What Miller does now is that Martinique recently beat the Portland Timbers U-23 side by a 2-1 count, and that it is a good technical side. Steve Gustan and Stephane Abaul scored for Martinique against Portland’s youth side. Abaul plays for one of Martinique’s most recognized teams, Club Franciscain.

Meanwhile, Calgary’s Paul Hamilton didn’t get off the bench as his NASL side, the Carolina RailHawks, were eliminated in a 3-0 loss on the road to Real Salt Lake. Hamilton was one of eight RailHawks regular who didn’t start the game – as coach Colin Clarke decided to rest his core group of players ahead of Saturday’s possible NASL spring-season clincher against Atlanta.

On the game-tying play, in the 84th minute, the substitute appeared to bring a long ball from Will Johnson down with his hands – match officials were asked by a pool reporter what they saw on the play, and responded that from their view Valencia brought the ball down with his chest.

There are five Canadian players making US$35,125 this season, while eight more are on the books for base salaries of $46,500 each.

After the ballots from the members of the North American Soccer Reporters were counted, McInerney got 13 of the 26 first-place votes.

Brad Davis played a key role in helping the Houston Dynamo extend its home unbeaten streak to 35 games. His assist and winning goal in a 2-1 decision over the Chicago Fire earned him the MLS Player of the Week honour.

Canadian national team-regular Will Johnson is the MLS Player of the Week, after his second-half brace allowed his new club, the Portland Timbers, to roar back from two goals down in the Colorado altitude and earn a 2-2 draw with the Rapids.

So, Canada’s 2-1 loss to Japan in a men’s friendly in Doha, Qatar Friday really didn’t go against any major script in the soccer world. All of the goals came thanks to some major defensive miscues. And, with better finishing, there could have been more.

The Montreal Impact finished its initial MLS season with a meagre harvest of nine points on the road. The team returns home after this season’s first two matches on the west coast with six points in pocket, having already matched 2012’s total of a pair of wins on enemy turf.

With the MLS season moved up to its earliest start ever, forgive us if we don’t feel 100 per cent totally prepared for First Kick. Judging by the way many MLS teams finished preseason, with tentative matches and still looking at trialists with a week to go before the games count in the standings, a lot of coaches aren’t quite ready for the early start, either.