Toronto to open Canadian defense on April 28

February 6, 2010

Toronto FC will begin defense of its Nutrilite Canadian Championship on April 28, hosting the Montreal Impact as it attempts to return to the CONCACAF Champions League.

Thursday’s release of the 2010 tournament schedule comes nearly a month after the U.S. Soccer Federation sanctioned a merged league between the United Soccer Leagues and the offshoot North American Soccer League, which cleared the way for the competition to go forward.

With the Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact breaking away from the second-division USL to join the NASL, neither league was in position to gain the USSF’s sanction.

Canadian Soccer Association General Secretary Peter Montopoli, however, was confident the third edition of the championship would go forward.

“The future of this competition was solid,” he said. “Certainly we had the right to play this competition no matter what the resolution would be, so this competition was moving forward. So in our mind it was really not in doubt.”

The three-team, six-game tournament will finish on June 2 with Toronto hosting Vancouver. The winner qualifies for the Preliminary Round of the Champions League, set to begin the final week of July.

“I’ve been in North America for over 20 years and been part of a U.S. (Open) Cup and in the U.S. Cup there’s not really much passion and just being here and hearing about the Canadian Cup there seems to be a lot on the line,” newly hired Toronto coach Preki said. “People are excited to watch the games and support the teams.”

This will be Vancouver’s final year to compete as a team from a second-division league. The club is set to join Toronto in Major League Soccer in 2011.

This year’s schedule has all the games played on six consecutive Wednesdays, a move intended to improve television audiences.

Montreal won the inaugural tournament, parlaying that success into a surprising run to the Champions League quarterfinals. Last year, Toronto FC captured the title, but was eliminated from the Champions League by the USL’s Puerto Rico Islanders in the Preliminary Round.

2010 Nutrilite Canadian Championship
Wednesday, April 28
Toronto FC vs. Montreal Impact
Wednesday, May 5
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Montreal Impact
Wednesday, May 12
Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC
Wednesday, May 19
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Toronto FC
Wednesday, May 26
Montreal Impact vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Wednesday, June 2
Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

TORONTO -

By Vijay Setlur

Tags: american soccer, canadian soccer association, champions league quarterfinals, concacaf champions league, game tournament, general secretary, inaugural tournament, Major League Soccer, Montreal, montreal impact, nasl, North American, north american soccer league, offshoot, Peter Montopoli, preki, Puerto Rico, secretary peter, soccer federation, television audiences, Toronto, toronto fc, U.S, U.S. Cup, U.S. Soccer, united soccer leagues, Vancouver, vancouver whitecaps, Vijay Setlur, Whitecaps

New North American league sets 2010 debut

November 11, 2009

A new seven-team North American professional soccer league will begin next April after several clubs withdrew from the United Soccer Leagues first division to begin a club owner-operated circuit.

The Vancouver Whitecaps, set to join the premier-level Major League Soccer in 2011, will be part of the as-yet-unnamed league in 2010 along with teams in Miami, Atlanta, Carolina, Montreal, Minnesota and St. Louis.

“We have united some of the best owners, teams and markets around a new vision for a professional soccer league in North America,” Montreal Impact president Joey Saputo told the Miami Herald.

Saputo, set to chair the new league’s board of governors, said in a statement released by his club that talks remained ongoing with United League officials but the new league had to move so it could seek approval from US and Canadian soccer officials to keep the breakaway option viable.

The circuit would be a division two level just as the United league, one step below MLS.

MIAMI (AFP)

Tags: Atlanta, breakaway, canadian soccer, Carolina, club owner, joey, league officials, Major League Soccer, Miami, miami herald, Minnesota, mls miami, Montreal, montreal impact, new vision, North America, North American, professional soccer league, s board, saputo, soccer officials, ST. LOUIS, U.S., united league, united soccer leagues, Vancouver, vancouver whitecaps

De Rosario scores three, Toronto beats Montreal 6-1 to clinch Champions League berth

June 19, 2009

MONTREAL – Dwayne De Rosario scored three goals and Toronto FC defeated the Montreal Impact 6-1 on Thursday to win the Nutlite Canadian Championship and a berth in next year’s CONCACAF Champions League.

Toronto, which had only won one game by four goals in its history, needed a four-goal victory at Montreal or hand the title to the second-division Vancouver Whitecaps and miss out on the Champions League for a second straight year.

Second-half substitute Chad Barrett headed home an Amado Guevara corner kick in the 82nd minute to put Toronto ahead 5-1 and score the decisive goal that gave Major League Soccer a fifth and the final entrant in the 24-team Champions League.

De Rosario’s three goals came in a 20-minute span and Honduran international Amado Guevara added a pair to edge the Whitecaps on goal difference for the title

“We showed tonight we’ve got something special building at the club,” interim Toronto coach Chris Cummins said. “We’re not going to rest on it, we’re really going to kick off from this.

“I thought we thoroughly deserved it on the night . . . people say we can’t take our chances. Tonight we’ve taken our chances.”

The Impact, last year’s Canadian representative and semifinalists in last season’s Champions League, opened the scoring in the 24th minute after striker Peter Byers was fouled by Toronto defender Nick Garcia setting up a penalty kick.

Tony Donatelli converted the spot kick with a calm right-footed stroke past Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei.

“When they scored I looked around to every guy and not one of them had their head down,” De Rosario said.

A steady rain and slippery conditions were less than ideal, creating loose footing and uneven bounces throughout the match.

De Rosario started Toronto’s push with a dramatic bicycle kick in the 29th. Montreal goalkeeper Srdjan Djekanovic punched away a Guevara corner kick, but De Rosario, with his back to goal, pounced on the rebound with a lunging scissors kick to the delight of their hundreds of traveling supporters who had made the six- hour drive from southern Ontario.

De Rosario next converted a Pablo Vitti cross at the top of the penalty area in the 39th, with his hard shot first deflecting off Montreal defender Elkana Mayard, then off the Montreal goal post and into the net giving Toronto a 2-1 lead.

Three minutes into the second half, De Rosario collected a through ball, raced into the penalty area and slotted the ball past Djekanovic at point-blank range.

In the 67th, Guevara closed the gap further, bending a free kick from just outside the penalty area over the wall and past Djekanovic to incease the lead to 4-1.

Barrett, who entered the game to start the second half in place of Vitti, then scored the title clincher and set up an insurance tally by Guevara in the 90th.

Barrett back-healed a cross into the path of Guevara, who volley the ball to complete the victory.

It was the second major unraveling for the Impact who also fell apart in injury time during the second leg of their Champions League semifinal loss to Santos Laguna in March

“When that happens twice, it’s because there’s a problem, there’s a big lack of character on our part . . . you have to honour the city and club and tonight these players didn’t,” said Impact coach Marc Dos Santos.

Toronto will host the Puerto Rico Islanders of the United Soccer Leagues First Division the Preliminary Round of the Champions League, on Tuesday, July 28 and then head to Bayamon, Puerto Rico on Tuesday, August 4 for the second leg.

The Impact were missing four starting defenders from their lineup with Adam Braz and Cedric Joqueviel ruled out of the match due to injury while centre-back Nevio Pizzolitto was given the night off by coach Marc Desantis and defender Zanzan was on international duty with Togo’s national team for a World Cup qualifier against Morocco.

Go to Source

Tags: Adam Braz, amado guevara, bicycle kick, canadian representative, Cedric Joqueviel, Chad, chris cummins, coach chris, concacaf champions league, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, corner kick, decisive goal, dwayne de rosario, goal victory, Major League Soccer, Marc Desantis, Marc Dos, minute span, Montreal, montreal impact, morocco, nick garcia, Pablo Vitti, Peter Byers, pounced, Puerto Rico, Santos, slippery conditions, southern Ontario, srdjan, Srdjan Djekanovic, steady rain, Stefan Frei, Togo, Tony Donatelli, Toronto, toronto fc, Vancouver, vancouver whitecaps

D.C. United-Chalatenango to open 2009-2010 CONCACAF Champions League

June 17, 2009

MIAMI – Returnee D.C. United will host El Salvador’s Chalatenango on Tuesday, July 28 to start the 2009-2010 CONCACAF Champions League, one of three Preliminary Round matches scheduled to open the tournament.

The Canadian champion, either the Vancouver Whitecaps or Toronto FC, will host the Puerto Rico Islanders and Guatemala’s Jalapa will be home against Pachuca of Mexico in later games. San Francisco FC of Panama will be home against San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad on Wednesday, July 29, with Liberia Mia of Costa Rica hosting Honduran side Real Espana later that day.

The schedule was announced at the second annual CONCACAF Champions League Summit at the Intercontinental West Miami hotel, a gathering of all 24 participating teams to acquaint them with the other clubs as well as the tournament’s rules, regulations, requirements and protocols.

The first leg will finish on Thursday, July 30, with W Connection of Trinidad hosting the New York Red Bulls, followed by Cruz Azul of Mexico at home against Costa Rica’s Herediano, and Olimpia of Honduras against Arabe Unido of Panama.

The second leg will begin a week later with the Puerto Rico Islanders at home against either Vancouver or Toronto, and Chalatenango facing D.C. United in El Salvador on Tuesday, August 4.

The following day, the New York Red Bulls will travel to Trinidad to play W Connection; Pachuca will play at Jalapa; and Hereidano will play Cruz Azul in Mexico City.

The Preliminary Round will conclude with Arabe Unido at home against Olimpia of Honduras, San Juan Jabloteh hosting San Francicso, and Real Espana welcoming Liberia. The winners will advance to the Group Stage, which will begin with the first round of games the week of August 18-20.

PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE
(All Times USA Eastern; home teams listed first)
(Provisional)

FIRST LEG
Tuesday, July 28
D.C. United (USA) vs. Chalatenango (SLV), 8 p.m.
Vancouver Whitecaps or Toronto FC (CAN) vs.
Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR), 10 p.m. Jalapa (GUA) vs. Pachuca (MEX), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, July 29
San Francisco (PAN) vs. San Juan Jabloteh, 8 p.m.
Liberia (CRC) vs. Real Espana (HON), 10 p.m.

Thursday, July 30
W Connection (TRI) vs. New York Red Bulls (USA), 8 p.m.
Cruz Azul (MEX) vs. Herediano (CRC), 10 p.m.
Olimpia (HON) vs. Arabe Unido (PAN), 10 p.m.

SECOND LEG
Tuesday, August 4
Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) vs. Vancouver or Toronto (CAN), 8 p.m.
Chalatenango (SLV) vs. D.C. United (USA), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, August 5
New York Red Bulls (USA) vs. W Connection (TRI), 8 p.m.
Pachuca (MEX) vs. Jalapa (GUA), 8 p.m.
Herediano (CRC) vs. Cruz Azul (MEX), 10 p.m.

Thursday, August 6
Arabe Unido (PAN) vs. Olimpia (HON), 8 p.m.
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. San Francisco (PAN), 8 p.m.
Real Espana (HON) vs. Liberia (CRC), 10 p.m.

Go to Source

Tags: canadian champion, chalatenango, concacaf champions league, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, Costa Rica, cruz azul, d c united, D.C., El Salvador, group stage, Guatemala, herediano, Honduras, Intercontinental, jalapa, Liberia, Mexico, mexico city, Miami, miami hotel, New York, new york red bulls, olimpia, pachuca, Panama, Puerto Rico, puerto rico islanders, San, san francicso, San Francisco, san juan, san juan jabloteh, slv, Toronto, toronto fc, Tri, Trinidad, USA, Vancouver, vancouver whitecaps, W. Connection, west miami

Jalapa, San Francisco claim Champions League berths; One berth remains undecided

June 16, 2009

NEW YORK – Guatemala’s Jalapa and San Francisco FC of Panama claimed their berths in next seasons’ CONCACAF Champions League, leaving only one place still open in the 24-team field.

Either the Vancouver Whitecaps or Toronto FC will claim the final spot on Wednesday, when Toronto hosts the Montreal Impact needing a four-goal victory to win the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and a berth in the Champions League.

Jalapa defeated Municipal 3-1 on Sunday to complete a 1-0 aggregate victory and claim the Clausura crown, joining Comunicaciones in the Champions League from Guatemala. Comunicaciones will be seeded directly into the Group Stage, while Jalapa will play Pachuca in the Preliminary Round.

San Francisco FC returned to the Champions League for a second straight year, prevailing over Chorrillo 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw on Saturday to win Panama’s Apertura and claim its berth. It joins Arabe Unido from Panama in the Preliminary Round. San Francisco will play San Juan Jabloteh in the two-leg playoff, while Arabe Unido will face Olimpia of Honduras.

Go to Source

Tags: aggregate victory, apertura, berth, berths, concacaf, concacaf champions league, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, goal victory, group stage, Guatemala, Honduras, Jabloteh, jalapa, Montreal, montreal impact, New York, Panama, penalty kicks, San Francisco, san juan, san juan jabloteh, Toronto, toronto fc, Vancouver, vancouver whitecaps

Champions League Draw sets Preliminary Round pairings, determines four-team groups

June 12, 2009

NEW YORK – Last season’s runner-up Cruz Azul will face Costa Rica’s Herediano in the Preliminary Round of the 2009-2010 CONCACAF Champions League, one of eight pairings established in Thursday’s draw.

Fellow Mexican side Pachuca, the 2008 CONCACAF Champions Cup winner, will take on the No. 2 team from Guatemala (either Comunicaciones or Jalapa), while the New York Red Bulls will play W Connection of Trinidad, and D.C. United will face off against Chalatenango of El Salvador.

The full schedule and order of matches will be announced later when the last qualifiers are confirmed and the schedule makers can accommodate the various league fixtures, schedule conflicts and commercial considerations. Three places remain undecided: the second berths from Panama and Guatemala as well as the Canadian spot.

The last spots from Panama and Guatemala will be decided by Sunday, while Canada’s berth has been reduced to Toronto FC or the Vancouver Whitecaps. That place will be determined Wednesday.

Other Preliminary Round pairings include the top Panamanian side (either Arabe Unido or San Francisco) against San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad; Olimpia of Honduras against the No. 2 Panamanian club (either Arabe Unido or Chorrillo); Liberia of Costa Rica against Real Espana of Honduras; and the Canadian championship winner against the Puerto Rico Islanders.

“With a core group of retuning teams, the addition of more than 50 percent of new clubs will guarantee many surprises and a lot of excitement,” CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said.

The draw also allocated the eight seeded teams into four, four-team group for the second phase, and placed them with the winners from the Preliminary Round.

The Houston Dynamo, a quarterfinalist last season, will head Group A with Metapan of El Salvador, the winner of the Pachuca-Guatemala pairing and the winner between Olimpia and its Panamanian opponent.

Group B will include Mexican Apertura champion Toluca along with Marathon of Honduras, also a quarterfinalist last season, either D.C. United or Chalatenango, and the winner between San Juan Jabloteh and its Panamanian foe.

The USA champion Columbus Crew will be in Group C with Saprissa of Costa Rica, either Cruz Azul or Heridiano, and the winner between the Canadian champion and the Puerto Rico Islanders. The last quartet, Group D, will consist of Mexican Clausura champion Pumas, the top-seeded team from Guatemala (either Comunicaciones or Municipal), the New York Red Bulls-W Connection winner and either Liberia or Real Espana.

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Arabe Unido-San Francisco (PAN) vs. San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)
Pachuca (MEX) vs. Comunicaciones-Jalapa (GUA)
New York Red Bulls (USA) vs. W Connection (TRI)
Olimpia (HON) vs. Arabe Unido/Chorrillo (PAN)
Cruz Azul (MEX) vs. Herediano (CRC)
D.C. United (USA) vs. Chalatenango (SLV)
Liberia (CRC) vs. Real Espana (HON)
Vancouver Whitecaps/Toronto FC (CAN) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)

GROUP STAGE
Group A
Houston Dynamo (USA)
Metapan (SLV)
Pachuca (MEX)-Guatemala No. 2 (Comunicaciones or Jalapa)
Olimpia-Panama No. 2 (Arabe Unido or Chorrillo)

Group B
Toluca (MEX)
Marathon (HON)
D.C. United (USA)-Chalatenango (SLV)
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)-Panama No. 1 (Arabe Unido or San Francisco FC)

Group C
Columbus Crew (USA)
Saprissa (CRC)
Cruz Azul (MEX)-Herediano (CRC)
Canada No. 1 (Toronto FC or Vancouver Whitecaps)-Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)

Group D
Pumas UNAM (MEX)
Comunicaciones or Municipal (GUA)
New York Red Bulls (USA)-W Connection (TRI)
Liberia (CRC)-Real Espana (HON)

Go to Source

Tags: arabe unido, B., Canada, chalatenango, championship winner, Chuck Blazer, commercial considerations, concacaf champions league, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, Costa Rica, cruz azul, cup winner, D, D.C., El Salvador, Guatemala, herediano, Honduras, Houston, houston dynamo, jalapa, Liberia, metapan, new clubs, New York, new york red bulls, Panama, Puerto Rico, puerto rico islanders, Real, San Francisco, san juan, san juan jabloteh, schedule conflicts, team group, toronto fc, Tri, Trinidad, Unido, USA, Vancouver, W. Connection

Teams to learn CONCACAF Champions League fate in Thursday’s draw

June 11, 2009

NEW YORK – Teams will learn their CONCACAF Champions League fate Thursday when the draw will set the Preliminary Round pairings and allocate the sides for the Group Stage.

Eight teams will be seeded directly into the Group Stage: Toluca and Pumas UNAM from Mexico, the Columbus Crew and Houston Dynamo from the United States, Costa Rica’s Saprissa, Marathon of Honduras, Isidro Metapan from El Salvador and either Comunicaciones or Municipal of Guatemala.

The other 16 teams will be entered in the Preliminary Round draw. Teams in Pot A: Cruz Azul and Pachuca from Mexico, the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United from the United States, either Vancouver or Toronto from Canada, Olimpia of Honduras, Liberia of Costa Rica and Arabe Unido or the Panamanian Apertura champion, will be drawn against the teams in Pot B: Chalatenango of El Salvador, Real Espana of Honduras, Herediano of Costa Rica, the Puerto Rico Islanders, Trinidadian sides W Connection and San Juan Jabloteh and the No. 2 teams from Panama and Guatemala.

No team will be pitted against another team from the same country, except for potentially the third-placed teams from Honduras and Costa Rica, for the two legs scheduled to be played July 28-30 and August 4-6. Honduras and Costa Rica received a third berth due to the forfeiture of places by Belize and Nicaragua because of inadequate stadia and their third teams will be considered wildcards for the purpose of the draw.

CONCACAF Deputy General Secretary Italo Zanzi will conduct the draw with the assistance of Mary Lynn Blanks at the confederation’s headquarters in New York City. The draw will be recorded at the CONCACAF’s Trump Tower television studio and be available for viewing later Thursday at CONCACAF.com.

After the Preliminary Round is set, a second draw will be conducted to establish the groups, once more using the principle that no two teams from the same country will be placed in the same group with the exception of Costa Rica and Honduras.

The Group Stage will begin the week of September 18 and continue for six rounds, finishing on October 22. Two teams from each group will qualify for the Championship Round, and will learn their path through the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals in a subsequent draw to be held later this year.

Three berths remain undecided in the 24-team field: Canada’s lone berth as well as the second berths from Guatemala and Panama. Although Comunicaciones has claimed one of Guatemala’s berths, it still is awaiting to learn if it will be seeded directly into the Group Stage or be forced into the Preliminary Round.

Preliminary Round Seedings
Pot A
Cruz Azul (MEX), Pachuca (MEX), New York Red Bulls (USA), D.C. United (USA), Vancouver Whitecaps or Toronto (CAN), Olimpia (HON), Liberia (CRC), Arabe Unido or Apertura champion (PAN)
Pot B
Arabe Unido or Apertura champion (PAN), Comunicaciones or Jalapa (GUA), Chalatenango (SLV), Real Espana (HON), Herediano (CRC), W Connection (TRI), Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR), San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)

Group Stage Seedings
Toluca (MEX), Pumas UNAM (MEX) Columbus Crew (USA), Houston Dynamo (USA), Saprissa (CRC), Marathon (HON), Comunicaciones or Municipal (GUA), Metapan (SLV)

Go to Source

Tags: Arabe, arabe unido, B., Belize, Canada, chalatenango, columbus crew, concacaf champions league, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, Costa Rica, cruz azul, D.C., deputy general, El Salvador, group stage, Guatemala, herediano, Honduras, Houston, houston dynamo, isidro metapan, italo zanzi, Liberia, Mary Lynn Blanks, Mexico, New York, new york city, new york red bulls, Nicaragua, pachuca, Panama, Puerto Rico, puerto rico islanders, san juan, san juan jabloteh, saprissa, television studio, Toronto, Tri, trump tower, two legs, United States, Vancouver, W. Connection, Whitecaps

Vancouver beats Toronto 2-0 to close on Canadian title, Champions League berth

June 3, 2009

BURNABY, British Columbia — Ansu Toure;s first career goals for Vancouver gave the Whitecaps a 2-0 victory over Toronto FC on Tuesday, sending the Nutrilite Canadian Championship to the final game to decide the title.

Toronto needed just a point to claim its first Canadian Championship, but the result put Vancouver atop the three-team competition with nine points. Toronto remained with six and one game left against already eliminated Montreal on June 18. Vancouver has no games remaining.

Toronto must beat Montreal by four goals in or Vancouver will win the title and represent Canada in the CONCACAF Champions League.

“We are not through yet,” Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarsson said. “But if it ends up with us going through then I’m just delighted.

“If we manage to stay in the tournament, if we go through that will give us an opportunity to keep the team together for the whole winter and that is something different than what we have been doing.”

Toronto was without Marvell Wynne and Amado Guevara, who were both away on international duty, as well as regular goalkeeper Stefan Frei, who was injured.

Vancouver was without captain Martin Nash, who was suspended after picking up his second yellow card against Montreal on May 27. Defender Wesley Charles took the captain’s armband in his place.

Toure’s first goal came in the 31st minute after he tucked a first time shot from the left side past TFC keeper Greg Sutton.

The play started when Marcus Haber headed a ball down to Wes Knight on the right side. Knight’s shot was punched by Sutton, but the ball landed at the feet of an unmarked Toure and he scored into an open net to the delight of the capacity crowd of 5,688.

Toronto nearly replied in the 38th minute. Pablo Vitti played Dwayne De Rosario through alone on Vancouver keeper Jay Nolly. De Rosario’s chip beat Nolly but a scrambling Lyle Martin cleared the ball off the line.

Their roles were reversed in the 41st minute. This time, De Rosario played Vitti in on the right hand side but his screamer struck the upright to Nolly’s left.

Toronto came out in the second half the way they finished the first. De Rosario had a free kick on the right side and his cross found Chad Barrett six yards in front of the goal, but his free header went into Nolly’s arms.

Vancouver avoided another equalizer in the 76th minute. Danny Dichio headed a long cross to an onrushing Sam Cronin, but Jeff Parke deflected his shot over the bar.

Despite coming close time and again, Toronto interim head coach Chris Cummins was blunt when assessing his team’s play.

“I’ve got to say it as I see it; I’m not going to gloss over things,” Cummins said. “The better team won on the night, no doubt about it. I’ve got to question (our) hunger, desire, passion, willingness to want to learn and win, and I’ve got to say Vancouver had that and we never did.

“We’ve had chances again. If you’re not clinical in front of goal, you’re not going to get anything. We’ve had chances, we haven’t played well. We could have played shockingly and won and I’d have been happy.”

Toure’s second came in the 82nd minute. Charles Gbeke found Toure just inside the penalty area, and his stunning strike snuck into the top corner to Sutton’s left.

“Toronto is a good team,” Toure said. “To score two goals against Toronto, that means so much to me. So I’m very happy for my team.”

Toronto defender Kevin Harmse, who scored in the opening game against Vancouver, picked up his second yellow card of the tournament. He will miss the final game in Montreal.

By Gavin Day

Go to Source

Tags: Amado, amado guevara, ansu toure, British Columbia, burnaby british columbia, Canada, capacity crowd, captain Martin Nash, career goals, Chad, Charles Gbeke, chris cummins, concacaf champions league, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, Danny Dichio, dwayne de rosario, Greg Sutton, head coach, jay nolly, jeff parke, kevin harmse, Lyle Martin, Marcus Haber, martin nash, Montreal, Pablo Vitti, Stefan Frei, sutton, team competition, Toronto, toronto fc, Vancouver, vitti, wes, Wes Knight, Wesley Charles, Whitecaps, Wynne, yellow card

Vancouver boosts Canadian title hopes with 1-0 win; Montreal eliminated from Champions League return

May 28, 2009

BURNABY, British Columbia — The Vancouver Whitecaps ended the Montreal Impact’s hopes of repeating as Nutrilite Canadian champions Wednesday night, winning 1-0 on 18-year-old Ethan Gage’s first career goal for the Whitecaps midway through the second half.

Montreal played without several injured first-team regulars injured and defender Nevio Pizzolitto, who was suspended for accumulated yellow cards.

“They scored, we didn’t. That was the story of the two games,” Montreal coach Marco Dos Santos said. “Last year it was Montreal winning. This year it will be Toronto or Vancouver and I wish them the very best.”

The victory gave Vancouver six points and moved it into a tie atop the three-team standings with Toronto FC, which has played one less game. It also sets up a battle for first place when Toronto FC visits Vancouver on June 2. The Canadian champion earns a berth in next season’s CONCACAF Champions League, which begins July 28.

“I’m very happy with what I saw from the team,” Vancouver coach Tietur Thordarsson said. “We have our destiny in our own hands. We have to come out and play against Toronto.”

Wednesday’s game was the opposite of last week’s match in Montreal, where the Impact controlled possession but were unable to capitalize. In contrast to a week ago, the Whitecaps outshot the Impact 6-2 in the first half in front of a near capacity crowd of 5,134 at Swangard Stadium.

Vancouver’s passing created both space and attacking opportunities, while the Impact could only muster a scattering of chances on the counter-attack.

Just before the 10- minute mark, Vancouver midfielder Justin Moose swung a cross in from the right side that was met by Charles Gbeke. But his first time shot was deflected over Matt Jordan’s crossbar in the Montreal goal.

Jordan kept Montreal in the game early in the second half, stopping a 55th-minute penalty by Gbeke.

“Pretty much every time in training he was hitting them,” Thordarsson said. “It was a little bit unfortunate that he missed this one.”

Vancouver’s penalty was created when Adam Braz fouled Gbeke at the penalty spot. Jordan dived to his left to parry Gbeke’s poorly taken penalty, and Justin Moose’s follow sailed over the bar.

Vancouver’s goal came in the 67th minute after Montreal striker Eduardo Sebrango tried to clear a Marcus Haber flick into the box. The clearance only came as far as Gage, who drove a low right-footed ball into the left corner.

“It was the biggest goal of my career so far,” said a smiling Gage.

Montreal nearly equalized in the 88th minute, but Vancouver keeper Jay Nolly made two point-blank saves to thwart Amadou Gai and Sebrango.

Sebrango was looking for a goal in his first game back in Vancouver, and also to honor his father, who was celebrating his 65th birthday and is battling cancer.

The result left Montreal, which reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League this past season, at the bottom of the table with no points after three games. It needed a win to keep any hope alive of retaining the Voyageurs Cup.

Whitecaps captain Martin Nash will miss the game against Toronto after he picked up his second yellow card of the tournament in the first half.

By Gavin Day

Go to Source

Tags: Adam Braz, berth, British Columbia, burnaby british columbia, canadian champion, canadian champions, capacity crowd, captain Martin Nash, career goal, Charles Gbeke, concacaf champions league, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, crossbar, Eduardo Sebrango, Ethan Gage, Gavin Day, jay nolly, Justin Moose, Marcus Haber, Matt Jordan, midfielder, Montreal, montreal impact, moose, regulars, Santos, six points, Swangard Stadium, tietur, Toronto, toronto fc, two games, Vancouver, vancouver whitecaps, yellow cards

Three more teams claim places in Champions League field

May 27, 2009

NEW YORK – Three more teams joined the field for next season’s CONCACAF Champions League, with Pachuca and Pumas reaching the Mexican Clausura finals to qualify, and Aguila claiming El Salvador’s second berth by finishing with the second most points over the Central American league’s two seasons.

If Real Esteli’s stadium meets CONCACAF standards and is approved later this week, only four places will remain unclaimed in the 24-team field for the tournament which begins with the first leg of the Preliminary Round on July 28.

Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama each have one berth open as well as Canada, which last week reached the midpoint of its six-round championship tournament between the Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Costa Rica’s second berth was to be decided Tuesday night in the second leg of that country’s final between Herediano and Liberia.

Pachuca advanced past Indios 4-3 on aggregate in their Mexican Clausura semifinal while Pumas reached the two-leg championship after drawing with Puebla on aggregate but advancing due a better regular-season record. Pumas joins Cruz Azul as the two Mexican returnees from the inaugural Champions League.

While only a handful of berths are undecided, many of the seedings for the Champions League have yet to be determined. Toluca already has earned one of Mexico’s places in the Group Stage as the Apertura champion and will be accompanied by the winner between Pachuca and Pumas.

Major League Soccer champion Columbus will enter along with the Houston Dynamo as the United States’ two qualifiers to the Group Stage, while El Salvador’s Metapan and Honduras’ Marathon also have clinched places in the 16-team league phase.

Besides the Mexican berth, Costa Rica and Guatemala also have yet to determine which teams will go directly to the Group Stage and which will be required to enter the Preliminary Round.

The Preliminary Round will be contested in a two-leg format between 16 teams, with the winners on aggregate joining the eight seeded sides for the Group Stage — which will begin August 18.

Go to Source