Make no mistake about it — the news of a National Soccer Development Centre in Vancouver could represent a major shift in the focus of our soccer programs.

With the Reds being just a single point from being officially eliminated from the MLS playoff race, the club announced Wednesday that Frings will need hip surgery and will miss the rest of the season. He joins Danny Koevermans, who is out with a torn knee.

“In the past when we’ve had games that were very important to Canada’s program and to the result I think we wanted it too bad,” said Hart of Canada’s failings of the past. “At times we played in such a way that we try to win the game in the first half or in the first 10 minutes or whatever so it’s important to understand to create some sort of balance. Yes, the game is important but how you approach the game.”

The first half of the season will end July 4. The league will take a month off an reconvene at the end of the July for the second half, which will run until early November. The NASL announced that the Board of Governors unanimously approved the switch.

The Argentine forward was named NASL Player of the Week for the second consecutive time on Monday. He got 17 of the 19 first-place votes from the members of the North American Soccer Reporters.

Bernier was named Player of the Month based on second-place votes cast by the members of the North American Soccer Reporters. Both he and Seattle Sounder Fredy Montero, who scored six times in August, got eight first-place votes.

Canadian forward Alex Semenets is looking forward to a new chapter in his soccer career.

Murphy, who scored 16 times in 14 conference games last season and became the first-ever Gryphon to be named male CIS player of the year, scored on opening day as Guelph defeated the Waterloo Warriors by a 3-0 count

But, does a team that loses both of its home matches to Atlanta deserve a playoff spot? The answer is clear — no. On a cool, blustery prairie afternoon, Atlanta did more in the half it had the 50 km/h wind at its back than Edmonton. Matt Horth scored two second-half goals as the Silverbacks all but ended FCE’s playoff hopes.

Actually, the Whitecaps offered danger only to the fans who suffered through a match where two wonder strikes -- from the Galaxy's Juninho and David Beckham -- acted as lipstick on a pig of a game that was dreadful on the eyes.