Steven Sandor's Blog, page 87

The 500 club: The Plastic Pitch subscription drive

When  the Plastic Pitch Kickstarter campaign was launched in late 2013, the goal was to secure funding for at least a year’s worth of issues. Now, based on our quarterly schedule, we are working on issue 8, to be releasd in January 2016. That’s two full years worth of work. We’ve featured work from some of the top soccer writers in North America, and featured stories about Canadians playing here and abroad.

But, it isn’t easy. And expenses continue to pile up. I’ve crunched the numbers and it’s simple. To make this work, Plastic Pitch needs 500 new subscribers by the end of the year. Well, maybe “new” isn’t quite accurate — as renewals would be counted towards to this number.

Subscriptions costs just $15 Canadian — that’s four issues of what this editors feels is some of the best Canadian soccer content you’ll find. Long-form stories, insightful analysis and advocacy for the improvement of the Canadian game. Put it in perspective, $15 is less than the cost of one craft cocktail.

There are a number ways to subscribe; either through the Apple or Google apps, through our Shopify store (CLICK HERE) or directly via PayPal (teamworkpress@rogers.com is the payment address). If you subscribe through Shopify or PayPal, please specify if you want to have issues e-mailed directly to you. But, one word of caution: It is MUCH easier for us to refund your money (if we don’t hit target) if you go through Shopify or PayPal.

Of course, we think a subscription to Plastic Pitch would make a great Christmas gift. Or a way to say thanks to your coach or the volunteers in your soccer program.

Because we put the mag out in three ways; either by e-mail, or through Apple and Google apps, many of our expenses have to be paid out in US funds, even though we’re a Canadian mag. So, the plummeting dollar, well, it hurts. Really hurts. Basically, costs to do business have increased 25 per cent over the past two years.

If you haven’t discovered the mag yet, and want to read it before you buy, you can preview any of our seven issues for free in the apps. Each issue offers a free timed preview, which lets you browse the articles. Inside you’ll find how we were the first to report about the possibility of a Canadian Division 1A league (issue 2), our look at how real Canadian minutes played were on the decline in MLS (issue 1), plus our issue 5 dedicated to the fractured soccer relationship between Canada and the United States. Issue 6 was our Women’s World Cup review issue.

As well, from now till Christmas, you will be able to get our back issues (1-6) for just $1.99 each. You can take advantage of those offers through the apps.

PLASTIC PITCH SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE:

497 to go!

Crack Coach reviewed

Here is a review for my latest book, Crack Coach. Thanks for the kind words!

http://www.nationalreadingcampaign.ca...

How April’s Cup defeat put the Ottawa Fury on course for NASL glory

PHOTO:NASL

There’s an irony that, on the evening that the Ottawa Fury clinched the NASL fall season title, that FC Edmonton was eliminated from the post-season picture.

Ottawa, as the Fury has done all season, went over its hurdle in style, a 3-1 come-from-behind win against a Jacksonville Armada team that’s tough to beat at home. The Eddies could only watch as Fort Lauderdale’s 0-0 draw with San Antonio put them out of their misery.

Now, back up to April. Had this scenario been laid out then, most Canadian soccer supporters would have guffawed, or at least had a bit of a snicker. When the Eddies faced Ottawa in the opening round of the Amway Canadian Championship, the Fury were hammered by a 6-2 aggregate score over two legs. The Fury had massive gaps between its midfield and backline, and was absolutely savaged down the wings.

So, what happened?

Fury coach Marc Dos Santos, interviewed in the current issue of Plastic Pitch, spoke about the franchise-wide soul-searching that followed the Edmonton defeat.



“It was the week where we were knocked out of Amway and we also lost against Fort Lauderdale. In one week, we had given up nine goals in three games. We had a lot of new players. And, we looked at some of the problems in the way we were playing. There was a lot of humility. It wasn’t about the players in the back, but how we defended as a unit. Our lines were too far from each other. Maybe our players were thinking too much about offence, so we had to go back to our basics. We looked at our four moments of play and what we needed to do as a team. We assessed what was going right, we assessed what was going wrong and we did it with the utmost humility in the locker room.”

What we saw was a Fury team that was reinvented. A phoenix had risen from the ashes of a heavy Cup defeat. The Fury went from a team that was routinely getting picked apart to the staunchest defensive side in NASL. And, ironically, that was most clear in the league games against the Eddies. The Eddies scored six times in two Cup games against the Fury; in three subsequent league games against Ottawa, no Edmonton shot entered the Fury’s goal.

The Fury look good to be the No. 1 seed in the NASL post-season, meaning there’s a chance we’ll see the optic orange ball (They’re real; I’ve seen some of them — FC Edmonton has them on hand, just in case). But, make no mistake, the Fury winning the NASL fall season, is a more impressive achievement than any of the Canadian MLS teams making the playoffs this season.

Why?

Well, in MLS, the playoffs are pretty inclusive. It’s actually harder to NOT make the playoffs in MLS than it is to be in them. This year, two more playoff spots were added, jumping the number of spots to 12 (out of 20 teams). Do the math. Sixty per cent of MLS teams make the playoffs. If either Toronto or Montreal falls to sixth place in the East after this weekend’s match, their fans should note they’d be in a playoff spot that didn’t exist a season ago.

(Don’t misunderstand this as an anti-playoff sentiment; that’s far from the truth. But playoff structures should be exclusive, not inclusive. Playoffs spots should be rewards for good teams, not consolation prizes for mediocre clubs.)

In NASL, the post-season is at four teams (out of 11), and it’s a number that Commissioner Bill Peterson has vowed will not increase. Of course, there are competitive reasons, but remember that, without big TV-rights money, playoffs aren’t a profitable exercise. So why play more games that cost teams money?

But, under the split-season format, which sees the winner of the 10-game spring season and 20-game fall season get the top two seeds. With the Cosmos winning the spring-season sprint, the rest of the field is handicapped — one third of the overall schedule is gone, and already one of the four spots is spoken for. It made the Fury’s job just that little bit tougher.

And the Fury did it without pushing aside its mandate to give Canadian players the chance to play. Out of MLS and NASL teams, only FC Edmonton gave more minutes to Canadian players.

In Canada, we’re starved for good-news soccer stories. The Fury has given us one. Now, can it finish in a Soccer Bowl?

SUPPORT OUR DRIVE FOR 500! SUBSCRIBE TO PLASTIC PITCH TODAY!

Quintessentially Canadian Power Rankings, MLS Week 33/NASL Week 27

Eddie Edward

As we head into the final week of the MLS regular-season schedule and the last two weeks of the NASL regular-season slate, only four players remain mathematically alive to be the top Canadian in terms of minutes played in either division one or two.

Eddie Edward has a 37-minute edge on Atlanta’s Kyle Porter, but Edward has just one game left, while Porter has two. Jonathan Osorio of TFC is 90 minutes behind Edward, with one game left, so the best he can do is tie for first (though it’s a long shot). Ottawa’s Mason Trafford is 68 minutes behind Edward, but has a game in hand.

Unless coaches make some drastic changes to the lineups in the final weeks, Porter is the favourite to be at the top of this list when both the MLS and NASL seasons come to a close.

Here’s the latest ranking:



MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS (MLS AFTER 33 WEEKS, NASL AFTER 27 WEEKS):?

1. Eddie Edward, FCE, NASL, 2238 (26)

2. Kyle Porter, ATL, NASL, 2201 (26)

3. Jonathan Osorio, TFC, MLS, 2148 (28)

4. Mason Trafford, OTT, NASL, 2070 (23)

5. Cyle Larin, ORL, MLS, 1815 (26)

6. Mallan Roberts, FCE, NASL, 1800 (20)

7. Nana Attakora, SAS, NASL, 1691 (19)

8. Carl Haworth, OTT, NASL, 1563 (23)

9. Ashtone Morgan, TFC, MLS, 1554 (19)

10. Allan Zebie, FCE, NASL, 1520 (20)

11. Tesho Akindele, FCD, MLS 1476 (27)

12. Adrian Cann, SAS, NASL, 1444 (17)

13. Mauro Eustaquio, OTT, NASL, 1372 (18)

14. Russell Teibert, VAN, MLS, 1235 (21)

15. Julian de Guzman, OTT, NASL, 1081 (14)

16. Will Johnson, POR, MLS 1046 (12)

17. Wandrille Lefevre, MTL, MLS, 900 (10)

18. Dominic Oppong, ATL, NASL, 846 (13)

19. Marcel de Jong, SKC, MLS, 822 (12)

20. Karl Ouimette, NYRB, MLS, 801 (12)

21. Frank Jonke, FCE, NASL, 694 (16)

22. Michael Nonni, FCE, NASL, 663 (14)

23. Patrice Bernier, MTL, MLS 661 (19)

24. Sam Adekugbe, VAN, MLS, 646 (9)

25. Drew Beckie, OTT, NASL, 628 (14)

26. Maxim Tissot, MTL, MLS 581 (11)

27. Sadi Jalali, FCE, NASL, 513 (8)

28. Kyle Bekker, FCD/MTL, MLS, 478 (11)

29. John Smits, FCE, NASL, 315 (4)

30. Hanson Boakai, FCE, NASL, 309 (11)

31. Kianz Froese, VAN, MLS, 208 (9)

32. Jay Chapman, TFC, MLS, 202 (10)

33. Patryk Misik, OTT, NASL, 166 (5)

34. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, MTL, MLS 156 (8)

35. Philippe Davies, OTT, NASL, 104 (5-RETIRED)

36. Tyson Farago, FCE, NASL, 90 (1)

37. Marco Bustos, VAN, MLS, 29 (1)

38. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, MTL, MLS, 18 (2)

T39. Jordan Hamilton, TFC, MLS, 13 (2)

T39. Bruno Zebie, FCE, NASL 13 (1)

MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIAN MAYBES — PLAYERS WHO COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR CANADA, BUT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR OTHER NATIONS AND HAVE NOT COMMITTED TO CANADA (MLS AFTER 33 WEEKS, NASL AFTER 27 WEEKS):

1. Ethan Finlay, CLB 2701 (33)

2. Steven Vitoria, PHI 1575 (18)

TEAM RANKINGS, MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2015 (INCLUDES BOTH SUREFIRES and MAYBES); RANKED BY AVERAGE MINUTES PER GAME:?

FC Edmonton, NASL, 8175/29 GP (281.9) (-3.8)

Ottawa, NASL, 6992/28 GP (249.7) (+1.5)

Toronto FC, MLS, 3917/33 GP (118.7) (-1.9)

San Antonio, NASL 3035/27 GP (112.4) (-4.3)

Atlanta, NASL, 3047/28 GP (108.8) (-0.7)

Columbus, MLS, 2701/33 GP (81.8) (+0.2)

Montreal, MLS, 2571/33 GP (77.9) (+0.6)

Vancouver, MLS, 2118/33 GP (64.1) (+1.2)

Orlando City, MLS, 1815/33 GP (55) (+0.8)

FC Dallas, MLS, 1790/33 GP (54.2) (-1.3)

Philadelphia, MLS, 1575/33 GP (47.7) (-0.1)

Portland, MLS, 1046/33 GP (31.7) (-2)

Sporting Kansas City, MLS, 822/32 GP (25.7) (-0.8)

New York Red Bulls, MLS 711/33 GP (21.5) (-1.4)

PLASTIC PITCH. ISSUE 7 IS OUT! THE BEST IN CANADIAN SOCCER JOURNALISM…

The 500 club: The Plastic Pitch subscription drive

When  the Plastic Pitch Kickstarter campaign was launched in late 2013, the goal was to secure funding for at least a year’s worth of issues. Now, based on our quarterly schedule, we are working on issue 8, to be releasd in January 2016. That’s two full years worth of work. We’ve featured work from some of the top soccer writers in North America, and featured stories about Canadians playing here and abroad.

But, it isn’t easy. And expenses continue to pile up. I’ve crunched the numbers and it’s simple. To make this work, Plastic Pitch needs 500 new subscribers by the end of the year. Well, maybe “new” isn’t quite accurate — as renewals would be counted towards to this number.

Subscriptions costs just $15 Canadian — that’s four issues of what this editors feels is some of the best Canadian soccer content you’ll find. Long-form stories, insightful analysis and advocacy for the improvement of the Canadian game. Put it in perspective, $15 is less than the cost of one craft cocktail.

There are a number ways to subscribe; either through the Apple or Google apps, through our Shopify store (CLICK HERE) or directly via PayPal (teamworkpress@rogers.com is the payment address). If you subscribe through Shopify or PayPal, please specify if you want to have issues e-mailed directly to you. But, one word of caution: It is MUCH easier for us to refund your money (if we don’t hit target) if you go through Shopify or PayPal.

Of course, we think a subscription to Plastic Pitch would make a great Christmas gift. Or a way to say thanks to your coach or the volunteers in your soccer program.

Because we put the mag out in three ways; either by e-mail, or through Apple and Google apps, many of our expenses have to be paid out in US funds, even though we’re a Canadian mag. So, the plummeting dollar, well, it hurts. Really hurts. Basically, costs to do business have increased 25 per cent over the past two years.

If you haven’t discovered the mag yet, and want to read it before you buy, you can preview any of our seven issues for free in the apps. Each issue offers a free timed preview, which lets you browse the articles. Inside you’ll find how we were the first to report about the possibility of a Canadian Division 1A league (issue 2), our look at how real Canadian minutes played were on the decline in MLS (issue 1), plus our issue 5 dedicated to the fractured soccer relationship between Canada and the United States. Issue 6 was our Women’s World Cup review issue.

As well, from now till Christmas, you will be able to get our back issues (1-6) for just $1.99 each. You can take advantage of those offers through the apps.

PLASTIC PITCH SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE:

498 to go!

Miller vows changes will be made after Eddies blow lead against 10-man Armada

FCE’s Allan Zebie, right, is seen in action against Jacksonville. PHOTO: NASL

There have been some bizarre games in FC Edmonton’s history. But Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Jacksonville deserves to rank right up there with the heartbreaking injury-time defeats to Montreal and Vancouver in the Amway Canadian Championship.

“It gives a run to Canada-Martinique, that’s how disappointed I am,” said FCE coach Colin Miller, comparing this match to the 2013 Gold Cup shocker when he was the interim coach of the Canadian national side. “Disappointed would be an understatement. It was criminal defending on all three goals tonight. If we defend like that, we deserve to lose.

“There will be changes next year.”

At minute 65, the Eddies’ Sainey Nyassi went in alone and scored to give the Eddies a 2-1 lead over the Armada, who were down to 10 men. You would have been forgiven for thinking that, a man down and a goal down, the jig was up for the Armada.

But, within four minutes of the Nyassi goal, the Armada hadn’t just equalized, the home side had taken the lead.



Remember that the Eddies gave up a goal 12 seconds into the match in their NASL season-opening loss in Jacksonville. But Saturday’s game, with the Eddies badly needing a win to fan their fading playing hopes, might have surpassed that in infamy.

“We show great character to take the lead, and then we absolutely fall asleep and give two goals away,” lamented Miller.

In the 67th, fullback Johann Smith was ruled to have brought down Jacksonville’s Akeil Barrett in the Eddies’ box. Pascal Millien stepped to the spot and place the penalty in the corner to ties the game.

Two minutes after that, Armada forward Jemal’s Johnson was blocked, but it deflected right to Barrett, who was unmarked and onside in the Eddies penalty area. He finished with ease.

The Eddies, at that point, were playing with only three natural defenders. That’s because, when the score was 1-0, Miller pulled off fullback Allan Zebie so he could go with a more offensive setup. To remain in the playoff race, the Eddies knew only a win would do. And, when Jacksonville’s Alhassane Keita — scorer of the first-half opener — got his second yellow in the 51st, Miller decided to bring on attackers Pablo Cruz and Frank Jonke. He sacrificed Zebie and midfielder Ritchie Jones.

Cruz and Jonke made an instant impact against the 10-man Armada. Three minutes after both came on, Cruz made a run to the end line and then played the ball into Jonke in the box. Jonke had his back to goal, but was able to turn and get a shot off; the ball crashed off the post, then off keeper Miguel Gallardo, and then laid there right in front of goal. Daryl Fordyce poked the ball into the open net.

That set off a crazy 10-minute sequence that saw the Eddies take the league, then give up two goals.

After the Eddies went down 3-2, they huffed and puffed and huffed and puffed to try and get the equalizer — and more. A deflected Dustin Corea shot crashed off the post. A headed effort by Jonke forced Gallardo into a remarkable diving stop. And, Armada defender Matt Bahner cleared a Corea effort off the line.

But make no mistake, no team that’s up a man, up a goal — and then gives up two — has the moral right to curse its bad luck.

It was also the eighth time this season that the Eddies were without leading scorer and assist man Lance Laing because of Jamaica duty. He didn’t get back in time from Jamaica’s Tuesday friendly in South Korea to play in any part of the three-game road trip that ended 0-3-0. In the eight games he’s missed, the Eddies have earned a grand total of five points.

If there’s any better argument on why Laing deserves league MVP votes, find one.

But, Miller said that, while the Eddies were beaten by a better team — the Cosmos — to start the road trip, FCE’s poor defending cost dearly in two winnable games in North Carolina and Jacksonville.

And, judging by the coach’s tone, this road trip might have sealed the fate of some players on this squad.

The Eddies trail Fort Lauderdale by three points for the fourth and final playoff spot in NASL. But the Strikers have three games left to play. The Eddies have just one left, next Sunday’s home date against Jacksonville. Fort Lauderdale’s goal difference is +10; the Eddies are just at +1. And the Eddies are two points behind fifth-place Tampa Bay, which has two games left on the schedule.

So, not only do the Eddies need the Rowdies and Strikers to lose out the rest of the way, they’d need to beat Jacksonville by a significant margin next week to put some kind of bite in goal difference.

But, it could be that, by the time the Eddies kick off next Sunday, they’ll have been eliminated from post-season contention.

PLASTIC PITCH. SUPPORT OUR SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE!

The 500 club: The Plastic Pitch subscription drive

When  the Plastic Pitch Kickstarter campaign was launched in late 2013, the goal was to secure funding for at least a year’s worth of issues. Now, based on our quarterly schedule, we are working on issue 8, to be releasd in January 2016. That’s two full years worth of work. We’ve featured work from some of the top soccer writers in North America, and featured stories about Canadians playing here and abroad.

But, it isn’t easy. And expenses continue to pile up. I’ve crunched the numbers and it’s simple. To make this work, Plastic Pitch needs 500 new subscribers by the end of the year. Well, maybe “new” isn’t quite accurate — as renewals would be counted towards to this number.

Subscriptions costs just $15 Canadian — that’s four issues of what this editors feels is some of the best Canadian soccer content you’ll find. Long-form stories, insightful analysis and advocacy for the improvement of the Canadian game. Put it in perspective, $15 is less than the cost of one craft cocktail.

There are a number ways to subscribe; either through the Apple or Google apps, through our Shopify store (CLICK HERE) or directly via PayPal (teamworkpress@rogers.com is the payment address). If you subscribe through Shopify or PayPal, please specify if you want to have issues e-mailed directly to you. But, one word of caution: It is MUCH easier for us to refund your money (if we don’t hit target) if you go through Shopify or PayPal.

Of course, we think a subscription to Plastic Pitch would make a great Christmas gift. Or a way to say thanks to your coach or the volunteers in your soccer program.

Because we put the mag out in three ways; either by e-mail, or through Apple and Google apps, many of our expenses have to be paid out in US funds, even though we’re a Canadian mag. So, the plummeting dollar, well, it hurts. Really hurts. Basically, costs to do business have increased 25 per cent over the past two years.

If you haven’t discovered the mag yet, and want to read it before you buy, you can preview any of our seven issues for free in the apps. Each issue offers a free timed preview, which lets you browse the articles. Inside you’ll find how we were the first to report about the possibility of a Canadian Division 1A league (issue 2), our look at how real Canadian minutes played were on the decline in MLS (issue 1), plus our issue 5 dedicated to the fractured soccer relationship between Canada and the United States. Issue 6 was our Women’s World Cup review issue.

As well, from now till Christmas, you will be able to get our back issues (1-6) for just $1.99 each. You can take advantage of those offers through the apps.

PLASTIC PITCH SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE:

499 to go!

After Laing-less FCE loses to Carolina, Miller has harsh words for the Jamaica Football Federation

The Eddies’ Allan Zebie, left, battles RailHawk Daniel Jackson for the ball. PHOTO: NASL

On a night when many Canadian sports fans were in ecstasy thanks to the heroics of Jose Bautista and/or Sebastian Giovinco, FC Edmonton’s supporters came to grips with the fact that the playoffs became a super long shot.

On Wednesday, the Eddies faced a Carolina RailHawks team that had been their whipping boys over the past two seasons. Emphasis on had. FCE captain Albert Watson was sent off midway through the second half, and the die was cast. The RailHawks won 2-1 thanks to a Nacho Novo goal scored late in the second half.

The Eddies are a point behind Tampa Bay for fourth spot in the NASL overall table — that spot represents the final playoff spot. But the Rowdies have three games left, the Eddies just two. And the Fort Lauderdale Strikers are tied with the Eddies, but have four games left.

Basically, the Eddies now need a ton of help. And it’s super-optimistic to think they’ll get it.

Of course, fate and the schedule maker also conspired against the Eddies. The NASL scheduled the Eddies for a midweek match on Carolina — and last Sunday’s road date against the Cosmo — during the international break. That meant the Eddies went into those games without their leading scorer and assist generator, Lance Laing, who was on duty for Jamaica. The Eddies were also without winger Sainey Nyassi (Gambia), midfielder Hanson Boakai (Canada U23) and starting centre back Mallan Roberts (hamstring injury).

Laing has now missed seven Eddies matches this season. FCE has earned just five of the potential 21 points in those games.



Roberts will undergo a fitness test in Edmonton to see if he can travel to Jacksonville and join the Eddies for their next game. Nyassi will meet the team in Jacksonville; but Laing won’t be there. He won’t be back in time from South Korea, where Jamaica played its recent friendly.

And Coach Colin Miller said he’s been very frustrated by the behaviour of the Jamaica Football Federation. He said the Eddies asked if the JFF to fly Laing directly to Jacksonville, and were refused.

“I have to say I am fairly disappointed in the Jamaican federation. Here is a player [Laing] who they take all the way to Korea for a friendly, but they know he’s suspended for the next four [World Cup qualifying] matches. And they know this will have a huge impact on his club. They have not shown any respect to the club at all. The Canadian association asked if Mallan would be available for the most recent camp [Tuesday friendly with Ghana] and they were very understanding when I said we needed him because it’s an important time for the club. Of course, that was before Mallan got injured. But it shows the difference in class between the two federations. I’m not saying Lance Laing is such a great player that we can’t play without him; no player is that good. But, the Jamaican federation needs to respect the spirit of the game.”

The game started off very poorly for the Eddies; inside of 10 minutes, the home side had a one-goal lead. Off a throw-in, somehow RailHawk Nazmi Albadawi was left alone in the penalty area. He was able to collect the ball, turn and shoot with little trouble. The fact that a man in the box would be left wide, wide open off a throw in will be a piece of video that the Eddies players won’t want to be seeing over and over.

“It’s a ridiculous goal to give up from a defensive point of view,” Miller said. “We’ve been good on set pieces most of the year, but we give up this goal on a throw-in. In the last game, we give up a goal on a corner to Raul.”

But, the Eddies got the equalizer just before halftime. Midfielder Thiago de Freitas barged towards three Carolina defenders, and the first of the three, Daniel Scott, lunged in. The referee ruled that the foul occurred inside the box, and striker Daryl Fordyce stroked home the ensuing penalty kick. Whether de Freitas was inside or outside the box when the foul was committed was up for debate; what isn’t up for debate was the rash nature of Scott’s challenge. He had plenty of back-up — there was absolutely no need to lunge in.

Both Miller and Carolina coach Colin Clarke rolled the dice in the second half. Miller brought in striker Tomi Ameobi for de Freitas, who was injured on the Scott foul. Ameobi partnered Fordyce, and Clarke brought in Novo to add to the RailHawks attack.

In the 62nd minute, the game changed. Watson, already on a yellow for an earlier late challenge on Ty Shipalane, upended Shipalane again. It was just outside the penalty area, but the foul was severe enough to earn Watson his second yellow. With the Eddies’ depleted roster due to call-ups and injuries, Watson was the one player they could not afford to lose.

“I can’t argue the decision,” said Miller. “They were both bookable offences. No complaints.”

And the RailHawks knocked and knocked. A Novo drive struck the crossbar. Steven Miller fired just wide.

Finally, with less than 10 minutes to go, Novo got behind the makeshift back line and, even though he whiffed on the shot, he placed it well enough to nurse it over the goal line.

And while the majority of Canadian sports fans will be toasting their heroes, Eddies fans will be crying in their beer. It just hurts that much more when everyone around you is overjoyed.

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Canadian double-dip; Olympic disappointment, rays of light for the senior team

Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER

On Tuesday night, Canada’s men’s national team played Ghana in a friendly in Washington, D.C. while the Canadian U-23 team played the United States in the third-place game of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.

The U-23s, who had national-program coach Benito Floro with them in Utah, were reduced to 10 men before halftime, and gave up two second-half goals. The Olympic dream is over with a 2-0 loss to the Americans; by taking third, the U.S. goes into a playoff with Colombia for a spot at Rio 2016.

For the Canadian senior team, playing Ghana represented the last tune-up ahead of the Nov. 13 World Cup qualifier against Honduras. For Canada, it was all about bringing in new faces, including Fraser Aird and, ahem, Junior Hoilett. As well, Lucas Cavallini was welcomed back into the Canadian fold. And youngsters Sam Adekudgbe, Marco Bustos and Kianz Froese were also given a decent run out.

Canada drew Ghana 1-1; Marcel de Jong scored a first-half screamer from distance, a shot we can only hope his bosses at Sporting Kansas City were watching. Maybe it will help de Jong fight his way back into the side. Ghana equalized right before halftime and had plenty of chances late to win the game, as the Canadians looked to work on bunkering. Don’t snicker; it’s something Canada needs to work on for those road games in CONCACAF qualifying. Still, Ghana missed a few very good chances from in close.

So, what to take from both of these matches?



FULLBACK ISSUES REAR THEIR HEADS AGAIN: Giuliano Frano got the start for the U23s at right back, and he learned a very important lesson about playing in CONCACAF: Don’t think you can get away with anything when it comes to the referee. After committing a foul, Frano said something that the Mexican referee Luis Santander picked up on — and the yellow card came out. Problem was, Frano was already on a yellow, so off he went. That was the moment that changed this game. This is CONCACAF, don’t expect the refs to be patient or to hear you out. Put your head down, shut up. Most CONCACAF officials relish the chances to make themselves the show.

Finally, after laying siege to the Canadian penalty area, Marc Pelosi’s shot from the top of the box found the net after 68 minutes. The goal came off a corner, and left back Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare — who has been mentioned many times for all the wrong reasons through this tournament — was on the line. The ball came close to him, and he chose to try and clear it off the line with an acrobatic leap and kick. From the camera angle, it was hard to tell if Gagnon-Lapare was screened or not — but could he have shuffled a step or two to take that shot off the body instead? Not to sound too much like a hockey commentator famous for interesting wardrobe choices, but this is a spot where you do what you can to get in front of the ball — no matter what. Again, it’s hard to tell for sure if Gagnon-Lapare was struggling to see the shot or not.

Still, the fullbacks are a hot topic, as they have been all tournament. Or, more like, the lack of fullbacks. Floro had other fullback options available, chose not to select them, and instead went with a very thin corps in the back. He employed makeshift, converted fullbacks. Gagnon-Lapare has become the whipping boy of this team, and it’s a bit unfair. It’s not where he’s supposed to play, it’s not fair to keep sending him back there. Those questions have to fall to Floro.

By the time Jerome Kiesewetter converted a late penalty, Canada was out of gas.

HOILETT IMPRESSES: As stated earlier, this friendly against Ghana saw a lot of Canadians making their debuts for the senior team. But, of course, there’s one player who was going to be under more scrutiny than all of the others combined — and that’s Junior Hoilett.

Hoilett didn’t look like a player who was on the periphery at Queens Park Rangers. He didn’t look like someone who had cynically decided to play for Canada because his club career had slid. No, he looked passionate, committed, and damn quick.

Wing play has been an issue for Canada, so to see Hoilett make several dashes down the left side, as he used to for Blackburn and, later, QPR, was hopeful. Early in the game, he forced a great save as he made a run down the left channel, cut inside and then unleashed a shot from the top of the box. And, it has to be said, Canada finally looked to have a support player who could match striker Tosaint Ricketts for speed. It creates a new dimension, because Canada could actually, at times, force the pace of play. And we haven’t been able to say that too much, well… since…

The 500 club: The Plastic Pitch subscription drive

When  the Plastic Pitch Kickstarter campaign was launched in late 2013, the goal was to secure funding for at least a year’s worth of issues. Now, based on our quarterly schedule, we are working on issue 8, to be releasd in January 2016. That’s two full years worth of work. We’ve featured work from some of the top soccer writers in North America, and featured stories about Canadians playing here and abroad.

But, it isn’t easy. And expenses continue to pile up. I’ve crunched the numbers and it’s simple. To make this work, Plastic Pitch needs 500 new subscribers by the end of the year. Well, maybe “new” isn’t quite accurate — as renewals would be counted towards to this number.

Subscriptions costs just $15 Canadian — that’s four issues of what this editors feels is some of the best Canadian soccer content you’ll find. Long-form stories, insightful analysis and advocacy for the improvement of the Canadian game. Put it in perspective, $15 is less than the cost of one craft cocktail.

There are a number ways to subscribe; either through the Apple or Google apps, through our Shopify store (CLICK HERE) or directly via PayPal (teamworkpress@rogers.com is the payment address). If you subscribe through Shopify or PayPal, please specify if you want to have issues e-mailed directly to you. But, one word of caution: It is MUCH easier for us to refund your money (if we don’t hit target) if you go through Shopify or PayPal.

Of course, we think a subscription to Plastic Pitch would make a great Christmas gift. Or a way to say thanks to your coach or the volunteers in your soccer program.

Because we put the mag out in three ways; either by e-mail, or through Apple and Google apps, many of our expenses have to be paid out in US funds, even though we’re a Canadian mag. So, the plummeting dollar, well, it hurts. Really hurts. Basically, costs to do business have increased 25 per cent over the past two years.

If you haven’t discovered the mag yet, and want to read it before you buy, you can preview any of our seven issues for free in the apps. Each issue offers a free timed preview, which lets you browse the articles. Inside you’ll find how we were the first to report about the possibility of a Canadian Division 1A league (issue 2), our look at how real Canadian minutes played were on the decline in MLS (issue 1), plus our issue 5 dedicated to the fractured soccer relationship between Canada and the United States. Issue 6 was our Women’s World Cup review issue.

As well, from now till Christmas, you will be able to get our back issues (1-6) for just $1.99 each. You can take advantage of those offers through the apps.

PLASTIC PITCH SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE:

500 to go!