(Note: we were unable to do a post-game chat for this game at the last minute; however, please join us Monday for the critical last group stage match and post-game analysis)

All of the warm fuzzies after Thursday’s thrashing of Cuba have vanished.

The Yanks suffered a major upset this evening, falling to their rivals to the north 2-0 before 10k plus in Nashville.  The loss puts the U.S. third in Group A and needing a win outright on Monday to advance to the semifinals and have a chance at qualifying for the London Olympics.

The days started poorly for the U.S. team with the news that Juan Agudelo suffered a torn meniscus in Thursday’s win.  The injury knocks him out of this competition and potentially part of the senior team’s World Cup qualifying.  In his place tonight was Teal Bunbury, who chose to play for the U.S. over Canada and had an opportunity to make his case for a chance at the senior squad.  Caleb Porter had one additional change in his starting lineup, swapping out Kofi Sarkodie for Jorge Villafana and putting him on the left.

The first half ended scoreless after both sides had a few chances that resulted in nothing.  The U.S. attack was continually thwarted by a packed Canadian defense, and Thursday hero Joe Corona was subbed off at halftime due to ineffective play.  Bunbury was also poor in attack and Terrence Boyd got a run out in the 56th minute but failed to make an impact.

Both Canadian goals came off of set pieces.  The first came in the 58th minute when Bill Hamid was too tentative playing a corner and Doneil Henry headed the ball into the back of the net.  The second was also from a Phillippe Davies cross that Lucas Cavallini headed in for a goal.

This loss was both embarrassing and devastating for the United States.  The Canadian U-23s had only really been practicing together for two weeks and their lack of playing time together showed until the second half.  The fact is the U.S. should not have lost to this team, and the loss blows some of the flaws Earl and I discussed on Thursday wide open.  That’s the embarrassing part.  Here’s why this loss was devastating:

• The U.S. now needs an outright win against El Salvador (tied for first) on Monday.  A draw means the U.S. needs Cuba to beat Canada, and while stranger things have happened, that won’t.  El Salvador will advance with a draw, so don’t expect them to be too aggressive.
• If the U.S. finishes second in the group, which is what will likely happen if they win Monday, they will play the winner of the Mexico-Honduras match in the semifinals.  They will need to win that match to qualify for the Olympics, and I guarantee they will not want a Mexico rematch with the Olympics on the line.

Photo by Jeff Keacher

No road wins this season.  A minus 22 goal differential.  Six games lost where they gave up three goals or more, including a 4-0 loss and a 6-2 loss.  Nineteen points, the third lowest in the league.  More trades than a Wall Street stock broker.  To be blunt, there has been little for Toronto FC fans to be cheery about this season.

However, with their 2-1 victory over Real Estalí in the second leg of their CCL preliminary round match-up, Toronto advances in this prestigious continental tournament fairly easily.  Last week, the Reds broke a scoreless first half with two goals from sub Joao Plata to win the BMO Field leg, while constantly challenging the Estalí defense with 19 shots.  The diminutive forward had missed Toronto’s prior match with a visa issue but made his presence felt in last week’s game.

Last night, needing a draw or win to advance, Toronto traveled to Nicaragua and came out with an impressive 2-1 win.  The Estalí away goal was negated in the 37th minute when Ryan Johnson launched an impressive strike top-shelf past Estalí keeper Carlos Mendieta to put Toronto up 3-1 on aggregate.  Estalí would draw closer when a penalty was called on newcomer Andy Iro in first-half stoppage time for a handball (his second penalty in as many games).  Manuel Rosas converted the PK to make it 1-1, 3-2 on aggregate.

But just as in their last CCL game, it was a brace that sealed the deal for Toronto.  Johnson, who came to Toronto in a trade with San Jose, collected a poor clearance from Mendieta and on the break beat the keeper to seal the deal for Toronto early in the second half.  For the rest of the game the Reds’ defense did a good job holding down the home team despite playing in a hostile environment.

Toronto now advances to Group C in the CCL where they will face Pumas UNAM (Mexico), Tauro (Panama), and the winner of FC Dallas/Alianza FC (El Salvador).  But more importantly advancing in this tournament gives the Reds so much needed momentum in the second half of the MLS season.  They have already won the Nutrilite Canadian Championship (their spot in the CCL) and continuing to play international clubs helps give the team as a team needed experience.

To recount all of the trades Toronto have made would be a separate post in itself, but there is no doubt the team needed an injection of new talent.  In year one of the Aron Winters experiment (which would make a great reality show), the players from last year’s roster were not cutting it in the new 4-3-3 Total Football system.  Rather than take previous years’ approach of making a few offseason moves to placate the fans, the Reds’ decided to torpedo this year’s roster now to move up their rebuild.

Despite the new players, the results haven’t been there quite yet.  They struggled in July but ended on a positive note with their 2-2 comeback draw with Portland.  Their upcoming schedule gives them a chance to continue building some momentum.  Their next match is Saturday at RFK Stadium, where DC United has struggled all year.  After hosting Real Salt Lake, they travel to Chicago (below them in the conference) and host the suddenly struggling Earthquakes.  If they can string together some positive results, they can finish the season with a modicum of decency and continue to try and advance in the CONCACAF Champions League.  The 2011 MLS season will not end in the playoffs for Toronto, but there is a chance they can finish strong with an eye towards a deeper run using their new system next season.

The 2011 Concacaf Gold Cup group stage has come to and end.  The matchups for the quarterfinals are set and we are poised for an interesting knockout round, which may be more up in the air than usual.  Two teams in particular have really risen their play and are looking to tip the scales on the traditional powers.  Panama is one, certainly a team on the upswing, Jamaica being the other.  The Reggae Boyz joined Mexico in being the only two teams to get maximum points in the group stage.

There weren’t too many surprises in regards to the final eight teams, with the exception of El Salvador.  However, the way the group standings ultimately played out did feature an unexpected element … Group C … no United States at the top.  All in all, though much turned out as predicted, there was still plenty of excitement (as well as blowouts) and intrigue hung around until the final day of group play.

Before we head on to the knockout stages … let’s take a brief look at what got us to this point.

Group A

Mexico and Costa Rica both finished first and second as was expected, while El Salvador earned a semi – surprise third place advancement.  Cuba came in with little to no expectations and in addition to being one of the tourney’s two whipping posts, again were unable to return home with the same amount of players as entering.

Mexico came into the tournament as the favorite, (or co – favorite with the U.S.) depending on who you were talking with.  They did absolutely nothing to dispel this notion and everything to enhance it.   If their were any doubts as to who the favorites are, they should be gone by now.  While the U.S. struggled compared to normal performances in the group, Mexico ran through their opposition like a hot knife through butter.  Not only does Mexico feature the most talented squad in the Gold Cup, they won convincingly even against Costa Rica.  After thrashing both El Salvador and Cuba 5 – 0, El Tri put on a clinic against Costa Rica, punishing the Ticos 4 – 1.  With a plus 13 goal differential, 9 points and only one goal conceded in three matches, Mexico is downright scary.

Costa Rica finished in 2nd place with 4 points and only goal differential separating them from the Salvadorenos.  In fact the Ticos were lucky even to be at this point needing, a last minute stoppage time equalizer against El Salvador just to finish in 2nd.  With teams like Panama, Honduras and Jamaica on the rise, perhaps the days of Costa Rica being the region’s de facto number 3 team are over.  Costa Rica is never quite the same as at home and with Honduras on the horizon, they may be returning there sooner than expected.

El Salvador played relatively well based on expectations heading in.  They nearly secured a key victory against Costa Rica that would have put them in the driver’s seat for 2nd place, after getting an early beatdown from Mexico.  El Salvador knew they needed a big game against Cuba and didn’t disappoint, exploding for 6 goals in a 6 – 1 win.  Still, this almost wasn’t enough.  Until a dramatic late goal by Panama evened things out with Canada, it seemed that late goal conceded to the Ticos would cost the Salvadorenos dearly.  With Panama’s help, El Salvador managed one of the two best 3rd place finishes (just ahead of Canada in goal differential) and a chance to play in front of a rabid, supportive fanbase at RFK Stadium in DC.  The large Salvadoran population in DC may be their best chance to get past Panama.  Though simply playing at RFK hasn’t always helped El Salvador, it certainly couldn’t hurt.

Cuba … not much to say here.  They did manage a goal, but had more defectors than said goals.  At times, I really have to wonder how this team was able to qualify, while Trinidad and Tobago did not.

Group B

Jamaica was dubbed by many as a strong dark horse heading in and they lived up to that billing and more through the first three matches.  The Reggae Boyz finished group play with a perfect record, joining Mexico in this feat.  They also were the only team to make it through without conceding a single goal.  In addition to a strong defensive effort, Jamaica brandished a relatively potent attack, finishing group play with 7 goals.  Just imagine how much more dangerous they would be with a healthy Omar Cummings on the pitch.  Jamaica will now provide a daunting task for the U.S.  Goals have already not come easy for the States and Jamaica’s backline probably will probably make them that much more difficult to come by.

Honduras while still generally considered a team on the way up, they are a young team.  The Catrachos started off by playing to a stalemate with a resurgent Guatemala and then were able to handily defeat Grenada, the tournament’s other whipping boys.  Honduras didn’t play up to their potential though, relying on a dominating win over Grenada to finish in 2nd.  The attack looked potent in this 7 – 1 win, but considering the competition, you have to wonder about their prospects to advance further.  Against stronger competition in Jamaica and Guatemala, the Catrachos were unable to find the back of the net.

Guatemala entered the Gold Cup on a semi – high as a footballing nation after their U – 20 squad was able to dispatch the United States and advance to the FIFA U – 20 World Cup.  Though not exactly the same roster, this feeling of success and confidence seemed to transpose itself onto the senior national team.  Though they played to a scoreless draw in their first group match with Honduras, the Chapinos came out with a lot of energy and had some real good goal scoring opportunities.  After losing 2 – 0 to a strong Jamaican team, Guatemala secured advancement with a 4 – 0 victory over Grenada.  The Chapinos were able to advance as one of the two best third place teams, based on a superior goal differential to Canada and El Salvador.

Grenada, like Cuba, was probably just happy to be there.  They were also happy to score a goal, which came against Honduras.  I’m glad that the island got to have their moment in the sun, but Grenada performed about where most expected them to.  Losing Shalrie Joseph before the tournament hurt, but I’m not sure his inclusion would have made much of a difference.

Group C

Panama were the surprise group winners.  The key moment for them was of course getting a win over the U.S. on American soil.  Even though this was somewhat unexpected, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility before the match either.  After all, Panama has given the United States a tough fight in the previous two Gold Cups.  This is definitely a team beginning to establish themselves as a potential regional power in the making.  It’s too soon to make any grandiose claims, but this is a team that could carve out a nice niche for themselves in CONCACAF.  Having a top notch striker such as Blas Perez doesn’t hurt either.

The United States continued one streak, always qualifying for the knockout rounds of the Gold Cup, while saying goodbye to another one.  The Americans can no longer stake a claim to an unbeaten record in the group stage.  Though they beat Canada comfortably, 2 – 0, their performance was still lackluster at times.  Despite falling to Panama on Matchday Two, the U.S. continued a trend they displayed during the World Cup, a propensity for creating an array of goal scoring opportunities, only to find the finishing a bit faulty (think Algeria match).  Like the final group game of the World Cup, the U.S. pelted the Panamanian backline with dangerous passes and crosses (especially over the last 10 minutes), only to find seemingly sure goals go by the wayside. The Americans had a similar situation unfold in the final group match with Guadeloupe.  Countless chances were wasted, with Clint Dempsey being a big culprit. The defense has also had some pretty shaky moments during the group stage.  Still this is a very talented team, that has only given up two goals so far.  The team has shown some really good ball movement.  The attack has flown right up until the final third, all that’s needed now is that finishing touch.

Canada probably suffered the biggest heartbreak of the opening round.  Though it had to be heartbreaking for Cuba and Grenada to get constantly throttled, it’s even worse when you have advancement whisked away just seconds before achieving it.  The Canadians recovered from their opening match loss to the U.S. with a tight 1 – 0 win over Guadeloupe.  After taking the early lead against Panama in the final game, they were just moments away from advancing in at least third place.  However, Panama were able to score after the ball ping ponged around the box in a frenzy.  After a frantic failed attempt at clearance, the ball trickled into the back of the net over three minutes into stoppage time.  You could practically see the life drained out of the Canadians at this moment.  Things were now out of their hands and they had to wait to see if Guadeloupe could pull off a shock upset of the U.S., which of course, didn’t happen.

Guadeloupe probably played slightly below expectations, especially considering their past relative success in the regional championship.  After going down to 9 men in the opening match with Panama and being in a 3 – 0 hole, the Gwada Boyz began to dig themselves out, netting twice.  It wasn’t quite enough however and after a closely contested loss to Canada, the French territorial island was all but eliminated.  They needed a lot of help to advance during Matchday 3.  Despite the slight letdown, Guadeloupe still displayed some very good technical skill and were fun to watch.  It’s hard not to root for them to some degree, considering this is essentially their World Cup.

Leading Goalscorer so far : Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez (Mexico) 5

Quarterfinal Matchups :

Costa Rica v Honduras (6/18)

Mexico v Guatemala (6/18)

Jamaica v United States(6/19)

Panama v El Salvador (6/19)

All in all, an entertaining first round.  Sure, there were some snoozers because of blowouts.  Still, there were enough surprises, close finishes and late match heroics to make for an interesting start.

I have mixed feelings on the eve of the United States’ opening match of the 2011 Gold Cup.  Everything that I was afraid of happening in the Spain match (except injuries) happened, and now Bob Bradley’s team has U.S. fans nervous and somewhat pessimistic the day before they face the 76th ranked country in the world, according to FIFA and Coca-Cola.  Mexico rolled in their first match behind a Chicharito hat trick, we have an idea but not a firm one of who Bob Bradley will bring out onto the field tonight, and even the USSF president has lost the confidence of some American fans.

Can a win over Canada calm these concerns? Not entirely, but the Yanks need a win tonight in order to begin the process of reasserting confidence in themselves.  Anything less than three points and angst will reach fever pitch.

Bob Bradley will go with a more veteran lineup tonight and send many of the first-half starters from Saturday’s friendly to the bench.  Howard will certainly be in goal, and I expect to see Bornstein and Cherundolo as the full backs.  The center backs will be a combination of Goodson, Bocanegra, and Gooch (with the captain moved to the left if Gooch starts) but even the back line is up in the air.  The midfield will have Donovan and Dempsey on the wings with Michael Bradley in the middle.  Joining him should be Maurice Edu or Jermaine Jones, with the latter the favorite to do so.  Up top we could see Agudelo and Altidore, but maybe Bradley will put an in-form Wondolowski up there to try and create some early scoring opportunities.  The fact that the starting lineup is so up in the air is concerning, but at least the U.S. has options.

For Canada, the lineup seems set except Julian de Guzman could miss tonight’s match.  The Canucks lined up in a 4-5-1 formation against Ecuador in their last friendly and the expectation is they will do the same tonight.  Lars Hirschfeld will start in goal but with DC United’s Dejan Jakovic out with injury, the back line of Marcel De Jong, Houston’s Andre Hainault, Kevin McKenna and a backup defender could be vulnerable.  Dwayne De Rosario, Atiba Hutchinson, and Terry Dunfield will play in the midfield with Josh Simpson and RSL’s Will Johnson on the wings.  Up top was Norwich City’s rising star Simeon Jackson in the most recent friendly but don’t be surprised if the Montreal Impact’s Ali Gerba gets the call to start.

The United States is the favorite to win this match, but I expect this to be a close, well contested match.  Here is how both team’s can escape with a full three points:

How the United States will win

Score the first goal: The Yanks have an annoying tendency to let the opposition score first and thus play from behind in many recent matches, including all four games of the World Cup.  Canada scoring first would not only continue this trend, but skyrocket the pressure on a team already feeling a bit of pressure.  If the U.S. scores first, it can dictate pace and relieve at least of little of the pressure its very uptight fans will feel.

Deny DeRo space: The New York star is the link between the midfield and the lone striker, plus as everyone knows he can score a little, so containing him will be a key to the match.  This is especially the case if De Guzman is not playing.  Whether Michael Bradley is tasked with denying him space in the midfield or one of the U.S. center backs is man marking him, it is imperative the United States not allow him the chance to make plays.  If the U.S. can contain DeRo, Canada will have a harder time scoring.

Play good wide defense: While the focus of the fans’ attention will be on the big names in the Canadian middle, it is the wings where Canada will create some chances.  MLS fans are familiar with Will Johnson’s skill but Simpson is also a threat on the outside.  The Bocanegra/Bornstein/Cherundolo pairing will have to account for these wings in the 4-5-1 to allow Donovan and Dempsey more freedom to play forward.

Exploit the center backs: While DCU fans can explain the perplexing player that is Dejan Jakovic, he is undoubtedly a critical loss to the Canucks.  Their back line has talent, but lacks experience.  Besides McKenna, the Canadian defenders on the roster have four international caps among five players.  The U.S. should certainly take advantage of this.

How Canada can win

Clog the midfield: As Spain showed, the United States struggles when its midfielders cannot get the ball to the forwards.  This is especially true when the forwards are having a hard time creating their own shots.  While Canada is not Spain and cannot use precision passing to dominate possession, it can muddle the midfield and prevent Bradley/Edu/Jones from getting the ball wide to the wings or forward.

Score first, or hold the U.S. scoreless for a half: Both of these outcomes would play into Canada’s hands.  The U.S. team is feeling enormous pressure to escape with a win (maybe even a convincing win).  If Canada scores first or keep the game scoreless as long as possible, the pressure will grow that much more on the Yanks.  This team will make mistakes, and Canada needs to be in the position to exploit those mistakes.

Pick the right lone striker: As I stated before, there is a rumor that Ali Gerber could get the nod over Simeon Jackson, which would be surprising considering how good Jackson is playing.  Stephan Hart needs to ignore the sexy pick and decide which of his two forwards is the best for the lone striker position.  As the U.S. has seen, this is not an easy choice nor can it be a popular one; but there is little room for error for Canada and they need the best players for their formation, not the most popular players.

Photo by FIFA Habbo

It was an incredibly busy week in American soccer.  Between the US national team, MLS midweek matches, and all sorts of FIFA controversies, there was a wealth of story lines for fans of the beautiful game.  Below are some of the ones we were following this week that we did not have time to post on the site:

• In midweek MLS action, New York and Colorado played to a 2-2 draw, Dallas got three points on the road with a 1-0 win over Seattle, and the Galaxy grabbed an early goal to edge Houston 1-0.
• The Canadian Championship was rescheduled for July 2 after it was abandoned in the 63rd minute due to horrendous rainstorms.
• The FIFA mess is an important thing to know for American soccer fans.  FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hamman and CONCACAF rep Jack Warner were summoned before an investigatory committee this week on charges of bribery during a Caribbean campaign visit.  The charges were made by the U.S. rep Chuck Blazer.  Now Sepp Blatter, the current FIFA president and candidate for reelection, has had an ethics charge filed against him by bin Hamman for not reporting possible corruption violations.  The election between these two, in polite terms, undesirable candidates was supposed to be Wednesday but now with ethics charges hanging over both of them, that timeline is in doubt.  What does this mean for U.S. soccer?  Stay tuned.
• MLS commissioner Don Garber did an interview with the Sports Business Journal where he discussed Sporting Kansas City’s stadium, the Cosmos’ price tag, and MLS ratings, among other things.
• Real Salt Lake’s depth is hurting with injuries and Gold Cup call-ups, but Randy Davis sees an opportunity for one player.
• Congratulations to American Clint Dempsey, whose Fulham team won England’s “Fair Play” spot in the Europa League.  Like Maurice Edu this season, Dempsey will again have a chance to show off his skills on the European stage.
• Finally, the UEFA Champions League Final is Saturday and will be shown on Fox.  Last year’s final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich had a 1.1 share; with two more “popular” teams playing keep an eye out for the rating.  It will be a good indicator or support for the sport of soccer in the U.S.

In the wake of Thursday’s loss to Qatar in maybe the only place U.S. soccer can lose to them (the FIFA boardroom), many American soccer fans tried to rally their spirits by immediately turning their focus to the 2026 World Cup process.  An initial glance at the state of play right now for the World Cup suggests 2026 could be an even better opportunity for a United States World Cup than 2022.

CONCACAF would be long overdue to host the event (the last one being 1994) and by FIFA rules Europe and Asia would be ineligible to host.  South American would be unlikely because FIFA would probably want the 2030 World Cup in Uruguay/Argentina to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the tournament.  And out of North America, Oceania, and Africa the U.S. bid would look very promisingly, especially since it would then have been 32 years since the last American World Cup.

But upon further reflection a U.S. 2026 bid is in no way a slam dunk, despite our advantages.  Here are the top five reasons to not get your hopes too high about the 2026 bid:

1.  China – Yes, FIFA rules prohibit a federation from hosting consecutive World Cups, so China could not follow Qatar.  However, FIFA could change them between now and the next bid process if the right situation presents itself.  Chinese interest in a World Cup checks many of the boxes for FIFA: guaranteed profit, an infrastructure perfect for hosting such an event, a growing (or by 2026 grown) soccer market, and government assurances for a successful event.  Imagine the best of the U.S., Australia and Qatar bids, and you have China.  Such a cash cow might be hard to turn down.

2.  Canada – Mexico would be a prime place for a World Cup, but they have already hosted twice.  Canada, however, would be a compelling location for a World Cup and a perfect foil to a U.S. bid.  Again, Canada is a rich nation that has hosted Olympics in the past.  Soccer exists and has support, but a World Cup could really push its growth in the country.  The women’s team is already good.  If the Canadian team makes progress over the next few cycles, then Canada becomes a very attractive first-time bid.

3.  A first-time African nation bid - South Africa plus Qatar equals a dream scenario for FIFA.  Right now it’s hard to find a stable enough African country that’s not South Africa to be a really strong contender for a World Cup.  It is a long time between 2010 and the bid process, however, and there are a bunch of countries that could be viable for the next cycle.

4.  Map changes – There are some odd anomalies in the soccer federations.  Some, like Israel, are for cultural and geopolitical reasons while some (like Australia) are for competitive reasons.  The point is that the federations can be changed for a variety of reasons.  Why is this a factor?  Say FIFA reconsiders and decides Oceania needs to be beefed up as a federation; they put Australia back in Oceania.  Now Australia is eligible for the 2026 World Cup without a rules change.  Or what if India or the Middle Eastern nations show vast improvement prior to the 2018 World Cup, in anticipation of Qatar in 2022?  Would it make sense to add Japan and Australia to Oceania (since they are both Pacific islands)? Or maybe split Asia and merge half of it with Oceania?  All of these are unlikely scenarios, but a map change over the next five to ten years could damage another U.S. bid., especially if FIFA wants to give a World Cup to Australia or Japan.

5.  New Zealand or a CONCACAF island – Laugh all you want, but if a nation as small as Qatar can win why not New Zealand?  This is the same country that almost advanced from group stage in this year’s World Cup, although they did qualify against weaker competition.  Oceania has never had a World Cup and it would be a landmark event, something the Executive Committee obviously likes in a bid.  It has beautiful scenery and is economically advanced.  What about a more-open Cuba?  What a great way to show its reemergence to the international stage with a World Cup, either solo or jointly.  Is this reason so hard to believe?  Yes, both New Zealand and Cuba are odd choices, but they are both larger in land size and population by far than the 2022 host.

The United States has been the favorite to win the 2022 World Cup bid since it dropped its 2018 bid to clear the way for a European nation.  Going up against a Middle Eastern country, two Asian nations that previously hosted, and an island nation with little soccer culture, the U.S. has the money, media presence, and soccer infrastructure to guarantee a successful World Cup.  But as we approach the December 2 announcement date, the rumors continue to pop up that the U.S. is at best dead even with Qatar and another of its competitors.  So we have to consider what was once the unthinkable – what is the U.S. loses out on the World Cup?

How could America lose out on a bid?  Qatar, while disgustingly hot in the summer, has a lot of money that it can dedicate to the World Cup, and FIFA can justify giving them the World Cup as a way to promote peace in the region.  Australia is an untapped market and they could be viewed as the U.S. in 1994 – a nation where a World Cup will jump start the popularity of their soccer league.  And it would be odd to give Japan or Korea a World Cup so soon after they jointly hosted one, but they could be viewed as safe bets.  Plus we cannot ignore what wheelings and dealings occur behind closed doors.

The first thought that would come to many people’s minds if the U.S. lost out on December 2 is that we can reapply in four years for the 2026 Cup, and would have to be considered almost a lock.  The World Cups have gone Africa (’10), South America (’14), Europe (’18), and Asia (’22), so unless Antarctica were to boom in population, North America would be a logical next step.  This of course FIFA is logical and continues to rotate continents years from now when the 2026 Cup is selected, but let’s just assume.  But to assume the U.S. would definitely be that country could be a mistake.  Between the 2022 and 2026 selection processes, Mexico (who has already hosted World Cups), could stabilize politically and has a large soccer market.  And to the north is another untapped market – Canada could be targeted by FIFA as the new soccer infrastructure building project.  They have the money, government stability, and infrastructure to host a world-wide event.  Plus, as we have seen with Toronto FC and lower division teams, Canadians will support soccer.

What does the loss of a World Cup do to MLS?  Initially nothing, as where the international event will be held does not really impact MLS players.  But what it could impact is MLS governance.  We know FIFA hates some aspects of MLS, especially the schedule, and we assume that it would not deny the U.S. a bid because of simple MLS dislikes.  But what if FIFA wanted the U.S. market to conform with the rest of world enough that they denied the bid?  MLS could do one of two things – it could basically move further from FIFA or, more likely, begin to adopt FIFA guidance completely.  This means fall-to-spring schedules like most of the rest of the world.

And what does this mean for the U.S. national team?  It cannot be understated how important home field advantage is in the World Cup – the U.S. made the round of 16 in 1994, Italy placed third in the 1990 World Cup, Germany made the 2006 semifinals, etc.  The United States would lose a vital goalpost for progress – the USSF can build its entire structure with the goal of playing in front of the home crowd in 2022 and making a run for possibly a title.  But without that goalpost, it’s harder to have an end date for a building project which, frankly, the U.S. could use.  It can be done, but the advantage of a World Cup in your front yard cannot be understated.

So would losing the World Cup be catastrophic for the USSF?  No, but it would hurt.   A lot.

To kick off our MLS Cup 2010 Preview, I am pleased to share that we will be live blogging the match on this site Sunday night beginning at 8:30 PM Eastern.  For those of us not in Toronto, please visit this site to share thoughts on the two teams, ESPN’s coverage, or the warmth of your home as opposed to those at the stadium.

On Sunday night, two American teams will invade a Canadian pitch to resolve which is the best team in Major League Soccer.  Oddly enough, only one player on either roster is actually Canadian – FC Dallas defender Edson Edward, who was born in Ottawa.  BMO Field previously hosted the 2008 MLS All Star Game, so it is not a stranger to large MLS matches.  In honor of Canada’s national winter sport (hockey), below is a breakdown of the match up face-off style.

Dallas Attack vs. Colorado Defense:  Anyone who has followed any bit of the playoffs knows the Dallas attack starts with David Ferreira.  The key to stopping the Dallas attack is stopping the presumptive MLS MVP, which no team in the playoffs has done so far.  The Rapids duo of Mastroeni and Larentowicz are next up, and their contribution will be critical to the Rapids’ game plan.  Of course the Dallas attack does not stop with Ferreira; the midfield duo of Dax McCarty and Brek Shea are also playmakers who can threaten the Colorado defense.  Despite a 1-0 win in their last match and a solid keeper in Matt Pickens, they will be hard pressed to slow down a high-powered Dallas attack.  Advantage – Dallas

Colorado Attack v. Dallas Defense:  The Dallas defense can be summed up in one word – Hartman.  The keeper has been unworldly in the regular season and especially in the playoffs; his first-half saves against the Galaxy kept the momentum with the visiting team.  His back line will have a hard time containing the best forwards in MLS, especially Omar Cummings on the wing.  If Kevin Hartman wasn’t in goal, I’d give this advantage to the speed and skill of the Rapids.  But until the Dallas keeper proves me wrong, I’ll bet on him to keep this category even.  Advantage: Push

Hyndman v. Smith: Again, it’s tough to bet against the MLS Coach of the Year.  Hyndman’s gameplan against the Galaxy was excellent, using the speed of his team to exploit weaknesses in LA defense.  Gary Smith is also a good manager, but usually excellent beats good.  Advantage: Dallas

Intangibles: My initial thought is that Colorado would be better equipped to play in a cold match, but they lost their only visit to Canada this year while Dallas drew FC Toronto 1-1.  Neither club has won a championship, so that is a push.  But their roads to Toronto have been very different.  Colorado overcame a scrappy Columbus team and a solid San Jose team to make it this far.  Dallas beat the defending champions and the Supporters Shield winners.  Advantage: Dallas

Prediction: Dallas looks to have the upper hand in the matchup, but Colorado is a very talented team.  I expect a back-and-forth match with Dallas pulling away in the end.  Dallas wins 3-1.

Have you ever questioned rooting for a team?  It doesn’t even have to be a soccer team – maybe you watch pro football or baseball, and your hometown/local team is just bad.  Because you love the sport and the team, you support it through think and thin and you buy season tickets even though that money could go towards something you need more.  You shake your head when management does something blatantly dumb, and you gripe about the players lacking pride in the game.  While you are doing this the team continues to rise prices, even though there is no improvement on the field.  Eventually, you begin to question your fanaticism, usually after years of losing or mismanagement.  You think deep in the recesses of your mind “should I really dedicate my time and money to this team?”  You just want to lash out and make management feel your pain, understand your angst and do something, anything to make it better.

And every once in a while, management listens and gives in.

Toronto FC’s contribution to MLS has been less than spectacular.  In its four seasons of existence, it has never finished in the top ten in MLS, much less qualified for the playoffs and has only found success in the Canadian Championships.  Despite this terrible start for the franchise, they have averaged over 20,000 every match, and the Toronto experiment has inspired MLS to place an additional two, maybe three teams in Canada over the next five years.  And as owners of teams usually do in response to changing times, the ownership group for Toronto FC has raised its ticket prices every year.  The problem is how much they have raised ticket prices; the team announced earlier this month that they were increasing ticket prices 34%, which after comparability studies were done, makes a 2011 Toronto FC ticket more expensive than a Manchester United ticket!

Fans understandably are outraged.  After a 1-0 loss at home to woeful DC United, the Red Patch Boys borrowed Twisted Sister’s greatest hit and announced that they weren’t going to take it anymore.  And the club listened.  This weekend ownership announced they were freezing season ticket prices after the 2011 season and giving all season ticket renewers a free ticket to the 2011 home opener.  The club even went so far as to admit liability in an email to supporters: “Toronto FC fans are unique — you love your club, you feel a part of the club, but your club has let you down on and off the pitch.”

As a fan of multiple teams who have failed to qualify for the playoffs in recent memory and have consistently been losers on the pitch/field/court, I applaud the Toronto FC management.  It takes guts and a good business sense to admit you messed up big time, and it is better they did it now before irreparable harm was done to the fanbase.  But at the same time, they should be ashamed and this is a victory for all fans of all clubs who have been through incompetence, aggravation, and constant losing.  So to fans of teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Raiders, and LA Clippers, stand up and cheer for the Red Patch Boys and hope that this trend of management mea culpa spreads.

Do you think Toronto FC has done enough to answer fan complaints, or should it do more?  Let us know in the comments section or via Twitter @roberthayjr

Here’s a link to the press release.

I know, this is MLS Talk, not USL Talk. But given recent events, this is newsworthy.

This has been rumored for awhile, not always the Fury, but that a party in Ottawa was interested in entering the USL First Division. But they picked a really strange time to do it, didn’t they?

A little more about the club: It was founded in 2005 and currently fields teams in the PDL, W-League (Ottawa Fury Women), and the Super-20 League.

It appears that they plan to play matches at a new stadium to be built at Lansdowne Park, pending the approval of the Ottawa city council. Currently Lansdowne Park is the home of Frank Claire Stadium, which hosted matches at the U-20 World Cup. Frank Clair is in, let’s say, less that pristine condition and there’s been talk about redeveloping the place. We may well be looking at a ground-share with a potential new Ottawa CFL team.

The Ottawa council meets tomorrow (Sept. 2) to rule on the stadium plan, and that’s probably what this whole thing hinges on.

So, what do you guys think of this news, and the timing of the announcement considering everything that’s going on with the USL at the moment? I think it’s great news for Canada, the more professional options for Canadians the better.

Update: Here’s a link to the Lansdowne Live project including the potential stadium. The stadium would seat 25,000. That’s massive by USL standards.