Canada is 10-18-17. That’s the combined win-loss-tie (we live in North America, so we’ll put the draws behind the wins in the standings) record of the four major Canadian professional sides this season. Out of 45 games, our NASL and MLS teams have just won 10 of them. And five of them come from FC Edmonton, the new kid on the Division-2 block.

The Vancouver Whitecaps were unfortunate to have to face Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium the game after the Utah-based squad registered its first loss at home in two years. The result was a 2-0 loss at the hands of RSL in lacklustre fashion. "Today it just wasn't good enough in so many aspects of the game,” said coach Tom Soehn.

Now, the key words are “tackle” and “attempt,” as it looked like, while late, Hassli actually made minimal contact with Zemanski. But, that could only be determined after looking at a couple of slow-motion replays. Salazar didn’t have that luxury, and should not be judged by them. In real time, Hassli came in very late, very fast, and looked to come through the player.

“It was sort of a surprise to me a little bit,” said Dunfield after the national team practice Tuesday morning at BMO Field. “It’s difficult when you see not only a good manager, but a good person lose his job. But it’s important we move on from that now.”

Expansion team or not, the Whitecaps’ brass expected better than winning just one out of its first dozen games in a home-heavy early season schedule. Coach Teitur Thordarson paid for it with his job. The club’s Director of Soccer Operations, Tom Soehn, takes over as the new coach of the club. Before coming to Vancouver, Soehn spent a tumultuous three years coaching D.C. United after being promoted up to the job. After winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2007, the club underwent a decline through the end of his reign, in 2009.

Yes, the Canadian Soccer Association’s rules are quite clear. A match that is abandoned must be replayed in full. But Winter can still do the right thing. He can order his troops to take the opening kickoff and then fire the ball into their own goal.

"The match is abandoned this evening," said CSA General Secretary Peter Montopoli. "We were in a position to try to have the match played this evening but once we got to that position, being on the field, the referee decided that the pitch is not playable. "The regulations are very clear. The match will be replayed in its entirety tomorrow at 11 a.m., here at BMO Field. We start from zero time."

One night wasn't enough to dry out BMO Field. After Wednesday night's Nutrilite Canadian Championship final was abandoned due to lightning and a waterlogged pitch, plans to replay the game on Thursday morning at 11 a.m. EST were also canceled.

DeMerit played in the Premier League with Watford, but archived Premier League footage costs, gulp, $20,000 per minute. And the film just can’t work without game footage. Money has to be paid to the national federations if they use footage of DeMerit playing for the U.S. national side. So, as more and more artists look to fans to finance their projects, DeMerit and the two filmmakers are taking it a step further. They doing a little more than simply reaching out to fans to help fund the project. So far, a total of 437 fans have pledged US$51,374 (as of the morning of May 25) to help get the film ready for distribution. But they will be guaranteed merchandise from the movie, soccer gear or even autographed memorabilia depending on how much they spend

If, next week, the players wearing the red of Toronto FC hoist the Voyageurs’ Cup over their heads, the Vancouver Whitecaps will rue a second half filled with missed opportunities in the opening leg of the Nutrilite Canadian Championships. The final scoreline on Wednesday read 1-1. But, make no mistake, Vancouver will feel it deserved not just to win the game, but win it handily.