Archive for January 16th, 2013

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TFC deals No. 1 pick — does it increase chances of a Bekker homecoming?

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/16/2013

With no real consensus No. 1 pick at this year’s MLS SuperDraft, Toronto FC decided to take the money.

On Wednesday, the Reds, who had the No. 1 and No. 3 picks in Thursday’s draft — sent that top pick to the New England Revolution. The Reds get an undisclosed amount of allocation money and the No. 4 pick.

And the first thing that comes to mind is Kyle Bekker. The Oakville, Ont. midfielder has been the story of the combine, dominating the competition with the ball and his feet and scoring a couple of goals, to boot. He likely hasn’t done enough to be a top pick, but he’s certainly entered that top-five debate.
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Cosmos stadium plan, Indy expansion franchise: NASL gets the good-news day it needed

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/16/2013

The North American Soccer League badly needed a day like Wednesday.

After being beaten up by its own fan base because of delays in the New York Cosmos’ entry into the league — and the Puerto Rico Islanders missing the spring session of the 2013 season in order to reorganize the franchise — NASL needed a good news day.

And it got good news, big time. As the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Convention sets up shop in Indianapolis, NASL stole the thunder from MLS — which is holding its SuperDraft on Thursday — with two major announcements.

• The confirmation of Indianapolis as the newest NASL expansion city; construction magnate Ersal Ozdemir’s club will join the league in 2014, alongside expansion teams from Ottawa and the Virginia suburbs of D.C.

• And, the unveiling of the New York Cosmos’s stadium plans, a 25,000 seat venue (which very much like the proposed new Edmonton Oilers arena, with its L-shaped design) located in Queens’ Belmont Park. The $400 million stadium would be privately financed. Plans have been submitted to Empire State Development Corporation, which is run by the state to fund projects with tax-free bonds. (CLICK HERE FOR STADIUM IMAGES)
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Canada finishes Yongchuan Cup with scoreless draw against Pellerud’s Norway

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/16/2013

Even Pellerud PHOTO: NFF

It was a game that offered a clash of style’s — the direct play favoured by Norwegian coach Even Pellerud against a young Canadian women’s national team that is trying to play more of a possession game an keep the ball on the ground.

In the end, the final of the Yongchuan Cup was a stalemate; a 0-0 draw that was enough for Norway to clinch the tournament title. But, for Canadian supporters, at least they could claim the moral victory that Pellerud, a former coach of our women’s national team, didn’t get the satisfaction of a full three points.

Current Canadian women’s team coach John Herdman had been saying even before this tournament that Canada’s goal was not to win at Yongchuan, but to integrate a large number of U-17 and U-20 prospects — including the likes of Adriana Leon, Kadeisha Buchanana, Christabel Oduro and Nichelle Prince — into the senior national set-up. Seven players got their first senior national caps at this tournament.
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