Kekuta Manneh
On Tuesday, the committee determined that Whitecaps striker Kekuta Manneh should have been sent off for a late challenge on New England keeper Bobby Shuttleworth. Manneh saw yellow, but he will be suspended for Wednesday’s match with Chivas USA as if he would have seen red on the field.
At the time, with a little less than 20 minutes left in the second half, the Whitecaps were winning, 4-2, and held on for a 4-3 win. The Whitecaps were trailing 2-0 until Revs’ defender Andrew Farrell was sent off for a professional foul on Kenny Miller.
Had Manneh been sent off, as MLS deemed he should have been, the Revs would have been 10-on-10 with the Whitecaps for the final phase of the game.
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Colin Miller PHOTO: TONY LEWIS/CANADA SOCCER
The FC Edmonton coach was granted permission by the Eddies to steer the Canadian national team through the July tourney. The fact that the NASL schedule goes on hiatus in July allowed Miller the time needed to prepare and coach the squad. FCE plays its final game of the NASL spring season on June 30, then don’t play again till the fall-season kickoff, Aug. 3 on the road to the Carolina RailHawks.
Miller coached the team for two January friendlies, a loss to Denmark and a draw with the host United States. In May, he led the national team in its loss to Costa Rica at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium. But, over these cycles, Miller has worked with many of the players on the 35-man long list the Canadian Soccer Association has submitted ahead of the Gold Cup. From that list, the final roster will be chosen.
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Robert Garrett
Garrett was helped from the Clarke Stadium field late in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with the Carolina RailHawks. The Northern Irish international left the field on crutches.
Preliminary reports are that Garrett has a dislocated toe, an injury that would likely keep him off the field for four to six weeks. But, the Eddies have just two games left in the spring season, then will take July off as the NASL goes on hiatus. The fall season begins August 3. That means Garrett would likely two games but not miss time in the fall, when the games will have meaning once again.
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There really only was one choice for MLS Player of the Week; and that was Vancouver Whitecap Kenny Miller.
In an announcement that surprised absolutely anyone who even pays half-attention of MLS, Miller was named the Player of the Week after the votes from the North American Soccer Reporters were counted.
Miller scored two goals after he drew a game-changing penalty in Saturday’s 4-3 win over New England at B.C. Place.
With the Whitecaps trailing 2-0 and needing a spark, Miller was able to latch on to a long through ball but had his heels clipped by defender Andrew Farrell before the Scottish forward could launch a shot towards goal. The Whitecaps earned a penalty, Farrell was sent off for the professional foul, Camilo converted, and the game was turned on its ear.
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Kevin Chan-Yu-Tin: Syracuse product will represent Quebec
On Monday, Les Quebecois announced the full team that will be going to the Tournoi International des Peuples des Cultures et des Tribus. That tournament, which begins June 23 in Marseille, France, brings together teams from French-speaking regions that aren’t recognized as countries. It’s a precursor to next year’s VIVA World Cup, a tournament which allows regions that aren’t recognized by FIFA to compete against each other. So, for the sake of argument, a team from Quebec could play Punjab or Kurdistan or a French region like Provence in the VIVA World Cup.
Now, to the additions made by coach and former Montreal Impact player Patrick Leduc:
Four forwards — Jean-Louis Besse, Pascal Aoun, Gabriel Moreau and Durnick Jean were added to Leduc’s team list. Besse is a former member of the Canadian Soccer League’s Trois-Rivieres Attak, while Moreau and Aoun were both notable CIS players. Moreau was with the University of Laval while Aoun was with the University of Montreal.
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Paul Hamilton, left, battles fellow Calgarian Michael Cox at Clarke Stadium. PHOTO: TONY LEWIS, FC EDMONTON
A 1-1 draw eliminated the Eddies from having any chance of finishing atop the NASL standings, with two games left to go in the spring season. And the draw kept the Atlanta Silverbacks in pole position, with the RailHawks a point back.
A late goal from Cesar Elizondo allowed the RailHawks to snatch the point — and the goal also saved Canadian central defender Paul Hamilton some blushes. Hamilton, the NASL Best XI defender who was cut by the Eddies earlier this year and was making his first return to Alberta, was victimized by FCE striker Michael Cox for the game’s opening goal.
“It was a lot harder to come back than I thought,” admitted Hamilton, who had 30 orange-clad family and friends at Clarke Stadium cheering him on. “There was a lot of emotion at the start of the game. I didn’t think I played very well.”
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Robert Earnshaw
But, for a change, it wasn’t TFC making the fatal errors.
D.C. United, now winless in 13, made a solid advertisement on why it is the worst team in MLS, losing at home 2-1 to TFC after scoring the first goal of the game.
It was a battle of the teams with the worst two records in MLS. A battle between the team that Toronto FC General Manager and president Kevin Payne left to become the man at the head of the Reds’ front office. And it was a chance for TFC coach Ryan Nelsen to revisit the ground where he enjoyed so much success.
And, for the first 45 minutes, fans were treated to the classic sporting paradox; a game that coaches would hate, but the people in the seats love. The midfield was open, despite the shorter-than-norm field that D.C. United has at RFK Stadium. There were chances on both ends. There were breakdowns. And that led to a half filled with talking points.
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As had been expected for the better part of the last 24 hours, the Quebec Soccer Federation has lifted its ban on turbans.
The QSF made the announcement Saturday; and that should bring an end to a skirmish that took on an ugly political life over the last week.
The QSF said it welcomed FIFA’s ruling that was issued on Friday (CLICK HERE) that said that it does indeed have a temporary measure in place to allow turbans on the field of the play, as long as they are worn in a “professional manner” and are the same colour as the jersey.
Quebec has been the centre of the turban controversy since April, when the Canadian Soccer Association issued a directive that said all member associations must allow turbans, patkas and keski. That directive was really a direct message to the QSF, as all of the other provincial associations already allow the headgear.
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FIFA now has confirmed that turbans are allowed on the fields of play… with conditions.
The “with conditions” part should be of some concern, because the loopholes that exist in Friday’s FIFA pronouncement are wide enough to drive a truck through.
Soccer’s governing body made a public statement Friday confirming that it has, as it awaits a final decision on the issue of turbans on the field, have an interim endorsement of the religious headwear in place. The letter was aimed directly at the Canadian Soccer Association, which on Monday decided to suspend the Quebec Soccer Federation for not allowing the headgear on its fields of play. The QSF, despite the suspension, decided to uphold the ban.
Here is the letter:
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Colin Miller
In the second half, when Whitecaps’ central defender Andy O’Brien left the match with a suspected — and later confirmed — hamstring problem, Miller was waiting for the phone to ring. He had central defender Carlyle Mitchell on loan from the Whitecaps, and knew that the Trinidad and Tobago international would soon be going back Vancouver.
“As soon as I saw the big guy (O’ Brien) go down, I knew that would be the end of Carlyle for us,” said Miller.
With centre backs O’Brien, Brad Rusin and Jay DeMerit all on the shelf, and Alain Rochat — who was able to play centre back in a pinch — traded to D.C. United, the recall was made.
“We have a very good, very positive relationship with the Whitecaps,” said Miller. “The agreement was that Carlyle would be spending the season with us here in Edmonton, the only exception to that would be if the Whitecaps found themselves in dire straits. Well, they are clearly in dire straits at the moment.”
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on Garrett’s toe injury likely to shelve him for remainder of FCE’s spring season
on Eddies eliminated from NASL spring-season race; Boakai makes pro debut at 16
on Sinclair is NWSL’s first-ever player of the month
on Eddies eliminated from NASL spring-season race; Boakai makes pro debut at 16
on Eddies eliminated from NASL spring-season race; Boakai makes pro debut at 16
