Glen McNamara had hopes that his young son would follow him as a soccer professional. The former All-Canadian goalkeeper from York University began work with his boy, Taylor Mikael, when the kid was a three-year-old. Twenty years later, the younger McNamara has hit the professional circuit like his father – just not at the same position. “When I was young, he always wanted to get me the ball at my feet but every once in a while, he gave me some hand drills,” says McNamara, a midfielder with Dayton Dutch Lions FC of the United Soccer Leagues’ Pro division. “He realized that I wasn’t growing fast enough to be a keeper.”

Assuming that there aren’t any more points to be thrown away, and both Arsenal and Chelsea win out — winning their games over United — the season would end in a… Three-way tie.

The club will hold a press conference Monday where it will unveil plans on a new training facility for the club and TFC Academy. For the past four years, Toronto FC did most of its training at home on at the Opine Glen Soccer Centre in Oakville and at an artificial-turf field at Cherry Beach on Toronto’s east side. As well, Toronto FC announced a loan deal that will bring former Manchester United prospect Richard Eckersley to Canada from Burnley. The deal keeps Eckersley, who has made only three appearances with Burnley since signing with the club in 2003, with Toronto FC until January, 2012.

Major League Soccer has announced that it has moved the Philadelphia Union-Real Salt Lake match originally scheduled for April 23 to Sept. 3. Of course, the move was made to ensure RSL had a full seven days between its two legs of the CONCACAF Champions League Final against Monterrey.

MLS confirmed that Manchester United, which thrashed the MLS All-Stars last season, will be back for more. Manchester United will provide the opposition for the All-Stars July 27 at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, a year after the Red Devils dominated the best in MLS in Houston. But, will the game resonate with Canadian fans? That’s up for debate.

Major League Soccer continually talks about the importance of having its teams succeed in international competition but, once again, the league has placed its All-Star game in direct conflict with the CONCACAF Champions League. MLS announced that it will host its annual All-Star Game July 27 at Red Bull Arena. But, as has been the case with the last two All-Star events, it clashes with the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League. CONCACAF has already slated July 26-28 as the window for the first legs of the opening round.

It was clear from talking to players and manager Owen Coyle that the club believed that the coming Premiership season was going to be wide open, that the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal were going to turn the world’s most popular sports league into their own three-team tournament.