On Tuesday night, a preseason game between Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake was abandoned in the second half because of what’s being described as an ugly brawl.

Canada couldn’t have asked for a tougher opponent to face in its 2011 Gold Cup opener. But playing the United States in Detroit is a public- and fan-relations bonanza. Canada will face the Americans June 7 at Ford Field, just a skip across the border. This means that fans in Southern Ontario have the chance to see Canada against the best CONCACAF has to offer, just by crossing the Ambassador Bridge from Windsor into the Motor City.

FC Edmonton got a taste of MLS competition in its preseason opener Monday in Arizona, dropping a 3-0 decision to the reserve squad of MLS Cup finalists FC Dallas. Homegrown prospect Ruben Luna put FCD ahead just three minutes into the games as the Edmonton side, in only in its second day in Arizona, struggled to adjust to the pace of a team that is nearing the end of its preseason conditioning.

But, anyone who tuned in to watch the Vancouver Whitecaps hang on to beat the Seattle Sounders 3-2 in the finale of the Cascadia Cup — or any of the 4,000 people who packed what’s normally a training pitch in Tukwila, Wash — got to see about as entertaining a MLS preseason game as you’re ever going to see.

The Vancouver Whitecaps created plenty of chances, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers Saturday at the preseason Cascadia Cup in Tukwila, Wash. The Timbers scored inside of the first 10 minutes, with Ryan Pore — who spent three years with the Kansas City Wizards slamming a the ball home after Whitecaps’ keeper Jay Nolly spilled it after the initial shot.

FC Edmonton has announced its full preseason schedule for the Arizona portion of its training camp. Highlighting the trip is a game against MLS Cup finalist FC Dallas, March 7 in Casa Grande, Ariz.

The players in the Canadian U-23 camp had to settle for a split against the Los Angeles-based MLS teams. A Los Angeles Galaxy team without any of its three Designated Players — Juan Pablo Angel, David Beckham and Landon Donovan — had an easy time with our national Olympic hopefuls, winning 4-0 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Lenarduzzi and coach Teitur Thordarson must believe that the core has established itself very nicely over the course of a few preseason games because, on Friday, the Whitecaps announced the signing of a DP — French striker Eric Hassli, who scored 21 goals in 34 games for Swiss side FC Zurich during its domestic championship season of 2008-09. He has scored one goal in five Champions League appearances.

The Canadian women’s team got its second consecutive 1-0 win at the Cyprus Cup. This time, the victim was Italy. Reigning Canadian women’s U-20 player of the year Jonelle Filigno got the goal that puts Canada on top of its group, three points up on England and Scotland, and six up on the Italians. Filigno took a pass from Christine …

With TSN becoming the official national broadcaster of MLS in 2011, Rogers Sportsnet has ensured it won’t be left out in the cold. Sportsnet announced Thursday that it will be the official regional broadcaster of the Whitecaps. Rogers announced that it will produce 21 Whitecaps games in 2011. Eleven of those will air on Sportsnet Pacific, nine more on premium specialty channel Sportsnet One — and one additional game, June 4 at Real Salt Lake, will air on Citytv, which is owned by Rogers.