Vancouver’s TEAM 1410 Announces On-Air Team for Vancouver Whitecaps FC Matches

– Peter Schaad, Paul Dolan, Joey Kenward, Scott Rintoul, Tyler Green and Mike Martignago compose on-air team for Vancouver Whitecaps FC Matches –

Vancouver, BC (February 28, 2011) –The on-air team for Vancouver Whitecaps FC matches on Vancouver’s TEAM 1410 was announced today. Peter Schaad is on board for play-by-play, Paul Dolan will provide colour commentary, Joey Kenward and Scott Rintoul are Match Day Hosts, and Tyler Green and Mike Martignago are Match Day Reporters.

As previously announced, TEAM 1410 is the home of all 34 regular season matches, all playoff games, and all international “friendly” matches, kicking off with the club’s MLS debut at Empire Field against Toronto FC on Saturday, March 19.

“TEAM 1410’s broadcast will be the most dedicated in Major League Soccer,” said James Stuart, Vice-President and General Manager, CHUM Radio Vancouver. “These guys have all been around the game for ages and are all extremely qualified to deliver major league broadcasts.”

“The partnership with TEAM is one we’re very excited about,” said Paul Barber, Chief Executive Officer, Whitecaps FC. “We’re going to deliver top-level soccer to a huge fan base with the help of TEAM 1410; and with Peter and Paul and the rest of TEAM 1410 on board, the broadcasts are sure to be top-level too.”

Peter Schaad's broadcasting career has spanned 22-years including his most recent stint as drive host on 100.5 the PEAK. The 41-year-old's ultimate career goal was to one day be play-by-play voice of Whitecaps FC at the top level in North America, and he has been providing commentary for the club since 2002. Vancouver, born and raised, Schaad has been involved in soccer at all levels including player, referee, coach and director at various clubs in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

Paul Dolan, has signed on with TEAM 1410 to provide colour commentary for Vancouver Whitecaps FC matches. Originally from Ottawa, Dolan is a former Canadian Soccer League and national team goalkeeper. At the club level, Dolan played 10 seasons with Vancouver (then known as the 86ers) and is the club's all-time leader in goalkeeping appearances (223) and victories (126). Internationally, Dolan earned 53 caps and has represented Canada in 15 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and four World Cup qualifying campaigns. In 1986, he was the youngest goalkeeper to play in a World Cup match when Canada played France in Mexico. Post playing, Dolan has continued his career as the CSA Goalkeeper Coach and was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004.

Match Day including pre-game, half-time and post-game is hosted by Joey Kenward. Outside his professional life as a broadcaster, Kenward is a locally respected and highly regarded soccer official. Other featured hosts include Scott Rintoul who is already a familiar voice on Vancouver radio as a part of the SCOTTY AND RAY morning show on TEAM 1040.

Match Day reporters will feature Tyler Green and Mike Martignago both from TEAM 1040’s FULL TIME: VANCOUVER’S SOCCER SHOW. Green and Martinago will be on hand at the Matches to deliver player and coach interviews, expert guest analysis, and news from the field.

Full Time Podcast - February 27, 2011

Full Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show has a new podcast up. Information here!

You can also subscribe to Full Time on iTunes. Click here!

Another Whitecaps heavy show features interviews with St. Johnstone forward Marcus Haber. He talks about his injury as well as the possibility of returning to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The Whitecaps audio continues as Tyler Green managed to catch up with Coach Teitur Thordarsson, Russel Teibert & Wes Knight!

Marc Rizzardo of Metrotown Physio joins the program once again to diagnose all the injuries from the world of soccer.

Also, a full recap of all the action in Europe including EPL, Serie A, La Liga & German Bundesliga!

You can follow Full Time on Twitter & Facebook as well!

Full Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show airs every Sunday night. 9p-11p. Only on TEAM 1040 Sports Radio!

Canada U-17 wins silver

Canada won a silver medal at the 2011 CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Canada finished in second place after falling 0:3 after extra time against USA in the championship final. The championship final was played at Catherine Hall Park.

The second-place finish represents Canada's highest finish ever at the CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship. In the match for third place, Panama won 1:0 over host Jamaica. The top four teams - USA, Canada, Panama and Jamaica - all qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011.

"I'm very proud of our team," said Canadian U-17 head coach Sean Fleming. "We have a great group of guys and they will work very hard towards the FIFA U-17 World Cup."

Four days before the final, Canada qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fifth time in Association history. The FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 runs this 18 June to 10 July.

Canada advances to CONCACAF U-17 Final

Canada earned a place in the final of the CONCACAF Men’s U-17 Championship with a hard fought 1:0 victory over Panama on Friday. The young Canucks got off to a quick start through Luca Gasparotto’s eighth minute header and held off a strong Panama squad to win its semi-final match in extremely hot conditions at Catherine Hall Park in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Canada will now face the winner of the second semi-final, which features the United States facing hosts Jamaica, in Sunday’s championship final (19.00 ET / 16.00 PT – CONCACAF.com).

“We’ll take the result, we’re very happy to have reached the final,” said head coach Sean Fleming. “We have to give them credit, Panama is an excellent team. I am very happy with the way the boys battled through the match. We know we have to be better. We have to have confidence to play on the ball again.”

Having successfully accomplished its goal of qualifying for the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup Mexico 2011 via its quarter-final victory over Trinidad and Tobago two days earlier, the Canadian squad turned its focus to winning its first ever CONCACAF Men’s U-17 Championship beginning with Panama in the semi-final stage.

Canada made a bright start to the match as Michael Petrasso picked up right where he had left off against Trinidad and Tobago by making decisive attacking runs down the Canadian left flank. It was a run from Petrasso that led to the corner kick which resulted in the opening goal for Canada.

The eighth minute corner kick by Samuel Piette was driven hard across the face of goal to the back post where Gasparotto climbed well to powerfully head home from inside the six yard box. The goal was the first of the competition for the Canadian centre back.

Despite showing flashes of individual brilliance, Canada struggled to re-create the team passing and movement that it displayed in an impressive performance in the quarter-final win over Trinidad and Tobago. For its part, Panama worked hard all over the pitch to close down the Canadian attack.

Canada had two excellent chances to extend its lead before the half time break. Following some excellent build-up play in the 37th minute, Captain Bryce Alderson chipped a deft lob over the Panama defence into the path of Keven Aleman, but the ball skipped on Aleman at the last moment and the chance was gone.

Two minutes later a low drive fell kindly to Sali Jalali 10 yards out from the Panama goal, but his quick shot was well blocked away by the defence.

Panama was the clear aggressor for much of the second half as the tiring Canadian legs and minds invited the Panama attackers to attack in numbers.

The skilled Panama attack came close to scoring the equalizer, hitting the post twice with long range efforts but the well organized Canadian defence, expertly marshalled by Maxime Crépeau in goal, held firm throughout the second half to preserve the victory.

For the quarter-final match, Canada's starting XI featured Maxime Crépeau in goal, Marco Lapenna at left back, Daniel Stanese and Luca Gasparotto at centre back, Parker Seymour at right back, and Bryce Alderson, Samuel Piette, Michael Petrasso, Chris Nanco, Keven Aleman and Sali Jalali from midfield up through to the attack.

Canada made three substitutions in the second half, replacing Jalali, Nanco, and Aleman for Jordan Hamilton (56th minute), Wesley Cain (66th minute), and Shadrack Mmunga (90th minute).

Sounders FC Announces Details for Cascadia Summit

Limited tickets are still available for pre-season matches
RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Sounders FC announced today details for the Cascadia Summit, which will take place Friday, March 4 through Sunday, March 6, at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash.

The Summit opens up with Sounders FC taking on Portland at 7:30 p.m. PT on Friday, March 4. On Saturday, the Timbers and Whitecaps FC kick off at 4 p.m. PT. The weekend activities conclude on Sunday with the Sounders FC versus Whitecaps FC at 3 p.m. PT.

Limited tickets are available for the Timbers-Whitecaps FC and the Sounders FC-Whitecaps FC matches. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at SoundersFC.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. The March 4 match is sold-out. All matches will have designated seating sections for supporters and fans.

The teams will host a non-ticketed Supporters Summit and Coaches Forum on Saturday, March 5, moderated by Sounders FC broadcaster Arlo White. The Supporters Summit will be held from 12-1 p.m. and feature representatives from the supporters groups from all three teams. The forum will follow from 1-2 p.m. and include the head coaches from all three teams sharing their perspectives on the rivalry followed by a question and answer session. Both events will be held at the Starfire Sports Stadium.

Another non-ticketed event will be the match between the Sounders FC Academy U18 and the Whitecaps FC residency team which will take place on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. The stadium will be cleared immediately afterward in preparation for the Sounders FC-Whitecaps FC match.

Parking will be available for fans at the Starfire Sports Complex for $10.

Sounders FC open the MLS season on March 15 by hosting the L.A. Galaxy in First Kick 2011 on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT. For 2011 season tickets visit www.SoundersFC.com or call 877-MLS-GOAL.

For more information visit www.SoundersFC.com.


2011 Cascadia Summit
Schedule of Events
Starfire Sports Complex Stadium
14800 Starfire Way, Tukwila, Washington

Friday, March 4

5:30 p.m. Gates open

7:00 p.m. Opening ceremonies

7:30 p.m. Seattle Sounders FC v Portland Timbers (Sold out)


Saturday, March 5

11:30 a.m. Gates open

Noon Supporters Summit

1:00 p.m. Coaches Forum

2:00 p.m. Stadium to be cleared

2:30 p.m. Gates open

4:00 p.m. Portland Timbers v Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Limited tickets available)


Sunday, March 6

11:00 a.m. Gates open

11:30 a.m. Sounders FC Academy U18 v Whitecaps FC Residency

1:15 p.m. Stadium to be cleared

1:30 p.m. Gates open

3:00 p.m. Seattle Sounders FC v Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Limited tickets available)

SPORTSNET RADIO THE FAN 590 RETURNS AS OFFICIAL RADIO BROADCASTER OF TORONTO FC

Toronto FC announced Thursday that Sportsnet Radio The FAN 590 will be returning for its third season as the club’s official radio broadcaster during the 2011 season.

“Our relationship with Sportsnet Radio The FAN 590 and our Toronto FC property will help us in bringing to life an exciting new era of Major League Soccer in Toronto,” said Chris Hebb, senior vice-president, broadcast and content, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). “We look forward to their coverage of the season that is only weeks away.”

The team of Dan Dunleavy and former Canadian international defender Bob Iarusci return to provide commentary and analysis this season. The FAN 590 will broadcast 18 games live on the radio with the remainder available live online at fan590.com.

“Sportsnet Radio The FAN 590 is thrilled to once again be associated with MLSE and Toronto FC. The FAN 590 has built a strong relationship with the club over the years and Toronto soccer fans have come to know The FAN 590 as their source for not only the play by play of the games but news about the team,” said Don Kollins, Program Director, Sportsnet Radio, The Fan 590.

The Fan 590’s coverage begins on Saturday, March 19 when Toronto FC will open the season in Vancouver against the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps FC, in the first ever MLS league match between Canadian clubs.

2011 MLS Playoff Format

10 of 18 teams will advance to MLS playoffs this fall

NEW YORK -- The top three teams in each of Major League Soccer's two conferences will be joined in the playoffs this fall by the next four teams with the highest point totals.
The playoffs expand by two teams this year to 10 with the league increasing to 18 teams with the addition of the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps.
Last year, the playoffs include the two conference champions and the next six teams.
The playoff expansion was announced last fall, with the format announced Wednesday.
The four teams not guaranteed automatic berths from their conference will play one-match knockout games hosted by higher seeds. The winners advance to the home-and-home, total-goals conference semifinals. The conference finals will remain one-match knockout games, as will the MLS Cup.

BMO FIELD, MLSE DELIVERS FINANCIAL RETURN TO CITY OF TORONTO

Strong financial results for four consecutive years at Canada’s only soccer specific stadium benefits City of Toronto

As BMO Field prepares for its fifth anniversary season, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) announced the stadium’s business results for the year ending December 31, 2010.

BMO Field, home of Major League Soccer's Toronto FC and Canada's National Soccer teams, realized an operating profit of $641,000 in 2010, exceeding its initial profit estimates by $241,000. The operating profit will be shared between the City of Toronto and MLSE in accordance with their operating agreement. Since BMO Field opened, MLSE has returned more than $1.2 million of stadium profits back to the City of Toronto.

“Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has done a wonderful job in managing BMO Field for the City of Toronto,” said Chair of the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place, Mark Grimes. “BMO Field is a great stadium and city attraction. It continues to be a leading edge model for public-private partnerships that other North American cities and municipalities look to very closely when considering similar stadium projects.”

"BMO Field is a terrific example of how a private sector company like Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment can contribute to economic development and city building in a manner that supports sport development for all Torontonians,” said Bob Hunter, MLSE’s executive vice-president of venues and entertainment. “As we enter the stadium’s fifth season, we are looking forward to the continued success of our venue."

Built in 468 days, on time and on budget ($62.9 million), BMO Field is a successful result of a public-private partnership with three levels of government — the Federal Government, Province of Ontario, City of Toronto — and MLSE. All four parties financially contributed to the cost of building the stadium.

The facility has welcomed close to 1.7 million guests at 117 events since April 2007. The venue has hosted a number of events including Toronto FC and Canadian National home games, the FIFA Under 20 World Cup tournament, the Genesis reunion concert, the 2008 MLS All-Star Game and most recently the 2010 MLS Cup Championship.

“Having a dedicated soccer facility continues to be pivotal in shaping and developing soccer in Canada. Besides serving the needs of our professional and national teams, BMO Field has also served the community with local programming for children, youth and adult soccer leagues,” said Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. “MLSE looks forward to making future investments in soccer facilities and infrastructure that will further develop our sport.”

In 2010, MLSE invested $5.5 million to replace the Field Turf at BMO Field with a natural grass field and upgrade Allan Lamport Stadium with a winter bubble, making it a year-round community facility. This investment resulted in additional revenue for the City and more than 2,500 hours available for community sport-use at BMO Field and Lamport Stadium.

Toronto FC begins its fifth anniversary season at BMO Field on Saturday, March 26 against Major League Soccer’s newest expansion team the Portland Timbers. Kick off is at 2 p.m.

TORONTO FC ANNOUNCES NEW ROLES FOR TEAM STAFF

Toronto FC announced Wednesday that former players Jimmy Brennan and Danny Dichio will be taking on new roles with the club’s Academy. Dichio becomes Head Coach of Toronto FC’s Senior Academy Team and Brennan will take charge of the Junior Academy Team.
“This is a great opportunity for Jimmy and Danny to grow as coaches and also play a significant role in developing the young talent at our club,” said Toronto FC Head Coach and Technical Director Aron Winter. “The Academy has a vital role to play in this club so these positions are very important. We want all of the teams throughout the club to play the same way so that we can develop young players who know how to play the Toronto FC style.”
Dichio and Brennan have been with the club since the inaugural season in 2007 and were the first two inductees on Toronto FC’s Wall of Honour last year. Dichio, 36, moved across the Atlantic to join Toronto FC after a long career in Europe and scored the first goal in the club’s history on May 12, 2007. He retired from playing in September 2009 having scored 14 goals in 59 MLS appearances for Toronto.
“I am very excited about being given the chance to coach my own team and bring through the next set of kids,” said Dichio. “Stuart Neely and Jason Bent have done a fantastic job so far and I am just looking to continue that trend. Toronto FC is moving forward in the right direction with a system and philosophy that runs throughout the club. Part of my role is to make sure every player knows his position within the team so that when they reach the First Team, they are familiar with the way they need to play.”

Brennan, 33, served as the team’s Assistant General Manager last season following his retirement as a player on April 6, 2010. He became the first ever player to join Toronto FC when he signed with the club on September 8, 2006 and held the role of team captain from the inaugural season through until his retirement. The Toronto born defender also had an accomplished international career with Canada and was part of the Gold Cup winning squad in 2000.

“This is a great opportunity for me to be on the pitch every day working with the young players,” said Brennan. “The Academy is very important for this club and we will be working very closely with the First Team staff as we look to develop the types of players that fit into Toronto FC’s style of play. It is our job to help produce players, and that is an exciting challenge.”

Toronto FC also announced Wednesday that Nick Dasovic has been named the club’s North American Scout. Dasovic, 42, has been part of Toronto FC’s team staff since 2008 when he joined the club as Academy Head Coach and First Team Assistant Coach. Prior to joining Toronto FC, he spent five years with the Canadian National Team program.

As part of his role, Dasovic will keep a close watch on college tournaments and matches. As well as scouting in North America, he will also attend youth tournaments in other areas of the world and has just returned from the CONCACAF Under 17 World Cup Qualifying tournament in Jamaica.

Canada wins quarter final & qualifies for FIFA U-17 World Cup

Canada booked its ticket to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 on Wednesday with a 2:0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in the quarter-final stage of the 2011 CONCACAF Men’s U-17 Championship in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Chris Nanco opened the scoring in the 15th minute and Keven Aleman scored a wonderful strike four minutes later to provide Canada with the decisive goals in the match.

With four teams qualifying for Mexico 2011 from the CONCACAF Championship, Canada entered the quarter-final match with the knowledge that a victory over its Caribbean opponent was all that was standing between it and a berth on the World stage.

Canada started the match on the front foot and controlled the opening stages passing the ball in a confident fashion setting an early indication of what was to be mainly one-way traffic throughout most of the first half.

The Canadian attack was looking dangerous and Nanco went close to opening the scoring in the 11th minute as a lofted cross found him alone at the far post but he could only lift his first time effort over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Nanco didn’t have long to wait to make amends for his early miss as just four minutes later he converted from close range to give Canada the early lead in the 15th minute. Nanco ghosted free of his defenders at the back post and got to the end of long throw in from Parker Seymour which ricocheted through the Trinidad penalty area before finding its way to Nanco who made no mistake directing his low header past the scrambling goalkeeper.

The goal was just reward for the young Canucks who had dominated the early proceedings maintaining possession for long periods of time as they patiently built wave after wave of attack.

Keven Aleman and Michael Petrasso were looking particularly dangerous in attack for Canada as their quick and creative dribbling was giving the Trinidad defenders fits.

It was Aleman who scored Canada’s second goal of the match with a wonderful strike in the 19th minute to extend the Canadian lead. Aleman took on his marker one-on-one before moving across into the middle and flew past two defenders to fire a perfect shot into the top corner of the net past goalkeeper Weston in the Trinidad goal.

Petrasso had a great chance to add a third for Canada in the 35th minute as he received an excellent pass from Aleman before expertly rounding the goalkeeper only for his shot to be deflected away by the desperate tackle of a Trinidadian defender.

Having been under pressure for much of the first half, Trinidad made a late push in the final few minutes attacking the Canadian defence for the first time in the match but were unable to create any significant scoring opportunities as the first half ended 2-0 Canada.

Trinidad and Tobago came out to start the second half with a high degree of urgency knowing that only a victory would see them advance. The Caribbean side carried most of the possession and enjoyed a territorial advantage for much of the second half but were unable to seriously test Maxime Crépeau who had a strong match in goal for Canada. The entire Canadian defence had another solid match as Canada kept its third consecutive clean sheet of the tournament and have yet to concede a single goal thus far in the competition, outscoring its opponents 10-0.

For the quarter-final match, Canada's starting XI featured Maxime Crépeau in goal, Marco Lapenna at left back, Daniel Stanese and Luca Gasparotto at centre back, Parker Seymour at right back, and Bryce Alderson, Samuel Piette, Michael Petrasso, Chris Nanco, Keven Aleman and Sali Jalali from midfield up through to the attack.

Canada made three substitutions in the second half, replacing Jalali, Nanco and Aleman for Wesley Cain (67th minute), Jordan Hamilton (73') and Shadrack Mmunga (87’).

With the win Canada will now compete in its first FIFA U-17 World Cup since Ecuador 1995. Canada will now face the winner of the Jamaica – Honduras quarter-final match which was played immediately following the Canada – Trinidad and Tobago match.

BENT STEPS UP TO BECOME ASSISTANT COACH

Toronto FC announced Tuesday that Jason Bent has been promoted to the position of Assistant Coach. Bent, 33, takes on the new role after spending three years as Head Coach of Toronto FC’s Senior Academy Team.
“Jason has played a big role in establishing our Academy and has proved he is ready to take the step up,” said Toronto FC Head Coach and Technical Director Aron Winter. “Developing our young players is a key part of our philosophy at this club, and having Jason working with the first team squad will help us with that. It is also the next step in his development as a coach and we believe he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Under Bent’s leadership, Toronto FC Academy’s Senior Team qualified for the Canadian Soccer League Playoffs in 2009 and 2010, and last summer two players from his squad graduated to sign professional contracts for the first time.
“I want to thank the club for giving me a chance to develop as a coach in the Academy,” said Bent. “Now my aim is to continue to grow whilst bringing my knowledge and expertise to help the club move forward.”

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with the Academy alongside Stuart Neely. I believe every young coach needs a mentor coach to work with and Stuart certainly helped to prepare me for this opportunity. I am excited by the prospect of working alongside Aron Winter, Bob de Klerk and Paul Mariner with the First Team. The club is moving in the right direction and if we can all pull together then we can accomplish some fantastic things for this football club and city,” added Bent.

The Brampton native moved into coaching after a serious knee injury brought a premature end to his playing career. He earned 32 caps with Canada’s national team and played for clubs in the United States, Germany and England. His last professional club was Plymouth Argyle in England where he spent three seasons, helping Plymouth win the Division Three Championship in 2002, and the Division Two Championship in 2004. Before moving to England, he played for two years in Major League Soccer with the Colorado Rapids.
Bent is currently with Toronto FC’s squad in Florida where the team is continuing preparations for the 2011 MLS season. Toronto will participate in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic later this week, with the first match of the tournament against Houston Dynamo on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the club’s official website, TorontoFC.ca.

One win away from Mexico 2011

Canada is just one win away from a spot in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011. The win-and-you're-in match is the quarter-final match of the 2011 CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The match takes place Wednesday 23 February with a 12.00 local kickoff (12.00 ET / 09.00 PT) at Catherine Hall Park.

All quarter-final, semi-final and final matches will be broadcast live on www.concacaf.com. Fans can also follow the Canada-Trinidad and Tobago match via a live tweetstream at www.twitter.com/CanadaSoccerEN (starting at 11.00 ET / 08.00 PT, or one hour before kickoff). The post-match report will be available at CanadaSoccer.com with interviews posted in the evening at www.youtube.com/CanadianSoccerAssoc and photos uploaded to www.flickr.com/CanadaSoccer. Additional content will be available via CONCACAF.com.

"Our boys are very eager to play," said Canadian U-17 head coach Sean Fleming. "The spirit in camp has been good and everyone is raring to go."

The 2011 CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Championship runs 14-27 February. Only eight teams remain with just four spots available for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011. The four CONCACAF quarter-final matches will be played 22-23 February. On Tuesday, USA faces El Salvador and Costa Rica faces Panama. On Wednesday, Canada faces Trinidad and Tobago and host Jamaica faces Honduras.

"Trinidad and Tobago has given up just one goal in free play in their two matches," said Fleming. "We know they are going to be ready."

Trinidad and Tobago finished tied with Jamaica atop Group C, but Jamaica was awarded the top seed following a drawing of lots. Canada finished first in Group D with four points and a +8 goal differential. Canada is the only team not to have conceded a goal. It is also the only team not assessed any yellow cards, which means no Canadian players are in danger of a one-match suspension (which is handed out after two yellow cards).

Should Canada win on Wednesday, it will not only qualify for Mexico 2011, it will also advance to the Friday semi-final stage. Canada's potential opponent would come from the Costa Rica-Panama quarter-final.

The FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 runs 18 June to 10 July. There will be 24 teams from around the world competing in the event, with four from the CONCACAF championship plus host Mexico from this region.

Full Time Podcast - February 20, 2011

Full Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show has another podcast up! Information on how to listen at TeamRadio.ca

You can also subsribe to Full Time on iTunes. Click here.

Tyler Green joins Mike Martignago & Producer Corey Basso all the way from Arizona where he is 'on the road' with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Tyler managed to snag interviews with Coach Teitur Thordarsson, Atiba Harris, Jay Demerit, Shea Salinas and MLS 1st overall pick Omar Salgado!

Mike, not to be out done, chats with former Canadian Men's National Goalkeeper Paul Dolan.

Marc Rizzardo of Metrotown Physio drops in once again for another diagnosis of all the injuries from "the beautiful game".

Also, a full recap of the weekends action from around Europe including EPL, La Liga, Serie A & the German Bundesliga.

You can follow Full Time on Twitter & Facebook as well!

Full Time : Vancouver's Soccer Show airs every Sunday night. 9p-11p. Only on TEAM 1040 Sports Radio!

Full-Time Preview - Sunday, February 20th, 2011

On Sunday, February 20^that 9pm on TEAM1040, Full-Time: Vancouver’s Soccer Show will go in-depth with full coverage of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC as they continue their pre-season training camp in Phoenix, Arizona. Mike Martignago will hold down the fort at the TEAM1040 studios in Vancouver, while Tyler Green will be co-hosting from Arizona where he is covering the ‘Caps. Tyler and Mike will have a full recap of the weekend events, including matches against Chivas USA, the US U-18 National Team and the LA Galaxy, plus interviews with Whitecaps centre back Jay DeMerit, Forward Omar Salgado and head coach Teitur Thordarson.
The Galaxy’s Landon Donovan and Juan Pablo Angel will also make special appearances on the show.

Also joining the broadcast on Sunday night will be Paul Dolan, Goalkeeping coach of the Canadian Men’s National Team to discuss Canada’s last friendly against Greece and the emergence of Milan Borjan as the next ‘great’ Canadian ‘keeper. Marc Rizzardo of Metrotown Physio will also stop by to discuss all the latest injury news from around the world of soccer.

Full-Time: Vancouver’s Soccer Show can be heard every Sunday night on TEAM1040 Radio in Vancouver from 9-11pm.

Missed a show? Subscribe to the Full-Time podcast by clicking here.

Canada U-17s tie Honduras, win group

Canada's U-17s finished atop of Group D in the CONCACAF U-17 Championship after drawing Honduras, 0-0, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Saturday.

Canada are now just a win away from earning their first trip to the U-17 World Cup in 16 years after opening the CONCACAF tournament with an 8-0 thrashing of Barbados.

Head coach Sean Flemming had his team play Honduras with high pressure, forcing turnovers and dominating the midfield. Canada outshot their Central American opponents 12-6, tallying 10 of those efforts in the first half. Their best chance came early in the second half but Chris Nanco shot wide left.

Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau kept Honduras off the scoresheet in the 80th minute with an athletic save from Carlos Andrade. The Montreal Impact academy standout finished the game with three crucial saves.
Canada will play either Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala or hosts Jamaica in a quarterfinal match on Wednesday (the opponent will be decided later Saturday). The winner of that match will qualify for the U-17 World Cup, which will be hosted by Mexico in June.

"If we end up playing Jamaica, you're going to have probably a great crowd which would be exciting for the boys if it does happen," Flemming told the Canadian Press

GOALKEEPER BILL GAUDETTE JOINS THE IMPACT

MONTREAL - The Montreal Impact announced on Saturday the signing of American goalkeeper Bill Gaudette for the 2011 season.

Full details by clicking here.

Whitecaps Draw US Under 18 National Squad 2 - 2

The Vancouver Whitecaps drew the Under 18 U.S. National team 2 - 2 this morning following a 1 - 0 loss to Chivas USA on Friday. Conditions for the match were anything but stellar as 40 Mile per hour winds and driving rain hampered play. Head coach Teitur Thordarson knows all about the driving rain and wind from his time in Iceland.

Today's Starting XI
GK - Sylvestre
D (starting L-R) Wagner, Boxall, Duckett, Knight
M (starting L-R) Gashi, Davies, Brovsky, Stewart
F - Salgado, Tan

Bright Spots

The fact that the Whitecaps scored two goals is cause for a bright spot. Long Tan and Brazilian trialist Camilo da Silva Sanvezzo each scored. Tan in the first half of play (when it was dry and cloudy) and da Silva during the rain and wind.

Low Spots

The defense look rough at times (Knight, Boxall, Duckett, Wagner started) on set pieces (where a goal was scored) and on threw balls when speed played a factor. The motivation to start the game (which Teitur alluded to in his comments) was also a low spot. The roster today was built on potential signees and reserve/bench players. Not getting motivated to turn some heads and win a starting role is something of a curiousity to me.

Up Next

The Whitecaps turn their attention back to the MLS tomorrow as they face the LA Galaxy. They will play the Galaxy twice in the next three day. Expect to see Landon Donovan and Juan Pablo Angel get an least a start in those matches. The line-up should look roughly the same as it did yesterday against Chivas. See the potential starters below:

GK - Nolly
D (starting L-R) Rochat, DeMerit, Janicki, Leathers
M (starting L-R) Tiebert, Thorrington, Dunfield, Shea Salinas
F - Harris, Chiumiento

*Cannon should see some action at some point over the next two matches. Whether that's starting on Sunday or Tuesday remains to be seen.

Whitecaps FC Single game tickets update

With just 29 days remaining before Vancouver Whitecaps FC kick off their inaugural season in Major League Soccer (MLS), the club announced today individual match tickets for the first three matches at Empire Field will go on sale this Wednesday, February 23, at 10 a.m. PT. Teitur Thordarson’s side begin their campaign when they host Toronto FC on Saturday, March 19, at Empire Field. Individual match tickets will range from $20 to $55 (including HST) plus applicable service charges and fees.

“We’re very pleased today to confirm our single match ticket pricing for our historic inaugural MLS season,” said Whitecaps FC chief executive officer Paul Barber. “We believe our prices offer great value for fans; with single match tickets starting at just $20, fans will be able to see top-level entertainment for an incredibly reasonable price. Season ticket packages are also still available and I encourage fans to act quickly as we are approaching our season ticket cap of 16,500.”

Whitecaps FC open their inaugural MLS season campaign at Empire Field on Saturday, March 19, when they face their Canadian rivals in Toronto FC. The Blue and White then travel to Philadelphia for their first away match before returning to Empire Field to face Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, April 2, followed by New England Revolution on Wednesday, April 6, also at Empire Field.

Over the course of the 2011 season, the club will host 17 regular season fixtures, in addition to select Nutrilite Canadian Championship games. Single match tickets for matches played at Empire Field will be available for purchase this Wednesday, February 23, at 10 a.m. PT online at Ticketmaster or Charge-by-Phone: 1.855.6.GO-CAPS (1.855.646.2277). Single match tickets for the remainder of the season will be made available at a later date.

Due to continued high demand for season tickets, Whitecaps FC have extended an exclusive window for season ticket holders to purchase single match tickets prior to tickets going on sale to the general public. Season tickets for the 2011 season are still available and can be purchased by calling 604.669.9283.

Whitecaps FC 2011 first three matches at Empire Field:
• Saturday, March 19, 3:30 p.m. PT vs. Toronto FC at Empire Field
• Saturday, March 26, 4 p.m. PT vs. Sporting Kansas City at Empire Field
• Wednesday, April 6, 7 p.m. PT vs. New England Revolution at Empire Field

Whitecaps Lose 1 - 0 to Chivas USA in Casa Grande, Arizona

The Whitecaps evened their pre-season record to 2-2 when they lost 1 - 0 to Chivas USA on a late goal from Jesus Padilla. The 'Caps looked dangerous throughout the game with two glorious chances from Russell Tiebert and Brazillian trialist Camilo da Silva Sanvezzo.

The scoreline is indicative of what many fans are worried about during the regular season, losses because of a lack of scoring. It is something that is not lost of head coach Teitur Thordarson. During his post match comments I asked him whether or not he is worried about the lack of finish. You can hear that interview here.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Whitecaps look extremely sharp. They are a loud and boisterous crew on the back led by Jay DeMerit and have veteren experience with Jonathan Leathers and Alain Rochat. Greg Janicki fills out the backline and is coming off a great finish to his 2010 USSF-D2 season. This foursome looks to be a lock as the opening day back-line.

Jay DeMerit started his first match and played his first ever 45 minutes with the 'Caps and thinks that despite the loss, it's still a team progressing to the great goal of being championship material. Hear his comments here.

Greg Janicki played a full 90 minutes despite a cold/sickness and discussed that after the match. Hear the interview with Janicki here.

Terry Dunfield was probably the best Whitecap of the field today making his presence known on both sides of the ball. He spoke about the match here.

Overall, Vancouver looks to be on of the most hard-working teams on the field this season in MLS. Jonathan Leathers and Shea Salinas look good together on the right side of the field. Dunfield is enjoying the challenge of stepping up to the next level and despite being their first match together, Janicki and DeMerit look extremely comfortable together as the centre-backs.

On the negative... of all the good things we have heard and seen from Davide Chiumiento in recent weeks was all for not today. He looked very average and out of place on the field in the loss to Chivas. Atiba Harris did not look like a man that can take the mantle as "the goalscorer" for the 'Caps and for everything that guys like Chiumiento, Harris, Tan and Sanvezzo have done or going for them, goal scoring is still something that isn't happening and that remains the key to the forward position.

Tomorrow, the Whitecaps look to rebound by playing the U.S. U-18 National Team. Omar Salgado will likely start up top. Boxall and Duckett will likely pair on the backline with Wes Knight and Blake Wagner at right and left back with Gershon Koffie, Philippe Davies, Alex Morfaw, Bedri Gashi mixing through the rest of the line-up as Brian Sylvestre will start in net. Start time for that game is 10am in Vancouver, 11am in Phoenix.

So the question remains... who will score the goals for the Vancouver Whitecaps? Who will be in the starting XI? and How come the Whitecaps Adidas blue and white track suits (Which look extremely smart) don't match the Adidas red, white and grey running shoes?

Canada U-17 to face Honduras on Saturday

Canada U-17 to face Honduras on Saturday

First place in Group C will be on the line when Canada faces Honduras on Saturday 19 February in the 2011 CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship. The group match will be played at Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay, Jamaica with a 12.30 local kickoff (12.30 ET / 09.30 PT).

The 2011 CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship runs 14-27 February. Four of 12 teams will qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the qualification matches set for 22-23 February in the CONCACAF quarter-final stage. Both Canada and Honduras have already qualified for the quarter-final stage, but Group C seedings and Group D opponents have yet to be decided this Saturday.

CONCACAF has announced that a live webstream will be available via www.CONCACAF.com for all quarter-final, semi-final and final matches. The Canada-Honduras match will not be broadcast, but a live text feed via www.Twitter.com/CanadaSoccerEN will be available starting one hour before kickoff. The post-match report will be available at www.CanadaSoccer.com with interviews posted in the evening at www.Youtube.com/CanadianSoccerAssoc and photos uploaded to www.flickr.com/CanadaSoccer. Additional content will be available via www.CONCACAF.com.

Both Canada and Honduras opened the tournament with victories over Barbados, thus eliminating the Caribbean nation. Honduras reversed an 0-1 scoreline to win 2-1 on Tuesday; Canada scored early and often to walk off with an 8:0 victory on Thursday. Canada needs a win or a draw against Honduras to finish first.

"We know it will be a quality match against Honduras," said Canadian U-17 head coach. "We expect it to be very competitive."

Canada trained on Friday morning in Montego Bay, a combination of recovery from the Canada-Barbados match and preperation for the Canada-Honduras match.

"We worked on a few things in training on which we hope to get better," said Fleming.

Canada was disciplined on Thursday not to be assessed any yellow cards, but Honduras does have four players who have one yellow card from their Tuesday match. It is unclear whether these players will be rested as a second yellow card will draw a one-match suspension.

After the group phase, Canada will play its quarter-final match on 23 February against a team from Group D. Trinidad and Tobago has already qualified for the quarter-final stage, but its group ranking will be determined on Saturday after the Guatemala-Jamaica match. From groups C and D, first place will play second place from the opposite group and second place will play first place

2011 Nutrilite Canadian Championship schedule

The Canadian Soccer Association has announced a new format for the Nutrilite Canadian Championship along with its 2011 schedule. For the first time, the competition will now feature four teams, with FC Edmonton added to the existing group of Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Impact Montréal. The old round-robin format has been replaced by the combination of a home-and-away semi-final stage along with a home-and-away championship final.

The winner of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship will qualify for CONCACAF Champions League, the 24-team confederation championship that qualifies one team for the FIFA Club World Cup.

"This new format, with the addition of the final series, will add more excitement to what is already a terrific event on the soccer calendar," said Peter Montopoli, General Secretary of the Canadian Soccer Association.

"We're thrilled to see that this amazing tournament is expanding," said Lydia Ayora, National Marketing Manager, Amway Canada. "As title sponsor since its inception, we're proud of what the Nutrilite Canadian Championship has contributed to soccer in this country and we're excited about what the future holds."

The new schedule features a line up with FC Edmonton against Toronto FC in one semi final and Vancouver Whitecaps FC against Impact Montréal in the other. On 27 April, Edmonton hosts Toronto while Montréal hosts Vancouver. One week later on 4 May, the fixtures will be reversed.

The two-leg championship final will be played on 18 May and 25 May.

The determination for semi-final pairings was based on the relative Major League Soccer or USSF Division 2 standings from the 2010 regular season. The 2011 seeding was (first to fourth) Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal and Edmonton.

FC Edmonton was granted full membership as a professional club at last year's Canadian Soccer Association Annual General Meeting. Approval for the revised format was sought through CONCACAF. With the sanction of NASL this week by the USSF, FC Edmonton’s acceptance into that league was completed, thus securing FC Edmonton's berth in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.

"We are delighted to be invited to participate in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship next year," said Mel Kowalchuk, General Manager of FC Edmonton. "It will give us an opportunity to play against established, top soccer franchises, and to set our sights on bringing international competition to Edmonton."

Since 2008, Canada's top professional teams have played in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship for the Voyageurs Cup. The Impact won the inaugural championship in 2008 while Toronto FC won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.


2011 SCHEDULE
SEMI-FINAL STAGE

27 April 2011

Impact Montréal (3) v Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2) at Stade Saputo

FC Edmonton (4) v Toronto FC (1) at Commonwealth Stadium

4 May 2011

Toronto FC (1) v FC Edmonton (4) at BMO Field

Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2) v Impact Montréal (3) at Empire Stadium

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

The highest seeded team in the final will determine whether it opens at home or away

18 May 2011

First Leg

25 May 2011

Second Leg

WHITECAPS FC 2011 W-LEAGUE SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC, in conjunction with the United Soccer Leagues (USL), announced today the 2011 USL W-League regular season schedule.

This year, the defending W-League Western Conference champions will play their regular season home schedule at seven different home venues throughout the province of British Columbia, as part of the Whitecaps Women's Soccer Series - in partnership with the Girls Metro Soccer League (GMSL).

"Last year was a very successful season in winning the Western Conference and an appearance in the W-League finals, as well as leading the league in attendance," said Whitecaps FC women's team head coach Hubert Busby Jr. "We will look to continue to build off that success and excited to help further grow the women's game by connecting our team with the community, fans, and partners. We are close to announcing some very exciting players and are in the process of building another very competitive team."

Whitecaps FC will kick off the 2011 season as the away side against W-League expansion outfit Victoria Highlanders FC at Bear Mountain Stadium in Langford, BC, on Sunday, May 15, at 4 p.m. PT.

The two-time W-League champions will then open their home schedule against Interstate 5 rivals Seattle Sounders women at Coquitlam's Percy Perry Stadium on Sunday, May 22, at 4 p.m. PT. Five days later, the 'Caps will host Colorado Rush at Chilliwack's Exhibition Stadium at 7:30 p.m. PT.

The club will also have home matches at Surrey's Newton Athletic Park Field on Friday, June 10; Whistler's Myrtle Philip Field on Friday, June 24; Richmond's Hugh Boyd Stadium on Canada Day (Friday, July 1); and Penticton's Kings Park Field on Friday, July 8. They conclude the regular season at Langley’s McLeod Athletic Park Field on Friday, July 15. Complete schedule is available at whitecapsfc.com. Additional host youth club partner details, and information on how to purchase tickets will be announced soon.

The Canada Day match in Richmond, BC, will be a feature game as part of the opening night of the 2010 BC Provincial 'A' Cup tournament, while the Friday, July 8, game in Penticton, BC, will be part of the opening night of the 2010 BC Provincial 'B' Cup tournament.

In addition to the action on the pitch, Whitecaps FC will host free pre-match clinics and halftime mini games for local youth players. There will also be post-match autograph sessions with the Whitecaps FC women's team players.

The full 2011 W-League postseason format will be announced at a later date.

Ticket information for the 2010 Whitecaps Women's Soccer Series will be announced shortly. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com or call 604.669.WAVE (9283).

- 30 -

SIMON GATTI RETURNS WITH THE IMPACT

MONTREAL - The Montreal Impact announced on Wednesday that it has come to terms on a one-year deal with Canadian defender and defensive midfielder Simon Gatti.
Full details here.

Three Major Spot Kick Questions for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC

There are a number of questions that need answering when the Whitecaps head back to Arizona for their 2^nd Pre-season training camp down in Arizona. The ‘Caps leave Wednesday (Feb 16^th). They will play 4 training matches starting on Friday over a 5 day span and could have, by early next week, some of these questions answered.

Who’s going to score the goals?

Right now, as much as fans of the Whitecaps don’t want to hear it, scoring will be on a “committee” basis. Meaning, they are looking for scoring from everyone and anyone. When you look at the first three training matches, they scored four goals from four different sources, so it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that it could work, but you would like to see one true goal-scorer and then mix in the other scoring. Atiba Harris, who hasn’t lit up the league in previous years, has a good shot at being the “go-to” guy for the Whitecaps. He is going to get plenty of opportunity to do so in terms of minutes played up front. The Whitecaps do have some trialists coming in for the Arizona camp, so a name we have yet to hear may be the “one”. Another name that was mentioned as coming to Major League Soccer was former Hull striker Caleb Folan. He is currently with Colorado on a trial, and Rapids head coach Gary Smith wants to keep him around for the long-term. “I thought the two guys worked extremely well today,” Smith told MLSsoccer.com. “I think the big difference with Caleb that people might see if he’s around a little bit longer, not only is he a very big specimen, he’s very athletic as well and he gets on the shoulders of center backs, he can get in behind players, he can threaten with his pace and power. With salary caps and other wage issues, it may be difficult for the Rapids to keep him. Which means an expansion team like Vancouver could provide a solid home. Secondary questions still remain, will the ‘Caps be able to get Omar Salgado onto their roster at the start of the season? Can Long Tan do anything with the time given? Will Chiumiento break out?

Nolly or Cannon?

Vancouver wouldn’t be Vancouver without a goalkeeping or quarterback controversy, so why not one with the Whitecaps. Joe Cannon is coming off an ankle injury and is looking to get back into form and claim the number one spot as the Vancouver goalkeeper. Jay Nolly has been very successful at the USSF-D2 level, coming off a goalkeeper of the year award, and wants the number one job. So who should start? Other the next week, 4 matches in 5 games means that both Nolly and Cannon, along with residency product Brian Sylvestre should each get a full game and will be able to make a claim. This question may not officially be answered in Arizona though and may have to wait until Portland, Seattle and Vancouver battle during the Cascadia Cup Cascadia preseason friendlies in early March.

Janicki and DeMerit are locked… but what about the other centre backs?

With the continuing injury saga with Maloud Akloul, the door is wide open for Bilal Duckett, Ryan O’Leary and Michael Boxall to make a claim. At this point it, looks like Janicki and DeMerit will be your starters, and any one of those three (Duckett, O’Leary and Boxall) could make a claim for a final roster spot. O’Leary needs to get in shape after a long time off and we see what happened with an out of shape Chiumiento last season…nothing), Duckett needs to get comfortable in his switch from a right back to centre-back and Boxall needs to show why he has played internationally for New Zealand.

Answers?

Find out the answer to these questions and more with full updates on the Whitecaps Training Camp Report every Monday to Friday between 4-5pm on TEAM 1410. Tyler Green will be live from Phoenix, Arizona covering the ‘Caps and will have those updates along with tweets, interviews and blogs.

Time Added On:

Single game ticket will be available on Saturday, February 19^th at 10am. Details by clicking here. Marcus Haber grabbed some retro Teitur Thordarson photo here. And the broadcasting details for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC have been made a little more clear with a radio deal and a national TV deal.

As always, you can get full coverage of the Whitecaps and the story from around the world of soccer on Full-Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show, heard Sunday nights at 9-11pm on TEAM 1040 in Vancouver. In case you can't join us for the show, subscribe to the podcast by clicking here.

Retro Teitur

This photo was Tweeted by Marcus Haber earlier today. Too hard to pass-up to post it on our website.

Where and when this photo is from, I couldn't tell you . But it's solid!

Whitecaps FC Single Game Tickets

Whitecaps FC fans will soon get some single game ticket information for the upcoming 2011 Major League Soccer season, but here's your sneak peak.

Tickets will officially go on sale to the general public on Saturday, February 19th at 10am PT. They will be sold through the usual ticket outlets (Ticketmaster) and the most popular games will likely be May 28th against Thierry Henry and the New York Red Bulls and on July 30th with David Beckham and the LA Galaxy coming to Vancouver. September 24th will also be a special night as it's the final match at Empire Field against Seattle Sounders FC. Portland will be the first 'Caps match-up when they enter BC Place stadium on October 2nd.

The Whitecaps will likely make an official announcement on Wednesday.

TSN Becomes Official Broadcaster of MLS in Canada with Landmark Six-Year Deal

Today Major League Soccer announced a new, six year broadcast rights agreement with TSN, Canada’s most-watched specialty network. In 2011, TSN and TSN2 will combine to broadcast 24 regular season games live – all involving at least one of the two Canadian-based clubs in MLS – Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

This season, Vancouver Whitecaps FC will feature 12 times on TSN/TSN2, including the first two all-Canadian matches in MLS history on March 19 and June 29. Beginning next year, TSN and TSN2 will combine to broadcast 30 regular season MLS games featuring at least one Canadian club.

"TSN has a well-earned reputation as a world-class sports broadcaster, with top level production values and a true passion for sport; we’re incredibly pleased to have them as our national broadcast partner," said Whitecaps FC chief executive officer Paul Barber. "We know our fans are looking forward to the national derby matches with Toronto this year - and are already looking forward to next year’s clashes with Montreal. Having a long-term partnership with such a respected broadcaster will help these rivalries continue to grow and engage fans, and will mean great things for the growth of the league and the sport of soccer in Canada."

As the official broadcaster of MLS in Canada, TSN also holds broadcast rights for the MLS AT&T All-Star Game, the MLS Cup playoffs, and the league’s championship game, MLS Cup. TSN will also broadcast select additional matches between two U.S.-based teams to its lineup of MLS coverage beginning this season through 2016. French-language broadcasting rights in Canada belong to TSN’s sister networks RDS and RDS2 as part of the deal in anticipation of next year, when Montreal Impact join MLS as an expansion club.

"We are very pleased to partner with TSN, the leading sports network in Canada," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "This announcement comes at an opportune time for MLS, as we enter a period of growth in Canada with the Vancouver Whitecaps joining the League this season and the Montreal Impact in 2012. "We look forward to building the sport together and creating an exciting multi-media platform for soccer fans throughout the country."

Games on TSN/TSN2 will be available live to fans in the United States via the MLS Direct Kick Package and/or Match Day Live on MLSsoccer.com.

"As we have seen with the success of Toronto FC and MLS's expansion to Vancouver and Montreal, there is an incredible appetite for professional soccer in Canada," said Stewart Johnston, President of TSN. "This is a long term partnership with MLS and we are looking forward to working with them to not only give fans ‘best in class’ game coverage but also to help build the profile of the league and grow the game of soccer across the country."

All MLS games on TSN and TSN2 will be broadcast in High Definition.

The schedule of Whitecaps matches on TSN/TSN2 is below:

2011 MLS Broadcast Schedule (TSN & TSN2)
Home team listed first; all times Pacific; subject to change

March
• Saturday, March 19 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Toronto FC 3:30 p.m. (TSN)

April
• Wednesday, April 6 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. New England Revolution 7 p.m. (TSN)

May
• Saturday, May 28 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. New York Red Bulls 4 p.m. (TSN2)

June
• Saturday, June 11 Seattle Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 7 p.m. (TSN2)
• Saturday, June 25 Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 5:30 p.m. (TSN)
• Wednesday, June 29 Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 4:30 p.m. (TSN)

July
• Wednesday, July 6 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Columbus Crew 7 p.m. (TSN)
• Wednesday, July 20 San Jose Earthquakes vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 7 p.m. (TSN)
• Wednesday, July 27 AT&T MLS All Star Game 5:30 p.m. (TSN)
• Saturday, July 30 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. LA Galaxy 4:30 p.m. (TSN)

August
• Saturday, August 20 Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 7 p.m. (TSN)
• Saturday, August 27 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Houston Dynamo 4 p.m. (TSN2)

September
• Saturday, September 24 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC 4:30 p.m. (TSN)

The schedule of Toronto FC matches is below:

Saturday, March 19: At Vancouver Whitecaps FC - 6:30 p.m. (TSN)
Saturday, March 26: Home vs. Portland Timbers - 2 p.m. (TSN)
Saturday, April 2: Home vs. Chivas USA - 1 p.m. (TSN)
Saturday, June 4: Home vs. Sporting Kansas City - 7 p.m. (TSN)
Wednesday, June 15: At New England Revolution - 8 p.m. (TSN)
Wednesday, June 29: Home vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - 7:30 p.m. (TSN)
Wednesday, July 6: At New York Red Bulls - 8 p.m. (TSN)
Wednesday, July 20: Home vs. FC Dallas - 8 p.m. (TSN)
Saturday, August 6: At D.C. United - 7:30 p.m. (TSN)
Saturday, September 17: Home vs. Colorado Rapids - 7:30 p.m. (TSN)
Saturday, October 1: Home vs. New York Red Bulls - 7:30 p.m. (TSN)
Saturday, October 15: At Philadelphia Union - 4 p.m. (TSN)
Saturday, October 22: Home vs. New England Revolution - 12:30 p.m. (TSN)

####

Note: To accommodate TSN’s exclusive broadcast windows above in Canada, the following changes were made to the MLS regular season schedule announced Feb. 10:
5/28 TOR vs. PHI is now at 4pm ET
10/15 PHI vs. TOR now at 4pm ET on TSN

Full Time Podcast - February 13, 2011

Full Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show has a new podcast up. More information here.

To subscribe to Full Time on iTunes click here.

Marc Weber from The Province joins the show to talk about the Vancouver Whitecaps upcoming season and how the team is bonding.

Marc Rizzardo from Metrotown Physio pops in for his weekley diagnosis of soccer injuries from around the world.

Also, a full break down of the European action from the weekend including EPL, Serie A, La Liga & German Bundesliga!

You can follow Full Time on Twitter & Facebook!

Full Time: Vancouver's Soccer Show airs every Sunday night. 9p-11p. Only on TEAM 1040 Sports Radio!

Canada's Women’s National Program

In case you were wondering about Canada's Women's National Soccer Program...

Official word is: In regards to the Canadian Women's National Program, no Canadian Soccer Association officials, other than General Secretary Peter Montopoli or Women's National Head Coach Carolina Morace, have made or will make any direct comment to the media.

'nuff said.

DRAW SETS GROUPS FOR UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP

GUATEMALA CITY (Friday, February 11 2011) – Defending champion Costa Rica will head Group C and play Canada and Guadeloupe in the first round of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, while five-time champion Mexico will play Trinidad & Tobago and Cuba in Group D.
Friday's draw at the InterContinental Hotel in Guatemala City set the matchups for the round-robin play with the United States facing Panama and Suriname in Group B, and host Guatemala taking on Central American rival Honduras and Jamaica in Group A.

The tournament, set for March 28-April 10 in Guatemala City, will determine the region's four qualifiers for the U-20 World Cup in Colombia July 29-August 20.

Like the U-17 championship tournament format, the top two teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals April 5-6 with the winners qualifying for Colombia.

The winner from Group A will play the runner-up from Group B and vice versa in the quarterfinals, and Groups C and D also will play crossover knockout matches.

The semifinals will be played April 8 with the championship match two days later. A full schedule is expected to be released next week.

CONCACAF Under-20 Championship:
Group A: Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica
Group B: Untied States, Panama, Suriname
Group C: Canada, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe
Group D: Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba

Hastings announces his retirement as a player

Canadian golden goal hero Richard Hastings has officially announced his retirement, making the move from professional player to instructor at The Other Foot Soccer School Canada in Nanaimo, BC.

Hastings was a CONCACAF champion at both the national "A" and youth U-20 levels with Canada. He scored a famous golden goal against Mexico in the quarter-final stage of the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. After beating Mexico 2:1 in extra time, Canada went on to defeat Trinidad and Tobago in the semi-final stage and Colombia in the final. It marked Canada's second confederation title.

"I would like to thank the Canadian Soccer Association and particularly the coaches that I have played under for giving me the opportunity to represent Canada," said Richard Hastings. "I have many highlights, memories and friendships to be thankful for throughout my international career. Now that I am retired, I will be focusing my efforts on raising the profile of the game in this country through my business The Other Foot Soccer School Canada."

Hastings made 59 appearances for Canada, making his debut on his 21st birthday on 18 May 1998 in Toronto, ON. His last international appearance was 29 May 2010 in Mérida, Venezuela. He retires ranked tied for 9th place in all-time appearances.

Hastings represented Canada at one FIFA Confederations Cup, two cycles of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, and five CONCACAF Gold Cups. He also represented Canada at one FIFA U-20 World Cup and one CONCACAF Men's Under-20 Championship. It was in 1996 that Hastings helped Canada win the CONCACAF Men's Under-20 Championship.

"Richard has served Canada well over his international career and his leadership will be missed by all involved," said national head coach Stephen Hart. "I do believe Richard still has some valuable experience to pass on as a professional, especially at the club level, but he has made a decision on what is best for him and his family. On behalf of the Canadian program, I would like to say thank you for his service to the country and wish him every success in the future."

At the club level, Hastings spent much of his career at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He played for the Scottish Premier League team from 1994 to 2001 and 2004 to 2009. He was recognized with a testimonial dinner in 2009. From 2001 to 2004, he played for Ross County in Scotland, Grazer AK in Austria, and MVV Maastricht in Netherlands. In 2009-10, he played for Hamilton Academical in Scotland.

TORONTO FC RELEASES 2011 MLS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

Major League Soccer announced Thursday the complete regular season schedule for 2011. The 16th season of MLS will see each of the league’s 18 clubs play 34 regular season games.

In their fifth MLS season, Toronto FC will play each team home and away. As previously announced, the team will open the 2011 season on Saturday, March 19 against expansion team Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The match marks the first time two Canadian clubs will have faced each other in MLS. The following week,

Toronto FC will face Portland Timbers in the home opener at BMO Field. The match on Saturday, March 26 will kick off at 2:00 p.m.

Five of Toronto’s first seven matches will be played at home with Los Angeles Galaxy amongst the teams visiting BMO Field in April. They will be the opposition for Toronto’s first midweek game of the season on Wednesday, April 13.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC will make their first league visit to BMO Field on Wednesday, June 29, and Toronto will travel to face the New York Red Bulls a week later on Wednesday, July 6.

Toronto will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, October 22 at home to New England Revolution. During the 2011 regular season, the team will play 26 games on Saturdays, six on Wednesdays and two on Sundays. Broadcast information for all games will be announced at a later date.

Toronto FC’s schedule for the Nutrilite Canadian Championship will be confirmed by the Canadian Soccer Association in the coming weeks.

Toronto FC 2011 Regular Season Schedule

#
DATE
OPPONENT
VENUE
HOME/AWAY
TIME (ET)
1
Saturday, Mar 19
Vancouver
Vancouver
Away
6:30
2
Saturday, Mar 26
Portland
Toronto
Home
2:00
3
Saturday, Apr 2
Chivas
Toronto
Home
1:00
4
Saturday, Apr 9
San Jose
San Jose
Away
10:30
5
Wednesday, Apr 13
LA Galaxy
Toronto
Home
8:00
6
Saturday, Apr 16
DC
Toronto
Home
4:00
7
Saturday, Apr 23
Columbus
Toronto
Home
4:00
8
Saturday, Apr 30
Seattle
Seattle
Away
10:00
9
Saturday, May 7
Houston
Toronto
Home
7:00
10
Wednesday, May 11
Dallas
Dallas
Away
9:00
11
Saturday, May 14
Chicago
Toronto
Home
7:00
12
Sunday, May 22
Colorado
Colorado
Away
7:00
13
Saturday, May 28
Philadelphia
Toronto
Home
7:00
14
Saturday, Jun 4
Kansas City
Toronto
Home
7:00
15
Saturday, Jun 11
LA Galaxy
Los Angeles
Away
10:30
16
Wednesday, Jun 15
New England
New England
Away
8:00
17
Saturday, Jun 18
Seattle
Toronto
Home
7:00
18
Saturday, Jun 25
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Away
9:00
19
Wednesday, Jun 29
Vancouver
Toronto
Home
7:30
20
Wednesday, Jul 6
New York
New York
Away
8:00
21
Saturday, Jul 9
Houston
Houston
Away
8:30
22
Wednesday, Jul 20
Dallas
Toronto
Home
8:00
23
Saturday, Jul 23
Kansas City
Kansas City
Away
7:30
24
Saturday, Jul 30
Portland
Portland
Away
11:00
25
Saturday, Aug 6
DC
DC
Away
7:30
26
Saturday, Aug 13
Real Salt Lake
Toronto
Home
7:00
27
Sunday, Aug 21
Chicago
Chicago
Away
7:00
28
Saturday, Aug 27
San Jose
Toronto
Home
7:00
29
Saturday, Sep 10
Columbus
Columbus
Away
7:30
30
Saturday, Sep 17
Colorado
Toronto
Home
7:30
31
Saturday, Sep 24
Chivas
Chivas
Away
10:30
32
Saturday, Oct 1
New York
Toronto
Home
7:30
33
Saturday, Oct 15
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Away
7:30
34
Saturday, Oct 22
New England
Toronto
Home
12:30

Sounders FC Season Schedule Announced by MLS

RENTON, WASH. - Major League Soccer announced the complete 34-game schedule for Seattle Sounders FC today, with five matches selected to be televised nationally.

Both of Seattle's Cascadia Cup matches against the expansion Portland Timbers will be broadcast nationally in high definition by ESPN, including the first meeting on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes on May 14 at 8 p.m. (PT) on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. That game is the first of three in a row at home. Sounders FC visits the Timbers on July 10 at 2 p.m. (PT) on ESPN.

In the other two Cascadia Cup matches, the Rave Green faces Vancouver Whitecaps FC for the first time on June 11 at home. The two teams meet again in Vancouver on September 24.

All Sounders FC MLS league matches not aired nationally will be carried live in high definition on KING-5 or KONG-6/16 with Arlo White calling the action. All locally broadcast matches will also be aired either live outside of Seattle or on a delayed basis throughout Washington on FSN/ROOT SPORTS™* (Comcast channels 627 & 30). Select Sounders FC Spanish language TV matches will be aired on KOMO2 TV, Comcast channel 114, a Univision sister station.

Each match will also be aired live on the radio home of Sounders FC, News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM. All Sounders FC Spanish language broadcasts will be aired on La Gran D 99.3 FM, except nationally aired broadcasts.

Sounders FC will play three of its first five games at home, beginning with the MLS 2011 First Kick on March 15 against the L.A. Galaxy on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. (PT). The remaining ESPN2 matches are at home versus the New York Red Bulls on June 23 and on the road at Los Angeles on July 4.

Following the May 14 Portland game Seattle hosts Sporting Kansas City on May 21 and FC Dallas on May 25. Another three-game home stand begins on August 27 versus the Columbus Crew. Sounders FC plays Real Salt Lake on September 10 and D.C. United on September 17.

Five of the six trips to the Eastern Time Zone occur during the first half of the season, including back to back matches at D.C. United and Columbus on May 4 and May 7, respectively. Sounders FC visits the new Kansas City soccer stadium on August 6.

The final home game is on October 15 against the San Jose Earthquakes. The regular season concludes on October 22 at Chivas USA.

The team will later announce an additional friendly to be included in the season ticket package. Season tickets can be purchased by visiting www.SoundersFC.com or phoning 1-877-MLS-GOAL.

*FSN Northwest will become ROOT SPORTS™ in Spring 2011

2011 Seattle Sounders FC Schedule
Day Date Opponent Time (PT) TV
Tue. March 15 L.A. Galaxy 6:30 p.m. ESPN/ESPN Deportes
Sat. March 19 at New York Red Bulls 4:30 p.m.
Sat. March 26 Houston Dynamo 7:00 p.m.
Sat. April 2 at San Jose Earthquakes 7:30 p.m.
Sat. April 9 Chicago Fire 1:00 p.m.
Sat. April 16 at Philadelphia Union 1:00 p.m.
Fri. April 22 at Colorado Rapids 6:30 p.m.
Sat. April 30 Toronto FC 7:00 p.m.
Wed. May 4 at D.C. United 4:30 p.m.
Sat. May 7 at Columbus Crew 4:30 p.m.
Sat. May 14 Portland Timbers 8:00 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Sat. May 21 Sporting Kansas City 7:00 p.m.
Wed. May 25 FC Dallas 7:00 p.m.
Sat. May 28 at Real Salt Lake 6:00 p.m.
Sat. June 4 at Chicago Fire 5:30 p.m.
Sat. June 11 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 7:00 p.m.
Sat. June 18 at Toronto FC 4:00 p.m.
Thr. June 23 New York Red Bulls 7:00 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Sun. June 26 New England Revolution 1:00 p.m.
Mon. July 4 at L.A. Galaxy 7:30 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Sun. July 10 at Portland Timbers 2:00 p.m. ESPN/ESPN Deportes
Sat. July 16 Colorado Rapids 1:00 p.m.
Sat. July 23 Philadelphia Union 7:00 p.m.
Sat. July 30 at Houston Dynamo 5:30 p.m.
Sat. August 6 at Sporting Kansas City 5:30 p.m.
Sat. August 13 Chivas USA 1:00 p.m.
Sat. August 20 at FC Dallas 6:00 p.m.
Sat. August 27 Columbus Crew 1:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 10 Real Salt Lake 1:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 17 D.C. United 6:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 24 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC 7:30 p.m.
Sat. October 1 at New England Revolution 4:30 p.m.
Sat. October 15 San Jose Earthquakes 7:00 p.m.
Sat. October 22 at Chivas USA 7:30 p.m.

Dates and times subject to change

Whitecaps FC 2011 MLS Schedule

VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC, in conjunction with Major League Soccer, announced today details for the 2011 regular season. Whitecaps FC's inaugural season in MLS will see the 37-year-old club play a 34-match regular season schedule.

Whitecaps FC kickoff their first season in MLS at Empire Field when they host Canadian rivals Toronto FC on Saturday, March 19, at 3:30 p.m. PT. Whitecaps FC's final match at Empire Field will be a Cascadia Cup tilt versus Seattle Sounders FC at 4:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, September 24. The Blue and White will then open the new BC Place Stadium against their Interstate 5 rivals in Portland Timbers on Sunday, October 2 at 1:30 p.m. PT. The 'Caps conclude their inaugural regular season campaign at BC Place versus 2010 MLS Cup champions Colorado Rapids on Saturday, October 22, at 4 p.m. PT.

"We're delighted to unveil our inaugural MLS regular season schedule to our fans today," said Whitecaps FC chief executive officer Paul Barber. "We have an exciting start against Toronto FC, while our supporters will also be looking forward to our local derby clashes versus Seattle Sounders FC and Portland Timbers. There will also be some exciting games against the star-studded sides of Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls to look forward to. With the majority of our regular season games on a Saturday, supporters will be able to plan their weekends around watching their beloved Blue and White in the major leagues."

Whitecaps FC head coach Teitur Thordarson's side will play 34 regular season matches over the course of 32 weeks and face all 17 MLS opponents home and away. The majority of matches will be played on a Saturday, including 12 at home. There will also be three home games on a Wednesday and two home games on a Sunday. Whitecaps FC will begin the season at Empire Field and move to their new home at BC Place at the start of October. A complete schedule is available online at whitecapsfc.com/2011-schedule and all matches will be available live on TEAM 1410 sports radio and teamradio.ca.

The MLS Cup playoff format and dates will be announced in the near future. MLS remains in discussions with other potential national broadcast partners in Canada and will release details soon.

The Complete 2011 MLS Schedule can be found here.

Cascadia Cup
Saturday, May 14 – Seattle Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers, 8 p.m. PT
Saturday, June 11 – Seattle Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 7 p.m. PT
Sunday, July 10 – Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 2 p.m. PT
Saturday, Aug. 20 – Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 7 p.m. PT
Saturday, Sept. 24 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 4:30 p.m. PT
Sunday, Oct. 2 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Portland Timbers, 1:30 p.m. PT

Regular Season
Date	Home	Away	Venue
Saturday, March 19 3:30 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Toronto FC	Empire Field	TICKETS
Saturday, March 26 1 p.m. PDT	Philadelphia Union	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	PPL Park
Saturday, April 2 4 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Sporting Kansas City	Empire Field	TICKETS
Wednesday, April 6 7 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	New England Revolution	Empire Field	TICKETS
Sunday, April 10 4 p.m. PDT	Houston Dynamo	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Robertson Stadium
Saturday, April 16 4 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Chivas USA	Empire Field	TICKETS
Saturday, April 23 4 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	FC Dallas	Empire Field	TICKETS
Saturday, April 30 4 p.m. PDT	Columbus Crew	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Columbus Crew Stadium
Saturday, May 7 5:30 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	San Jose Earthquakes	Empire Field	TICKETS
Wednesday, May 11 7 p.m. PDT	Chicago Fire	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Toyota Park
Saturday, May 14 4:30 p.m. PDT	New England Revolution	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Gillette Stadium
Saturday, May 28 4 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	New York Red Bulls	Empire Field	TICKETS
Wednesday, June 1 7:30 p.m. PDT	Chivas USA	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	The Home Depot Center
Saturday, June 4 6 p.m. PDT	Real Salt Lake	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Rio Tinto Stadium
Saturday, June 11 7 p.m. PDT	Seattle Sounders	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Qwest Field
Saturday, June 18 4 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecpas FC	Philadelphia Union	Empire Field	TICKETS
Saturday, June 25 5:30 p.m. PDT	Sporting Kansas City	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	KC Soccer Stadium
Wednesday, June 29 4:30 p.m. PDT	Toronto FC	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	BMO Field
Wednesday, July 6 7 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Columbus Crew	Empire Field	TICKETS
Saturday, July 9 6 p.m. PDT	Colorado Rapids	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	DSG Park
Saturday, July 16 1 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Real Salt Lake	Empire Field	TICKETS
Wednesday, July 20 7 p.m. PDT	San Jose Earthquakes	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Buck Shaw Stadium
Saturday, July 30 4:30 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	LA Galaxy	Empire Field	TICKETS
Sunday, August 7 4 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Chicago Fire	Empire Field	TICKETS
Saturday, August 13 4:30 p.m. PDT	D.C. United	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	RFK Stadium
Saturday, August 20 7 p.m. PDT	Portland Timbers	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	PGE Park
Saturday, August 27 4 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Houston Dynamo	Empire Field	TICKETS
Saturday, September 10 4:30 p.m. PDT	New York Red Bulls	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Red Bull Arena
Saturday, September 17 7:30 p.m. PDT	LA Galaxy	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	The Home Depot Center
Saturday, September 24 4:30 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Seattle Sounders FC	Empire Field	TICKETS
Sunday, October 2 1:30 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Portland Timbers	BC Place	TICKETS
Wednesday, October 12 7 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	D.C. United	BC Place	TICKETS
Saturday, October 15 5:30 p.m. PDT	FC Dallas	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Pizza Hut Park
Saturday, October 22 4 p.m. PDT	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Colorado Rapids	BC Place	TICKETS