With Turkish season stalled, Borjan looks forward to games with Canada 30 Aug 2011 Milan Borjan’s debut season with Turkish side Sivasspor is on hold; but the Canadian national goalkeeper is excited to get Canada’s World Cup qualifying campaign off to a winning start.
Puerto Rico’s World Cup callups will have major effects on FC Edmonton, Impact 28 Aug 2011 The Impact goes to Bayamon on Sept. 7, one day after the Puerto Rican national team plays Canada in a World Cup qualifier. Seven members of the Islanders will be on national-team duty. As well, the team’s top scorer, Jonathan Fana, will be on World Cup qualifying duty for his Dominican Republic national side.
Occean out, Haber in as Hart forced to change Canada’s lineup 27 Aug 2011 Injuries have already forced national-team coach Stephen Hart to make three changes to the roster ahead of Canada’s first two World Cup qualifiers.
“Complications” influenced Hart’s picking of the Canadian national squad 25 Aug 2011 From a scandal forcing the delay of the Turkish season to glaring holes at various positions, Hart was forced to pick some players who might be a tad rusty.
Hart sticks with veterans for Canada’s first two World Cup qualifiers 25 Aug 2011 Sixteen of the 19 players named to the roster were part of the team at the Gold Cup. The most surprising addition? Canadian player of the year Atiba Hutchinson, who is just coming back from meniscus surgery — and who Hart had indicated last month would likely not get the call for the first couple of World Cup qualifiers.
The case for NASL content on the Canadian national team 23 Aug 2011 What would be most interesting is whether or not Hart looks to the NASL ranks — especially for players who would have had experience playing the Puerto Rico Islanders. He said in August that, if players are doing well and getting regular time, he’d look to Div.-2.
FC Edmonton set to begin two-day trek to Puerto Rico 23 Aug 2011 FCE didn’t train Tuesday as it prepared for two days of travel. On Wednesday, the team will fly to Minneapolis, then connect on a flight to Atlanta. The club will spend Wednesday night in Atlanta, before heading on a flight to Puerto Rico. By the end of the trip Thursday, the team will have spent three days away from the practice field. If you could fly from Edmonton to Puerto Rico direct, you are looking at about a seven- hour flight. But it is broken up into three chunks — and FC Edmonton isn’t flying charter.
FC Edmonton’s Calgary contingent sweep NASL honours 23 Aug 2011 Ironically, on that night Hamilton wasn’t named our man of the match — that nod went to striker Michael Cox who, in his second start of the season, put up two goals.
Zusi wins weekly MLS honour 23 Aug 2011 Graham Zusi is the MLS Player of the Week. The Sporting Kansas City midfielder got the nod after the ballots cast by the members of the North American Soccer Reporters were counted.
Three-goal second half allows FC Edmonton to break winless skid 22 Aug 2011 FC Edmonton exploded for three second-half goals after a sluggish first half, and brought its eight-game winless skid to an end with a 3-0 triumph over the last-place Atlanta Silverbacks.