutes played by Canadians:



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, 789 (9)

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

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

7. Eddie Edward, FC Edmonton, NASL, 719 (8)

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

9. Mason Trafford, Miami FC, NASL, 630 (7)

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

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

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

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

14. Carl Haworth, Ottawa, NASL, 455 (6)

15. Drew Beckie, Carolina, NASL, 437 (6)

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

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

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

19. Kyle Porter, Ottawa, NASL, 394 (6)

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

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

22. Julian de Guzman, Ottawa, NASL, 278 (4)

23. Allan Zebie, FC Edmonton, NASL, 193 (5)

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

25. Mallan Roberts, FC Edmonton, NASL, 142 (2)

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

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

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

29. Mauro Eustaquio, Ottawa, NASL, 81 (4)

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:

FC Edmonton, NASL, 2166/9 (240.7)

Ottawa, NASL, 1768/8 (221)

Toronto FC, MLS, 2669/13 (205.3)

Montreal, MLS, 2035/13 (156.5)

Vancouver, MLS, 1643/15 (109.5)

Miami FC, NASL, 630/8 (78.8)

Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 585/8 (73.1)

Orlando City, MLS, 893/13 (68.7)

Carolina, NASL, 437/8 (54.6)

FC Dallas, MLS, 748/15 (49.9)

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

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. John Smits, Wilmington, USL, 900 (10)

2. Brett Levis, WFC2, USL, 849 (10)

3. Janouk Charbonneau, FC Montreal, USL, 796 (9)

4. Dominic Samuel, Rochester, USL, 736 (9)

5. Skylar Thomas, TFC II, USL, 709 (9)

6. Daniel Haber, WFC2, USL, 703 (10)

7. Richie Laryea, Orlando City B, USL, 693 (10)

8. Louis Beland-Goyette, FC Montreal, USL, 659 (8)

9. Kadin Chung, WFC2, USL, 630 (8)

10. Raheem Edwards, TFC II, USL, 630 (7)

11. Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, FC Montreal, USL, 630 (7)

12. Anthony Osorio, TFC II, USL, 623 (7)

13. Mark Anthony Kaye, Louisville City FC, 617 (7)

14. Marco Dominguez, FC Montreal, USL, 616 (8)

15. Chris Mannella, TFC II, USL, 609 (8)

16. Tyler Pasher, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 602 (7)

17. Shaan Hundal, TFC II, USL, 577 (10)

18. Malik Johnson, TFC II, USL, 566 (10)

19. Ballou Jean Yves Tabla, FC Montreal, USL, 565 (7)

20. David Choiniere, FC Montreal, USL, 561 (8)

21. Michael Cox, Orlando City B, USL, 556 (9)

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

23. Aron Mkungilwa, FC Montreal, USL, 506 (6)

24. Jordan Murrell, Pittsburgh, USL, 503 (6)

25. Aidan Daniels, TFC II, USL, 472 (8)

26. Alphonso Davies, WFC2, USL, 459 (7)

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

28. Maxime Crepeau, FC Montreal, USL, 450 (5)

29. Liam Fraser, TFC II, USL, 418 (8)

30. Alessandro Riggi, FC Montreal, USL, 392 (6)

31. Bradley Kamdem, Rochester, USL, 386 (7)

32. Marco Bustos, WFC2, USL, 376 (5)

33. Benjamin McKendry, WFC2, USL, 361 (6)

34. Ryan James, Rochester, USL, 351 (7)

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

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

37. Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 340 (7)

38. Thomas Gardner, WFC2, USL, 311 (8)

39. Robert Boskovic, TFC II, USL, 281 (7)

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

T41. Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Orlando City B, USL, 270 (3)

T41. Jackson Farmer, WFC2, USL, 270 (3)

T41. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, FC Montreal, USL, 270 (3)

T41. Sean Melvin, WFC2, USL, 270 (3)

45. Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 242 (6)

46. Matthew Baldisimo, WFC2, USL, 240 (6)

47. Giuliano Frano, WFC2, USL, 232 (6)

48. Mastanabal Kacher, FC Montreal, USL, 228 (6)

49. Luca Uccello, TFC II, USL, 218 (6)

50. Nevelo Yoseke, FC Montreal, USL, 212 (6)

51. Carlos Patino, Sounders FC 2, USL, 206 (6)

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

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

54. Yacine Ait-Slimane, FC Montreal, USL, 179 (3)

55. Simon Lemire, FC Montreal, USL, 168 (4)

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

57. Sam Adekugbe, WFC2, USL, 149 (2)

58. Zachary Sukunda, FC Montreal, USL, 146 (3)

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

60. Jordan Haynes, WFC2, USL, 137 (4)

61. Kianz Froese, WFC2, USL, 135 (2)

62. Duwayne Ewart, Pittsburgh, USL, 129 (2)

63. Jonathan Grant, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 111 (4)

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

65. Heikel Jarras, FC Montreal, USL, 107 (6)

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

67. Brandon John, Sounders FC2, USL, 98 (2)

T68. Marco Carducci, WFC2, USL, 90 (1)

T68. Callum Irving, Rio Grande Valley FC, USL, 90 (1)

T68. Wandrille Lefevre, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T68. David Paulmin, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T68. Maxim Tissot, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

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

74. Philippe Lincourt-Joseph, FC Montreal, USL, 80 (6)

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

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

77. Sahil Sandhu, WFC2, USL, 43 (3)

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

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

80. Josh Heard, Bethlehem Steel, USL, 25 (3)

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

82. Richlord Ennin, TFC II, USL, 15

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

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

FC Montreal, 7927/9 (880.8)

TFC II, 6675/11 (606.8)

WFC2, 5653/10 (565.3)

Rochester Rhinos, 1483/9 (164.8)

Swope Park Rangers, 1305/9 (145)

Orlando City B, 1509/11 (137.1)

Wilmington Hammerheads FC, 900/10 (90)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 632/9 (70.2)

Louisville City FC, 617/11 (56.1)

Sounders FC 2, 304/11 (27.6)

Sacramento Republic, 108/9 (12)

Rio Grande Valley FC, 90/1 (9)

NYRB2, 82/10 (8.2)

Bethlehem Steel 25/10 (2.5)

Martinez’s strike eliminates FC Edmonton from spring-season title race

Miami’s Ariel Martinez tried to shield the ball from FCE’s Daryl Fordyce. PHOTO: MIAMI FC

FC Edmonton began Saturday evening’s action in a dogfight for the NASL spring season title. But a fantastic 25-yard strike from Miami FC’s Ariel Martinez ended those dreams.

Martinez’s goal gave cellar-dwelling Miami FC a 1-0 home win over the Eddies. The New York Cosmos beat red-card plagued Rayo OKC on Saturday, and now lead the Eddies by four points. The Eddies have just one game left in the spring season.

FCE supporters can only wonder how this game could have been different had Gustavo been able to put his clear header on goal in the third minute of the game. The Brazilian midfielder found space between two Miami defenders and had a clear view of goal. But his headed effort went off the outside of the post when it would have been easier to score.

“I thought we started off very well,” said Eddies coach Colin Miller. “I thought we started off looking like the more likely team to score. Through the first half of the first half, we were playing well, and we looked dangerous. Gustavo should have scored on the play where he hit the post.”

Tomi Ameobi also had a decent first-half chance for the Eddies, he was able to win a ball in front of two Miami FC defenders in the penalty area. He was able to spin and shoot, but sent the ball wide.



Miami’s Dario Cvitanich forced FCE keeper Matt Van Oekel into a save with a decent free kick attempt a little over midway through the second half. But, that was as close as Miami, boasting the league’s worst offence, got to scoring through the first 45 minutes.

The Eddies created a decent chance early in the second half. But Nik Ledgerwood, who will leave for Canadian national-team duty on Sunday, put a half-volley effort just over the bar.

The Eddies had a shout for a penalty in the 63rd when central defender Pape Diakite, who had joined the attack for a set piece, went down close to Miami’s Blake Smith. But the replays showed that Diakite was leaning into Smith, and the FCE defender received a yellow card for simulation.

That’s not to suggest that referee Jaime Herrera had a particularly good night. He missed a red-card-worthy studs-showing challenge from Cvitanich on Ledgerwood; and, to add insult to injury, he decided to give the FC Edmonton player a yellow because Miami FC’s forward hit the deck in the challenge.

“It says a lot when I don’t shake a player’s hand after the game,” Miller said of Cvitanich. “He spent the game flopping. But that’s not the reason we lost the game. We lost because we were flat for two-thirds of the game.”

But, there was no controversy on the winning goal. Facing two defenders, Martinez opted to shoot though he was well outside of the penalty area. The ball rocketed into the top corner — and FC Edmonton’s spring-season challenge was ended.

“It was a strike worthy of winning any football match,” said Miller. “But I have to say that the defending leading up to the goal was poor.”

FC Edmonton not hurt too bad by international call-ups; Ottawa will suffer

Nik Ledgerwood

In the thick of the race for the spring-season title, FC Edmonton won’t be hurt too badly by the most recent round of international call-ups.

Midfielder Nik Ledgerwood will be off to Austria Sunday to join the Canadian national team for a pair of friendlies. The Canadian team will play Azerbaijan on June 3 and Uzbekistan on June 7. Midfielder Dustin Corea is already in Washington, where the El Salvadoran national team is prepping for its May 28 friendly against Peru. Corea will then travel with his national side to Los Angeles, where El Salvador will face Armenia June 1.

Corea will miss Saturday’s game against Miami FC; Ledgerwood will be available.

But, because the Eddies have a bye next weekend, the call-ups won’t affect the team greatly. Corea will miss one match. Ledgerwood won’t miss any. Both players will be back in the lineup for the final game of the spring season, when the Eddies face Fort Lauderdale on June 12.

That means the Eddies will be better off than the Ottawa Fury, who will lose Marcel de Jong and Julian de Guzman for the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship semifinal match-up against the Vancouver Whitecaps on June 1, the June 4 league match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies and likely for the June 8 ACC second leg against Vancouver.

Now, this is probably a good time to discuss the wisdom of scheduling the semifinals of Canada’s national club championship against an international week.



CANADA Roster

1- GK- Simon Thomas | NOR / FK Bodø/Glimt

2- FB- Nik Ledgerwood | CAN / FC Edmonton

3- CB- Manjrekar James | HUN / Diósgyöri VTK

4- CB- Dejan Jakovi? | JPN / Shimizu S-Pulse

5- CB- David Edgar | ENG / Birmingham City

6- M- Julian de Guzman | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC

7- M- Iain Hume | ESP / SD Ponferradina

8- M- Will Johnson | CAN / Toronto FC

9- F- Marcus Haber | ENG / Crewe Alexandra

10- M- David Junior Hoilett | ENG / Queens Park Rangers

11- M- Tosaint Ricketts | Unattached

12- CB- Doneil Henry | ENG / West Ham United

13- M- Michael Petrasso | ENG / Queens Park Rangers

14- M- Samuel Piette | ESP / Deportiva La Coruna

15- CB- Adam Straith | NOR / Fredrikstad FK

16- M- Scott Arfield | ENG / Burnley FC

17- FB- Marcel De Jong | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC

18- GK- Milan Borjan | BUL / PFK Ludogorets Razgrad

19- CB- Steven Vitória | POR / Benfica

20- CB / FB- Karl W. Ouimette | USA / New York Red Bulls

21- F- Cyle Larin | USA / Orlando City SC

22- GK- Kenny Stamatopoulos | SWE / AIK Fotbol

23- M- Tesho Akindele | USA / FC Dallas

24- F- Simeon Jackson | ENG / Blackburn Rovers

It’s been soccer’s Season of the Underdog: Will FC Edmonton join those ranks?

Colin Miller PHOTO: FC EDMONTON/TONY LEWIS

Atletico Madrid is in the Champions League final based on a low-possession, counterattacking strategy and dogged defending. Leicester City wins the Premier League with games to spare. Euro 2016 will feature the likes of Albania, Iceland and Hungary — but won’t have any Dutch orange.

The past year has given FC Edmonton Colin Miller a number of examples he can use to fire up his team as it challenges for the NASL spring-season title. With two games left in the spring season, the Eddies trail the first-place New York Cosmos by one point, and are ahead of Minnesota United and the Indy Eleven by a single point (although both of those clubs have a game in hand).

This weekend, the Eddies can keep the pressure on the leading pack with a win on the road at last-place Miami FC. And while Miller understands that his team is motivated by being the underdog, the players must never get comfortable with where they are in the table and take a lower team for granted. We’ve seen far too many wacky results in soccer this year for anyone to take three points as a given.

“There’s a job to be done,” Miller said before the Eddies head off to South Florida. “They just signed a boy, (Michael) Lahoud, who I think was the one who made the Cosmos tick for many games, and now Miami have him. With him and Richie Ryan in the middle of the park, you can see their intent in Miami is not to be in the league where they are at the moment.”

Miami FC purchased Ryan from Jacksonville, and then bought Lahoud from the Philadelphia Union; the MLS team had loaned Lahoud out to the New York Cosmos, but that spell obviously came to an abrupt end when the Union decided to make the deal with Miami.

And Miller said that, despite the standings, parity is here in NASL.



“Don’t look at the table, because there’s no team in our league that good that can go ‘that’s an automatic three points.’ So, we have to have the same approach as it was the Cosmos.

“We’re not that good, I think it was Daryl (striker Daryl Fordyce) who said on one of the news interviews that we haven’t done anything yet. All we’ve done is get from second bottom of the league at the start of the season to being second top.’

And Miller has noted that Miami FC continues to throw MLS-like money at its roster in order to shake the team up. It reminds him of the Scottish League, when he used to play for the likes of Dunfermline or St. Johnstone, and his clubs had to contend with the big money tossed around by Celtic and Rangers.

“It’s kind of the situation where Rangers and Celtic, in my time, I played against the Laudrups and the Di Canios. And the money that Rangers and Celtic were spending, and we were small provincial clubs. If their club can afford to do that, then good luck to doing that. Good luck to them. You can’t stop them, because of the business model we (in NASL) have in our league. But, even then, it doesn’t guarantee success. The best example is Manchester United. You know, 250 million pounds they’ve spent on a team and the manager’s got sacked because of the style of play that they play. They haven’t been entertaining enough, they haven’t won enough games. It’s great for the league, because we keep the Richie Ryans and the Lahouds in our league, they want to play in our league, but the other side of that is that it doesn’t guarantee success.”

As for the team, midfielder Nik Ledgerwood, who has started every FC Edmonton match so far this season but had to leave Sunday’s win over Carolina, said he is OK to play Saturday in Miami and will make the trip.

Overwhelmingly Canadian Power Rankings MLS Week 12/NASL Week 8/USL Week 9

Cyle Larin

It was quite the weekend for Canadians in NASL and MLS.

Canadian national-teamers found the net across North America; Tesho Akindele scored twice for FC Dallas; Cyle Larin scored twice to lead Orlando City to a win over the Montreal Impact. And, in NASL, Marcel de Jong scored his second late-game match-winner of the season. His goal paced the Ottawa Fury to a 1-0 triumph over Jacksonville — and it was set up by fellow Canadian Carl Haworth.

In terms of the rankings-by-minutes-played, Toronto FC’s Will Johnson has taken over the lead. FC Edmonton’s Nik Ledgerwood — who sits at fourth overall — leads NASL Canadians in minutes played.

HERE ARE THE RANKINGS:



MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. Will Johnson, Toronto FC, MLS, 1079 (12)

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

3. Cyle Larin, Orlando City, MLS, 719 (10)

4. Nik Ledgerwood, FC Edmonton, NASL, 699 (8)

5. Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas, MLS, 673 (13)

6. Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC, MLS, 669 (9)

7. Eddie Edward, FC Edmonton, NASL, 630 (7)

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

9. Kyle Bekker, Montreal, MLS, 560 (9)

10. Nana Attakora, Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 540 (6)

11. Mason Trafford, Miami FC, NASL, 540 (6)

12. Drew Beckie, Carolina, NASL, 437 (6)

13. Maxim Tissot, Montreal, MLS, 427 (6)

14. Marcel De Jong, Ottawa, NASL, 405 (5)

15. Kyle Porter, Ottawa, NASL, 381 (5)

16. Carl Haworth, Ottawa, NASL, 365 (5)

17. Patrice Bernier, Montreal, MLS, 362 (6)

18. Mo Babouli, Toronto FC, MLS 338 (8)

19. Wandrille Lefevre, Montreal, MLS, 315 (4)

20. Julian de Guzman, Ottawa, NASL, 278 (4)

21. Russell Teibert, Vancouver, MLS, 243 (4)

22. Shamit Shome, FC Edmonton, NASL, 239 (5)

23. Allan Zebie, FC Edmonton, NASL, 192 (4)

24. Jay Chapman, Toronto FC, 174 (6)

25. Mallan Roberts, FC Edmonton, NASL, 142 (2)

26. Kianz Froese, Vancouver, MLS, 140 (3)

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

28. Mauro Eustaquio, Ottawa, NASL, 81 (4)

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

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

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

32. Ashtone Morgan, Toronto FC, MLS, 28 (4)

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

FC Edmonton, NASL, 1902/8 (237.8)

Ottawa, NASL, 1575/7 (225)

Toronto FC, MLS, 2288/12 (190.7)

Montreal, MLS, 1712/12 (142.7)

Vancouver, MLS, 1553/14 (110.9)

Fort Lauderdale, NASL, 540/7 (77.1)

Miami FC, NASL, 540/7 (77.1)

Orlando City, MLS, 719/11 (65.4)

Carolina, NASL, 437/8 (54.6)

FC Dallas, MLS, 673/14 (48.1)

New York Red Bulls, MLS, 582/13 (44.8)

USL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS

1. John Smits, Wilmington, USL, 810 (9)

2. Dominic Samuel, Rochester, USL, 707 (8)

3. Janouk Charbonneau, FC Montreal, USL, 706 (8)

4. Brett Levis, WFC2, USL, 669 (8)

5. Raheem Edwards, TFC II, USL, 630 (7)

6. Richie Laryea, Orlando City B, USL, 619 (9)

7. Daniel Haber, WFC2, USL, 616 (8)

8. Louis Beland-Goyette, FC Montreal, USL, 569 (7)

T9. Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, FC Montreal, USL, 540 (6)

T9. Anthony Osorio, TFC II, USL, 540 (6)

11. Tyler Pasher, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 534 (6)

12. Kadin Chung, WFC2, USL, 532 (6)

13. Skylar Thomas, TFC II, USL, 529 (7)

14. Mark Anthony Kaye, Louisville City FC, 527 (6)

15. Marco Dominguez, FC Montreal, USL, 526 (7)

16. Malik Johnson, TFC II, USL, 492 (8)

17. Ballou Jean Yves Tabla, FC Montreal, USL, 475 (6)

18. Chris Mannella, TFC II, USL, 474 (6)

19. David Choiniere, FC Montreal, USL, 472 (7)

20. Michael Cox, Orlando City B, USL, 466 (8)

21. Aron Mkungilwa, FC Montreal, USL, 447 (5)

22. Shaan Hundal, TFC II, USL, 429 (8)

23. Alphonso Davies, WFC2, USL, 428 (6)

24. Charles Joly, FC Montreal, USL, 419 (7)

25. Jordan Murrell, Pittsburgh, USL, 413 (5)

26. Aidan Daniels, TFC II, USL, 365 (6)

T27. Maxime Crepeau, FC Montreal, USL, 360 (4)

T27. Quillan Roberts, TFC II, USL, 360 (4)

29. Bradley Kamdem, Rochester, USL, 357 (6)

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

31. Marco Bustos, WFC2, USL, 317 (4)

32. Liam Fraser, TFC II, USL, 309 (6)

33. Alessandro Riggi, FC Montreal, USL, 305 (5)

34. Benjamin McKendry, WFC2, USL, 302 (5)

35. Ryan James, Rochester, USL, 279 (6)

T36. Zachary Ellis-Hayden, Orlando City B, USL, 270 (3)

T36. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, FC Montreal, USL, 270 (3)

T36. Jems Geffrard, FC Montreal, USL, 270 (3)

T36. Sean Melvin, WFC2, USL, 270 (3)

40. Amer Didic, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 250 (6)

41. Mastanabal Kacher, FC Montreal, USL, 225 (5)

42. Thomas Gardner, WFC2, USL, 218 (6)

43. Matthew Baldisimo, WFC2, USL, 212 (5)

44. Nevelo Yoseke, FC Montreal, USL, 201 (5)

45. Chris Serban, WFC2, USL, 189 (4)

46. Robert Boskovic, TFC II, USL, 184 (5)

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

T48. Jackson Farmer, WFC2, USL, 180 (2)

T48. James Pantemis, FC Montreal, USL, 180 (2)

50. Yacine Ait-Slimane, FC Montreal, USL, 179 (3)

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

52. Giuliano Frano, WFC2, USL, 157 (5)

53. Simon Lemire, FC Montreal, USL, 157 (3)

54. Mark Anthony Gonzalez, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 152 (5)

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

56. Carlos Patino, Sounders FC 2, USL, 135 (5)

57. Jordan Haynes, WFC2, USL, 122 (3)

58. Luca Uccello, TFC II, USL, 119 (4)

59. Jonathan Grant, Swope Park Rangers, USL, 111 (4)

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

61. Heikel Jarras, FC Montreal, USL, 107 (6)

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

63. Brandon John, Sounders FC2, USL, 98 (2)

T64. Sam Adekugbe, WFC2, USL, 90 (1)

T64. Marco Carducci, WFC2, USL, 90 (1)

T64. Kianz Froese, WFC2, USL, 90 (1)

T64. Wandrille Lefevre, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T64. David Paulmin, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

T64. Maxim Tissot, FC Montreal, USL, 90 (1)

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

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

72. Philippe Lincourt-Joseph, FC Montreal, USL, 79 (5)

73. Duwayne Ewart, Pittsburgh, USL, 70 (1)

74. Zachary Sukunda, FC Montreal, USL, 67 (2)

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

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

77. Sahil Sandhu, WFC2, USL, 22 (2)

78. Richlord Ennin, TFC II, USL, 15

79. Terran Campbell, WFC2, USL, 14 (4)

80. Josh Heard, Bethlehem Steel, USL, 11 (2)

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

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

FC Montreal, 6937/8 (867.1)

TFC II, 5423/9 (602.6)

WFC2, 4608/8 (576)

Rochester Rhinos, 1353/8 (169.1)

Orlando City B, 1345/10 (134.5)

Swope Park Rangers, 1057/8 (132.1)

Wilmington Hammerheads FC, 810/9 (90)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 483/8 (60.4)

Louisville City FC, 527/10 (52.7)

Sounders FC 2, 233/10 (23.3)

Sacramento Republic 108/8 (13.5)

NYRB2, 82/9 (9.1)

Bethlehem Steel 11/9 (1.2)

The RailHawks’ house of horrors: FC Edmonton continues surge up NASL standings with win over Carolina

The coach said to go left… but Brian Sylvestre dove to his right. PHOTO: FC EDMONTON/TONY LEWIS

Clarke Field continues to be a house of horrors for RailHawks coach Colin Clarke and his Carolina team.

A second-half Daryl Fordyce penalty-kick goal gave the Eddies a 1-0 win over the RailHawks; the win gave the Eddies at least temporary possession of first place in the NASL standings, pending the outcome of Sunday evening’s game between the New York Cosmos and the Tampa Bay Rowdies. If the Cosmos don’t win, the Eddies keep first spot.

Since 2012, when FC Edmonton moved into Clarke Field, the RailHawks have not won there, and have been outscored 22-6.

Referee Francis LaTulippe pointed to the spot after Carolina defender Connor Tobin pushed Eddies captain Albert Watson to the ground on a set piece. As the ball was placed on the spot, RailHawks coach Colin Clarke bellowed to his keeper, Brian Sylvestre, to dive to his left.

Sylvestre dove way early, and to his right. Fordyce was able to go the other way with the shot.

“I couldn’t hear anything,” said Fordyce. “I just remember last year I took a penalty down in Carolina, and the way he was telling the goalie to go, that’s where I went.”

And because Sylvestre left so early, the guesswork was taken out of it.

“The goalie went early, and I sort of made my mind up where to go, both occasions,” said Fordyce.



For the few hundred fans that braved a downpour, wind gusts and a chilly 7 C afternoon, the goal brought some warmth to a miserable Edmonton day.

The RailHawks began with a very conservative 4-5-1 set-up, with a wall of five midfielders shielding a bank of four defenders. With FCE starting with a 4-1-4-1, the midfield was congested, and players struggled with the speed of the ball on the soaking wet pitch, as a series of passes took off and missed their marks.

Really, the first half produced only one chance of note; a shot from the Eddies’ Dustin Corea forced Sylvestre into a good reaction save.

But the game opened up in the second half, and the RailHawks had a couple of very good chances to take the lead. Alex Perez headed the ball just over the bar off a corner kick; then, Nazmi Albadawi’s effort went just wide after the ball took an awkward bounce and Watson had to get his arm quickly out of the way to avoid a penalty call against him.

The Eddies then got an even better chance; Corea skipped into the Carolina penalty area and, with no backswing, poked a left-footed shot towards the short side. Sylvestre got his fingertips to the ball and directed it off the post.

Later in the half, FCE’s Nik Ledgerwood had to leave the game due to injury and was replaced by Shamit Shome. The FCE teenager only returned to Edmonton at 11 p.m. the night before. He went to Costa Rica to join Canada’s U-20 national team, only to find out the camp and friendly had been cancelled because of the volcano eruptions just outside of San Jose. So, he turned around and came back to Edmonton, and then played the final 20 minutes of Sunday’s match.

After the Fordyce goal, Carolina had one last gasp; in time added on, Brian Shriver got a free kick opportunity from a yard outside the Eddies’ penalty area. It was blocked in the wall by striker Tomi Ameobi; then, Ameobi blocked the follow-up shot. The big striker’s commitment to the defensive cause is indicative of a change of culture at FC Edmonton, said coach Colin Miller.

“Good teams find ways to win,” said Miller. “You know, every game wasn’t a walk in the park for Leicester City this year, but they found a way to win. And last season, maybe in previous seasons, we would have found a way to throw that result away, by either drawing or getting beat. This group of players’ commitment to the cause tells me that we’ve probably turned a little bit of a corner at FC Edmonton, without getting carried away. We’ve done nothing yet, we’ll continue to put in this sort of effort and commitment and, touch wood, it’s enough to get us there at the end.”

“We’ve a lot more experience in the group and we’ve brought boys in like (veterans) Adam Eckersley and Nik Ledgerwood… there’s a lot of experience there,” said Fordyce. “We know not panic now, and to keep getting on with our jobs. Football’s a funny game, anything can happen, and you just got to keep getting on, doing the right things.”

The Eddies travel to last-place Miami FC next weekend. A team that many pundits had picked to finish last in the NASL spring season will keep going on its drive to win it.

Timbo’s tackle prevents FC Edmonton from finishing ACC comeback in Ottawa

Timbo

For FC Edmonton supporters, it had the making of a storybook plot twist.

Eddie Edward, an Ottawa-born-and-raised FCE fullback, found himself in the unlikeliest of places — in front of the opposition goal — with a chance to finish off a heroic comeback. He had a chance to put a stake through the heart of his hometown team. The ball came to Edward at the top of the Ottawa Fury’s penalty area, and he had keeper Marcel DeBellis at his mercy. Had Edward finished the chance, the Eddies would have come back all the way from a 3-0 deficit and shocked the Fury in the nation’s capital.

But, Edward didn’t get a chance to beat DeBellis. Timbo, the Ottawa centre back who scored the first goal of the first leg, dove in with a perfectly timed challenge and deflected the ball away. Timbo’s tackle would end up preserving the tie for the Fury; after winning the first leg last week in Edmonton by a 3-0 count, he “saved” a 2-0 loss in the second leg.

The Fury survive with a 3-2 aggregate victory in the Amway Canadian Championship quarterfinal, and will face the Vancouver Whitecaps in the semifinal stage.

“Yes, it would have been fantastic,” said Eddies’ coach Colin Miller. “Eddie was playing in front of his friends and family, it would have been a fairy-tale ending for us.”



For the Eddies, the Timbo tackle will become just another chapter in a novel entitled Agonizing Ways to Be Eliminated From the Voyageurs Cup. At least the Eddies didn’t get knocked out by a 97th-minute goals in the second leg of a tie, as they have in the past two years. But, scoring two first-half goals in Ottawa is yet another way this team has brought its fans so close to Cup joy — only to have it go bad in the end.

“In the second half, I thought we got a little bit predictable,” said Miller. “We were knocking a lot of long balls. But, the effort and attitude from the players was absolutely fantastic.”

Dustin Corea gave the Eddies hope midway through the first half. Ottawa’s Lance Rozeboom allowed Corea the space to shoot — and the FCE midfielder took the invitation. He scalded a swerving shot that found the corner of the Ottawa goal.

The marker lifted the Eddies, and they continued to push forward. At the 30-minute mark, striker Tomi Ameobi — the top scorer in ACC history — just missed the chance to cut the Ottawa aggregate lead to one; his goalmouth deflection of Adam Eckersley’s cross went just wide of the post.

But, right before the halftime whistle, the Eddies got a second goal. A free kick from Eckersley bounced through the penalty area and past Ottawa keeper Marcel DeBellis. We see this so many times; a free kick that isn’t deflected by one of the many players in the box goes straight in. Why? The keeper can’t necessarily play the ball, because he has to assume one of the attackers will make contact with the ball. So, when it stays on a straight line, it crosses him up.

That set the Eddies and Fury up for a nervy second half; and while the Eddies tried to push numbers forward, the Fury held up — barely. But, in the end, no one cares how you got to the finish line; getting past it is all that matters.

Even though the Eddies are in the thick of the NASL spring-season championship race, only two points out of first with the Carolina RailHawks heading to Clarke Field Sunday, Miller said there was never a thought of sending a B team to Ottawa.

“It was never a consideration. When we enter a tournament, we want to win it. And what we got was a very positive response and a positive result on the road. We came out to win this game, and we thought let’s see if we can get enough goals to turn over this tie.

“In truth, it was the game last Wednesday that did it. We gave up three very poor goals. Believe it or not, I can handle losing; if you’re beaten by a better team or a world-class goal, I can deal with that. But the three goals we gave up were absolutely criminal.”

When the Eddies play Carolina Sunday, it will be the sixth game in a span of less than three weeks. The Eddies won’t train till Saturday, to allow the bruised players the chance to heal and some tired legs to rest. In that stretch, the Eddies have looked bad in only one game — but it was that first-leg 3-0 loss to Ottawa. It’s a strange blip on what’s been a positive month’s worth of results for FCE.

Regina’s soccer community hopes to bring Canadian national-team match to New Mosaic Stadium

New Mosaic Stadium (artist’s rendering)

It hasn’t been home to a Canadian men’s or women’s national-team match. It wasn’t a host city for the Women’s World Cup or the U-20 World Cup. When it comes to soccer, Saskatchewan hasn’t been a destination for any Canadian national side.

But, could the completion of Regina’s 33,000-seat New Mosaic Stadium change all that?

The Regina Soccer Association has been working with other organizations in the Saskatchewan capital to see if they can attract a major soccer event to the New Mosaic Stadium. The stadium, which will be the home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders is scheduled to open in time for the 2017 Canadian Football League season. But the City wants New Mosaic to be more than a football stadium — so there is a push to bring high-profile soccer matches to the facility.

Devin Masch, executive director of the Regina Soccer Association, said his group has approached the Canadian Soccer Association about its intent to host an international game — possibly a World Cup qualifier if the Canadian men’s national team makes it to the hex.

But Masch said the CSA was clear that, to host a sanctioned event, the turf at the still-under-construction New Mosaic Stadium has to be up to international standards.



“They have to be the kind of lines that can be scrubbed off the field, not stitched in,” he says.

Rod Schmidt, the manager of stadium development for the City of Regina, said the turf that will be laid in New Mosaic Stadium will have the sewn-in line markings. But he said the field will adhere to FIFA’s guidelines.

“It has to comply with regulations, from dimensions to turf quality,” he said. “It will include all the FIFA line markings. It has to comply with Edition Five (FIFA) regulations.”

Amway Canadian Championship action from FC Edmonton’s Clarke Field in 2014, when the sewn-in lines were covered in green paint.

Sewn-in lines were a major issue for FC Edmonton at Clarke Field, before that turf was replaced with a FIFA-rated surface ahead of the Women’s World Cup. From 2011-13, FC Edmonton staged Amway Canadian Championship games at Commonwealth Stadium, because a CSA sanction requires that a soccer field only has soccer markings on it. In 2014, the games were played at Clarke with the permanent football lines covered in green paint.

The turf was then replaced.

Now that the turf on Clarke has removable football lines, it can now host sanctioned matches.

Schmidt said that the new field must be able to host multiple events. The new stadium is supposed to be a multipurpose venue. This fall, it is expected that the stadium will host a test event — possibly a concert — at 50 per cent capacity. In the spring of 2017, it is expected to host another test event, this time with 75 per cent of the stadium filled. Then, the contractor turns it over to the city.

Schmidt said that if Canada was to host another major soccer tournament — the Canadian Soccer Association has long ago announced its intention to bid for the 2026 World Cup — the turf could be replaced.

“If the World Cup came to Canada in 2026, we could look at putting in the new turf and removing the turf with the cut-in lines.”

He said that seams will be an issue on any artificial surface — with permanent lines or simple green. He said the biggest issues may come with the football hash marks and Mosaic logo that will be placed in the middle of the playing surface.