Garber wouldn’t say exactly what the new format will be, but it will have a “rivalry” focus. So, expect to see more Cascadia games for the Whitecaps. More Colorado vs. Real Salt Lake. More Chivas vs. Los Angeles Galaxy. And Toronto and Montreal could face each other more than twice next season.

The scene: The 2009 MLS Superdraft. With the second pick, Toronto FC chose midfielder Sam Cronin, passing up on University of Maryland defender Omar Gonzalez, who the Los Angeles Galaxy took with the third pick.On Wednesday, Gonzalez became the youngest player, at 23, to ever be named MLS Defender of the Year.

Toronto FC will face the Los Angeles Galaxy in its CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final.The two teams were matched together during Tuesday’s quarter-final draw at CONCACAF headquarters in New York.

Major League Soccer announced that SKC striker C.J. Sapong has been named the league’s Rookie of the Year for 2011. Sapong played in all 34 regular-season games, no small feat for a first-year player right out of the NCAA. He scored five times and added five assists.

Danny Koevermans’ name wasn’t on the ballot for voters to select. And while his body of work, 10 MLS games, might not be enough to dislodge Rosales, he deserved to get some notice from the voters.

And, while other cities will be toss-ups, the key to DeRo winning the MVP award may just be the thing that some think would hold him back — playing for three teams in just one year. He still has support in Toronto, New York voters will use the pre- and post-DeRo Red Bulls as a measuring stick, and he has D.C. in the bag.

The Vancouver Whitecaps made a couple of moves Monday that would be best classified under post-season housekeeping.

Hainault, who was not invited to the Canadian national team camp for next week’s two upcoming World Cup qualifiers against St. Kitts and Nevis, scored the opening goal as the Dynamo beat Sporting Kansas City 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Final.

Harris can be a brutal opponent to play against, tall and gangly, he is an energy player who saps the will from defenders. He doesn’t often score the goal himself, but his high-pressure game creates openings throughout the pitch.

But, we need to look at the Galaxy in a truly North American sports context — after all, MLS is a North American league — where regular-season success means very little compared to playoff excellence. The Galaxy, until it wins MLS Cup, has to be compared to the likes of the San Jose Sharks or San Diego Chargers, talented teams who consistently lose when it counts.