Chris Kooy had two great chances to get FC Edmonton a last-gasp equalizer in Tampa. After being denied by an outstanding piece of goalkeeping by FC Tampa Bay’s Jeff Attinella with his first chance, Kooy was able to score in injury time, canceling out Chad Burt’s opening goal in a 1-1 draw.

That concern is extended to what’s happening at Stade Saputo. Or, more accurately, what’s not happening at Stade Saputo. Through two home dates, there have been a concerning number of unused blue seats.

The Montreal Impact was hoping to record its first victory of the 2011 campaign over FC Tampa Bay in front of 13,000 fans this afternoon — but inclement weather kept the attendance down as the home team had to settle for a 0-0 draw in front of considerably fewer spectators. Near-freezing temperatures and winds that regularly gusted beyond 30km/h combined to make for an afternoon during which only the 36 media folk on the press gallery and the Ultras in section 114 — their drums banging, flags flying and vocal cords fraying — seemed to be immune. It was weather more appropriate to November than late April.

Takuya Yamada got the 87th minute winner, but the person most responsible for ruining the Montreal Impact’s 2011 NASL season opener was FC Tampa Bay keeper Daryl Sattler. Sattler stymied the Impact time after time, holding his team in the match until the home side could muster a charge in the final 10 minutes to win the game 1-0.

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.

FC Edmonton and the Montreal Impact both start the NASL season on the road this Saturday — and their fans will be able to stream those games, for free.

Long Tan’s days as a trialist are over. Blake Wagner has made the return to MLS from Division-2. Both players signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps Friday after impressing the brass with their preseason performances.

It's making its rounds throughout the soccer media. But seven of the eight NASL teams are represented (by supporters groups) in this open letter to U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati, urging him to grant the league official Div. 2 status. The USSF meets next week. Two weeks ago, the USSF stripped the NASL of its provisional acceptance as the official Div. 2 of soccer in America, but the NASL has carried on with business as usual, and is confident it can win back the status. The league has stated that going down to Div. 3 is not an option.