Wednesday’s decision to make Danny Dichio the coach of the senior TFC Academy squad, and place Jim Brennan in charge of the junior Academy players, is a step in the right direction for this club.

Eddie Johnson scored against the Montreal Impact for the second game in a row.The Portland Timbers prospect, a veteran of the English lower leagues, scored for his new club in a 1-0 exhibition win over the Impact Wednesday in Arizona.

With less than a month to go before First Kick, Major League Soccer has finally confirmed the new playoff structure for 2011.As hinted by commissioner Don Garber at last year’s MLS Cup in Toronto, the playoffs will expand to 10 teams from eight.

The announced attendance was officially 4,665 but the few brave souls that turned out to Crew Stadium for the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal numbered less than that.

Canada is going to the U-17 World Cup for the first time since 1995.A headed goal from Chris Nanco, and an absolute rocket (and candidate for goal of the tournament) from TFC Academy’s Keven Aleman gave Canada a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago Wednesday in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Football in February. It’s rare in Ohio. And for good reason. With the temperature clocking in below the freezing mark, the 10-man Columbus Crew and nine-man Real Salt Lake battled to a first-leg 0-0 draw in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals in extreme conditions at Crew Stadium.

If his preseason is any indication, 2011 is going to be a busy year for Dejan Jakovic.The 25-year-old central defender had been in camp with D.C. United for a two-week stretch before receiving the call to join up with Canada for the Feb. 6 friendly over in Larissa, Greece.Jakovic went 90 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Greece, and the hectic travel schedule required him crossing half the globe and back as his club team continued MLS preparations in Florida.However, after a couple of days off, he jetted out to Oxnard, Calif. well rested, where he’ll spend this week continuing to prepare for the 2011 MLS season

The paperwork is complete. Reigning Canadian U-20 player of the year Ethan Gage is now eligible to play for English Championship side, Reading.

The Vancouver Whitecaps were beaten 2-0 by the Los Angeles Galaxy in a closed-door training game Monday in Arizona.

Keven Aleman and Bryce Alderson come from the junior wings of two rival Canadian franchises — Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps — but they have the same goal.To get to the U-17 World Cup. And that’s a dream they can realize on Wednesday.