Archive for January 12th, 2012

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SuperDraft: Impact chooses defence over offence, Whitecaps get Mattocks, TFC adds to midfield logjam

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/12/2012

Andrew Wenger

The Montreal Impact chose a complete player over high scoring potential.

With the first pick of the 2012 SuperDraft, MLS commissioner announced — in French — that the Impact had selected Duke University defender Andrew Wenger with its first pick, leaving high-scoring University of Akron star Darren Mattocks to the Vancouver Whitecaps, who had the second pick.

Mattocks scored 39 times over the course of two NCAA season with the Zips. And, he scored more collegiate goals in his time with Akron than other former Zip stars Steve Zakuani and Teal Bunbury.

But Wenger, listed as a defender in the draft, can be used all over the pitch. He won the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy as the top played in the NCAA this past season — and scored 17 times after Duke’s coaching staff took him off the back line and made him a forward.
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Herdman, Canadian women’s team ready to face frustration at Olympic qualifiers

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/12/2012

John Herdman

John Herdman and the Canadian national women’s team are expecting to see a lot of teams packing the back at the upcoming Olympic qualifiers in Vancouver.

Canada kicks off the qualifiers at B.C. Place Jan. 19 against Haiti. And, as Canada is oe of the favourites to advance, coach Herdman said the team is prepared to face a lot of teams who will simply want to frustrate the home side.

He said the women’s team could feel an “element of frustration” emerging in their gold-medal run through the 2011 Pan Am Games. With the added pressure of having a home crowd who will be hoping to see Canada open things up offensively, the women’s teams is expecting to face more stifling tactics. If the road team can frustrate the Canadians, the crowd grows impatient and actually starts to work against Canada. At least, that’s the thought.
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Gatti, Agourram prepare for tryouts in order to keep their spots with the Impact

By
Mike Wyman
– 01/12/2012

The Impact's Simon Gatti takes on FCTB's Pascal Millien... from the 2011 NASL season. PHOTO:MONTREAL IMPACT/PÉPÉ

The last time Simon Gatti tried out for a soccer team was a half dozen years ago. A first round draft pick out of Rhode Island, he joined the Montreal Impact as a midfielder and was used sparingly in 2006 before coming into his own as one of the team’s most versatile performers the following year.

But, this year, he is one of five unsigned Canadian players from the 2011 Montreal Impact squad have been invited to take part in the team’s preseason, which begins with medicals and a couple workouts in Montreal before relocating to warmer climes to gear up for their initial MLS campaign. Veteran striker Eddy Sebrango, defender and captain of last year’s team, Nevio Pizzolitto, and Gatti will be joined by more youthful hopefuls, forwards Reda Agourram and Mircea Ilcu.

“At the beginning of 2007 Nick De Santis asked if I’d ever played in the back. ‘I said no.’ I tried a couple games and did well. That was it, I was playing left and right back and I also played some midfield so I was everywhere,” Gatti recalled in a telephone interview from his family home in the Toronto area.
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FC Edmonton announces three-year pact with Adidas

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/12/2012

FC Edmonton has joined the brand with the three stripes.

The club made the announcement Wednesday that Adidas will be the new supplier of the team’s jersey and training gear for the next three years. The only thing that could interrupt the deal is if NASL signs a league-wide apparel deal, much like MLS has with Adidas.

The club announced in November that it would not wear Umbro kits again in 2012, and had secured a deal with a global sports leader.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to partner with FC Edmonton,” said Jeff Clements, director, TEAM Business Development, Adidas Canada, in a release. “Adidas is committed to helping grow soccer in Canada and we’re proud to be associated with FC Edmonton. We know the Eddies will wear our brand with honour and integrity.”
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