How FC Edmonton could turn its cursed luck into the marketing campaign it badly needs 15 May 2014 It’s the team nobody wants. The team that’s the black sheep of its league. The team that’s the black sheep of its home and native land. And that’s how FCE should sell itself to Edmonton. That’s it’s a club that has to overcome its own history of cursed luck and circumstance; it could be a unique selling point.
V-Cup: FCE “devastated” over controversial call, six minutes of added time in Montreal 15 May 2014 “He (Mallan) had his hands behind his back and the ball’s gone off the label on his jersey. That’s never a penalty. The funny thing is, I thought Drew was having a good game up to that point. But there was also six minutes of time added on. As soon as the six minutes went up, you go the feeling that something was up.”
The rabbit strikes: FC Edmonton stuns Montreal 8 May 2014 When a rabbit is seen at the stadium, good things happen for FC Edmonton. Maybe it was the mystical power of the rabbit that made Montreal Impact defender Karl Ouimette blow an 89th-minute defensive header on a long kick. Maybe it was the rabbit that gave FCE substitute Michael Nonni the foresight to jump on Ouimette’s turnover, round keeper Evan Bush, and score the goal that gave the NASL Eddies their first-ever Amway Canadian Championship win over MLS opposition.
Impact’s Bernier has high regard for FCE coach Miller 7 May 2014 “I know Colin from the national team,” Bernier said Tuesday after he and his Montreal Impact teammates finished their training session at a blustery Clarke Stadium. “I know how he expects his team to play.”
FC Edmonton hopes for a Cup “clanger” with Impact 6 May 2014 “That’s the romance of the Cup,” said Miller after FC Edmonton finished training in the blustery winds and light snow Tuesday at Clarke Stadium. “It’s filled with clangers. And we hope we have another clanger tomorrow night.”
As MLS announces expansion franchises, the temptation to add more playoff teams needs to be curbed 17 Apr 2014 As expansion ramps up, critics will claim MLS is watering itself down. But this next period of expansion offers a perfect time to answer those critics, to make the playoffs more exclusive. Even by knocking it back to eight teams, it would allow MLS to claim that, by 2017, you’d have just one-third of the clubs making the post-season. And you would have a situation like NASL, where games matter right off the bat.
Two trials, no bites 17 Mar 2014 Jordan Ongaro led the PAC-12 in goals scored last season; but, after he was drafted, the Canadian striker found out that his homecoming wasn’t going to be as happy as he’d hoped...
The agents’ survey 17 Mar 2014 Mirror, mirror on the wall — what are the biggest issues MLS faces of all? An upcoming CBA negotiation and uncertainty over the kickoff of the 2015 season. An increase in NASL spending that’s putting pressure on MLS to offer improved entry-level contracts. The fact that there are still wide gulfs between how MLS does deals and how the rest of the world does deals. We asked agents across North America for their input — and we got some very, very interesting answers. Here’s a rare peek behind the scenes...
Here’s to You, Mr. Robinson 17 Mar 2014 He’s been involved with Major League Soccer since he made his Toronto FC debut in 2007; but Carl Robinson’s first few months as a head coach haven’t been easy. From the perception that he was the fallback guy in the coaching search, to dealing with a star player who wanted out, Robinson has been under fire before the Whitecaps played their first MLS match of 2014
Playing the Field 17 Mar 2014 In 2007, BMO Field opened its doors as Canada’s national soccer stadium. The feds, the province and the city all kicked in money to make the dream of a soccer stadium a reality. Later, the artificial turf was ripped out and replaced by green, green grass. But, as deal with the CFL Argonauts inches closer and closer to completion, we wonder: Is a truly soccer-specific stadium a myth in a multipurpose world?