De Guzman was always in a no-win situation in Toronto; it’s a sports city that eats its own like no other, a city where star athletes always have targets on their backs and journeymen become folk heroes. Add to that the fact the JDG plays the most misunderstood, most underrated position in the game — holding midfielder.

“I think they’re a much better team, but I don’t like the way they play,” Hyndman told reporters after the match. “I think they’re still very physical.”

On a night when TFC shone brighter than ever before, it was a five-foot-two Ecuadorean who was the power source. Joao Plata set up Danny Koevermans first-half opener, then buried FCD with two wonderful second-half strikes.

But maybe the most remarkable moment in the game came right before the final whistle, when midfielder Hernandez went off the pitch favouring his right knee. He fell awkwardly. If he can’t go against TFC in the CCL match, well, that’s huge.

This time the hero was an unexpected one for FCD — a player who wasn't even supposed to start the match. FCD coach Schellas Hyndman was forced to make a last-minute change his starting XI and inserted newly acquired defender Jack Stewart.

FC Edmonton’s training session at Foote Field Wednesday was more, ahem, spirited than usual. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. To see some tough tackles and a few curse words uttered on the pitch is a sign that the team isn’t taking its current four-game losing streak all that well. In fact, it’s comforting to see that FC Edmonton isn’t getting comfortable with poor results.

Ferreira was hurt on what looked to be a rather innocuous play; as he charged to get to a ball deep in Whitecaps territory, defender Jonathan Leathers slid and got all ball with the challenge. No foul was called. Ferreira went over and was down for several minutes, clutching his ankle in pain. He was sent to hospital for tests to his ankle.

It’s become obligatory for every sports journalist to provide season previews for the league he or she covers. It’s automatic, and a great space killer! In that vein, The 11 presents its “waited until the last possible second before the regular season” season preview! Why the wait? Because it’s hard to figure out the East. The West? Wow, a lot of power and depth there. As for the East? Last season, New York and Columbus and six other mediocre to bad to awful clubs were in the conference. New York and Columbus left them all in the dust.

Here are some of the interesting possibilities out there for Vancouver and Portland in Wednesday’s expansion draft. Here are five names that really jumped out on the lists of unprotected players released Monday.

As the Colorado Rapids gathered on a platform placed at the centre of BMO Field, jumping up and down, surrounded by sky-blue confetti, holding the MLS Cup aloft, FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty stood on the field, staring at the celebration. The rest of his FC Dallas teammates, losers of a 2-1 decision after extra time in Toronto, had left the field. But McCarty stood and stared at the Rapids’ celebration. Wondering what could have been. Wondering what would have happened if a ball off the foot of Colorado sub Macoumba Kandji hadn’t taken a strange deflection off defender FC Dallas George John in the 108th minute and looped past the goal line. What could have happened in penalty kicks had John’s last-gasp effort at redemption, from point blank range, not been stopped by the outstretched hand of Rapids’ keeper Matt Pickens.