Now that the Montreal Impact has made its major sponsorship announcement for the 2012 MLS season, it can begin the needed housecleaning.On Wednesday, the club announced that it has released French defender Kevin Hatchi, beginning the needed purge. In its final NASL season, the Impact has won just two of its first 10 games, both over FC Edmonton.

Jeff Hunt and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group are preparing for a press conference Monday to announce an NASL expansion club for the Capital region.And, like FC Edmonton, the Ottawa side won’t have any affiliation to another Canadian pro club. That was confirmed by league sources Thursday.

Forget about the power rankings.If you are betting on MLS games, and aren’t putting money on draws, you aren’t looking at the stats.The combined record of MLS teams this season is 78-78-100. Of the 128 games played this season, 50 have ended in ties.

Stephanie Labbe has won her race to be fit in time for the Women’s World Cup.Labbe, who hurt her knee in Swedish league play and didn’t play in Canada’s friendlies leading up to the World Cup, was named to the women’s national-team roster on Thursday.

At the end of May, the Dark Clouds, a band of NSC Minnesota Stars supporters, collected money to send to the Red Cross to help the victims of the Slave Lake wildfire in northern Alberta.They had found out about the fire, which destroyed 374 homes in the town, as their club traveled to Alberta to face FC Edmonton in NASL play for the first time.Now, FC Edmonton fans have the chance to return the favour.

FC Edmonton took advantage of a travel-weary Puerto Rico Islanders side, winning 3-0 Wednesday at Foote Field.FCE simply dominated, outnumbering Puerto Rico midfield and bossing possession. Puerto Rico, which played Sunday night and then had to make the 5,600-km trek from the Caribbean to Edmonton, didn’t look like it could keep up with Edmonton’s pace.

Toronto FC has played some poor games in its four-year history. It has had (a few) bright moments, too. But, if you’ve already forgotten Wednesday’s 0-0 draw on the road to the New England Revolution, you’re forgiven.A game between a Toronto FC squad that struggles to score and a New England Revolution team that’s anonymous outside of midfield star Shalrie Joseph didn’t make for compelling viewing, especially when sports fans in the Boston area had something better to do — something about a hockey game and a Cup.