Simeon Jackson
While he hasn’t broken into the starting lineup, he scored a dramatic goal Saturday to give Norwich City a 1-1 draw with Fulham. It was Jackson’s second English Premier League goal.
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Popularity: 14% [?]
Nathan Sturgis
On Thursday, TFC sent Sturgis to the Houston Dynamo for a conditional draft pick… in 2014.
The Whitecaps used the draft pick to take Michael Nanchoff. At that time, C.J. Sapong, who would go on to become the league’s rookie of the year, was still on the board. Will Bruin, another forward who had some impressive spurts in 2011, was also still there for the taking.
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Popularity: 11% [?]
The editor of this site is a self-professed geek. And, unlike almost every other writer I know, I enjoy crunching numbers.
So, when it comes to picking the year’s best stories, I let the numbers speak for themselves. I went back through Google Analytics and looked at the 11 stories you, the readers, kept reading and re-reading.
You can argue that a story put up in January has had more time to accumulate hits than a story slapped up just a couple of weeks ago. But, in truth, most of the traffic generated by stories happens in the first week after they go up.
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Popularity: 33% [?]
Last January, the Canadian Soccer Association “sold the farm” when it and MLS agreed to new domestic-player quotas. As of January, 2011, Canadian MLS teams needed to carry just three Canadians on their rosters.
“Sold the farm” is in quotes for a reason. Many times, I have heard these words uttered by people in the Canadian soccer establishment over the last 11 months to describe the deal.
At the time the deal was struck, the notion behind it seemed fair enough. Surely, there would be plenty of chance for the academies of the Canadian teams to fill many of these slots, creating a network of homegrown players that graduate to the senior clubs.
But, at the moment, it’s a mess. Vancouver has three young Canadians on its roster at the moment. But it would be hard to see any being regulars. And for most of the second half of the season, the only “Canadian” making regular starts was Alain Rochat, who was born in Quebec, but grew up in and represents Switzerland.
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Popularity: 26% [?]
Matt Lam
The homegrown midfielder was officially cut loose by JEF United earlier this month, and FC Edmonton Director of Soccer Operations confirmed that both he and owner Tom Fath have had discussions with the midfielder, and are discussing the current option in his contract.
But, Lam won’t be ready when the NASL team reconvenes Jan. 9 after the Christmas break. He will undergo shoulder surgery. He separated his shoulder playing in Japan, and it’s not the first time he’s had an issue there. Petrone said the club isn’t overly concerned about the injury — but the rehab should delay the reunion with his FCE mates till at least mid-February.
“He is our player, and we are thrilled to have him back,” said Petrone. “We are negotiating with him and he is preparing to come back to us.”
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Popularity: 18% [?]
Love him or hate him, Bob Lenarduzzi’s autobiography makes for interesting reading. There are many interesting anecdotes from a lifetime of playing and promoting soccer in Vancouver.
There are fascinating chapters about how unhappy the Whitecaps’ English players were after winning the 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl, because no bonuses were paid. From his chapters about being coach of the national team, Lenarduzzi suggests that striker Tomasz Radzinski wasn’t popular with his teammates, and also tells a story of how Canada’s gear got stolen during a Central American road trip.
It’s a quick, breezy read — and Lenarduzzi doesn’t hang certain players in print like you know that he likely could. After all, he is still the president of a Major League Soccer franchise, and it’s dangerous to burn any bridges. It’s more of a personal memoir than a tell-all book.
But there is one chapter that will be the focus of the rest of this article: Lenarduzzi, as president of the Whitecaps and a former national-team coach, has a strong opinion on Canadian player development.
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Popularity: 28% [?]
The Montreal Impact has announced the signing of Brazilian midfielder Felipe Campanholi Martins.
On behalf of all the journalists and broadcasters who cover the Impact, we hope he gets blessed with a one-word Brazilian nickname — soon.
“Felipe is a player who has established himself as a very good young player in Europe and we believe he is ready to challenge himself in a top league like MLS,” said Impact head coach Jesse Marsch in a release issued by the club. “He is a very versatile, clever, and sharp midfielder and we are extremely pleased to add him to our team for 2012.”
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Popularity: 10% [?]
Rogers Sportsnet is reporting that Rogers Centre will house the March 7 CONCACAF Champions League match between Toronto FC, which will soon be part-owned by Rogers, and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
There is absolutely no reason to doubt this report (CLICK), considering Rogers owns both Sportsnet and the Rogers Centre, and will soon own 37.5 per cent of Toronto FC.
Toronto FC itself has yet to officially announce the venue of the CCL quarter-final first leg, even though a cynic might want to say that Rogers getting the scoop on a venue that it owns and a team that it will soon have a stake in is kind of like an official announcement.
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Popularity: 11% [?]
Kevin Harmse
The Canadian midfielder was announced as one of the first two signings made by the expansion team last week.
“It means a lot that that Tim (coach Tim Hankinson) and Hitch (general manager Michael Hitchcock) believe in me, that they wanted me as the club’s first player,” said Harmse, who joins former Whitecaps’ teammate Greg Janicki in San Antonio. “Everyone knows what Hitch has done in MLS. Tim has been in an excellent coach in Major League Soccer. And the club is a non-profit organization, which is something that’s unheard of in professional sports. That’s something I am very excited about.”
Hitchcock spent four seasons as the general manager at FC Dallas. Hankinson has coached the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Colorado Rapids.
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Popularity: 14% [?]
Ali Gerba
Gerba was one of many Impact players who was informed after the season that he won’t be back with the club for its 2012 debut in MLS. But, if he can’t find another job, he will get paid in 2012.
“Ali does not have an official MLS contract,” the club stated. “The deal he signed in 2010 did not guarantee him a spot on the 2012 roster in MLS. But the agreement will be honoured by the club and we will pay him in 2012 until he gets a contract with another club. He is free and available to play anywhere but at this point no club has contacted the Impact inquiring for his services.”
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Popularity: 14% [?]
Nakajima-Farran, Piette the only real surprises on Canada roster
Deja vu: Whitecaps let TFC escape Vancouver with an advantage, again
Hassli’s thumping volley allows Whitecaps to draw level with TFC
Rago’s return to starting XI has been a major boost for FC Edmonton
Richmond-based club asks for court injunction to stop BCSA-Whitecaps deal
