But, in minute 84, the dream game turned into a nightmare. With one very poor touch, the Eddies’ keeper set up the goal that put an end to FCE’s push for a post-season spot.

I hate writing soccer-attendance stories. They remind me of the times I used to have to lobby and lobby editors to give a soccer story a little more space, or any space at all. So, just the writing this column is making me owly and growly. On Saturday, the Women’s World Cup champions from Japan came to Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium …

"But, after the World Cup, the options are open. But I did really enjoy it in England and, yes, I would go back."

“There wouldn’t be a greater joy than to beat my former team and knock them out of a playoff spot and get myself into it. That’s what’s soccer is all about. Teams that win championships, to get to a championship game. On Saturday, this game is as big as a championship game for us. If we lose, we’re out. If we tie, you can say that we are out as well. We have to go there with the mentality that we have to get three points.”

So, as the Canadians women’s national team gets set to face the World Cup champions from Japan twice in the coming week, you can’t expect there to be a war of words. Really, the series of friendlies sorta feels like we’re inviting a well-respected friend and the kids over for a playdate.

In the middle of the week, Lance Laing signed a contract extension that will keep him in Eddies blue and white into the 2015 season. And, on Saturday afternoon in the nation’s capital, he once again showed off why he’s become such a valuable part of the team.

“I was a little surprised (about the deal),” said Kaiswatum. “They told me a couple of weeks in advance but I wasn’t expecting (to sign) so soon. I was expecting it later on.”

In the minds of the CSA and its lawyers it’s “likely” that the HRTO does not have jurisdiction over what goes on in other provinces, and Hern says it’s a matter that will be argued.

Let’s face it, we all went into this game fearing the worst. (OK, not the worst — losing 8-1 to Honduras was the worst) We were expecting the a game kinda like 2010, when Canada got whipped by Argentina in Buenos Aires.

And Laing is guaranteed to return next season. The Eddies announced Tuesday that it had inked Laing and striker Tomi Ameobi — who both take up international slots on the roster — to contract extensions. Terms of the contracts were not released.