The Vancouver Whitecaps are making way for the Canucks’ playoff run… just in case. The club announced Tuesday that the kickoff for the May match date against the New York Red Bulls has been moved up to 2:30 p.m. local time. The game was originally set for 4 p.m. May 28 is also the scheduled date for Game 7 of the NHL’s Western Conference Final — if needed.

Chivas USA sent a message to the rest of Major League Soccer on Sunday, beating the Red Bulls 3-2 in New Jersey. And, Justin Braun, who scored all three goals for the Goats, was named the MLS Player of the Week after all of the votes made by the North American Soccer Reporters were talled.

Only one member of Toronto FC is expected to be named to Canadian national team coach Stephen Hart’s roster for the upcoming Gold Cup. Hart confirmed that he has only one Red on his list during a conference call Tuesday.

The shortest player in Major League Soccer has made a major impact. Toronto FC became the eighth separate team in eight weeks to have an MLS Player of the Week, as the North American Soccer Reporters gave the honour to Joao Plata, the Ecuadorean midfielder selected 49th in this year’s SuperDraft.

Canadian men’s national team coach Stephen Hart held a conference call Tuesday to discuss the team’s preparation ahead of the Gold Cup and the June 1 friendly against Ecuador at BMO Field. Hart touched on a number of topics, from mixed messages over the availability of attacking midfielder Dwayne De Rosario for the Gold Cup, where Simeon Jackson will play in the Canadian lineup and the possibility that Montreal Impact or FC Edmonton players could get call-ups.

It’s taken until week six of the season. But, finally, there is a domestic Player of the Week in MLS. Landon Donovan was named the winner of the weekly honour after the votes from the North American Soccer Reporters were counted. He was in on all three goals as the Galaxy thrashed Portland 3-0 on Saturday.

Luke Rodgers, who scored twice and set up Thierry Henry’s first goal of the season, was named the MLS Player of the Week after the ballots from the North American Soccer Reporters were counted.

After a successful rookie season with the New York Red Bulls, Cameroonian midfielder Tony Tchani knows how to adapt to change – whether it’s on the pitch or living in the bright lights of New York City. Tchani finds himself adapting to change once again as he joined Toronto FC along with teammate Danleigh Borman this past weekend. Both were part of the deal that sent former TFC captain Dwayne De Rosario to the Red Bulls.

It is official. Dwayne De Rosario is off to the New York Red Bulls. Both the Red Bulls and Toronto FC confirmed the trade Friday afternoon, hours after it reportedly had hit a snag. According to various sources, De Rosario and the Red Bulls will talk about an improved contract from his current deal, which pays him more than US$400,000 per season. If the Red Bulls were to make De Rosario a Designated Player, the club would save cap space, as the hit for the DP is more than US$100,000 less than he is making at the moment

wayne De Rosario is in the process of bring traded from Toronto FC to the New York Red Bulls. But it is not official, yet. But sources indicate De Rosario’s camp is still working out a new, improved deal with the Red Bulls, one that could possibly make TFC’s all time leading scorer and the four-time MLS Cup winner a Designated Player in New York. No deal is in place at this time.