The most interesting subplot of a Canada-Australia match is the presence of Holger Osieck in the Aussies’ coaching box. Osieck led Canada to one of its most prestigious soccer titles, the capture of the Gold Cup trophy in 2000.

The suspensions are the lightest sentences the coaches could possibly have received, outside of the league deciding to rescind their sendings-off.

The North American Soccer League has a mini-crisis on its hands at the moment. And, in the coming days, how the NASL handles the fallout from Sunday’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers/FC Edmonton match can either go a long way to building the credibility of the league or entrenching the image of North American soccer outside of MLS as rudderless.

He scored the opener in the third minute and then got the second assist on Lamar Neagle’s insurance goal. The win allowed Seattle to seize top spot in the MLS Western Conference, and first-place overall in the league. If MLS regular-season play ended today, Seattle would now be guaranteed home field advantage all the way to the Dec. 7 MLS Cup, if the Sounders make it that far.

Let's be clear. Suspended or ejected coaches trying to manage their teams via cellphone is not new. It's been done before. But what was odd about this was how blatant and obvious the pair of coaches were about it. Usually, the coaches will go away to a secluded spot and get on the phone. Kronsteiner and Lopes were doing it in the stands, just two rows down from the broadcast area, and in middle of FCE supporters who were calling them out because it was obvious they were breaking the rules.

Maybe the thing a team doesn’t want is to be ranked No. 1 in the CIS poll.

The actions of the Fort Lauderdale coaches have FC Edmonton brass contemplating asking the league for a forfeit. The team has confirmed it will be making some kind of formal protest. A forfeit plea is an option.

The result now leaves TFC with 23 points with five games left to play. With Houston’s win over Philadelphia Saturday night, the Reds are officially (as in, mathematically) eliminated from playoff contention. If somehow lightning struck five times in a row, and the Reds won their last five, they’d get to 38 points. The Philadelphia Union, which held fifth place at the time of this article, have 39 points.

Porter, like many of his young teammates, needs to put the shine on the final performances of the season for a club that is likely going to clean house over the winter.

Starter Joe Bendik, back-up Stefan Frei and teenager Quillan Roberts are now joined on the roster by Chris Konopka. On Friday morning, the Reds announced that they had acquired the keeper from the Philadelphia Union in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2014.