Today’s News, Saturday , Jun.14
TFC's Edwards puts his days as a slacker behind him
MORGAN CAMPBELL
SPORTS REPORTER
Toronto FC goalkeeper Brian Edwards won't speak to the media about how head coach John Carver called him out last week, and that's just fine with Carver.
With first-stringer Greg Sutton away with Canada's national team, Edwards, Toronto's second-round pick in this winter's draft, started in TFC's 2-0 win over the L.A. Galaxy two weeks ago. Since TFC won, Carver didn't plan to change his starting lineup.
But when Edwards followed up his first clean sheet as a pro with lacklustre showing during practices Carver let him – and the media – know how disappointed he was, then started Sutton on Sunday in Houston.
Still, after blasting Edwards' apathetic approach to practice last week, Carver wasn't interested in what Edwards would say in response. Instead, he wanted to see what the rookie goalkeeper would do.
With Sutton in St. Vincent with the national team and the Colorado Rapids visiting BMO Field today and his third start of the season looming, Edwards answered his coach's criticism by looking sharp in practices all week.
Which is just how Carver says he planned it.
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Toronto FC faces surging Rapids PETER MALLETT
TORONTO — A weakened Toronto FC defensive core will try to take the fizz out of the surging Colorado Rapids and their pint-sized Scottish target man Tom McManus in tonight's Major League Soccer game at BMO Field.
The 5-foot-9 McManus is tied for the Rapids' goal-scoring lead with three in eight games.
"The MLS is very good but it's much different than playing in Scotland," said McManus, 27. "In Scotland, the pace of the game is much faster, but over here it is more of an on-the-ground control game with short passes, but that suits my style of play just fine."
McManus transferred from Scottish First Division club Dunfermline Athletic to the Rapids after catching the eye of Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo during an exhibition game against Ipswich Town of England in March. "We were pleased to add a striker with the international experience Tom has," Clavijo said. "Tom impressed us with his forward play and we had him in camp with us in London [in the exhibition season]."
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Toronto FC sign Ibrahim from FC Dallas Friday, June 13, 2008
Toronto FC announced the signing of forward Abdus "Ibee" Ibrahim from FC Dallas. In exchange, Dallas receives a conditional draft pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.
Ibrahim, 16, was the second youngest player ever to be selected in an MLS Superdraft, following 14-year old Freddy Adu in 2004. Ibrahim was chosen in the 2nd Round (14th overall) in 2007.
Abdus Ibrahim #7
Position: Forward
Height: 6-0 Weight: 153
Birthdate: August 15, 1991 (Born in Ethiopia)
Hometown: Richfield, MI
Last Club: FC Dallas
Roster Designation: Developmental/Generation adidas
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Cunningham one goal short of MLS milestone
Toronto FC will be up against it tonight at home to the Colorado Rapids, having lost four players to international assignments.
Still, the Reds are unbeaten at BMO Field this season and still have enough firepower in the lineup to do the job on the Rapids (5-6), who have struggled on the road.
One of the players coach John Carver will be leaning on to come through with a big game will be veteran forward Jeff Cunningham, who has three goals in 10 games this season, and is only one goal away from a significant milestone.
Cunningham's next goal will be his 100th in the MLS. He sits fourth overall in MLS history in goals scored with 99, 18 behind career leader Jamie Moreno.
While Carver is excited for the Jamaican-born forward, he also is wary that Cunningham doesn't become obsessed with scoring the goal.
"If he gets it, it's a fantastic achievement, but I hope he's not thinking about it because the team's more important than that 100th goal," Carver said.
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Caribbean Heat
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is looking to upset Canada in CONCACAF qualifiers
Jim Brennan openly admits it: he knows little about the St. Vincent and the Grenadines and even less about its national soccer team.
"I know they've got nice beaches, and the fishing is supposed to be good down there," Brennan told CBCSports.ca. "Nice golf courses, too. That's about it. To be honest, I don't know much about their team."
That's about to change.
The Toronto FC defender will get an up-close-and-personal look at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines team when Canada clashes with the Caribbean nation in the first round of the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.
Brennan and his teammates will be in Kingstown, the capital of the tiny island chain of roughly 120,000 inhabitants situated between Saint Lucia and Grenada, on Sunday for the opener of a two-game playoff. The return leg is June 20 in Montreal.
The winner of the series advances to the semifinal round of the CONCACAF qualifiers. The loser is eliminated and must wait another four years to try to qualify for the World Cup.
The stakes are high, and even though it appears to be a complete mismatch on paper - Canada is No. 60 in the current FIFA world rankings, while St. Vincent and the Grenadines comes in at No. 147 - Brennan doesn't expect it to be walkover.
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Canada's toughest battle is between the posts
Goalkeeping depth an 'embarrassment of riches' for Canadian men's soccer team
Dale Mitchell has some difficult decisions to make in the coming days.
What formation will he put on the field? Who will start at striker? How will he motivate his squad to play St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the 147th-ranked team in the world, after his side took No. 2 Brazil to the limit?
These are just some of the key questions Mitchell, head coach of the Canadian men's national soccer team, will have to answer as Canada prepares to take on St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sunday in the all-important first leg of its preliminary World Cup qualifying series.
But one of the most critical decisions Mitchell will have to make is in goal. The choice of a starting goalkeeper could be the difference between an expected semifinal berth and a crushing early exit from the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers.
Deep pool keeps goalies on edge
Mitchell has a plethora of quality goalkeepers at his disposal — an embarrassment of riches — that will make his decision that much harder.
Pat Onstad of Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo is the most experienced with 53 appearances for Canada. He started the vast majority of Canada's games during the qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup, and the Vancouver native was solid in Canada's recent 3-2 loss to Brazil.
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Canada can throw caution to the wind for qualifiers
Richard Starnes, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday, June 14, 2008
Soccer's eyes may be focused on Europe right now. After all, Euro 2008 is a massive event showcasing some of the world's greatest players and teams.
But it's not the World Cup and that's why my eyes will be staring firmly in another direction for a couple of days in the coming week.
There is more high-class Canadian soccer talent right now than in living memory and, starting in the Caribbean sunshine of St. Vincent tomorrow, that talent will take its first step toward the World Cup finals in South Africa in two years time.
It is a pivotal point in our soccer history; the moment when we can actually establish ourselves as a respectable international nation. And I, for one, have no intention of not watching every minute of it.The opening round of CONCACAF qualifiers has Canada playing home and away against St. Vincent & The Grenadines and, unusually, Canada is the overwhelming favourite.
The reasons are clear. Canada is ranked 60th in the world right now while Vincy Heat -- as the locals like to call this team -- clocks in at 147th. The island chain boasts maybe 120,000 people, which is hardly larger than Kanata. It has lost its last three games to Barbados, Cuba and Jamaica and its best player -- current Columbus Crew defender "EZ" Hendrickson -- quit playing for his country in January.
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SUNSHINE
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