Canadian midfielder Will Johnson will play in the MLS Western Conference Final; but his Real Salt Lake had to survive a furious charge from the Seattle Sounders.

The Montreal Impact now has its fourth player under contract for the 2012 MLS season, and copy editors around Canada will curse the club for it.

Hainault’s goal was the highlight of a day filled with MLS playoffs incidents that would turn the heads of Canadian soccer fans.

FC Edmonton fans could be dealing with mixed emotions; they want to see midfielder and hometown hero Matt Lam succeed on the international stage, but they’d also love to see him back in Edmonton for the 2012 NASL season. Lam didn’t dress this weekend as JEF United played its second game after coaches Dwight Lodeweges and Hans Schrijver were sacked by the team. The Japanese second-division side lost 1-0 to Tosu, as it continued its slide down the standings.

It’s a move that surprised absolutely no one. The Montreal Impact announced Friday that standout goalkeeper Evan Bush has become the third player to sign with the club for its inaugural MLS season.

FC Edmonton will find out on New Year’s Eve whether or not midfielder Matt Lam will be returning to the NASL club or staying in Japan. But, FCE president Tom Leip confirmed that the club has exercised the option on Lam’s contract. If Lam comes back, FCE would have him on the books for the 2012 season.

The union representing stadium workers, which had put B.C. Place under strike threat for the coming weekend, issued a statement Thursday that it will not interfere in the season finale, which sees the Whitecaps face the MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids.

Each current team can protect 11 players from its roster. Generation Adidas players don’t need to be protected, nor are Homegrown Players on the team’s off-budget roster. And, according to the rulebook, “Designated Players do not have to be protected unless the player has a no-trade clause in his contract.”

It’s a nice problem to have — but Toronto FC’s success in the CONCACAF Champions League is already throwing a wrench into the planning of next season’s Nutrilite Canadian Championship. Why? This past year, the NCC began in the last week of April. But, the CCL final’s second leg is set for April 24-26, which would put it in direct conflict with a similar NCC start date in 2012.

On a night when TFC shone brighter than ever before, it was a five-foot-two Ecuadorean who was the power source. Joao Plata set up Danny Koevermans first-half opener, then buried FCD with two wonderful second-half strikes.