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Ref takes centre stage in Portland-Vancouver clash

By
Martin MacMahon
– 05/19/2013

Camilo

Camilo

The Vancouver Whitecaps conceded late to Jose Valencia in controversial circumstances on Saturday, as they drew 2-2 with the 10-man Portland Timbers in front of 19,823 at BC Place.

On the game-tying play, in the 84th minute, the substitute appeared to bring a long ball from Will Johnson down with his hands – match officials were asked by a pool reporter what they saw on the play, and responded that from their view Valencia brought the ball down with his chest.

Replays proved otherwise, but Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie seemed dissatisfied with the officiating both ways.

“I thought it was a hand ball,” Rennie remarked when asked about Valencia’s equalizing goal, before later addressing Portland’s red card, in which Futty Danso collided with Camilo as last man back. “Whether it was a red card or not – I don’t necessarily think it was – both players were running together so that was a little harsh.

“Sometimes when a team goes down a man, it doesn’t necessarily help you.”
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Whitecaps recall Mitchell from FC Edmonton for Portland match

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/16/2013

Carlyle Mitchell

Carlyle Mitchell

The Vancouver Whitecaps have issued a one-game recall for defender Carlyle Mitchell.

The Trinidad and Tobago central defender has been a regular starter for FC Edmonton this season. He is on loan to the Eddies for the 2013 campaign. But, with the Whitecaps in roster difficulty with the suspension of Johnny Leveron for this Saturday’s match against Portland, and the Eddies being on a bye weekend in NASL, the conditions were perfect for a Mitchell recall.

FCE confirmed that Mitchell is scheduled to return to the Eddies on Sunday.
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MLS salary update: More Canadians working in the league, but making less

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/06/2013

Dejan Jakovic: Now the No. 2 highest paid Canadian in MLS.

Dejan Jakovic: Now the No. 2 highest paid Canadian in MLS.

More Canadians are working in MLS this season than in 2012 — but those new jobs aren’t on the high-pay end of the scale.

The MLS Players’ Union released its salary update Monday, the day when the layers of secrecy are peeled away from the contracts that have been signed by the league’s players.

And what have we learned? That there are five Canadian players making US$35,125 this season, while eight more are on the books for base salaries of $46,500 each. Of those, only DC United’s Kyle Porter and TFC’s Kyle Bekker were able to squeeze some extra dough out of their deals to get a little bit more than their base contracts.

With Julian de Guzman now playing out the string with relegated Bundesliga 2. side Jahn Regensburg, he gives up his No. 1 spot on the Canadian rich list. Dwayne De Rosario, with a base number of $600,000, now takes over as the highest paid Canadian in MLS.
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Houston’s Davis edges out TFC’s Bendik for MLS Player of the Week honour

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/15/2013

Brad Davis

Brad Davis

Brad Davis played a key role in helping the Houston Dynamo extend its home unbeaten streak to 35 games. His assist and winning goal in a 2-1 decision over the Chicago Fire earned him the MLS Player of the Week honour.

But it wasn’t a landslide by any means. Davis got 11 first-place votes out of the 24 ballots cast by the members of the North American Soccer Reporters. Toronto FC keeper Joe Bendik got seven.

Bendik made a series of ridiculous saves, including a tie-preserver on an Antoine Hoppenot stoppage-time breakaway, to allow TFC to escape Philadelphia with a wholly undeserved point. Yes, Philly scored late to get the 1-1 draw, but if not for a series of fantastic stops by Bendik, the Union would have enjoyed a laugher of an afternoon.

Bendik also got two second-place votes.
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Ryan Johnson wins Player of the Week award: The 11 gives nod to former CSL keeper Clint Irwin

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/08/2013

Ryan Johnson

Ryan Johnson

For the second time in a row, someone named “Johnson” from the Portland Timbers has won the MLS Player of the Week award.

Last week, it was Canadian Will Johnson, who scored twice. This week, it’s former Toronto FC forward Ryan Johnson, who scored two second-half goals to give the Timbers a 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo. Johnson got the most first-place votes out of the membership of the North American Soccer Reporters.

Johnson’s two-goal game was deemed to be more Player-of-the-Week worthy than the two-goal game of another ex-TFC striker, Maicon Santos. Read the rest of this entry »

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Timber! Canada’s Johnson’s two-goal performance earns him MLS POTW honours

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/01/2013

Will Johnson

Will Johnson

Canadian national team-regular Will Johnson is the MLS Player of the Week, after his second-half brace allowed his new club, the Portland Timbers, to roar back from two goals down in the Colorado altitude and earn a 2-2 draw with the Rapids.

Johnson began the rally when he headed home a cross from ex-Toronto FC forward Ryan Johnson. Will finished the brace when he converted a penalty late in the second half.

Of course, we’re all still getting used to the site of Johnson in Portland Timbers green and white; he’s been a fixture at Real Salt Lake, and it still sounds weird to say “Portland Timbers’ captain Will Johnson.” Of course, with the years spent in Salt Lake City, the Colorado altitude would have affected Johnson the least out of anyone in the Portland lineup.
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Impact wraps up perfect trip to Pacific Northwest

By
Mike Wyman
– 03/10/2013

Hassoun Camara: Fantastic bicycle-kick goal

Hassoun Camara: Fantastic bicycle-kick goal

The Montreal Impact finished its initial MLS season with a meagre harvest of nine points on the road. The team returns home after this season’s first two matches on the west coast with six points in pocket, having already matched 2012’s total of a pair of wins on enemy turf.

Last week it defeated Seattle 1-0 and this week downed Portland 2-1 in a robust encounter at JELD-WEN Field.

The host team held possession of the ball for more time than did the visitors and mounted 16 attempts on the enemy goal, twice the number Montreal managed, but was unable to complete its attacks as the Impact defence, anchored by former Timber ‘keeper Troy Perkins, held the Timbers off.

Montreal opened the match with a couple forays into Timbers territory, knocking on the door but failing to open it. Eight minutes in, a Marco Di Vaio pass found midfielder Felipe but the midfielder rolled his shot wide to the right of Portland goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, traded for Perkins towards the end of the 2012 schedule. Three minutes later the Jamaican national showed that he still had his reflexes, nabbing a Di Vaio header.
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The Super-Duper MLS preview, 2013 edition

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/28/2013
Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, the big prize at the end of the season

Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, the big prize at the end of the season

With the MLS season moved up to its earliest start ever, forgive us if we don’t feel 100 per cent totally prepared for First Kick. Judging by the way many MLS teams finished preseason, with tentative matches and still looking at trialists with a week to go before the games count in the standings, a lot of coaches aren’t quite ready for the early start, either.

And that could be telling. The teams that got the jump and have their ducks in a row could have a real advantage in these March matchups; and they could find some bonus points that could help them in the fall.

Steven Sandor, Editor of The 11 and contributors Randy Davis, Aman Dhanoa, Mark Polishuk and Gavin Day all submitted their picks. We tallied the scores and we present our picks below.
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TFC gets first-round pick, Bendik from Portland for Johnson and Kocic

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/12/2012

Milos Kocic

Toronto FC has traded forward Ryan Johnson and keeper Milos Kocic to the Portland Timbers.

In return, TFC gets Portland’s top first-round pick (which, right now is third overall) in the SuperDraft. As well, TFC also gets Portland back-up keeper Joe Bendik, who appeared in five matches last season. Oh, and TFC gets some of that magical mystery allocation money.

As it stands, Toronto has the No. 1 and 3 picks in its pocket. And that opens up a lot of options — do the Reds use both? Or does this give the team some leverage for another trade before the draft?

But Portland GM Gavin Wilkinson made it obvious that he doesn’t think much of this year’s draft class.

“After weighing our immediate needs and evaluating the college pool, we felt it was in the club’s best interest to give up a draft pick to secure a talented goal-scorer and an experienced player like Ryan,” said Wilkinson in a release issued by the Timbers. “He adds another weapon to our attacking group and can create goals in a number of ways. He also offers versatility in a number of positions in either a three- or two-front system.”
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CMNT regular Johnson moves to Portland; Whitecaps deal Harris

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/03/2012

Will Johnson

Will Johnson has moved to Portland.

Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson has confirmed that the Canadian national-team regular was part of Monday’s MLS trade frenzy, a day that also saw the Whitecaps send little-used forward Atiba Harris to the Colorado Rapids for an international roster spot.

Johnson moves from Real Salt Lake to Cascadia.

“Welcome @WillJohnson08. Hated playing against you, cannot wait to watch you play for us!” tweeted Paulson on Monday.
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