Steven Sandor's Blog, page 88

Floro will be with U-23s; Michael Findlay to coach Canada tonight for Ghana friendly

Michael Findlay

Decisions, decisions.

Canadian men’s national-team coach Benito Floro had to make one as soon as the Canadian men’s U-23 learned it would be playing in the third-place game of the Olympic qualifiers.

Both the Olympic-qualifying third-place game and the men’s senior team’s friendly are set for Tuesday night. Which Canadian team will Floro coach? Well, Floro is committed to see out the tournament with the U-23s; so, after a jaunt to Washington, D.C. to visit with the senior men’s team players ahead of the Ghana friendly, he went back to Utah to be at the Olympic qualifier.

Michael Findlay, an assistant coach for the men’s program, will take the reins of the senior national side for the Canada-Ghana match in the American capital.



Clearly, there is more at stake at the U-23 level, if Canada beat the United States it will finish third in the region and qualify for a playoff against Colombia for a spot at the 2016 Olympics.

Findlay is a former director of the National Training Centre in British Columbia and was brought on as a national staff coach in August, 2014.

The Ghana game could mark the first cap for Brampton, Ont. midfielder Junior Hoilett and a return to the national-team fold for striker Lucas Cavallini.

Quintessentially Canadian Power Rankings, MLS Week 32/NASL Week 26

Kyle Porter

With the majority of MLS teams off for the international window — while NASL had a full slate of games through this past weekend – we are seeing some more balance brought to the rankings.

With NASL having a shorter schedule than MLS, this was basically a catch-up week for the second division, which gives us a better idea on how NASL teams rank against the MLS sides when it comes to giving first-team minutes to Canadian players. And, we see Toronto FC’s Jonathan Osorio fall out of top spot in the Canadian minutes-played ranks. Atlanta’s Kyle Porter retakes the lead.

But, in MLS action, Montreal did play twice this past week — and, the Impact’s positive trend continues. Since Mauro Biello took over as coach, the number of minutes played by Canadians has increased significantly. Patrice Bernier, frozen out of the team by former coach Frank Klopas, got 115 minutes of playing time over the most recent two Impact matches. Bernier’s return to the team has been maybe the most concrete sign of this change.



MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS (MLS AFTER 32 WEEKS, NASL AFTER 26 WEEKS):

1. Kyle Porter, ATL, NASL, 2111 (26)

2. Jonathan Osorio, TFC, MLS, 2059 (27)

3. Eddie Edward, FCE, NASL, 2058 (24)

4. Mason Trafford, OTT, NASL, 1980 (22)

5. Cyle Larin, ORL, MLS, 1734 (25)

6. Mallan Roberts, FCE, NASL, 1710 (19)

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

8. Carl Haworth, OTT, NASL, 1545 (22)

9. Ashtone Morgan, TFC, MLS, 1464 (18)

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

11. Tesho Akindele, FCD, MLS 1407 (26)

12 Allan Zebie, FCE, NASL, 1372 (18)

13. Mauro Eustaquio, OTT, NASL, 1282 (17)

14. Russell Teibert, VAN, MLS, 1159 (20)

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

16. Julian de Guzman, OTT, NASL, 991 (13)

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, 711 (11)

21. Frank Jonke, FCE, NASL, 662 (15)

22. Patrice Bernier, MTL, MLS 653 (18)

23. Michael Nonni, FCE, NASL, 651 (13)

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

25. Drew Beckie, OTT, NASL, 625 (13)

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

T38.Jordan Hamilton, TFC, MLS, 13 (2)

T38. 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 32 WEEKS, NASL AFTER 26 WEEKS):

1. Ethan Finlay, CLB 2611 (32)

2. Steven Vitoria, PHI 1530 (17)

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

FC Edmonton, NASL, 7713/27 GP (285.7) (-1.9)

Ottawa, NASL, 6701/27 GP (248.2) (+1.2)

Toronto FC, MLS, 3738/31 GP (120.6) (NC)

San Antonio, NASL 3035/26 GP (116.7) (-1.1)

Atlanta, NASL, 2957/27 GP (109.5) (-1.9)

Columbus, MLS, 2611/32 GP (81.6) (NC)

Montreal, MLS, 2473/32 GP (77.3) (+0.9)

Vancouver, MLS, 2013/32 GP (62.9) (+0.9)

FC Dallas, MLS, 1721/31 GP (55.5) (+1.1)

Orlando City, MLS, 1734/32 GP (54.2) (NC)

Philadelphia, MLS, 1530/32 GP (47.8) (NC)

Portland, MLS, 1046/31 GP (33.7) (NC)

Sporting Kansas City, MLS, 822/31 GP (26.5) (NC)

New York Red Bulls, MLS 711/31 GP (22.9) (-0.8)

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

Miller on Eddies’ loss to Cosmos: “If we’re going to defend like that, we’re going to get what we deserve”

FCE’s Eddie Edward is seen in action against the Cosmos. PHOTO: NASL

Two weeks ago, the Cosmos decided not to bring a lot of the club’s top players on a road trip to Edmonton — the B squad lost to the Eddies at Clarke Field.

On Sunday, the Eddies returned the favour, missing key regulars for their visit to New York. The Cosmos got first-half goals from Sebastian Guenzatti and Raul and went on to a 3-0 win.

“We were beaten by a better team, no excuses,” said Eddies coach Colin Miller. “The Cosmos are arguably the top team in the league, and they have done that to a lot of teams this year.”

Substitute Ruben Bover scored a late insurance goal after Eddies’ keeper Matt VanOekel and defender Albert Watson miscommunicated on who would handle a ball in the penalty area. Watson was forced to scatter the ball away, and it came right to Bover, who chipped the keeper.

Unlike the Cosmos of a couple of weeks back, the Eddies’s absences weren’t because the club wanted to rotate the squad. Centre back Mallan Roberts was out due to injury; leading scorer Lance Laing was on international duty with Jamaica; winger Sainey Nyassi was on international duty with Gambia; Hanson Boakai was out on Olympic duty with the Canadian U-23 team.



The Eddies now trail the Tampa Bay Rowdies by one point for the fourth and final playoff spot in NASL. Both teams have three games left on their schedules. The Eddies are at Carolina Wednesday, then have a home-and-home with Jacksonville to end their season.

None of the players who missed Sunday’s game will be available for Wednesday’s match against the RailHawks. And Miller said he fears Roberts might not feature again this season after the centre back tweaked what’s been a chronic hamstring problem in training this past week.

Fort Lauderdale is tied with the Eddies, one point behind the Rowdies, but the Strikers have a game in hand over their rivals.

The Eddies actually did very well through the first 35 minutes. While the Eddies didn’t have a lot of possession, the midfield was crowded and compact and the Cosmos created little in terms of scoring chances. Going into the game, we knew that a draw would have put the Eddies into fourth spot, ahead of the Rowdies on goal difference.

But, in the ensuing 55 minutes. that Eddies’ goal difference took a beating.

First, the Eddies had two players on loose ball in midfield and, somehow, didn’t come up with possession. Gaston Cellerino streaked down the middle, slotted the ball down the wing to Sebastian Guenzatti, and the Cosmos forward tucked a shot in the corner.

It got worse just before halftime. Fullback Johann Smith had a chance to play a corner kick that was in his area; but the ball was allowed to bounce, it skipped to the far side of the box where, ahem, Raul (of all people) was left unmarked. He hammered a volley into the top corner.

“We’re not tight enough on a world-class player, how does that happen?” Miller said.

Even though Miller brought on Daryl Fordyce in the second half to join Tomi Ameobi in attack — a two-striker set we don’t often see from the Eddies — Cosmos keeper Jimmy Maurer had little to do other than retrieve wayward cross and through-ball attempts.

And it could have been worse than 3-0. In time added on, VanOekel made two sensational saves, denying Bover on the goal line and then leaping to parry away a Raul chipped effort.

The Eddies are now through this gauntlet of New York-Ottawa-New York on the schedule, and got three of a possible nine points. The question will be, even if the Eddies get to the playoffs, can they raise their game to give the Cosmos, Fury or Minnesota a real fight?

“If we’re going to defend like that,” Miller said, “we’re going to get what we deserve.

“I think we came into New York knowing that any point we could get here would be a bonus for us. Now, it’s all hands to the pump for Wednesday’s game. Carolina is very tough to beat at home.”

PLASTIC PITCH. ISSUE 7 OUT THIS WEEK! READ OUR EXTENSIVE FEATURE ON ETHAN GAGE…

Canada spurns chances, makes key mistakes against Mexico

When any Canadian men’s team plays Mexico, the goal is to survive the first few minutes of the game, to try and get a foot into the match.

Well, before the six-minute mark of Saturday’s CONCACAF Olympic qualifying semi-final in Sandy, Utah, Canada found itself down 1-0 to the Mexicans. Erick “Cubo” Torres’s header gave the Mexicans the advantage. The Mexicans would go on to a 2-0 win, which means Canada will play the United States in the third-place game. The winner of that consolation match will face Colombia for a wild-card spot in the Olympics.

Canada has had defensive issues throughout the tournament; but, in the case of the Torres header, the positioning wasn’t bad. Canada had three defenders in the box, and only Torres was available for the cross. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare had decent position on Torres. But Torres got into the air and simply overpowered the Canadian who was marking him.

(Gagnon-Lapare is midfielder asked to be a makeshift fullback for this tournament. We will simply once again note coach Benito Floro’s decision to declare a roster that was desperately short of natural fullbacks.)



Floro brought Jay Chapman, Hanson Boakai and Ben Fisk into the starting XI. And, just before the Torres goal, Canada had a great look in the Mexican penalty area. Chapman stole the ball and passed it across the box to a wide-open Boakai. But Boakai’s first touch was heavy, and the ball scooted away. Had Boakai controlled the ball, he had clear sight of goal.

Mexico had a lot of possession and, just before the 60-minute mark, Hirving Lozano, the winger who terrorized Canada at the CONCACAF U-20 Championships, hit a shot into the roof of the goal. The effort came after Canadian midfielder Samuel Piette headed his clearing effort across the penalty area rather than out of the penalty area. It was a dreadful defensive error.

Canada had a great chance to make it 2-1 in the 78th minute, after Mexican defender Erick Aguirre handled a cross from Jackson Farmer in the penalty area. Michael Petrasso stepped up to the penalty spot, but didn’t get his shot close enough to the post. As well, it was hip-high, perfect for a keeper to handle. Mexican goalkeeper Manuel Lajud got to the shot, and Canada’s chance to halve the lead evaporated.

Late in the game, a looping header from Canada’s Skylar Thomas went off the top of the bar.

Going into a game against a powerhouse like Mexico, you know Canada’s going to have precious few chances — so, to have any hope at all the conversion rate has got to be decent. Canada had three very good looks; Boakai misplayed the ball, Petrasso hit a poor penalty and Thomas was was close, but high. On the flipside, as Piette said before the game, you know Mexico is going to get its chances, but Canada simply couldn’t help the Mexicans with any gifts. The Mexican goals came because Gagnon-Lapare lost a one-on-one battle and Piette made an awful clearance attempt.

If you had a checklist of what Canada couldn’t afford to do in this game, all the boxes would have been ticked after 90 minutes.

PLASTIC PITCH. ISSUE 7 OUT THIS WEEK! READ OUR EXTENSIVE FEATURE ON ETHAN GAGE…

Altitude, fatigue pose problems as Canadians prepare for U23 semifinal against Mexico

Michael Petrasso is pictured in action against Cuba. PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER

Canadian U-23 national-team players Samuel Piette and Michael Petrasso both admitted that they’re nervous heading into Saturday’s CONCACAF Olympic qualifying semifinal match against the powerhouse Mexicans.

“I think the team is very excited, also nervous,” said Petrasso.

But, who wouldn’t be?

“If you’re not nervous, I don’t think that’s normal,” said Piette Thursday in a conference call with Canadian journalists.

“For sure, we’re nervous. We’re one match away from qualifying for the Olympics.”

The teams will meet Saturday in Sandy, Utah. The winner, of course, goes to the final; but, more importantly, gets a berth in the Rio Olympic soccer tourney. For the loser, all is not lost; the teams that drop the two semifinals will play in the third-place game. The third-place finisher will face Colombia in a playoff for a spot at the Olympics.



Of course, Mexico is a powerhouse. But there are other factors at play, too. The game will be held in Sandy, Utah — which means the players have to deal with the challenges that a game at altitude presents. Canada played its first two group-stage matches in Kansas City, a loss to the United States and a win over Panama. Then, the Canadians travelled to the Denver area for its final group-stage game, and struggled to a 2-2 draw with Cuba at altitude.

Piette said that even though the first two opponents were more physical in nature, the Canadian players had trouble catching their breath against Cuba. The Rocky Mountain height was indeed a factor.

“It was tough to breathe on the pitch,” he admitted.

“The Mexicans play at altitude almost everyday.”

And, Utah will over no respite for the Canadians, whose players rarely have to cope with thin air.

Sure, there are questions to be asked; is there a way for our team to better prepare for games held well above sea level? Mind you, there are differing opinions on how to deal with games at altitude. Some teams will tell you to get in right before the game; that one or two days in the environment ahead of the game does more harm than good. Another school of thought is you try to train as much as possible in those conditions.

The schedule is also a factor. The organizers pack this tournament into as tight a window as possible. Canada played its first game in Kansas City, had one day off, then played again. Then, there was a travel day to Denver, one off day, and another game day (Tuesday). Canada will play again Saturday in Utah, so that’s four games in less than two weeks. Even without the travel, that schedule is awful.

“It’s pretty tough, to be honest,” said Piette. “These have been intense games; physical and tough on our bodies. You have to give 100 per cent in every game.”

PLASTIC PITCH. ISSUE 7 OUT THIS WEEK! READ OUR EXTENSIVE FEATURE ON ETHAN GAGE…

Eddies will be Laing-less for big weekend match against the Cosmos

Lance Laing, leaping, is seen in action against the New York Cosmos. PHOTO: TONY LEWIS/FC EDMONTON

For the sixth time this season, Lance Laing will miss an FC Edmonton match because of international duty.

But this time might be the most important absence of all. The Eddies confirmed that Laing will leave Friday for South Korea to join the Jamaican national side. Jamaica faces South Korea in a friendly set for Oct. 13.

The Eddies will be in New York to face the Cosmos this weekend. FC Edmonton is currently embroiled in a dogfight for the fourth and final NASL playoff spot with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Tampa Bay Rowdies. All are even on points, but the Strikers have a game in hand and a superior goal difference. The Eddies and Rowdies each have four games left, the Strikers have five.



In the previous five matches Laing has missed, the Eddies have earned just five out of a possible 15 points (1-2-2).

Laing leads the Eddies in goals (8) and assists (7) and, simply put, is the best left-sided player in NASL.

The Eddies play at Carolina on Oct. 14, so Laing will likely miss that match as well. For the Eddies, a busy week in the domestic schedule — at the same time as the international break — is tough to bear.

PLASTIC PITCH. ISSUE 7 OUT THIS WEEK! READ OUR FEATURE ON FCE’s ALLAN ZEBIE..

Canada stumbles to a draw with shorthanded Cuban side

Cuba entered the game with just 14 players in its squad. After the kickoff, the Cubans made two critical errors that gifted Canada two goals.

Yet, despite all of these edges, Canada could only manage a 2-2 draw in its CONCACAF Olympic qualifying group-stage finale. Canada had all the advantages, but the Cubans had the guts and, it has to be said, a far superior fitness level in the rarified air of the Denver suburbs.

Canada had to hang on for a draw — which leaves it with a 1-1-1 record — after a late goal from Arichel Hernandez levelled the score. He was able to chip the ball over keeper Maxime Crepeau for his second goal of the game, and Canada was left to frantically defend for the final few minutes.

For the Cubans, they must be wondering about the what ifs. A win would have sent them through to the semis and eliminated the Canadians (Canada now has to wait on the result of the United States-Panama match). And they can look hard at themselves and say, truthfully, that Canada were gifted two goals.



Canada took a 2-1 lead early in the second half thanks to a howler from Cuban keeper Sandy Sanchez. Sub Mo Babouli hit a free kick over the wall, but right at Sanchez. Somehow, the ball went under Sanchez’s hands and into the goal. It was cool and rainy, but this wasn’t a case of a wet ball sliding through the keeper’s arms. Even though Sanchez was in decent position, he flapped at the ball — and missed it completely.

Sanchez wasn’t the only Cuban to provide a gift to he Canadians. In the 26th minute, Cuban defender Abel Martinez Colon left a back pass for his keeper horribly short. Canadian attacker Michael Petrasso pounced on the ball and put it into the net. That goal gave Canada the 1-0 lead.

The goal came just three minutes after Hernandez was sent in alone on the Canadian goal, but blasted, his effort wide. It was a classic case of a miss at one end, then a goal at the other.

But Hernandez punished Canada in the 32nd minute. A corner kick from Canada’s Chris Mannella was dealt with by the Cuban defenders; after a quick diagonal ball, three Cuban players were off to the races on the counter. After another good pass, the Cubans were on a two-on-one, with only Canadian defender Jackson Farmer in the back. A good ball was played across to Hernandez, who poked an effort just inside the post to tie the game, 1-1.

With the lead against a shorthanded side, Canada was exposed. Canada committed too many players forward, didn’t respect the opponent, and got burned.

And Cuba could have taken the lead at the stroke of halftime. Right before the whistle, Cuban strike Hector Morales was alone in the box and had the ball coming right to him. But, somehow, he failed to control the slick ball, and Canada was spared what could have been a point-blank attempt at goal.

Cuba came into this match with just 14 players on the roster. Cuba’s squad list had 10 outfield players (none looking to be out of position) and a keeper with just three subs. But, two of the three subs were keepers. So, basically, Cuba went into the match with just one sub available to play in either defence, midfield or attack. The lack of subs should have been even more critical in the high altitude, as the Cubans, you’d think, would be running out of gas. But, late in the game, it was the Cubans whose legs were in better shape than the Canadians.

You can argue that Canada was playing its third game in a week. But, so were the Cubans. And the Cubans had a smaller squad.

As we’ve seen in previous competitions involving the Cubans, players have a habit of, ahem, leaving the Cuban fold and bolting for the chance to live and possibly play in another country.

Cuba has a policy of not allowing players to represent its national team, even if they choose to play in a country that has normal relations with the island nation. Remember that former Cuban keeper Andy Ramos trialled for FC Edmonton in 2013; Cuba and Canada have friendly relations, and Ramos didn’t escape his homeland to come to Canada. But, he knew that, by showing up for the Eddies’ training camp, he was kissing his chance to play for his country goodbye. (CLICK HERE) After the trial with FC Edmonton, he hasn’t played for Cuba — even though he was part of their national squad and played in World Cup qualifiers before he went to Canada.

I’ve been to Cuba. And not, the been-to-Varadero-resorts-and-out thing; my family spent time in Havana, going to baseball games, venturing into poor neighbourhoods and lining up for ice cream at Coppelia. It’s a stunningly beautiful and complex nation, with people who are exceptional well educated about the United States and the rest of the world. It’s brand of communism is unique, where the focus is on managing the economy — compare that to China, where capitalism has been embraced. But, in having an educated yet economically stunted populace — and strict rules for athletes about being banned from national teams for simply dreaming of playing abroad — Cuba has created a perfect storm for defectors, a storm which we see return and rage in tournament after tournament.

Quintessentially Canadian Power Rankings, MLS Week 31/NASL Week 25

Cyle Larin

As we get into the final weeks of the MLS and NASL seasons, the minutes-played-by-Canadians numbers continue to trend downward.

Marcel De Jong has disappeared from Sporting Kansas City’s squad. Will Johnson needed surgery on his leg and may not appear for Portland again this season. Vancouver didn’t play any Canadians in their 1-1 draw this past weekend with the San Jose Earthquakes. FC Dallas’s Tesho Akindele got just two minutes of playing time.

Yes, Cyle Larin got a goal to help keep Orlando City’s playoff hopes alive. But, let’s look at the numbers. For 15 full matches — which represents half of the NASL season or a little less than half of the MLS, a player needs to hit the 1350-minute mark. As of today, only 10 Canadians have played 1350 or more minutes. To put it in perspective, Johnson, who missed much of the MLS season rehabbing a broken leg and this new surgery, has still racked up enough minutes to get up to 15th place on this ranking.

Here are the updated numbers:

MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS (MLS AFTER 31 WEEKS, NASL AFTER 25 WEEKS):

1. Jonathan Osorio, TFC, MLS, 2059 (27)

2. Kyle Porter, ATL, NASL, 2051 (25)

3. Eddie Edward, FCE, NASL, 1991 (23)

4. Mason Trafford, OTT, NASL, 1890 (21)

5. Cyle Larin, ORL, MLS, 1734 (25)

6. Mallan Roberts, FCE, NASL, 1710 (19)

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

8. Carl Haworth, OTT, NASL, 1530 (21)

9. Ashtone Morgan, TFC, MLS, 1464 (18)

10. Adrian Cann, SAS, NASL, 1354 (16)

11. Tesho Akindele, FCD, MLS 1317 (25)

T12. Mauro Eustaquio, OTT, NASL, 1282 (17)

T12. Allan Zebie, FCE, NASL, 1282 (17)

14. Russell Teibert, VAN, MLS, 1069 (19)

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

16. Julian de Guzman, OTT, NASL, 908 (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, 711 (11)

21. Frank Jonke, FCE, NASL, 647 (14)

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

23. Michael Nonni, FCE, NASL, 587 (12)

24. Patrice Bernier, MTL, MLS 538 (16)

25. Drew Beckie, OTT, NASL, 535 (12)

26. Maxim Tissot, MTL, MLS 516 (10)

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

T38. Jordan Hamilton, TFC, MLS, 13 (2)

T38. 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 31 WEEKS, NASL AFTER 25 WEEKS):

1. Ethan Finlay, CLB 2611 (32)

2. Steven Vitoria, PHI 1530 (17)

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

FC Edmonton, NASL, 7477/26 GP (287.6) (-0.7)

Ottawa, NASL, 6423/26 GP (247) (-2.3)

Toronto FC, MLS, 3738/31 GP (120.6) (-1)

San Antonio, NASL 2945/25 GP (117.8) (+2.6)

Atlanta, NASL, 2897/26 GP (111.4) (-0.9)

Columbus, MLS, 2611/32 GP (81.6) (-0.6)

Montreal, MLS, 2293/30 GP (76.4) (+0.3)

Vancouver, MLS, 1923/31 GP (62) (-2.1)

FC Dallas, MLS, 1631/30 GP (54.4) (-1.8)

Orlando City, MLS, 1734/32 GP (54.2) (+1.2)

Philadelphia, MLS, 1530/32 GP (47.8) (+1.3)

Portland, MLS, 1046/31 GP (33.7) (-1.2)

Sporting Kansas City, MLS, 822/31 GP (26.5) (-1.9)

New York Red Bulls, MLS 711/30 GP (23.7) (-0.4)

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

Ubiparipovic’s brace helps Fury beat Eddies, clinch NASL post-season spot

The Fury’s Sinisa Ubiparipovic wins the ball from FCE’s Dustin Corea.

The Ottawa Fury clinched a spot in the NASL post-season. FC Edmonton couldn’t gain any ground in its heated battle for a post-season berth.

Sinisa Ubiparipovic’s brace gave the Fury a 2-0 win over the Eddies in front of 6,050 fans at TD Place. The win ensured the Fury a spot in the NASL playoffs, and puts the club five points ahead of Minnesota United in the fall-season table.

With the loss, the Eddies remain in a three-way tie (on points) with Fort Lauderdale and Tampa Bay for fourth spot in the overall table — which represents the final post-season spot. The Eddies and Rowdies each have four games left on their schedules; the Strikers have a game in hand and a far superior goal difference than the other two teams.

In the 23rd minute, Ubiparipovic had the luxury of what amounted to a tap-in from a few yards out. He was Johnny-on-the-spot after Paulo Jr. went down the left wing, blew past fullback Allan Zebie and rolled the ball into the Eddies’ penalty area.

The second goal required more perseverance from Ubiparipovic. In the 72nd minute, after a run down the right side from fullback Ryan Richter, the ball was played to the far side of the Eddies’ penalty area. It came to Ubiparipovic, whose first shot was blocked. But, the ball came right back to Ubiparipovic. The second time was the charm, as his shot was perfectly placed, giving keeper Matt VanOekel little chance.



Eddies coach Colin Miller congratulated the Fury for clinching its post-season spot, but believes his team is still very much alive in the race for November soccer.

“I said it before, that I still thing there are points going to be dropped by the teams at the top, so it’s up to us to take care of our house in our final four games.”

He said that the Eddies knew coming into the game that the Fury was one of the best, if not the best, counterattacking sides in NASL. So, he was disappointed that the Eddies were caught on two counters.

“I really can’t fault our effort,” said Miller. “I thought we played, for the most part, a good road game. Really, Matt VanOekel has had very little to do over the space of 90 minutes, yet we lose by two goals.”

He said both goals were a case of allowing too much space on the counterattack and not marking the Ubiparipovic when the balls were played in.

The Eddies made just one change from the lineup that started the previous weekend’s triumph over the Cosmos; Ritchie Jones came back into the XI because of Cristian Raudales’s suspension due to yellow-card accumulation.

But, much like their fall-season meeting in Fort McMurray, which saw the Fury win 1-0 on a last-gasp goal from Rafael Alves, the Eddies struggled to create chances. In fact, the closest the Eddies came was late in the match, when sub Thiago de Freitas’s drive crashed off the post. But, the caveat: That chance came after the Eddies were already two goals down.

Miller said he noted that the Eddies were better offensively late in the game after Sainey Nyassi had been brought in as a sub. But he admitted that the Fury are an awfully hard side to break down.

“I’m disappointed in the result, but I can’t fault the effort of their players,” said the Eddies’ coach.

The Eddies had a couple of half-decent free-kick attempts in the first half. A 30-yard effort from Dustin Corea swirled in the wind and forced a punch from Fury keeper Romuald Peiser; and a 25-yard strike from Lance Laing forced a diving stop from the NASL’s top keeper in 2015.

Truly, though, the Fury fans would be happy to know that the best Eddies’ opportunities were long-range strikes, and that strikers Daryl Fordyce and Tomi Ameobi (who came on for Fordyce in the second half) were left as isolated figures in the match. For the second meeting in a row, the Fury were able to go wide and take away the Eddies’ speed-and-counterattack game.

But, with the Cosmos and Fury already clinching two of the four spots, and Minnesota close to clinching another spot, it’s looking like the NASL might need to use the orange ball in its post-season. In a league filled with clubs from the American southeast, the north has definitely risen.

PLASTIC PITCH. ISSUE 7 OUT THIS WEEK! READ THE Q and A WITH FURY COACH MARC DOS SANTOS…

Olympic qualifying: Canada’s offence covers for its worrying fullback play

Michael Petrasso, in red, is seen in action against Panama. PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER

The good: The Canadian men’s U-23s beat Panama 3-1 Saturday in Kansas City, evening their record at 1-1-0 in the group stage of Olympic qualifying. With a final group-stage game left against the Cubans, the Canadians are very much alive in their dream to make it to Rio 2016.

The bad: For the second game in a row, Canada’s Achilles heel was evident. We knew that when we saw coach Benito Floro’s roster — which was devoid of any true pro-level fullbacks — that the wings were going to be an issue for Canada. But, wow, is it ever a problem.

Canada went into halftime of Saturday’s game with a 2-0 lead. Panama was down to 10 men, as forward Carlos Small decided to elbow Anthony Jackson-Hamel in the head for what appeared to be no reason at all.

But, Panama was able to make it 2-1 after winger Abdiel Arroyo was able to blow around Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare and cross the ball to Edgar Barcenas for a tap-in goal. A few minutes later. Gagnon-Lapare — in as a makeshift left-back — was at sea again as Arroyo crossed the ball to Jorman Aguilar. Once again, it was in the back of the net; but, luckily, for the Canadians, Aguilar was a foot offside when the ball was played.



Now, consider that Gagnon-Lapare conceded a lazy penalty in the tournament opener against the Americans, and coach Benito Floro would have had all the ammunition to sub him off. And, in the 71st minute, he did.

But Gagnon-Lapare is out of his element as a makeshift fullback. The coach, not the player, should take the lion’s share of the blame for the poor performance. And it only underlines the fact that Canada’s best two fullback options aren’t with the team. Allan Zebie, who was on the NASL team of the week for his performance last Sunday, was (inexplicably) not called, even though FC Edmonton would have been happy to let him go. When we saw the roster, we wondered where the fullbacks were. We can talk about Floro’s decision to not call Toronto FC’s Jonathan Osorio for the World Cup qualifiers against Belize. His decision to snub a starting NASL fullback — and a darn good one at that — for the Olympic qualifiers is just as bizarre.

And, no matter what is said from either the Whitecaps or Canada Soccer, Vancouver fullback Sam Adekugbe isn’t with the U-23s either. In the end, it doesn’t matter if you think the Whitecaps were right or wrong asking to have the right of recall for Adekugbe — and permission to send him to camp late. It doesn’t matter if you think Floro was right or wrong for refusing those terms. He’s not here.

The simple truth is If you have Zebie and Adekugbe on the flanks, that Canadian weakness isn’t evident. Instead, Floro is sending out makeshift fullbacks and hoping they can deal with the likes of Arroyo. And, remember that, in the opener against the U.S., Canada was torched down the wing on the Americans’ opening goal.

Everyone Canada plays in this tournament, everyone, is going to focus on getting the ball wide on this team.

Look, I should be a lot happier than I am after this game. After all, the game featured a lot of things that usually never go Canada’s way when it plays in CONCACAF tournaments. For one, Canada managed to score three times despite spurning early chances. Had Caleb Clarke and Michael Petrasso not put their point-blank efforts at the keeper early in the first half, Canada could have been four up at halftime.

Petrasso would open the scoring thanks to a wonderful through ball from Clarke.

And, well, usually when a Canadian player is assaulted, CONCACAF refs turn blind eyes. We’re used to that. So, to see Small get red-carded after elbowing Jackson-Hamel, well that was a change.

And the second goal, a header from Skylar Thomas, it required the kind of luck Canada usually doesn’t get. The ball went off the post and was actually going away from goal on the rebound. But some kind of magical backspin grabbed hold of the ball, and then it took a turn and headed back across the line.

Canada’s insurance goal — which came after the Aguilar just-offside scare, didn’t require any luck. Ben Fisk took a lay-off from Petrasso and placed a perfect shot into the corner.

On the day, Canada’s offence was able to do well enough to cover for its terrible shortcomings on the flanks. And Petrasso, Clarke and co. will need to keep scoring. Because, against the better CONCACAF sides, this team isn’t built to try and hold the fort for a 1-0 result.

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