New NASL commish will help with optics, broadcasting 28 Mar 2011 The North American Soccer League took a step towards stability with the hiring of an independent commissioner on Monday. David Downs will take over as the head domo of the second-division league on April 4. Downs has 30 years of broadcast experience as an executive with ABC Sports and Univision Communications. He negotiated U.S. broadcast rights for World Cups from USA ’94 to Brazil 2014. He was also the head of the U.S. bid committee for the 2022 World Cup, which lost out to Qatar in the voting.
FC Edmonton signs Sam Lam, Matthijs injured in friendly 28 Mar 2011 FC Edmonton announced that it has signed Sam Lam, the former University of Alberta standout — and brother of Matt Lam, who returned to Japan this weekend to resume training with JEF United. Sam Lam spent the winter with the Edmonton Drillers of the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League. He was an FCE target — in fact, he was encouraged by FCE to play in the CMISL this season, as he retained his eligibility as an amateur.
FC Edmonton left out in the cold by NCC schedulemaker 23 Mar 2011 The needs of television have outweighed the needs of Canada’s fledgling professional team. The Canadian Soccer Association and Rogers Sportsnet unveiled the broadcast schedule for the Nutrilite Canadian Championship, and the news was awful for FC Edmonton’s front office.
Canadian Matt Lam ready to return to JEF United, to “help fans escape the chaos” of earthquake 23 Mar 2011 Matt Lam had just returned home from a training session when the earthquake struck. Even though Chiba, a suburb of Tokyo, was nearly 400 kilometres from the epicentre of the 9.0 temblor that triggered the tsunami that has claimed thousands of lives, the Canadian midfielder — and his mother, who was visiting at the time — they understood the gravity of the situation. “The whole building rocked back and forth,” said Lam, who is back in Edmonton, training on his own, after his club, JEF United, decided to send players home after the quake. “Even though we were 350, 400 kilometres from the epicentre, we could really feel the shake.”
FC Edmonton beats the Monsoon; announces friendly with WSA Winnipeg 19 Mar 2011 FC Edmonton wrapped up its Arizona preseason schedule with a 5-0 win over a bunch of trialists looking for work with the PASL expansion club, the Phoenix Monsoon.
FC Edmonton adds T&T international, slams FC Tucson 19 Mar 2011 FC Edmonton added some Caribbean flavour to its lineup — and then hammered developmental side FC Tucson 6-1 Friday night in the NASL club’s second to last preseason tilt of its Arizona trip. The team has signed Trinidad and Tobago attacking midfielder Conrad Smith (who also goes by “Conrod Smith,” but he has informed the club he prefers “Conrad”), who most recently spent time with the Caribbean nation’s most famous club, Joe Public FC.
Antoniuk signs with FC Edmonton 16 Mar 2011 Dan Antoniuk has accepted FC Edmonton’s contract offer. The American striker, whose trial with FC Dallas was aborted when the MLS team managed to fill its roster before his tryout was set to begin, agreed Tuesday to join the NASL club for its inaugural season.
FC Edmonton fullback gets shot to make national U-20 team 15 Mar 2011 FC Edmonton’s roster is filled with players who are hoping that featuring for the NASL club will get them back on the radar of the Canadian national program. For left back Niko Saler, those hopes were heightened on Tuesday. Saler, currently in Arizona training with FC Edmonton as the club prepares for its inaugural NASL season, got the call and will join the Canadian U-20 team for its training camp in Florida ahead of the upcoming CONCACAF U-20 championships in Guatemala.
JEF United says players are OK; when will Matt Lam play again? 14 Mar 2011 Matt Lam is safe and sound, but he won’t be playing anytime soon.
FC Edmonton and FC Dallas trialist returns for PASL championship 13 Mar 2011 But, Antoniuk was in Cincinnati Saturday, helping the Sockers defend their crown, as they beat Mexico’s Guerreros de La Raza de Guadalajara 10-6 in the PASL final. Antoniuk scored in the victory.