Playing with 10 men for the game’s final 53 minutes, Toronto FC managed a 2-2 tie with D.C. United Saturday evening at Blackbaud Stadium.The stalemate, on the third and final game day of the 2011 Carolina Challenge Cup, secured United’s second consecutive tournament title.

There’s something about Canada that brings out the best in Jamie Smith.The Colorado Rapids’ midfielder scored the only goal as the MLS Cup champs beat the Whitecaps 1-0 in Vancouver Saturday in the teams’ final tuneup before the season kicks off.

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.

Toronto FC has officially announced the signing of Canadian’s national-team midfielder Gianluca Zavarise.TFC head coach and technical director Aron Winter said he believes that Zavarise, who was most recently with Greek side Iraklis FC, can fit well into the 4-3-3 set-up he champions.

Toronto FC squandered an early lead and fell 2-1 to the host Charleston Battery in each team's second match in the Carolina Challenge Cup Wednesday evening at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C.

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.

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.