FC Edmonton has more bad news on the injury front. The club will now have to cope without veteran central defender Paul Matthijs for the long term. There are fears that the Dutch defender could miss the rest of the NASL season with a hernia

FC Edmonton vaulted into second place in the NASL standings with a 2-1 Victoria Day win over NSC Minnesota Stars at Foote Field. Kyle Porter scored twice for FCE, after Minnesota had taken the lead through Simone Bracalello.

The NASL’s disciplinary committee decided not to lengthen the red-card suspensions of FC Edmonton keeper Rein Baart and forward Chris Lemire.

The NASL’s disciplinary committee will review the red cards handed out to FC Edmonton FC keeper Rein Baart and forward Chris Lemire on Tuesday. Both were sent off in Sunday’s 5-0 loss to the Montreal Impact, in front of NASL commissioner David Downs, who traveled to Edmonton to witness the first-ever league game at Foote Field.

The Montreal Impact sent all of NASL a message on Sunday night. And FC Edmonton showed some serious defensive and goalkeeping frailties. The Impact routed FCE 5-0 in the first NASL game played at Foote Field, with league commissioner David Downs in attendance.

FC Edmonton’s final push to promote Wednesday’s Nutrilite Canadian Championship opener at Commonwealth Stadium begins on Monday. The club is hosting a meet-the-team event at Sports Central Bar and Grill (9221 34 Ave.) Monday at 6 p.m. Edmonton products Shaun Saiko and Chris Lemire, Trinidad and Tobago striker Conrad Smith and coach Harry Sinkgraven will be on hand to meet fans. FC Edmonton’s new all-white road jerseys will be available for sale for the first time at the event; here’s to hoping that the new home blue strip also is at the event. On Tuesday, Toronto FC coach Aron Winter and Sinkgraven will attend a press conference at Commonwealth Stadium. For the pair, it will be a reunion of sorts. The two took classes together to get their coaching certifications in the Netherlands.

Program the PVR. Make sure your Internet connection is fast enough to allow for multiple streams. This weekend marks a landmark in Canadian soccer. Four professional clubs are in action; FC Edmonton and the Montreal Impact kick off their NASL campaigns Saturday with road games in Florida. And MLS? Toronto FC visits the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday night. And the Vancouver Whitecaps head to Texas to take on the Houston Dynamo on Sunday. Of the weekend’s action, only Montreal and FC Edmonton overlap.

Eddy Sidra has the date circled on his calendar. April 27. FC Edmonton vs. Toronto FC. Nutrilite Canadian Championship. The newest member of FC Edmonton can’t escape the negative feelings associated with his recent trial with Toronto FC. “I won’t lie. I didn’t like how it went,” said Sidra from FCE’s training camp in Sunrise, Fla. “I won’t say I’m bitter, but I certainly won’t say that I was happy. There was a lack of information that was passed on to me.”

When Toronto FC and FC Edmonton meet April 27 in the first leg of their Nutrilite Canadian Championship semifinal series, fans will likely see 4-3-3 vs. 4-3-3. While FCE will be the heavy underdog, there will be similarities in the Dutch influenced style it plays with that of TFC. After all, FCE coach Harry Sinkgraven and TFC technical director and head coach Aron Winter were classmates when they went to get their coaching certificates.

FC Edmonton unveiled its new all-white road kits and its sponsor, Sears Financial, at a media event Thursday. A new blue home kit is still to come, and there are plans to work on a special third jersey. Toronto FC used its grey kit as a third jersey in Nutrilite Canadian Championship games last season. The Montreal Impact tried a pink jersey during NCC games.