ussell Teibert and his teammates on the Canadian U-20 will look to the recent success of our U-17 program for inspiration. Teibert will leave the Vancouver Whitecaps Sunday, the day after they open the MLS season against Toronto FC, to head to Florida for the national U-20 camp. The Canadian team will then head to Guatemala for the CONCACAF qualifiers for the U-20 World Cup.

Russell Teibert’s signing wasn’t a surprise. But his designation as a Generation Adidas prospect does represent a historic moment for Canadian soccer fans. Both Toronto FC and the Whitecaps signed trialists on Thursday, filling out their rosters ahead of the MLS opener. But Teibert was the biggest news of the lot.

The Vancouver Whitecaps are taking a page out of the Winnipeg Jets’ book. The Whitecaps are urging their fans to turn Empire Stadium into a sea of white seats for Saturday’s MLS opener against Toronto FC, similar to the “Whiteout” campaigns the Jets ran during their playoff runs before the NHL franchise moved to Phoenix. The Coyotes have also tried the Whiteout campaign, but it’s hard to pull off with all those pesky empty seats messing up your plans.

Last week’s preseason brawl between Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City has resulted in some supplemental justice from MLS. RSL defender Jamison Olave got a US$250 fine for Tweeting about his displeasure for the match official after last Wednesday’s game was abandoned in the second half because of the fisticuffs. That’s right. The fighting and fouling hasn’t earned anyone a suspension or fine as of yet — but Tweeting about a referee losing control of the game… well

Long Tan’s days as a trialist are over. Blake Wagner has made the return to MLS from Division-2. Both players signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps Friday after impressing the brass with their preseason performances.

Toronto FC has made a deal to try and get some more goals in the lineup. The Reds sent midfielder Nick LaBrocca, who they acquired in 2010 from the Colorado Rapids, to Chivas USA for American striker Alan Gordon.

If Major League Soccer is true to its word, we can expect to see a rise in the number of cards and penalty kicks awarded in games this season. Commissioner Don Garber outlined some new points of emphasis for MLS officials in his season kickoff conference call Friday. Garber made it clear that the league was concerned over what it felt was the number of infractions that went unpunished in games last season.

Dan Antoniuk’s trial with FC Edmonton may have gone too well. The San Diego Sockers, Antoniuk’s current indoor-soccer club, confirmed Friday that he won’t be returning to Cincinnati for the Professional Arena Soccer League’s North American Championship. Not because Antoniuk is still with FC Edmonton, but because he accepted a one-game trial with FC Dallas.

Last season, Calgary United FC was eliminated after the first game of the Professional Arena Soccer League’s North American Championships by giving up four goals to the California Cougars in the dying minutes. This season, the defending Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League champs didn’t leave anyone in suspense. Oswaldo Medina scored just nine seconds after the match kicked off, and the PPM Sidekicks del Estado de Mexico rolled to a 10-2 win, eliminating Calgary from the Cincinnati tournament with ease.

The Montreal Impact announced its plan to transform Stade Saputo into an MLS-ready facility. Owner Joey Saputo lifted the curtain on a plan to increase the stadium’s capacity from 13,034 to 20,431. The plan calls for 3,500 seats in a new west grandstand and 1,250 additional seats in the southeast and southwest corners. Another 1,000 seats will be installed in the east grandstand.