Archive for December, 2010

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Lemire the lone Aviator on FC Edmonton… for now

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/30/2010

Chris Lemire

Chris Lemire doesn’t want to see another Edmonton soccer team fold.

Lemire is the only current member of FC Edmonton, which begins play in NASL this season, who was part of the 2004 Edmonton Aviators, which lasted just a season in the USL’s A-League before collapsing.

But Lemire might not be the only Aviators refugee for long. The team’s brain trust — including general manager Mel Kowalchuk, director of soccer operations Joe Petrone and coach Harry Sinkgraven, have been looking at other former Aviators, including Liam de Silva, another Alberta product. Lemire still retains close ties with his former Aviators teammates, including former Whitecap Gordon Chin, and the FCE bosses have asked for some phone numbers.
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De Rosario agent: This is not a trial

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/29/2010

The identity of Dwayne De Rosario’s agent has been revealed.

Wednesday’s Scottish Sun quoted agent Dave Baldwin, stating his client was simply training with the club, not trialing. Toronto FC was publicly embarrassed when it claimed the club’s all-time leading scorer was trialing with Celtic without the approval of the Reds’ front office.

But Baldwin said there is a distinction between “trainee” and “trialist.”

“One thing that has to be stressed here is that Dwayne is NOT on trial at Celtic as has been stated in some quarters.

“There has not been a better player in the MLS over the last five years than De Rosario and at 32 he has no need to go on trial to prove himself.
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Would U.K. rubber stamp a work permit for De Rosario?

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/29/2010

As the Dwayne De Rosario-to-Celtic drama plays on, it’s time to address the elephant in the room.

And that’s the work permit.

If Celtic was to make arrangements with Toronto FC and MLS to bring the Reds’ captain to the Bhoys, even though TFC is claiming that De Ro is in Scotland without the club’s permission, there is no guarantee that a 32-year-old Canadian forward would be quickly granted permission to work in Glasgow by the U.K. government.

The U.K. is very sticky about granting work permits to players who come from countries that have been out of the top 70 in the FIFA world rankings, on average, over the previous two years. That means if Celtic was to make some sort of deal for Toronto FC’s all-time leading scorer — and easily the most talented player to wear the TFC colours in the club’s tumultuous four-year history — it would likely have to make an appeal to get the papers checkmarked by the U.K authorities.
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TFC, MLS and De Rosario: A failure to communicate

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/28/2010

There have been more than a few embarrassing moments in the four-plus seasons of Toronto FC’s existence; but the fact that Dwayne De Rosario was training with Celtic —less than a full day after acting GM Earl Cochrane vehemently denied that the team’s all-time leading scorer would be leaving the club —has to go right to the top of the charts when it comes to egg dripping off the faces of those running the Reds.

De Rosario checked into Celtic’s training session Tuesday morning, wearing shirt No. 19.

TFC made this terse statement: “We were unaware of Dwayne’s plan to train with Celtic and we will contact them to understand the situation. Obviously, if there is interest in a short term loan arrangement by either him or Celtic, they will need to approach us and the League formally and we will consider based on what is in TFC’s best interest.”

Unaware? This move had been rumoured on Celtic message boards for weeks; but, not until yesterday, after a number of British media outlets reported that a trial was imminent, did TFC make its denial — through a story written by MLSsoccer.com’s network of writers.
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De Rosario to Celtic… To be or not to be?

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/27/2010

Dwayne De Rosario

Celtic manager Neil Lennon was quoted in The Telegraph today, confirming that Toronto FC’s all-time leading scorer, Dwayne De Rosario, could be in Glasgow for a trial — and might sign with the Hoops in time for the next Old Firm derby against Rangers.

De Rosario, TFC’s leading scorer in 2010, could join former Arsenal star and MLS Designated Player Freddie Ljungberg, who is already in Glasgow.

“I’m not saying this is a done deal,” Lennon was quoted. “But it might just be a little bonus for us along the way without it costing us the Earth.”

BBC reported that Lennon would first look at video of De Rosario before inviting the Scarborough native to Scotland “after being made aware of his availability.”

Of course, this flies in the face of Toronto FC’s denials. Today, acting GM Earl Cochrane was quoted on the team’s own website that “Dwayne is not going on trial with Celtic or any other club. We have not received word from anyone and expect him to be with TFC when training camp opens next month.”
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Stoke City fans the flames of Buddle rumour

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/23/2010

Edson Buddle

I don’t know of another team that fans the flames of speculation around the club quite like Stoke City.

While so many other clubs distance themselves from newspaper reports and blog-fuelled rumours about transfers, Stoke embraces them. This week, the club’s transfer speculation page highlighted a report from the Daily Mail that suggested Stoke could be where American striker Edson Buddle lands during the January transfer window.
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EPL motive would explain Bunbury’s national team flip-flop

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/21/2010

Teal Bunbury

If, despite Sporting Kansas City’s protests, Stoke City does make an effort to sign Teal Bunbury after he finishes his week on what the Potters are calling a “trial,” there could be a chance that Canadian soccer fans could forgive the striker.

Could is the key word.

Is it coincidence that Bunbury received a look-see from Stoke manager Tony Pulis just weeks after he made his debut for the Stars and Stripes — after famously deciding against playing for Canada — in a friendly against South Africa?
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MLS schedulemaker puts the pressure on Toronto FC

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/20/2010


The team still has an interim coach and interim general manager. But the heat on Toronto FC was turned up when MLS released its First Kick schedule Monday.

As was widely expected, TFC kicks off its season in Vancouver against the Whitecaps on March 19. While 2010 was the last season CBC had an option on — as per the deal the broadcaster signed in 2007 — a Vancouver-Toronto FC opener could give Mothercorp the fuel to introduce a new national soccer broadcast that similar to the Hockey Night in Canada model. The schedule is the perfect carrot for a national broadcaster — to create a new TV deal that includes the Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact, which joins MLS in 2012, as well as TFC.

The next week, Toronto FC returns to BMO Field to welcome the Portland Timbers for the home opener.
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A World Cup in January? Now that’s an idea worth pursuing

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/20/2010

For the last three weeks, postponements have been the norm in the Scottish Premier League, while the region struggled with bitter cold, frozen pitches and mountains of snow.

This weekend, all but three of the English Premier League’s scheduled matches — including the Chelsea-Manchester United throwdown — were wiped out by blizzards that covered the United Kingdom in a puffy white blanket. With the U.K. forecasters predicting something that resembles a Canadian winter well into January, the heavy Christmas-New Year’s schedule could be disrupted… badly. Most teams are supposed to play four matches in an 11-day period beginning on Boxing Day.

These should come as stark reminders to those in MLS who want to see the league switch to the so-called “international calendar,” a trial balloon that was floated by commissioner Don Garber when the U.S. still thought it had a shot at getting the 2022 World Cup.
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Sinclair proves again that she deserves to be in Marta’s company

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/20/2010

Christine Sinclair

When FIFA names the winner of the female World Player of the Year, Christine Sinclair doesn’t even have to bother going to the ceremony. Marta, her teammate with the 2010 WPS champion FC Gold Pride, will likely walk away with her fifth win in a row.

And, FIFA has already stated that the other two contenders for the award are both from Germany; Birgit Prinz and Fatmire Bajramaj.

It’s a shame that, because Sinclair hails from a soccer country as humble as Canada, she will likely never get an award she so richly deserves.

How many of Marta’s goals this year came from the WPS assist leader, Sinclair?
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