The Quebec experiment 25 Sep 2014 Not every player is ready for the big time once he leaves the academy. The Canadian Soccer Association hopes that this country will soon have several semipro regional leagues that will allow our young players the chance to develop. Quebec’s regional league has created the blueprint for a nation...
Chasing hope 25 Sep 2014 Before the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, Tesho Akindele wasn’t exactly a household name with Canadian soccer followers. But, after emerging out of a Division II NCAA school, he is now one of the hottest rookies in MLS. The Calgary-born striker is raising eyebrows across North America — and he hopes for a Canadian national-team call
Q and A with the Commish 25 Sep 2014 Major League Soccer says that it won’t be adding any more Canadian teams. So,with franchises in Ottawa and Edmonton, the North American Soccer League looks to be the place where we’ll see more expansion north of the border. We talk to NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson about those Canadian-division rumours, and how he sees his league in the Canadian market, both now and in the future...
Our men in Oulu 25 Sep 2014 Midfielder Dominic Oppong and goalkeeper David Monsalve played their youth soccer together in Toronto. They were teammates at FC Edmonton. Now, in Finland, the pair have reunited once again...
Junior achievement 25 Sep 2014 They aren’t getting a lot of MLS playing time just yet, but a group of locally trained players have steadily moved up the ranks all the way to the Montreal Impact’s senior roster. Will they eventually get their chances to play?
Is the future bright? 25 Sep 2014 Canada got to the quarter-final stage of the recently completed U-20 Women’s World Cup, losing to the eventual champs from Germany. But, as we rocket towards next year’s Women’s World Cup, we need to be realistic about how our women’s program compares against the global elite...
PLASTIC PITCH 3 is available now! “The Walking Reds” on the cover! 25 Sep 2014 The third issue of PLASTIC PITCH, our national soccer magazine, is out as of right now.
How Asmir Begovic sorta helped FC Edmonton recruit Daryl Fordyce 25 Sep 2014 And, while at Portsmouth, he roomed with someone who had a pretty strong relationship with Edmonton — goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
How to make MLS Cup a really big deal 25 Sep 2014 In North America, interest in soccer is at an all-time high. But the championship game for Major League Soccer doesn’t attract major media attention or viewership numbers. Here are some suggestions on how the league can turn around the fortunes of its marquee event...
Roster equality 25 Sep 2014 Days after the interviews were done and the framework of the story was crafted, I got a press release from the Scorpions that announced they’d made a trade for Costa Rican César Elizondo. But, Elizondo would have been the eighth international on the roster, and NASL rules allow only seven. So, later in the release, came the news that Saiko had been cut loose from the team.