This Friday night, FC Edmonton will try to do what no other NASL club has done so far this season. Stop Etienne Barbara. The Maltese striker has 12 goals in 10 games so far this season. He’s only been held off the scoresheet once so far this NASL campaign. And, in that game, he set up both Carolina goals.

The U.S. stormed their rivals in the opening 15 minutes and were gifted an early goal before Canada could settle down in Detroit. The red and white played a much better second half but big plays at the right moments for the Americans were key to a 2-0 victory Tuesday in the Gold Cup opener for both sides.

The time for talking is over — in just over 24 hours, Canada will look to upstage its rivals from the Unites States as both teams begin their Gold Cup campaigns in Detroit. Whenever the U.S. and Canada play each other it’s a big game, but when the neighbours take to the pitch on Tuesday night, the Red and White will also have revenge on its mind.

The script was reversed on Saturday. The fireworks came early at Empire Field, and then the Vancouver Whitecaps and New York Red Bulls played out a tense chess match in the second half as the club drew 1-1. When the Whitecaps play at home, Canadian soccer fans have become used to seeing last-second comebacks, second-half momentum changes and thrills right before the final whistle.

Coach Stephen Hart won’t have a lot of time to prepare his Canadian men’s national side for the June 1 friendly against Ecuador and the June 7 kickoff of the Gold Cup schedule. Hart named Canada’s 23-man provisional roster Monday; those players will be available for selection for the June 1 Ecuador match at BMO Field. From that, 20 will …

With the CONCACAF Gold Cup less than eight weeks away, Canadian head coach Stephen Hart was in Toronto on Thursday morning to discuss Canada’s preparation for the tournament as well as its June 1 friendly with Ecuador at BMO Field.

Both of the Canadian MLS franchises made moves Thursday to add to their defensive depth charts. The Vancouver Whitecaps announced the signing of French-Algerian central defender Mouloud Akloul. Akloul played one game for the Whitecaps in Div. 2 play back in 2010. He scored the match-winning goal and fractured his ankle in a 1-0 victory over AC St. Louis, and missed the rest of the season.

Omar Salgado won’t have to wait until his 18th birthday to play in his first MLS game. The Vancouver Whitecaps have been successful in their efforts to get the No. 1 pick in the 2011 Superdraft cleared to play. Salgado is currently with the U.S. U-20 team as it prepares for the CONCACAF qualifiers in Guatemala, so he won’t be able to help the Whitecaps this Saturday in Philadelphia, where the club has a bit of a roster crisis because of international call-ups.

Canada couldn’t have asked for a tougher opponent to face in its 2011 Gold Cup opener. But playing the United States in Detroit is a public- and fan-relations bonanza. Canada will face the Americans June 7 at Ford Field, just a skip across the border. This means that fans in Southern Ontario have the chance to see Canada against the best CONCACAF has to offer, just by crossing the Ambassador Bridge from Windsor into the Motor City.

It took until extra time of the final game of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship for Canada’s spotless defensive record to be broken — and then the goals came in droves. The Canadians, who hadn’t given up a goal in the round robin, quarter-finals or semifinals, made it through 90 minutes of scoreless soccer with the Americans in the championship game Sunday in Montego Bay, Jamaica. But, the U.S. teens struck three times in extra time to take the regional championship with a 3-0 victory.