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Canadian defender LeRoy signs with Harrisburg City Islanders

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/12/2012

Adrian LeRoy

Former FC Edmonton defender and Ottawa product Adrian LeRoy has found a new home.

LeRoy will spend the 2012 season with the Harrisburg City Islanders of USL-PRO. That club used to be the home of current FCE midfielder Dominic Oppong.

LeRoy spent last season with FCE, but never broke through into the first-team ranks. His time on the pitch in NASL action was limited to an appearance as a sub in the 5-0 playoff loss to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and three minutes of regular-season action.

The central defender trained with FC Dallas earlier this season.
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Impact confirms that Vukovic is on trial with U21 team

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/10/2012

Former TFC Academy product Stefan Vukovic has played for the Montreal Impact’s U21 team, but he has not yet committed to the program.

The Impact confirmed on Tuesday that Vukovic is in Montreal “on trial” with the U-21 team.

Toronto FC supporters were more than a little surprised to find out that Vukovic played in the Impact U21’s 1-1 draw last week against the Rochester Rhinos of the USL. Vukovic came on as a 65th-minute sub and provided the through ball that led to Alessandro Riggi’s equalizing goal.

Vukovic was at training camp with Toronto FC, and there were shows of support from the team’s fan base for the promotion of the Academy prospect to the big club.
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FC Edmonton completes weekend sweep of WSA Winnipeg

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/25/2012

FC Edmonton completed a weekend preseason sweep of WSA Winnipeg on Sunday, winning 3-1.

Over the course of two days, the NASL side outscored their PDL opponents by a 10-1 margin.

An own goal and markers from recently signed French forward Serisay Barthelemy and Alex Semenets gave the Eddies all the offence they’d need in the first half of the Sunday finale. For Semenets, it was his second goal in as many games.

“They have given me confidence,” said Semenets. “The team is playing well, and we are scoring a lot of goals. As a team, I think we are quite prepared for the season. We have been working a lot on both offence and defence and I think we have really progressed over our last three games.”
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Porter, Pinto account for five goals as FCE routs WSA Winnipeg

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/25/2012

Kyle Porter wearing Canada's colours last week. PHOTO: CANADA SOCCER

Less than a week after being one of the four cuts from the Canadian U-23 team, FC Edmonton Kyle Porter got back down to work.

Porter scored three first-half goals as FC Edmonton routed WSA Winnipeg of the PDL 7-0 Saturday in the Manitoba capital. And, Chilean teammate Yashir Pinto scored twice in the preseason friendly. Pinto, who can’t play in the United States until his immigration paperwork is completed, is on loan from Chilean powerhouse Colo-Colo.

And even though Porter doesn’t speak Spanish and Pinto’s English is weak, the two found a way to click on the field throughout the match, combining to create chances and goals. Porter said the two are developing an almost psychic connection on the field.

“I love playing with Pinto. He understands the way I play, I understand the way he plays. We just work really well together. Football is our language.”
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TFC has very little time to fix its defensive problems

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/26/2012

Geovanny Caicedo

Toronto FC’s brass made a decision not to prepare for the season like the other MLS teams do. While other teams have been playing preseason games for weeks, TFC had been bunkered in Toronto.

Now, after Toronto played just its second preseason game — a 2-2 draw against third-division side Orlando City at the Walt Disney World Classic — there will be those who wonder if the lack of preseason game action will help or hurt TFC long-term.

That’s because the Reds need to transform two new South American central defenders, Geovanny Caicedo and Miguel Aceval, into a solid partnership. Neither player’s English is strong. And, what’s more troubling, is that on Saturday they looked like they need a heck of a lot longer than a week and a half to become a solid central defensive partnership.

While Aceval will take credit for the equalizing goal, a left-footed free kick that caromed off the arm of Orlando defender Anthony Pulis, he and Caicedo had a few lapses in the first half of the match, including a comedy of errors that led to John Rooney’s penalty-kick opener.
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Whitecaps, Impact get draws in preseason action

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/10/2012

Andrew Wenger: Got a cameo as a forward for the Impact

Both the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps were busy in preseason action Friday.

For the Whitecaps, striker Darren Mattocks — who the Montreal Impact passed on, choosing Andrew Wenger instead at No. 1 in the SuperDraft — scored early, as the Whitecaps and Real Salt Lake played to a 1-1 draw in a 125-minute match in Arizona.

Mattocks scored after early in the first half on a chance carved out by veteran Atiba Harris, who continues to be mentioned regularly when the preseason match reports come out. Harris, who missed most of last season due to knee injury after a heck of a start, is asking questions of coach Martin Rennie. Does he find a way to get wedged into the lineup along with the Big Three of Camilo, Eric Hassli and Sebastien Le Toux?

Fabian Espindola converted a penalty late in the first half to tie the game.
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Six Canadians to try their luck at NASL combine

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/07/2012

Kenny Caceros: Ottawa native makes push for NASL job

Six Canada-eligible players will head to Fort Lauderdale this weekend, trying to land jobs with FC Edmonton or one of the other seven NASL teams.

The NASL released its roster for its combine, which goes from Friday to Sunday. And it includes a significant number of Canadian players looking for contracts, as well as a substantial cadre of Capital City FC alumni.

Former Canadian U-20 player Anthony Di Biase, who had a January trial with FC Edmonton, will be at the combine. Di Biase, who as a teen spent some time with the youth wing of Belgian side Olympic Charleroi, was with the Hamilton Rage of the PDL in 2011.

Ottawa native Kenny Caceros, one of the stars of the Capital City FC team that got to the Canadian Soccer League final in 2011, will be at the combine. Caceros played 64 times for Syracuse University.
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With WPS gone, Ottawa set to host top women’s club soccer event in North America

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/02/2012

If revenge is indeed a dish that is best served cold, expect some unseasonably cool temperatures in Ottawa on the weekend of July 27-29.

Ottawa has been named the host city for the 2012 W-League championships to be held that weekend. Now that the WPS is out of the picture, the finals will bring together the four top women’s club soccer programs in North America.

And, as hosts, the Ottawa Fury is guaranteed a spot in the semifinals.

Last season, the Fury was stunned 6-1 by the Atlanta Silverbacks in the W-League championship. The Fury had gone through the W-League season without losing or drawing. In two conference championship matches, the Fury outscored the opposition 10-0. And Ottawa beat the host Seattle Sounders in the W-League semifinals. The Fury’s sensational run made it clear that it has supplanted the Vancouver Whitecaps as Canada’s top women’s soccer club program.
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Canadians McNamara, Northey excel at USL Combine

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/30/2012

Josh Northey

There is no news yet of any Canadian-player signings or training-camp invites out of this past weekend’s USL Combine held in Bradenton, Fla. — but word is that two of the Canucks there set themselves apart.

University of Saskatchewan midfielder Josh Northey and Oakland University defender (and Toronto Lynx alumnus) Julian Konner McNamara reportedly made the strongest showings of the 12 Canadians who participated in the combine. USL general managers — as well as executives from other leagues, including MLS — were on hand to see more than 100 undrafted and unsigned prospects go through their paces.

Of the 12 Canadians there, seven came from universities from our side of the border. The University of Saskatchewan led the way, with three prospects heading to Florida from that school.The Huskies also produced striker Paul Craig, who scored the goal that guaranteed FC Edmonton a playoff berth during his rookie NASL season.
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12 Canadians head to Florida, hoping for USL deals

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/26/2012

Brad Rose... Torontonian and Yale grad is taking a shot at USL

A dozen Canadian prospects are among the 102 prospects working out at the United Soccer Leagues’ combine, which kicked off Thursday in Bradenton, Fla.

The combine brings together undrafted free agents who are looking to stick in the U.S. third division. The NASL combine goes in Florida in mid-February, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some of these Canadian names surface there. It’s expected that eight or nine Canadians will take part in the NASL combine.

Scouts from MLS are also on hand at the USL camp.

On Thursday, goalkeepers will be put through the paces — and that list includes Dalhousie University’s Ben Ur and Ottawa Fury product Brandon Heembrook. Heembrook is one of 57 players at the camp who has experience playing in the PDL.
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